FOIA Request to Town of Blowing Rock regarding procurement bids and RFP submissions on February 1, 2026.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Town of Blowing Rock by a representative from Hickory Sun, a media organization dedicated to providing thorough and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs. The request, sent on February 1, 2026, seeks access to records related to procurement bids and responses to requests for proposals (RFPs) received by the city during the immediately preceding calendar month.
The specific information requested includes details such as the solicitation or project title, names of bidders or proposers, submission dates, bid amounts or proposed costs, and descriptions of the goods or services proposed. The requester emphasized that this inquiry is aimed at gathering information of public interest for dissemination purposes and is limited to existing records without necessitating the creation of new documents.
In addition, the requestor has asked for any denials or withholdings to be accompanied by a specific statutory basis for such actions while also requesting that all reasonably segregable portions of the records be released. The requester expressed a preference for receiving these records in electronic format if available.
As a member of the media involved in gathering and reporting news to the public, Hickory Sun has requested a fee waiver due to their role in holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency. This FOIA request is supported by The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, which assists media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through Freedom of Information laws.
Our team will continue to keep you updated as we gather and report news related to this request and other matters of public interest. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further clarification regarding this matter.
