As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
ACCESS FORM
The form which shall be adopted by the Custodian of Government
Records for use by any person who requests access to government records.
GOVERNMENT RECORD(S) or RECORD(S)
Any information subject to public inspection which is maintained
by the Township in written, audio, video, electronic or other form.
REQUESTOR
Any person who requests access to a government record pursuant
to this section or the state law on Examination and Copies of Public
Records, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.
SPECIAL SERVICE CHARGE
A charge, in addition to the actual cost of duplicating the
government record(s), which shall reflect the expense associated with
extensive use of Township information, technology or resources, or
the extensive clerical or supervisory assistance by Township personnel
necessary to provide access, inspection or duplication of the record(s).
The Custodian of Government Records shall adopt
an access form for use by a requestor and shall make recommendations
to the Township Committee regarding the appropriate fees to be charged
for access to and copies of government records. The access form shall
contain all information required by N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5f.
The fees for copies of government records shall
be:
A. Records (8 1/2 by 11 inches or 8 1/2 by
14 inches).
(1) Up to 10 copies: $0.75 per page.
(2) Eleven to 20 copies: $0.50 per page.
(3) Twenty-one plus copies: $0.25 per page.
B. Other records.
(3) Information on diskette or CD: $5 per diskette or
CD.
(4) Computer-generated picture (B/W or color): $5 per
sheet.
(5) Copy of computer screen: $0.75.
(6) Photographic reproduction: $5 per sheet.
(7) Municipal lien search (N.J.S.A. 54:5-11 et seq.):
$10.
(8) List of property owners within 200 feet (N.J.S.A.
40:55D-12): greater of $0.25 per name or $10.
(9) Tax
Collector fees:
[Added 5-15-2023 by Ord. No. 09-2023]
(a) In accordance with N.J.S.A. 54:5-54, the Tax Collector shall provide
to any party entitled to redeem a certificate two calculations of
the amount required for redemption within a calendar year at no cost.
For each subsequent calculation requested from the Tax Collector in
the same calendar year, there shall be a $50 fee. A request for a
redemption calculation shall be made in writing to the Tax Collector.
(b) The Tax Collector shall charge a lienholder of a tax lien $50 for
the calculation of the amount due to redeem the tax lien as required
pursuant to N.J.S.A. 54:5-97.1. Any request for a redemption calculation
shall specify the date to be used for the calculation, which shall
be the date of the notice. Neither the Tax Collector nor the municipality
shall be liable for an incorrect calculation. The fee paid to the
municipality shall not become part of the lien and shall not be passed
on to any party entitled to redeem pursuant to N.J.S.A. 54:5-54.
C. Municipal Court discovery:
[Added 12-6-2004 by Ord. No. 39-2004]
(1) All requests for discovery in matters pending in the
Township of Harrison Municipal Court shall be submitted through the
Municipal Prosecutor.
(2) The following fees shall be payable by the requestor
to the Township of Harrison for the discovery provided:
(a)
For each of the first 10 pages photocopied:
$0.75 per page
(b)
For each of the next 10 pages photocopied: $0.50
per page.
(c)
For each of the pages photocopies thereafter:
$0.25 per page.
(d)
Actual postage for any discovery sent by mail.
(e)
For the envelope for any discovery sent by mail:
$0.25.
(f)
Photographs will be photocopied at the rates
established herein. If requests are made for duplicate photographs,
the actual cost of making the photographs shall be charged.
(g)
Duplication of videotapes constitutes an extraordinary
duplication process and will be charged at the rate of $5 per videotape.
(h)
On any item that cannot be photocopied on the
Township copy machine or not otherwise provided for in this schedule,
the actual cost incurred in making the copy shall be charged.
(3) Where the discovery must be obtained from an entity
other than the Township of Harrison, e.g., another police department,
the actual costs paid to the other entity shall be paid by the requestor.
D. Postage, surcharges and deposits:
(1) Postage costs will be added to all requests for public
records required to be mailed and will be determined at time of request.
(2) An additional surcharge of $0.50 per page will be
applied to all records sent via facsimile transmission.
(3) Extraordinary service charges shall be applied for
any extensive use of information technology or for the labor cost
of personnel providing the service that is actually incurred by the
Township for the programming, clerical and supervisory assistance
required to provide a government record (or inspection thereof) in
the medium requested if it is not a medium routinely used by the Township,
not routinely developed or maintained by the Township or requiring
a substantial amount of manipulation or programming of information
or inspection thereof. This rate shall be $45 per hour for supervisory
or programming and $35 per hour for clerical.
(4) Deposits. The requestor will be charged a 50% deposit
when a request for copies exceeds $25. The custodian will contact
the requestor and advise the requestor of any deposit requirements.
Anonymous requests, when permitted, require a deposit of 100% of estimated
fees. The requestor shall pay the balance due upon delivery of the
records.
All government records shall be subject to the
provisions of this section unless otherwise provided by law or regulation.
Any officer or employee of the Township who receives a request for
access to a government record shall forward the request or direct
the requestor to the Custodian of Government Records.
The access form to be adopted by the Custodian
of Government Records shall elicit the name, address and phone number
of the requestor and a brief description of the government record(s)
requested.
A request for access to a government record
shall be in writing and hand-delivered, mailed, transmitted electronically
or otherwise conveyed to the Custodian. The Custodian shall promptly
comply with a request to inspect, examine, copy or provide a copy
of a government record. If the Custodian is unable to comply with
a request for access, the Custodian shall indicate the specific basis
therefore on the access form and promptly return it to the requestor.
The Custodian shall sign and date the access form and provide the
requestor with a copy thereof. If the Custodian of a government record
asserts that part of a particular record is exempt from public access
pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq., as amended and supplemented,
the Custodian shall delete or excise from a copy of the record that
portion which the Custodian asserts is exempt from access and shall
promptly permit access to the remainder of the record. If the government
record requested is temporarily unavailable because it is in use or
in storage, the Custodian shall so advise the requestor and shall
make arrangements to promptly make available a copy of the record.
If a request for access to a government record would substantially
disrupt Township operations, the Custodian 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 Township.