Freedom of Information Act

The Illinois Freedom of Information Act requires all public bodies in Illinois to make non-exempt public records available for inspection and copying. The following will assist you in filing a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) Request.

Filing a Request

All requests must be in writing (click here for form) and may be made either in person at the City of Berwyn Municipal Building at 6700 West 26th Street in person (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday between 9:00am and 5:00pm or Tuesday between 9:00am and 8:00pm, except holidays), via facsimile to 708-788-2675, electronic mail or regular mail. To make certain each request is acted upon in a complete and timely fashion, you should ensure that the public record you seek is clearly identified and you should provide as much information as you know about the requested record as possible (e.g. type of record, approximate date of record, department where record may be located. The City of Berwyn is not obligated to respond to requests that are overly broad or that would place an undue burden upon its operations; nor is the City obligated to interpret or advise requests as to the meaning or significance of public records that may be provided.

Obtaining the Request

If the requested records are available and determined to be non-exempt, the City of Berwyn will advise you of the documents available and the cost, if any, for the records. If you asked to inspect documents, the City of Berwyn will provide you with a notice of time and location when the records will be made available. Any inspection of records will be conducted during normal business hours at the City of Berwyn Municipal Building, unless another location is agreed upon with you and the City. The City of Berwyn may require that an officer or employee of the City be present during any inspection of public records. Further restrictions may be necessary and you will be advised by the City Clerk’s Office if any will apply.

The City of Berwyn will respond to all non-commercial requests within five (5) working days of receipt of the request. Responses to any commercial request will be made within twenty-one (21) days.

Under certain circumstances, the Freedom of Information Act allows the City of provide notice of an extension of time for response to a request. Any notice of extension will cite the reason why the extension is necessary.

Denial of Request

Any denial of any part of a FOIA request will be made in writing and will state the reason(s) for the denial.

If you have any further questions, please contact the City of Berwyn City Clerk’s Office at 708-788-2660.