Can a public body block release of meeting minutes under OPRA simply by failing to approve them?

Governmental bodies are required to keep minutes of their public meetings under the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA), but release of those records is largely governed by the Open Public Records Act (OPRA). Though the OPMA requires that minutes be “promptly available,” court and GRC decisions have sanctioned long-term non-release of minutes on the grounds Read More …

Lawsuit argues that 3-yr old, unapproved, public meeting minutes are not “deliberative”

Many people who have sought public meeting minutes have heard the familiar refrain, “the minutes are not approved for release.” That would seem to imply that failure of a governing body to adopt a set of minutes could forever block their release, even for minutes of an open public meeting. The OPMA and OPRA laws Read More …

CASE SUMMARY: John Paff v. Township of Moorestown

Case Name: John Paff v. Township of Moorestown, et al Docket Number: BUR-L-340-16 County: Burlington Filing Date: February 16, 2016 Presiding Judge: Ronald E. Bookbinder Status: OPRA loss/OPMA win. The case is currently on appeal.   Overview: This case presents the issue of whether the minutes of an October 19, 2012 public meeting of the Read More …

CASE SUMMARY: Dean Smith v. Swedesboro-Woolwich School District et al.

Case Name:  Dean Smith v. Swedesboro-Woolwich School District et al. Docket Number:  GLO-L-652-15 (trial level); A-000840-15 (Appellate Division) County / Vicinage:  Gloucester Filing Date:  May 15, 2015 Judge:  Curio, Georgia M. (trial level) Status:  Closed.  (Appellate Division ruling was released on March 6, 2017.)   Overview: In response to an OPRA request for minutes of a Read More …