There is too much material from the Council's two plus meetings Monday night to discuss in one or two postings. It would be redundant to repeat what other have written except to present a different interpretation. Facts are facts although sometimes we read them differently than others.
With that in mind I hope you read the blogs of both Plainfield Today (Dan Damon) and Plaintalker II (Bernice) for their in depth report on the Special Meeting and the PMUA discussion at the regular Council session. I would call your attention to Alan Goldstein's comments under Bernice's PMUA report.
I am disturbed by PMUA Chairman (still) Mitchell's remarked that "Two new members of the Board of Commissioners independently and with the Commissioners approval negotiated the package settlement despite the sums if any were still undergoing arbitration. If his reference was to the two just appointed it is noteworthy that the Mayor in here communication to the Council has recommended both for new full terms in office. In that same letter she failed to recommend Brokaw for reappointment and Mitchel only as an alternate- a slap in the face.
There was a report from Director of Public Safety Hellwig on the stratus of the "ShotSpotter " program which had received Council approval for the use of grant money in the fall'
Apparently There has been a problem with the system units and its mounts on the utility poles which PSEG as well as Verizon have found to be of serious concern. The vendor is supposedly still i the process of revising its equipment but still has not met PSEG requirements especially as to wind resistance. Verizon was concerned with interference with its communication and FIOS lines. Supposedly the vendor is working on the problem.
Councillor Reid suggested that if the problem and delay is still on going that the grant-if it were not still too late-be used for other police security projects. With the doubtful value of the ShotSpotter program I would agree with Reid.
Damon reported on the YMCA shared services plug. Did some of the questioning from thew council suggest a desire to do away with the Recreation Division whose supervisor has repeatedly given the Council the finger.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
CORRECTION TO XTRA
I mistakenly confused the Wisnewski. law firm with the one representing the Mayor. Please disregard my comments about who paid for her legal fees, The question I have asked previously has not been answered. Since her attorney was once referred to as Special Corporation Counsel the gist of my remarks are valid . Did we pay for her attorney?
Special Meeting
The Library was crowded; first with supporters of the BOE for the Special Meeting and secondly with parties interested in the PMUA's Commissioners appearance, plus the regulars.
A-School Board of Education President Hernandez spoke strongly against (1) any change and (2) the Council interfering in Board affairs. She complained about a lack of cooperation by Council with the the School District in matters where shared services had been offered. She felt that the process was purely political and an attempt to interject partisan politics in the election process .
At the end of her 3 minutes she threatened to organize SLAM against the Council members and herself to run against Council President Mapp for the Third Ward seat this year if he supported the change.
More vehement was John Campbell's tirade against the Council for taking action in what he termed the rights of the Board to educate our children. He also called it political motivated disregarding his influence in an organized slate that included his wife being on the BOE election ballot. Campbell exceeded decency by commenting derogatorily about Council President Mapp's Caribbean "accent".
Since the people who populate the Caribbean area speak often in a very local dialect variations of Spanish, French, and British English I think we need enlightenment about what is a "Caribbean accent".
The Council passed the resolution by a 7:0 vote.
A-School Board of Education President Hernandez spoke strongly against (1) any change and (2) the Council interfering in Board affairs. She complained about a lack of cooperation by Council with the the School District in matters where shared services had been offered. She felt that the process was purely political and an attempt to interject partisan politics in the election process .
At the end of her 3 minutes she threatened to organize SLAM against the Council members and herself to run against Council President Mapp for the Third Ward seat this year if he supported the change.
More vehement was John Campbell's tirade against the Council for taking action in what he termed the rights of the Board to educate our children. He also called it political motivated disregarding his influence in an organized slate that included his wife being on the BOE election ballot. Campbell exceeded decency by commenting derogatorily about Council President Mapp's Caribbean "accent".
Since the people who populate the Caribbean area speak often in a very local dialect variations of Spanish, French, and British English I think we need enlightenment about what is a "Caribbean accent".
The Council passed the resolution by a 7:0 vote.
X-TRA
A chance remark by Director of Administration and Finance Restaino referring to "our most recent ex-CFO" revealed that once again Plainfield was without a require by law controller of finances.
