What is FOIL
Public Officers Law, Article 6, Sections 84-90, sets forth the Freedom of Information Law, which pertains to all records maintained by or for an agency.
Please Note: The City of Rome maintains records relating to City government only—all other requests should be sent to the appropriate government agency (i.e. Rome City Court, New York State Police, County of Oneida, etc.). The City also maintains the right to deny a request that will be used for commercial or solicitation purposes. The City is also not required to create any new document in response to a FOIL request, including but not limited to, detailed explanations or responses to questions regarding the contents (or lack thereof) of a document request.
SUBMITTING A REQUEST
If you wish to copy and/or inspect records maintained by the City, please use the form below to submit a request online. If you would prefer to submit a paper request, please click here to access our paper application. For your convenience, you have the option to either receive copies of the record(s) sought or to review/inspect the record(s) at a scheduled time. Please choose appropriately and be advised there may still be an applicable fee for inspections depending on the records sought and/or if redactions are necessary.
To ensure that we process your request as efficiently as possible, be sure to provide the following information:
- Your name, address, email address, and telephone number
- A reasonable description of the record(s) sought, containing specific dates and supporting information, which will allow the City to identify and locate the record(s). A very specific and narrowly tailored request will greatly assist the City in identifying any applicable records.
- Your preference to inspect/review record(s) or to receive a copy the record(s)
In response to a request, the City will provide notice within five (5) business days confirming receipt of the request and, if the records can be identified in that time frame, may approve or deny it, detailing any reason(s) for denial. If not approved or denied within the initial five-day period, the City then has up to twenty (20) business days to fulfill each request. If it is determined that more time is needed to fulfill your request, you will be notified accordingly of an estimated time period when the records can be available.
NOTICE TO APPLICANT: You have the right to appeal a denial of this application to:
Rome City Clerk/Records Access Officer
198 N. Washington St
Rome, New York 13440.
The City of Rome will explain the reason for such denial in writing within ten (10) business days of an appeal.
