Good afternoon,
Attached is a response to our OPRA request.
Brian Smyth
Custodian of Records
Wall Township Public School District
email:  [1]opra@wall[2]publicschools.org

References

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2. http://publicschools.org/

Ms. Cross,
It has been brought to my attention that you are once again making false
statements regarding this office, noting that you have not copied the
district's OPRA email account or myself when making false statements
regarding the same.
On December 4, 2024, you submitted a request for immediate access to
attorney bills for September, October, and November, 2024.  On that same
day, a response was provided to you that included 17 pages of records that
were responsive to your request, specifically the attorney invoices for
September 2024.  You were further advised in that same response that the
district did not have attorney bills for October and November as follows:

"With regard to your request for invoices for Methfessel & Werbel for
October and November 2024, please
know that no records exist that are responsive to your request."
"With regard to your request for invoices for Chasan Lamparello Mallon &
Cappuzzo for October and
November 2024, please know that no records exist that are responsive to
your request."

As you are also aware, public entities are not required nor expected to
follow up and provide records that may become available at some later
date.  Based on your experience with OPRA, we would anticipate that you
are well aware of that.  It is also noted that I have communicated this to
you previously.
To be clear, nothing is overdue and no further response will be provided
to you as an appropriate response with responsive records was provided to
you the same day of your request.  
As previously requested of you on numerous occasions, please refrain from
disseminating false information with the apparent purpose of misleading
individuals, as there is no other basis for copying those that you have
copied, yet not providing a copy to the individual that you are
referencing.

Brian J. Smyth

Business Administrator/Board Secretary

Phone:  (732) 556-2016   Fax:  (732) 556-2102

[1][email address]

On Tue, Dec 10, 2024 at 2:14 PM '[2][email address]' via boardmembers
<[3][email address]> wrote:

Dr. Handerhan and Ms. Steitz: This response is overdue. Mr. Smyth has
only returned the attorney bills for September and has not returned the
bills for October (and November if they have been received). October
should certainly have been in. 
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This message originated from outside Wall Township Public Schools.

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Dr. Handerhan and Ms. Steitz:
This response is overdue.    Mr. Smyth has only returned the attorney
bills for September and has not returned the bills for October (and
November if they have been received).  October should certainly have
been in.  
Can you kindly follow-up.
Betsy Cross
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Immediate Access - sent at 9:09 AM on December 4, 2024 - Kindly return
as a PDF 
Brian Smyth,

Records requested:

Attorney Bills for Athina Cornell and Eric Harrison (Methfessel &
Werbel) and Dennis McKeever's law firm (Chasan Lamparello, Mallon &
Cappuzzo, PC) for September, October and November 2024 returned via a
PDF. I see we now have to have on retainer 2 law firms to represent the
Wall BOE. Dennis McKeever is also the law firm for the DIPLOMA JOINT
INSURANCE FUND and the SCHOOL EXCESS FUND. BRIAN SMYTH (WALL BA) IS A
VOTING TRUSTEE.

KINDLY INCLUDE ALL cover pages with any E-MAILS attaching the bills when
they are sent to the district. Kindly return all documents as a pdf.

Regards,
Betsy Cross

cc: Tracy Handerhan - Superintendent
Wall BOE members - Christine Steitz, James Maliff, Ralph Addonizio,
Mairin Barbiere, Thomas Buffa, Kathleen DiGiovanni, Adam Nasr, Pamela
Shimko, Kenneth Wondrack
Kevin Walsh - Comptroller's Office
Kevin Dehmer - Acting Commissioner of DOE
Jamar Purnsley - DOE - Office of Fiscal Accountability and Compliance
Lester Richens - DOE - Interim Monmouth County Superintendent

References

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2. mailto:[email address]
3. mailto:[email address]

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Ms. Cross,
The law firm you have referenced, along with their invoices, is not the
current law firm serving the district.  
For additional information and response, please refer to my prior email to
you that is below in your thread.

Brian J. Smyth

Business Administrator/Board Secretary

Phone:  (732) 556-2016   Fax:  (732) 556-2102

[1][email address]

On Fri, Dec 13, 2024 at 1:24 PM Betsy Cross
<[2][OPRA #69576 email]> wrote:

Sent 12/13/2024 at 1: 24 PM Dear Brian Smyth, I just looked back to see
when the attorney bills had been received prior for October for Athena
Cornell's law firm for the last 4 years and as you see all were in on or
before November 25th. Last
ZjQcmQRYFpfptBannerStart
This Message Is From an External Sender

This message originated from outside Wall Township Public Schools.

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Sent 12/13/2024 at 1:24 PM
Dear Brian Smyth,

I just looked back to see when the attorney bills had been received prior for October for Athena Cornell's law firm for the last 4 years and as you see all were in on or before November 25th. Last year by November 14, 2023. We now have 3 attorneys on the books for the Wall BOE and both sets of the October bills are not available for the public to view yet for Athina Cornell and Dennis McKeever. I will have to request the bills for Kenny Gross Kovats & Parton as I see they were paid over $4,000 from reviewing last month's agenda.

Is each law firm holding them up or the Wall BOE business office?

Sciarrillo, Cornell, Merlino, McKeever and Osborne

October 2020 - date stamped 11/25/2020
October 2021 - date stamped 11/23/2021
October 2022 - date stamped 11/8/2022
October 2023 - date stamped 11/14/2023

I would like the bills today that have been received by your office.

