As Dr. Yood noted on his blog, the new order for council meetings includes dumping one's possessions in a plastic bin and submitting one's person to a scan under the direction of two police officers. No exemption for elderly bloggers - we do carry sharp objects known as pens.
Once inside the Municipal Court, we saw a new setup for the council members, namely a table in front of the dais with nameplates and microphones, giving a simulation of the cozy atmosphere in City Hall Library, where agenda-fixing sessions previously took place.
The meeting was mostly routine, except for Councilman William Reid's deviation into a speech about vacancies in the administration and on the PMUA board. Reid said there was no tax collector ("I have a problem with that"), no purchasing agent (whereupon the new purchasing agent stood up in the back of the room), no Recreation superintendent and no Health Officer. He didn't mention the fact that there is also no chief finance officer except for a part-time person from a neighboring municipality.
As for the PMUA, it is due to reorganize next month and still has two commissioners in holdover status (Carol Ann Brokaw and Harold Mitchell). Mitchell managed to hang on as chairman for 2012, despite the mayor's attempts to replace him or put him in an alternate's seat. The board allows for five voting members and two alternates who may vote if needed to make a quorum. If on next Tuesday Cecil Sanders is moved from alternate to Tracey Brown's vacated seat and Charles Eke replaces Sanders as an alternate, there will still be two commissioners in holdover mode since February 2011 and one vacant alternate's seat. Plaintalker is unsure of the status of Commissioner Alex Toliver, whose term expired in February 2012.
The end of the meeting was marred somewhat by a clash between Council President Bridget Rivers and other council members who felt she was preventing them from getting answers from the administration on constituents' questions.
"You're not going to campaign and grandstand up here," Rivers said. "It is the role of the council to get answers, but it is not the role of the council to put (the administration) on the spot."
Rivers told the three New Democrats on the seven-member council to "give the administration a chance - you had your chance. We don't need to sit up and prolong and grandstand and campaign."
The leader of the New Democrats, Councilman Adrian Mapp, is running for mayor, as is the incumbent, Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs. Rivers is running for re-election to the Fourth Ward seat. The filing date is not until April 1, but Robinson-Briggs and Rivers are perceived as running mates.
Mapp, who was council president last year, called Rivers' comments about campaigning "ludicrous" and said it is not her role to be a spokesman for the administration.
"You are misrepresenting the office you hold," Mapp said. "I urge you to be mindful of the role you play. This is not about politics. This is about conducting the business of the people that we represent."
Council members Cory Storch and Rebecca Williams also commented on the need to have questions answered, but Rivers said, "If we're not going to sit up here and have a circus, we're not going to sit up here and have a circus."
She alluded to "$20,000," the amount paid to a radio station for a 2010 mayoral town forum that later sparked a council investigation.
"We're not going to play games up here any longer," Rivers said.
"We haven't seen a circus here," Williams said. "Folks just want to get a response."
The meeting ended with Rivers again calling on the council to "allow the administration to do their job" and one last warning that she will not allow council members to "grandstand." Mapp asked, "Which of your council members did you hear grandstand?"
The regular council meeting is 8 p.m. Tuesday (Jan. 22) in Municipal Court, 325 Watchung Ave.
--Bernice
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In stead of lecturing to the council, I think Rivers needed to heed her own advice. I was in the audience, and like most of the others in the audience, was not impressed with the new council chair. She obviously knows nothing about Robert's Rules or how to be professional. Ms. Rivers has hitched herself to a dead horse if she thinks Sharon will win another term as mayor and I saw the council president campaigning loudly and rudely. I hope she gets better at this, or I for one will have to step up to the microphone and tell her to get her act together. Maybe I'm just too used to the civil way meetings have been held in the past.
ReplyDeleteObviously Rivers has been sleeping at the meetings for the past 3 years. The administration has not done its job in 7 years - when does she think this is going to happen? And, what a statment from Rivers - alluding to the fact that the administration purposely did not cooperate before because but will now because she has a friend on the council.
ReplyDeletePlainfield, where community service and putting Plainfield first is not even in the elected officials vocabulary.
Unfortunately, as previously noted, Rivers was a poor choice for Council President. She is not equipped with the experience or knowledge required to oversee this type of meeting. The meeting was dysfunctional and chaotic and it was obvious to all, including her friends Reid and Rivers.
ReplyDeleteEven more obvious was her partisan filled hacking on behalf of her friend, Robinson-Briggs.
