MEETINGS

Meetings can have a great impact on future affairs. For example in 1945 FDR, Churchill and Stalin met here at the Palace in Yalta and proclaimed the doctrine of unconditional surrender sealing Hitler's fate. They also altered Europe for the next generation by delineating areas of influence. Whereas the deliberations of the Plainfield Common Council does not have that cosmic effect they will mold the future of the city, as noted below.

The Palace at Yalta (1979)

Tablet memorializing the meeting

Yalta from the sea-the Palace is to the left and not visible

One should always give the devil his due. Dan Damon's comments about citizens being given the opportunity to make comments prior to discussion of items at the agenda session has merit. The Council might change their minds about placing certain items on the business meeting's agenda.

That being written, that which would be of greater value would be the Council's paying attention to public comments before the presentation of resolutions at the voting meeting. There is an impression that everything on that agenda is cast in stone. It has been a long time since there was a beach day in January or since a citizen's comments at the Council meeting resulted in discussion or even a change in action. That should be what citizen participation should mean.

As to the reduction in meeting schedule; I could live with it although my opinion remains that it is a mistake. If actions that now take two sessions to complete are crowded into one, there will become a tendency to rush through the agenda without discussion in order to preserve the same meeting length.

This weeks abortive attempt to eliminate a position or as alleged an individual, recalls that former Police Chief Santiago has a civil action against the city. What is its status? Since legal costs are a large portion of of the city expenses should we not have a breakdown as to the amount that is for salaries and retainers, as well as the costs of litigation.

FYI: Mark Spivey's truncated report about Monday's Council meeting appeared only in the online edition. For those who looked for it in the printed copy all that was there was an unimportant report of a meeting that took place two weeks earlier.