All books, maps, papers, accounts, statements,
vouchers and other documents acquired or produced in any Township
department shall be carefully and conveniently filed, kept and preserved
and be and remain the sole property of the Township and shall not
at any time be removed from the offices of a department, except when
required for use in the official business of the Township and shall
be returned to such office without delay. Each Township officer shall
be responsible for assuring that the requirements of this article
are complied with in respect to his or her particular office. This
article shall be subject to the provisions of Destruction of Public
Records Law (1953), N.J.S.A. 47:3-15 et seq., as amended.
All public documents and records of the Township
shall be open to public search, inspection and examination, during
office hours, subject to and within the limitations prescribed by
law.
[Added 8-24-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-16]
A. Any person seeking the reproduction of public records,
documents or other information as contemplated by this article shall
submit his or her request, in writing, on a form prescribed by the
Township Clerk, who is hereby designated as the custodian of records
in accordance with N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1.1. All requests will be handled
in accordance with N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.
B. Prior to commencing with the reproduction of said
public records and/or documents, the Township Clerk shall first estimate
the number of pages or other formats involved and provide the requesting
party with a written estimate of the costs of reproduction. No photocopying
of any document shall be undertaken without the requesting party first
having provided, by check or cash, the funds so estimated as necessary
for that reproduction. In the event that the photocopying or other
reproduction charges exceed the amount estimated, the requesting party
shall be required to pay the difference. Applicable postage shall
be added for any and all records requested by mail.
C. Time for compliance. Unless a shorter time period
is otherwise provided by statute, regulation, or executive order,
the Clerk shall grant access to a government record or deny a request
for access to a record as soon as possible, but not later than seven
business days after receiving the request, provided that the record
is currently available and not in storage or archived. In the event
that the Clerk fails to respond within seven business days after receiving
a request, the failure to respond shall be deemed a denial of the
request, unless the requestor has elected not to provide a name, address,
or telephone number, or other means of contacting the requestor. If
the requestor has elected not to provide a name, address, or telephone
number, or other means of contacting the requestor, the Clerk shall
not be required to respond until the requestor reappears before the
Clerk seeking a response to the original request. If the government
record is in storage or archived, the requestor shall be so advised
within seven business days after the Clerk receives the request. The
requestor shall be advised by the Clerk when the record can be made
available. If the record is not made available by that time, access
shall be deemed denied.
D. Appeals procedure. The Clerk shall post prominently
in public view, in or adjacent to the Clerk's office, a statement
that sets forth, in clear, concise, and specific terms, the right
to appeal a denial of or failure to provide access to a government
record and the procedures by which an appeal may be filed.