Mount Pleasant Outlines Reasons for Denying Open Records Request

Mount Pleasant Village President Carolyn Milkie provided further explanation for the village's denial of an open records request from Mount Pleasant-Sturtevant Patch.

According to a letter from Milkie, she says fulfilling the request had the potential to violate state statue 19.35 (1) 1 and 2, which addresses the municipalities right to keep certain documents confidential under certain circumstances.

Specifically, the state statute reads, "Any record containing personally identifiable information that is collected or maintained in connection with a complaint, investigation or other circumstances that may lead to an enforcement action, administrative proceeding, arbitration proceeding or court proceeding, or any such record that is collected or maintained in connection with such an action or proceeding."

The second part of statute cited by Milkie includes language that would protect any documents from release if doing so puts anyone in danger, identifies a confidential informant, endangers the safety of anyone, adult or juvenile, who is incarcerated or compromises the rehabilitation of anyone incarcerated.

Patch first submitted a verbal open records request because of a "Juliet Edmands' correspondence" listed on the May 9 village board meeting agenda that pushed the board into closed session to discuss "administrative personnel." When the board reconvened into open session, they voted unanimously to terminate Mike Andreasen as Village Administrator.

The request was denied because the letter in question pertained to a personnel matter. Another request was submitted in writing via email, but that, too, was denied after the board talked about the request in closed session on May 23 before voting on it in open session.

A letter from Milkie was issued, citing state statute, but not anything specific. In a letter dated June 2 but received today, June 6, statute 19.35 (1) 1 and 2 are specifically listed as the reason for denying Patch's request.

On Wed., June 1, Andreasen passed away of a heart attack. He was laid to rest today at West Lawn Memorial Cemetery.

Edmands has had no comment about the personnel situation.