Freedom of Information Act

The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 ILCS 140, is a state statute that provides the public the right to access government documents and records.  The premise behind FOIA is that the public has a right to know what the government is doing.  The law provides that a person can ask a public body for a copy of its records on a specific subject and the public body must provide those records, unless there is an exemption in the statute that protects those records from disclosure (for example: records containing information concerning personal privacy).

The village clerk serves as the FOIA officer to ensure compliance with the law.

SUBMITTING A FOIA REQUEST

Any person, business, or organization requesting records from the Village of Bellflower under the Freedom of Information Act shall submit a written request containing the following information:

  • your name
  • your mailing address
  • your email address
  • the date of your request
  • a daytime phone number so you can be contacted if there are questions about your request
  • a description of the information you are seeking in sufficient detail that will enable the village to find the requested records.

Because the Village of Bellflower does not have open office hours, your request must be submitted in one of the following ways:

By US Mail
FOIA Officer
Village of Bellflower
PO Box 244
Bellflower, IL  61724-0244

By Email
vob.clerk@outlook.com

You will receive a response to your written request within five business days after the village receives your request.

FEE REQUIREMENTS

Pursuant to 5 ILCS 140/6, "agencies may charge fees that are reasonably calculated to reimburse its actual cost for reproducing and certifying public records."  The first fifty black and white copies are free.  For more than fifty pages, the fee is $0.15 per page.  You will be notified if a fee is required, and the fee must be paid in full before the information is released.  The charge for copies of any abnormal size documents or abnormal document format will be the actual cost to produce that document.