Mayor Mapp Delivers State of the City Address

In a wide-ranging State of the City Address Wednesday, perhaps the best news was that Mayor Adrian O. Mapp had to share was the surge in development, with over 60 potential projects representing a more than $230 million dollar investment in the city.

When he took office in January 2014,  he said, the word on the street was that "Plainfield is a difficult place to do business." Mapp filled a vacant cabinet-level post for economic development and examined how developers fared as they moved through the process. Now, he said, the city has a reputation for welcoming serious business partners and investors have taken note.

Mapp listed a 212-unit, $59 million luxury apartment project on South Avenue and two major projects in the city's West End as examples of the change.

He also announced an agreement with a developer for the vacant Muhlenberg site where a medical center closed in 2008 and said it will have "a major health care component."

In all, the address took over an hour. Click the link to see the full 2017 State of the City Address.

Mapp also reported improvements in public safety, fiscal controls, community health and recreation. In addition, an outstanding resident from each of the city's four wards was honored and given a plaque. The recipients were First Ward resident Nelson Santana, a businessman and commissioner with the Plainfield Advisory Commission on Hispanic Affairs; Second Ward resident Mary Burgwinkle, an advocate for the arts and member of the Plainfield Charter Study Commission; Third Ward resident Bob Wilson, not present but described as a civic leader and mentor to youth; and Fourth Ward resident Stacey Welch, an entrepreneur and owner of LiVay Sweet Shop who also organizes charity drives.

Council members Barry Goode, Joylette Mills-Ransome, Cory Storch, Charles McRae and Council President Rebecca Williams attended the event, along with many cabinet members.

Looking ahead, Mapp announced proposed improvements at Hannah Atkins Center to produce "a compelling community space with updated recreational and community revitalizing features" that will make it a hub for community services. The future also holds improvements at Rushmore Playground and Seidler Field, as well as a new skate park in Madison Avenue Park, he said.

"It's going to be an exciting year, but we're not done yet," he said, going on to describe goals including a permanent "One-Seat Ride" to New York City, road improvements, an on-time budget and technology training for students.

On a personal note, before describing a new educational campaign Mapp traced his beginnings in Barbados, where his grandmother cared for him while his mother worked on Long island, N.Y.

""We were very poor, and we knew it," he said, noting how he often went hungry and poorly clothed. Through it all, his grandmother drilled into him the need to gain an education. After migrating to America, he said, "I worked my way from Union County College to Rutgers University, from Rutgers to Fairleigh Dickinson .." persevering despite many challenges.

Believing education and early financial literacy are keys to success, Mapp now wants to establish "Plainfield Promise," a program to provide a bank account of up to $500 for every child starting school in Plainfield and a challenge for students to complete high school and qualify  for college and, if they can't afford it, a promise to pay for them to attend Union County College. See more on Plainfield Promise here.

As the crowd at the Senior Center began to disperse after hearing the address, Plaintalker asked a couple of people for their impressions. Shirley Dean said she was most impressed by the Plainfield Promise concept, while Elizabeth Lee said she was amazed at Mapp's recounting of his early struggle to succeed.

"It made me feel kind of sad," she said, though admiring his determination.

--Bernice

Making Plainfield "Fair and Welcoming"

On Monday, the Plainfield City Council will vote on a resolution to declare the city a "fair and welcoming community."

The resolution does not include the term "sanctuary," but a commenter warns of President Donald J. Trump's threatened loss of federal funds for such cities. It appears to be another piece of uncharted territory under the Trump administration. NPR reports that it may be law enforcement grant money, not other federal funding, that would be withheld, although that might be at cross-purposes with the order's goals to deter .

The resolution is too lengthy to include in a blog post, but anyone who needs to explore it in depth can examine the Feb. 6 agenda packet online.  where it is listed as Resolution G. Among the provisions, it cites the need to keep the trust of immigrant communities by not discriminating against them or exposing personal information to outside authorities. Workers' rights, such as earned sick days, would be upheld regardless of their immigrant status. The city would re-affirm its "commitment to publicly and vigorously oppose any government registry based on religion or national origin."

