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Home My Public Portal AboutPRR 16-2412RECORDS REQUEST (the "Request") Date of Request: 11/21/2016 Requestor's Request IDN: 1348 REQUESTEE: Custodian of Records Town of Gulf Stream REQUESTOR: Martin E. O'Boyle REQUESTOR'S CONTACT INFORMATION: E -Mail: records@commerce-group.com Fax: 954-360-0807 or Contact Records Custodian at records@.commerce-group.com; Phone: 954-360-7713; Address: 1280 West Newport Center Drive, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442 REQUEST: In the second sentence of the fourth paragraph of the Coastal Star Letter to the Editor of November 2.2016: Gulf Stream confident it's on the right track. Scott Morgan states the following; "The clerks regularly worked nights and weekends: they Put off other town responsibilities: they hunted through old file cabinets and closed land -use folders trying to respond to requests pouring in almost daily: they called commissioners, board members, past employees and active and retired police to identify documents and their possible locations." Please Provide copies of all requests for the years 2014 and 2015 which demonstrate that "the clerks were trying to respond to requests pouring in almost daily" as stated in the quoted language above. See attached Exhibit A. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING REQUEST: The term "Town of Gulf Stream" shall mean each of the following: the Town of Gulf Stream. its Commissioners. its Manager, its employees, its officers, its staff, its Police Department, its Police Officers: including, without limitation, the attorneys, employees and partners of the following law firms: Sweetanole. Broeker & Varkas: Richman Greer, PA: Jones, Foster. Johnston & Stubbs: Cole. Scott & Kissane, P.A.: and Johnson Anselmo Murdoch Burke Piper & Hochman. P.A. THIS REQUEST IS MADE PURSUANT TO ARTICLE L SECTION 24 OF THE FLORIDA CONSTITUTION AND CHAPTER 119, FLORIDA STATUTES IF THE PUBLIC RECORDS BEING SOUGHT ARE MAINTAINED BY YOUR AGENCY IN AN ELECTRONIC FORMAT PLEASE PRODUCE THE RECORDS IN THE ORIGINAL ELECTRONIC FORMAT IN WHICH THEY WERE CREATED OR RECEIVED. SEE 5119.01(2)(M. FLORIDA STATUTES. IF NOT AVAILABLE IN ELECTRONIC_ FORM, IT IS REOUESTED THAT THIS RECORDS REQUEST BE FULFILLED ON Il X 17 PAPER. NOTE: IN ALL CASES (UNLESS IMPOSSIBLE) THE COPIES SHOULD BE TWO SIDED AND SHOULD BE BILLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH Section 119.07(4) (a) (2) ALSO PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF ¢119,07(1)(H) OF THE FLORIDA STATUTES, WHICH PROVIDES THAT "IF A CIVIL ACTION IS INSTITUTED WITHIN TIIE 30 -DAY PERIOD TO ENFORCE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION WITH RESPECT TO THE REQUESTED RECORD, THE CUSTODIAN OF PUBLIC RECORDS MAY NOT DISPOSE OF THE RECORD EXCEPT BY ORDER OF A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION AFTER NOTICE TO ALL AFFECTED PARTIES." ALL ELECTRONIC COPIES ARE REQUESTED TO BE SENT BY E-MAIL DELIVERY. PLEASE PROVIDE THE APPROXIMATE COSTS (IF ANY) TO FULFILL THIS PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST IN ADVANCE. It will be required that the Requestor approve of any costs, asserted by the Agency (as defined in Florida Statute, Chapter 119.01 (Definitions)), In advance ofany costs imposed to the Requestor by the Agency. Letter to the Editor: Gulf Stream confident it's on the right track - The Coastal Star EXHIBIT A Search The Coastal Star Search • sign t • Sian In ThCoasta - ar Main • Classifieds • Contact LIS Events • N1\' P:lae • NC\YS Photue Talk videos • Your Community • All Discussions • Nlv Discussions • Add Letter to the Editor: Gulf Stream confident it's on the right track • Posted by Mun Kate Lemine on November 2, 2016 at 1:47pm in Island folk • View DISCu551ons In 2014 and early 2015, the town of Gulf Stream found itself under assault from Martin O'Boyle and Christopher O'Ham, two residents who overwhelmed the town with thousands of public records requests and dozens of lawsuits. Tom Hall became virtually unable to serve Gulf Stream residents. To defend against this ongoing public records abuse, Gulf Stream brought in legal staff to create a policy to respond to records requests. In addition, Gulf Stream learned through its RICO investigation about other Florida abuses committed by the O'Boyle Law Firm and a related O'Boyle company called Citizens Awareness Foundation, which it added to the town's defenses in the public records lawsuits. Since Gulf Stream took these actions, public records requests have dropped from 80 -plus per day down to several a week In addition, there has not been another public records lawsuit against Gulf Stream in over a year and a half Of the old lawsuits, Gulf Stream won or forced the dismissal of four of them, and won verdicts or forced the dismissal of six additional non-public records lawsuits. I cannot overstate how the volume of lawsuits and records requests back in 2013 and 2014 overwhelmed our small staff. The clerks regularly worked nights and weekends; they put off other town responsibilities; they hunted through old file cabinets and closed Ind -use folders trying to respond to requests