Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
 

Village of Tower Lakes

400 North IL Route 59

Tower Lakes, IL 60010-1217

Office Hours:  Mon, Wed, Thurs: 8:30 – 12:30, Tues: 10 – 6

 FOIA Officer – Debra Baggett, Office Manager/ Deputy Village Clerk

Telephone:  847-526-0488

Facsimile:    847-526-0489

Email:  towerlakes@comcast.net

     Police Records FOIA Officers – Commander Richard Colasuono, Sgt. James Misurelli

Telephone:  847-526-0444

Facsimile:    847-526-0567

Email:  tlpolicechief@comcast.net

Requests for Public Records

Overview
Requests for public records are fulfilled under the guidelines of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. The appointed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Officers for the Village of Tower Lakes are shown above. A growing number of public records are available on this website, including some at the following links:

Link to Village Code

Link to Village Board Minutes

How to Request a Record

All requests for Village records not found online must be submitted in writing and preferably to the attention of the FOIA Officer. Requestors may use the Village of Tower Lakes’ suggested FOIA Request Form, which we recommend for best efficiency, or may submit their own written request for records. Requestors choosing not to use the provided form should provide contact information (ideally including full name, current address, e-mail, phone number) where we can correspond, plus as detailed a description as possible of the documents requested (date range if known, document type, etc.) and whether or not the documents are for commercial use.

Written requests may be submitted in person at the Village Hall, or mailed to the above address marked to the attention of the FOIA Officer, or emailed to the addresses shown above or faxed to the fax numbers shown above. 

The Village will respond to your request within five (5) business days, excluding the day the request is received, unless an extension of five (5) additional business days is needed as provided for in the law or another time period is agreed upon with you in writing. Commercial requests will be responded to within 21 business days with an estimate of when the records will be available. At that time the requestor will be informed, if applicable, of any fees associated with the request or of any time extensions or clarifications.

Format

If the requested records are kept in an electronic format, you may request that they be produced in an electronic format and, if feasible, the Village will produce them in the requested electronic format and deliver them by e-mail or over the internet at no charge, or on CD/DVD. In some cases it may also be possible to convert records kept in paper format and deliver them electronically. If it is not feasible to produce or deliver the records in the requested electronic format, you may decide whether to have the Village produce the records in the electronic format in which they are kept or in hard copy format. For electronic format delivered on a storage device, you will be charged only the cost of the medium on which the documents are reproduced (i.e., disc, diskette, tape). For paper copies, fees may be charged for more than 50 pages or for large sizes, color, or other conditions as noted in the below fee schedule. There is no charge for the first 50 pages of paper copies if they are black & white and 8.5” x 11” or legal size.

Certified Documents
For an additional charge documents may be certified. Certified documents have a signed and notarized letter from the Village Clerk or FOIA Officer stating that the attached documents are true and correct copies of the original documents on file with the Village of Tower Lakes.

The Village advises those needing public records for legal proceedings to have their documents certified.

Fee Schedule for Duplication of Public Records & Associated Charges

The Village will charge the following fees for reproduction or copying of records as allowed by the FOI Act:

  Village of Tower Lakes suggested Freedom of Information Act Request Form

Illinois Freedom of Information Act

Illinois Attorney General’s Office: Frequently Asked Questions By the Public

Village Profile

Brief Description of the Village of Tower Lakes

The Village of Tower Lakes is a non-home rule municipality incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois. It operates under the direction of a Village President and six Trustees elected at large to four year terms. The Village Board of Trustees meets regularly on the third Monday of each month at 7:30 pm at the Village Hall. The Village provides services including public safety, water supply, road & sign maintenance, snow and ice removal, land use planning & zoning, building & construction inspection, garbage collection & recycling, storm-water management, mosquito control, urban forestry management, long range planning and general administration to its residents through part time staff and volunteers and by contractual arrangement with other government bodies or through private sector contractors.

The Village Board members serve on standing committees which oversee the above services and functions. In addition to the elected officials, various officials and officers are appointed by the Village President and confirmed by the Board of Trustees. These include the seven member Village Plan Commission, seven member Zoning Board of Appeals, Village Clerk, Deputy Clerk/ Office Manager, Building Officer, Emergency Management Director, Arborist, Tree Commissioner, Treasurer, Village Engineer and Village Attorney. The Village Clerk and Office Manager are part time employees. The Building Officer, Attorney, Engineer and Arborist are independent contractors. The other appointees serve the Village as unpaid volunteers. The Village also employs a professional police force, consisting of a Police Chief, appointed by the Village President, and several other part time officers who report through a command structure to the Chief.

The mission of the Village of Tower Lakes government is to maintain the quality of life of our residents by judiciously improving services and assets, protecting natural resources and community character through prudent planning for the future.

2000 US Census Population:  1,310

Block Diagram – Functional Subdivisions

Village Staff:  The Village employs approximately 18 part-time and no full-time employees.

Number and Location of Separate Village Offices:  The Village has one office located at 400 N. IL Route 59, Tower Lakes, IL 60010.

Approximate Total Operating Budget (FY 2010):  $799,700 for General Fund + $292,000 for Water System Fund

Boards, Commissions, Committees Membership

  VILLAGE OF TOWER LAKES, ILLINOIS

Boards, Commissions & Committees

Village Board

    Village President Kathleen Leitner

   Trustee David Parro (Roads Committee Chair)

   Trustee Richard Baggett (Police Committee Chair)

   Trustee Sophia deVries (Utilities Committee Chair)

   Trustee Thomas Bolger (Stormwater, Health & Sanitation Committee Chair)

   Trustee R. Scott Merkle (Finance Committee Chair)

   Trustee Michael Rolfs (Building & Zoning Committee Chair)

Plan Commission

    Jeff Dehnert – Chairman

    Barbara Kolasinski

    Bob Brown

    Randy Young

    Jacqueline Skurla

    vacant

    vacant

Zoning Board of Appeals

    Larry Gold – Chairman

    Margaret Aitken

    Bob Crimmins

    Gerry Young

    Tony Magro

    Scott Nelms

    Andy Hay

Tree Commission

    Tom Hannagan - Chairman

    Karen Yancey

    Mel Ott

    Matt Edstrom

    Steve Burgoon

    Rob Murray

Emergency Management Committee

    David Blake – Director

    Pam Jackson

    Jeannie Hancock

    Susan Hewes

    Ann Gavic

    Mel Ott

    Mary Solymossy

    Steve Burgoon

    David DeRita

Copyright 1999-2011 Village of Tower Lakes. All rights reserved. Revised May 1, 2011.
This is the only website officially authorized by the Village of Tower Lakes. The information published herein was valid at the time of publication unless otherwise noted. The Village of Tower Lakes reserves the right to make changes and improvements at any time and without notice, and assumes no liability for damages incurred directly or indirectly as a result of errors, omissions or discrepancies.