FOIA Request to Village of Forest Park regarding procurement bids and RFP submissions on February 1, 2026.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Village of Forest Park by Prairie State Wire, a media organization focused on local governmental affairs. The request, sent on February 1, 2026, seeks access to records related to procurement bids and responses to requests for proposals (RFPs) received by the city during the immediately preceding calendar month.
The specific records requested include 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 request emphasizes that it seeks existing records only and does not require the creation of new documents. Prairie State Wire has expressed a preference for receiving these records in electronic format if available.
The requester has also asked for a fee waiver citing their role as a member of the media involved in gathering and reporting news to the public. They argue that access to public records is essential for fulfilling their professional responsibilities, which include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.
Additionally, Prairie State Wire 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 at https://stopsecrecy.org/about/.
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.
