Freedom of Information

Legislation

The Township of North Dumfries is required to follow the rules set out in the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). The purpose of MFIPPA is to ensure that the public has a right to access the information kept by the municipality and ensure that personal information kept by the municipality is kept private. MFIPPA applies to all municipalities in Ontario.

MFIPPA states that:

• Any member of the public may request to view or obtain copies of general records and information held by the Township;
• Any member of the public may request to view, copy or make corrections to information about themselves held by the Township;
• The Township must protect personal information and privacy;
• Limited and specific circumstances apply where information may need to be withheld from viewing and access.

Application Process

• Complete and submit the required FOI Request Form
• Email the Township Clerk the completed FOI Request Form
• Pay the required $5 filing fee (go to the Payment Options Page for accepted payment options for FOI requests)
• Ensure that your request is clear, specific, and detailed so it can be processed in a timely manner
• If acting as an agent for someone else, a signed letter of consent letter to act on his or her behalf and a photocopy of a piece of his or her identification with a signature (such as a driver's licence) must be submitted with the application
• Please be patient, staff will respond within 30 days of the date of the request or if additional time beyond 30 days is required to process a request, the requestor will be notified in writing

Access to Records

The Township strives to provide information to the public without the necessity of submitting a formal request under the Act. A person wishing to access any records held by the Township should contact the department that holds the records and a staff member will advise if the request should be submitted formally under MFIPPA or if the records will be provided as routine disclosure.

The Township Clerk (Head under the MFIPPA) evaluates all formal requests and determines what information can be released. Decisions made by the Clerk are in accordance with the MFIPPA and are not subject to political involvement. Information that is subject to one or more of the permitted exemptions under the noted Act and as such, cannot be released. Examples of permitted exemptions under the MFIPPA include, but are not limited to:

• Information containing solicitor-client privileges
• Advice or recommendations
• Personal privacy matters 

Who to Contact

Publicly available information and department contacts:

Surveys, Grading Plans, or Septic Drawings

The Township cannot release surveys or grading plans as they are copywritten. If any survey or grading plan exists on record with the Township, the survey company may be provided. Contact the Development Services Department for more information at 519-632-8800 ext. 124. Property-related information can be obtained through the Land Registry Office or by finding a surveyor near you.

The Township cannot give out septic drawings or sketches, as they may not be accurate. Property owners should contact a licensed septic installer to assist with locating the septic system on a parcel of land. Please note, determining locates on a property is not a municipal function. Please visit Ontario One Call for information on how to determine locates. 

Fees

• A filing fee of $5 is required for a Freedom of Information request.
• Other fees may apply, depending on the amount of time required for staff to complete the request and/or the number of records found to be relevant to your request. Other fees could include: 
  • photocopies and/or scanning of records
  • manually searching for records
  • time spent preparing a record for disclosure such as severing a part of the record, developing a computer program or other method of producing a record from machine readable record, provided on USB, and costs that the institution incurs in locating, retrieving, processing and copying the record if those costs are specified in an invoice that the institution has received.
• Review the Fees and Charges page for a complete list of Township fees and charges. 

Appeals

If not satisfied with the Township's response to a request or fee estimate, the requester may make an appeal to the Information & Privacy Commission of Ontario (IPC) within 30 days of receipt of the decision letter or fee estimate.

An appeal can be filed by sending a completed Appeal Form or letter to the IPC Registrar, within 30 days after the Township has provided notice of their decision. The appeal should include:

• the appellant's name, address and telephone number
• the Township's name and file number
• a copy of the decision letter
• a copy of the request
• a brief explanation of the basis for the appeal

Appeal fees 

• a personal information appeal is $10
• all other request for information appeals are $25