VSU'S RESPONSE TO MY 8/4/14 OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS

From: Honey Hatcher Coppage <hhatcher@valdosta.edu>

Subject: records requests
Date: August 7, 2014 1:09:41 PM EDT
To: Mark George <markpgeorge@gmail.com>
Cc: Laverne Lewis Gaskins <llgaskin@valdosta.edu>

Dr. George The purpose of this email is to provide you with a cost estimate for
your recent records requests dated August 4, 2014, to Dr. McKinney, Dr. Rogers,
Dean Plumly, Mr. Haugabrook, and Mr. Crawford. Your original requests stated
to make available for review and copying so the estimate provided is based on
the premise that you would like copies of all materials requested. If you choose
not to take copies and simply want to review documents then on the
Administrative Search and Retrieval estimate will apply.

Administrative Search and Retrieval Time 15 hours at a rate of $41.11 per
hour, for a total of $606.37 (no charge for the first 15 minutes). Rate is
determined by the only qualified person in IT to retrieve email communication
from all sources for requests.

Copy fees associate with requests are estimated at a total of $25.00 250 pages
@ .10 cent per copy. This could be more or less depending on number of
copies.

At this time I need to know if you would like me to move ahead with fulfilling your
requests? Please contact me if you have any questions.

Honey Coppage
Associate to the Provost
University Records Custodian
Academic Affairs
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, GA 31698
Phone: 229-333-5950
Fax: 229-333-7400
Email: hhatcher@valdosta.edu
MY RESPONSE TO MS. COPPAGE
Subject: Re: records requests
From: Mark George <markpgeorge@gmail.com>
Date: August 7, 2014 2:54:39 PM EDT
To: Honey Hatcher Coppage <hhatcher@valdosta.edu>, President's Office
<vsupresidentsoffice@valdosta.edu>, William J McKinney
<wmckinney@valdosta.edu>, Hudson P Rogers
<hprogers@valdosta.edu>, Brian A Haugabrook
<bahaugab@valdosta.edu>, lwplumly@valdosta.edu,
jdcrawford@valdosta.edu
Cc: Floyd Rose <floyderose@att.net>, Laverne Lewis Gaskins
<llgaskin@valdosta.edu>, Dean Poling <Dean.Poling@gaflnews.com>, Adam
Floyd <adam.floyd@gaflnews.com>, sstevens@floridafaf.org,
dseagraves@acluga.org


Dear Ms. Coppage,

The costs you cite are utterly unreasonable given I made individual open records
requests to the parties involved (Dr. McKinney, Provost Rogers, Dean Plumly,
and Brian Haugabrook). As you and each party knows, they simply need to
provide copies of any relevant emails/documents for inspection. That task
requires no "administrative search and retrieval" by a third party. My request
also did and does not require the attention of an IT person to provide emails for
the parties I contacted. Furthermore, the decision of the President, Provost,
Dean Plumly, and the IT Director to allocate this task/request to a paid staff
was/is not necessary. Lastly, to suggest that this task took 15 hours at a rate of
$41.11 per hour is simply ridiculous.

With this in mind, I will more than glad to pay for the 250 pages? @.10 cent per
copy ($25.00) and will gladly drop by to pick up the documents tomorrow. If that
is not agreeable please let me know.

Dr. Mark George
229-269-5303


RESPONSE FROM MS. COPPAGE
From: Honey Hatcher Coppage <hhatcher@valdosta.edu>
Subject: request
Date: August 7, 2014 3:33:10 PM EDT
To: Mark George <markpgeorge@gmail.com>
Cc: Laverne Lewis Gaskins <llgaskin@valdosta.edu>

Dr. George - The University Attorney advises that under Georgia law, (c) (1) An
agency may impose a reasonable charge for the search, retrieval, redaction, and
production or copying costs for the production of records pursuant to this article.
An agency shall utilize the most economical means reasonably calculated to
identify and produce responsive, nonexcluded documents. Where fees for
certified copies or other copies or records are specifically authorized or otherwise
prescribed by law, such specific fee shall apply when certified copies or other
records to which a specific fee may apply are sought. In all other instances, the
charge for the search, retrieval, or redaction of records shall not exceed the
prorated hourly salary of the lowest paid full-time employee who, in the
reasonable discretion of the custodian of the records, has the necessary skill and
training to perform the request; provided, however, that no charge shall be made
for the first quarter hour. She further advises that, In any instance in which an
agency will seek costs in excess of $25.00 for responding to a request, the
agency shall notify the requester within a reasonable amount of time not to
exceed three business days and inform the requester of the estimate of the
costs, and the agency may defer search and retrieval of the records until the
requester agrees to pay the estimated costs unless the requester has stated in
his or her request a willingness to pay an amount that exceeds the search and
retrieval costs.

