[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.
[Added 10-13-2020 by Ord. No. 17-20]
Any person or entity seeking to obtain a bid package for an item which is the subject of a public bid pursuant to the New Jersey Local Public Contracts Law[1] shall pay a fee of $50 for receipt of the bid package.
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 40A:11-1 et seq.