Duarte, Ryan v. New Bedford, City of - Office of The City Solicitor (SPR 20260761)

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Public Records Division Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records March 16, 2026 SPR26/0761 Katherine Schuko, Esq. Associate City Solicitor Office of the City Solicitor City of New Bedford 133 William Street, Room 203 New Bedford, MA 02740 Dear Attorney Schuko: I have received the petition of Ryan Duarte appealing the nonresponse of the City of New Bedford (City) to a request for public records. See G. L. c. 66, § 10A; see also 950 C.M.R. 32.08(1). On January 16, 2026, Mr. Duarte requested the following: [1] All records identifying the individual(s) who created, initiated, approved, or authorized the creation of any account in my name or associated with my identity, including but not limited to: [a] Full name(s) [b] Job title(s) [c] Department(s) [d] Employer(s) [e] Role(s) or capacity(ies) under which they acted [2] All records showing the date, time, IP address, device information, and method used to create the account, including audit logs, metadata, access logs, and system records. [3] All records evidencing consent or authorization, including any forms, emails, internal notes, policies, or assumptions relied upon to justify creating an account on my behalf. [4] All communications (internal or external), including emails, messages, memoranda, or tickets, that reference or discuss: [a] The creation of the account [b] My name or identity in connection with the account 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

Katherine Schuko SPR26/0761 Page 2 March 16, 2026 [c] Any decision to create or manage an account for me [5] Any contracts, MOUs, policies or delegations of authority that purport to authorize employees, officers, contractors, or third-party vendors to create accounts on behalf of private individuals without their express consent. [6] Identification of any third-party vendor or platform involved in administering the account, including the legal basis under which they act on behalf of the public body. Claiming to not yet have received responsive records, Mr. Duarte petitioned this office and this appeal, SPR26/0761, 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. Duarte 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. Duarte 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: Ryan Duarte