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FOIA Friday: city charter, dioxane, historic windows and A2Fiber

University of Michigan students carry a puppet in the annual FestiFools parade in support of the A2Fiber initiative. The text in the search box reads "How to take over the world." A request for a copy of the city's response to Google's RFI is pending.

Mark Bialek for AnnArbor.com

This week's FOIA Friday is a collection of works in progress. It starts with a public civic pronouncement - enshrined in the charter of the City of Ann Arbor - that public records are to be made available to the public. From there it all goes downhill, with legal agreements specifying that certain records not be made public except through Freedom of Information Act Requests, a continuing search for non-existent minutes of public meetings and an extended delay to a simple request for a copy of the A2Fiber proposal.

This FOIA Friday column is part of a regular series I write every Friday. My recent piece on FOIA as the worst possible search engine provides context if you are reading this for the first time.

Toto, I've a feeling it's not Google anymore: Search engine giant changes name to Topeka for a day

Is it a sign that Topeka will be the winner in the contest to lure Google's high-speed Internet network?

Google says not - and many in Ann Arbor hope that's true - but Google has given a tip of the hat to the Kansas town in an April Fool's Day joke, temporarily displaying Topeka on its home page instead of the familiar Google lettering.

Google: More than 1,100 U.S. communities are vying for fiber network

Washtenaw County communities are among about 1,100 in the U.S. that made Friday's deadline to apply to Google to be considered for its experimental broadband network.

Ann Arbor residents gathered on the Diag Friday in a "flash mob" to underscore the community's support behind the application. Pittsfield Township and Saline also announced their joint intention to apply.

With video: Ann Arbor 'mob' makes another case to attract Google Fiber

Hundreds of people make an "A" (which stands for Ann Arbor) while singing the "A2 Fiber anthem" in the University of Michigan Diag in Ann Arbor Friday.

Angela Cesere | AnnArbor.com

A few hundred Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County residents packed into the University of Michigan Diag in a "flash mob" on Friday afternoon in a bid to attract Google's attention.

With video: Ann Arbor 'mob' makes another case to attract Google Fiber

Hundreds of people make an "A" (which stands for Ann Arbor) while singing the "A2 Fiber anthem" in the University of Michigan Diag in Ann Arbor Friday.

Angela Cesere | AnnArbor.com

A few hundred Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County residents packed into the University of Michigan Diag in a "flash mob" on Friday afternoon in a bid to attract Google's attention.

With video: Ann Arbor 'mob' makes another case to attract Google Fiber

Hundreds of people make an "A" (which stands for Ann Arbor) while singing the "A2 Fiber anthem" in the University of Michigan Diag in Ann Arbor Friday.

Angela Cesere | AnnArbor.com

A few hundred Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County residents packed into the University of Michigan Diag in a "flash mob" on Friday afternoon in a bid to attract Google's attention.

With video: Ann Arbor mayor to make an appearance at GoogleFest

Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje will be making an appearance Friday at GoogleFest, said organizer Chad Wiebesick of the Ann Arbor Ad Club.

Wiebesick said Hieftjie will participate in the event’s flash mob from 11:57 a.m. to noon and will speak to the crowd.

With video: Ann Arbor mayor to make an appearance at GoogleFest

Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje will be making an appearance Friday at GoogleFest, said organizer Chad Wiebesick of the Ann Arbor Ad Club.

Wiebesick said Hieftjie will participate in the event’s flash mob from 11:57 a.m. to noon and will speak to the crowd.

With video: Ann Arbor mayor to make an appearance at GoogleFest

Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje will be making an appearance Friday at GoogleFest, said organizer Chad Wiebesick of the Ann Arbor Ad Club.

Wiebesick said Hieftjie will participate in the event’s flash mob from 11:57 a.m. to noon and will speak to the crowd.

links: Google Fiber: What other cities across the country are doing to land high-speed Internet

The A2Fiber project is coordinating the City of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan's efforts in responding to the Google Fiber for Communities solicitation:

"Our networks will deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today, over 1 gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections. We'll offer service at a competitive price to at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people."

Here's a sample of what some other cities around the country are doing to convince Google to install fiber in their communities.

With poll: Ann Arbor officials putting final touches on Google fiber application

Kenny Wassus of Detroit (middle) writes a computer message to Google during a "one-gigabit future" party at Good Time Charley's restaurant in Ann Arbor on Friday evening. The party was held to promote and support the A2 Fiber initiative.

