What happens when you ask for public records? It should be a simple process. It should be as easy as sending an e-mail to inforequests@greensboro-nc.gov asking for the records you need and getting them in a few days. And while Sarah and Donnie have made great strides in straightening out the nightmare that is public records in Greensboro, the system is still fraught with problems.
For example: the City of Greensboro has no central data base of the e-mails, text messages, phone calls and letters sent to and from staff and city council members to their private phones, cell phones and mail boxes even though North Carolina state statutes require that these records be kept and that they are public records.
You see, any and all communication involving Greensboro city business and public affairs no matter what the means of communication, is by law, public record with just a few exceptions as laid out in the statute.
The problem lies with the fact that state law defines department heads as the actual custodians of public records until if and when someone asks to see those records. And in the case of a City Councilman like say, Zack Matheny who is currently trying to withhold public records concerning the Wyndham Hotel Incentives, Zack gets to pick and choose which, if any records he wants to send in response to a public records request.
And if by chance I have what is a very reliable source who has proved to be correct many times before telling me that certain text messages were sent and Councilman Matheny says he has no text messages and deleted no text messages I'm supposed to be okay with that?
Even though Councilman Matheny might have stood to gain from the passing of the incentive package. Even though Councilman Matheny was the one who brought the incentive deal before Council in the first place. Even though Councilman Matheny's excuse for his no vote never made a lick of sense.
Keep checking back and reading the many updates at Zack Matheny's Wyndham Text Messages and tell me if you believe Zack Matheny for even a second.
How far back is Councilman Matheny keeping his text messages? The law requires that he keep them forever. Is the City of Greensboro making sure that is even possible? What if the dog eats his phone?
