City of White Rock residents can now track on the city’s website the progress of every freedom-of-information request sent to the city as well as the accompanying responses.
City communications manager Farnaz Farrokhi told Peace Arch News via email Tuesday that city staff started the initiative to “better reflect White Rock City Council’s vision of enhancing access to information.”
Late last year, the city fired back after the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) determined White Rock “has serious issues” with respect to how freedom-of-information requests were being handled.
In the 23-page report, released in November, the OIPC states that it audited the city’s handling of FOI requests because of the “high number” of complaints and requests received over the past five years.
In a news release following OIPC’s report, the city said it was disappointed that the scope of the audit did not include a review of the specific content of access for information requests, “or the difficulties faced by White Rock related to vexatious, frivolous, or systematic requests.”
The city’s statement drew criticism from the public almost as soon as it was issued, including concerns later raised by Mayor Darryl Walker, who said the statement was issued by city staff without knowledge or approval of himself or other council members.
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On Wednesday, Walker told PAN that freedom-of-information “has been, I think, a frustration” for the public.
“It hasn’t helped to build a better relationship with the city of White Rock, ourselves on council and so on,” Walker said, adding that he and the Democracy Direct party campaigned on transparency.
“We’re letting people know what the requests are and what the status of those requests are, but, secondly, we’re working towards getting more and more information out so we won’t have so many pitfalls in problem areas,” he said.
The webpage, he added, may help reduce duplicate requests for information – “I think that’s exceedingly important.”
As of Wednesday morning, the city’s 2019 FOI requests webpage listed eight FOI requests, five of which are in-progress.
The in-progress requests include information relating to the city’s legal costs; details regarding bylaw officer attendance on the 15000-block of Buena Vista Ave. on Jan. 14; a copy of approved building plans for 956 Kent Street and copy of the original topographic site survey; information relating to the rainbow crosswalk at the Five Corners neighbourhood; and a White Rock Fire Department report relating to a vehicle collision last August.
The three FOI requests that have been completed – accompanied with corresponding responses – include two relating to a study about dogs on the White Rock Promenade, and one relating to a Sept. 1 fire at 15057 Marine Dr.
To view all the freedom-of-information requests, click here.
To find the city’s FOI page, go to www.whiterockcity.ca and search ‘FOI requests.’