Good Afternoon,
Please see attachment.

Grace Sequeira

City Clerk's Office

Deputy Municipal Clerk

50 Winfield Scott Plaza

Elizabeth, N.J. 07201

908-820-4130

Good Afternoon,
Please see attachment.

Grace Sequeira

City Clerk's Office

Deputy Municipal Clerk

50 Winfield Scott Plaza

Elizabeth, N.J. 07201

908-820-4130

Good Afternoon,
Please see attachment.

Grace Sequeira

City Clerk's Office

Deputy Municipal Clerk

50 Winfield Scott Plaza

Elizabeth, N.J. 07201

908-820-4130

Good Afternoon,
Please see attachment.

Grace Sequeira

City Clerk's Office

Deputy Municipal Clerk

50 Winfield Scott Plaza

Elizabeth, N.J. 07201

908-820-4130

Good Morning:
This email is in response to your request for public records to the City
Clerk pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1
et seq. (OPRA). Please allow additional time of 7 business days to fully
comply with your request. 
Thank you for your courtesy in this matter.
Regards, 

Samantha Castrelos, Esq.
Special Counsel 
City of Elizabeth, Law Department

Good afternoon:

This email is in response to your request for public records to the City
Clerk pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1
et seq. (OPRA).  

You sought the following records: 

-Copies of all expenses/receipts for each Member of City Council for 2021
to present. 

-Amount approved each for every FY since 2020 

-Purchases each made and amount of check reimbursed. 

-2021 Community Meetings for each. 

-City Checks made out to any council member since 2020. (Do not include
salary pay) 

Attached please find records responsive to your requests. Page 1 of the
PDF document is responsive to your second request. The remaining pages up
to Page 2018 include expenses, receipts, and purchases, which are
responsive to your first and third request. Pages 219 and on are
responsive to your fourth request. Regarding your fifth request for City
checks made out to City Council members, please note that this will
require additional time of at least two weeks to produce every check in
the provided expense reports. However, the attached report starting at
Page 2 contains each check number, the recipient, vendor, and amount,
which is the information found on each check. Please advise if you would
still like the individual checks per your OPRA request or if the records
already provided are sufficient.  

Thank you and stay well,  

Samantha Castrelos, Esq.

Special Counsel 
City of Elizabeth, Law Department

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

From: Samantha J. Castrelos
Sent: Thursday, December 16, 2021 10:56 AM
To: [OPRA #26718 email]
<[OPRA #26718 email]>
Cc: Grace D. Sequeira <[email address]>
Subject: OPRA Request #1285
 
Good Morning:
This email is in response to your request for public records to the City
Clerk pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1
et seq. (OPRA). Please allow additional time of 7 business days to fully
comply with your request. 
Thank you for your courtesy in this matter.
Regards, 

Samantha Castrelos, Esq.
Special Counsel 
City of Elizabeth, Law Department

Good morning, 
Since we have not yet heard from you, we are in the process of collecting
all requested checks. Please allow an additional 7 business days to
finalize putting together these records. 
Thank you and stay well,

Samantha Castrelos, Esq.

Special Counsel 
City of Elizabeth, Law Department

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

From: Samantha J. Castrelos <[email address]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2021 4:35 PM
To: [OPRA #26718 email]
<[OPRA #26718 email]>
Cc: Grace D. Sequeira <[email address]>
Subject: Re: OPRA Request #1285
 

Good afternoon:

This email is in response to your request for public records to the City
Clerk pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1
et seq. (OPRA).  

You sought the following records: 

-Copies of all expenses/receipts for each Member of City Council for 2021
to present. 

-Amount approved each for every FY since 2020 

-Purchases each made and amount of check reimbursed. 

-2021 Community Meetings for each. 

-City Checks made out to any council member since 2020. (Do not include
salary pay) 

Attached please find records responsive to your requests. Page 1 of the
PDF document is responsive to your second request. The remaining pages up
to Page 2018 include expenses, receipts, and purchases, which are
responsive to your first and third request. Pages 219 and on are
responsive to your fourth request. Regarding your fifth request for City
checks made out to City Council members, please note that this will
require additional time of at least two weeks to produce every check in
the provided expense reports. However, the attached report starting at
Page 2 contains each check number, the recipient, vendor, and amount,
which is the information found on each check. Please advise if you would
still like the individual checks per your OPRA request or if the records
already provided are sufficient.  

