Dear Pompton Lakes Borough,

Please accept this electronic request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an official form or use a particular software platform to submit my request per NJSA 47:1A-6(f), which states that an email from a requestor including all of the information required on the adopted form shall suffice in place of a completed form as a valid government record request.

I HAVE NOT been convicted of any indictable offense under the laws of New Jersey, any other state, or the United States.

I WILL NOT use the requested government records for a commercial purpose.

I AM NOT seeking records in connection with a legal proceeding.

Records requested:
Invoices for Apruzzese, McDermott, Mastro and Murphy legal services for September 2025 and October 2025

My preferred delivery method for response(s) to this request is by E-mail as attachments. Please confirm you have received this request. If you are not the custodian of records, please forward my request to that person and provide their email address to me for future reference.

Yours faithfully,
Helene Zablocki

Dear Kathy Troast,

On November 8, 2025, I requested invoices from Apruzzese et al for September and October 2025. I received information for September only. The response included a statement about "redactions pursuant to the applicable exemptions for legal preparation information and the deliberative process privilege."

Please spare the the public nonsensical legal gobbledygook about why the town continues to delay and obscure public documents. This includes sanctimonious comments by Mr. Ruitenberg, the borough's attorney, at public meetings about why the town continues to illegally redact information and deny information. Whoever is deciding to improperly, illegally respond to OPRA requests is not protecting the confidentiality of the staff at Borough Hall; the secrecy surrounding this public information protects only the person hiding it.

The agenda for tomorrow's December 10, 2025 meeting includes the October 2025 payment to Apruzzese: $7,008.51. Oh, and an amendment to the contract with this firm. Eventually, the public will get the answers to the Council's actions. OPRA requests should make this process easier, not harder.

Helene Zablocki

Yours sincerely,

Helene Zablocki