7 months later, still no public data on controversial Working Families Agenda from Minneapolis

The City of Minneapolis has not answered a request for public data available under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act about the Working Families Agenda made over 7 months ago.

The Working Family Agenda was series of numerous workplace initiatives unveiled by Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges during her State of the City last year.

On October 8, 2015, I filed a request for public data available under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act with the City of Minneapolis about the Working Families Agenda.

The request was filed with Office of the Minneapolis City Clerk, who acknowledged receipt of my initial data practices request.

Staff with the city clerk's office last provided an update on the status of my data practices request on January 8, 2016. Over the last 4 months, staff with the city clerk's office have not responded to numerous emails or phone calls requesting an update on my request for public data.

Staff with the city clerk's office did not also respond to requests seeking comment for this story.

David Prestwood, Communication Director for Mayor Hodges did inform me that he was working to provide information related to my request to data compliance staff with the City of Minneapolis.

In the time since my request last October for public data on the Working Families Agenda, officials with the City of Minneapolis have revived aspects of the Working Families Agenda in a new proposal on workplace reforms.

According to the Information Policy Analysis Division [IPAD] of the Minnesota Department of Administration, which provides "technical assistance and consultation" about the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Minnesota Statutes, section 13.03 require "the entity is required to respond in an appropriate and prompt manner and within a reasonable time."

The Commissioner of Administration has "authority to issue non-binding advisory opinions on certain issues related" to the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act and late last week, I filed a request for advisory opinion to determine if the City of Minneapolis had complied with my request for public data.