OZ'S COUNCIL MEETING #2

Overwhelmingly the public commentary prior to Council action focused on one broad and one specific subject; the numerous street closures and the vote not to renew Naiken’s liquor license. That is why 30 allocated minutes lasted over an hour.

The comments and discussion have been reported in depth Tuesday AM by Bernice in her Plaintalker blog, and I shall only briefly revisit the subject.

Uniquely three of the seven requests for closures were on the Consent Agenda. After I pointed out that although two of these were by religious institutions and one focus was on evangelistic purposes, the courts had ruled that it was not a violation of separation of Church and State to permit the use of public property for religious purposes as long as all similar request were treated equally; these three resolutions were removed from the Consent Agenda to be voted under the same circumstances as the others.

Many objected to the increasing number of these “events”, including the noise generated by them which disturbed residents in nearby locations. Reference was made to the commercial nature of the three day affairs and the availability of alcoholic drinks.

Rodney Maree is the sponsor of a multiday event on the weekend of the anniversary of the Sept.15^th 1821 independence date of the Central America States from Spain and the formation of the short lived Federated States of Central America. He remarket on how he was spending $15,000.00 to bring in entertainment from Central American Countries and that his last event had only resulted with about a $5000.00 profit after he had spent $70,000.00.  He complained about the Council permitting Edison Garcia to hold a three day event the weekend before his and that it will hurt his event.

Last year the Council allowed both events to be held the same weekend, which may be why in Maree’s first big attempt his profit was small. Garcia’s must be profitable because he is increasing his events from one to two a year the first being on the 4^th of July weekend.  

Independence days seem to be a good excuse for carnival type events plus the availability of liquor sales by the sponsor.

These two entrepreneurs contend that they are doing something to elevate the city’s esteem in the eyes of the area public. The local politicians are paying lip support to that theory.

However; Flor Gonzalez of the Latin American Coalition objected to these individuals using Latin America’s independence from Spain as an excuse for a commercial enterprise that only hurts the merchant’s sales during those weekends.

She noted that her organization used to run a fair in which he attempt was to explore the cultures of the various Central America States; and no alcoholic beverages were sold.

It is not too late for this Council to review the subject of granting street closures and/or the use of parking lots.

There were numerous speakers urging the denial of the Naicken liquor license. This time despite a bleeding heart’s appeal defeat this resolution; the Council by a unanimous vote of those present, including one of his two defenders at the agenda session, passed the resolution denying Clinton Liquors a license renewal.  I am sure that there will be an attempt to have Trenton reverses that decision.

 
Once again a resolution to award CHS Construction  an addition $2700.00 for work on Leland Ave. failed to pass. The 4 needed votes were not there. This may be back again in some form. As of this time no one on the Council has question circumstances brought to light by Citizen Alan Goldstein regarding the awarding of this contract.I have previously commented on it.