Politics & Government

Borough Public Records May Soon Be a Click Away

After Boonton decided to put any nonconfidential records online, Borough Council may follow suit.

Any records that are not confidential may soon appear on the borough's new website, according to a discussion among Borough Council members Monday at their regular meeting.

Council President James Lonergan brought forth the so-called Open Publc Records Act (OPRA) Resolution for discussion during the council meeting. The resolution, if one is drafted and brought before the council, would state the council's intention to make any nonconfidential public records accessable via the Internet, thus saving residents the expense of paying for hard copies and cutting down on paper used.

Such a move by the council, Lonergan said, would be in the spirit of "the original intent of OPRA." Placing these records online would enhance transparency and encourage open communication with residents, he said.

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Council Member Len Resto said such a move would be "a very green thing to do" since it would cut down on the town's use of paper.

Residents who want to see records can presently submit an OPRA request to the appropriate department and can wait several days for a paper copy to be created. They then would have to travel back to the department and pay per sheet for the reproduction of the record. But, Resto said, "In an electronic age, it's a different world," and many residents looked to online sources for news and other information.

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Council Member Bruce Harris said he was concerned about where this left residents who may not have a personal computer or printers or Internet access in their homes.

Lonergan said that any member of the public, regardless of residency, could use public computers and printers at the Library of the Chathams to access the information. He also said that by placing more information online, the borough would conserve the money, resources and manpower required for a staff person to research, copy and prepare the records for the public.

"I thought it was something that logically made sense," Lonergan said. 

Placing the items online would not preclude residents from requesting and receiving hard copies, the council said.

Nonconfidential records, which could be placed on the website included service contracts such as trash and recycling collection, labor agreements, leases and salary schedules. Confidential records would include personnel records of public employees that may be subject to discipline and matters of litigation.

Harris did agree that "if it's not confidential, we should just put it on the website."

The council decided to put nonconfidential documents online, but not to cease the practice of giving hard copies when requested.

The council also briefly discussed whether they could place public notices online, and whether online publication would fulfill the OPRA requirements of placing such things in newspapers to notify residents. There was a general agreement that public notices should continue to be printed in the newspapers.

Official publications for municipalities, school boards and other governing bodies are determined on the first meetings of a new term. At the borough council's reorganization meeting on Jan. 3, the council determined that the Independent Press, the Morris County Daily Record, The Star-Ledger and the Chatham Courier would be the official publications for the borough.

Shunpike Field

Council Member Vicki Fife cast the sole vote against approving $112,000 for the installation of lights at Shunpike Field.

The ordinance approving the money from capital funds for the lights passed 5-1.

"I don't think the township is playing fair," Fife said, referring to the township's decision to place their municipal emblem on the field despite the fact that funding for the field came from multiple other sources, including the Chatham Athletic Foundation and Chatham Borough.

How to Save a Life

The council also applauded Carol Nauta, the deputy director of Chatham Recreation, for reviving a senior citizen who had collapsed in the Chatham Township Municipal Building recently.

Nauta happened to be on the scene when a senior who was playing basketball in the township gym collapsed and needed to be revived. Nauta used a defibrillator to revive the man.

Borough Mayor Nelson Vaughan said he had been told that Nauta's husband Bill, the emergency management coordinator for the borough, had heard on his radio that someone in the township building needed vital help. Knowing his wife was in the vicinity, he tried to call her on her cell phone but failed to reach her.

Bill Nauta, who mans the equipment the borough uses to televise council meetings, confirmed the story.

A Busy Weekend

The Environmental Commission is holding the annual clean-up of , Hollow Woods and Kelly's Pond on Saturday at 9 a.m. Volunteers should bring boots and any tools that can be useful, such as rakes and clippers. Council members said that any equipment should have the owner's names on them. "Bring gloves and a pair of boots," Harris said.

Residents who wish to safely dispose of confidential papers, such as old bills, credit card statements and pay stubs, can bring their documents to the Chatham NJ Transit station on Saturday between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. , the documents can be safely shredded and recycled. Donations will go toward the three Sept. 11 memorials in Chatham Borough.

Traffic and Pedestrian Safety

The Traffic Safety Committee meets Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. to discuss some particular "hot spots" in town, according to Council Member James Collander, especially Kings Road.

Speeding on Kings Road is "systemic," Collander said, and the committee is searching for ways to control it. "We've used radar, we've used enforcement, some heavy enforcement at at times," Collander said, but it continues to be a problem.

The latest tactic employed to reduce speeding on Kings Road has been to set up barrels at different places on the road, so that the road is phyiscally and visibly impeded.

"If we could put a police officer there all day long, I would like to do that. But we can't," Collander said.

Collander also said that the state of New Jersey will be taking out the flashing lights at the intersection of Coleman Avenue and Main Street and putting in the state's flashing lights instead. "Hopefully we can use them somewhere else," Collander said.

Employees from the Bureau of Traffic Engineering and Safety came to inspect the intersection. Collander said they agreed the flashing lights are needed to alert passing cars when a pedestrian is trying to cross the street, but they said that the state's design is closer to national standards than the borough's.

The borough will take on some cost in removing the lights and replacing them with the state's. The final cost is still being negotiated.


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