[Massplanners] Public Records Requests

[Keith Benoit]

Chris,

Northampton puts its public documents onto an online filing system that is
open to everyone, provided there is sensitive information on it. This is a
great resource....once everything has been scanned into the system and it
is part of the workflow of the city. Then you can just point people to the
link: http://archive.northamptonma.gov/WebLink/Browse.aspx?cr=1

Keith Benoit
Community Development Planner


On Mon, Jun 17, 2024 at 12:01 PM <massplanners-request at masscptc.org> wrote:

> Send MassPlanners mailing list submissions to
>         massplanners at masscptc.org
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
>         http://masscptc.org/mailman/listinfo/massplanners_masscptc.org
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
>         massplanners-request at masscptc.org
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
>         massplanners-owner at masscptc.org
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of MassPlanners digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
>    1. Public Records Requests (Ryan, Christopher)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2024 14:42:27 +0000
> From: "Ryan, Christopher" <cryan at belmont-ma.gov>
> To: "massplanners at masscptc.org" <massplanners at masscptc.org>
> Subject: [Massplanners] Public Records Requests
> Message-ID:
>         <
> DS0PR09MB110285AA2E0A748F0F6430BC49FCD2 at DS0PR09MB11028.namprd09.prod.outlook.com
> >
>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Hi all
>
> Here's possibly an interesting one...
>
> Belmont uses the NextRequest online public records request system.  Our
> department specifically receives a dozen or more requests a month and many
> if not most of them are from contractors or other businesses seeking
> opportunities to market their services to property owners who might have a
> building code or zoning violation.
>
> To me, this is using a system purportedly intended for public benefit, to
> work for (essentially) free to provide data to a private contractor for
> private purposes. You could argue that it could be a good way to facilitate
> the disposition of violations. I would disagree.
>
> Does anyone else out there work for a community that has this same
> dynamic? Have you devised a solution?
>
> We do not have the staff capacity to constantly be working on these
> requests.
>
> Thanks
>
> Chris R.
>
> ====================================================
> Christopher J. Ryan, AICP
> Director of Planning & Building
> Town of Belmont
> 19 Moore Street
> Belmont, MA 02478-0900
> Tel: 617.993.2658
> Email: cryan at belmont-ma.gov<mailto:cryan at belmont-ma.gov>
> Web: https://www.belmont-ma.gov/office-of-planning-building
> ===================================================
>
> -------------- next part --------------
> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
> URL: <
> http://masscptc.org/pipermail/massplanners_masscptc.org/attachments/20240617/d4c56276/attachment-0001.htm
> >
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Subject: Digest Footer
>
> MassPlanners mailing list
> MassPlanners at masscptc.org
> http://masscptc.org/mailman/listinfo/massplanners_masscptc.org
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of MassPlanners Digest, Vol 38, Issue 14
> ********************************************
>


-- 

Keith Benoit*, *AICP
Community Development Planner
ADA/Section 504 Coordinator
*City of Northampton, Office of Planning & Sustainability*


210 Main St., Second Floor
Northampton, MA 01060
Direct: (413) 587-1288
kbenoit at northamptonma. <kbenoit at northamptonma.gov>gov
<kbenoit at northamptonma.gov>
<kbenoit at northamptonma.gov>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://masscptc.org/pipermail/massplanners_masscptc.org/attachments/20240617/7781d78d/attachment.htm>