In public comment, downtown business owner Maritza Martinez spoke in favor of the resolution and said, "Everybody is very scared," and some people are planning to leave the city.

"If Plainfield becomes a fair and welcoming city, it would be a wonderful thing," she said.

She then translated for three Spanish-speaking pastors.

"We believe in the unity of Plainfield," said the first. "We believe God has plans for the city of Plainfield."

The second pastor said the only thing the Hispanic community asks is for the resolution to pass, which drew applause from the large crowd in City Hall Library. The third pastor said he has been working for the Board of Education for 20 years, currently with 60 children who are all citizens. But, he said, their parents are not citizens. He said he was "very happy" that Plainfield will have the resolution and reminded the governing body that in eight years, all the children will be old enough to vote.

The regular City Council meeting is 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 13, in Municipal Court, 325 Watchung Ave.

--Bernice

Taxi Towing Ordinance Moved to Feb. 13 Agenda

Their signs said City Council action will destroy their livelihood, but as a capacity crowd of North Plainfield taxi owners, drivers and their relatives watched, a City Council majority agreed to vote next Monday on an ordinance allowing police to have out-of-town taxis towed.

Plainfield taxis must be licensed, inspected and insured at a considerable cost to the four companies doing business here, but two North Plainfield taxi companies claim they give better service and want the right to pick up fares in Plainfield. They cannot obtain licenses in Plainfield, as the limit on the number of taxis has been met.

The city has increased fines for unlicensed cabs to deter them, and tried in December to up the ante by allowing police to order them towed. The measure failed, but with a new council majority, it is being brought back for a vote at the Feb. 13 regular council meeting.

In public comment Monday, Dr. Harold Yood led off by saying, "I think this ordinance should be trashed."

Yood, author of the blog Doc's Potpourri, said Plainfield, North Plainfield and Watchung constitute one economic entity and the whole (Municipal) Code should be revised to recognize that.

He was followed by a string of speakers from the North Plainfield taxi companies who said passage of the ordinance will take bread off the family table, among other dire predictions.Some made the point that many drivers for the out-of-town taxis are Plainfield residents and taxpayers.

Council members Barry Goode, Joylette Mills-Ransome, Cory Storch, Charles McRae and Council President Rebecca Williams agreed to move the ordinance to the Feb. 13 meeting, while Councilwomen Bridget Rivers and Diane Toliver said "no."

Rivers was extremely outspoken in support of the out-of-town taxis, calling the ordinance "a disgrace" and asking how dare the city tell residents which taxis they can call or not call.

"It's wrong, it's so wrong," she said to applause from the taxi faction.

 At the end of the meeting, the last speaker said he had to go home and tell his family he had lost his job.

"Don't be surprised if you see me on the corner doing bad things," he said.

Rivers encouraged him to stay positive and said she will be praying for him.

The taxi towing ordinance will be up for passage on first reading at the regular council meeting, 8 p.m. Feb. 13 in Municipal Court, 325 Watchung Ave.

--Bernice

Taxi Towing Ordinance Is Back

A controversial change to the city's taxi ordinance has resurfaced and will be considered at tonight's City Council meeting.

The amendment gives permission for police officers to order unlicensed taxis to be towed and impounded, and makes the owner liable for towing and storage costs. A similar ordinance amendment failed in December, to the relief of drivers and owners of North Plainfield taxis that are not licensed to operate in Plainfield. See Plaintalker's report here.

Dec. 12, 2016 City Council meeting

The December vote fell short of the four needed to pass. The council vote was 3-3, with Barry Goode, Rebecca Williams and Cory Storch saying "yes" and Tracey Brown, Bridget Rivers and Diane Toliver saying "no." Gloria Taylor was absent. After the crowd left the building, Soria Taxi supporters cheered and honked horns outside to celebrate.

