FOIA Request to Village of Wataga regarding procurement bids and RFP submissions on February 1, 2026.
The Prairie State Wire has submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Village of Wataga. 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. This inquiry is made under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140, with a preference for receiving the information in electronic format.
The requested records include several specific details: 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.
In case any part of this request is denied or withheld, the requester asks for an explanation citing the specific statutory basis for such denial and requests that all reasonably segregable portions of the records be released. Additionally, as a member of the media, Prairie State Wire has requested a fee waiver due to its role in gathering and reporting news to hold public institutions accountable.
This FOIA request is supported by The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through transparency laws. More information about this organization can be found on their website 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.
