Complaints filed against Construction Official/Zoning Officer Robert LaCosta
Dear Scotch Plains Township,
This is a request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an official form. Please acknowledge receipt of this message.
Records requested:
I am writing to request all documented complaints filed against Construction Official/Zoning Officer Robert LaCosta from the last 10 years. This request is being made under the Freedom of Information Act.
Please include all complaints, including any written or electronic correspondence, memoranda, emails, letters, or other documentation related to complaints against the named employee.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Yours faithfully,
John M
The Township of Scotch Plains received your Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request on April 24, 2023. As such, the seven (7) business day deadline to respond to your request is May 3, 2023.
Thank you.
Maryann Matteo
OPRA Compliance Clerk
Township of Scotch Plains
430 Park Avenue
Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
908.322.6700 (office) ext. 213
908.322.1663 (fax)
[Scotch Plains Township request email]
NOTICE OF CONFIDENTIALITY
This message, including any prior messages and attachments, may contain advisory, consultative and/or deliberative material, confidential information or privileged communications of the Township of Scotch Plains. Access to this message by anyone other than the sender and the intended recipient(s) is not authorized. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, any disclosure, copying, distribution or action taken or not taken in reliance on it, without the expressed written consent of the sender is prohibited. If you have received this message in error, you should not save, scan, transmit, print, use or disseminate this message or any information contained in this message in any way and you should promptly delete or destroy this message and all copies of it. Please notify the sender by return e-mail if you have received this message in error
John M:
The Township of Scotch Plains received your Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request on April 24, 2023. As such, the seven (7) business day deadline to respond to your request is May 3, 2023. This response to your request is being provided to you on the 2nd business day after the custodian’s receipt of said request.
Request: See attached OPRA Request Email.
Response: NO RESPONSIVE RECORD EXISTS.
END OF REQUESTED ITEMS
By this letter of response, the Township of Scotch Plains will consider your OPRA request dated April 24, 2023, complete unless otherwise informed.
If you have any questions, please contact the Township Clerk at 908-322-6700 ext. 211.
Thank you.
Maryann Matteo
OPRA Compliance Clerk
Township of Scotch Plains
430 Park Avenue
Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
908.322.6700 (office) ext. 213
908.322.1663 (fax)
[Scotch Plains Township request email]
NOTICE OF CONFIDENTIALITY
This message, including any prior messages and attachments, may contain advisory, consultative and/or deliberative material, confidential information or privileged communications of the Township of Scotch Plains. Access to this message by anyone other than the sender and the intended recipient(s) is not authorized. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, any disclosure, copying, distribution or action taken or not taken in reliance on it, without the expressed written consent of the sender is prohibited. If you have received this message in error, you should not save, scan, transmit, print, use or disseminate this message or any information contained in this message in any way and you should promptly delete or destroy this message and all copies of it. Please notify the sender by return e-mail if you have received this message in error
Dear Scotch Plains Township,
ChatGPT
Dear Scotch Plains Township,
I hope this message finds you well. I would appreciate it if you could forward this to the person responsible for conducting reviews under the Open Public Records Act.
I am reaching out to request an internal review of how Scotch Plains Township has handled my OPRA request titled 'Complaints filed against Construction Official/Zoning Officer Robert LaCosta'. I have personally lodged several complaints with the building inspector and the mayor via email, and I'm aware that over two dozen of my friends and neighbors in Scotch Plains have also done the same. The evidence and documentation supporting these complaints are readily available. It is a sentiment shared by many in our community that the building inspector and his office have displayed incompetence, and their actions are negatively impacting our town. It is crucial that they are held accountable for their actions.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
A full history of my OPRA request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://opramachine.com/request/complain...
Yours faithfully,
John M
Good afternoon,
The Township of Scotch Plains received your Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request on May 31, 2023. As such, the seven (7) business day deadline to respond to your request is June 9, 2023.
Thank you.
Maryann Matteo
OPRA Compliance Clerk
Township of Scotch Plains
430 Park Avenue
Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
908.322.6700 (office) ext. 213
908.322.1663 (fax)
[Scotch Plains Township request email]
NOTICE OF CONFIDENTIALITY
This message, including any prior messages and attachments, may contain advisory, consultative and/or deliberative material, confidential information or privileged communications of the Township of Scotch Plains. Access to this message by anyone other than the sender and the intended recipient(s) is not authorized. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, any disclosure, copying, distribution or action taken or not taken in reliance on it, without the expressed written consent of the sender is prohibited. If you have received this message in error, you should not save, scan, transmit, print, use or disseminate this message or any information contained in this message in any way and you should promptly delete or destroy this message and all copies of it. Please notify the sender by return e-mail if you have received this message in error
The Township of Scotch Plains received your Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request on May 31, 2023. As such, the seven (7) business day deadline to respond to your request is June 8, 2023. This response to your request is being provided to you on the 1st business day after the custodian’s receipt of said request.
Request: Internal review of OPRA request - Complaints filed against Construction Official/Zoning Officer Robert LaCosta
Response: Please be advised that the Township of Scotch Plains ("Township") is in receipt of your Open Public Records Act ("OPRA") request seeking "an internal review of how Scotch Plains Township has handled my OPRA request titled 'Complaints filed against Construction Official/Zoning Officer Robert LaCosta.'" When making an OPRA request, the requestor must specifically describe the documents being sought. Gannett N.J. Partners v. Middlesex, 379 N.J.Super. 205, 212 (App. Div. 2005). A proper request under OPRA must identify with reasonable clarity those documents that are desired. Bent v. Stafford Twp. Police Dept's, 381 N.J. Super. 30, 37 (App. Div. 2005). Your request is improper as it does not identify a specific record(s), but rather seeks an "internal review" of how the Township handled prior OPRA requests. Therefore, the Township must deny your request.
END OF REQUESTED ITEMS
By this letter of response, the Township of Scotch Plains will consider your OPRA request dated May 31, 2023, complete unless otherwise informed.
If you have any questions, please contact the Township Clerk 908-322-6700 ext. 211.
Thank you.
Maryann Matteo
OPRA Compliance Clerk
Township of Scotch Plains
430 Park Avenue
Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
908.322.6700 (office) ext. 213
908.322.1663 (fax)
[Scotch Plains Township request email]
NOTICE OF CONFIDENTIALITY
This message, including any prior messages and attachments, may contain advisory, consultative and/or deliberative material, confidential information or privileged communications of the Township of Scotch Plains. Access to this message by anyone other than the sender and the intended recipient(s) is not authorized. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, any disclosure, copying, distribution or action taken or not taken in reliance on it, without the expressed written consent of the sender is prohibited. If you have received this message in error, you should not save, scan, transmit, print, use or disseminate this message or any information contained in this message in any way and you should promptly delete or destroy this message and all copies of it. Please notify the sender by return e-mail if you have received this message in error