Friday, January 24, 2014

News Expected Monday - At a Cost

The addition of a special meeting with 14 important items to Monday's rescheduled regular meeting portends a long night for the City Council and any bloggers or members of the public who aim to brave the single-digit temperature that is forecast.

The agenda includes about 30 appointments to six boards and commissions; possible passage of the vital tax lien penalty rules; naming of a chief financial officer at long last; confirmation of Carl Riley as police director and creation of the title and salary band for a deputy police director; confirmation of Police Lt. James Abney as Emergency Management Coordinator; and two resolutions to amend judges' salaries.

Regarding the appointments, in the past candidates were interviewed and some may well be interviewed in the announced closed session for personnel matters. But the sheer numbers are daunting: Nine citizens possibly for the Human Relations Commission, five residents and a mayoral appointee for the Plainfield Advisory Commission on Hispanic Affairs, a city employee and a citizen for the Planning Board, four residents for the Zoning Board, six people for the Plainfield Public Library Board, and not least, possible action on appointments to the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority, which as of February will otherwise have four of five commissioners in holdover status.

The special meeting notice says the council will immediately go into closed session after opening the meeting at 6 p.m. At some point, the council will reconvene in public session and action may be taken on the special agenda before the regular meeting begins at 8 p.m., or as soon as possible after the special meeting.

Besides the wear and tear on council members and the public, the cost may include short shrift to decisions that would otherwise be made in a more deliberate fashion. But if it gets things in gear in this new administration, I suppose the marathon meeting schedule will be worth it.

--Bernice

5 comments:

  1. ya know, for a group of people who stood up for the last year or so, preening themselves in public with their faux smiles, pretend kisses, half hearted back slaps .. they don't do "getting along and koumbaya" very well... I guess we're lucky the RDO's are "supporting ( wink wink nod nod ) " our new Mayor.. could you imagine how bad it would be if they weren't trying to support him ???

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  2. Rob, your hood is showing.

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    1. .... interesting... So incompetent, obstructionist, and self serving local political office holder equates to race...how?
      My daughter is bi-racial..but good try.

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  3. First off deputy director not needed didn't need a deputy chief when there was a chief. JUST BRING BACK THE CHIEF POSITION AND BE DOnE WITH THIS POLITICAL NON SENSE LIKE THE CITY CAN AFFORD ALL THESE POLITICAL JOBS APPOINTMENT AND PROMOTIONS OF INCOMPETENT PEOPLE

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  4. A deputy Director Oh No you mean to tell me that the guy hired Carl Riley cant handle the job and needs a deputy director . How much will this cost us taxpayers

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