 ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS GREG ABBOTT | |
|
February 6, 2004 Mr. Ken Thomas
OR2004-0901 Dear Mr. Thomas: You ask whether certain information is subject to required public disclosure under chapter 552 of the Government Code. Your request was assigned ID# 195896. The City of Early (the "city") received a request for eleven categories of information related to four specified properties.(1) You indicate that the city has provided the requestor with some of the requested information. However, you claim that a portion of the requested information is excepted from disclosure under section 552.131 of the Government Code. We have considered the exception you claim and reviewed the submitted information. Section 552.131 of the Government Code provides: (a) Information is excepted from the requirements of Section 552.021 if the information relates to economic development negotiations involving a governmental body and a business prospect that the governmental body seeks to have locate, stay, or expand in or near the territory of the governmental body and the information relates to: (1) a trade secret of the business prospect; or (2) commercial or financial information for which it is demonstrated based on specific factual evidence that disclosure would cause substantial competitive harm to the person from whom the information was obtained. (b) Unless and until an agreement is made with the business prospect, information about a financial or other incentive being offered to the business prospect by the governmental body or by another person is excepted from the requirements of Section 552.021. (c) After an agreement is made with the business prospect, this section does not except from the requirements of Section 552.021 information about a financial or other incentive being offered to the business prospect: (1) by the governmental body; or (2) by another person, if the financial or other incentive may directly or indirectly result in the expenditure of public funds by a governmental body or a reduction in revenue received by a governmental body from any source. Gov't Code, § 552.131. Neither you nor any interested third party has demonstrated how any of the submitted information relates to a trade secret or commercial or financial information the release of which would cause substantial competitive harm to the person from whom the information was obtained. Therefore, we conclude that section 552.131(a) is inapplicable to the submitted information. However, under section 552.131(b), you state that the submitted information pertains to "the city's proposed development of property at 209 Early Boulevard and some associated lots," and that release of "these documents could endanger the ability of the city to successfully develop this property." Further, you indicate that agreements between the city and the proposed businesses have not been reached. Based on your representations and our review of the submitted information, we conclude that you may withhold the information we have marked pursuant to section 552.131(b) of the Government Code. The remaining submitted information does not involve a financial or other incentive being offered to a business prospect. Therefore, the remaining submitted information may not be withheld under section 552.131(b), and it must be released. This letter ruling is limited to the particular records at issue in this request and limited to the facts as presented to us; therefore, this ruling must not be relied upon as a previous determination regarding any other records or any other circumstances. This ruling triggers important deadlines regarding the rights and responsibilities of the governmental body and of the requestor. For example, governmental bodies are prohibited from asking the attorney general to reconsider this ruling. Gov't Code § 552.301(f). If the governmental body wants to challenge this ruling, the governmental body must appeal by filing suit in Travis County within 30 calendar days. Id. § 552.324(b). In order to get the full benefit of such an appeal, the governmental body must file suit within 10 calendar days. Id. § 552.353(b)(3), (c). If the governmental body does not appeal this ruling and the governmental body does not comply with it, then both the requestor and the attorney general have the right to file suit against the governmental body to enforce this ruling. Id. § 552.321(a). If this ruling requires the governmental body to release all or part of the requested information, the governmental body is responsible for taking the next step. Based on the statute, the attorney general expects that, within 10 calendar days of this ruling, the governmental body will do one of the following three things: 1) release the public records; 2) notify the requestor of the exact day, time, and place that copies of the records will be provided or that the records can be inspected; or 3) notify the requestor of the governmental body's intent to challenge this letter ruling in court. If the governmental body fails to do one of these three things within 10 calendar days of this ruling, then the requestor should report that failure to the attorney general's Open Government Hotline, toll free, at (877) 673-6839. The requestor may also file a complaint with the district or county attorney. Id. § 552.3215(e). If this ruling requires or permits the governmental body to withhold all or some of the requested information, the requestor can appeal that decision by suing the governmental body. Id. § 552.321(a); Texas Dep't of Pub. Safety v. Gilbreath, 842 S.W.2d 408, 411 (Tex. App.--Austin 1992, no writ). Please remember that under the Act the release of information triggers certain procedures for costs and charges to the requestor. If records are released in compliance with this ruling, be sure that all charges for the information are at or below the legal amounts. Questions or complaints about over-charging must be directed to Hadassah Schloss at the Texas Building and Procurement Commission at (512) 475-2497. If the governmental body, the requestor, or any other person has questions or comments about this ruling, they may contact our office. We note that a third party may challenge this ruling by filing suit seeking to withhold information from a requestor. Gov't Code § 552.325. Although there is no statutory deadline for contacting us, the attorney general prefers to receive any comments within 10 calendar days of the date of this ruling. Sincerely, W. Montgomery Meitler
c: Mr. Nick von Kreisler
Footnotes 1. We note that chapter 552 of the Government Code does not require a governmental body to release information that did not exist when it received a request for information. See Economic Opportunities Dev. Corp. v. Bustamante, 562 S.W.2d 266 (Tex. Civ. App.--San Antonio 1978, writ dism'd); Open Records Decision Nos. 452 at 3 (1986), 362 at 2 (1983). POST OFFICE BOX 12548, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78711-2548 TEL: (512) 463-2100 WEB: WWW.OAG.STATE.TX.US |