Jeff Altamari’s Research On Cities With City Managers: Where Is It?

In an earlier post I indicated that I would seek the research that Jeff Altamari told the Saratogian he had done to arrive at the savings the Charter Commission alleges the city would gain with charter change.  If you recall he went on at some length about the study’s “in-depth” character and how he had selected thirteen municipalities in five states to analyze the staffing that would be required here were the proposed charter to be adopted.

I wrote to Bob Turner requesting a copy of Mr. Altamari’s materials but regrettably he never responded.

So I submitted a Freedom of Information request asking for any documents related to his research.  Note the language of my FOIL:

This email constitutes a FOIL request.  I am seeking all documents related to the Charter Review Commission’s study of thirteen cities in New York and other states that they used to determine whether under the new charter the work of our city’s commissioners and their deputies could be absorbed by the proposed city manager. If possible I would like to receive this in electronic form.

Thank you

I subsequently received the following email from Ann Bullock, the Charter Review Commission’s secretary.  Ms. Bullock is an attorney. She responded as follows:

From: Ann Bullock <chartersecy@gmail.com>
Date: October 20, 2017 at 7:33:31 PM EDT
To: John Kaufmann <john.kaufmann21@gmail.com>
Cc: “Robert Turner (Government)” <bturner@skidmore.edu>, Bob Turner <saratogacharterchair@gmail.com>,  Tony Izzo <tony.izzo@saratoga-springs.org>
Subject: Request for documents

Dear Mr. Kaufmann,

Please be advised that, as Secretary of the Charter Review Commission (“the Commission”), I am tasked with maintaining the books and records of the Commission.  As such, I enclose the following documents relating to your request for documents pertaining to the mailing of Commission materials [JK: Emphasis added]:

Agenda and Minutes of the Commission meeting of September 18, 2017; and

Agenda and Minutes of the Commission meeting of September 28, 2017.

I trust that these documents are responsive to your request.  No other records exist to satisfy your request.

Sincerely,

Ann C. Bullock

Secretary,

Charter Review Commission

As the readers of this blog will note, my request is quite clear and it is not for documents related to their mailing.  I asked for documents pertaining to Mr. Altamari’s alleged study.

It is difficult to understand her confusion.  I have written to her asking again for the documents.