Freedom of Information requests to the City of White Rock have more than doubled since 2013, but residents submitting the applications say they’re not getting the information they’re seeking.
According to city staff, White Rock received 102 FOI requests in 2015, up from 63 in 2014 and 43 in 2013.
When asked Wednesday about the increase, city manager Dan Bottrill deferred to the city clerk’s office, noting he was “typically not involved” with processing FOI requests.
“We’d have to take a look at the types of FOI requests to try and figure out whether or not there was anything in particular that would have created a bump,” Bottrill said. “Obviously, it’s going up over the three-year period.”
City clerk Tracey Arthur told Peace Arch News the nature of requests received in 2015 vary, but that 24 of the 102 came from four individuals. She noted that the process is becoming more well-known and “more individuals are utilizing it.”
Unlike White Rock, the City of Surrey (with a population of more than 500,000, compared to White Rock’s approximately 20,000) has seen a steady decrease in FOI requests over the past three years. In 2015, Surrey received 313; in 2014, 327 and in 2013, 352.
White Rock resident Erika Johansen is one of a handful of residents unhappy about the city’s response to FOI requests. Her request last spring asked for plans, correspondence and reports relating to the tree and vegetation removal on the Marine Drive hillside.
Under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, public bodies are required to provide three hours’ worth of information retrieval for free, however, additional time may be subject to a fee.
Johansen was told her request would cost $1,455 for a total of 49 hours’ worth of work.
“They denied my request to waive the fees, even though they’re clearly in the public’s interest,” Johansen said.
Resident Ross Buchanan told PAN he has “so many outstanding FOIs out there and no answers.”
Requests submitted by Buchanan include for correspondence about the privatization of multi-family garbage pickup – to which he received several pages of completely redacted emails – as well as details of Mayor Wayne Baldwin’s expense claims for the past two years. Buchanan was told the latter request would cost $590.
“They know that unless somebody is willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars to take them to court, then they can get away with anything,” he said. “If you do get anything back, you know it is going to be redacted.”
Resident Cyndie Richards was also told by city staff that she would have to pay $590 for her FOI request, which asked for staff, council and Epcor correspondence relating to the subdivision of 1454 Oxford St.
Richards, Johansen and Buchanan have all filed review requests with the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC (OIPC).
According to the OIPC, the office received four requests for review and eight complaints regarding White Rock FOI requests last year.
In a presentation to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government in November, Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said the average wait time for a request to be assigned to an investigator was 20 to 24 weeks, and approximately 39 weeks for a complaint or appeal to be resolved.
Resident Dennis Lypka – who has submitted several FOI requests in the past three years – said he suspects the increase in the past year is as a result of staff telling people to submit FOIs for inquiries that previously wouldn’t have required them.
“Someone has told them that it’s a good defence,” Lypka said. “So their immediate reaction is ‘make an FOI request.’”