FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAW (FOIL)

The Freedom of Information Law (Public Officers Law Article 6) is New York State's principal statute on providing for public access to the records of government. The Records Access Officer (in Livonia, this is the Town Clerk) is responsible for ensuring appropriate agency response to public requests for access to records.

If you wish to make a FOIL request, you must make your request in writing. Please be as specific as possible in describing the records in which you are interested. Within 5 business days of the receipt of your request, we will send a written acknowledgment that we have received your request.

Certain records or portions of records are excepted from disclosure under authority of Public Officers Law Section 87.2 (a-1). Should your request be denied, you will be notified in writing stating the reason for the denial and advising your right to an appeal.

For more information on FOIL law, you may visit the New York State Office of General Services web site at: www.ogs.ny.gov.

Requesting and Obtaining Records via Email

The Governor recently approved legislation (Chapter 182) to amend the Freedom of Information Law that requires the Committee on Open Government "to develop a form, which shall be made available on the Internet, that may be used by the public to request a record". The new law further requires as follows:

"All entities shall, provided such entity has reasonable means available, accept requests for records submitted in the form of electronic mail and shall respond to such requests by electronic mail, using forms, to the extent practicable, consistent with the form or forms developed by the Committee on Open Government pursuant to subdivision one of this section and provided that the written requests do not seek a response in some other form."

The form for requesting records via email is available here.