THE COUNCIL YEAR BEGINS

The post-holiday fortnight is ending and the real business of 2013 begins. Well, sort of; a ferryboat crashes into a floating dock while coming in for a landing. Another crane collapses in New York City. 

In a California school a 16 year old shoots one student with a shotgun and misses other on a second shot. 

Fortunately a brave teacher faces him and is able to talk him in to surrendering while 28 other kids flee.

Once again Plainfield makes the TV news when a five year old is critically wounded during a gun fight on the street at the Elmwood Gardens. It is reported that the Mayor did go to RWJ to be with the mother.

The newspaper notes that “It was about 4 p.m. Thursday when police responded to a shots-fired call originating from the area of Plainfield Avenue and South Second Street to encounter a chaotic scene”.  Was this a 911 call a Shotspotter initiated action? Perhaps Monday night we will have a report.

The first Agenda Setting Session of 2013 will be at 7:30 pm Monday night. The venue will no longer be in the City Hall Library but in the Court Room. Except for the lighting there is little to merit this change. The conversational intimacy among the Councilors will not be preserved if the business session sitting arrangement is used. If there is a table in the space placed between the Diaz and the “bar” although spectators will still be limited in their view to the present ½ face wise but no one can have  a endwise seat. It will be very impersonal.

If the Jan 14 agenda is prognostic of the coming year; the Council meetings will be dull. There are only 11 potential Resolutions for discussion and no reports

Only one; a change order of $2098.69 for the resurfacing of Watchung Ave from Leland to Hillside needs an explanation. The project was completed late spring/early summer. However, within a few weeks afterwards the water company made at least a dozen openings in the pavement all of which have not been closed according to Ordinance.

Surprise! There is a communication from the Mayor recommending the appointments of Cecil Sanders and Charles Eke as PMUA Commissioners. These appointments were rejected by the 2012 Council, although because of vacancy Sanders as alternate has been a de facto Commissioner. I anticipate that a resolution of approval will be added to the agenda.

Another Communication requests the approval of David Minchello as Corporation Counsel; a role he has been occupying as City Solicitor.

Should be a short meeting unless there are a bunch of items added at the last moment.  

The Flu has now reached epidemic levels. Vaccination now might still`````` become effective before one becomes sick. Since vaccine has been available  since September and is inexpensive. The disease is a potential killer and only a jerk (mild phrase) would ignore the opportunity to prevent or at least mitigate the infection.