What Do New Ordinances Mean?

Those of us council mavens who went to the Plainfield Public Library Saturday for a peek at the text of resolutions and ordinances came away disappointed. The documents will not be available until the time of the meeting, according to a notice attached to the agenda.

The reason why people go to see the supporting documents is that the captions on the agenda can be cryptic or even misleading without a reading of the fine print. The two that I especially wanted to see were ordinances up for first reading that had to do with economic development. The agenda sets them forth thusly:
MC 2011 - 08 AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND AND SUPPLEMENT CHAPTER 2, ADMINISTRATION: ARTICLE 5, CITY ADMINISTRATOR, SECTION 2:5-4, DEPUTY CITY ADMINISTRATOR, OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. –CITY ADMINISTRATOR.
MC 2011 - 09 AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND AND SUPPLEMENT CHAPTER 2, ADMINISTRATION, ARTICLE 8, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS & URBAN DEVELOPMENT CREATING SECTION 2:8-11.1 OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. –CITY ADMINISTRATOR.

The cabinet-level position of deputy city administrator was once an ombudsman-like job of looking out for the citizenry. It was revised during the McWilliams administration to the role of overseeing economic development. When the new administration took over in January 2006, the post was not filled, nor was anyone named to it in the mayor's second term beginning in January 2010.

So what's up now? Is the role being changed again? As soon as I see the text, I will let you know.

The second one is a bit of a mystery as well, because on the city roster online, there is listed an Office of Economic Development. It appears to be more at the division level than cabinet status. But when it was at cabinet status during the McWilliams administration, it incorrectly established a de facto new department, with Planning and Engineering under it, in violation of the City Charter.

So us letter-of-the-law types when it comes to municipal government want to know what it is all about.

All shall be revealed (we hope) at the meeting tonight, 7:30 p.m. in City Hall Library. If not, there should be plenty more time to delve into the whys and wherefores, as it will be up for a vote on Sept. 12 if moved to the agenda and then will be up for final passage in October.

--Bernice