Alderwoman still not satisfied with access to city documents

MORRISON – Morrison Alderwoman Marti Wood says she’s having a hard time getting information from the city government.

In a Jan. 11 email, she asked City Attorney Tim Zollinger about this issue. She said she had an especially hard time getting records from City Administrator Jim Wise.

“As an alderman, I thought we could get information without even a FOIA [Freedom of Information Act] request,” she said in the email.

In a reply the next day, Zollinger said City Council members generally are entitled to review all documents related to the operations and functions of city government.

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However, some documents, including those for personnel, have legal limitations, Zollinger said. They would need to be reviewed at City Hall, instead of council members being allowed to keep the files at their houses, he said.

“If there is information that you feel you are not getting, please let me know the specific information and I will facilitate the access to the same,” he said.

A couple of months ago, Wood got to review the city’s legal bills. But there were some restrictions: She had to examine them in the basement with an employee watching, and the city barred her from taking notes.

In his email, Zollinger offered another way that Wood could examine the documents.

“If you still need to review my legal bills to the city, please let me know and I will make my copies available to review at my office, even providing coffee if you desire,” he said.

Wood said Thursday that she didn’t think she should have to go to Zollinger’s office in Sterling to review documents that are at City Hall in Morrison.

Alderwoman Sarah Thorndike said she hadn’t requested to see the legal bills before. She said she understood the reason why an employee had to escort council members in the basement, because that’s where the police files are.

However, she said council members should be able to take notes and photocopy legal bills. But she said limits should be placed on personnel records.

Wise couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday.