HomeMy Public PortalAboutPRR 16-2443RECORDS REQUEST (the "Request")
Date of Request: 12/16/2016
Requestor's Request ID#: 1367
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(a)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 out off other town
responsibilities; they hunted through old file cabinets and closed land -use folders
ming to respond to regucsts 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 phone records demonstrating that the Gulf Stream clerks
"called commissioners, board members, past employees and active and retired police to
identify documents and their possible locations." 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 frons: 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.
JF5119,010)(F), FLORIDA STATUTES IF AVAILABLE IN ELECTRONIC FORM, IT IS REQUESTED THAT THIS
RECORDS REQUEST BE FULFILLED ON 11 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) f21
ALSO PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF §119.07(I)(H) OF THE FLORIDA STATUTES, WHICH PROVIDES THAT -IF A CIVIL ACTION
IS INSTITUTED WITHIN THE 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
(Dentitions)), In advance of any costs imposed to the Requestor by the Agency.
"BY FULFILLING THIS RECORDS REQUEST, THE AGENCY ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE RESPONSIVE DOCUMENTS
ARE "PUBLIC RECORDS" AS DEFINED IN CHAPTER 119, FLORIDA STATUTES".
I/P/NP/FLRR
11.04.2016
Letter to the Editor: Gulf Stream confident it's on the right track - The Coastal Star
EXHIBIT A
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Letter to the Editor: Gulf Stream confident it's on the right track
• Posted by blunt Kate Leming on November 2, 2016 at 1:47pm in Island Tnik
• view Discussions
In 2014 and early 2015, the town of Gulf Stream found itself under assault from Martin O'Boyle and Christopher O'Hare, two residents who
overwhelmed the town with thousands of public records requests and dozens of lawsuits. Town 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 SO -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 wan 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 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. 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'Hare'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
"gotche" 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 a judge 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.conl/forumltopics/letter-to-the-editor-gulf-stream-confident-it-s-on-the...
TOWN OF GULF STREAM
PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA
Delivered via e-mail
December 22, 2016
Martin E. O'Boyle [mail to: records(7a commerce-eroun.coml
Re: GS #2443 (PRR 1367)
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 phone records demonstrating that the Gulf Stream clerks
"called commissioners, board members, past employees and active and retired police to
identify documents and their possible locations. " See attached Exhibit A.
Dear Martin E. O'Boyle [mail to: records@.commerce-eroup.coml:
The Town of Gulf Stream has received your public records request dated December 16, 2016. The
original public records request can be found at the following link:
htto://www2.gulf-stream.ore/weblink/0/doc/104125/Paeel .aspxx
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, e
8441 = RAWM, DnD "d
As requested by Rita Taylor
Town Clerk, Custodian of the Records
TOWN OF GULF STREAM
PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA
Delivered via e-mail
January 30, 2017
Martin E. O'Boyle [mail to: recordst7a,commerce-grouu.coml
Re: GS #2443 (PRR 1367)
Please provide copies of all phone records demonstrating that the Gulf Stream clerks "called
commissioners, board members, past employees and active and retired police to identify
documents and their possible locations. "
Dear Martin E. O'Boyle [mail to: recordsna,commerce-Qxoun.coml:
The Town of Gulf Stream has received your public records request dated December 16, 2016.
The original public records requests can be found at the following links:
hqp://www2.gulf-stream.org/weblink/O/doc/I 04125/Pagel.ash
Please be advised that the Town does not have phone records responsive to your request. We
consider this request closed.
Sincerely,
SiDip-d ROW"
As requested by Rita Taylor
Town Clerk, Custodian of the Records