pouring in almost daily; they called commissioners, board members, past employees and active and retired police to identify documents and their possible locations. But, the quantity of these requests was simply not manageable, and some documents were inadvertently missed. At no time did staff refuse the legitimacy of O'Boyle's or O'Hara's requests or try to prevent them from receiving documents. For example, one such request required production of"All photos of people riding bicycles on N. Ocean Blvd. in the town's public record." Since town records go back to its founding in 1925, this request necessitated a needle -in -the -haystack search, and for which we were still sued over a "gotcha" photograph. A case currently being litigated involves some inadvertently missed documents. Despite a good -faith effort to locate all requested records, missing records constitute a technical violation of the public records law, so the town offered to settle the case. O'Boyle's settlement demand, however, was so outrageously high that the town concluded it was in its best financial interest to go to trial and let ajudge determine reasonable fees. That case was tried recently and there will be a hearing on fees in the near future. The town is confident that under Florida law, the court will award fees up to the performance of the records request and not beyond. This is why the town elected to try this case, as it will any other case where it appears that O'Boyle built up large attorneys' fees. Gulf Stream will continue to defend the remaining O'Boyle and O'Hare lawsuits until our two litigious residents drop the meritless cases and negotiate reasonable settlements in good faith on the others. http://thecoastalstar.com/foruniltopies/letter-to-the-editor-gulf-stream-confident-it-s-on-the... TOWN OF GULF STREAM PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA Delivered via e-mail November 22, 2016 Martin E. O'Boyle [mail to: recordsna,commerce-grouo.coml Re: GS #2412 (PRR 1348) In the second sentence of the fourth paragraph of the Coastal Star Letter to the Editor ofNovember 2, 2016: Gulf Stream confident it's on the right track, Scott Morgan states the following: "The clerks regularly worked nights and weekends; they put off other town responsibilities; they hunted through old file cabinets and closed land -use folders trying to respond to requests pouring in almost daily; they called commissioners, board members, past employees and active and retired police to identify documents and their possible locations. " Please provide copies of all requests for the years 2014 and 2015 which demonstrate that "the clerks were trying to respond to requests pouring in almost daily " as stated in the quoted language above. See attached Exhibit A. Dear Martin E. O'Boyle [mail to: records(oDcommerce-grouo.coml: The Town of Gulf Stream has received your public records request dated November 21, 2016. The original public records request can be found at the following link: http://www2.gulf-stream.org/weblink/O/doc/I 03694/Pagel .asnx Please be advised that the Town of Gulf Stream is currently working on a large number of incoming public records requests. The Town will use its very best efforts to respond to you in a reasonable amount of time with the appropriate response or an estimated cost to respond. Sincerely, R4ld ROW" As requested by Rita Taylor Town Clerk, Custodian of the Records TOWN OF GULF STREAM PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA Delivered via e-mail December 28, 2016 Martin E. O'Boyle [mail to: records(a,commerce-groun.com Re: GS #2412 (PRR 1348) "The clerks regularly worked nights and weekends; they put off other town responsibilities; they hunted through old file cabinets and closed land -use folders trying to respond to requests pouring in almost daily; they called commissioners, board members, past employees and active and retired police to identify documents and their possible locations. " Please provide copies of all requests for the years 2014 and 2015 which demonstrate that "the clerks were trying to respond to requests pouring in almost daily" as stated in the quoted language above. See attached Exhibit A. Dear Martin E. O'Boyle [mail to: recordsna,commerce-groun.coml: The Town of Gulf Stream has received your public records request dated November 21, 2016. Your original public records request can be found at the following link: http://www2.gulf-stream.org/weblink/O/doe/I 03694/Pagel .asox The responsive records for your request can be found by going to www.gulf-stream.org, click on "Find a Town Record", click on "Public Records Requests", click on the year you are looking for (in your case 2014 and 2015), click on "Public Request Number Log". The corresponding copies of requests for the years 2014 and 2015 are found by clicking on the number of your request as found on the Public Request Number Log (for example: 1703, then arrow back and go to Public Records Requests 2015, PRR 15-1703). You will find on the log where the requests did come in on a daily basis. We consider this request closed. Sincerely, Ref+eZ Rlow" D" As requested by Rita Taylor Town Clerk, Custodian of the Records