Update On Efforts to Change the Open Public Records and Open Public Meetings Act During Lame Duck Session
So we got an update from someone who has a bit more information than us on concerns connected to potential changes to OPRA – this is what they wrote us on Wednesday afternoon: Danielson filed four opra bills but none of them are going to advance. Sarlo is working on an opra bill and opma bill but nothing’s been filed...
Community Correspondence to the Board of Education – August 2023
There was no meeting in July, and no correspondence to the Board in July- much of what was provided to BHCW was written to the Board in June. The District habitually does not give responsive documents, so if you wrote to the Board of Education in July, please let us know. Also, the OPRA Custodian continues redacting his name and...
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Mayor Devanney’s Response to Resident Concerns on Proposed OPRA Reform
In this clip, Mayor Devanney responds to my concerns regarding OPRA reform. The Mayor’s response does not address the specific concerns of the letter connected to legislation proposed by Assemblyman Danielsen that would, in fact, impact residents and journalists. I also believe it overstated the cost and work involved in automatically making documents public – especially when you consider the...
Community Correspondence to the Berkeley Heights Board of Education – May and June 2023
Why is the District taking the time and expense of redacting Dr. Varley’s name and links to public information about our schools? It’s like the District is expending dollars to bring on yet another lawsuit – as if that’s what they want. By simply stopping these redactions and placing items like Committee Meeting Minutes and Attachments, Executive Committee Minutes and...
The Saga to Attain the Proficiency Analysis Report that “Doesn’t Exist”
The Administration’s Madness Continues There was a reasonable request from a BOE member at the May 11th BOE meeting for the Superintendent to do her job and present to the BOE possible reasons for the decline in rankings and proficiencies as well as a plan to address the declines. The timeline below details the saga that ensued. May 11th: At...
A Costly Gamble
The OPRA Custodian is missing the mark and it may end up costing the District more money. Many parents have received the following limited availability email from the designated OPRA custodian Mr. Hopkins: So the key question is, who is fulfilling the OPRA requests within the seven business day timeline in accordance with the Open public records act? Some parents...
Do the Rules Even Matter?
In the clip below, Ms. Akiri points to the BOE’s continued policy violations under Angela Penna and Joy Young. These violations include interfering with a resident’s right to free speech (Angela Penna has consistently interrupted residents improperly while speaking about issues that are strictly related to District business and BOE actions), the Budget process, social media policy, and the continued...
As The Board Turns
The Same Soap Opera, The Same Plot Is it the mounting social pressure coming from the community or a total lack of self awareness? As of late, there has been a trend at Board meetings to address public concerns and this new display of theatre is not to be missed. As a community we have been made aware that the...
They Could Take Our Last Tool For Transparency
Legislation being proposed at the state level casts a darkness on government business -John Leo, Jr. In four bills just last week presented to the NJ Legislature, A5613-5616, the mechanisms by which the public can gain public records are destined to be severely changed- some good, some bad. OPRA (Open Public Records Act) being the only tool we have to...
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