FOIA Request to Village of Oak Park regarding procurement bids and RFP submissions on February 1, 2026.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Village of Oak Park by Prairie State Wire, a media organization dedicated to covering local governmental affairs. The request, dated February 1, 2026, seeks access to records related to procurement bids and responses to requests for proposals (RFPs) received by the city during the preceding calendar month.
The specific information requested includes 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 is limited to existing records and does not necessitate the creation of new documents. Additionally, the requester has asked for these records in electronic format if available.
Prairie State Wire has stated that this request is made in the interest of gathering information for public dissemination. As members of the media, they assert their role in holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency. They have also requested a fee waiver based on their status as media professionals.
The requester is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization that supports media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through FOIA and Sunshine Laws. More information about this organization can be found on their website: 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.
