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Day 22 of Petty Watch and I still haven’t received the full legal bills I requested from the Southeastern Economic Development Corp. on Sept. 4.
I’m also still waiting for a written response from SEDC interim President Brian Trotier, who told the SEDC board last week that the agency had met the requirements of the California Public Records Act when it provided me with invoices that did not include key information such as the number of hours SEDC Corporate Counsel Regina Petty worked or how much she charged the public agency.
As I pointed out in my last Petty Watch post, one legal expert said the notion that the information I have asked for is exempt from public disclosure is entirely incorrect.
SEDC spokesman Alexis Dixon told me on Thursday that the agency would provide, in writing, the legal reasons why it will not provide me with the information. If an agency refuses to make documents public, the California Public Records Act requires that it gives a valid legal reason why that information should be kept secret.
I called Dixon on Friday and he told me that his computer had not been working all day (he said he couldn’t get past the password screen). He told me he would get me a written response first thing on Monday.
I called again this morning and Dixon said he would talk to Trotier about the issue. He said he’d get back to me.
I haven’t heard anything yet. I’ve been calling all afternoon, but Dixon has been on the phone every time I called. I left him a voicemail. I just called again but he’s out of the office.