Request for Proposals
The City of Ithaca is requesting proposals from qualified firms or individuals to conduct a substantive review of the City's responsive records for numerous requests made under Article 6 of the NY Public Officers Law, colloquially known as FOIL (Freedom of Information Law).
This document outlines the scope of work for supporting review of Freedom of Information Law ("FOIL") requests and responsive records. Electronic proposals will be accepted until August 4, 2026, at 5:00 PM. Proposals shall be submitted by email* to: attorney@cityofithaca.org.
*An email reply will be sent confirming the City's receipt of the proposal. Please contact the City if you do not receive a confirmation email within two business days.
Summary
New York Public Officers Law §§ 87-89—known as the Freedom of Information Law, or FOIL, requires municipalities to provide access to records that they maintain when requested by a member of the public. There are exceptions to this access, which may be effectuated through redacting documents or withholding portions or entire documents. As a result, the review of requests and potentially responsive records must be done responsibly and rigorously. Timeframes and other requirements in the law require that the review be prompt and thorough.
With an uptick in FOIL requests in recent years, the City seeks to be more aggressive in its fulfillment of these requests, balancing transparency and responsiveness with protection of excepted information as permitted by law. The City recently transitioned to a new FOIL fulfillment platform which expedites review. Responsive records to the requests made before this transition are still housed in the previous platform.
The successful bidder for this RFP will review responsive records on the previous platform and assist the City Attorney and City Clerk's Office in clearing out the existing backlog of requests.
July 20 2026
LNYS0558508