National Sunshine Week

This week is Sunshine Week across the nation. Bet you didn't know there were transparency laws in other places.  Not in Montgomery County, though as we see from the letters secretlyl flying between Shirley Brandman, Pat O'Neill, and Ike Leggett.  Too bad!

What is Sunshine Week?


Sunshine Week is a national initiative to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Participants include news media, civic groups, libraries, nonprofits, schools and others interested in the public's right to know.

Sunshine Week as a national effort is spearheaded by the American Society of News Editors. The key funder has been the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, with significant support from ASNE Foundation. In 2011, The Gridiron Club and Foundation contributed $10,000.

Though created by journalists, Sunshine Week is about the public's right to know what its government is doing, and why.

Sunshine Week seeks to enlighten and empower people to play an active role in their government at all levels, and to give them access to information that makes their lives better and their communities stronger.

Sunshine Week is a nonpartisan, non-profit initiative.

How can you join the celebration?
Send a Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) Request to MCPS and the County Executive's Office. Ask to see all the information regarding the lease of the Brickyard school property.  Or, choose your own topic!  Here is a sample letter, taken from the Maryland Attorney General's website.  To read more on MPIA and state law, go here.

How can you join the celebration? Send an MPIA to MCPS. Send an MPIA to the County Executive’s office. Ask to see all the information regarding the lease and backroom deals for the Brickyard school property.  Or, choose your own topic.  Here is the address for the County Executive’s office:


Ms. Donna Bigler
Assistant Director
Montgomery County Office of Public Information
101 Monroe Street, 4th FL
Rockville, Maryland 20850

Or email Ms. Bigler at: donna.bigler@montgomerycountymd.gov

And here is the office for Montgomery County Public Schools:
Mr. Dana Tofig
Montgomery County Public Schools
850 Hungerford Drive
Rockville, MD 20850

Email Mr. Tofig at: pio@mcpsmd.org

And here is a sample letter for you to use.  Text taken from the Attorney General's website, here.

This is a request under the Maryland Public Information Act, State Government Article §§ 10-611-628. I request a copy of all records containing the information pertaining to the following. Please send me all records, including telephone logs, minutes, telephone notes, emails, printouts, letters, memoranda, sent or received or recorded regarding >. This is a request for records, regardless of format, medium, or physical characteristics and including electronic records and information, audiotapes, CDs, videotapes and photographs pursuant to the Maryland Public Information Act, State Government Article §§10-611 to 628.

My request includes any telephone messages, voice mail messages, daily agenda and calendars, information about scheduled meetings and/or discussions, whether in-person or over the telephone, agendas for those meetings and/or discussions, participants included in those meetings and/or discussions, minutes of any such meetings and/or discussions, the topics discussed at those meetings and/or discussions, e-mail regarding meetings and/or discussions, e-mail or facsimiles sent as a result of those meetings and/or discussions and transcripts or notes of any such meetings and/or discussions.

If all or any part of this request is denied, I request that I be provided with a written statement of the grounds for the denial. If you determine that some portions of the requested records are exempt from disclosure, please provide me with the portions that can be disclosed.

I also anticipate that I will want copies of some or all of the records sought. Therefore, please advise me as to the cost, if any, for obtaining a copy of the records and the total cost, if any, for all the records described above. If you have adopted a fee schedule for obtaining copies of records and other rules or regulations implementing the Act, please send me a copy.

I look forward to receiving disclosable records promptly and, in any event, to a decision about all of the requested records within 30 days. Thank you for your cooperation. If you have any questions regarding this request, please telephone me at the above number.

Sincerely,

Isn't it fun to get involved in your government?  Good Luck! Post your answers from the County Government here.  Happy Sunshine Week!