A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the City of Marengo regarding new and active residential and commercial building permits on October 30, 2024. The request was made by McHenry Times, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
The records requested under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act include a list of all new residential and commercial building permits issued from January 1, 2023, up until the present date. The specific fields requested for these permits are type of permit, date issued, fee paid, requester, address, and contractor name.
In addition to this, McHenry Times also requested a list of all active residential and commercial building permits along with their current status. The same fields as mentioned above were asked for these active permits.
As a media organization involved in gathering and reporting news to the public, access to public records is essential for McHenry Times to fulfill its professional responsibilities. These responsibilities include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. In light of its role in disseminating information, McHenry Times believes it is eligible for a fee waiver as a media professional.
The City of Marengo has yet to respond to this FOIA request.
