Township Council Meeting — Agenda

'reasons for maintaining a high degree of confidentiality in the public records are present, even when the citizen asserts a public interest in the information, more than [the] citizen's status and good faith are necessary to call for production of the documents.'" Ibid. (alteration in original) (quoting S. N.J. Newspapers, Inc., 141 N.J. at 72). The pertinent factors for courts to consider in determining the balance under the third prong are: (1) the extent to which disclosure will impede agency functions by discouraging citizens from providing information to the government; (2) the effect disclosure may have upon persons who have given such information, and whether they did so in reliance that their identities would not be disclosed; (3) the extent to which agency self-evaluation, program improvement, or other decision making will be chilled by disclosure; (4) the degree to which the information sought includes factual data as opposed to evaluative reports of policymakers; (5) whether any findings of public misconduct have been insufficiently corrected by remedial measures instituted by the investigative agency; and (6) whether any agency disciplinary or investigatory proceedings have arisen that may circumscribe the individual's asserted need for the materials. [Loigman v. Kimmelman, 102 N.J. 98, 113 (1986).] "Against these and any other relevant factors should be balanced the importance of the information sought to the plaintiff's vindication of the public interest." Ibid. A-2287-19 28 Pa028