<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:times new roman,serif;font-size:large">Chris, <br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:times new roman,serif;font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:times new roman,serif;font-size:large">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: <a href="http://archive.northamptonma.gov/WebLink/Browse.aspx?cr=1">http://archive.northamptonma.gov/WebLink/Browse.aspx?cr=1</a><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:times new roman,serif;font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:times new roman,serif;font-size:large">Keith Benoit</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:times new roman,serif;font-size:large">Community Development Planner <br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:times new roman,serif;font-size:large"><br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Mon, Jun 17, 2024 at 12:01 PM <<a href="mailto:massplanners-request@masscptc.org">massplanners-request@masscptc.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">Send MassPlanners mailing list submissions to<br>
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1. Public Records Requests (Ryan, Christopher)<br>
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Message: 1<br>
Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2024 14:42:27 +0000<br>
From: "Ryan, Christopher" <<a href="mailto:cryan@belmont-ma.gov" target="_blank">cryan@belmont-ma.gov</a>><br>
To: "<a href="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org" target="_blank">massplanners@masscptc.org</a>" <<a href="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org" target="_blank">massplanners@masscptc.org</a>><br>
Subject: [Massplanners] Public Records Requests<br>
Message-ID:<br>
<<a href="mailto:DS0PR09MB110285AA2E0A748F0F6430BC49FCD2@DS0PR09MB11028.namprd09.prod.outlook.com" target="_blank">DS0PR09MB110285AA2E0A748F0F6430BC49FCD2@DS0PR09MB11028.namprd09.prod.outlook.com</a>><br>
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Hi all<br>
<br>
Here's possibly an interesting one...<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
Does anyone else out there work for a community that has this same dynamic? Have you devised a solution?<br>
<br>
We do not have the staff capacity to constantly be working on these requests.<br>
<br>
Thanks<br>
<br>
Chris R.<br>
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====================================================<br>
Christopher J. Ryan, AICP<br>
Director of Planning & Building<br>
Town of Belmont<br>
19 Moore Street<br>
Belmont, MA 02478-0900<br>
Tel: 617.993.2658<br>
Email: <a href="mailto:cryan@belmont-ma.gov" target="_blank">cryan@belmont-ma.gov</a><mailto:<a href="mailto:cryan@belmont-ma.gov" target="_blank">cryan@belmont-ma.gov</a>><br>
Web: <a href="https://www.belmont-ma.gov/office-of-planning-building" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.belmont-ma.gov/office-of-planning-building</a><br>
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End of MassPlanners Digest, Vol 38, Issue 14<br>
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</blockquote></div><br clear="all"><br><span class="gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><b><font size="2" face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span></span><span></span><br></font></b></div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif"><font size="2">Keith </font>Benoit</span><font size="2"><font face="times new roman,serif"><b>, </b>AICP<br></font></font><div><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif"><font size="2">Community Development Planner<br></font></span></div><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif"><font size="2"> ADA/Section 504 Coordinator</font><i><font size="2"><br></font></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif"><i><font size="2">City of Northampton, </font><font size="2">Office of Planning & Sustainability</font></i></span><b><i><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif"><font size="2"> </font></span><font size="2" face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-family:times new roman,serif"> </span><br></font></i></b></div><br><div dir="ltr"><div><font size="1" face="tahoma, sans-serif">210 Main St., Second Floor </font><br><div><font size="1" face="tahoma, sans-serif">Northampton, MA 01060</font><br><div><font size="1" face="tahoma, sans-serif">Direct: (413) 587-1288</font></div><div><font size="1" face="tahoma, sans-serif"><font style="color:rgb(17,85,204);white-space:nowrap" face="tahoma, sans-serif"><a href="mailto:kbenoit@northamptonma.gov" target="_blank">kbenoit@northamptonma.</a></font></font><font size="1" face="tahoma, sans-serif"><font style="color:rgb(17,85,204);white-space:nowrap" face="tahoma, sans-serif"><a href="mailto:kbenoit@northamptonma.gov" target="_blank">gov</a></font></font><br></div></div></div><a href="mailto:kbenoit@northamptonma.gov" target="_blank"><b><i><font size="2" face="tahoma, sans-serif"><img src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4wSFXWbq7DxL9zWavG0KOwQ9-qkOFZHIi9nJB1wnIxJZGluTznH4YrXESXQ2Lhb5AoB3ulJXAA" width="96" height="48"></font></i></b></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>