[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Eagleswood 3-24-1992 by Ord. No. 8-92 (Ch. 84A of the 1977 Township Code); amended in its entirety at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I). Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Fees — See Ch. 135.
A. 
In accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. ("the Act"), government records shall be readily accessible for inspection, copying or examination by the citizens of this state, with certain exceptions, for the protection of the public interest, and any limitations in the right of access accorded by the Act, as amended and supplemented, shall be construed in favor of the public's right of access. A "government record" or "record" shall be as defined within N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1.1.
B. 
In accordance with N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1.1, the "custodian of a government record" or "custodian" shall mean the Municipal Clerk. The Municipal Clerk may delegate responsibility for handling records requests for particular departments within the Township to deputy custodians.
C. 
The custodian of a government record shall permit the record to be inspected, examined and copied by any person during regular business hours unless a government record is exempt from public access by the Act, as amended and supplemented, any other statute, resolution of either or both houses of the Legislature, regulation promulgated under the authority of any statute or executive order of the Governor, executive order of the Governor, Rules of Court, any federal law, federal regulation, or federal order. A request for a record must be made on a form adopted by the custodian of the government record.
D. 
Unless a shorter time period is otherwise provided by statute, regulation or executive order, a custodian of a government record shall grant access to a government record or deny a request for access to a government 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.
E. 
During such regular business hours and under the supervision of a representative of the custodian, every citizen of the state shall also have the right to copy such records by hand and to purchase copies of the records. Copies of records shall be made available upon the payment of the price established by N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5. The custodian may require a deposit against costs for reproducing documents sought whenever the custodian anticipates that the information that is requested will cost in excess of $5 to reproduce. The actual cost of duplicating the record upon which all copy fees are based shall be the cost of materials and supplies used to make a copy of the record but shall not include the cost of labor or other overhead expenses associated with making the copy, except as provided for in N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5(c). Access to electronic records and nonprinted materials shall be provided free of charge, but the Township may charge for the actual costs of any needed supplies, such as computer disks.
A. 
Whenever the nature, format, manner of collation or volume of a government record embodied in the form of printed matter to be inspected, examined or copied is such that the record cannot be reproduced by the Township by ordinary document-copying equipment in ordinary business size or involves an extraordinary expenditure of time and effort by the Township to accommodate the request, the Township may charge, in addition to the actual cost of duplicating the record, a special service charge that shall be reasonable and based upon the actual direct cost of providing the copy or copies. The requestor shall have the opportunity to review and object to the charge prior to it being incurred.
B. 
In the event an extraordinary expenditure of time and effort is needed by the Township to accommodate a request to inspect, in addition to any fees for actual duplication and copying incurred by the requestor under this chapter, the Township shall assess a special service charge based upon the cost incurred for such extensive use of information technology resources and/or the labor cost of the personnel providing the service that is actually incurred or attributable to the Township for the clerical and supervisory assistance required, or both. The manner by which such special inspection service fee is calculated shall be kept on file with the Township. The requestor shall have the opportunity to review and object to the charge prior to it being incurred.
C. 
Specific fee amounts charged for copies of public records are set forth in Chapter 135, Fees. The following shall incur fees for copies of government records which do not meet the specifications within § 204-2A:
(1) 
Duplicate tax bills: for an initial duplicate copy of a tax bill and for each subsequent copy of a tax bill for the same tax year requested by the same person or organization.
(2) 
Zoning Maps:
(a) 
Small-scale maps.
(b) 
Large-scale maps.
(3) 
Police photographs:
(a) 
Per eight-by-ten-inch black and white photograph.
(b) 
Per eight-by-ten-inch color photograph.
(4) 
Copies of the Land Development Ordinance and Zoning Ordinance: a flat fee or the cost to the Township for purchasing copies of the ordinance from the Code publisher, whichever is greater.
(5) 
Tax Maps:
(a) 
Full bound.
(b) 
Half bound.
(c) 
Tax Map (12 inches by 18 inches) (single sheet).
(6) 
Flood certification letter.
(7) 
Ordinance Book.
(8) 
Police reports: For accident reports not requested in person and not part of Municipal Court discovery, a fee shall be charged to cover the administrative costs of the report pursuant to N.J.S.A. 39:4-131.
(9) 
Certified copy of disposition of Municipal Court case.
(10) 
Fingerprints.
(11) 
Township Master Plan.
(12) 
Duplicate tax sale certificate.
(13) 
Certificate of official search for municipal lien:
(a) 
Initial certificate.
(b) 
Certificate of continuation search within three years.
(c) 
Certificate as to liability of assessment for municipal improvements.
(14) 
Natural Resource Inventory.
(15) 
Certificate for redemption at tax sale.
(16) 
Copies of audiocassette, computer diskette or computer compact disk.
(17) 
A fee shall be payable to the Registrar of Vital Statistics in the Township of Eagleswood for the issuance of each certified copy of a birth certificate, death certificate, marriage certificate, civil union or domestic partnership certificate. At such time as said fee is payable, the Registrar shall also collect any fee mandated to be collected by the State of New Jersey for any such license or certificate. The Registrar shall be entitled to and collect a search fee for each such certificate of birth, death, marriage, civil union or domestic partnership requested. There shall be no refund of fees paid for any services performed by the Registrar.