Jackson, NJ – A promised public release of a reported settlement between Jackson Township and its police chief will now come days later than township officials previously told residents, following an extension issued under New Jersey’s public records law.
The township said it now needs more time to ‘review’ and ‘redact’ that settlement agreement before its release. That means the townspeople will probably not be given full access to the complete settlement upon its release.
Jackson Councilman Chris Pollak blasted Burnstein and the administration for their lack of transparency, demanding its full release, saying the township residents have a right to know exactly what’s in the settlement, how much is it for, and an itemized breakdown of financial figures based on the claims within the lawsuit and settlment figures.
Earlier this week, Township Council President Mordechai Burnstein said the alleged million-dollar settlement involving Police Chief Matthew Kunz would be made public on February 1, one day after Kunz is scheduled to retire from the department. The statement was made during a public meeting and drew attention due to the timing and size of the agreement.
Burnstein did not say whether or not the document would be released in its entirety and did not indicate that a redacted version of the settlement would be released.
On Wednesday, the township clerk extended the response time for an existing Open Public Records Act request seeking the settlement agreement. The request, filed through the public records platform OPRAMachine.com, had been submitted on January 20, beyond the 7-day statutory limit under the law.
According to the clerk’s written notice, the original seven-business-day deadline to respond to the request was January 29. The township cited its authority under state law to seek additional time to compile, review, and redact records before release.
The extension could push the anticipated disclosure date to February 5, giving the township an additional week to review the settlement for compliance with New Jersey law. The clerk’s office also stated that the township reserves the right to seek further extensions if necessary.
The township now appears to be moving goalposts in an attempt to delay OPRA requests that would have had the document relased on the first, as promised by Burnstein. Now, Jackson residents wishing to see the document would have to file OPRA requests in advance, with low likelihood that the township would comply with Burnstein’s promise.
Councilman Pollak said that even as a sitting councilman who was asked to vote on the settlement, Mayor Kuhn and Burnstein have not yet allowed him to see the agreement, a right he should be afforded as an elected official who was expected to vote on the agreement.
The notice referenced a prior Government Records Council decision allowing extensions under similar circumstances and did not specify what portions of the settlement may be subject to redaction.
• Township officials previously said the settlement would be released on February 1
• An OPRA extension now delays the release until at least February 5
• The agreement involves Police Chief Matthew Kunz, who is set to retire January 31