May 28, 2013
Oklahoma

Mayor says she ‘simply forgot’ about records request

Written by Ben Felder, Editor | May 28, 2013 | www.piedmontdaily.com

Piedmont’s mayor said the reason she took two months to respond to a public records request was that she “simply forgot.”

The Piedmont Citizen submitted a records request on March 26 for any emails to and from the city council and mayor concerning a proposed wind farm project near Piedmont. Members of the council responded to the request last month, but Mayor Valerie Thomerson did not submit any emails or respond to the request until May 22, which was 57 days after the request was received by city hall.

A wind farm project proposed by Apex Wind Energy near Piedmont has stirred some controversy as a recall effort has been made against Councilman Vernon Woods because he has admitted to meeting with wind energy officials concerning the project. Thomerson has also been vocal in her opposition to the wind farm project and some have accused her of using the issue for political gain.

A records request was submitted in order to gain a better understanding of how the council and mayor arrived at its decisions concerning the wind farm project and to see if any accusations against the council or mayor were accurate. The Piedmont Citizen is currently reviewing the emails submitted by the council and mayor.

In submitting the emails to the Citizen last week, Thomerson wrote a note: “My apologies. I simply forgot about your request.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/05/28/mayor-says-she-simply-forgot-about-records-request/