PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Zoning Board of Adjustment Chairman Robert Iracane is under investigation for violating the “Open Public Meeting Act.”
Zoning Board of Adjustment Attorney Peter King, Esq. said in an email to Parsippany Focus “I have discussed same with the Municipal Clerk for the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills, and we have agreed we will be investigating the allegation of a violation of the Open Public Meeting Act on January 26, 2022, at the Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting.”
Parsippany Focus received a number of “anonymous” complaints on Monday morning regarding the violation and contacted the Township Clerk, Khaled Madin, as well as the Zoning Board Attorney, Peter King, Esq. for an investigation.
A video of the video was first published on Parsippany Focus on Sunday, January 30, 2022.
At the end of the meeting on Wednesday, January 26, Chairman Iracane called for a “Social” with all of the board members. (Click here to view the meeting. At the 1:30:53 mark is when Iracane discusses the meeting.)
Chairman Iracane said “I would like the board to stay for about two minutes, the board only, just for a little social. Just the board.”
Peter King asks “Just for the record is this still an executive session.”
Iracane responded Nope, it’s just a two-minute social. Like we would go out for a drink. (Professionals and Audience leaves)
Iracane continued to say “I hate to discuss this, but I am sure you are aware of what happened to me in the press. If you want to call Hocus Pocus press, it’s a poor excuse for the press. Board Secretary Nora Jolie then says “Is this on record.” Iracane responds, No, No, No, this is social. Motion to adjourn. Then recording stops and the meeting continues.
New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act clearly states “The Legislature finds and declares that the right of the public to be present at all meetings of public bodies, and to witness in full detail all phases of the deliberation, policy formulation, and decision making of public bodies, is vital to the enhancement and proper functioning of the democratic process; that secrecy in public affairs undermines the faith of the public in government and the public’s effectiveness in fulfilling its role in a democratic society and hereby declares it to be the public policy of this State to ensure the right of its citizens to have adequate advance notice of and the right to attend all meetings of public bodies at which any business affecting the public is discussed or acted upon in any way except only in those circumstances where otherwise the public interest would be clearly endangered or the personal privacy or guaranteed rights of individuals would be clearly in danger of unwarranted invasion.”