Mark Bialek | For AnnArbor.com

The final push is on and Ann Arbor officials are rallying for more community support before they submit an application to Google by Friday.

The more support they have - including fans on Facebook and followers on Twitter - the better Ann Arbor's chances will be of securing a Google fiber-optic network. That would allow broadband Internet services at speeds 100 times faster than what's commercially available today.

Crain's Detroit Business: Ann Arbor's Google Fiber campaign lags Grand Rapids' in social media buzz

Although Ann Arbor's attempt to woo Google's high-speed broadband network is generating some social media buzz, the local effort is not among the top 10 cities in digital conversations about Google Fiber, Crain's Detroit Business reported today.

Grand Rapids, on the other hand, ranks third in social media buzz behind behind Duluth, Minn. and Topeka, Kan., Crain's reported.

Event hopes to bring more support for Google's high-speed Internet

An event sponsored by the Ann Arbor Ad Club hopes to gather more community support to bring Google’s proposed high-speed Internet to Ann Arbor.

“Google Fiber moves the Internet from zero to 100 like a Fiesta to a Ferrari,” will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday on the corner of North University and State Street in downtown Ann Arbor.

Event hopes to bring more support for Google's high-speed Internet

An event sponsored by the Ann Arbor Ad Club hopes to gather more community support to bring Google’s proposed high-speed Internet to Ann Arbor.

“Google Fiber moves the Internet from zero to 100 like a Fiesta to a Ferrari,” will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday on the corner of North University and State Street in downtown Ann Arbor.

Column: Paula Gardner

With poll: Two Google fiber applications: What does that tell us about Washtenaw County?

Welcome to Washtenaw County, home of two separate efforts to win Google’s fiber optic investment.

By “efforts,” I mean competition. This is, after all, a contest across the U.S. to get communities behind applications to win the nod - and the investment, notoriety and ultra high speed internet functions - from Google.

Community support grows for Ann Arbor's effort to woo Google high-speed network

Ann Arbor resident Tony Zink makes a YouTube video about why Google should bring its ultra high-speed Internet network to Ann Arbor Wednesday at the LA2M luncheon at Weber's Inn.

Erica Hobbs | AnnArbor.com

Google announced a proposal in February to bring high-speed Internet to a select number of cities throughout the United States. The experiment would create a fiber optic network capable of processing one gigabit of data per second. That would provide Internet service that is about 100 times faster than most Americans have today. The catch? Cities must compete against each other to convince Google why it should bring the new technology to them.

Pittsfield Township, city of Saline join forces for Google fiber application opposite Ann Arbor

The city of Saline and Pittsfield Township plan to file a joint application to win Google's fiber optic network project -- a move that places the regional municipalities in competition with the city of Ann Arbor.

Pittsfield Supervisor Mandy Grewal, Saline Mayor Gretchen Driskell and Saline Area Schools Superintendent Scot Graden issued a joint announcement this afternoon stating that they would file a joint application to win the fiber optic investment.

"Pittsfield + Saline = Googleville!" the press release says.

with poll: Ann Arbor City Council joins effort to woo Google fiber project

Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje listens during a public hearing at the Ann Arbor City Council meeting Monday night as residents speak about efforts to convince Google to make Ann Arbor a site for its ultra-high speed broadband network at City Hall.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

“The city of Ann Arbor is 100 percent behind its response,” said Councilmember Christopher Taylor. “There is full buy-in. We encourage Google to look on us with favor.”

Google is asking for responses from communities interested in a fiber-optic network capable of Internet speeds up to 100 times faster than commercially available service.

Ypsilanti to support Ann Arbor's bid for Google's high speed broadband network

The City of Ypsilanti is looking to support Ann Arbor’s bid to become a pilot city for Google’s “Fiber for Communities” initiative.

If selected, Ann Arbor will serve as a test market for Google’s new ultra-high speed broadband network, which is 100 times faster than current commercial services.

A2 Fiber: Ann Arbor joins gold rush for Google fiber project

It’s a modern-day gold rush, except the prize is high-speed access to information.

Communities throughout the U.S. are mobilizing to respond to Google’s request for applications from cities hoping to secure a fiber optic network capable of Internet speeds 100 times faster than commercially available service.