A demand for the official record of the after the grand meeting was given to the IDNR. According to the IDNR there were no minutes or notes taken. But, minutes mysteriously appeared in the ATA minutes. The meeting is required as per the WSRC lease agreement. Millions are at stake but no written goals or notes are taken by the state. Disinterest? I report. You decide. Merlo out Special thanks to you soldiers that are in the trenches. You know who you are.
Good God, The soldiers find out things about the IDNR (NO MINUTES TAKEN), and yet the State doesn't seem to care to pursue the statement of "NO SUCH RECORD EXISTS" ? So, how does the IDNR go about complying with the ATA requests, if they have no records of these requests to go by ? #2 & #3 & #5... #1 is a joke I guess....The Executive Committee "HOPES" . Boy do they (and they better) HOPE ! HOPE is all they will get. Glad I don't pay the taxes in Illinois.
I find the above question posed by Brads friend (I hope) very interesting and in need of an official answer. So, this morning, I sent a request to the appropriate office within the Illinois Attorney Generals Office, asking if IDNR representatives are mandated by law to create minutes of official meetings when representing the State. I also informed the AG's office of the requirement of the Exit Meeting (Article 7, Sect. 7.3) and other meetings contained in the current IDNR/ATA Lease Agreement. In concluding my correspondence, I suggested that if IL State Agencies are not required to take minutes/notes of official meetings, they might want to review the matter, since reasonable minded people understand the importance of committing discussions and meetings to written form, rather than rely on memory. If the State does not understand or support the premise of written documentation, why did they require a written lease between the IDNR and ATA to use the World Shooting and Recreational Complex (WSRC) to hold the annual Grand American Handicap tournament? Of course we all know the answer to this as should the IL AG. Otherwise, how could they support their position in disputes? And, oddly enough, following right after the required Exit Meeting in the lease is Sect. 7.4 "Dispute Resolution." If I get an answer, I'll be happy to share it with this forum. HB
Be careful you don't fall for "word games", to NOT get the answer your looking for ..... If you ask for "minutes of official meetings", the "answer" may be different than a "ANY record" of the "official meetings" ..... It says "meeting may be ATTENDED either in person, by teleconference or other electronic means" ..... so, the "record", if there is one, may exist in several "forms". The "request" may need to ask for ..... "any record" of this "official meeting" .....
Excellent point. They are lawyers . . . . I'm just a retired blue-color worker. I thought I was being careful but I gladly accept advice to be even more careful in what I request. I'll venture a guess that my request will be denied once more. Does anyone know if State representatives are required by law to commit discussions from meetings to written form? HB
Your answer may be here on page "5", "RECORDING OF A MEETING" ...... http://foia.ilattorneygeneral.net/pdf/faq_oma_government.pdf IF ..... it was a "OPEN/PUBLIC MEETING" .... page "6 and 7" has "EXCEPTIONS TO OPEN MEETINGS - CLOSED SESSIONS" ..... and page "7" has "How must a public body RECORD a closed meeting?"
So, how does the IDNR go about complying with the ATA requests, if they have no records of these requests to go by ? #2 & #3 & #5... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And once again, Without State IDNR minutes of the meeting, how do they expect to address the concerns of the EC ? Somehow I would "think" that the IDNR would have some record of this meeting... Strange, very strange.... Will await HB on what response he receives. Just my 2 cents again
Are they "requests", or "hopes" as stated in "1" ????? And ..... read "4" a few times ..... "excellent job done by IDNR in maintaining the grounds" ..... If someone told you in a "public meeting" you were doing a "excellent job - maintaining the grounds", would you feel they just "hope" for better, or "request" better for the "members" ?????
When you put the ATA and the state of Ill. in the same room, you may not want to know what is said. It would probably curl your toes. Roger C.