FOIA Request Regarding UofM/LANL Town Hall Postcard
Fee dispute
- Agency
- University of Michigan
- Reference
- 270436
- Filed
- September 1, 2026
Due to the secrecy around this project, we are forced to use tools like FOIA requests in order to find information that the parties involved would not publicly share without their hand being forced.
There has been a lot of talk around how University of Michigan has been handling their communication with the township. They say they are doing their part by holding town halls – however many people in the township believe they are “gaming” the town hall system to stifle as much of the resistance against the project as possible.
One of our concerns is that the university is forcing a registration requirement to limit the number of people allowed to show up at the town hall. One of the main reasons for this concern is that the September 6th town hall registration was completely full within a very short time of registration being opened.
However, about a week before the town hall, many residents in the township received a postcard inviting them to the town hall – that had already been fully booked for weeks.
We question the timing of this postcard and the intended purpose of it, given that anyone who received it and was not already registered for the event, had zero chance of actually being able to register and attend.
Where the request stands now
We originally submitted two requests – one narrowly focused, and one much more broadly focused. The intent in filing two requests was so that the easily-attainable records would not be held up by the more broad/difficult-to-find items. UofM combined these two requests without my consent. This is a tactic. They know that combining these requests will put everything on the slow path.
Their estimate is 30 hours of searching 6 hours of review, and a total estimated cost of $1,800, requiring me to put up a $900 deposit before they will begin the search. They estimate 120 days for finding the information.
In the original FOIA request, a fee waiver was requested as this is clearly in the public interest, and the FOIA law supports such waivers. UofM did not respond to my waiver request at all. This leads me to believe they are attempting to do “fee shifting” which is putting a burdensome fee on requests they don’t want to release publicly.
As you see in my response, I have requested them to re-split my requests, and I have offered to narrow my search in order to make it easier. I have also asked them to actually address my fee waiver request.
Separately I have emailed Paul Corliss, Assistant Vice President for Public Affairs and Communication. At the last town hall, someone mentioned a FOIA request they submitted, and he said he would find it and respond to her directly. I have asked him to do the same for my FOIA requests.
The paper trail
Michigan FOIA Request — Cost and attendance records, Ypsilanti Township postcard and September 9, 2026 town hall
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, MCL 15.231 et seq., I request copies of the following public records concerning (a) a postcard mailed by or on behalf of the University to residents of Ypsilanti Township in or around August 2026 regarding the proposed University of Michigan / Los Alamos National Laboratory research computing center on Textile Road, and (b) the associated public town hall scheduled for September 9, 2026.
Time period: October 1, 2025 to the date this request is processed.
Part A — Cost of the mailing
All invoices, purchase orders, contracts, statements of work, quotes, and proposals for the design, production, printing, addressing, postage, and mailing of the postcard.
Records sufficient to show the total cost, itemized by design, printing, mailing services, postage, and any consultant or agency fees.
The identity of each vendor, agency, consultant, or mail house engaged.
Records sufficient to show the total number of pieces mailed and the University account or funding source charged.
All United States Postal Service documentation for the mailing, including postage statements (PS Form 3602 series), mailing statements, permit imprint records, and acceptance or entry receipts — specifically including records showing the date the mailing entered the postal stream.
Records sufficient to show how the mailing list was obtained, including the data source and any list vendor, and the geographic criteria used to select recipients.
Part B — Town hall capacity and registration
Any contract, agreement, reservation, or confirmation for the September 9, 2026 town hall venue, including any document stating the maximum capacity of the space reserved.
Records sufficient to show, by date, the number of registrations received, seats remaining, and persons placed on a waitlist.
Records showing the date and time registration reached capacity and the date and time a waitlist was opened.
Records sufficient to show the livestream arrangements, including whether remote attendees would be able to submit questions.
Responsive records are likely held by the Office of the Vice President for Communications, the Office of the Vice President for Research, and staff working on community engagement for the Textile Road project.
Format: I request records in native electronic format with metadata intact, delivered by email or download link.
Fees: I request a waiver or reduction under MCL 15.234(1). These records concern a public university's expenditure of funds to communicate with township residents about a $1.25 billion project supported by a $100 million state grant, and disclosure is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations of a public body. If fees are assessed, please provide a detailed itemized estimate and contact me before incurring any cost above $50.
If any portion is denied, please cite the specific exemption for each withheld record and release all reasonably segregable non-exempt portions under MCL 15.244. Please treat this as a request to preserve all records described above.
