[Adopted 5-8-2000 by Ord. No. 719-00; amended in its entirety 11-18-2002 by Ord. No. 807-02[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also renumbered former §§ 119-3 and 119-4 as §§ 119-8 and 119-9, respectively.
It is hereby declared to be the public policy of this Borough to recognize the public's general right to know pursuant to the Open Public Records Act (N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.). All "government records," as that term is defined by N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1.1, shall be subject to inspection by the public unless exempt under the statute or other regulation, common law practice, executive order of the Governor, Rules of Court, federal law or judicial decision.
A. 
Except as provided in Subsection B of this section, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1.1, the Borough Clerk is the custodian of records. The Borough Clerk shall adopt a form for the use of any person who requests access to a record, and such form shall contain all of the information required by N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5f.
B. 
The Borough Clerk may designate the Chief of Police as custodian of police records so as to facilitate the process of providing access to police records.
A. 
Any person seeking to inspect, examine or copy a public record of the Borough shall make application in writing to the Borough Clerk, during regular business hours, on the form provided. All requests for public records shall be as specific as possible, including the type of record and date created, if known.
B. 
The Borough Clerk shall promptly comply with a request to inspect, examine, copy or provide a copy of a government record. If the Borough Clerk is unable to comply with a request for access, he or she shall indicate on the request form the specific basis for such inability to comply and shall promptly return it to the requestor. The Borough Clerk shall sign and date the form and provide the requestor with a copy thereof.
C. 
In those instances where the nature of the request or the record itself leads the Borough Clerk to doubt whether or not the record is a "government record" as defined by law or is a record exempt from disclosure, the Borough Clerk shall request an opinion from the Borough Attorney. A copy of the request form shall be forwarded to the Borough Attorney, who, after review and investigation, shall issue an opinion and note such opinion on the request form and promptly return it to the Borough Clerk.
D. 
If any part of a particular record is exempt from public access pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq., the Borough Clerk shall delete, redact or excise from a copy of the record that portion which is exempt from access and shall promptly permit access to the remainder of the record.
E. 
If the record requested is temporarily unavailable because it is in use or in storage, the Borough Clerk shall so advise the requestor and shall make arrangements to make a copy of the record available.
F. 
If a request for access to a government record would substantially disrupt Borough operations, the Borough Clerk may deny access to the record after attempting to reach a reasonable solution with the requestor that accommodates the interests of the requestor and the Borough.
G. 
As required by N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5e, immediate access shall be granted for access to budgets, bills, vouchers, contracts (including collective negotiations agreements and individual employment contracts), and public salary and overtime information.
Unless a shorter time period is otherwise provided by statute, regulation or executive order, the Borough 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 Borough 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 Borough Clerk shall not be required to respond until the requestor reappears before the custodian 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 Borough Clerk receives the request. The requestor shall be advised by the Borough Clerk when the record can be made available. If the record is not made available by that time, access shall be deemed denied.
The Borough Clerk shall post on the Borough's public bulletin board 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 procedure by which an appeal may be filed.
A. 
Upon the approval of a request to view, inspect, examine or copy a record, the record and the requestor shall remain in the presence of the Borough Clerk or his or her authorized representative at all times. Under no circumstances shall any government record be removed from the office where it is normally kept unless accompanied by the custodian or his or her authorized representative.
B. 
In the event that the nature of a request to view records requires that the Borough Clerk or other municipal employee observe or monitor such viewing for a period of time exceeding one hour, the requestor shall be responsible for reimbursing the municipality for time spent by the Borough Clerk or other employee.
[Amended 6-16-2003 by Ord. No. 824-03; 5-17-2004 by Ord. No. 850-04; 8-16-2004 by Ord. No. 852-04; 12-20-2004 by Ord. No. 871-04; 3-19-2007 by Ord. No. 932-07; 5-21-2007 by Ord. No. 945-07; 12-6-2010 by Ord. No. 1024-10]
Copies of records may be purchased for the fee prescribed by law or regulation. If a fee is not prescribed by law or regulation, the fee shall be the actual cost of duplicating the record; provided, however, that where the actual cost for duplication of a record exceeds the rates below, the actual cost shall be imposed:
A. 
Paper documents.
Page Type
Fee
Letter-size page or smaller (8 1/2 inches by 11 inches)
$0.05/page
Legal-size page or larger (8 1/2 inches by 14 inches)
$0.07/page
(1) 
If the municipality can demonstrate that the actual costs for duplication of a government record exceeds the foregoing rates, it shall be permitted to change the actual costs of duplicating the record.
B. 
Odd-sized paper documents, maps and miscellaneous documents:
Document
Fee
Zoning Map
$1
Street Map
$0.07/page
Drug-Free School Zone Map
Actual cost of reproduction
Site plan
Actual cost of reproduction
Subdivision plat
Actual cost of reproduction
Tax Maps
Actual cost of reproduction
Engineering plans
Actual cost of reproduction
Duplicate tax bill
$5 for first copy; $25 for second copy
Certified copy of vital statistics record
$15/copy
List of property owners within 200 feet
$10
C. 
Preprinted documents.
Document
Fee
Land use pamphlet
Actual cost of reproduction
Master plan
Actual cost of reproduction
D. 
Police records.
(1) 
Police accident reports: same as Subsection A above, if requested and picked up in person.
(2) 
Police accident reports, when copies are requested other than in person, a fee, in addition to the fee set forth in Subsection A above, of up to $5 may be added to cover administrative costs.
(3) 
Typed statements: $15 for the first two pages and $5 for each additional page.
(4) 
Photographs: actual cost of reproducing.
(5) 
Fingerprints: Each individual set of fingerprints consisting of one to three cards taken for the benefit of other than law enforcement or governmental agencies: $1 per set. In the event any one order requests the fingerprinting of more than 10 individual sets at any one sitting: $0.50 per set in excess of 10.
E. 
Electronic records:
(1) 
Copy of videotape: $2 each; cost determined from office supply book.
(2) 
Copy of electronic document or database: Actual cost of reproduction.
(a) 
Compact disks: $1 each; cost determined from office supply book.
(3) 
Electronic transmission of tax records (once per week): $500 annually.
F. 
A special service charge shall be imposed, in addition to the actual cost of duplicating the record, where the nature, format, manner of collation or volume of printed matter is such that it cannot be reproduced by ordinary document-copying equipment in ordinary business size or where such record involves an extraordinary expenditure of time and effort to accommodate the request. The requestor shall have the opportunity to review and object to the special service charge prior to it being incurred.
G. 
Conversion of records from one format to another: Actual cost of reproduction.
H. 
Applicable postage shall be added for any and all records requested by mail.
I. 
A deposit shall be paid prior to filling any request where it is estimated that the information requested will cost in excess of $5 to reproduce. The amount of the deposit shall equal the total estimated cost of filling the request.
J. 
Tax lien redemption calculations:
(1) 
For any party entitled to redeem a tax sale certificate pursuant to N.J.S.A 54:5-54, the tax collector shall provide two free calculations per calendar year; thereafter, $50 for each subsequent calculation requested of the tax collector. Request shall be made in writing to the tax collector.
(2) 
For a lienholder, $50 per calculation pursuant to N.J.S.A. 54:5-97.1. Request must specify date to be used for the calculation.