Freedom of Information Request Procedures

The procedure for a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request is as follows:

1. Non-exempt public records will be made available for inspection and copying at Aledo City Hall, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 P.M., except on City observed holidays. Public records of the Aledo Police Department will be made available for inspection and copying at the Police department.
2. All requests for public records must be made in writing and should contain the name, address, and contact information for the requester, as well as a description of the records being requested. As a convenience, the City offers a FOIA request form that may be filled out and returned to the Freedom of Information Officer.
3. Requests for all non-police department records should be made to the attention of the Freedom of Information Officer, whose office is located at Aledo City Hall. Requests for police records should be made to the attention of the Deputy Freedom of Information Officer for the Police Department.
4. The City will accept written FOIA requests submitted in person, by U.S. Mail, by facsimile at 309-582-7242 or by email.
5. All non-commercial requests for public records will be acted upon within 5 business days of their receipt in the Freedom of Information Office. Requests made for commercial purposes will be acted upon within 21 business days of receipt. It is the policy of the City of Aledo to give the highest priority to the processing of any non-commercial requests.
6. Occasionally, additional time may be needed to process certain requests. In those instances, the Freedom of Information Officer will provide the requester with an official written notice extending the compliance period of 10 days.
7. If the City determines that more than 10 business days will be needed to completely fulfill a request, the Freedom of Information Officer and the requester can agree in writing to an additional extension.
8. The Freedom of Information Act provides that certain types of records may be exempt from public inspection and copying as necessary to protect legitimate privacy or security interests. If the City determines that a requested record or any portion of a requested record is exempt under the FOIA, the Freedom of Information Officer will provide the requester with a written notice of denial. Records containing both exempt and non-exempt information will be provided to the requester with any exempt material redacted.
9. A requester has the right to appeal for a review of any denial in writing to the Public Access Counselor of the Illinois Attorney General's office within 60 days of receiving the denial. The Public Access Counselor will review all claims and issue an opinion within 60 days of receiving the request for review.
10. A requester also retains the right to seek judicial review of any denial in Mercer County Circuit Court.