Training
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:
All training records for all Borough employees from January 1, 2023 to the present, including but not limited to documentation that identifies
-The name or type of training/class
-The date(s) of the training
-The location where the training was held
-The cost of the training
-The name and title of the employee(s) who attended
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,
Jen Miller
I have reviewed your OPRA request below and - the request is broad and does not define a specific document. I am requesting clarification as to the documents you are seeking.
Elizabeth Brandsness, RMC
Municipal Clerk / Deputy Administrator
Borough of Pompton Lakes
25 Lenox Avenue
Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442
973-835-0143 ext. 238
Dear Elizabeth Brandsness,
I am seeking copies of any records maintained by the Borough that document employee participation in trainings, seminars, courses, or classes conducted or attended between January 1, 2023 and the present. These records may include, but are not limited to:
• Sign-in sheets
• Attendance rosters
• Certificates of completion
• Internal training logs or databases
• Invoices or receipts showing training costs
• Schedules or memos detailing the date, title/type, location, and attendees of trainings
To be clear, I am not requesting the creation of new records, but rather copies of existing records that identify:
• The name or type of the training
• The date(s) it occurred
• The location
• The cost
• The name and title of the employee(s) who attended
Yours sincerely,
Jen Miller
Dear Elizabeth Brandsness,
Please provide me with a status update. Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Jen Miller
We are currently working on gathering the information. Clerk's office is currently short handed due to vacations, leave of absence. Please refer to extension request submitted to you on July 8, 2025.
Elizabeth Brandsness, RMC
Municipal Clerk / Deputy Administrator
Borough of Pompton Lakes
25 Lenox Avenue
Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442
973-835-0143 ext. 238
Please be advised your request for “any records maintained by the Borough
that document employee participation in trainings, seminars, courses, or
classes conducted or attended between January 1, 2023 and the present” are
voluminous in nature and will require additional time. We will at this
time need an additional 30 days.
Elizabeth Brandsness, RMC
Municipal Clerk / Deputy Administrator
Borough of Pompton Lakes
25 Lenox Avenue
Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442
973-835-0143 ext. 238
Ms. Miller,
In response to your request please find attached invoice documentation
with redactions (Personnel information, security-sensitive content).
After reviewing the OPRA request for training-related documentation the
Police Department has carefully evaluated the scope of work involved and
has provided an estimate of time and cost.
Fulfilling the request will require approximately 30 hours of work spread
over multiple days.
As outlined previously, the responsive records are not maintained in a
centralized format. They are distributed across individual personnel
files, archived emails, training folders, and other internal sources. The
process will require:
• Identifying and retrieving records from multiple locations
• Reviewing each document for responsive content
• Performing redactions where necessary to comply with OPRA exemptions
(e.g., personnel information, health-related data, or
security-sensitive content)
• Preparing the responsive materials for release
Due to the nature of these records and the need for supervisory review,
Lt. Klepacky is the only appropriate staff member to complete this task.
• If completed during regular hours (straight time): 30 hours ×
$88.96/hr = $2,668.80
If completed during overtime due to current staffing shortages and
projected absences, a significant portion of the work may likely need to
be completed during overtime.
• If completed on overtime: 30 hours × $133.45/hr = $4,003.50
Elizabeth Brandsness, RMC
Municipal Clerk / Deputy Administrator
Borough of Pompton Lakes
25 Lenox Avenue
Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442
973-835-0143 ext. 238
Dear Elizabeth Brandsness,
I am writing to formally object to the proposed special service charge of $4,000. This fee estimate is based on 30 hours of labor exclusively by a lieutenant, is excessive, lacks justification, and appears inconsistent with both the letter and intent of OPRA. OPRA was created to promote transparency. Instead, the borough is charging exorbitant fees to discourage someone from viewing releasable documents.
Under N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5(c), a special service charge may only be imposed when a request requires an extraordinary expenditure of time and effort, and the agency bears the burden of providing a specific factual basis for such a charge. The estimate provided fails to meet that standard. There is no itemized breakdown of the work involved, no explanation as to why clerical or support staff cannot assist, and no indication that the department made any attempt to retrieve these records from digital or centralized sources. I would settle for any certificates of completion and training logs or schedules that may have been created during that time period. This is a task that should be able to be completed within a very short period of time. Thanks.
Yours sincerely,
Jen Miller
Ms. Miller,
Your objection to the special service charge for the request is noted. You were provided with an estimate of the time and effort it will take to accurately satisfy your request and the explanation for the reason it is required. The documents are located in individual personnel files which contain highly sensitive and confidential material and can only be accessed by supervisory personnel. Consequently, the cost to satisfy the request is beyond that which is reasonably absorbed in the Borough budget. Based on your objection I must conclude that you do not want us to proceed with your request subject to the special service charge and, consequently, I am closing out my file on this request having provided you with the documents I am able to provide without necessitating special service charges.
Elizabeth Brandsness, RMC
Municipal Clerk / Deputy Administrator
Borough of Pompton Lakes
25 Lenox Avenue
Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442
973-835-0143 ext. 238