Thought you might enjoy this cute little, but very true story.
Last week, I OPRA’d records from Shore Regional, wanting the bills and payments between the board and any attorney for any work involving the regionalization question about Sea Bright over a specific time period.
When I did not get an acknowledgement of receipt of the request within two days, I e-mailed it again, explaining I didn’t get a receipt and could I please have one. I e-mailed it about 8:30 this morning with the OPRA attached again.
This afternoon around 2, I got a phone call from Mr. Polo, the Shore Business administrator to whom I had sent the OPRA request. When he identified himself, I found him polite, courteous and friendly, he then asked what I wanted.
I explained I was not at home and did not have my request in front of me, but didn’t he? He said yes, but he wasn’t sure what it is I wanted. We went back and forth a bit, I explained I didn’t know any more words than the ones I used, and he then explained I would have to pay him for his time in getting it all together, was I willing to pay (an unnamed amount)? I asked for the law update that said I would have to pay the unspecified amount since it was not in the law he had sent me. (because he had denied my original OPRA request the week before that, telling me I had to send him the ‘official’ form which he did send..along with a breakdown of the costs and requirements citing the state law for OPRA.)
After a bit more friendly chatter, I said forget it, I’d make an appointment and come into his office to read all the information. Ah, but I couldn’t do that, because it all had to be redacted since vouchers included charges for other things that did not meet my request. I finally settled on, what the heck, just send me your payment of bills for attorneys for the specific time I mentioned for regionalization issues, as well as the approval for payment, and if that wasn’t enough, I’d file yet another OPRA.
Now that we’re so friendly, he then asked me what was my opinion on regionalization. I said wasn’t sure, thought it sounded good, but I really wanted to show folks just how many thousands of dollars they were paying attorneys for all the questions coming about it.
I said I figured Shore was also paying its attorney $165 an hour for their service, and he concurred. We lamented the fact that Shore and Oceanport and Sea Bright taxpayers all were paying for this, and he agreed with me that poor Sea Bright was paying on both sides of the issue.
I told him even more than the money, my real concern was that the Governor would order, if this didn’t get resolved, that Sea Bright, Highlands and Atlantic Highlands, plus the 3 school buildings, would then be directed to join big old Middletown because the Governor wants big, happy school families. He then asked me if that were true, why ever would anybody approve the 3 school regionalization (Sea Bright, Highlands and Atlantic Highlands) in the first place. So I told him it was because everybody had agreed on that four years ago and it was just all the legal fighting Oceanport and Shore Regional were causing that has delayed it all until now so things have changed over the years.
He said “OH!” we both said how great it was chatting with each other, I said I looked forward to getting the information which he told me would take “a little” time to get together. I told him not to worry, I’d check back with him if I didn’t have it next week or so, told him how much I appreciate all the hard work he does and how he is trying to help me, wished each other a good day and said goodbye.
Not once did he ask what I was doing with all the information, nor did either of us mention I have a blog that’s been writing about it once or twice.
So my question: Was I being taped or was an attorney on the line? Or both?
The Original Shore Regional Request and Response
