Ethics complaint and resolution, and minutes of Ethics and Rent Board meetings
Please accept this as my request for government records under both OPRA and the common law right of access. Thank you very much for your commitment to transparent government.
RECORDS REQUESTED:
1. So that I don't burden your office with an extensive archive search, I'd like to withdraw #1 and #2 of my December 5, 2022 OPRA request regarding Ethical Standards Board minutes and meeting notices. Instead, I'd prefer to submit a new request for a) the minutes, both public and executive (apart from the minutes of January 26, 2022 meeting which I already have), of all Ethical Standards Board meetings held between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2022 and b) any "adequate notice" statements sent to the newspapers for any Ethical Standards Board meetings, apart from the notice of the January 26, 2022 meeting, held between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2022 for which minutes were not provided in response to part (a) of this request. Since Since Borough Code § 74-5(B) requires "[t]he members of the Ethical Standards Board [to] annually elect a Chairperson from among [its] membership," it would appear that the Board is required to hold an annual reorganization meeting for the purpose of electing a chairperson even if it doesn't receive any ethics complaints. Thus, at the very least, minutes or notices from the Board's 2020 and 2021 reorganization meetings should exist. Hopefully, limiting my request to only 2020, 2021 and 2022 will ease the administrative burden of searching for responsive records.
2. The "complaint against the police chief" referred to on the first page of the Ethical Standards Board's January 26, 2022 executive meeting minutes.
3. Any resolution, such as a settlement, notice of violation, notice of dismissal that finally resolved the complaint responsive to #2 above. Included within the scope of this request is any referral of the complaint to another agency, such as, but not limited to, the County Prosecutor or the Local Finance Board.
4. So that I don't burden your office with an extensive archive search, I'd like to withdraw #1 and #2 of my December 5, 2022 OPRA request regarding Rent Board minutes and meeting notices. Instead, I'd prefer to submit a new request for a) the agendas and minutes of all Rent Board meetings held during 2022 b) any roster showing the names and term expiration dates of all Rent Board members who served during 2022, and c) if no record is responsive to part (b) (i.e., the roster), then please provide me with the Council resolutions that appointed every Rent Board member who was authorized to serve on the Rent Board during 2022. I make this request because the Borough's LGO Roster shows William Pols as the only member of the Rent Board that filed or was supposed to file a 2022 Financial Disclosure Statement. Since Borough Code § 212-15 specifies that there are supposed to be six members on the Board, I'm not sure whether a) the other five positions aren't filled, b) whether those five members aren't listed on the LGO Roster or c) a combination of a and b.
After sending the request, I noted a typographical error in the first sentence of #4 of my request. It should read: "So that I don't burden your office with an extensive archive search, I'd like to withdraw #3 and #4 of my December 5, 2022 OPRA request regarding Rent Board minutes and meeting notices."
Thank you.
John Paff
Hello,
We are working on your request and need more time. We will respond on or
before 1/27/22.
Thank you,
Theresa
Theresa Gasparino
Secretary-Administration
[email address]
(201)288-1072
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
From: John Paff <[OPRA #38667 email]>
Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2022 3:39 PM
To: OPRA REQUEST <[email address]>
Subject: Re: OPRA request - Ethics complaint and resolution, and minutes
of Ethics and Rent Board meetings
After sending the request, I noted a typographical error in the first
sentence of #4 of my request. It should read: "So that I don't burden
your office with an extensive archive search, I'd like to withdraw #3 and
#4 of my December 5, 2022 OPRA request regarding Rent Board minutes and
meeting notices."
Thank you.
John Paff
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Correction 1/27/23.
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
From: OPRA REQUEST
Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2023 2:21 PM
To: John Paff <[OPRA #38667 email]>
Subject: Re: OPRA request - Ethics complaint and resolution, and minutes
of Ethics and Rent Board meetings
Hello,
We are working on your request and need more time. We will respond on or
before 1/27/22.
