A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the City of Highland, Illinois on October 30, 2024. The request was made by us at Metro East Sun, a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
The request sought access to records pertaining to all new residential and commercial building permits issued from January 1, 2023 till the date of the request. Specifically, we asked for information including the type of permit, date issued, fee paid, requester's name, address and contractor name.
In addition to this, we also requested data on all active residential and commercial building permits along with their current status. The same fields as mentioned above were requested for these active permits as well.
As a media organization dedicated to transparency and accountability in public institutions, we believe that access to such public records is essential in fulfilling our professional responsibilities. In line with this belief, we have requested a fee waiver as a media professional under the provisions of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.
We are awaiting a response from the City of Highland regarding our request.
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