Geoff Beach v. Acton, Town of - Town Clerk (SPR 20250506)

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Public Records Division Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records March 3, 2025 SPR25/0506 Leo Mercado Town Clerk Town of Acton 472 Main Street Acton, MA 01720 Dear Mr. Mercado: I have received the petition of Geoff Beach appealing the response of the Town of Acton (Town) to a request for public records. See G. L. c. 66, § 10A; see also 950 C.M.R. 32.08(1). On December 2, 2024, Mr. Beach requested, “[f]or the period 5/21/2024 through today, [a]ll email correspondence, with attachments, sent to or received from any of the following email addresses: [three listed email addresses] and/or email addresses involving any of the following domains: [four listed domain names.]” The Town provided a response on January 17, 2025, withholding 181 emails under the attorney-client privilege. Unsatisfied with the Town’s response, Mr. Beach petitioned this office and this appeal, SPR25/0506, was opened as a result. It is my understanding that the Town intends on providing a supplemental response. Accordingly, the Town is ordered to provide Mr. Beach with said response in accordance with the Public Records Law, its Regulations and this order within ten business days. A copy of any such response must be provided to this office. It is preferable to send an electronic copy of the response to this office at pre@sec.state.ma.us. Mr. Beach may appeal the substantive nature of the Town’s response within ninety days. See 950 C.M.R. 32.08(1). Sincerely, Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records cc: Geoff Beach One Ashburton Place, Room 1719, Boston, Massachusetts 02108 • (617) 727-2832 • Fax: (617) 727-5914 sec.state.ma.us/pre • pre@sec.state.ma.us