[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Council of the Township
of Jackson 12-26-2006 by Ord. No. 32-06 (Ch. 29). Amendments
noted where applicable.]
In accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.
(the "Act"), government records shall be readily accessible for inspection,
copying, or examination by the citizens of this state, with certain
exceptions, for the protection of the public interest, and any limitations
in the right of access accorded by the Act as amended and supplemented
shall be construed in favor of the public's right of access.
A "government record" or "record" shall be as defined within
N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1.1. In accordance with N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1.1, the "custodian
of a government record" or "custodian" shall mean the Municipal Clerk.
The Municipal Clerk may delegate responsibility for handling
records requests for particular departments within the Township to
deputy custodians.
The custodian of a government record shall permit the record
to be inspected, examined, and copied by any person during regular
business hours unless a government record is exempt from public access
by the Act, as amended and supplemented, any other statute, resolution
of either or both houses of the Legislature, regulation promulgated
under the authority of any statute or executive order of the Governor,
executive order of the Governor, Rules of Court, any federal law,
federal regulation, or federal order. A request for a record must
be made on a form adopted by the custodian of the government record.
Unless a shorter time period is otherwise provided by statute,
regulation, or executive order, a custodian of a government record
shall grant access to a government record or deny a request for access
to a government record as soon as possible, but not later than seven
business days after receiving the request, provided that the record
is currently available and not in storage or archived.
During such regular business hours and under the supervision
of a representative of the custodian, every citizen of the state shall
also have the right to copy such records by hand and to purchase copies
of the records. Copies of records shall be made available upon the
payment of the price as established by law. The custodian may require
a deposit against costs for reproducing documents sought whenever
the custodian anticipates that the information thus requested will
cost in excess of $5 to reproduce.
[Amended 11-23-2010 by Ord. No. 38-10]
A.
The following fees shall be charged for copies of public documents
and records:
[Amended 10-13-2020 by Ord. No. 17-20]
(1)
Duplicate tax bills: $5 for an initial duplicate copy of a tax bill
requested by a mortgagee, servicing organization or property tax processing
organization; $25 for each subsequent copy of the same tax bill in
the same tax year requested by the same organization pursuant to N.J.S.A.
54:4-64.
(2)
In accordance with N.J.S.A. 54:5-54, the Tax Collector shall provide
to any party entitled to redeem a certificate pursuant to this section
(N.J.S.A. 54:5-54) two calculations of the amount required for redemption
within a calendar year at no cost. For each subsequent calculation
requested from the Tax Collector, there shall be a fee of $50. A request
for a redemption calculation shall be made, in writing, to the Tax
Collector.
(3)
In accordance with N.J.S.A. 54:5-97.1, the Tax Collector may charge
a lien holder of a tax lien $50 for the calculation of the amount
due to redeem the tax lien as required pursuant to N.J.S.A. 54:5-97.1.
Any request for a redemption calculation shall specify the date to
be used for the calculation, which shall be the date of the notice.
Neither the Tax Collector nor the municipality shall be liable for
an incorrect calculation. The fee paid to the municipality shall not
become part of the lien and shall not be passed on to any party entitled
to redeem pursuant to N.J.S.A. 54:5-54.
(4)
The fee for each set of tax sale in lieu of advertisement notices
that are mailed shall be $25 pursuant to N.J.S.A. 54:5-26.
(5)
The fee for a duplicate tax sale certificate shall not exceed $100
pursuant to N.J.S.A. 54:5-52.1.
(6)
The
fee for the research and review for preparation of a certificate of
redemption shall be $25.
(7)
The
fee for searches shall be $10 pursuant to N.J.S.A. 54:5-14.
(8)
The
fee for continuation searches shall not exceed $2 per calendar year
pursuant to N.J.S.A. 54:5-15.
(9)
Police reports. The fee shall be in accordance with the rates established by N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5, set forth in Subsection A(10) below: For police accident reports not requested in person, an additional fee of $5 shall be charged to cover the administrative costs of the report pursuant to N.J.S.A. 39:4-131.
(10)
All
other documents. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5, except as otherwise
provided by law or regulation, the fee assessed for the duplication
of a government record embodied in the form of printed manner shall
be $0.05 per letter-size page or smaller and $0.07 per legal-size
page or larger. If the actual costs of reproduction exceed $0.05 per
letter-size page or smaller or $0.07 per legal-size page or larger,
the Township may charge the actual cost of duplication. Access to
electronic records and nonprinted materials shall be provided free
of charge, but the Township will charge for the actual costs of any
needed supplies, such as computer discs.
(11)
Copies
of videotapes or audiotapes; review of videotapes or audiotapes. The
Township shall charge the actual cost of duplication.
B.
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 is such that the record cannot be reproduced by the Township
by ordinary document-copying equipment in ordinary business size or
involves an extraordinary expenditure of time and effort by the Township
to accommodate the request, the Township may charge, in addition to
the actual cost of duplicating the record, a special service charge
that shall be reasonable and based upon the actual direct cost of
providing the copy or copies. The requestor shall have the opportunity
to review and object to the charge prior to it being incurred.
C.
In the event an extraordinary expenditure of time and effort is needed
by the Township to accommodate a request to inspect, in addition to
any fees for actual duplication and copying incurred by the requestor
under this chapter, the Township shall assess a special service charge
based upon the cost incurred for such extensive use of information
technology resources and/or the labor cost of the personnel providing
the service that is actually incurred or attributable to the Township
for the clerical and supervisory assistance required, or both. The
manner by which such special inspection service fee is calculated
shall be kept on file with the Township. The requestor shall have
the opportunity to review and object to the charge prior to it being
incurred.
