Mayor Butch Berry said sometimes the information requested in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests from Eric and Joyce Knowles have been very comprehensive.
“Below is just a few of their requests,” Berry said. “As you can see, this is information they claim should put on the web.”
Request have included the following:
- “List of all city employees, their hourly wage rate, the number of hours worked in a week, total city compensation paid from all sources in 2017.”
- November 11, 2017. “All parade permits 2015, 2016, 2017 with applicant name, address, phone number, and email addresses.”
- July 25, 2017. “Provide a copy of the ballot (not the ordinance) for the Special Election held August 14, 2007.” Berry said this was printed in the paper and they could have researched this themselves, instead of using taxpayers’ money to do it for them.
- “Please provide all documents that reference the 2008 Bonds including copies of the bonds and any agreements between the city and bond trustees.”
- “Please provide all documents that reference the 2010 Bonds including copies of the bonds and any agreements between the city and bond trustees. Please provide the disposition of the 1998 bond and 2002 bond which were refunded. How was the outstanding balance on the bonds handled at the time of refunding? Include copies of the bonds and any agreements between the city and bond trustees.”
- “What is the Sales Tax Bond 7-11-2012 for? It funnels to fund 40 Debt Service but there is no description. Please provide a copy of the bond including any agreements between the city and bond trustees.”
- “Please provide a certificate of insurance for all risks whether property or liability under the aegis of the City of Eureka Springs.” Berry said that FOIA was filed on one day, but they frequently have received two and more FOIAs a day from the Knowles.
- July 5, 2017. “Documentation of the payment of the WS 2008 Bond principle and interest payments for the years 2008 to the present. Specifically I want the bond company invoices and records of when, to whom, and how much was paid. I also want to know where these monies were listed the budget summary. Documentation of the payment of the WS 2010 Bond principle [sic] and interest payments for the years 2010 to the present. Specifically, I want to see the bond company invoices and records of when, to whom, and how much was paid. I also want to know where these monies were listed the budget summary.”
- July 21, 2017. “On July 5, 2017 I requested information about bond principal and bond interest payments for the WS 2008 and WS2010 bonds. I would now like to know where the money came from to make these payments… money from fees and sales tax and other sources to these payments. I request a flow chart for the sales taxes referenced in the 2008 bond indicating there the monies are posted in the financial statement when it comes to the city accounting to where it flows out to payment.”
“I’m not saying this is not public information,” Berry said. “But I would challenge anyone who thinks information of this complexity, scope, volume, and, in some cases, sensitivity, belongs on a city website.”