CORPORATION NOTICE
CITY OF PLAINFIELD
4th WARD TOWN HALL MEETING
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT A FOURTH WARD TOWN HALL MEETING HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 AT CLINTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LOCATED AT 1302 WEST FOURTH STREET.
THIS IS AN OPEN FORUM FOR RESIDENTS TO SHARE THEIR CONCERNS.
ALL ARE ENCOURAGED TO COME OUT AND PARTICIPATE!
PLAINFIELD MUNICIPAL COUNCIL
BRIDGET RIVERS, PRESIDENT
ABUBAKAR T. JALLOH, R.M.C.
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What's unusual about this Town Hall Meeting?
Past Town Hall Meetings in each of the city's four wards usually took place in Spring - in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. Meetings for 2015 only came up at the Sept. 8 City Council meeting as a discussion item:
Greaves' term ends on Dec. 31 and one of the contests in the November 3 general election is for her seat, with Democrat Barry Goode and Independent Norman E. Ortega vying for a four-year term. No time or location for the meeting was announced.
The legal notice above was missing a time. An inquiry revealed it will be from 7 to 9 p.m.
No other ward meetings have been announced, although past custom was that any resident could speak at any of the ward meetings.
Now just for argument's sake, suppose the two Second Ward (2nd and 2&3 at-large) representatives announced a Town Meeting so late in the year, with an election upcoming. Would it set off suspicions of politicking? Would the "smell test" be invoked by the council's resident olfactory arbiter? Or would it only be fair?
Questions, questions ...
--Bernice
I was at the meetings in July, August and the beat goes on when the item was discussed. I also heard the council president ask the other council member's for dates.
ReplyDeleteRenee
So just let me be clear here Ms. Paglia are you saying that our issues do not matter. I could care less if this meeting was taking place in the middle of doomsday it's well over due.
ReplyDeleteGreat, so the Ward 2 meetings can take place late Oct or before the election and it is OK with you? It should be. I agree with you that issues matter more than elections, but with this council, you can hear the spin.
DeleteYou can contact your council representatives at any time with your issues, by phone or email, in addition to speaking at Town Meetings. See this link:
Deletehttp://plainfieldnj.gov/city-council.aspx
I am not saying your issues do not matter, I am questioning the timing. You are right, based on past practice, it is well overdue.
The timing of this "Town Hall Meeting" is very suspect, especially coming from Ms. Rivers, who has proved herself a biased and shady politician. She knows that she and Vera are on shaky ground in the Fourth Ward and is trying to do damage control.
DeleteThanks Ms. Paglia for your response. I could care less if they held the meetings the day before the election as long as they get it done. Some of the residents don't have the luxury of having internet service or just don't want it. Some of the residents lives paycheck to paycheck. myself along with other residents of this city would rather have a say face to face. We would rather here what our neighbors are saying.
ReplyDeleteBernice,
ReplyDeleteThe concept of the individual ward meetings was to bring the council closer to the residents in all 4 wards of our city. Placing them in the schools in the different areas of the city was simply to make it more convenient for residents (especially those who live nearby), and to encourage more folks to come out. The schools can hold many more people than the council chambers. The public now has 4 opportunities to speak in an open forum before the entire council.
The council president sets the dates for all of the meetings in consultation with the council members. To clarify, the meetings are open to all residents--not just residents of a particular ward.
For example, residents from the 2nd or 1st or 3rd Wards can ask questions at the meeting that is being held in Clinton School in the 4th Ward, and those from the 4th Ward are welcome to go to any or all of the other ward meetings to ask questions or voice concerns.
The point of the ward meetings is to give ALL residents a total of 4 town hall meetings--if they can't make it to one, they have several other opportunities. All residents are welcome at all the town hall meetings, and all 7 council members can be on the dais and available to answer questions from residents.
Rebecca
Thanks for that info/clarification, Rebecca. As you stated, all residents with questions or concerns should come out. I hope all 7 council members make themselves available that evening.
DeleteOne suggestion to the council: given the large group of residents expected, time limits for public speaking should be strictly enforced to afford as many people as possible the opportunity to speak.
