Access to Information Orders
Decision Information
• Request for documents about a facility and correspondence with an identified research council.
• Section 57(1) (fees) - fee estimates upheld in part, denied for additional preparation costs.
Decision Content
NATURE OF THE APPEALS:
Laurentian University (the University) received three separate requests under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (the Act) for records from the same requester. In response to the three requests, the University issued three fee estimate decisions. The requester appealed all three of the fee estimate decisions. This order deals with two of the appeals.
APPEAL NUMBER PA06-228-2
The University received a request, under the Act, for all records involving the renovations taking place at an identified facility, including specific information relating to the following:
- approval for renovations, budget allocation, committee minutes and all other relevant notes/correspondence involving the functioning of the facility;
- the orders to change the locks;
- the order to place security on night duty; and
- the budget approval and budget expenditure of the issues surrounding the facility and its employees (for the past 24 months).
Mediation did not resolve this appeal, and it was transferred to the inquiry stage of the process.
As identified above, in the course of this appeal, the University provided a detailed fee estimate decision, identifying how the fee estimate was calculated. The appellant indicated that she was not satisfied with the fee estimate, and that she wished to continue her appeal of the fee estimate. In the circumstances of this appeal, I decided to send a Notice of Inquiry, identifying the facts and issues, to the appellant, initially. The appellant did not provide representations in response to the Notice of Inquiry. I then sent the Notice of Inquiry to the University. However, I invited the University to provide representations only on the issue of whether the portion of the fee which addressed the calculation for the preparation of the records is in accordance with previous orders.
The University provided representations in response to this issue.
APPEAL NUMBER PA06-257
The University also received a request under the Act for the following records:
All records involving any correspondence between [the University] Administrators and [a named research council] with regards to me specifically and my research (since an identified date).
All records involving any correspondence between [the University] Administrator and [the named research council] regarding [identified issues] at [the University] (since 1998).
Records should include but not be limited to: notes from phone conversations, notes to file, emails, letters.