Regards,

Betsy Cross

-----Original Message-----

Ms. Cross,
It has been brought to my attention that you are once again making false
statements regarding this office, noting that you have not copied the
district's OPRA email account or myself when making false statements
regarding the same.
On December 4, 2024, you submitted a request for immediate access to
attorney bills for September, October, and November, 2024.  On that same
day, a response was provided to you that included 17 pages of records that
were responsive to your request, specifically the attorney invoices for
September 2024.  You were further advised in that same response that the
district did not have attorney bills for October and November as follows:

"With regard to your request for invoices for Methfessel & Werbel for
October and November 2024, please
know that no records exist that are responsive to your request."
"With regard to your request for invoices for Chasan Lamparello Mallon &
Cappuzzo for October and
November 2024, please know that no records exist that are responsive to
your request."

As you are also aware, public entities are not required nor expected to
follow up and provide records that may become available at some later
date.  Based on your experience with OPRA, we would anticipate that you
are well aware of that.  It is also noted that I have communicated this to
you previously.
To be clear, nothing is overdue and no further response will be provided
to you as an appropriate response with responsive records was provided to
you the same day of your request.  
As previously requested of you on numerous occasions, please refrain from
disseminating false information with the apparent purpose of misleading
individuals, as there is no other basis for copying those that you have
copied, yet not providing a copy to the individual that you are
referencing.

Brian J. Smyth

Business Administrator/Board Secretary

Phone:  (732) 556-2016   Fax:  (732) 556-2102

[1][email address]

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this UNIQUE email address for all replies to this request and no other:
[3][OPRA #69576 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[4]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://opra...

View this OPRA request & responses online:
[5]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://opra...

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will be delayed.

If you find this service useful as an OPRA custodian, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's website.
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References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. mailto:[email address]
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Ms. Cross,
An appropriate response, with records, was provided to you on the same day
of your request.  This request is closed.

Brian J. Smyth

Business Administrator/Board Secretary

Phone:  (732) 556-2016   Fax:  (732) 556-2102

[1][email address]

On Fri, Dec 13, 2024 at 4:10 PM Brian Smyth
<[2][email address]> wrote:

Ms. Cross,
The law firm you have referenced, along with their invoices, is not the
current law firm serving the district.  
For additional information and response, please refer to my prior email
to you that is below in your thread.

Brian J. Smyth

Business Administrator/Board Secretary

Phone:  (732) 556-2016   Fax:  (732) 556-2102

[3][email address]

On Fri, Dec 13, 2024 at 1:24 PM Betsy Cross
<[4][OPRA #69576 email]> wrote:

Sent 12/13/2024 at 1: 24 PM Dear Brian Smyth, I just looked back to
see when the attorney bills had been received prior for October for
Athena Cornell's law firm for the last 4 years and as you see all were
in on or before November 25th. Last
ZjQcmQRYFpfptBannerStart
This Message Is From an External Sender

This message originated from outside Wall Township Public Schools.

ZjQcmQRYFpfptBannerEnd

Sent 12/13/2024 at 1:24 PM
Dear Brian Smyth,

I just looked back to see when the attorney bills had been received prior for October for Athena Cornell's law firm for the last 4 years and as you see all were in on or before November 25th. Last year by November 14, 2023. We now have 3 attorneys on the books for the Wall BOE and both sets of the October bills are not available for the public to view yet for Athina Cornell and Dennis McKeever. I will have to request the bills for Kenny Gross Kovats & Parton as I see they were paid over $4,000 from reviewing last month's agenda.

Is each law firm holding them up or the Wall BOE business office?

Sciarrillo, Cornell, Merlino, McKeever and Osborne

October 2020 - date stamped 11/25/2020
October 2021 - date stamped 11/23/2021
October 2022 - date stamped 11/8/2022
October 2023 - date stamped 11/14/2023

I would like the bills today that have been received by your office.

Regards,

Betsy Cross

-----Original Message-----

Ms. Cross,
It has been brought to my attention that you are once again making false
statements regarding this office, noting that you have not copied the
district's OPRA email account or myself when making false statements
regarding the same.
On December 4, 2024, you submitted a request for immediate access to
attorney bills for September, October, and November, 2024.  On that same
day, a response was provided to you that included 17 pages of records that
were responsive to your request, specifically the attorney invoices for
September 2024.  You were further advised in that same response that the
district did not have attorney bills for October and November as follows:

"With regard to your request for invoices for Methfessel & Werbel for
October and November 2024, please
know that no records exist that are responsive to your request."
"With regard to your request for invoices for Chasan Lamparello Mallon &
Cappuzzo for October and
November 2024, please know that no records exist that are responsive to
your request."

As you are also aware, public entities are not required nor expected to
follow up and provide records that may become available at some later
date.  Based on your experience with OPRA, we would anticipate that you
are well aware of that.  It is also noted that I have communicated this to
you previously.
To be clear, nothing is overdue and no further response will be provided
to you as an appropriate response with responsive records was provided to
you the same day of your request.  
As previously requested of you on numerous occasions, please refrain from
disseminating false information with the apparent purpose of misleading
individuals, as there is no other basis for copying those that you have
copied, yet not providing a copy to the individual that you are
referencing.

Brian J. Smyth

Business Administrator/Board Secretary

Phone:  (732) 556-2016   Fax:  (732) 556-2102

[1][email address]

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this UNIQUE email address for all replies to this request and no other:
[5][OPRA #69576 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[6]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://opra...

View this OPRA request & responses online:
[7]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://opra...

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will be delayed.

If you find this service useful as an OPRA custodian, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's website.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[email address]
5. mailto:[email address]
6. https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://opra...
7. https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://opra...

hide quoted sections