Information Requests
Requests for public information (as defined by the NY State Freedom of Information Law, outlined below) must be submitted in person
and in writing (forms are provided) at the Village Office during regular business hours. Information such as meeting dates and times, meeting minutes, or any other information
that has already been disseminated into the public domain do not require a written FOIL request.
Freedom of Information Law (FOIL)
The NY State Freedom of Information Law (Public Officers Law, Article 6, Sections 84-90), commonly
referred to as "FOIL", gives citizens the right of access to any and all records held by a municipality, unless those records fall under certain,
specific, exemption categories. Some examples of records that are exempt from FOIL are personnel records, medical records, or, in some cases, certain
law enforcement or criminal investigative information.
The purpose and intent of FOIL is best summed up in this paragraph from the beginning of the
law, "The people's right to know the process of governmental decision-making and to review the documents and statistics leading to determinations is
basic to our society. Access to such information should not be thwarted by shrouding it with the cloak of secrecy or confidentiality. The legislature
therefore declares that government is the public's business and that the public, individually and collectively and represented by a free press, should
have access to the records of government in accordance with the provisions of this article."
FOIL Links
NY State Freedom of Information Law
