Memorial Day Parade Correspondence
Dear Plumsted 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:
All correspondence ( Email, Text messages, Ect) between any Township Committeemen, employees, or officials that include the names "Bill", "Bill Spadea", "Spadea", or " William Spadea" between 01/01/2023 and this current date.
Yours faithfully,
Steve Turner
Dear Requestor,
Please accept this correspondence on behalf of the Township of Plumsted. The Township received your OPRA request seeking: “All correspondence between any Township Committeemen, employees, or officials that include the name "Bill," Bill Spadea," "Spadea," or "William Spadea," between 1/1/2023 and this current date."
Your request is overly broad and requires clarification, it fails to specify a particular document as required under OPRA. An OPRA requestor is required to specifically describe the document sought, OPRA is not intended as a research tool to “force government officials to identify and siphon useful information. Rather, OPRA simply operates to make identifiable government records ‘readily accessible for inspection, copying, or examination.’ MAG Entertainment, LLC v. Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, 375 N.J. Super. 534, 546 (App. Div. 2005). A proper request for correspondence under OPRA requires the specification of (1) the identity of the sender or recipient (2) the subject matter and (3) a date range. Elcavage v. West Milford Township, GRC Complaint No. 2009-07.
OPRA is not intended to be used as a fishing expedition or as a research tool to compile unknown documents. You have requested correspondence between and among all elected and appointed officials and Township employees. Please clarify your request specifying the specific individuals, and specific types of correspondence beyond "text messages" and "email" Furthermore the word "bill" potentially includes thousands of documents over a fifteen-month period. Please clarify your request. A failure to provide written clarification will result in the denial of the request.
Thank you,
Nadene
Nadene M. Cicero, RMC, CMR
Deputy Municipal Clerk/Deputy Registrar
Township of Plumsted
121 Evergreen Road
New Egypt, NJ 08533
609-758-2241 ext. 130
609-758-0123 (Fax)
[email address]
Dear Nadene Cicero - Deputy Municipal Clerk,
I would like to re-clairify my request.
All correspondence involving the Memorial Day Parade ( Email, Text messages, Ect) between any Township Committeemen, employees, or officials that include the names "Bill Spadea", "Spadea", or " William Spadea" between 01/01/2023 and this current date.
Yours sincerely,
Steve Turner
Our Township Attorney advises that you need to specify the senders/recipients, it still encompasses every official/employee.
Nadene
Nadene M. Cicero, RMC, CMR
Deputy Municipal Clerk/Deputy Registrar
Township of Plumsted
121 Evergreen Road
New Egypt, NJ 08533
609-758-2241 ext. 130
609-758-0123 (Fax)
[email address]
Dear Nadene Cicero - Deputy Municipal Clerk,
I am not surprised, I would now like to modify the request to the following all regarding the Memorial Day Parade or Campaign Fundraiser events .
All text and email logs ( sent and received messages) from Mayor Cuozzo that include the names “Bill Spadea", "Spadea", or " William Spadea" between 01/01/2023 and this current date
All text and email logs ( sent and received messages) from Committeeman Bowen that include the names "Bill Spadea", "Spadea", or " William Spadea" between 01/01/2023 and this current date
All text and email logs ( sent and received messages) from Committeeman Marinari that include the names "Bill Spadea", "Spadea", or " William Spadea" between 01/01/2023 and this current date
All text and email logs ( sent and received messages) from Committeeman Griello that include the names "Bill Spadea", "Spadea", or " William Spadea" between 01/01/2023 and this current date
All text and email logs ( sent and received messages) from Committeeman Hammerstone that include the names "Bill Spadea", "Spadea", or " William Spadea" between 01/01/2023 and this current date
All text and email logs ( sent and received messages) from the township business administrator that include the names "Bill Spadea", "Spadea", or " William Spadea" between 01/01/2023 and this current date
Yours sincerely,
Steve Turner
The Township requires an extension to 4/26/24 to respond to your below OPRA request for email logs and text logs for "the Memorial Day Parade or Campaign Fundraiser events."
