City planning department declines to provide free copy of application until second complaint

The city Planning Department declined to provide free copies of an application pending before a city committee.  No response was received to a complaint sent to the department staff. The department provided the application after a second complaint.

From: Olinger, Mark A. – PDR
Sent: Monday, August 19, 2013 7:36 AM
To: Marks, Isaac R. – PDR
Subject: Fwd: Olinger – Venture Richmond – Amphitheater

Please forward electronic copy to Mr. Taylor.

Mark A. Olinger, Director
Planning & Development Review
City of Richmond, Va
804.646-6305-p
804.317.0442-c
Mark.olinger@richmondgov.com

 From: C WAYNE TAYLOR
To: Mark Olinger <MARK.OLINGER@RICHMONDGOV.COM>
Cc: C WAYNE TAYLOR
Sent: Sunday, August 18, 2013 5:42 AM
Subject: Olinger – Venture Richmond – Amphitheater
Dear Mr. Olinger,
I asked you to send me a free copy of the application that Venture Richmond submitted for review by the Urban Design Committee. Your department informed me there would be a charge for the document.
I complained about the charge and asked for an explanation:

Please tell me why you will not give me a copy of the application and report unless I pay a fee. The documents already exist in electronic form. It would cost much less to simply send the documents than to go through a billing/payment/receipt/accounting process.

In the interest of efficiency, public service and open government, shouldn’t these documents be on-line?

I have not received a response.

I request that you respond to my complaint and questions.

Thank you,

C. Wayne Taylor