If any part of this request is unclear, please contact me rather than denying it.
Sincerely,
Andy MelicharMichigan FOIA Request — Planning and communications, Ypsilanti Township postcard mailing Andy Melichar
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, MCL 15.231 et seq., I request copies of the following public records concerning a postcard mailed by or on behalf of the University to residents of Ypsilanti Township in or around August 2026 regarding the proposed University of Michigan / Los Alamos National Laboratory research computing center on Textile Road.
Time period: October 1, 2025 to the date this request is processed.
Part A — The postcard
The final print-ready artwork for the postcard, front and back.
All prior drafts, versions, proofs, and revisions of its text or design.
Records showing who reviewed, edited, and gave final approval for the content, and on what dates.
Part B — Planning and decision-making
All communications — including email, text messages, chat or instant messages, and letters — concerning the decision to produce and send the postcard, or concerning its content, timing, recipients, or cost.
Any memoranda, briefing documents, communications plans, strategy documents, presentations, or meeting minutes or notes concerning the mailing.
Any message testing, polling, focus group, survey, or public opinion research concerning communications with Ypsilanti Township residents about this project.
Communications with Los Alamos National Laboratory, Triad National Security LLC, or any outside public relations, public affairs, or advertising firm concerning the mailing.
Part C — Timing relative to town hall registration
All communications concerning town hall capacity, the waitlist, whether to increase capacity, whether to change venues, or whether to schedule additional public sessions.
All communications concerning the timing or sequencing of the postcard mailing relative to town hall registration, including any discussion of whether registration was full, or was expected to be full, at the time the postcard was approved, printed, mailed, or expected to arrive.
Responsive records are likely held by the Office of the Vice President for Communications, the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Office of Government Relations, and the project team for the research computing center.
Format: native electronic format with metadata intact. For email, please include complete messages with headers, attachments, and any attached calendar invitations.
Fees: I request a waiver or reduction under MCL 15.234(1) for the reasons stated above. If fees are assessed, please provide a detailed itemized estimate and contact me before incurring any cost above $50. I am willing to narrow the date range or the list of custodians if that materially reduces cost, and I would rather discuss scope than receive a denial.
If any portion is denied, please cite the specific exemption for each withheld record and release all reasonably segregable non-exempt portions under MCL 15.244. Note that factual records are not exempt as frank communications under MCL 15.243(1)(m), and that the exemption requires the public interest in withholding to outweigh the public interest in disclosure.
Please treat this as a request to preserve all records described above.
Sincerely,
Andrew MelicharFOIA Request 270436
Dear Andy,
I am writing in regard to your Freedom of Information Act request dated September 1, 2026, which was received on September 2, 2026.
Due to the large number of requests currently being processed by this office, it will not be possible to respond to this request within the five-day period accorded by the Michigan Freedom of Information Act. However, under Section 5 (2) (d) of the Act, the University is permitted to extend the deadline for not more than 10 business days.
The University will respond to your request on or before September 24, 2026.
Thank you,
Matthew Riggs
FOIA Compliance Specialist AssociateFOIA REQUEST 270436 response
Dear Andrew Melichar,
I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information Act requests dated September 1, 2026, which were received on September 2, 2026..
You requested:
Michigan FOIA Request — Cost and attendance records, Ypsilanti Township postcard and September 9, 2026 town hall
Pursuant to the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, MCL 15.231 et seq., I request copies of the following public records concerning (a) a postcard mailed by or on behalf of the University to residents of Ypsilanti Township in or around August 2026 regarding the proposed University of Michigan / Los Alamos National Laboratory research computing center on Textile Road, and (b) the associated public town hall scheduled for September 9, 2026.
Time period: October 1, 2025 to the date this request is processed.
Part A — Cost of the mailing
All invoices, purchase orders, contracts, statements of work, quotes, and proposals for the design, production, printing, addressing, postage, and mailing of the postcard.
Records sufficient to show the total cost, itemized by design, printing, mailing services, postage, and any consultant or agency fees.
The identity of each vendor, agency, consultant, or mail house engaged.
Records sufficient to show the total number of pieces mailed and the University account or funding source charged.
All United States Postal Service documentation for the mailing, including postage statements (PS Form 3602 series), mailing statements, permit imprint records, and acceptance or entry receipts — specifically including records showing the date the mailing entered the postal stream.
Records sufficient to show how the mailing list was obtained, including the data source and any list vendor, and the geographic criteria used to select recipients.
