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Planning board told to always disclose private contacts; recuse when impartiality is doubtful
Summary
Attorney Nick told planning board members that any off‑record contact should be disclosed on the record and that members who live adjacent to a subject property or who have a substantial personal or financial interest should consider recusal to avoid the appearance of impropriety.
At a training session, Nick of the borough attorney's office repeatedly urged board members to disclose off‑record conversations and unsolicited materials. "Always disclose it," he said when describing encounters at the grocery store or emails that arrive between meetings, and advised forwarding those communications to staff so they can be included in the public packet.
Nick also recommended recusal where a member's proximity or financial interest could create the appearance of bias. He explained that immediate family relationships and a local $1,000 financial threshold in borough code can trigger mandatory recusal and that members should ask staff or request an ethics opinion if unsure.
