Brower, William v. Springfield, City of (SPR 20260732)

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Public Records Division Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records March 4, 2026 SPR26/0732 Alesia H. Days, Esq. Records Access Officer City of Springfield 36 Court Street, Room 210 Springfield, MA 01103 Dear Attorney Days: I have received the petition of William Brower appealing the nonresponse of the City of Springfield (City) to a request for public records. See G. L. c. 66, § 10A; see also 950 C.M.R. 32.08(1). On December 30, 2025, Mr. Brower requested: [1] All records documenting any and all attempts (successful or unsuccessful) by the City of Springfield Public Records Division, [an identified individual], or any staff to contact [an identified individual] regarding Public Records Request Nos. 25-4321 and 25-4332, from November 1, 2025, to present. This includes but is not limited to: [a] Emails (sent or draft)[;] [b] Phone call logs, voicemails, or call notes[;] [c] Text messages[;] [d] Portal messages (beyond standard automated or public responses)[;] [e] Internal notes, memos, or tickets referencing contact attempts[;] [f] Any other communication records[;] [2] For each attempt documented, include: [a] Date and time[;] [b] Method of contact (email, phone, portal, etc.)[;] [c] Destination (specific email address or phone number used)[;] [d] Content/summary of the attempt[;] [e] Staff member responsible[;] [3] Any internal communications, notes, or tickets within the Public Records Division or NextRequest system discussing or justifying the closures of Requests 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

Alesia H. Days, Esq. SPR26/0732 Page 2 March 4, 2026 Nos. 25-4321 and 25-4332 on December 30, 2025, specifically referencing the statements: [a] From Request No. 25-4321 closure: “We closed this request after we could not contact you to assist you in making a focused and effective request...” and “A portion of your request is considered withdrawn after we could not contact you...”[;] [b] From Request No. 25-4332 closure: “A portion of your request is considered withdrawn after we could not contact you to assist you in making a focused and effective request that reasonably describes an identifiable record[.]” Claiming to not yet have received responsive records, Mr. Brower petitioned this office and this appeal, SPR26/0732, was opened as a result. Despite being notified of the opening of this appeal, it remains unclear whether the City has provided a response. Accordingly, the City is ordered to provide Mr. Brower with a response to his request, provided in a manner consistent with this order, the Public Records Law and its Regulations within ten (10) 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. Brower may appeal the substantive nature of the City’s response within ninety (90) days. See 950 C.M.R. 32.08(1). Sincerely, Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records cc: William Brower