The northern village of Pinehouse and the Information and Privacy Commissioner continue to duel over the municipality’s responsibility to comply with Local Authority Freedom of Information requests.
In his latest report Ron Kruzeniski says Pinehouse is not releasing Council minutes and minutes from its municipal corporation Pinehouse Business North “in which motions were passed authorizing the PBN board to dispense with financial statements (audited or unaudited) for 2009, 2010 and 2011.”
Kruzeniski says the Village responded saying there no records existed for 2009 and 2010 for: Council minutes in which motions were passed authorizing Pinehouse Business North (PBN) to dispense with financial statements; and PBN Board minutes in which motions were passed authorizing Pinehouse Business North (PBN) to dispense with financial statements.
The village did release a one page report for 2011, but Kruzeniski says it appears the expense amounts were removed.
The Commissioner says during the quest to obtain the relevant documents, Pinehouse ignored repeated requests by his office for notification.
Kruzeniski found that the “Village’s response to the Applicant is not compliant with section 7 of LA FOIP and that the Village has not demonstrated that its search for records was reasonable and adequate for purposes of LA FOIP.”
Kruzeniski is asking Pinehouse to conduct a reasonable search for the records and to release the information requested.
(PHOTO: Pinehouse Business North. MBC file.)