CLARIFICATION: The July 16 front-page story regarding closed minutes of Lower Township Municipal Utilities Authority (LTMUA) should have stated Mayor Michael Beck forwarded those previously-released authority minutes to this newspaper. Only the LTMUA has oversight to release its documents. Their release by LTMUA resulted after a citizen filed an Open Public Records Act request. Once released, such minutes are no longer confidential.
VILLAS – Lower Township Mayor Michael Beck forwarded previously released closed session meeting minutes of Lower Township MUA (above). He referenced them at the Lower Township Council’s July 7 meeting.
The meeting notes reflect private discussions held by the LTMUA board covering the fall and winter of 2013. The minutes were released after a request made under the Open Public Records Act by a resident, who then made them available to Beck.
The notes illuminate the internal turmoil within the MUA staff and among MUA board members that seems to highlight allegations of communication lapses between the MUA board and Lower Township government at recent council meetings.
The closed session notes include remarks concerning members taping other members, including video in some cases. Other discussions included a debate regarding how to settle lawsuits by employees, and most notably, they detail the board’s discussion about how to deal with the investigation into former executive director Matt Ecker’s behavior and whether his conduct was criminal, and how to deal with the problem.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
