City of Lansing non-responds to FOIA request

No list exists — nor any offer to make one

FRIDAY,  Aug. 8 — My wait is over — for part 1 of my fight for a list of red-tagged properties in the city of Lansing. 

Here was my request, which I submitted to the city of Lansing on July 15 under Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act:  “I am seeking a current list of red-tagged properties. I understand you no longer routinely make a list. I am asking you to make one for City Pulse.”

Here was the city’s response yesterday:

“The City of Lansing has reviewed its files and has determined there are no responsive documents to your request. Your request is denied pursuant to MCL 15.235(5)(b), and this letter serves as a certificate that the requested documents do not exist under the name provided by you or another name reasonably known to the City of Lansing.”

That arrived two days late under state law, but let’s not quibble.

It’s also old information. I asked for a “current” list three months ago. An assistant city attorney informed me by email then that no current list existed but offered the last list the city had prepared, back on Jan. 30, before the little old list maker retired and no one else could apparently figure out which buttons to push to prepare a current list.

The public has a right to know what properties are red-tagged. Is the problem growing or shrinking?

Why this lack of transparency? Why is the city withholding this information from the media?

I don’t know.

The next step under state law is to appeal to the City Council president or to file a lawsuit in court. Fortunately, Ryan Kost is president and has told me that when he chaired the committee that oversaw red-tagged properties, he routinely required and received the now-elusive list.  I will make such an appeal today.

As I have previously reported, I attempted to work directly with the Schor administration to resolve this issue. For reasons that elude me, it has chosen to deal with a simple request for information in the public’s interest by putting up roadblocks. 

The Schor administration could have told the Economic Development and Planning Department, which oversees red-tagged properties, to provide me with the list.  Instead, it prefers to play the  FOIA Game. The game’s purpose is to see how much you can pervert the spirit of the Michigan Freedom of Information Act. The loser is the public.