Montana transparency headlines
From Sunshine Review
This article is a list of transparency related news from Montana.
Agency offers partial response to FOIA request
September 22, 2008: The U.S. Forest Service says it's providing more information that Missoula County requested in connection with road-easement talks that occurred privately between the agency and Plum Creek Timber Co. But the Forest Service also says it's withholding some information exempt from disclosure. Read the full article here.
Missoula County posts Plum Creek easement information
September 13, 2008: Missoula County officials concerned about road-easement discussions between Plum Creek Timber Co. and the U.S. Forest Service have received some easement details from the company, which says more information will be provided.
Deputy County Attorney D. James McCubbin said the information, posted Friday on the county's Web site, is relevant to an underlying Freedom of Information Act request the county submitted to the Forest Service this summer. The material Plum Creek supplied includes an easement map and spreadsheet, and is separate from the Forest Service's previous FOIA response. Read the full article here.
County appeals in Plum Creek case
August 28, 2008: Frustrated that the federal government appears to be withholding documents, Missoula County officials on Wednesday filed a formal appeal, requesting information related to an ongoing forest road controversy.
“It looks to me as though they've withheld pretty much as many documents as they've provided,” said James McCubbin, deputy county attorney. “It's very clear that they haven't provided us with what we asked for.”
What Missoula County asked for, in an earlier Freedom of Information Act request, were documents leading up to a road easement deal struck between the U.S. Forest Service and Plum Creek Timber Co. Read the full article here.
Lawyer's disciplinary records aren't public, Mont. justices decide
August 15, 2008: The Montana Supreme Court says it would be unfair to release to the public the disciplinary records of a former Billings city attorney whose misconduct resulted in a public censure and license suspension. Read the full article here.
Judge was right to open city's draft documents
July 20, 2008: In Montana, if local government is invited to join the party, plan to be a gracious host.
There will be many more guests and you'll need to entertain them.
That's the strong message sent by State District Judge E. Wayne Phillips of Lewistown in his ruling that the city of Great Falls cannot withhold documents from the public simply because those documents are in draft form.
We loudly applaud his decision. Read the full column here.
City manager responds to public records ruling
July 18, 2008: In 2007, a MEIC member and a staff member asked to see documents covering the city of Great Falls’ relationship with the Southern Montana Electric Generation & Transmission Cooperative, which wants to build a coal-fired power plant eight miles east of Great Falls.
The MEIC particularly wanted to know what kind of development agreement the city had with SME, since the city has invested $2 million in development costs as a potential part-owner of the power plant. The city is a member of SME, along with five Montana rural electric co-ops.
City representatives refused to release draft documents to the MEIC. Read the full article here.
