[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Essex Fells 3-17-2009 by Ord. No. 2009-865; amended in its entirety 2-4-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-944. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
A. 
The Borough Clerk shall permit a public record not exempt from public access under statute or regulation to be inspected, examined, or copied by any person in accordance with the Open Public Records Act (OPRA)[1] and this chapter. Requests for public record examination or copies under the Open Public Records Act will be accepted by the office of the Borough Clerk on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.
B. 
Requests for public records will be accepted by hand delivery to the office of the Borough Clerk or by mail. Mail received on days other than days when requests are accepted will be considered received on the next available day when requests are accepted. Requests may be made using a request form available at the office of the Borough Clerk or by written correspondence containing the information necessary to process the request. Electronic or facsimile requests cannot be accepted as the Borough does not have dedicated addresses or lines available for such requests.
The Borough Clerk shall permit access to a public record and, when requested, will provide a copy thereof in the medium designated in the request if the Borough maintains the record in that medium. If the Borough does not maintain the record in the medium requested, the Borough Clerk is not required to convert the record into the medium requested and will provide a hard copy of the public record (if requested).
The statutory fee schedule shall apply to routine requests under the Open Public Records Law. The fees of N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5 are hereby incorporated herein as such fee schedule presently exists or as such fees might appear in future modifications or amendments of the statute. At present time, fees under N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5 for routine copies of municipal documents are $0.05 per letter size page or smaller or $0.07 per legal size page or larger. The fee for copies of plans, maps, tapes, oversized copies, or other mediums shall be the Borough's actual costs. The Borough will inform the requestor of the amount, and the fee must be paid in full prior to copies being made.
A copy or copies of a public record requested under the Open Public Records Act shall be available to be picked up at the Office of the Borough Clerk within the period allowed for response under the Open Public Records Act. A requestor may alternatively request that a response be mailed, provided that the requestor includes a self-addressed stamped envelope with the request. Responses will not be made electronically unless the Borough maintains the public record electronically, the medium requested is electronic, and the requestor has provided an electronic address in the request.
The Borough Clerk shall post prominently in public view in the part of the office that is open to or frequented by the public 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 by any person for inspection, examination, or copying or for purchase of copies thereof and the procedure by which an appeal may be filed.
The Borough Clerk hereby names, in the following departments, subcustodians and deputy subcustodians:
A. 
Police Department:
(1) 
Police Chief, subcustodian.
(2) 
Lieutenant, deputy subcustodian (in the Chief's absence).
B. 
Water Department:
(1) 
Water Superintendent, subcustodian.
(2) 
Senior Water Operator, deputy subcustodian (in the Superintendent's absence).
C. 
Fire Department:
(1) 
Fire Chief, subcustodian.
(2) 
Deputy Fire Chief, deputy subcustodian (in the Chief's absence).
D. 
Department of Public Works:
(1) 
DPW Superintendent, subcustodian.
E. 
Construction Department:
(1) 
Technical Assistant, subcustodian.
F. 
Finance Department:
(1) 
Chief Financial Officer, subcustodian.
G. 
Recreation Department:
(1) 
Recreation Director, subcustodian.