Part B — Town hall capacity and registration
Any contract, agreement, reservation, or confirmation for the September 9, 2026 town hall venue, including any document stating the maximum capacity of the space reserved.
Records sufficient to show, by date, the number of registrations received, seats remaining, and persons placed on a waitlist.
Records showing the date and time registration reached capacity and the date and time a waitlist was opened.
Records sufficient to show the livestream arrangements, including whether remote attendees would be able to submit questions.
Responsive records are likely held by the Office of the Vice President for Communications, the Office of the Vice President for Research, and staff working on community engagement for the Textile Road project.
Michigan FOIA Request — Planning and communications, Ypsilanti Township postcard mailing
Pursuant to the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, MCL 15.231 et seq., I request copies of the following public records concerning a postcard mailed by or on behalf of the University to residents of Ypsilanti Township in or around August 2026 regarding the proposed University of Michigan / Los Alamos National Laboratory research computing center on Textile Road.
Time period: October 1, 2025 to the date this request is processed.
Part A — The postcard
The final print-ready artwork for the postcard, front and back.
All prior drafts, versions, proofs, and revisions of its text or design.
Records showing who reviewed, edited, and gave final approval for the content, and on what dates.
Part B — Planning and decision-making
All communications — including email, text messages, chat or instant messages, and letters — concerning the decision to produce and send the postcard, or concerning its content, timing, recipients, or cost.
Any memoranda, briefing documents, communications plans, strategy documents, presentations, or meeting minutes or notes concerning the mailing.
Any message testing, polling, focus group, survey, or public opinion research concerning communications with Ypsilanti Township residents about this project.
Communications with Los Alamos National Laboratory, Triad National Security LLC, or any outside public relations, public affairs, or advertising firm concerning the mailing.
Part C — Timing relative to town hall registration
All communications concerning town hall capacity, the waitlist, whether to increase capacity, whether to change venues, or whether to schedule additional public sessions.
All communications concerning the timing or sequencing of the postcard mailing relative to town hall registration, including any discussion of whether registration was full, or was expected to be full, at the time the postcard was approved, printed, mailed, or expected to arrive.
Responsive records are likely held by the Office of the Vice President for Communications, the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Office of Government Relations, and the project team for the research computing center.
We understand your request to seeks records only from the employees who were involved with the town hall planning and mailing as described in your request. Due to the amount of time estimated to search for responsive public records and, if any are located, to examine, copy, and review the existing records to separate exempt from nonexempt material within the scope of your request, production of responsive nonexempt records will result in unreasonably high costs, for which the University is permitted to require a fee deposit as described below.
It is estimated that the cost to complete the response to your request is $1,800. This estimated cost is detailed in the FOIA fee estimate itemization form included below. Please note that we will not know whether responsive records exist for all items requested until we perform the search and examination of available records. Additionally, because of the very broad nature of your request, it is difficult to estimate the processing time required and this estimate may need to be revised once we undertake the search for responsive records.
Pursuant to Section 4 (8) of the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, “the public body may require a good-faith deposit from the person requesting information before providing the public records to the requester if the entire fee estimate or charge authorized under this section exceeds $50.00, based on a good-faith calculation of the total fee… [T]he deposit shall not exceed ½ of the total estimated fee.”
If you would like us to proceed with the search, examination, duplication, review, and deletion and separation of exempt from nonexempt material, please submit a check or money order for $900 made payable to the University of Michigan. Please include the FOIA file number noted above with your remittance. The payment can be mailed to:
University of Michigan
Attention: Tracy Justice
Ruthven Building Suite 3300
1109 Geddes Ave
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1079
Note that we are able to collect as a deposit only ½ of the estimated fee as requested above. If you send a deposit for a greater amount it will be returned to you with a request for a replacement check in the amount of $900.
We estimate that we will complete the response to your request within 120 business days from the date of receipt of your deposit. This time frame estimate is provided pursuant to Section 4 (8) of the Act, and is a nonbinding best efforts estimate. After we have completed the response, we will notify you of the balance due, and will provide a final determination, including any nonexempt responsive records, upon receipt of the balance.
Pursuant to Section 4 (14) of the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, if we do not receive your deposit within 45 days from receipt of this notice, your request shall be considered abandoned and the University is no longer required to fulfill the request. Notice of a deposit requirement is considered received 3 days after it is sent. Therefore, your deposit must be received by the University within 48 days of today’s date, by November 11, 2026.
