www.newrivervalley.com

Citizens, journalists and officials looking for an overview of their rights and responsibilities under the state's sunshine law have a new resource: the town of Blacksburg Web site.

Town Attorney Larry Spencer recently sent me a link to a new section of the site, which explains in plain English many of the main points of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. He based the town's FOIA page on information provided on several similar Virginia government agency FOIA pages.

The act spells out what records and information, including e-mails, memos, letters and financial and other documents that must be made available to the public by government officials. It's a complicated and long set of rules that often causes confusion and even animosity. But Spencer has boiled it down to the most important points, including a simple but detailed how-to guide for requesting information.

"Making a FOIA request is not an adversarial process," the page explains. "FOIA encourages citizens and government officials to work together."

This approach marks a sea change from 2005, when some town council members admitted to deleting e-mails and even throwing away some public documents. Council members now archive their e-mails and produce them promptly upon request. Other records, such as site plans for major development projects, are posted in full on the town's Web site.

A year's worth of town council meeting videos, agendas and minutes are also available online.

Spencer wrote in an e-mail recently that he hoped the town's FOIA page would serve as a resource for both residents who are requesting information and for town staff who may be called upon to fill FOIA requests.

The page might also be a resource, and perhaps an example, to other New River Valley governments.

In Radford, only the city police department's Web page includes any information about FOIA requests. That page explains the basics of the act and even identifies the department's records manager by name. Radford Police Chief Don Goodman formerly served with the Blacksburg Police Department, which has for years been a leader among area law enforcement in freedom of information issues.

Neither the Radford City Council Web page, nor that of any other city department lists any FOIA information, however. The Roanoke Times recently filed suit in Radford Circuit Court alleging the city violated FOIA rules when responding to some records requests made by Times reporter Tim Thornton.

Christiansburg's site contains no information on FOIA, and problems with notification of public meetings and documents requests have been reported by residents and the Roanoke Times over the past year.

Elsewhere in the NRV, the Floyd County Board of Supervisors Web page lists some basic information about open meetings requirements and a link to supervisors' meeting agendas. It does not address records or information requests.

Web sites for the counties of Giles and Pulaski do not address FOIA issues. The Montgomery County government site mentions but does not explain FOIA rules.

Besides Blacksburg, two other comprehensive FOIA resources are the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council and the nongovernmental Virginia Coalition for Open Government.

-- Tonia Moxley