Most government agencies cooperate with information requests from the media. The average turnaround on a request with Escambia County, the Sheriff’s Office and any other county constitutional office is less than 24 hours.
Across the state, media contact the public information officers with various municipalities on possible stories. The vast majority of requests are handled over the phone.
The City of Pensacola has been different, and it has become less and less transparent since the Sunshine Center was created in August 2013.
This past year, as controversies at City Hall mounted and city officials became more reticent, Inweekly has had to increase its record requests. The Sunshine Center has responded by driving up its charges for records.
Over the past three years and one month, Inweekly’s net requests have totaled 82 – an average of 2.2 per month. However, half our requests have been made during the past nine months, for which we have paid $932 this year.
Here is the breakdown of our requests:
From August-December 2013
Sunshine Center head: Jane Ballard
Number of requests: 6
Withdrawn because State supplied information: 2
Net requests: 4
Total charges paid by Inweekly: $0.00
From January-December 2014
Sunshine Center head: Jane Ballard
Number of requests: 27
*Number nonresponsive or not public record: 8
Net requests: 21
Total charges paid by Inweekly: $29.24
*State Attorney had to intervene on requests for outstanding record requests in the system, Occupational Licenses info, and the federal grand jury subpoenas.
From January-June 2015
Sunshine Center head: Jane Ballard
Number of requests:5
Number nonresponsive or not public record: 0
Net requests: 5
Total charges paid by Inweekly: $53.76
From July-December 2015
Sunshine Center head: Maxwell Branham
Number of requests: 16
Number nonresponsive or not public record: 5
Net requests: 11
Total charges paid by Inweekly: $280.94
*Inweekly had to fight City Administrator over his executive order for city staff to not answer emails from government email accounts. Other Issues: Qualifications of Eric Olson and Tamara Fountain, Ethics issue on Planning Board, Longhollow Radio Tower, Emagination Unlimited’s work at airport, AME Church custody battle.
From January-June 2016
Sunshine Center head: Maxwell Branham
Number of requests: 23
*Number nonresponsive or not public record: 5
Net requests: 18
Total charges paid by Inweekly: $131.74
*Inweekly investigated HR manual changes, allegations against Fire Chiefs, job evaluations, pay raises, random drug tests
From July-Sept 2016
Sunshine Center head: Matt Shaud
Number of requests: 32
*Number nonresponsive or not public record: 4
**Requests combined by the Sunshine Center: 5
Net requests: 23
Total charges paid by Inweekly: $799.85
*Inweekly investigated turnover in the mayor’s office, severance checks, lawsuit settlements, local option gas taxes, and expenditures for professional services.
**Inweekly asked for invoices, contracts and documents for Messer & Caparello law firm and Goordwin-Pichard Investigation Agency. The Sunshine Center combined those six requests into one invoice.