Please let me know if you wish to proceed.

Sincerely,

Honey Coppage
Associate to the Provost
University Records Custodian
Academic Affairs
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, GA 31698
Phone: 229-333-5950
Fax: 229-333-7400
Email: hhatcher@valdosta.edu

MY RESPONSE TO MS. COPPAGE
Subject: Re: request
From: Mark George <markpgeorge@gmail.com>
Date: August 7, 2014 4:52:37 PM EDT
To: Honey Hatcher Coppage <hhatcher@valdosta.edu>, William J McKinney
<wmckinney@valdosta.edu>, President's Office
<vsupresidentsoffice@valdosta.edu>, Hudson P Rogers
<hprogers@valdosta.edu>, Brian A Haugabrook
<bahaugab@valdosta.edu>, lwplumly@valdosta.edu,
jdcrawford@valdosta.edu
Cc: Floyd Rose <floyderose@att.net>, Adam Floyd
<adam.floyd@gaflnews.com>, Dean Poling <Dean.Poling@gaflnews.com>,
sstevens@floridafaf.org, deseagraves@acluga.org, Laverne Lewis Gaskins
<llgaskin@valdosta.edu>

Ms. Coppage,

I have read the law as well and the operative phrase in the first clause you cite is
"reasonable charge." Given the Director of IT only made $85,333.36 last
year (an amount well below $41.11 an hour for a full-time employee) the
notion that that "lowest paid full-time employee who, in the reasonable
discretion of the custodian of the records, has the necessary skill and
training to perform the request" is paid $41.11 (at VSU?) is just silly.

On the topic of open records law, Georgia law also states that "If the agency has
elected to designate an open records officer, the agency shall so notify the legal
organ of the county in which the agency's principal offices reside and, if the
agency has a website, shall also prominently display such designation on
the agency's website." Although you have evidently added the title University
Records Custodian to you VSU signature, a change that seems to have
happened with my open records request, you are not "prominently displayed" as
the open records officer for VSU on their webpage/website (see attached
screenshot). So I am confused as to why I am communicating with you instead
of the parties I made the requests with? In short, you are not publicly
designated as the open records officer for VSU and a search of VSU's website
shows that no such person exists. You are simply the Associate to the
Provost/VPAA.

Lastly and back to the cited clause, no "search, retrieval, redaction" was
necessary for the information I requested given it is housed on the computers of
the individuals I made my open requests to. In short, its not lost or buried
amongst a bulk of information that needed to be searched. As you may know,
one simply does a search of their email to locate a desired communication.
Given that I simply requested any communications that discussed myself
and/or the Mary Turner Project, Dr. McKinney, Provost Rogers, Brian
Haugabrook, and John Crawford simply need to do a search of their email using
my name and/or the Mary Turner Project. They, or their staff, could then simply
press print to produce the requested documents. Dean Plumly can do the same
for the information I requested regarding Dr. Ben Carson's visit. It is that simple
and does not require a third party, someone supposedly paid $41.11 an hour.

Dr. Mark George
229-269-5303















RESPONSE FROM MS. COPPAGE
From: Honey Hatcher Coppage <hhatcher@valdosta.edu>
Subject: Records Requests
Date: August 8, 2014 9:48:27 AM EDT
To: Mark George <markpgeorge@gmail.com>
Cc: Laverne Lewis Gaskins <llgaskin@valdosta.edu>

Dr. George at this time the University has gathered all correspondence from
the following individuals that relate or reference Mark George and/of Mary Turner
Project:

Dr. Rogers
Brian Haugabrook
John Crawford

As well as correspondence from Dean Plumly.

Costs for above is:

Administrative Search and Retrieval Time 2 hours @ $41.11 per hour (no
charge for first 15 minutes) = 1.75*41.11 = $71.94
Copy Fees Total of 116 pages @ .10 per page = $11.60
Total to release $83.54

I am still in the process of search and retrieval for the request made of Dr.
McKinney. If you would like to schedule a time to pick up what is ready please
contact me. If you would like to wait until I have all materials please let me
know. Cost estimate for Dr. McKinney could add up to an additional 2 hours to
the search and retrieval estimate above as well as copy fee increase which I
cannot provide at this time because I am not certain of page count at this point.