The job of Bridget Rivers, as Council President and as a representative of her ward, along with every other council person is NOT to defend the administration. Their job is to represent their constituents, take action on necessary items and deliver results as quickly and efficiently as possible, all the while maintaining a certain degree of transparency and integrity in the work they do. One can only hope!
The only one campaigning at this meeting was Bridget Rivers, on behalf of Robinson-Briggs, and Robinson-Briggs, herself, for even showing up to the meeting -- something she hasn't done in a very long time.
Robinson-Briggs boasts PROGRESS on her campaign headquarter's storefront -- I'm certain she could not provide 3 concrete examples of progress Plainfield has experienced under her watch (issuing an increased number marriage licenses, birth/death certificates and funding freebie fairs is not indicative of progress Mizz Mayor).
It will be a long year of Council-"Manic" behavior amongst our so-called leadership, especially with an unqualified individual trying to lead.
The council meeting was a disgrace and especially with Bridget Rivers as its president. What the public witnessed on Monday was shameful. The grandstanding came directly from her. She was in full campaign mode. She was frothing at the mouth with her political rhetoric. It is doubtful anything will get done at these meetings! The public has to play the "Wait and See" game for results.
ReplyDeleteThe agenda setting session is the proper venue for council members to question the administration and to get questions that can be answered, answered. It is also the proper venue for the council to ask residents follow up questions when we need clarification on their commentary or questions. It was certainly within Councilor Brown's (or any other council member's) purview to publicly respond to Mr. Riba's questions and comments. Anything asked by a member of the public can be answered in public--even if the initial question was submitted via email or letter. The purpose of a public meeting is to discuss the business of the people in public. In order to have transparency, we must entertain questions publicly--if we do not, we are failing in our fiduciary responsibility to the residents of Plainfield. Regarding the administration's ability to answer questions at the agenda session, an answer of "we're researching it and we will get back to you" is at least an answer. There was no circus atmosphere--everyone at the meeting was respectful and courteous. The council president's primary role while at the meetings (whether agenda or business) is to ensure that the meeting runs smoothly. Each councilor can and should ask questions, as well as follow up questions. This was only the first agenda session, so so I am sure that the other meetings this year will not be conducted in this way.
ReplyDeleteAt that meeting, I was also truly miffed that the city administrator, who is the "mouthpiece" of the administration, didn't utter a word the entire evening. Instead, the corporation counsel answered all questions on behalf of the administration—this suggests to me that the city administrator needs to reread his job description. The corporation counsel’s job is to answer legal questions; according to the municipal charter: “He shall be the chief legal advisor to the mayor and to the council, and shall have such specific functions, powers and duties, and may appoint such assistants, as may be provided by the administrative code.” Meanwhile, the mayor has not delivered adequate information to the people about the operations of the city during the year 2012—what we would call a “state of the city” address. This is unconscionable. I would submit that this omission falls not only on her shoulders, but partly on the shoulders of the city administrator. This behavior, as opposed to the respectful and courteous conduct displayed at the agenda session this past Monday, demonstrates the “circus-like” incompetence put forth and continued by the administration.
Rebecca
Rebecca, why would the city administrator utter a word? He is more incompetent than the mayor, which is why she choose him.
ReplyDeleteCan ANYONE say 'DISFUNCTIONAL' City Government?
ReplyDeleteFIRST: Reid has a problem with no tax collector yet he doesn't have a problem with people who don't pay taxes or money owed to the city...is rare you see some continually attempt to out do themselves on the moron scale..but Bill... you did it..congrats!
ReplyDeleteSECOND: Rivers.... seriously... who is shocked? Why is anyone feigning being appalled ?? She's as much of a clueless mess as the Mayor and the other 3 Stooges in the posse. Let her keep proving what a joke and a circus SHE IS ..
... YOU DEMS BETTER FIGURE SOMETHING OUT QUICK ... This administration...those 4 Stooges on The City Council are the result of your short sighted view of the "POWER" of the Democratic ticket and needing to toe the party line. Until you all do... I suggest you shut your pie holes. Sit in the mess you've help make and enjoy the smell. It's just started.
Try this as of today.. All you actively getting people into office. NOT NECESSARILY DEMOCRATS as you can see your fellow party members aren't exactly looking out for you in office.
I hope those who asked questions will come back to the mike to report the response they were assured to get. Obviously and blatantly council president Rivers is trying to make sure there is no trail when the administration tries to duck and hide. The mayor wouldn't be put on the "spot" if she was on the up and up.
ReplyDelete