In her two terms in office it appears that this is a preferable circumstance for the Mayor. The next question may be "how long City Administrator Berry will last?
An other item of distressing interest occurred when Corporation Counsel Williamson added items to be voted on next Monday. One was a sum of $26,000.00 to be paid to the "Special Corporation Counsel who represented the Mayor during the recent WBLS hearings.!!!
I fail to understand why we CITIZENS have to pay for the Mayor's legal services in an action by our fiduciary representatives to determine if there was any improprieties involved in that incident.
She is supposedly the Custodian of the City's assets. If the Mayor felt that she needed legal assistance in an investigation not launched against the City or one of its executives acting according to rules and regulations; then the legal fees should be her responsibility.
We do need an official explanation if this is to be approved =perhaps more later. See Correction POSTING
In her two terms in office it appears that this is a preferable circumstance for the Mayor. The next question may be "how long City Administrator Berry will last?
An other item of distressing interest occurred when Corporation Counsel Williamson added items to be voted on next Monday. One was a sum of $26,000.00 to be paid to the "Special Corporation Counsel who represented the Mayor during the recent WBLS hearings.!!!
I fail to understand why we CITIZENS have to pay for the Mayor's legal services in an action by our fiduciary representatives to determine if there was any improprieties involved in that incident.
She is supposedly the Custodian of the City's assets. If the Mayor felt that she needed legal assistance in an investigation not launched against the City or one of its executives acting according to rules and regulations; then the legal fees should be her responsibility.
We do need an official explanation if this is to be approved =perhaps more later. See Correction POSTING
Monday, February 6, 2012
NO REPORT THIS AM
The Council's Executive meeting ran until 7:45 pm. The called for 7:00PM Special Council meeting about moving the BOA elections to the November date was not over until 8:55. Therefor the Agenda Setting Session started at 9PM!
I left at 11:50PM and the agenda had not been completed nor had the public commentary session.
Bernice was still there and we all will await her report. I may be able to post a brief report late today.
Assemblyman Green waited patiently in the lobby with the rest of the public to speak as Citizen Green in favor of the proposed change in the School Board election date. More about the Special meeting will follow.
I left at 11:50PM and the agenda had not been completed nor had the public commentary session.
Bernice was still there and we all will await her report. I may be able to post a brief report late today.
Assemblyman Green waited patiently in the lobby with the rest of the public to speak as Citizen Green in favor of the proposed change in the School Board election date. More about the Special meeting will follow.
ABOUT POLITICS.
"Anyone who does not understand the utter cynicism of politics does not understand politics." -- Thomas Sowell
An anonymous reader wrote in response to "Burney's" letter and subsequent comments "
" How is all of this helping Plainfield? Doesn't seem to me that it is. What we need is a real leader who will forgo the political party bologna (really does it matter in local politics?)and really care about Plainfield - not the party."
He has hit on the crux of the problem. At the Municipal level there truly is no place for the national political parties. Unfortunately that is not absolutely true.
It is too often that funds from the National , State, and County levels are allocated according to the political support from the communities applying for the aid. If the powers that be in a community are not dedicated to support the political affiliation of those in power what chance would they have to receive benefits. Patronage is not limited to individuals but also involves grass roots "political" units such as a city, village, township, etc.
However, in our community where there is a one party rule with a strong inner structure we can see the cynicism of the leaders who appoint their friends , their religious leaders, their relatives to commissions, boards and even menial jobs that pay. We see the recycling of the same people through different positions. We also see the denial of "influence" when it may be controversial.
That is the danger of a local political boss system. Since we can not be apolitical, those who would truly wish to change the system must work within the system. Numbers count.
Perhaps we may see some cracks in the wall at the Council meeting.
An anonymous reader wrote in response to "Burney's" letter and subsequent comments "
" How is all of this helping Plainfield? Doesn't seem to me that it is. What we need is a real leader who will forgo the political party bologna (really does it matter in local politics?)and really care about Plainfield - not the party."
