 EVANSTON, ILLINOIS - The City of Evanston today announced a new online portal
that streamlines Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, the first of
its kind in Illinois. The portal, powered by NextRequest and available at cityofevanston.org/foia,
allows community members and organizations to conveniently submit, track, and browse
public record requests online; receive automatic email updates regarding their
requests; and download documents.
For the first time, visitors to the City’s website also
have access to a searchable database of previously released documents, ensuring
that once a City document has been made public, anyone will have access to it.
“I’m pleased to partner with NextRequest to provide our
residents with an improved process for public records requests,” said Evanston
Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl. “The City of Evanston strives to promote transparency
in all of its operations. This new service will make valuable City information even
more accessible to residents while conserving staff time and City resources.”
“Evanston is an outstanding partner. We’re excited to be
working with a Digital Cities Survey Winner who has a clear commitment to
technology and open, effective government,” said NextRequest CEO Tamara
Manik-Perlman.
The City receives an average of more than 600 FOIA requests each year,
which are managed by the City Clerk’s office. Although residents are encouraged
to utilize the online public records portal, requests may also continue to be
mailed to the Evanston City Clerk, Morton Civic Center, 2100
Ridge Ave., Evanston, IL 60201; submitted in-person at the Morton Civic
Center, Room 1200, during regular business hours, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday
through Friday; emailed to FOIA@cityofevanston.org;
or faxed to the City Clerk at 847-448-8131.
For more information, please call/text 847-448-4311. For
convenience, residents in Evanston may simply dial 3-1-1.
About NextRequest
NextRequest is a platform that makes public records easier for governments to
provide and the public to access. Founded in 2015 by three former Code for
America fellows, NextRequest is used by local governments of all types and
sizes throughout the U.S.
https://nextrequest.com
| info@nextrequest.com
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