PHOTO VIA MAYOR BUDDY DYER FACEBOOK PAGE
The Orlando Sentinel is suing the Florida Department of Transportation over access to public records, arguing the agency has not fully complied with records requests it made about the removal of the Pulse Memorial Crosswalk in August of this year.
Shortly after midnight, on August 21, FDOT crews painted over the rainbow crosswalk in front of the Pulse Interim Memorial site, without notifying city officials. FDOT then issued an ultimatum to the City of Orlando that if they did not remove a list of identified crosswalk art installations across the city, they could potentially be at risk of losing State funding. Though why they insisted on paying for the Pulse crosswalk removal themselves and charging the rest to the City was never addressed.
Sentinel reporters requested several documents at the time of the incident, but say that FDOT has failed to produce the information and has not provided any updates on the status of the requests.
“There is a strong need for the public to understand why the crosswalk was removed and what regulations FDOT believed the crosswalk violated. Access to this information will provide critical insight into how FDOT is exercising its regulatory power to eliminate what it considers ‘political banners,’ especially considering local officials’ claims that the actions were unwarranted and conducted without prior notice.”
– GISELLE GIRONES AND RACHEL E. FUGATE, SHULLMAN FUGATE,
REPRESENTING ORLANDO SENTINEL
Florida’s Public Records Law, primarily Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, mandates broad access to state, county, and municipal records, ensuring transparency by making most government documents open for public inspection and copying, with agencies required to respond promptly, though specific exemptions exist for confidential data like Social Security numbers or medical info, and fees can cover duplication costs.
Full disclosure, Orlando Shine also sent several information requests at the time of the incident, none of which were answered. Those questions included,
The case will now move through the courts, where a judge will determine whether FDOT improperly withheld records or failed to comply with Florida’s public records requirements. If the Sentinel wins, FDOT could be ordered to release the documents and may be responsible for the paper’s legal fees under state law.
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