Since then, the council make-up has changed, as winners of the November general election have been sworn in. Williams, formerly the Second & Third Wards at-large representative, is now the Citywide at-large member, replacing Brown. Charles McRae has replaced Gloria Taylor in the Third Ward. Joylette Mills-Ransome has been appointed to replace Williams. There is now a majority favorable to the administration that sought the amendment, which reads as follows:

Any vehicle operating in violation of this chapter shall be deemed a nuisance and a menace to the safe and proper regulation of traffic, and any Police Officer upon his or her discretion, may provide for the removal of that vehicle. The owner shall bear the costs of removal and storage which may result from such removal before regaining possession of the vehicle 

The agenda-fixing session is 7:30 p.m. in City Hall Library, 515 Watchung Ave. If there is a consensus to move the amended ordinance, MC 2017-10, to the agenda, it will be up for a vote on Feb. 13. That meeting is 8 p.m. in Municipal Court, 325 Watchung Ave.

--Bernice

Back to November for School Board Elections?

Tuesday's agenda for the Plainfield Board of Education includes a resolution to move the annual school board election back to November, coinciding with the general election. The resolution says the board believes the move will result in more citizen participation in the selection of board members..

See the Feb. 7 agenda here.

If approved, it will be the third move for the annual school board election, at which three members are elected for three-year terms.

The City Council initially moved the election from April to November at a tumultuous meeting in February 2012. The change could have been made by either the school board or council, and several board members objected strongly to the governing body making the change. Although the school board election is presumed to be nonpartisan, then-Council President Adrian O. Mapp  took heat from John Campbell, who masterminded elections that had produced a super-majority on the board.

John Campbell and Richard Wyatt joined the board as appointees before the last November election, where  they won full terms along with Emily Morgan, who had Mapp's support.

State law allowed for the election to be moved back to April after four years, and with Wilma Campbell presiding, the change was quietly made as a walk-on item at the school board's Nov. 10, 2015 work and study meeting

John Campbell, Wyatt and Morgan were sworn in on Jan. 5, 2016.

The change to April proved to be a gamble that Wilma Campbell, seeking her fifth term, lost. Despite the short time to put together a campaign, a slate backed by Mapp took all three seats.

 Mapp swore in the winners on May 3, 2016 and predicted a "synergy that has not existed for the past 30 months."

The initial election change to November gave incumbents an extra eight months of service, but the change back to April did the opposite. Changing back to November will extend terms that would have expired in May 2017.

If the resolution to change the school board election back to November passes Tuesday,  a previously announced filing date in March will become moot.

--Bernice

Just Some Mad Ramblings

Of five applications to be heard by the Zoning Board Wednesday, three were carried to future meetings and the other two were inconclusive, so there is no outcome to report. Only 52 people read the post and only two citizens attended, so maybe land use is not as interesting as, say, politics.

When I got home, there was more Trump weirdness on the interwebs. I read a couple of items that flummoxed me. Were they real news or fake news or surreal news, or a swirly confection of all three?

But things seem a bit out of focus on the local level as well. I have seen fliers online for a "State of the City Address" meeting.

As City Clerk Laddie Wyatt will tell you, I am a creature of habit and get all bent out of shape over change and anomalies. I always expect the State of Address to be given at the annual reorganization in early January. I asked a City Hall official what kind of meeting this was (besides being one at a venue I dislike). The answer was:
 It is not being called as a Council Meeting.  The Mayor delivered brief comments about the State of the City which fulfilled the requirements as set forth by the code.  February 8, 2017 will be a standalone State of the City Address.

Checking the Jan. 9 Reorganization agenda, I do see item 12 described as "Remarks by the Mayor." But can my obsessive-compulsive self believe that "remarks" meet the requirements as set forth by the code?

The code says one of the duties of the mayor is to "Address the Council annually on the condition of the City government, its needs and his recommendations for the ensuing year ..."

