Bridgeport To Revamp How It Handles Freedom Of Information Requests

BRIDGEPORT, CT — Bridgeport officials are looking to improve how the city handles Freedom of Information requests, and have called on the City Attorney's Office to initiate a new FOI program to take effect in the coming weeks.

The new program will seek to make the process faster and more efficient by reducing "middleman bottleneck delay."

In the interim, the city will be conducting comprehensive training to all relevant staff and issuing each department necessary new software licenses to facilitate this change. Under this priority program, which was in development during 2022, all new FOI requests will be directly submitted to, and processed by, the Bridgeport department which has custody of relevant records; and which will then process and directly respond to such request.

From the city's announcement:

The City Attorney’s Office will remain available to provide legal support to all City departments as these charges are implemented.

To submit an FOI request under this new program, the public can simply submit their written requests by mail, e-mail, fax, or drop-off directly to the City department which they seek records from. Requesters who wish to inspect copies of public records may verbally request records with each City department, subject to appropriate limitations pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act.

All open and pending FOI requests, including those submitted online through the FOI Portal, will also be re-directed to the relevant City department so that each department can process and respond to such requests as well. All inquiries regarding requests will be directed to the City department which maintains the records sought.

For further information regarding the Freedom of Information Act, please visit the City of Bridgeport Department Directory for information regarding individual City of Bridgeport departments at https://www.bridgeportct.gov/directory. Finally, please visit the Freedom of Information Commission’s webpage for C.G.S. Sec. 1-212, which contains information regarding fees for public records, at https://portal.ct.gov/FOI/Regulations/The-FOI-Act/Sec-1212--Formerly-Sec-115--Copies-and-scanning-of-public-records--Fees.