This email constitutes the University’s response pursuant to Section 5 (2) of the Michigan Freedom of Information Act and is not a final determination regarding your request. Because the University is awaiting the required deposit, potentially responsive records have not been compiled or reviewed to determine responsiveness or if any available exemptions will apply. The review of records may result in a determination that no responsive public records exist or that no exemptions apply.
If you wish to narrow the scope of your request in an effort to lower the estimated time and costs, please identify the narrowed set of records you are seeking in as much detail as possible and we will be happy to process a revised request.
Sincerely,
Shannon Hill
Chief FOIA OfficerRE: Request 270436 — Narrowed request, separation of requests, and determination on fee waiver
Dear Ms. Hill,
Thank you for your September 24 response to my requests of September 1, and for the itemized fee estimate.
I am writing to do three things: narrow the scope as your letter invites, ask that two separately filed requests be processed separately, and ask for a determination on the fee waiver I requested and which the response did not address.
1. Please separate the two requests
I submitted two distinct requests on September 1. The first sought cost and attendance records — a small number of discrete, identifiable documents. The second sought planning and internal communications, which I understood would require a broader search.
They were filed separately and deliberately, so that the straightforward records would not be delayed by the broader search. Your response consolidates both into a single file and a single estimate of 30 hours of search time and 6 hours of review.
I ask that they be restored to two separate requests, each with its own fee estimate and its own timeline.
2. Narrowed first request
To assist, I am narrowing the first request substantially. In place of its original terms, I request only the following four categories of discrete documents:
(a) The contract, agreement, reservation, or confirmation for the September 9, 2026 town hall venue, including any document stating the maximum capacity of the space reserved.
(b) The final invoice or invoices from any vendor, agency, or mail house for the design, printing, addressing, and mailing of the Ypsilanti Township postcard, together with records sufficient to show the total number of pieces mailed.
(c) The United States Postal Service postage statement (PS Form 3602 series) or equivalent mailing statement and acceptance or entry receipt for that mailing, showing the date the mailing entered the postal stream.
(d) A report or export from the town hall registration system showing, by date, the number of registrations received and the number of persons on the waitlist, together with any record showing the date and time registration reached capacity.
These are four identifiable documents or system exports held by known custodians. They do not require a search of email or other correspondence. I do not believe locating and producing them is consistent with a 30-hour search estimate, and I would ask that the revised estimate reflect that.
I remain willing to narrow further, and I would rather discuss scope with you than exchange correspondence about it. If it would help, please telephone me at the number below.
3. Determination on the fee waiver
My original requests asked for a waiver or reduction of fees under MCL 15.234(1), which permits a public body to furnish records without charge or at a reduced charge where it determines that doing so is in the public interest because furnishing the records can be considered as primarily benefiting the general public.
Your response did not address that request. I ask for a written determination, granting or denying it, with the reasons.
The public interest here is straightforward. These records concern how a public university spent public funds to communicate with the residents of a township about a $1.25 billion project that has received a $100 million grant from the State of Michigan, and concern the capacity of a public meeting held to inform that community. The records will be published and made freely available. No commercial interest is involved.
4. Delivery format
I stipulate that all records be provided electronically, by email or download link, in native format. This should eliminate any media, paper, duplication, and mailing costs from the estimate.
5. Timeline
Your response estimates completion within 120 business days of receipt of a deposit. For the four narrowed items above, I would ask for a materially shorter estimate, and I would ask that any records located be produced as they become available rather than held until the entire response is complete.
I look forward to a revised itemized estimate. I am submitting this narrowing well within the 45-day period, and I understand it does not prejudice my original requests.
Sincerely,
Andrew MelicharRE: Request 270436 — Narrowed request, separation of requests, and determination on fee waiver
Mr. Corliss,
At the last town hall for the UofM/LANL project, a woman mentioned her FOIA requests and you said you would personally respond to her. I'm requesting you do the same here. The information I requested is clearly in the public interest and should not require an estimated cost of $1,800 and 120 days to locate. Be the transparent organization you claim to be and don't hold these records hostage for a whopping $1,800 and 120 days.
I would also point out that I submitted these as two separate requests purposefully as they have different scopes. UofM combined them and now all the information I requested is held up by the most difficult information to find. That's a tactic. I request that this be reversed and my two requests processed and quoted independently, as they should have been from the beginning.
I also requested a fee waiver because I am working in the public interest to provide my community with up-to-date and accurate information about this project. My fee waiver request wasn't even addressed in the response I received from the FOIA office. This feels intentional and it appears that fee-shifting is being used to bury this request.
-Andrew Melichar
