Library okays FOIA policy in independence bid

The library board for the Baldwin Public Library has adopted its own Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) policy, signaling a further step in establishing the library as independent from control by the city of Birmingham.

At the library board’s February 23 meeting, the board voted to adopt the FOIA policy that directs that any information requested relative to the library under the act to be handled by the library director as FOIA Coordinator, rather than having such requests routed through the city’s established FOIA system. The vote of the board was unanimous, with library trustee Jennifer Wheeler absent from the session.

According to information supplied prior to the vote, the writing of the FOIA policy for the library cost $267 in attorney fees charged by the legal counsel for the library.

In terms of content, the new POIA policy for the library basically adheres to such policy for the city of Birmingham and other municipalities in the state. The difference is that any future FOIA request will now be filed directly with the library by email at webmaster@baldwinlib.org or in written form mailed or delivered in person to Baldwin Public Library, FOIA Coordinator, 300 W. Merrill Street, Birmingham MI 48009.

In the case where an FOIA request is denied, appeals of such decisions will now be handled by the library board rather than the city commission.

The new policy also outlines the costs to be charged in most cases for an FOIA request.

Library officials noted that there were only five FOIA requests directed at the library in the past year.

The adoption of the new policy is one more step in establishing independence of the library board from the city commission following an agreement by the city in past months that the library was clearly an independent entity, including setting its own annual budget and millage rate, an issue that has lingered for decades in the city.

The library board is still considering placing other services now provided by the city with third party providers that may charge less than the city now gets from the Baldwin Public Library.