Boards, Commissions Must Organize

It certainly was heartening to see some action on repopulating boards and commissions that had been missing in action, such as the Plainfield Cable Television Advisory Board, Human Relations Commission and Plainfield Advisory Commission on Hispanic Affairs. What the new appointees need to do now is reorganize.

Among steps to be taken, they must meet to name officers and to set a meeting schedule. The calendar should be published or at least posted somewhere so interested citizens can attend, as their meetings will be subject to the Open Public Meetings Act, also known as the Sunshine Law. Some boards and commissions may need funds to do their work, therefore they must make a budget request to the administration.

If groups meet at City Hall, they should clear use of meeting rooms with City Clerk Abubakar Jalloh, as certain boards have already adopted use of City Hall Library on fixed dates and times, such as the Board of Adjustment at 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month.

It is not likely that new boards will attract hordes of nosy onlookers, but even if that was the case or maybe more so, they are obligated to do business in public, with certain exceptions allowed by law.

The previous mayor, with her penchant for festivities, may have given some new commissions the impression that they could function more or less as clubs. The African Caribbean Commission grew out of a group that already met on its own terms for a year before being approved as a city commission last year. Once it became a public body, it also became subject to the Open Public Meetings Act, but so far no notice of a meeting schedule has been posted.

Another consideration is that council liaisons are named to many boards and commissions and these officials need to know meeting times and locations. Councilwoman Rebecca Williams was liaison to the former PACHA but could not carry out her duties, as the board never disclosed its schedule. Liaisons named in January are Cory Storch to the Planning Board, Rebecca Williams and Gloria Taylor to the PMUA, Williams to the Shade Tree Commission, Taylor and Council President Bridget Rivers to the Board of Education, Taylor to the Special Improvement District and Rivers and Vera Greaves to the Housing Authority of Plainfield. While they may not be able to attend every meeting, council liaisons are supposed to observe their assigned boards and commissions and bring any concerns back to the governing body.

All this may seem like a lot of bureaucracy, but in fact it falls more in the category of checks and balances. The public has the right to know what goes on at meetings of boards and commissions and so does the governing body, especially if public money is being spent. Minutes are supposed to be kept as well.

Of special interest at this time are the PCTVAB (Plainfield Cable Television Advisory Board) and PACHA (Plainfield Advisory Commission on Hispanic Affairs). Comcast of the Plainfields is in the franchise renewal process and public input is a requirement. PACHA's role is broad, but given the controversy over Latino festivals last year and other concerns regarding the increasing Latino population, the commission's meetings must be open to all.

There is one other concern about boards and commissions, namely that some only received a few appointees. Corporation Counsel David Minchello may have to weigh in on whether, say, a nine-member board with only four members can properly meet if they don't have a quorum.

February is drawing to a close. If new or reconstituted boards are to succeed, the first step is to organize. As details emerge on officers and meeting times, Plaintalker will endeavor to let readers know.

--Bernice