T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA Shadyside Councilman Mike Meintel makes a motion to publicly name residents who submit Freedom of Information Act requests to the village of Shadyside.

SHADYSIDE — Councilman Mike Meintel made a motion during a council meeting Monday that aims to reduce the number of Freedom of Information Act requests the village is receiving.

“Since 1967, the Freedom of Information Act has provided the public the right to request access to records from any federal agency. It is often described as the law that keeps citizens in the know about their government. Federal agencies are required to disclose any information requested under the FOIA unless it falls under one of nine exemptions which protect interests such as personal privacy, national security, and law enforcement,” according to the Freedom of Information Act’s government website.

“I make a motion to place the public record requests information log onto the Shadyside village’s Facebook,” he said.

Meintel said he is “all for the Freedom of Information Act” but said the village is getting inundated with FOIA requests.

“I’ve been in state government for 35 years, and I believe it’s every citizen’s right of this village, this county, this state, this country, to get any records that they request from any government entity,” he said.

He added that any time a FOIA request is received, Chief Records Clerk Jerry Elliott, who is also the village’s financial officer, handles it. Meintel said he believes the FOIA responsibilities are taking away from time needed for Elliott’s daily responsibilities.

Before council voted on the motion, Meintel asked Solicitor Kelly Kotur if once someone makes a FOIA request, it becomes public record. Kotur replied that was her understanding.

Meintel then proceeded to read names of numerous residents who have submitted over 15 FOIA requests since December.

“OK, so anyone that makes a record request, since we’re being inundated, I’m going to read the record of what Jerry’s (Elliot) been having to put up with here for the last few months, and you’ll see where I’m going with this. This is just from December, and forgive me if I butcher some of these names,” Meintel said.

He was interrupted by former Shadyside council member Nick Ferrelli, who said, “You can say my name Mike.”

Police Chief Don Collette informed Ferrelli that he was speaking out of order and if he did so again he would be asked to leave the meeting.

Following the reading of the names, Meintel asked council if it would like to vote on the motion.

Councilwoman Melanie Haswell said she was unaware of the excessive amount of FOIA requests the village has received and asked if it was normal for a village to receive so many and how much time Elliot had to gather the documents and send them to the people who are requesting them.

Kotur told Haswell that Ohio Revised Code doesn’t specify an exact amount of time, but that it must be within a reasonable amount of time.

Haswell said she believes that would be very difficult for Elliot while doing his daily responsibilities.

Former Belmont County commissioner Matthew Coffland was in attendance at the meeting and informed Haswell that although it would be difficult, Elliot is required by law to do so.

“It’s the law. Just be glad that they’re not asking you for your emails on your phones because they can do that, too,” Coffland said. “I’m just helping you guys out. I’m not trying to hurt you, but it is the law if someone makes the request you gotta do it.”

He added that he recalls that when he was a commissioner the board would receive FOIA requests daily.

“But it’s also the law that once it becomes a request, it becomes public record, too,” Meintel said.

Haswell said she believed the motion would help instill trust in council’s ability to be more transparent.

Council then unanimously voted to pass the motion to place the names of residents who make FOIA requests on the official Facebook page of the village.