Chapter 5 - Freedom of Information

5-1            DEFINITIONS

5-1-1            Applicant shall mean any person making application to the DAA for inspection and/or copying of public records. 

5-1-2   DAA Office Hours shall mean from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday through Friday of each week, except on legal holidays.

5-1-3            Executive Director shall mean the person appointed by the DAA to manage and operate the DuPage Airport including any such person who is appointed acting Director.

5-1-4   Head of the DAA shall mean Within the meaning of Sections 2(e) and 10(a) of the Act, the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners.

5-2            APPLICATION FOR INSPECTION OR COPYING

5-2-1   Forms to be Made Available.  The Executive Director shall prepare and make available at the DAA office a form of written application for requests for public documents under the Freedom of Information Act.  Said application form shall require the following written information regarding each request under the Act:

Name, address and telephone number of the applicant.

If the application is on behalf of a public body, business organization, civic organization or any other organization, the name and address of the organization and the office or position of the applicant with that organization

Written description of the public record requested with sufficient particularity to allow determination of whether such a public record exists and to allow location of the public record within a reasonable time.

5-2-2            Method of Requesting Records.  All applicants for inspection or copying of public records in the possession of the DAA shall submit a written request on said form at the DAA office during working hours.

5-2-3            Inspection of Records.  All inspection of public records so requested shall be done during office hours at the DAA office, in the presence of DAA personnel.  All copying shall be done by DAA personnel at the DAA office during office hours.

5-2-4            Fees.  The fees charged by the DAA for reproduction and certification of public records shall be set from time to time by the Executive Director.  A written schedule of said fees shall be available to the applicant at the DAA office and appears at Appendix 5-H.  Said fees shall not include costs for search for documents but shall reimburse all actual costs of reproduction.  If copy services outside the DAA office are required for large documents, blue prints or the like, the applicant shall reimburse the DAA for the actual cost of reproduction charged by the outside copy service.

5-2-5            Payment Required.  No public record shall be delivered to any applicant until all fees for reproduction have been paid.

5-2-6            Freedom of Information Act Requirements.  Descriptions required under Section 4 of the Act are contained in Appendix 5-I.

5-3       TIME FOR RESPONSE

            Except for unusual circumstances permitted under the Act, the records will be supplied within seven (7) working days of receipt of the request.  Under certain conditions permitted by law, the DuPage Airport Authority may extend this time limit by another seven (7) days. In the event the request for records cannot be complied with, a written denial will be mailed to the person making the request within seven (7) working days after receipt of the request, specifying the reason for the denial. 

5-4            CATEGORIES OF RECORDS AVAILABLE

5-4-1   Airport Requirements.  DAA Rules & Regulations and Minimum Standards.

5-4-2            Approved Agreements.  Board approved contracts and agreements relating to aviation services and miscellaneous aviation related records.

5-4-3            Approved Minutes.  Board approved minutes of all Board and Committee meetings.

5-4-4            Approved Plans and Specifications.  Board approved engineering plans and specifications.

5-4-5            Approved Resolutions/Ordinances.  Board approved resolutions and ordinances.

5-4-6            Commissioners.  Information on the individual Board of Commissioners such as name, title, current term of office, appointment papers, and standing committee membership.

5-4-7            Finance.  DAA budget, appropriations, expenditures, minutes of budget hearing meetings.

5-4-8            Meetings.  Meeting schedules for all Committee and Board meetings for a given calendar year.

5-4-9            Reports.  Miscellaneous reports prepared by the DAA staff, provided that said reports are not in a draft or preliminary form.

5-5            SAMPLE FORMS

            The following Freedom of Information forms are available from the DuPage Airport Authority and are included in Appendix 5-A through 5-G:

5-A.            Request for Inspection or Copying of Public Records (FOI 500)

5-B.            Approval of Request for Public Records (FOI 501)

5-C.     Partial Approval of Request for Public Records (FOI 502)

5-D.            Deferral of Response to Request for Public Records (FOI 503)

5-E.     Denial of Request for Public Records (FOI 504)

5-F.            Request for Appeal of Denial for Public Records (FOI 505)

5-G.     DAA Chairman Appeal Response (FOI 506)

5-6            DENIAL OF REQUEST AND APPEAL

5-6-1            Written Denial.  Denial of an application for inspection and/or copying of public records shall be in writing and signed by the Executive Director or their assistant.  It shall specify the information required under Section 9 of the Freedom of Information Act and shall include information on the right to appeal.

5-6-2            Appeal of Denial.  Any appeal of such a denial shall be in writing to the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the DAA, addressed to him/her at the DAA office.

5-6-3            Date of Denial or Appeal.  A written denial of an applicant’s request or denial of an appeal by the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners shall be deemed delivered when deposited in the U.S. mail, first class, postage paid.