Best,
Richard Stewart
Thanks Councilwomen Williams continue to inform the people reading these blogs the facts
ReplyDeleteBob Rob or who ever you may call yourself you are just upset because no one is listening to you. Get a job or something. Do something with yourself. You give Plainfield a bad name
ReplyDeleteI am Bob, am in volunteer positions for the City, elected to my office on the Democratic City Committee for three terms, and work full time. If someone listens to me or not, I don't care. I say what I say, because that is my right, as it is everybody's right. I want honest, open, forward moving government and I don't believe many on the City Council are working for that. I've lived in Plainfield for 32 years and will continue to open my big mouth for as many more years as I can. Thanks.
Deleteapparently you are.
DeleteNo time for the meeting in the legal notice? Smells funny to me--maybe they just don't want people to come, there might be embarrassing questions.
ReplyDeleteBob Rob or whom ever you may be if you take off the glasses that you wear you will first start with this administration. There is open honest leadership from the Mayor all they way down to his cronies like you. I would for the city and yes I am looking for a job just like everyone else is leaving. No one want to go to jail for this Mayor.
ReplyDeleteI never said the current administration was perfect and I don't understand why you are upset that I question how our City Council is run or the quality of the work they do for the city. I am Bob and not afraid that most people who read these blogs know me by site. I hope people from the last administration go to jail and think our last mayor should. I don't support people blindly, but will always work for a better town to live in. Have a good day.
DeleteAlthough the 4th ward town meeting can be attended by anyone, I’m in favor of having 4 meetings, one in each ward. Having separate meetings will most likely bring out more people. I may have concerns in my ward that only affect residents in my ward. I may not want to go across town to attend a meeting that may be over crowed and possible have a parking issue. I think people would like to feel like they have a more personal connection with their council person when said council person makes a effort to hold a meeting in their ward. Is there any reason why the other councilors have not schedule a meeting in their respective wards? Was there a reason why every ward except the 3rd ward had a ward picnic?
ReplyDeleteRobin B
I am Anon 3:59pm and I want to make a correction there is no open honest leadership with this administration from the Mayor down to his administration. I WILL NOT SIGN MY NAME UNTIL I AM HIRE SOMEWHERE ELSE OTHER THAN THIS CITY. The attorney general need to come in and investigate.
ReplyDeleteThe City of Plainfield have one of the best clerks in the state of NJ. If the clerks office left the time off of the legal notice by mistake they are entitled to make mistakes. They are human.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the 4th ward town meeting can be attended by anyone, I’m in favor of having 4 meetings, one in each ward. Having separate meetings will most likely bring out more people. I may have concerns in my ward that only affect residents in my ward. I may not want to go across town to attend a meeting that may be over crowed and possible have a parking issue. I think people would like to feel like they have a more personal connection with their council person when said council person makes a effort to hold a meeting in their ward. Is there any reason why the other councilors have not schedule a meeting in their respective wards? Was there a reason why every ward except the 3rd ward had a ward picnic?
ReplyDeleteRobin B
Richard, I have been at the 4th ward meetings for several years, and the people who attend number less than 10 and are usually from other wards.
ReplyDeleteI hope your optimism rubs off, and there are many people from the 4th ward in attendance.
Hi, Robin B,
ReplyDeleteAlthough the ward meetings are open to everyone, what usually happens is that mostly folks who live in that particular ward go to the meeting closest to them. These particular council town halls are organized by the council president (in consultation with the council for dates) for the entire council to be present in a more informal setting than the council meetings.
However, that does not preclude any individual councilor from holding his/her own town hall meeting in his/her own ward or wards.
Regarding the family fun day picnics, each councilor has a small budget to host something in his/her ward or wards. I combined mine with 2nd Ward Councilman Storch this year so that we could offer more to the children (the bounce house). I represent two wards, of course, so next year I will host in the 3rd Ward.
Rebecca
Isn't Gloria Taylor the 3rd ward council person, why didn't she host a family fun day for the 3rd ward? I hope she's planning on a 3rd ward town hall meeting. I'm feeling very neglected.
DeleteI don't think Gloria wants to hear what people think of her performance, especially since she is supposed to be representing them. From what a lot of people in the Third Ward are telling me, they think she is representing her own self interests and not theirs or Plainfields.
Delete