If approved tonight, an animal welfare ordinance prompted by the plight of Butch the guard dog will take effect immediately, not in 20 days as is normal.
Animal activists from all over rallied to Butch's cause in February and a large number came to the Feb. 9 City Council meeting in support of the proposed legislation. A television crew from News12 even came to record the meeting. The activists had used Facebook, Change.org and Craig's List to draw attention to the issue.
The ordinance outlaws the use of chains to tether dogs outside and specifies the form of acceptable tethering, including accessibil be kept outside, especially in very cold or hot weather.
Councilman Cory Storch announced lifting of the 20-day time to take effect, a very rare occurrence in this writer's memory.
According to one report, animal advocates offered the dog's owner $1,000 for the animal's rescue, but he declined. The ordinance sets a range of fines from $100 to $1,000 per day of violation for failure to comply with the new rules and provides for seizure and impoundment of an animal whose owner defies the rules. If the owner cannot be identified or fails to reclaim the dog within two weeks, the animal will be made available for adoption.
Monday, March 9, 2015
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Two Meetings Monday
Mayor Adrian O. Mapp has called a special meeting for 7 p.m. Monday with only one possible item for action, authorizing approval for an audit within the Department of Public Works & Urban Development.
This department has several divisions that cover important functions of government.If the mayor has enough reason to believe an audit may be necessary within this department, one hopes the governing body will agree.
This special meeting can go several ways. The first step is for a quorum of at least four members to show up. If that happens, the administration will have to make its case in closed session. Then a vote may be taken in public.
The hour-long span before the 8 p.m. regular meeting means council watchdogs may be in for a long evening if they don't want to miss something. But then even if the council approves an audit, the actual story may be far in the future, depending on what comes to light.
The regular meeting will not include the most contentious item from the agenda-fixing session, a proposed ordinance for earned sick leave. That measure will be taken up again in April. Most items on Monday's agenda are up for passage by consent, in one vote. No doubt the supporters of a new baseball league will bring their requests for funds and equipment to the council again. The administration may have to explain the laws governing use of public money and city-owned property and the group may or may not accept the explanations.
Thanks to yet another innovation in communication, the entire packet is now online in a readable format.
It is a big improvement over the previous set-up that required downloading of each item to read it.
By the time of the next agenda-fixing session on April 6, we shall know the candidate slates for council, state Assembly and many other offices. The school board candidates do not have to file until the end of July, so those slates will remain officially unknown for a while, though they will probably be announced by political leaders early. Last year, the school board race got more play early than other offices, for some reason.
--Bernice
This department has several divisions that cover important functions of government.If the mayor has enough reason to believe an audit may be necessary within this department, one hopes the governing body will agree.
This special meeting can go several ways. The first step is for a quorum of at least four members to show up. If that happens, the administration will have to make its case in closed session. Then a vote may be taken in public.
The hour-long span before the 8 p.m. regular meeting means council watchdogs may be in for a long evening if they don't want to miss something. But then even if the council approves an audit, the actual story may be far in the future, depending on what comes to light.
The regular meeting will not include the most contentious item from the agenda-fixing session, a proposed ordinance for earned sick leave. That measure will be taken up again in April. Most items on Monday's agenda are up for passage by consent, in one vote. No doubt the supporters of a new baseball league will bring their requests for funds and equipment to the council again. The administration may have to explain the laws governing use of public money and city-owned property and the group may or may not accept the explanations.
Thanks to yet another innovation in communication, the entire packet is now online in a readable format.
It is a big improvement over the previous set-up that required downloading of each item to read it.
By the time of the next agenda-fixing session on April 6, we shall know the candidate slates for council, state Assembly and many other offices. The school board candidates do not have to file until the end of July, so those slates will remain officially unknown for a while, though they will probably be announced by political leaders early. Last year, the school board race got more play early than other offices, for some reason.
--Bernice
Textures
Crocheting is easy and relaxing and unlike housework or yard work, it produces something lasting. Being housebound on a lot of days this winter, I was very glad to have some yarn on hand for crocheting!
--Bernice
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Keep Tabs on Election Dates
Voters need to pay attention this year to all the deadlines. If you intend to run for office, your petitions must be filed by 4 p.m. on March 30. The primary is June 2. There are many other significant dates and they are all on this "Election Dates" list from Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi. Click at the top for the print-friendly version.
Friday, March 6, 2015
What Does This Mean?
CORPORATION NOTICE
CITY OF PLAINFIELD
NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING
PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 2, SECTION 2:2-10(A) OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE OF THE CITY OF PLAINFIELD, 1971, A SPECIAL MEETING IS HEREBY CALLED BY THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF PLAINFIELD AT 7 O’CLOCK P.M. ON MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015 AT THE MUNICIPAL COURT – COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 325 WATCHUNG AVENUE, CITY OF PLAINFIELD, FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE FOLLOWING:
1. EXECUTIVE SESSION - TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL MATTERS INVOLVING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORK & URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
2. POSSIBLE CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING APPROVAL TO AWARD A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT TO CONDUCT AN AUDIT WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS & URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
FORMAL ACTION MAY BE TAKEN.
Another Lost Day
The view from Lot 7
The storms this winter have been very distracting and even disorienting for me. Being retired, I have the advantage of not facing a hazardous commute or a weather-related assignment. Before the days of online communication, it always seemed just plain crazy to me to gather news for a print newspaper that stood little chance of being delivered in a blizzard.
Now that I am officially old (over 75), I do not like risking a fall by going out in snow and ice. On Wednesday night, it was only raining, so I was able to walk over to City Hall. However, the Board of Adjustment meeting was canceled, so I had no story. Thank heavens the Planning Board meeting was canceled Thursday and a notice went out by email, so I did not have to try to slog through the snow.
One of Wednesday's topics was the 100-apartment age-restricted building that is supposed to go up between Roosevelt and Westervelt behind the block-long East Front Street commercial strip. On Thursday, an application for 153 units with 110 one-bedroom, and 43 two-bedroom
units on the former Cozzoli Machinery site at Richmond and Third was on the agenda. I hope to report on both when they are rescheduled.
At next Monday's City Council meeting, an ordinance adopting a redevelopment plan for a large tract on South Avenue is up for first reading. There are some steps before a developer is named, but a conceptual plan for more than 200 apartments there was discussed with local merchants last summer.
The boom is on after a long spell of economic abeyance and I would much rather be reporting on it than sitting indoors crocheting infinity scarves and talking to the cat. Please, Mother Nature, enough already with the snow and ice!
--Bernice
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