Township Council Meeting — Agenda

protected by both the attorney client privilege and the [advisory, consultative and deliberative] exception[s] to the OPRA statute." The court found "HGA was retained as a consultant by the Township Council and [p]lanning [b]oard specifically to investigate the merits of designating the [library] as an area in need of redevelopment . . . and that in that role, . . . Baree was a necessary intermediary who communicated with the Township and [p]lanning [b]oard attorneys on these issues." Thus, the court reasoned the emails "revealed only communications between the counsel and a necessary intermediary." The court granted defendants summary judgment on plaintiff's OPRA and common law right of access claims. Plaintiff appeals from the court's December 27, 2019 order granting the Township's motion for summary judgment and denying his cross-motion. II. We conduct a de novo review of a court's order granting or denying a summary judgment motion, "applying the same standard as the trial court." Abboud v. Nat'l Union Fire Ins. Co., 450 N.J. Super. 400, 406 (App. Div. 2017). This standard mandates the granting of summary judgment "if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories[,] and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact A-2287-19 9 Pa009