LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — The Freedom of Information Act is a way for Arkansans to request certain information that concerns elected officials and public documents.
The mayor of Little Rock stated in a meeting on Tuesday that he will be changing the policy to make things more efficient and transparent.
The Mayor started began the meeting by speaking about how he was upset with how FOIA has been handled in the city of Little Rock.
"I've been displeased by with some of the inefficiencies in delays and getting information out," said Mayor Frank Scott Jr.
Earlier this year, new software was approved that would help city officials respond to Freedom of Information Act requests.
Mayor Frank Scott Jr. said he's ready not only to launch the new software but also to implement some new policies.
FOIA requests will now be handled by their own department which will be led by Chief Deputy City Attorney, Alex Betton.
There will be a link on the city's website that will publicly display the FOIA requests, and you will also be able to submit new requests and contact the FOIA coordinator.
"People will be able to see any and every FOI request since those requests will be online and show those things of that nature making it even more accessible to the public," said Mayor Scott.
The new system is expected to reduce response time to FOIA requests, and allow requestors access to their documents with a secure log-in.
The new website link for FOIA requests will be ready by the end of this week.