FOIL Submission Audit: Town of Perinton (High Friction / Mandatory Disclosure)
→ This post is part of the Monroe County FOIL Submission Audit.
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TL;DR
The Town of Perinton provides clear FOIL guidance, timelines, fee information, appeal rights, and identifies responsible officials. However, FOIL submission is presented as form-dependent, and the Town’s webpage does not clearly document an email submission option.
The required FOIL request form includes personal identifying information fields and a signature line, creating high friction at the point of submission.
How FOIL Requests Are Submitted in the Town of Perinton
Perinton’s FOIL webpage instructs requesters to submit FOIL requests by:
“Simply complete our FOIL Request Form, available in our Town Clerk’s office or online here.”
The webpage lists a physical mailing address for FOIL requests but does not list an email address for submission.
Records Access Officer and Appeals (Strength)
The Town identifies:
- The Records Access Officer (Town Clerk)
- A clear appeals officer:
- Town Supervisor Jennifer Townsend
- Appeal rights and 30-day deadline published
This satisfies core FOIL accountability requirements.
FOIL Request Form Requirements
The Town’s FOIL Request Form is a downloadable PDF titled “Application for Public Access to Information”
The form requires the requester to provide:
- Description of records requested
- Name
- Signature
- Date
- Email address
- Phone number
- Mailing address
⚠️ High Friction Identified
Submission is conditioned on completion of a standardized application that includes personal identifying information and a signature, neither of which are required by FOIL to submit a request.
Email Submission Path (Form-Embedded)
The FOIL Request Form itself lists an email address for submission:
However, this email address is not disclosed on the FOIL webpage and appears only within the PDF form.
As presented on the website, a requester would not reasonably know that email submission is available without opening and reviewing the form itself.
Timelines, Fees, and Process Information (Strength)
The Town of Perinton clearly discloses:
- Five (5) business day acknowledgment requirement
- Twenty (20) day disclosure framework
- Fee schedule consistent with FOIL
- Inspection without copying permitted at no cost
- Appeal rights and deadlines
This reflects strong procedural transparency after submission.
Anonymous or Low-Disclosure Submission
Because the Town presents FOIL submission as form-dependent and the FOIL Request Form requires identifying information and a signature, the process does not clearly support anonymous or low-disclosure FOIL submission as presented.
Assessment
The Town of Perinton demonstrates strong FOIL process transparency but relies on a form-centric intake model that introduces unnecessary friction at submission.
Key findings include:
- Mandatory FOIL request form
- Required personal identifying information
- Signature requirement
- Email submission option embedded only in the PDF
- Clear timelines, fees, and appeal rights
Summary Scorecard
- FOIL form required: Yes
- Email submission documented on webpage: No
- Email submission available via form: Yes
- Records Access Officer identified: Yes
- Personal information required: Yes
- Signature required: Yes
- Anonymous submission clearly supported: No
- Overall assessment: High Friction – Mandatory Disclosure
Conclusion
As presented, the Town of Perinton conditions FOIL submission on completion of a standardized application that includes personal identifying information and a signature. While the Town provides clear FOIL guidance, timelines, and appeal rights, the submission process itself imposes unnecessary barriers at intake.
Within the Monroe County FOIL Submission Audit, Perinton represents a procedurally complete but form-dependent FOIL submission model.
Legal & Reference Notes
- New York Public Officers Law §§ 87–89
- Town of Perinton FOIL webpage
- Town of Perinton FOIL Request Form (PDF)FOIL-REQUEST-FORM-ToP-2026.01.02