FOIL Request
ACCESS TO TOWN RECORDS UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAW
To request access to public records of the Town of Columbia, please complete the attached application and forward it to the Town of Columbia Town Clerk (Records Access Officer). Requests may also be submitted by email.
The Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requires that the Town of Columbia follow the timeframe outlined below when responding to a FOIL request.
• Within Five Business Days. First, within five business days of receiving a FOIL request, the Town
must (i) grant access to the requested records in accordance with FOIL, or (ii) deny access in writing or, (iii) acknowledge the receipt of the request in writing and include an approximate date within 20 business days indicating when it anticipates that a request will be granted or denied.
• Within the Next 20 Business Days. Second, within the next 20 business days, the Town must
(i) grant access to the requested records in accordance with FOIL, or (ii) deny access in writing.
• Beyond 20 Business Days. Third, if circumstances prevent disclosure to the person requesting the record or records within 20 business days from the date of acknowledgement of the receipt of the
request, the Town must state, in writing, both the reason for the inability to grant the request within 20 business days and a date certain within a reasonable period, depending on the circumstances, when the request will be granted in whole or in part.
Please note, the Town of Columbia Clerk is not required to create a new record in response to FOIL requests. If your FOIL request is denied, you may appeal within 30 days of the denial date by contacting the Appeals Officer.
RECORDS ACCESS OFFICER
Eric Gloo
Town of Columbia Town Clerk
147 Columbia Center Road
Ilion, NY 13357
Phone: 315-601-3257
Email: townofcolumbiaclerk13357@gmail.com
APPEALS OFFICER (Contact only for FOIL appeal)
Nathan Seamon
Town of Columbia Town Supervisor
147 Columbia Center Road
Ilion, NY 13357
Phone: 315-868-7981
Email: columbiasupervisor@gmail.com
INDEX OF RECORDS – 2026
• Assessor
• Highway
• Building Inspector
• Tax Collector
• Code Enforcement
• Town Clerk
• Court
• Town Supervisor
• Finance
• Planning and Zoning
FEES/CHARGES
• There is no charge for emailed documents
• The charge for photocopies is .25 cents per page for no larger than 9” x 14” paper in black and white
• If copies must be produced offsite, you will be charged the reproduction cost
• If copies are to be mailed to you, you will be charged for the postage
• Fees are payable prior to receipt of the record(s) requested
• Please make checks payable to “Town of Columbia”