Audio: Special Meeting of Mayor and Borough Council, Thursday August 27th

Here’s the audio from August 27th meeting. We will try to post the video in a day or two.

Special Meeting of Mayor and Borough Council, Thursday August 27th, 7:30pm

There will be an open public meeting of the Mayor and Council, to be held at Vermuele Community Center,  614 Greenbrook Rd.  The meeting will address the final passage of NPCCR’s proposed ordinance that establishes a Sunshine Law for North Plainfield.  The proposed Sunshine Law document can be found on the ‘Facts Sheet’ link.

A Political Two Step, Without The Music – submitted by Barbara Habeeb

For those of you who don’t know, I am a professional singer/songwriter/musician. I perform under the stage name “Barbara Harley.” I get paid to entertain at bars, restaurants, social events etc. I also donate my time to schools, and various non-profit organizations.

 

Recently, I was invited to perform for the North Plainfield Senior Citizens Club. I had performed for them last year, and some of the members had been asking for me to come back for another performance. I made arrangements to perform for them on Tuesday, August 25. Keep in mind that I was giving up my time to do this gratis.

 

Several days ago, I received an e-mail from the woman who booked me stating that “due to recent events, it would be considered a conflict of interest for me to perform for the club.” I was asked to “reschedule anytime after election day.” It didn’t take much for me to figure out who prompted this. It was a member of the club who is very politically tied to the Democratic Party. That person has turned an innocent booking into a political issue. It was mentioned that if I performed, it could be considered political. Political??? What does me singing have to do with politics?

 

I am not running for any office, nor do I hold a political office. I do not sing political songs, nor would I do any type of politicking. HOW in the world could a person with a guitar singing family oriented songs be considered political? Who is even thinking about the election? I know I’m not. Election day is still months away.

 

So, why the censorship? Or maybe I should ask, why the discrimination? Is it because I am a registered Republican and this person who is a registered Democrat doesn’t think I should be allowed to sing to Democrats? Yeah, if I sing a Miley Cyrus song, that might influence Democrats to vote Republican in the November election. There may be a hidden message in the songs I sing. How ridiculous is that? I have never in my life encountered something this mundane.

 

A certain Democrat performs from time to time for the seniors. Maybe he/she should be exempt from there because he/she has a relative who is a politician and his/her songs might influence Republicans to vote Democrat in the next election. Maybe a certain Borough Councilperson should be exempt from the club because he/she is a Democrat. Anything said could be interpreted as political, and should be censored because he/she might have a hidden agenda. I could go on and on about this. Do you see how ridiculous that sounds? Get over it already. We are all citizens of North Plainfield. Last time I checked, North Plainfield was still part of the United States of America. Why in the world should someone be censored because of their Political Affiliation? This is discrimination at it’s very worst.

 

If I wish to perform for the senior citizens club, that is my personal business. How dare ANYONE to interfere. Too bad for the Seniors because they are the ones who missed out on a good show.

NPCCR Chairperson Antoinette Rinehart’s Address to Borough Council Regarding Sunshine Law Petition

I’d like to add some commentary for the public’s edification and the public record tonight concerning NPCCR’s petition to place a Sunshine Law ordinance before the Borough’s governing body for adoption.

Should the council not act in a timely fashion and thus our petition require a special election to place it before our citizens, it will be an expense incurred by the council’s responsibility, not NPCCR’s, and in no way should reflect on our efforts.

Members of the council, you are faced with the option to accept this proposed ordinance or refuse it–thus making it necessary to place the ordinance on November’s ballot. Should you delay in your acceptance, that action will be your choice and will require a special election ballot at the expense of North Plainfield’s citizens. There are no costs involved for this November’s election ballot.

I want to remind the Council that the Committee of Petitioners is empowered to withdraw the petition from the ballot and will be happy to do so if the Council passes a version of the Sunshine Act that is acceptable to us. But, before such a result can be achieved, a dialogue must be opened between the Council and the Committee.

In order to initiate this dialogue, the Committee invites the Council to meet with us so that we can address any areas of the petition that the Council may feel are unworkable, unclear or too expensive to implement. In sum, we ask that the Council take a cooperative, and not an adversarial, stance toward this petition effort and work with us to foster open and transparent government in North Plainfield.

So I address each of you in good faith individually, and collectively. to ask that you act in a responsible way and in the best interests of your constituents. Working together we can assure progress in our “Proud Community”.

Sunshine Law Petition

A Request For Assistance To Preserve Open Space In North Plainfield

The following letter was written by members of NPCCR.  The letter will be sent to the following New Jersey representatives:  Leonard Lance, Nick Scutari, Frank Lautenberg, Robert Menendez, Linda Stender and Jerry Green. Former councilwoman Barbara Habeeb will also send a cover letter.  The letters will be mailed in about two weeks. If anyone is interested in adding their signatures to the letter, please contact one of the NPCCR representatives or forward an email request to communityrights@gmail.com with ‘Green Letter Signature Request’ in the subject line.

Green Letter

Q3 Property Tax – Poll Results

We had 60 people respond to the poll. Here the results:

38% – taxes rose by more than 10%

5% – taxes rose 5-10%

5% – taxes rose <5%

2% – taxes same

15% – taxes fell by <5%

3% – taxes fell 5-10%

32% – taxes fell by more than 10%

 

48% reported tax increase and 49% reported tax decrease  (difference is not significant)

Commercial Property; Some Thoughts – submitted by Greg Hatala

Something I can’t figure out.

When I drive along the eastbound side of Route 22 in Green Brook, I see, in relatively short succession, a new pharmacy being built at the corner of Rt. 22 and Warrenville Road (formerly Pizza Hut, which was knocked down), the future site of a Sonic Restaurant on part of the property that’s the place that sells outdoor playsets and pool tables etc., and a new Lube shop replacing one that went out. A new detailing shop also came in (and is pretty successful) on the corner of Rock and 22 where there used to be a tire and auto business.

Literally, by the next traffic light, I see properties that have been empty for years. The empty spaces next to the laundromat on Rt. 22 east, next to the Radio Shack, next to Bob’s Furniture, and if we include the westbound side, the old McDonalds, the never-really-in-business Fin Claw Restaurant, and so forth.

Now, it can’t be argued as a question of “location” — a lot of the points made are all on the east side of Route 22, literally within fractions of miles of each other. It can’t be said that “the economy” is the problem, as both “refill” businesses AND new businesses are going into Green Brook (building a whole new Sonic, knocking down a Pizza Hit and rebuilding). So what IS the problem? Why are business obviously willing to go in on Route 22 East … but in Green Brook and not North Plainfield?

Just for once, I’d just like a straight answer without all the rhetoric that can be readily be contradicted and/or disproved.

Muhlenberg Coalition – submitted by Mark Williams

POP/Restore Muhlenberg Coalition

by Dottie Gutenkauf

 

The POP/Restore Muhlenberg Coalition is having a special meeting on Monday, August 3rd,

to finalize plans for a Commemoration of the Closure of Muhlenberg, which will take place on Wednesday,

August 12th from 6 to 8 pm at the corner of Randolph Road and Park Avenue.

All are invited to wear black and bring friends, neighbors, pastors, and lighted candles to this solemn observance.

Flyers will be available at the August 3rd meeting (6:30 pm at duCret School of Art,

1030 Central Avenue–parking and entrance behind the building).