Thank you and stay well,  

Samantha Castrelos, Esq.

Special Counsel 
City of Elizabeth, Law Department

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

From: Samantha J. Castrelos
Sent: Thursday, December 16, 2021 10:56 AM
To: [OPRA #26718 email]
<[OPRA #26718 email]>
Cc: Grace D. Sequeira <[email address]>
Subject: OPRA Request #1285
 
Good Morning:
This email is in response to your request for public records to the City
Clerk pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1
et seq. (OPRA). Please allow additional time of 7 business days to fully
comply with your request. 
Thank you for your courtesy in this matter.
Regards, 

Samantha Castrelos, Esq.
Special Counsel 
City of Elizabeth, Law Department

Good afternoon,  

Please be advised that we have investigated into the process of obtaining
records responsive to your fourth request: “City Checks made out to any
council member since 2020. (Do not include salary pay)”. The City does not
maintain copies of checks made out to payees once issued. Copies of checks
can be retrieved from Wells Fargo; however, the City will incur a service
charge of $1.00 for each check issued over 90 days ago and $3.50 for each
check issued under 90 days. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5(b), a government
agency is permitted to charge the actual cost of duplicating a record.
There are approximately 87 checks over 90 days old, therefore, the City
will incur at least $87.00 to procure photocopies of the checks.  

Attached, I am providing a vendor activity report with all payments other
than salary issued to each Council member. Along with the Expense Reports
previously provided, all relevant information found in each check can be
derived from these records. If you still would like actual photocopies of
the checks paid, please remit the above payment before we can begin the
process of retrieving them.  

Thank you for your patience,  

Samantha Castrelos, Esq.

Special Counsel 
City of Elizabeth, Law Department

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

From: Samantha J. Castrelos <[email address]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2022 9:51 AM
To: [OPRA #26718 email]
<[OPRA #26718 email]>
Cc: Grace D. Sequeira <[email address]>
Subject: Re: OPRA Request #1285
 
Good morning, 
Since we have not yet heard from you, we are in the process of collecting
all requested checks. Please allow an additional 7 business days to
finalize putting together these records. 
Thank you and stay well,

Samantha Castrelos, Esq.

Special Counsel 
City of Elizabeth, Law Department

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

From: Samantha J. Castrelos <[email address]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2021 4:35 PM
To: [OPRA #26718 email]
<[OPRA #26718 email]>
Cc: Grace D. Sequeira <[email address]>
Subject: Re: OPRA Request #1285
 

Good afternoon:

This email is in response to your request for public records to the City
Clerk pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1
et seq. (OPRA).  

You sought the following records: 

-Copies of all expenses/receipts for each Member of City Council for 2021
to present. 

-Amount approved each for every FY since 2020 

-Purchases each made and amount of check reimbursed. 

-2021 Community Meetings for each. 

-City Checks made out to any council member since 2020. (Do not include
salary pay) 

Attached please find records responsive to your requests. Page 1 of the
PDF document is responsive to your second request. The remaining pages up
to Page 2018 include expenses, receipts, and purchases, which are
responsive to your first and third request. Pages 219 and on are
responsive to your fourth request. Regarding your fifth request for City
checks made out to City Council members, please note that this will
require additional time of at least two weeks to produce every check in
the provided expense reports. However, the attached report starting at
Page 2 contains each check number, the recipient, vendor, and amount,
which is the information found on each check. Please advise if you would
still like the individual checks per your OPRA request or if the records
already provided are sufficient.  

Thank you and stay well,  

Samantha Castrelos, Esq.

Special Counsel 
City of Elizabeth, Law Department

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

From: Samantha J. Castrelos
Sent: Thursday, December 16, 2021 10:56 AM
To: [OPRA #26718 email]
<[OPRA #26718 email]>
Cc: Grace D. Sequeira <[email address]>
Subject: OPRA Request #1285
 
Good Morning:
This email is in response to your request for public records to the City
Clerk pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1
et seq. (OPRA). Please allow additional time of 7 business days to fully
comply with your request. 
Thank you for your courtesy in this matter.
Regards, 

Samantha Castrelos, Esq.
Special Counsel 
City of Elizabeth, Law Department