FOIA Request to Village of Forest City regarding procurement bids and RFP submissions on February 1, 2026.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Village of Forest City by Prairie State Wire, a media organization focused on local governmental affairs. The request seeks access to records concerning procurement bids and responses to requests for proposals (RFPs) received by the city during the immediately preceding calendar month.
The requested records include specific details such as solicitation or project titles, names of bidders or proposers, submission dates, bid amounts or proposed costs, and descriptions of the goods or services proposed. The aim is to gather information of public interest for dissemination to the public. The request emphasizes that it is limited to existing records and does not require the creation of new documents.
Prairie State Wire has expressed willingness to receive these records in electronic format if available. They have also requested a fee waiver, citing their role as a member of the media involved in gathering and reporting news to hold public institutions accountable and provide transparency.
The requester is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization assisting media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through FOIA and Sunshine Laws. More information about this coalition can be found on their website here.
Our team will continue to keep you updated as we gather and report news related to this request and other matters of public interest. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further clarification regarding this matter.