Thank you,
Theresa
Theresa Gasparino
Secretary-Administration
[email address]
(201)288-1072
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
From: John Paff <[OPRA #38667 email]>
Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2022 3:39 PM
To: OPRA REQUEST <[email address]>
Subject: Re: OPRA request - Ethics complaint and resolution, and minutes
of Ethics and Rent Board meetings
After sending the request, I noted a typographical error in the first
sentence of #4 of my request. It should read: "So that I don't burden
your office with an extensive archive search, I'd like to withdraw #3 and
#4 of my December 5, 2022 OPRA request regarding Rent Board minutes and
meeting notices."
Thank you.
John Paff
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this UNIQUE email address for all replies to this request and
no other:
[OPRA #38667 email]
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[1]https://opramachine.com/help/officers
View this OPRA request & responses online:
[2]https://opramachine.com/request/ethics_c...
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
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Dear Mr. Paff,
Please see the below and attached response to OPRA #22-577 dated December
31, 2022.
Sincerely,
Theresa Gasparino
Theresa Gasparino
Secretary-Administration
[1][email address]
(201)288-0195
From: [2]John Paff
Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2022 3:36 PM
To: [3]OPRA REQUEST
Subject: OPRA request - Ethics complaint and resolution, and minutes of
Ethics and Rent Board meetings
Please accept this as my request for government records under both OPRA
and the common law right of access. Thank you very much for your
commitment to transparent government.
RECORDS REQUESTED:
1. So that I don't burden your office with an extensive archive search,
I'd like to withdraw #1 and #2 of my December 5, 2022 OPRA request
regarding Ethical Standards Board minutes and meeting notices. Instead,
I'd prefer to submit a new request for a) the minutes, both public and
executive (apart from the minutes of January 26, 2022 meeting which I
already have), of all Ethical Standards Board meetings held between
January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2022 and b) any "adequate notice"
statements sent to the newspapers for any Ethical Standards Board
meetings, apart from the notice of the January 26, 2022 meeting, held
between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2022 for which minutes were not
provided in response to part (a) of this request. Since Since Borough
Code § 74-5(B) requires "[t]he members of the Ethical Standards Board [to]
annually elect a Chairperson from among [its] membership," it would appear
that the Board is required to hold an annual reorganization meeting for
the purpose of electing a chairperson even if it doesn't receive any
ethics complaints. Thus, at the very least, minutes or notices from the
Board's 2020 and 2021 reorganization meetings should exist. Hopefully,
limiting my request to only 2020, 2021 and 2022 will ease the
administrative burden of searching for responsive records.
2. The "complaint against the police chief" referred to on the first page
of the Ethical Standards Board's January 26, 2022 executive meeting
minutes.
See attached March 10, 2021 e-mail “OPRA request findings”, 1 page.
3. Any resolution, such as a settlement, notice of violation, notice of
dismissal that finally resolved the complaint responsive to #2 above.
Included within the scope of this request is any referral of the complaint
to another agency, such as, but not limited to, the County Prosecutor or
the Local Finance Board.
See attached March 24, 2022 letter from Richard Malagiere, Esq. 6 pages
4. So that I don't burden your office with an extensive archive search,
I'd like to withdraw #1 and #2 of my December 5, 2022 OPRA request
regarding Rent Board minutes and meeting notices. Instead, I'd prefer to
submit a new request for a) the agendas and minutes of all Rent Board
meetings held during 2022 b) any roster showing the names and term
expiration dates of all Rent Board members who served during 2022, and c)
if no record is responsive to part (b) (i.e., the roster), then please
provide me with the Council resolutions that appointed every Rent Board
member who was authorized to serve on the Rent Board during 2022. I make
this request because the Borough's LGO Roster shows William Pols as the
only member of the Rent Board that filed or was supposed to file a 2022
Financial Disclosure Statement. Since Borough Code § 212-15 specifies
that there are supposed to be six members on the Board, I'm not sure
whether a) the other five positions aren't filled, b) whether those five
members aren't listed on the LGO Roster or c) a combination of a and b.
No documents exist.
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[4][OPRA #38667 email]
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View this OPRA request & responses online:
[8]https://opramachine.com/request/ethics_c...
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John Paff left an annotation ()
I realize that the Borough did not response to #1 and #4 of my request, but I decided to abandon my pursuit for those records.