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THE AVAILABILTY OF GOVERNMENT RECORDS ON A PUBLIC WEBSITE DOES NOT SATISFY A FOIL REQUEST; HERE THERE WERE QUESTIONS OF FACT WHETHER THE VILLAGE SHOULD HAVE WORKED WITH THE PETITIONER TO IDENTIFY THE REQUESTED DOCUMENTS (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, in a comprehensive full-fledged opinion by Justice Iannacci, determined the article 78 petition seeking to compel the village to release documents about recusals and conflict-of-interests disclosures by village officials should not have been dismissed. The availability of government records on a public website was deemed insufficient to satisfy a FOIL request. There were questions of fact about whether the requested documents were sufficiently described:

The principal questions presented on appeal are whether the requested records were “reasonably described” (… [Public Officers Law] § 89[3][a]) so as to allow the Village to locate and identify them, and whether the Village satisfied its obligations under FOIL by maintaining a public website, on which much of the information sought by the petitioner could be found. We hold that the mere availability of government records on a public website is insufficient to satisfy a request under FOIL for reproduction of such materials. However, we further conclude that questions of fact exist as to the Village’s ability to locate, identify, and produce the records requested by the petitioner, thereby precluding summary determination of the petition. * * *

… [T]here is no evidence that, before denying the petitioner’s request in its entirety, the Village made any effort to work with her to more precisely define the information desired … , if possible, or to “attempt to reasonably reduce the volume of the records requested” … . * * *

Holding that an agency satisfies a FOIL request for reproduction of records merely by referring the requestor to a public website does not adequately safeguard the public right of all of this State’s citizens. Matter of Goldstein v Incorporated Vil. of Mamaroneck, 2023 NY Slip Op 05500, Second Dept 11-1-23

Practice Point: The availability of government records on a government website does not satisfy a FOIL request for documents.

Practice Point: The municipality may have an obligation to work with the party making a FOIL request to identify the requested documents.

 

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