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Freedom of Information

 
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About Privacy Legislation

In the municipal sector, the Municipal Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) is the access to information and privacy legislation. MFIPPA states that an individual has a right to access information kept by a municipality, and that a municipality must protect personal information in its custody.

All information collected by the Township of Southgate is done in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act or the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

The principal purpose(s) for which the personal information is intended to be used is for the distribution of information as subscribed to on this page using the contact information you have provided.

For any questions or concerns regarding the collection of your personal information, please contact the Municipal Clerk.

Please go to Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) website for more information about privacy laws in Ontario.

Freedom of Information (FOI) Requests

What do you need to know before making an FOI request?

  1. Anyone can make a Freedom of Information request to access information kept by the Township of Southgate. However, the Township does routinely disclose information through our website or programs and services. Please check with relevant department before making the request.
  2. Although the Township is responsible for most of the municipality services, Grey County does provide certain services for the entire county. If your request is about the following information, please make your request to Grey County directly.
    • Planning & patterns of development for the County
    • Environmental information
    • County roads and storm sewers
    • Social services
    • Home for the aged
    • Public health services
    • County museum
    • Industrial/commercial development
    • Tourism promotion
  3. According to MFIPPA, the Township must respond within 30 days of the receipt of the request. However, if you are requesting records that contain third party information, the Township will notify the third party of the request within the 30-day timeframe. The third party then has 20 days to inform the Township whether he/she agrees or disagrees with the disclosure of his/her information.
  4. Furthermore, MFIPPA contains mandatory and discretionary exemptions that a municipality may use to limit the disclosure of certain records, to ensure that privacy is protected. These exemptions only apply in specific instances, and will determine how much information will be provided in response to a request made under MFIPPA.
  5. According to MFIPPA, you may also be asked to pay additional fee to cover some costs occurred when processing your request. Please reference to the “Fees” tab for the entire fee schedule.

To Make and FOI

  1. Please complete a Freedom of Information Request and return it to the Municipal Office with the $5 application fee. Please provide identification with a signature (such as a driver’s license) if you are requesting access to your own information.
  2. If you are acting as an agent for someone else, please include a signed consent form with your request that states that the individual is authorizing you to act on his/her behalf, as well as a photocopy of a piece of his/her identification with a signature (such as a driver's license) for verification purposes. 
Correction of Personal Information

Someone who is given access to his/her own personal information may request that the Township make a correction to that information if he/she believes the information is incorrect. The Township will decide whether to make the correction or not. If the information is not corrected, the person may ask that a Statement of Disagreement be attached to the record to indicate that he/she does not believe that the information is accurate.

To request a correction of personal information

  1. Please complete a Request to Correct Personal Information form.
  2. Return it with a copy of your identification with a signature (such as driver’s license) to the Municipal Office.
Fees

In processing a request for information under MFIPPA, the Town incurs certain costs. MFIPPA sets out the following fees:

  • $5 application fee must be enclosed with your request
  • $7.50 per 15 minutes of search time (does not apply to requests for own personal information)
  • $7.50 per 15 minutes to prepare the records for disclosure (does not apply to requests for own personal information)
  • 20 ¢ per page for photocopies and/or computer printouts
  • $15 per 15 minutes, if necessary to develop a computer program to retrieve information
  • $10 for disks
  • Shipping costs

If it costs less than $25 to process a request, the requester will not receive an estimate of fees. The requester will be notified of the fee amount in the decision letter. The Township may not release the records until the fee has been paid.

If it costs between $25 and $100 to process a request, the requester will be given an estimate of the fees required to be paid prior to the release of the records.

If it costs $100 or over to process a request, the requester will be given a fee estimate. The Township may require that a deposit of 50% of the estimated fee be made before the request will continue to be processed. The records will not be released until the full fee has been paid.

Appeals 
If you are not satisfied with the Township's response to your request or fee estimate, you may make an appeal to the Information & Privacy Commission (IPC) within 30 days of receipt of the decision letter or fee estimate. Further information regarding appeals can be found on the IPC's website.

Privacy Complaints

The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Personal Health Information Protection Act outline privacy standards for the collection, use, disclosure, retention and destruction of personal information held by government institutions.

The Township of Southgate is committed to ensuring the security of personal information in its possession.

Individuals who believe the Township has breached their privacy are encouraged to contact:

Municipal Clerk, Township of Southgate
185667 Grey Road 9
Dundalk, ON N0C 1B0

519-923-2110 ext. 230
clerks@southgate.ca

Complaints are investigated on a confidential basis.

Individuals also have the right to make a formal complaint to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario regarding a privacy breach (www.ipc.on.ca). When a complaint has been received, the Commissioner will assign a compliance investigator to review the facts of the complaint and determine if the Township has complied with the privacy provisions of the Act.

Closed Meeting Investigation Request

According to Section 239 of the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended, any person may request an investigation to determine if a municipality or local board has met the requirements outlined in the Municipal Act or its Procedure By-law regarding a meeting that was closed to the public, in part or in whole.

If you feel that any board or sub-committee of the Township of Southgate has failed to meet its closed meeting requirements, then you may submit a request for investigation. Complete and submit the request form.

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