You need to disable your pop-up blockers in order to download files.  Here are the instructions to do that:

• Open Chrome
• Click the Chrome menu in the top right corner (three small dots)
• Click "Settings"
• Click "Advanced" at the bottom of the screen
• Under "Privacy and security", click "Content settings"
• Next to "Blocked" click the slider to the right which will change the setting to "Allowed"

• Open Chrome
• Click the Chrome menu in the top right corner
• Click "Settings"
• Click "Show advanced settings"
• Under "Privacy" click the "Content settings" button
• Under "Pop-ups", click "Manage exceptions"

• Open Internet Explorer
• Click "Tools" (gear widget at top right)
• Click "Internet options"
• On the Privacy tab under "Pop-up Blocker", select or clear the "Turn on Pop-up Blocker" check box
• Click "OK"

• Open Firefox
• Click "tools"
• Click "options"
• Click Content
• Uncheck box in front of "Block pop-up windows"

• Click "Safari"
• Click "block pop-up windows" OR
• Click "Preferences"
• Click "Security"
• Uncheck box in front of "Block pop-up windows"

To get more information contact the Government Records Council:

Mail: Government Records Council

PO Box 819, Trenton, NJ 08625-0819

Phone: 866-850-0511

Email: grc@dca.state.nj.us

Website: www.nj.gov/grc 

Definitions from the law: 

"Government record" or "record" means any paper, written or printed book, document, drawing, map, plan, photograph, microfilm, data-processed or image-processed document, information stored or maintained electronically or by sound-recording or in a similar device, or any copy thereof, that has been made, maintained or kept on file in the course of his or its official business by any officer, commission, agency, or authority of the state or of any political subdivision thereof, including subordinate boards thereof, or that has been received in the course of his or its official business by any such officer, commission, agency, or authority of the state or of any political subdivision thereof, including subordinate boards thereof. The terms shall not include inter-agency or intra-agency advisory, consultative, or deliberative material. 

"Public agency" or "agency" means any of the principal departments in the executive branch of state government, and any division, board, bureau, office, commission, or other instrumentality within or created by such department; the Legislature of the state and any office, board, bureau, or commission within or created by the legislative branch; and "any independent state authority, commission, instrumentality, or agency. The term also means any political subdivision of the state or combination of political subdivisions, and any division, board, bureau, office, commission, or other instrumentality within or created by a political subdivision of the state or combination of political subdivisions, and any independent authority, commission, instrumentality, or agency created by a political subdivision or combination of political subdivisions. 

The GRC will first ensure that the complaint is a valid one. If it is, the Council will direct the public agency to produce the relevant documents and the reasoning behind the denial. In both mediation and a formal investigation, the GRC will try to handle the complaint as expeditiously as possible and, to that end, will use teleconferencing, faxing of documents, and e-mail. If in-person meetings are necessary, the Council will send representatives to meet the parties at mutually convenient locations.

If the Council cannot make a decision based on the written submissions of the parties, both parties will be notified and a formal hearing will be held. Following that hearing, the Council will reach a determination by a majority vote on whether the record should be made available to the requester. If the Council decides in favor of the requester, and it finds that the custodian “willfully and knowingly” denied access unreasonably under the full circumstances, the custodian can be fined $1,000 for a first offense, $2,500 for a second, and $5,000 for a third if it occurs within 10 years of the first. If the requester wins, he or she may be entitled to a reasonable attorney’s fee.

The Council's decision may be appealed to the Appellate Division of the Superior Court

Going to Superior Court

If a requester is denied access to public records, he or she has the option of seeking relief from the Superior Court in the appropriate jurisdiction. Information on this process can be obtained by contacting the Superior Court in the county where the denial took place. If the court determines that access was improperly denied, the court shall order that access be allowed. If the requester wins, he or she may be entitled to a reasonable attorney’s fee. 

Yes. Each agency has a records request form to be used to request records under OPRA. The records request form includes the name, address, and phone number of the requester and space for a brief description of the record sought. A written request provides a paper trail; in the event of a denial, this written record can be very important when making an appeal to the Government Records Council or Superior Court. While anonymous requests may be permitted, the custodian will require a 100% advance payment for any copies that are requested anonymously.

In addition, agencies may release some routinely requested records “informally” by phone, fax, or in person. Such an informal request would not bind the public agency to the time frames provided by OPRA and would not extend certain other rights to the requester, such as the right of appeal to the Government Records Council.  