Thank you,
Nadene
Nadene M. Cicero, RMC, CMR
Deputy Municipal Clerk/Deputy Registrar
Township of Plumsted
121 Evergreen Road
New Egypt, NJ 08533
609-758-2241 ext. 130
609-758-0123 (Fax)
[email address]
We are in receipt of your OPRA request for email logs and text logs for “the Memorial Day Parade or Campaign Fundraiser events” to and from the Mayor and Township Committee and Business Administrator from 1/1/23 to 4/5/24.
Please be advised that your request for “text logs” for the Memorial day Parade or Campaign Fundraiser events is denied because there are no responsive documents.
As far as the remainder of your request for email logs, the Township requires an extension to 4/26/24.
Thank you,
Nadene
Nadene M. Cicero, RMC, CMR
Deputy Municipal Clerk/Deputy Registrar
Township of Plumsted
121 Evergreen Road
New Egypt, NJ 08533
609-758-2241 ext. 130
609-758-0123 (Fax)
[email address]
Dear Mr. Turner,
The Township requires an extension to May 17, 2024 to respond to your OPRA request for Memorial Day Parade Correspondence.
Thank you,
Nadene
Nadene M. Cicero, RMC, CMR
Deputy Municipal Clerk/Deputy Registrar
Township of Plumsted
121 Evergreen Road
New Egypt, NJ 08533
609-758-2241 ext. 130
609-758-0123 (Fax)
[email address]
Dear Nadene Cicero - Deputy Municipal Clerk,
A reliable source within the township has informed me Mr. Cuozzo has requested to have this response delayed as he is not happy about being OPRA’ed. Please provide all information as soon as it is available.
Yours sincerely,
Steve Turner
Dear Mr. Turner,
Please be advised that fulfillment of this request will require an extraordinary expenditure of time and effort. Production of the requested documents will require an estimated 10 hours to complete. The production of the requested email logs is estimated to require 5 hours. The Township of Plumsted receives IT support from the Manchester Township IT department at a rate of pay of $130 per hour for a charge of $650.00. The email logs will need to be reviewed and redacted, which is estimated to take an additional 5 hours at a rate of pay of $27.50 per hour, which is the base rate of pay of the lowest paid employee qualified to review and redact the documents for a charge of $137.50. The total charge for the production of documents for this request is estimated to be $787.50.
OPRA allows public agencies to impose special service charges whenever the nature, format, manner of collation, or volume of a government record embodied in the form of printed matter to be inspected, examined, or copied pursuant to this section is such that the record cannot be reproduced by ordinary document copying equipment in ordinary business size or when fulfilling a request requires an extraordinary expenditure of time and effort. See N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5.c. Special service charges must be based upon the actual direct cost of providing the copy or copies.
OPRA mandates that the requestor shall have the opportunity to review and object to the charge prior to it being incurred. See N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5.c. As such, a detailed estimate is provided below:
The total estimated special service charge is $787.50.
Kindly respond in writing with your acceptance or rejection of this estimated charge within five business days. If the Township does not hear from you or receive payment in five business days, we will consider this request competed and closed. We will not begin to process this request until we receive your written acceptance and a deposit of 50% of the total charge, or the amount of $393.75.
Thank you,
Nadene
Nadene M. Cicero, RMC, CMR
Deputy Municipal Clerk/Deputy Registrar
Township of Plumsted
121 Evergreen Road
New Egypt, NJ 08533
609-758-2241 ext. 130
609-758-0123 (Fax)
[email address]
Dear Nadene Cicero - Deputy Municipal Clerk,
Good morning. I am in receipt of your previous response on as well as 5 business day deadline to provide a decision. I am requesting an extension until 6/3/2024 in response to providing payment. My attorney is currently reviewing this request/response additional documentation as well as previous requests as this has not been past common practice. A decision will be made on or before 6/3/2024.
Yours sincerely,
Steve Turner
Dear Mr. Turner,
Since we have not received your decision on or before 6/3/2024, your OPRA request is now closed.
Thank you,
Nadene
Nadene M. Cicero, RMC, CMR
Deputy Municipal Clerk/Deputy Registrar
Township of Plumsted
121 Evergreen Road
New Egypt, NJ 08533
609-758-2241 ext. 130
609-758-0123 (Fax)
[email address]