June 24th BOE agenda is finally available:

Link to agenda:

https://www.scribd.com/doc/270011859/BOE-Agenda-June-24-2015

Five days after the actual meeting, I finally received the June 24^th agenda. 

“Quid Pro Quo”- Licata, Nardino, Ciofalo

Licata and Nardino use BOE Employee Jamie Ciofalo during the school day to generate money for them and their “nonprofit”.  Knowing that Ciofalo misses many school days to do something other than what the Lodi taxpayers pay him for, why would the BOE give him another title and more money?

Being the “President” of the Boys and Girls Club, Ciofalo will return the favor by making Joe Licata the next Executive Director of the Club.  He will continue to make Nardino and Licata the highest paid “nonprofit” employees around.

This is nothing more than a “quid pro quo”.  Abstaining does not make Licata or Nardino any less unethical.

Bob Marra should be commended for voting “No” on this appointment.  I can’t remember the last time I saw a “No” vote from Capizzi’s Board. 

Link to May minutes:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/269810847/BOE-Minutes-May-2015 

Email sent to Capizzi:

Dear Mr. Capizzi,

You are required by law to indicate the specific reason why you denied my request for the  agenda of Wednesday's public meeting.

"If the custodian is unable to comply with a request for access, the custodian must indicate the
specific  reason  for  denying  access  on  the  request  form  and promptly  return  a  copy  to  the
requestor. N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5.g. The form must be signed and dated by the custodian, as it may
serve as the basis for an appeal by the requestor to Superior Court or the Government Records
Council.   A custodian’s response may be provided in another written format other than on the
OPRA request form."

Thank you.

Capizzi violated the Open Public Records Act...over a basic meeting agenda.

On June 9th, I submitted an OPRA request seeking the agenda of tonight's meeting (as soon as it came available).

Tonight was the meeting.  Marc Capizzi refused to produce any agenda.

Why would Capizzi go to such great lengths to withhold something so basic as a MEETING AGENDA?  

Wouldn't it be easier to produce an agenda than violate the law? 

What does it say about a district that won't provide the public with an agenda on-line, at the meetings, or even after an OPRA request?

Is every business associate of Jamie Ciofalo's entitled to Drug Alliance money?

Apparently, anyone hooked up with any of Ciofalo's long list of business ventures will eventually be the recipient of Lodi Drug Alliance funds.  Another one appeared on this month's bills.

Have you ever seen anyone PROFIT OFF OF BULLYING the way Ciofalo has?  

June 2015 Bills are available.

Link to the June bills:

https://www.scribd.com/doc/269622468/June-2015-Bills

Marc Capizzi wants to give me the June 24th agenda on June 25th.

Almost every district provides a meeting agenda on-line prior to board meetings.  Lodi doesn’t.  I submitted the following OPRA request two weeks in advance just so the public can see what will be voted on at the June 24^th meeting:

This was the email response I received today from Mr. Capizzi:

On Wed, Jun 10, 2015 at 02:35 PM, Marc Capizzi wrote:

Mr. Curioni, as you have indicated in the attached OPRA Request dated June 9, 2015, the documents you have requested are not currently available.  Therefore, your request will be reviewed once the documents become available to the public beginning Thursday June 25, 2015. In accordance with a recommendation received from the Lodi Board of Education's Attorney, the documents are exempt from disclosure prior to the meeting since they are considered "pre-decisional advisory materials". They will become public after the Board has taken action, at which time all non-exempt documents can be provided.


 Regards,

Marc A. Capizzi
Board Secretary/Business Administrator
 Lodi Board of Education
 8 Hunter Street
 P.O. Box 815
 Lodi, NJ 07675
973-778-4920 (w)
973-778-1175 (f)
marc.capizzi@lodi.k12.nj.us

This was my email response citing the Midland Park “attachment” decision once again:

Dear Mr. Capizzi,

I am aware that the agenda is not yet available.  I submitted the OPRA request two weeks in advance so the public will have an opportunity to view the agenda prior to the meeting, not after.  Unlike other districts, Lodi does not post their agenda on-line prior to meetings or even at the meetings.  This is why I am submitting an OPRA request for the agenda.

In a Record article titled:  "Judge rules against Midland Park school board in attachments lawsuit", the first line reads: "A Superior Court judge has ruled that the K-12 Board of Education must make attachments to its agendas available to the public prior to meetings."

Another paragraph reads:  "These attachments are already produced in electronic form for the board members and are necessary for the public to understand the agenda," Doyne's opinion states. "The public cannot be 'overloaded' with information concerning the workings of their governmental and municipal entities."

I am only requesting what Superior Court Judge Peter Doyne already decided.

Here is a link to the article: 

http://www.northjersey.com/news/judge-rules-against-midland-park-school-board-in-attachments-lawsuit-1.714573

Ryan