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    Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland
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    County Executive refuses to comply with a Public Information Request in regard to the Brickyard lease. The public's right to information lies at the heart of a democratic government. County Executive plotted in secret to lease the Brickyard property from the Board of education.

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    County Executive refuses to comply with a Public Information Request in regard to the Brickyard lease. The public's right to information lies at the heart of a democratic government. County Executive plotted in secret to lease the Brickyard property from the Board of education.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    3K views2 pages

    PI Press Release Final

    Uploaded by

    Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland
    County Executive refuses to comply with a Public Information Request in regard to the Brickyard lease. The public's right to information lies at the heart of a democratic government. County Executive plotted in secret to lease the Brickyard property from the Board of education.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    Brickyard Coalition

    Preserving Our Neighborhood FORIMMEDIATERELEASE


    Contact:KeithWilliams3019835334 brickyardcoalition@gmail.com

    CountyExecutiveLeggettStonewalls CitizensPublicInformationRequest RegardingBrickyardLease


    POTOMAC,MDDecember19,2011 CountyExecutiveIkeLeggetthasrefusedtocomply withaMarylandPublicInformationAct(PIA)requestinregardtotheBrickyardlease. OnNovember9,2011,theBrickyardCoalition,theWestMontgomeryCountyCitizens AssociationandtheCivicAssociationofRiverFalls,sent,throughtheirattorney,ahand deliveredPIArequesttoCountyExecutiveIkeLeggett.ThePublicInformationActprovidesthat recordsbeproducedassoonaspossible,butnotlongerthan30days,afterarequestis received.(StateGovernmentArticle10614).ThedeadlinefortheresponsebytheCounty ExecutivewasDecember9,2011.NoresponsetothePublicInformationActrequesthasbeen receivedfromMr.Leggett. AftertheCountyExecutiverefusedtocomplywiththefirstrequestbythemandateddeadline, asecondletterwashanddeliveredtoMr.LeggettonDecember13,2011,statingthatifall recordswerenotprovidedbyThursday,December15th,thecitizenswouldbecompelledto assumethefailureofMr.LeggetttorespondtothePublicInformationRequestwaswillfuland knowing,whichisacriminalviolationoftheAct.Mr.Leggetthasalsostonewalledthecitizens followuprequestforinformation. Thepublicsrighttoinformationaboutgovernmentactivitiesliesattheheartofademocratic government.MarylandsPublicInformationActgrantsthepeopleofMarylandbroadaccess rightstopublicrecords.Fortwoyears,theCountyExecutiveplottedinsecrettoleasethe BrickyardpropertyfromtheBoardofEducationandconvertittoprivateballfields,withonlya fewdaysnoticetothecommunity,whichcompletelysubvertedcitizenaccesstogovernmental actionsaffectingthem. WedemandthatourCountyExecutiveobeythelawandimmediatelyprovideuswithall recordsrelatingtotheBrickyardleaseasrequestedinourPIAletter,saidKeithWilliams, PresidentoftheCivicAssociationofRiverFalls.ThecitizensofMontgomeryCountyhavea legalrighttoexamineandreviewallrecordsthatrelatetohissecretdecision.IftheCounty Executivefailstocomplywiththelaw,wewillhavenochoicebuttotakelegalaction,added Williams. ThePIAprovidesforbothcivilandcriminalpenaltiesforviolationsoftheAct.Inadditionto injunctiverelief,acourtmayawardactualdamagesagainstagovernmentalunitifthecourt

    findsbyclearandconvincingevidencethatadefendantknowinglyandwillfullyfailedto discloseapublicrecordorpartofarecordthatapersonwasentitledtoinspect.SG10 623(d)(1).ACourtmayalsoawardreasonableattorneyfeesandotherlitigationcostsifan applicantsubstantiallyprevails.SG10623(f) BynotcomplyingwiththeMarylandPublicInformationlaw,Mr.Leggettissubjecttocriminal andcivilliabilitiesfornoncompliancewiththisstatute.Aknowingorwillfulfailuretocomply withtheActisacriminalviolationoftheActandanypersonviolatingtheActcanbefinedupto $1,000.00. APublicInformationrequestwasalsosenttoDavidDise,DirectorofGeneralServices.Mr.Dise hasbelatedlyprovidedincompleterecordsinregardtosomemembersofhisstaffbuthas failedtoprovideanyofhisownrecords. TheAttorneyGeneralhasmoreinformationregardingtheMarylandPublicInformationActat hiswebsite,http://www.oag.state.md.us/Opengov/pia.htm TheBrickyardCoalitionisanumbrellaorganizationofcivicgroupsandprivatecitizensjoinedin oppositiontotheproposedsoccercomplexinourpeaceful,residentialneighborhood. ParticipatingorganizationsincludetheWestMontgomeryCountyCitizensAssociation (WMCCA);theCivicAssociationofRiverFalls(CARF);andtheBrickyardRoadCitizens Association. *End*

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