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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Hi all<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Here’s possibly an interesting one…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Does anyone else out there work for a community that has this same dynamic? Have you devised a solution?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">We do not have the staff capacity to constantly be working on these requests.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Thanks<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Chris R.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">====================================================<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Christopher J. Ryan, AICP<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Director of Planning & Building<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Town of Belmont<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">19 Moore Street<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Belmont, MA 02478-0900<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Tel: 617.993.2658<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Email:
</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><a href="mailto:cryan@belmont-ma.gov">cryan@belmont-ma.gov</a></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Web:
</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><a href="https://www.belmont-ma.gov/office-of-planning-building">https://www.belmont-ma.gov/office-of-planning-building</a></span><span style="font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">===================================================<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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