1. All government records are subject to public access under the Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”), unless specifically exempt.
2. A request for access to a government record under OPRA must be in writing, hand-delivered, mailed, transmitted electronically, or otherwise conveyed to the appropriate custodian. N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5.g. The seven (7) business day response time does not commence until the records custodian receives the request form. If you submit the request form to any other officer or employee of Franklin Township, that officer or employee must either forward the request to the appropriate custodian, or direct you to the appropriate custodian. N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5.h.
3. Requestors may submit requests anonymously. If you elect not to provide a name, address, or telephone number, or other means of contact, the custodian is not required to respond until you reappear before the custodian seeking a response to the original request.
4. The fees for duplication of a government record in printed form are listed when submitting a request in the portal. We will notify you of any special service charges or other additional charges authorized by State law or regulation before processing your request. Payment shall be made by cash, check or money order payable to the Franklin Township.
5. You may be charged a 50% or other deposit when a request for copies exceeds $25. The Franklin Township custodian will contact you and advise you of any deposit requirements. You agree to pay the balance due upon delivery of the records. Anonymous requests in excess of $5.00 require a deposit of 100% of estimated fees.
6. Under OPRA, a custodian must deny access to a person who has been convicted of an indictable offense in New Jersey, any other state, or the United States, and who is seeking government records containing personal information pertaining to the person’s victim or the victim’s family. This includes anonymous requests for said information.
7. By law, Franklin Township must notify you that it grants or denies a request for access to government records within seven (7) business days after the agency custodian of records receives the request. If the record requested is not currently available or is in storage, the custodian will advise you within seven (7) business days after receipt of the request when the record can be made available and the estimated cost for reproduction.
8. You may be denied access to a government record if your request would substantially disrupt agency operations and the custodian is unable to reach a reasonable solution with you.
9. If Franklin Township is unable to comply with your request for access to a government record, the custodian will indicate the reasons for denial on the request form or other written correspondence and send you a signed and dated copy.
10. Except as otherwise provided by law or by agreement with the requester, if the agency custodian of records fails to respond to you within seven (7) business days of receiving a request, the failure to respond is a deemed denial of your request.
11. If your request for access to a government record has been denied or unfilled within the seven (7) business days required by law, you have a right to challenge the decision by Franklin Township to deny access. At your option, you may either institute a proceeding in the Superior Court of New Jersey or file a complaint with the Government Records Council (“GRC”) by completing the Denial of Access Complaint Form. You may contact the GRC by toll-free telephone at 866-850-0511, by mail at PO Box 819, Trenton, NJ, 08625, by e-mail at grc@dca.state.nj.us, or at their web site at www.state.nj.us/grc. The Council can also answer other questions about the law. All questions regarding complaints filed in Superior Court should be directed to the Court Clerk in your County.
12. Information provided when requesting records may be subject to disclosure under the Open Public Records Act.

Some exceptions to disclosure include:

• Inter- or intra-agency “advisory, consultative, or deliberative material”
• Trade secrets or proprietary commercial or financial information
• Any record within the attorney-client privilege
• Administrative or technical information about computers which, if disclosed, would jeopardize their security; Emergency or security information regarding any building or facility which, if disclosed, would compromise security
• Security or surveillance information which, if disclosed, could risk the general safety of the public
• Information which, if disclosed, would give an advantage to competitors or bidders
• Information about sexual harassment complaints or grievances, and information between an agency and an insurer
• Files maintained by the public defender in any case considered confidential
• Personal information such as social security, drivers license, credit card, and unlisted phone numbers (additional protections are granted to victims of crimes), and
• Information kept confidential under court order

For more specific information about exceptions, contact the “records custodian” in the public agency that has the records you want to access, or contact the Government Records Council. 

Special Circumstances

Under OPRA, criminal investigative records in general are not available to the public. Further, if the person making the request has been convicted of an indictable offense in New Jersey or elsewhere, he or she may not have access to personal information about his or her victim or the victim’s family. To comply with this provision, some agencies have developed records request forms that require the requester to certify that he or she has not been convicted of an indictable offense. (A government record containing such information may only be released subsequently if it is needed in the defense of the requester.)  

You need to know what records you want and what government agency has them. The records request should include an accurate description of each specific record sought. The more you know about the record you wish to see, the easier it will be for the custodian to retrieve it.

When you have that information, file a records request with the records custodian. Under OPRA, a records request must be in writing and must be hand-delivered, mailed, faxed, or “otherwise conveyed to the appropriate custodian.” The request cannot be made by telephone. Use of the Internet as a way to submit requests may be possible for an agency equipped to process such requests and is an option left open to the agency.

The requester is allowed to ask for a record to be copied in a particular format. It may not be possible to honor that request, but if it is feasible, an additional charge may be levied for that service if it is a format not normally used by the agency. This is most often applied to making copies or obtaining data from computer databases. 

• Letter size pages - $0.05 per page, 
• Legal size pages - $0.07 per page, 
• Other materials (CD, DVD, etc) – actual cost of material; 
• Police Accident Reports not requested in person and not part of Municipal Court Discovery shall have an Administrative Fee up to $5.00 charged. 

If a request for a record is denied, there are two avenues of redress. The requester may file a suit in Superior Court or apply to the Government Records Council for relief. For appeals to the Government Records Council, the complaint must be in writing, and it should set forth the facts regarding the circumstances of the request, the specific records asked for, and the denial of access by the records custodian. Appeals in the Superior Court require a $200 filing fee and must follow established court rules. If the denial is found to be unreasonable, either the court or the council can reverse the decision.

However, prior to taking formal action the requester may want to contact the Government Records Council for advice. Depending on the circumstances, the Council’s staff may be able to intervene and resolve the matter without a formal complaint being filed. 

OPRA specifically defines a government record as:  "... any paper, written or printed book, document, drawing, map, plan, photograph, microfilm, data processed or image processed document, information stored or maintained electronically or by sound-recording or in a similar device, or any copy thereof, that has been made, maintained or kept on file ... or that has been received in the course of his or its official business ..." N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1.1.

Under OPRA, citizens who want to obtain public records should contact the “custodian of records” of the public agency that holds the records they want. At the municipal level, that person will be the municipal clerk; at other public agencies, that person will be an official designated by the particular agency or governmental unit. 

Online Records Request

The law is intended to:

• Expand the public’s right of access to government records
• Set up an administrative process if access is denied
• Define what records are and are not “government records” and determine whether they should be accessible to the public.