Opinion ID: 1964920
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Documents Numbered 2, 5, and 6.

Text: [¶ 10] The Freedom of Access Act protects from disclosure [r]ecords that have been designated confidential by statute. See 1 M.R.S.A. § 402(3)(A) (Supp. 1999). The trial court concluded that 23 M.R.S.A. § 63 (1992) designated documents 2, 5, and 6 as confidential. Title 23, section 63 provides, in part: The records and correspondence of the right-of-way division of the department relating to negotiations for and appraisals of property, pending the final settlement for all claims on the project to which they relate and the records and data of the said department relating to engineering estimates of costs on projects to be put out to bid, shall be confidential, and shall not be open for public inspection. 23 M.R.S.A. § 63. [¶ 11] Having reviewed these documents in camera, we agree with the Superior Court's conclusion that they are protected from disclosure by 23 M.R.S.A. § 63. Document 2 consists of notes regarding appraisals of property and engineering estimates of costs on projects relating to the Lewiston Lower Road. Documents 5 and 6 also relate, in their entirety, to property appraisals regarding the Lewiston Lower Road project. Because all three documents relate to property appraisals and engineering costs, they are confidential. [4]