Sent 9:14 AM on June 26, 2025

Subject: Request for Agreement and Clarification on Mr. Jeff Bertrand’s Secret Retirement Terms
Dear John Tobia/Roberta Lang,

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:

Please provide a copy of the SECRET retirement agreement for Mr. Jeff Bertrand, effective June 30, 2025, by the end of the day today, June 26, 2025.

Additionally, I request detailed clarification on the following matters:

Timing of Approval - Why did Wall Township Municipal officials wait until June 25, 2024, to approve Mr. Bertrand’s retirement agreement during executive session? Was this timing intended to avoid placement on a public agenda or public scrutiny? You certainly had the opportunity to go into executive session at the start of the meeting and not the end of the meeting.

Compensation Beyond Retirement Date

Will Mr. Bertrand’s salary and municipal compensation cease on his retirement date, June 30, 2025?

If not, on what date does his compensation officially end, and what is the legal or contractual basis for any continued payments?

When will his first pension payment start based on what Sean Kean my assemblyman and township attorney advised us last night.

What date did Mr. Bertand submit his retirement paperwork to the state?

Health Benefits

Will Mr. Bertrand and his family be transitioned to the New Jersey State Health Benefits Plan (SHBP) effective July 1, 2025, as required?

Is he contributing the mandated 35% toward those health benefits? Please provide confirmation and documentation.

Contractual Legal Immunity

Does Mr. Bertrand’s employment or retirement agreement contain any clause waiving his right to bring legal action against Wall Township, especially given that he has reportedly been compensated without performing duties since February 14, 2025, on the backs of the Wall Taxpayers?

Investigations and Legal Proceedings
Please clarify the following:

What was the outcome of any investigations conducted by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office (MCPO), the Office of the State Auditor, the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller, or the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) concerning Mr. Bertrand or related municipal matters given he was placed on PAID administrative leave February 14, 2024.

Were any investigations ever formally opened by these or any other state agencies? If so, please provide the initiating dates, findings, and any public reports or summaries.

Has the lawsuit filed by Ms. Kate Kohri, in which Mr. Bertrand was a named party DOCKET NUMBER: 3:22-CV-05954-MAS-RLS, been settled? If so, what was the date and nature of the resolution?

Please provide any available public records, settlement agreements, or official correspondence related to the above inquiries.

Finally, I was shocked to find out that the town is now in desperate need of bonding over $9.2M as seen on the attached agenda (sent via e:mail) when we had no mention of it during the entire budget process, I am requesting a formal review of where the town money has been going as we have paid Mr. Bertrand, Interim's and consultants over $30,000 a month for the Wall Township Administrator position. What exactly is the "Jeff Fund"?

Please treat this as a formal inquiry and provide any and all relevant documentation related to these questions. If any information is subject to confidentiality exemptions, kindly specify the legal grounds.

My preferred delivery method for response(s) to this request is by E-mail as attachments. NOT A LINK FROM SEAN KEAN"S OFFICE THE TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY. 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.

Sincerely,
Betsy Cross

cc: MCPO
Office of the Auditor
Comptroller's Office - Kevin Walsh
DCA - Jacquely Suarez
Coast Star
Asbury Park Press
Star Ledger

sent 9:19 AM 6/26/2025
Dear Wall Township,

KINDLY NOTE UPDATE paid administrative leave was February 14, 2025 not February 14, 2024.

What was the outcome of any investigations conducted by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office (MCPO), the Office of the State Auditor, the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller, or the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) concerning Mr. Bertrand or related municipal matters given he was placed on PAID administrative leave February 14, 2025.

Yours faithfully,

Betsy Cross

Dear Wall Township,

ADDED -I also believe it is a conflict of interest to have the Health Broker (Brown & Brown) be the brother-in-law of the Head of Wall Municipal HR Jennifer Cinelli.

Yours faithfully,

Betsy Cross