Public Records Request - September 6, 2022
Dear Warren County,
This is a request for public records made under the 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:
[1] From January 1, 2020 to the present, public records on the proposed Food Waste Recycling/Composting Facility in Mansfield Township off of Blau Rd;
[2] Meeting minutes for the public meeting held on September 1, 2022 on the above subject and before the Warren County Solid Waste Advisory Council; and
[3] Audio recordings in their original and unedited file format of the above public meeting held on September 1, 2022.
If you are not correct recipient of this OPRA, kindly forward this request to the appropriate recipient.
Please provide all responses via electronic files.
Thank you,
William N. Sosis
Dear Mr. Sosis,
This email is acknowledging receipt of your request below for Warren County government records.
The Warren County Solid Waste Advisory Council (SWAC) is under the auspices of the Warren County Planning Department. You will find a link, "Vivaria Ecologics, LLC Application for Inclusion in Warren County Solid Waste Plan" at the bottom of this page: https://www.warrencountynj.gov/governmen...
Since that document (the application) is readily available, we are directing you to the website in partial response to item #1 of your request.
Regarding item #2 of your request, the meeting minutes of September 1, 2022 will not be official (or become available) until after they are approved by SWAC at a future public meeting. The Planning Department is working on assembling prior meeting minutes in digital format, which should be posted online in the coming week.
With respect to item #3 of your request, SWAC meetings are not recorded, so there is no record to provide to you.
We will contact you in the near future to provide additional records responsive to items #1 and #2. Thank you and enjoy the evening.
Regards,
Holly Luberto
Warren County Public Information Department
Wayne Dumont, Jr. Administration Building
165 County Rt. 519 South
Belvidere NJ 07823
908-475-6580 / 800-554-8540
Dear Mr. Sosis,
In addition to the email we sent to you on 09/07/2022, this message is in response to your below request for Warren County government records. We refer you to our website once again, as all records responsive to item [1] of your request have now been posted online: https://www.warrencountynj.gov/governmen...
Regarding item [2], as mentioned in our prior response, meeting minutes are not official, nor made publicly available, until after they have been approved by the Solid Waste Advisory Council. Hence, the earliest this document would potentially be releasable would be October 7, 2022 (assuming the minutes have been completed, that council does meet as scheduled, and formally approves the minutes as submitted).
Prior meeting minutes have now been posted online: https://www.warrencountynj.gov/governmen...
Kindly check that page again in mid-October to see about accessing the 09/01/2022 minutes. OPRA requests are not required for meeting minutes.
We reiterate that SWAC meetings are not recorded, so there are no records responsive to item [3] of your request.
We believe this completes your request and provides all responisve records to date. If you feel you have been denied information erroneously, you may wish to file a Denial of Access complaint with the NJ Government Records Council (GRC). The GRC can be reached via this toll-free number: 866-850-0511 or by visiting its web site: www.nj.gov/grc. Thank you and enjoy the day.
Regards,
Holly Luberto
Warren County Public Information Department
Wayne Dumont, Jr. Administration Building
165 County Rt. 519 South
Belvidere NJ 07823
908-475-6580 / 800-554-8540
The September 1, 2022 meeting was open to the public and therefore subject to the OPMA. The proposed dump site is a major concern to the residents of Mansfield Township, etc. The records requested should therefore include the public comments made on September 1, 2022. If the meeting notes have not yet been approved could you please provide draft minutes (unless they need to be pre-censored). Also, assuming you won't release draft notes, on what dates does the council make its "formal approval" of minutes?
Yours sincerely,
William Sosis
Dear Mr. Sosis,
OPMA is an acronym for Open Public Meetings Act. The SWAC meeting of
9/1/2022 was open to the public, with many citizens in attendance.
OPRA is an acronym for Open Public Records Act. You filed an OPRA request
to which we have responded. While OPRA provides that government records
must be made readily accessible for inspection, copying, or examination by
records requestors, the statute includes 27 specific exemptions from
disclosure within its many provisions. Number two (2) on this list:
Inter-agency or intra-agency advisory, consultative or deliberative
material (Note: refers generally to draft documents or documents used in a
deliberative process).
Meeting minutes, until they are approved by the governing body, are draft
documents and exempt from disclosure in accordance with N.J.S.A.
47:1A-1.1.
The next scheduled meeting of the Solid Waste Advisory Council is October
6, 2022 at 7:30 p.m., which you are welcome to attend. The earliest
business day that the SWAC meeting minutes of September 1, 2022 may be
available will be October 7, 2022. We trust this answers your question.
Regards,
Holly Luberto
Warren County Public Information Department