Eye On Englewood

Link: http://www.englewoodstory.com

Bill Offrights' APRIL FOOLS DAY $SPECIAL$

What are they hiding? By law, cities have three days to fulfill an Open Records Request. There are no exceptions such as having an outstanding city debt or the person requesting the record wishing to remain anonymous.

Follow up:

A person wishing to remain anonymous, or perhaps who is afraid of retaliation, may submit a request and in three days return to view or pick up the documents either in person or via courier or agent.

In Englewood, however, the City Attorney, Dan Brotzman, and the City Clerk, Loucrisha Ellis, together with City Manager, Gary Sears, have determined that a special form must be filled out for them to honor a person's request.

They further have determined that “anonymous” is not a signature that the form recognizes.

Finally, they have determined that “anonymous” is not a real person, unbeknown to the real person making the request.

So, the requesting person asked the Secretary of Colorado whether there was any law prohibiting her privacy and confidentiality.

She was told there was no law, but that she should hire an attorney to enforce any rights she retains under a Home Rule form of government.

I have decided after substantiating the facts, that the requester may indeed have reason to fear the Englewood City government.

Wouldn't you?

In Englewood, the format for an Open Records request changes upon the whims of the City. If they think you are a bother, they will charge exorbitant labor fees to procure open records.

A research fee was recently added after the usual benefactor of the old program was in mid-stream of a records request.

This researcher was refused the open records based upon the need to pay for them prior to viewing them.

Since the price of research rose significantly, without notice, the researcher refused the documents citing no agreement had ever been offered, much less reached, between the parties for labor fees.

Subsequently, this researcher has been routinely denied any further open records requests in Englewood. The three day rule simply doesn't apply to this person.

In Englewood, not only has the above arbitrary labor fee been billed, City Clerk Ellis, carbon copied all the heads of city departments regarding the City's official statement with all the person's private information attached to the trumped up charges.

All this begs the question, what are they hiding? Why are they hiding it, and where is the law that allows them such arbitrary treatment of their own citizens? Such an egg hunt they offer you.

With an election approaching in November, you'd think they would be smart enough to let the small things go.