COUNCIL POTPOURRI Dec.20b

Monday night's Council meeting was the final regular meeting for Councilors Linda Carter and Rashid Burney. Both have been dedicated Councilors and although at times I have felt that their votes were off base (mine), I have never questioned that their basic interests were that of the City. Both will be missed.

I hope that each one will continue in person and in their blog to participate in the Council and City's affairs.

I would return to a report on the Council Meeting, but since I had to leave the Council meeting early (midnight) I can not report on anything factual after the "Taylor" vote. However, after a short detour I shall make some comments.

For the next 6 or 7 days I will be spending more time with family than with a blog. That is one of the things that make this time of the year great.

Great ! no, it is not that I may not post a blog, although some anoni would claim that to be a fact. Rather it is an annual regathering of the clan which spreads to four generations. Not all will be here all the time and my grandson and family will not because like a good husband he accedes to his wife's priorities. They were here the previous weekend.

I must agree with my "diss-ers" in that I am weird. I like Fruit Cake and when the Lions Club sold them in the 50s i usually ended up with two in the freezer. The Plainfield Lions Club Fruit Cake sale was for years the big money raiser for its Boy Scouts and Blind Charities.

I also still hanker for a piece of mince meat pie with or without vanilla ice cream. Nothing of course could ever equal my mother-in-law's pie made with real minced meat. However for years no one has made even the "vegetarian" one.

To reluctantly return to local politics; If anybody thought that Plainfield's citizenship is indifferent to local politics they should have been among the 130 who packed the court room Monday night/Tuesday morning. Except for the 15 or so who came to shill for David Wynn the other 115 where there to make sure that the Council would act in the City's best interests.

The Council permitted everyone who wished to address it to speak even when the speaker was arguing against a matter that was neither on the Council's agenda or within its action capacity. Nor did the Council cut anyone off.

In view of the public outcry and without any evidence to the contrary, the Council could not have taken any action other than the unanimous one that they adopted.

What remains as a problem is Ms. Taylor's willingness under the circumstances to return actively for any prolong period as City Administrator. The Mayor has stated that she will not make her uncomfortable or be antagonistic. As I and others remarked that the difference between the City Administrator this year and the "I will get back to you"(not if I can help it) era was like Day and Night.

With a CFO finally committed for January, her job will be easier with finally a handle on financial controls. Because the previous two years have raised questions by the auditors of potential dangers, I for one hope the incoming Council will initiate a forensic audit of the past 2 to 3 years when there was no responsible individual in that post.

Due to the length I will post separately my concerns on the interim City Administrator post during Ms Taylor's maternity leave.

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