JUNE COUNCIL MEETING

As the 8 pm meeting time drew close it seemed that the beautiful weather had seduced the Councilors for only first year Councilwoman Brown was present. Just before 8 Council President Rivers assumed her seat and within the next five minutes Reid and Greaves joined them so that there was a quorum to start the meeting. Councilors Storch and Williams arrived right after the pledge to the flag. Mapp was absent but had been at Wednesday’s Agenda setting meeting.

It is at the Agenda Setting Session that it is decided what items were to be voted on at the Business meeting. It takes at least 4 Councilors to agree for a resolution’s or an ordinances inclusion. Thus 99.99% of the time approval is routine, although occasionally a Councilor will explain his/her objection to the item.  Rarely is that person’s a vote a lightning bolt out of the blue.  

I am strongly of the opinion that if one abstains from voting or votes against a resolution or an ordinance the public is entitled to an explanation of their action. The Councilor’s reasoning could be quiet informative as to a problem will the resolution or perhaps an unrecognized conflict of interest. No vote that could potentially defeat an action which has reach that point should go unexplained.

The sole vote against adopting the Amended Amended 2013 Budget came from Reid. This already six month belated financial document should have been approved unanimously.

Councilwoman Greaves who had missed Wednesday’s meeting abstained from voting on the Ordinance giving the City jurisdiction over “roads and parking lots” at the site of the old Armory. She also voted no on the Ordinance amending the Code relating to the Excavations and Opening of Streets and Public Places.

Greaves also voted against a resolution granting Habitat for Humanity the right to open West 4h Street at 1205-7 to provide water service to a house that they had completed. This approval was need due to the fact that the street had been resurfaced within the past 5 years.  

Williams voted against a Resolution appropriating $20,000.00 for the legal firm of Wisniewski and Associates for Tax related matters. She also was against the acceptance of the MUO with the State Department of Environment Protection and rightly so because of the absence of important information.

That Resolution (R236-13) had been on the Consent Agenda but was removed at the request of one of the two citizens who had serious concerns relating to the Steering Committee’s expertise and the lack of required information.  

Before its adoption R236-13 was amended at Corporation Counsel’s recommendation to expire on Dec. 31, 2013 and also to appoint Councilman Storch to at listed but unfilled Councilor’s position on the Steering Committee.

It should be noted that there have been only two references to a Steering Committee for the Brownfields Grants found by others; one in 2006 and the other in 2010.

The Amended Budget had to be amended to reverse a change in fund allocations in the proposed budget that the State had acknowledge it had erroneously required

One more complaint about the Council; It may be nit picking; but the Legislative Body conducting City affairs should know and abide by the Parliamentarian rules which are in its Bylaws.

Once again it vote to “withdraw” a resolution. Once a Resolution is on the agenda there must be action taken. The correct legal process is to “Table indefinitely”.