He has hit on the crux of the problem. At the Municipal level there truly is no place for the national political parties. Unfortunately that is not absolutely true.
It is too often that funds from the National , State, and County levels are allocated according to the political support from the communities applying for the aid. If the powers that be in a community are not dedicated to support the political affiliation of those in power what chance would they have to receive benefits. Patronage is not limited to individuals but also involves grass roots "political" units such as a city, village, township, etc.
However, in our community where there is a one party rule with a strong inner structure we can see the cynicism of the leaders who appoint their friends , their religious leaders, their relatives to commissions, boards and even menial jobs that pay. We see the recycling of the same people through different positions. We also see the denial of "influence" when it may be controversial.
That is the danger of a local political boss system. Since we can not be apolitical, those who would truly wish to change the system must work within the system. Numbers count.
Perhaps we may see some cracks in the wall at the Council meeting.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
MONDAY'S AGENDA ITEMS
Monday night’s special meeting to pass a resolution requesting the moving of the School Board electio date from May until the November general election is scheduled at 7 PM. The Agenda Setting Session is scheduled to start at 7:30 PM. Prior starting about 6:30 PM will be an Executive Session of the Council.
This is closed to the public. Some of the agenda items may provoke long discussions. If so both the regularly scheduled and special meetings will be delayed .
One item of the executive session, which will not be made public until the minutes are approvedis approval of a settlement(?) of an unknown action by NJEPO against the City for violations at the City Hall Annex, Public Works, and Police Hdqs.
.Another item that may delay the meeting to take place only in executive session is a discussion of the possibility of a violation of title 2 C of the criminal code and or title 4 A of the administrative code I.
There is still a Rice hearing scheduled which I believe to be at the requested of one of the principles involved in the WBLS. Incident. I know these items will not be open to public discussion until the minutes are released and certain elements sanitize .
It is anticipated that the special meeting to move the election date for the Board of Education will pass without any sustained discussion and then the regular agenda setting session will immediately convene.
The first item is a communication from the Mayor for appointments to the PMUA.… Of interests in this communication is the fact that she seems to have rewarded the the Commissioners who voted for the “excessive severance pay” to the former Director and Assistant Director of PMUA. Commissioner Brokaw was not reappointed and the Authority President Harold Mitchell was only reappointed as an alternate member of the board. Malcolm Dunn and Alex Tolliver presently on the board are reappointed. For a full- membership Wilbert Gill, and Cecil Sanders Jr at present an alternate member; would become new full members of the board. Sanders as an alternate voted in favor of the Golden Parachute. Remaining on the board is the mayor’s minister, Rev.Taylor
Under Discussion/Action items: a YMCA presentation on shared services, a proposed ordinance limiting hours of late night eateries., and a meeting with the commissioners of the PMUA. This may take some time.
Under Unfinished Businees is 10 minuites allotted for the status of the “ShotSpotters” and I am sure the cameras.
Interesting Resolutions include one authorizing the appointment of David Spaulding to serve as a public agency compliance officer. This is of interest because Mr. Spaulding authoring the resolution appointed himself which was approved by Director of Administration and Finance Restaino..
In view of Mr. Spaulding's role in the WBLS reimbursement affair that in the duties of the compliance officer this seems to be a unique proposition.
A Resolution awarding the contract to the Cousing and Community Development Services Incorporation as consultants to a comprehensive housing assistance program in the amount of $63,000 .What does the program do and why do they need consultants?
There are three resolutions to reject bids for: photograph services, videography services, and media services. There is no notation of how many bids were received, orthe problems in the support material which is onlyjust generic in nature.
The purchase of 40 armor vests lease division the state contract at $796.20 each or.to exceed $31,006.74.
A Resolution to contract TNM Associates for engineering services for the Police Complex generator and “UPS (?) systems” not to exceed $29,000. Apparently the main generators been out whether with the time of the October snowstorm or before that when a temporary generated trailer is supply power to the police station in emergencies
The finally one is a contract for $71432.03 to a Spokane Washington contractor (not local) but is an approved state vendor for facility upgrades to the Joe Black Junior baseball field concession stand.
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