260528_FOIA 26-22_Marini_FOIA Appeal Determination_Signed.pdf
Gregory Robert Marini Petitioner V Township Of Peninsula, Sally A Murray Respondents · 26-002755-TT
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PENINSULA TOWNSHIP 13235 Center Road, Traverse City MI 49686 www.peninsulatownship.com MAURA SANDERS REBECCA CHOWN KATIE CLARK SUPERVISOR CLERK TREASURER JULIE ALEXANDER J.P. MILLIKEN DAVID K. SANGER ISAIAH S. WUNSCH TRUSTEE TRUSTEE TRUSTEE FOIA Appeal Determination FOIA Request No. 26-22 Requester: Greg Marini Parcel No.: 28-11-648-001-00 Date of Appeal: April 16, 2026 Dear Mr. Marini: The Peninsula Township Board has reviewed your written FOIA appeal dated April 16, 2026, regarding FOIA Request No. 26-22. Your original request sought records related to the valuation of parcel 28-11- 648-001-00, including CAMA/building detail worksheets, manual reference pages, neighborhood ECF and land studies, and component-level additions or adjustments for the 2024 and 2025/2026 tax years. The Board has also reviewed the Township's response and the records provided, including the valuation report, parcel record information, land value information, building sketch, building detail record, and listed additions and adjustments for the subject parcel. Those records include, among other items, the property class, building size, land value, ECF, cost-new figures, septic and well entries, porch, garage, built-ins, fireplace, and related valuation information. The Board further reviewed your appeal materials, including your position that additional “Building Cost Detailed” records, software-generated reports, or line-item cost calculations should be available and should have been produced. After review, the Peninsula Township Board upholds the denial. Michigan FOIA provides a right to inspect, copy, or receive copies of existing public records that are sufficiently described in a written request. FOIA does not require a public body to create a new public record, compilation, summary, or report in response to a request. A “public record” is a writing prepared, owned, used, possessed, or retained by a public body in the performance of an official function. In deciding a FOIA appeal, the head of the public body may uphold the denial, reverse the denial, reverse it in part, or issue other action permitted by statute. Page 1 of 2
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The Board finds that the Township provided the existing responsive records in its possession that correspond to the assessment and valuation information requested. The additional detail requested in the appeal appears to seek either a different form of report, a more detailed mathematical breakdown, a custom extraction from assessing software, or an explanation of how individual valuation inputs were applied. FOIA does not require the Township to create a new record, generate a new report, perform new calculations, or provide a narrative explanation where no such public record already exists. The Board also notes that several issues raised in the appeal concern the accuracy of the assessment itself, including disagreement with the ECF, land valuation, “% good,” septic/well treatment, patio, garage, and other component values. Those matters are outside the scope of this FOIA appeal. FOIA addresses access to existing public records; it does not determine whether an assessment is correct or whether a valuation methodology was properly applied. For these reasons, the Board upholds the Township's denial of the appeal. This decision does not prevent you from submitting a new FOIA request for specifically identified existing public records, nor does it limit any rights you may have to pursue assessment-related remedies through the Board of Review, July Board of Review, Michigan Tax Tribunal, or any other process available by law. Sincerely, Peninsula Township Board FOIA Appeals Body Nowa pods signed] Maura Sanders, Supelvisor, Peninsula Township Date Page 2 of 2