TO:                 Freedom of Information Commission 

FROM:            Thomas A. Hennick 

RE:                 Minutes of the Commission’s regular meeting of July 27, 2016

DATE:            July 29, 2016

A regular meeting of the Freedom of Information Commission was held on July 27, 2016, in the Freedom of Information Hearing Room, 18-20 Trinity Street, Hartford, Connecticut. The meeting convened at 2:10 p.m. with the following Commissioners present:

Commissioner Owen P. Eagan, presiding

Commissioner Jay Shaw (participated via speakerphone)

Commissioner Matthew Streeter

Commissioner Christopher P. Hankins

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Also present were staff members, Colleen M. Murphy, Victor R. Perpetua, Tracie C. Brown, Lisa F. Siegel, Kathleen K. Ross, Valicia D. Harmon, Cindy Cannata, and Thomas A. Hennick.

The Commissioners unanimously voted to approve the minutes of the Commission’s regular meeting of July 13, 2016.

Those in attendance were informed that the Commission does not ordinarily record the remarks made at its meetings, but will do so on request.

Docket #FIC 2015-644           Andres Sosa v. Scott Semple, Commissioner, State of    Connecticut,   
                                                Department of Correction; and State of Connecticut, Department of 
                                                Correction Andres Sosa participated via speakerphone. Attorney James 
                                                Neil appeared on  behalf of the respondents.

Th  Commissioners unanimously voted to approve the Hearing Officer’s Report.

   Colleen M. Murphy reported that the FOIC, the Office of State Ethics and the State Elections Enforcement Commission had written a letter to the Office of Policy and Management protesting the holdback of funds budgeted for fiscal year 2017. All three agencies believe that OPM lacks the statutory authority to withhold those funds. Murphy also reported that the three agencies, along with the Department of Administrative Services, are working to resolve issues concerning the lack of fiscal, human resources and IT assistance provided for in the current budget following de-consolidation from the Office of Governmental Accountability.

                  The meeting was adjourned at 4:20 p.m.

______________                             

Thomas A. Hennick

MINREGmeeting 07272016/tah/07282016

              AMENDMENTS

Docket #FIC 2015-753         Ira Alston v. Commissioner, State of Connecticut, 
                                                Department of Correction; and State of Connecticut,
      Department of Correction

      12. At the hearing on this matter, the complainant challenged the thoroughness of the

respondents’ search contending that there was insufficient evidence in the record to characterize the search of the Warden’s files as thorough and that his administrative [separation] SEGREGATION file was not searched.  The complainant also claimed that pursuant to certain Administrative Directives of the respondent department, the respondents are required to maintain a copy of the requested record and provide a copy of it to him upon request.

      15. It is found that the complainant’s administrative [separation] SEGREGATION file is not

maintained at MWCI but Northern Correctional Institution (hereinafter “NCI”) where the

complainant is presently housed.

      18. It is found that by email dated January 22, 2016, the respondents indicated that a search of

the complainant’s administrative [separation] SEGREGATION file had been conducted and the

requested record was not found.