The definition of irony: “an incongruity or discordance between what one says or does.”

Like a school crossing guard who crosses in between, and not at the green, the Government Records Council (GRC) ---the folks who were created to enforce the Open Public Records Act---found themselves on the wrong side of the law. No irony in that.

In July, a Mercer County gave props to the fine folks at the New Jersey Foundation for Open Government (NJFOG), and ordered the GRC to provide full copies of requested emails in unredacted form. In the interest of full disclosure, I must reveal that this blogger is on the state board of NJFOG.

Details, details: NJFOG was trying to get the names and email contact information for people who had filed complaints with the GRC, with the attempt to contacts those folks to help them further, if need be. Good folks those NJFOG people, if I must say so myself.

GRC’s claim: That “it was protecting complainants' privacy by shielding their home e-mail addresses.”

NJFOG: was trying to "evaluate and monitor the GRC's performance in handling individual complaints."

NJFOG filed suit on May 8, alleging that was a violation of OPRA, the common law right of access to public records, and N.J.S.A. 1:1-14.1(a), which provides a right of access to quasi-judicial records of administrative agencies.

Winner: NJFOG.

Thanks to attorney Richard Gutman, who “analogizes the GRC's effort to withhold the addressees to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ‘violating the law against discrimination.’”

Starbucks they’re not.

Coffee is a work of Art. Mayor Art Ondish, that is. The Mayor of Mt. Arlington makes sure that his borough administrator and his crack municipal staff has coffee everyday to keep them alert and friendly. The coffee "was just something nice to provide for the employees. A small token of appreciation," Ondish said.

And the Mt. Arlington Borough governing body spends about “$200 a year on free coffee for borough employees.” For this town of just 5,708, that comes out to just about 3.5 cents per person per year.

But maybe not too much for coffee.

However, that still makes no sense [or cents] to Livecchia, a local resident who has OPRA’d Mt. Arlington left and right on many financial issues, both big and small. Apparently to Ms. Livecchia coffee, “…birthday candles and a brownie are not a legitimate expense. “You want coffee, buy your own.”

It’s just good old fashion courtesy to buy a cup o’ java for a customer, friend, or employee, m’thinks. Maybe if the cups are not measured by Starbucks sizes -- Tall, Grande, and Venti---and are always just small, Livecchia would be satisfied. Certainly, the less-than-4 cents per person cost won’t make her property taxes very “Venti”, either.

And maybe Mayor Ondish can try to cut his coffee costs by sharing coffee services with another town in Morris County or merging with nearby Lake Hopatcong, like the governor suggests.

Either way, I would hate to be invited to Ms. Livecchia home and ask for a cup of coffee. Or maybe the Mayor should just give her back her 3.5 cents and call it square. And maybe it's time for Ms. Livecchia to cut back on her caffeine intake ---- at least on Council nights.