Mrs. Johnson:
Below is a timeline and an update regarding case 22FC:0071.
24 JUN 2022 – A request for records was sent to the City of Newton, IA, shown in Enclosure (1.) including, “(c.) All Newton, IA Police Department generated record receipts including the words “incident”, “report”, or a case, incident, or call for service number.”
15 JUL 2022 – Enclosure (2.) shows the City of Newton, IA’s response under legal representation provided by City Attorney Matthew Brick of Brick Gentry P.C.
15 SEP 2022 – Enclosure (3.) is the Acceptance Order released by the Iowa Public Information Board for case: 22FC:0071.
20 OCT 2022 – Enclosure (4.) is the Informal Resolution Order released by the Iowa Public Information Board for case: 22FC:0071.
18 NOV 2022 – Enclosure (5.) provides evidence of Michael J. Merritt communicating, “(c.) All Newton, IA Police Department generated record receipts including the words incident, case, or call for service number. (Per guidance from the IPIB I have minimized search terms and minimized this to only 1 Iowa Incident Report receipt and 1 Call for Service Report Receipt for each month issued to the public during JAN 22 – AUG 22 to minimize costs – not including any previously released public records to Monica L. Speaks).”
19 DEC 2022 – Enclosure (5.) provides evidence of City Attorney Matthew Brick communicating in response to paragraph (c.) in Michael J. Merritt’s 18 NOV 2022 electronic mail, “As Mr. Merritt has repeatedly been informed, the City’s email network only retains emails for thirty (30) days so, since his request seeks emails more than thirty (30) days old, there are no records responsive to his request on the City’s email network. Some employees retain emails longer than thirty days on their Outlook profile so, if Mr. Merritt would pay for it, the City’s IT staff could check each relevant employee’s computer to search the Outlook profile for the keywords specified. Based on his revised request, the search would likely involve only emails from the twenty- seven (27) sworn police officers, so the cost is estimated to be less than seven hundred dollars (27 employees x 30 minutes to 1 hour to access each computer x $26.32 per hour = between $341 to $684).”
21 DEC 2022 – Enclosure (6.) provides evidence of City Attorney Matthew Brick communicating, “If the request is modified to only include the three named employees, then I would agree with you that the estimate of cost would be reduced to approximately $79 dollars.”
17 JAN 2023 – Enclosure (7.) represents the hot potato in the form of a $79 money order documented in Enclosure (8.) that has floated back in forth between the Complainant and Respondent on at least two occasions since 17 JAN 2023. These interactions are recorded on video in time/GPS-stamped chest cam footage.
19 JAN 2023 – Enclosure (8.) is the Final Order released by the Iowa Public Information Board for case: 22FC:0071.
31 JAN 2023 – Paragraph (3.) of Enclosure (9.) provides evidence of City Attorney Matthew Brick’s response that includes evidence of nothing more than a misrepresentation of facts, a waste of my time, and a cause for concern regarding the quality of academic curriculum offered by the University of Iowa and the University of Iowa College of Law.
21 FEB 2023 – Enclosure (10.) is the USPS Registered Mail receipt for the parcel that was sent to the office of City Attorney Matthew Brick of Brick Gentry P.C. including Enclosure (7.)
Enclosures (11.) and (12.) have been included to provide context regarding the evidence of semantics the City of Newton, IA, has deployed regarding these requested record release receipts. Evidence indicates City Attorney Matthew Brick may have acknowledged that these receipts are stored on the computer shown in Enclosure (11.) as opposed to the City of Newton, IA mail server, as he communicated to the Iowa Public Information Board in case 22FC:0071 as shown in Enclosure (5.). This conclusion is based on evidence that City Attorney Matthew Brick failed to communicate in Enclosure (12.) there were no records responsive to Enclosure (11.) in the specified location. What I enjoy about record requests with the City of Newton, IA, is that it is the only government body that makes it feel like the “Price is Right.” First, I am provided a retail price in accordance with Iowa Code Section 22.3, followed by what evidence indicates is an elaborate game of “Guess Where the Records are Stored.”
Enclosure (5.) paragraph (3.) was particular regarding what was requested. The requested receipts documenting financial transactions that evidence indicates were produced on an accounts receivable database had nothing to do with the City of Newton, IA’s mail server until City Attorney Matthew Brick articulated in Enclosure (5.) the City of Newton, IA stores and preserves only 30 days worth of its financial records documenting transactions in accordance with Iowa Code Section 22.3 and other municipal activities on its mail server. City Attorney Matthew Brick also communicates additional fees in Enclosure (9.) that should have been discussed during IPIB case 22FC:0071. City Attorney Matthew Brick expressed in Enclosure (6.) this records request could be completed at $79. The Iowa Public Information Board is requested to note in case 22FC:0020 Dismissal Order published on 21 APR 2022, the $168.21 fee provided by City Attorney Lambert to the Iowa Public Information Board included his legal fee regarding sanitizing the requested records. This amount was communicated during case 22FC:0020 and addressed before its dismissal.
City Attorney Matthew Brick should ask himself whether the evidence indicates that I am the type of complicated individual that would send a copy of his client’s record transaction receipts to Microsoft Corporation. At the same time, requesting official correspondence indicating whether their mail server product and service stores and preserves this type of transaction receipt record that evidence suggests is stored in a linear numbered format.
Respectfully,
Michael J. Merritt, USN Retired/Writer
Founder: cipherphoenix.com
Creative Writer/Musician
Information Warfare Specialist
Information Systems Manager
PO BOX 187
Newton, IA 50208
cipher.hunter@cipherphoenix.com
“Bricks made with testimony lacking evidence are equivalent to bricks made with straw without clay.”
Cipher Hunter
Attachments
Enclosure (1.)
Enclosure (2.)
Enclosure (3.)
Enclosure (4.)
Enclosure (5.)
Enclosure (6.)
Enclosure (7.) – Not included in this published post due to it including financial information.
Enclosure (8.)
Enclosure (9.)
Enclosure (10.)
Enclosure (11.)
Enclosure (12.)
