Town Administrator: Mark B. Walter
Freedom of Information (FOI)
Under state law, Freedom of Information (FOI) requests can be made by any individual to any town employee, board, commission, etc... The Town of Columbia does encourage people to submit FOI requests directly to the Town Administrator. He/she has received proper training about FOI and he/she has a good understanding as to which department(s) are best suited to participate in the response process. He/she should respond to your initial request within three (3) business days of having received the request. Per state law, the initial response from the Town might not contain the desired information requested, but rather contain an estimate as to how much time it will take the Columbia municipal government to provide the desired information. Estimates are based on availability of staff and the prioritization of outstanding tasks. Per state law, the Town has thirty (30) days to respond to any request or can file for an extension if needed. Per state law, there is no standard letter/form that citizens have to use to submit a FOI request. Therefore, Columbia does not offer a model letter/form that citizens can use. Any written request (mail, email, etc.) is sufficient. It is up to the Town's discretion per state law in how they provide its final response to requests. The Town of Columbia does not provide documentation to respond to FOI requests via email; only hard copy via USPS or certified mail delivery. A $0.50 per page copy fee applies. The Town Administrator will communicate with the requester as to the total page cost and total postage cost as soon as he/she knows. The requester is required to submit payment for the total prior to the Town Administrator mailing out the response.
The Town Administrator's contact information is as follows:
Mark B. Walter, Town Administrator
323 Route 87
Columbia, CT 06237
860-228-0110
fax: 860-228-1952
