A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the City of Sullivan, Illinois, regarding building permits on October 30, 2024. The request was made by us at Macon Reporter, a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
The FOIA request specifically asked for a list of all new residential and commercial building permits issued from January 1, 2023, up until the date of the request. The requested information includes the type of permit, date issued, fee paid, requester’s name, address where the permit is applicable, and contractor’s name.
In addition to this, we also requested a list of all active residential and commercial building permits along with their current status. The same details as mentioned above were requested for these active permits.
As journalists dedicated to holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public, access to such public records is essential for us. Given our role in disseminating information to the public, we believe we are eligible for a fee waiver as media professionals.
We look forward to receiving this information from the City of Sullivan in order to continue our work in delivering accurate and timely news reports on local governmental affairs.
