AN ELECTION EVENT?

As expected the actual business of the Council was short and almost sweet. 21 of the original 34 Resolutions were on the Consent Agenda; all no discussion permitted and all passed in a single vote.

The other 13 resolutions plus 3 added were all passed unanimously except for Reid’s NO vote  on a Resolution  settling a $17,195.80 claim by T&M Associates against the city. No explanation for the no vote

Reid also voted against one of three Resolutions introduced and passed as new items. This was Authorizing the transfer of a “pocket” license of 116 Watchung Ave. The State had made a special ruling for the renewal.

Would it not be a service to the community if any Councilor voting against a resolution or ordinance would give a brief explanation so the public  can justify the  merits of the objection. Without such statement some no votes could be considered pure capriciousness or a personal matter which had nothing to do with the city's involvement. 

Two Ordinances were approved on first reading.

The meeting opened with a presentation before a packed room by George Gore, Vice President of the Senior Center of all the work and activities done there. The presentation was intended to counter repeated complaints about the Director by one Citizen over the past two years.

During the Public Commentary; the final item of the meeting,  a score of speakers spoke in support of the Center's Director. Additional speakers included the individual who had been making the complaints for the past three years and also a woman who or about the last three months had complained she had been subjected to sexual harassment and had also been charged with prostitution! This person became so agitated that Rivers had the police escort her from the room.

The Corporation Counsel Vernita Sias-Hill said that the negative charges had been investigated by an outside law firm who could not find any basses for the complaints.

In answer to a complaint by representatives   of North Plainfield taxi companies about ticketed for picking up passengers in Plainfield the Corporation Counsel informed that it was a state law that required each municipality to designate what taxis can pick up passengers within its city limits.  It was also noted that Plainfield had exceeded had number of cabs per population.

AT LAST! the campaign season broke out in full force. At least the two parties represented in the non-political BOE had a voice.

A good deal of the comment session was devoted to comments on the political aspects of the upcoming non-political BOE elections. As has been remarked before, for the three slots to be filled there are two slates of 3 candidates plus an unaffiliated incumbent who originally had been elected as part of a slate.

Danny Dunn not only complained about the amateurish presentation of the Council meetings on the City’s channels. There continues to be a lack of synchrony between the visual and audio portions of the video. A very justifiable complaint in view of the earlier turmoil about the changing of the person in charge.     

But Dunn’s main pitch was the lawn Campaign signs of the" unsponsored" (John Campbell) slate which claims that they are responding to “the children” want change. 

The other slate, which Dunn must be supporting, has openly had Jerry Green’s blessings. Perhaps that was the focus of Jeffery Dunn’s Fire and Brimstone speech about how Plainfielders must get together and how great a man, Assemblyman Green has helped Plainfield.

John Campbell Jr. spoke about how much he admired what his mother was doing on the Board. And just before I left Wilma Campbell, President of the BOE, referred to the 10years she has been on the Board and all the gains the system was now making.

Increase in graduation rate from the depths to 69%. There has been an increase in enrollment with students leaving the Charter and Religious schools to reenter the Plainfield system.

Not enough attention  is given to the qualifications and merits of the candidates for the bOE. Too many have just had a personal agenda relating to their children in the system.