Please let me know how you would like to proceed.

Honey Coppage
Associate to the Provost
University Records Custodian
Academic Affairs
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, GA 31698
Phone: 229-333-5950
Fax: 229-333-7400
Email: hhatcher@valdosta.edu



MY RESPONSE TO MS. COPPAGE
From: Mark George [mailto:markpgeorge@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, August 08, 2014 11:49 AM
To: Honey Hatcher Coppage; VSU President's Office; William J McKinney;
Hudson P Rogers; Laverne Lewis Gaskins; Brian A Haugabrook; Lester Wayne
Plumly; John D Crawford
Cc: Floyd Rose; Leigh Touchton; Dean Poling; Adam Floyd;
sstevens@floridafaf.org; deseagraves@acluga.org
Subject: Re: Records Requests
Importance: High

Ms. Coppage,

Although I appreciate that you have reduced the number of hours you claim it
took to search and retrieve the information I requested, I still think that the
suggestion that the "lowest paid full-time employee" able to provide the
information I seek earns $41.11 per hour is unreasonable. I urge you to
reconsider that amount and please know that I am in communication with the
Georgia Attorney General's Office regarding this matter.

With that in mind, I request you lower the hourly charge to something truly
reasonable and I will gladly comply.

Thank you,
Mark George









RESPONSE FROM MS. COPPAGE
From: Honey Hatcher Coppage <hhatcher@valdosta.edu>
Subject: RE: Records Requests
Date: August 8, 2014 2:54:28 PM EDT
To: Mark George <markpgeorge@gmail.com>
Cc: Laverne Lewis Gaskins <llgaskin@valdosta.edu>


Dr. George I now have all materials ready and can provide a better estimate. I
have reduced the administrative retrieval rate to the lowest paid person that is
qualified to retrieve data requested to $31.90 per hour.

Total pages 305 * .10 = $30.50 copy fees
Administrative search and retrieval time 4 hours (no charge for first 15
minutes) - $31.90 * 3.75 = $119.62

Total Costs associated with request is $150.12

Please let me know how you would like to proceed.

Honey Coppage
Associate to the Provost
University Records Custodian
Academic Affairs
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, GA 31698
Phone: 229-333-5950
Fax: 229-333-7400
Email: hhatcher@valdosta.edu
MY RESPONSE TO MS. COPPAGE
From: Mark George [mailto:markpgeorge@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2014 6:00 AM
To: Honey Hatcher Coppage; VSU President's Office; William J McKinney;
Hudson P Rogers; Laverne Lewis Gaskins; Brian A Haugabrook; Lester Wayne
Plumly; John D Crawford
Cc: Floyd Rose; Leigh Touchton; Dean Poling; Adam Floyd;
sstevens@floridafaf.org; deseagraves@acluga.org
Subject: Re: Records Requests

Ms. Coppage,

Although I still contend that a $31.90 an hour "search and retrieval" fee for my request
remains extremely unreasonable and says much about VSU's willingness to be
transparent and "above board", I will pay the $150.12 and will plan to pick up the
documents from your office Monday afternoon. At this juncture, I will take up my
concerns about the fee and this process with the Attorney General's office.

Will your office accept a personal check or would you like me to bring cash?

Dr. George
RESPONSE FROM MS. COPPAGE
From: Honey Hatcher Coppage <hhatcher@valdosta.edu>
Subject: RE: Records Requests
Date: August 11, 2014 8:06:52 AM EDT
To: Mark George <markpgeorge@gmail.com>
Cc: Laverne Lewis Gaskins <llgaskin@valdosta.edu>

Dr. George materials will be ready for pick up after noon today. I will attach an
invoice on top. You will need to bring a picture ID in the event I am not in the
office when you come by. You will have to sign for the materials and we will give
you a paid receipt. Check or cash is fine. I do not have change so please bring
exact amount.

Sincerely,

Honey Coppage
University Records Custodian

EMAIL ACQUIRED THROUGH 8/4/14 OPEN RECORDS
REQUEST: OPEN RECORDS SEARCH AND RETREVIAL
FEE = $15.31 PER HOUR NOT $31.90