Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Requestjh

Overview

All Illinois municipalities - including the City of East St. Louis - fall under the provisions of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Persons wishing to view or obtain copies of City records must submit a written request to view and/or receive copies of records and submit it to City Clerk Dorene Hoosman, the City’s appointed Freedom of Information Officer. Requests for public records are fulfilled under the guidelines of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140).

How to Request a Record

  • All requests must be submitted in writing to the attention of the Freedom of Information Act Officer (City Clerk Dorene Hoosman).
  • Applicants may use the Sample FOIA Request Form Format or may submit their own written request for records. Applicants choosing not to use the provided form must provide their full name, current address, phone number, a detailed account of the documents they are requesting and whether or not they are requesting the documents for commercial use.
  • Written requests may be submitted in person at the Administration Office at City Hall, mailed to the attention of the Freedom of Information Act Officer Dorene Hoosman. Requestors will be contacted within the time allotted by law with a response to their request; at that time the requestor will be told of any fees associated with their request.
  • The City has five working days to provide the records. Certain records are exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. If the records are exempt, the requestor will be provided with the specific provision(s) in the Freedom of Information Act which makes them exempt.

Click here to download FOIA form

Certified Documents

For an additional charge documents may be certified. Certified documents have a signed and sealed letter from the City Clerk stating that the attached documents are true and correct copies of the original documents on file with the City of East St. Louis. The Clerk’s Office advises those needing public records for legal proceedings to have their documents certified.

Fee Schedule for Duplication of Public Records

Service Fee
Accident Reports $10
Black and White Copies -  Size: 8.5 by 11 inches and/or Legal
 $0.15 per page over 50 pages
Certification of Documents $1 per certification
Color Copies Actual Cost
Digital Storage Devices At Cost for Purchase
Prints At Cost for Reproduction

Commercial Request

The City of East St. Louis charges up to $10 for each hour spent by personnel in searching for and retrieving a requested record. No fees shall be charged for the first 8 hours spent by personnel in searching for or retrieving a requested record. We will charge the actual cost of retrieving and transporting public records from an off-site storage facility when the public records are maintained by a third-party storage company under contract with the public body. If a We will provide the requester with an accounting of all fees, costs, and personnel hours in connection with the request for public records.

If a bidder/proposer neglects to provide any required documentation in their proposal, they are subject to the administrative cost and any other reasonable cost that the City incurs due to the bidder's/ proposer’s non-responsiveness.