So if that happened on Jan. 9, need I make that long walk to 400 East Front Street on Wednesday night? Couldn't I stay home and wait until the State of the City Address is posted on the city website?

Speaking of which, I just checked the previous State of the City addresses online and the 2016 one was given on Feb. 4! What! I had a whole year to get used to this innovation and I am still not with the program? Maybe I have to put this on my list of lapses that indicate the onset of senility.

See my post on 2016 State of the City Address here.

Well, let me just give a reminder about the 2017 State of the City Address. It's at the Senior Center on Wednesday. Don't park in the back, all the spaces are assigned and you will only embarrass yourself by having to go out and move it if a resident complains. Try to find a spot on a nearby side street. 

The next council meeting is an agenda-fixing session on Monday,  Feb. 6 at 7:30 in City Hall Library. The agenda-fixing meetings are back there after several months of meeting in Municipal Court. But the regular meetings will still be at Municipal Court. The next regular meeting is Feb. 13, when the council will vote on items that were moved to the agenda the previous week. 

This year has a bumper crop of combined meetings where agenda-fixing and voting happen on the same night. The Jan. 17 meeting was one. There will also be combined meetings in July, August and November of 2017. (Cue the cranky old lady voice - "Why, I remember when the council held regular meetings on the first and third Mondays of every month, and each was preceded by an agenda-fixing session on the prior Monday!")

OK, it's after 4 a.m. - time to log off of Blogger and on to Facebook to see what Trump has done while I was blogging. Y'all be sure now to check Dan's blog and read all about the new guy in the blogosphere, "Anonymous Gadfly."

I can just hear someone in the BOE building saying, "Quick, Henry, The Flit!"

--Bernice

Zoning, Planning Boards Meet This Week

I intended to write about two land use board meetings this week, but drifted away on the internet to musings on Imbolc, Brigid, Groundhog Day and other things that mark the quickening of the earth.

Snowdrops

Back to the original topic. The Zoning Board of Adjustment meets tonight (Wednesday,.Feb. 1) at 7 p.m. in City Hall Library, 515 Watchung Ave. and the Planning Board meets at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 2 in the same location. Agendas are online here.

Items of interest at the Zoning Board include the application proposing a laundromat at 400-406 West Front Street. A Google street view shows renovations at the former Sears Showroom, and a Union County Economic Development Corporation report describes it as a $1 million-plus project.for nine apartments  and retail use. I don't get around as much as I used to, so the Google image was quite interesting to me.

The applicant, Front Street Realty LLC, wants to install 32 washers and 18 dryers on the first floor.

Gavett Place Properties LLC (above) is applying to add a 400-square-foot studio apartment to 130-140 East Second Street, which has 12 apartments and ground-floor retail space. 

430-432 West Second Street

Judging by the date on the application, Alvin and Venus Hannah's case dates back to 2013. I wrote about their complicated situation in 2012, when they were seeking help from the community after a fire. The Hannahs are asking the Zoning Board for an interpretation of the city Land Use Ordinance regarding outdoor storage, in addition to other questions.

There are two other applications listed, but the list may change for various reasons. Last month, three of the five cases to be heard were carried to tonight's meeting.

On Thursday, the Planning Board agenda has no applications, but a Capital Project Review of the proposed Rushmore Playground Concession Stand and Restrooms Upgrade may be of interest. At the Jan. 17 City Council meeting, the project came into question. From a post on the council meeting:

Council members demanded more information about a concession stand and restroom upgrades at Rushmore Playground at a cost of $232,800. Toliver said it was "too much" and asked for details of the proposed construction.
The contractor is Hahr Construction of North Plainfield. Toliver asked what other concession stands the company had built and Rivers said she looked up the company online and didn't see where he built a concession stand.
City Administrator Rick Smiley said he could get the council "the schematics and what the contractor proposed."
The discussion included a mention of another concession stand (see details here) that cost $193,952.
"Maybe we should table this until we see what we are getting for our money," Rivers said. And tabled it was, unanimously. 

--Bernice