January 16, 2011
Hon. Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr.
Essex County Executive
Hall of Records, Room 405
465 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Newark, NJ, 07102
Re: OPRA Request
Boathouse Restaurant
Dear Mr. DiVincenzo:
CWA Local 1081 respectfully submits the attached OPRA (Open Public Records Act) request that our Union is provided copies of the following documents within the possession of the County of Essex regarding your Administration's attached Ordinance #5 proposing the County bond $4 million to construct a boathouse restaurant along the one-time Orange Reservoir:
1. A copy of the flier sent to the New Jersey Restaurant Association and copies of all of the responses the County received from restaurant operators. Within the attached Star Ledger article of January 26, 2010 it is reported, " In the meantime, Essex County has put out a formal request asking restaurant operators to submit plans by Feb. 1, after which a committee will pick a finalist in 45 to 60 days, said Ralph Ciallella, the deputy county administrator. To spike interest, 1,700 fliers were sent to the New Jersey Restaurant Association to distribute to its membership".
2. A copy of all documents promulgated by the abovementioned committee delineating their deliberations by which they picked McLoone's Restaurants to partner with Essex County to open a boathouse eatery in the South Mountain Complex, including the names of those serving on the committee.
3. A copy of the RFP that was prepared and issued in order for your administration to have selected McLoone's Restaurants to open a boathouse eatery in the South Mountain Complex via a competitive bidding process. Our Union cites the attached Star Ledger article of March 23, 2008 wherein it was reported that Larry Carr and Scott Ponicson then protested having not been awarded by the County, as the lowest bidders, "a small concession contract for a lakeside boathouse and paddle-boat rental operation at Verona Park"
4. A copy of the resolution approved by the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders that permitted the selection of McLoone's Restaurants to open a boathouse eatery in the South Mountain Complex..
- A copy of the issued requisite permit cited within the attached Star Ledger article of July 12, 2009 wherein it was reported that "a wetlands permit is needed from the State Department of Environmental Protection" in order to build the "Boathouse at South Mountain".
- A copy of all memorialized communications between the County and the City of Orange regarding negotiations for the former to lease from the latter a 4.5-acre slip of waterway of the one-time Orange Reservoir.
Sincerely,
David H. Weiner, President
CWA Local 1081