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5/7/2007
Mendham:
Town Stuff:
The Next Council Meeting:
5/7/2007
     By 07. 07. on Monday, May 07, 2007 - 6:35 am: |
Questions/comments to be read at the May 7th meeting:
Apparently the council has been advised, or otherwise believes, it has the authority, or prerogative, to conduct this "public comment" portion of the meeting without any obligation to respect the First Amendment rights of resident participants. I would ask individual council members to explain their understanding of the purpose of this "public comment portion" and to defend the censorship they have applied that goes beyond what the First Amendment to the Constitution would permit.
The council has created ad-hoc style committees regarding the New Library and TV 25. Neither of these committees conduct public meetings, nor is any verbatim record of their meetings created, and little if any information regarding their activities is reported to the Council, or the public. I would ask individual council members to defend the substantial limitation this circumstance places on the opportunity for the public scrutiny America professes to embrace.
Apparently the library committee is considering some new location for the new library... what's the address of this new proposed location?
Apparently the TV 25 committee intends to sell "underwriting" sponsorships, conduct a content production contest, and create some sort of interview show on the federally regulated public "access channel of the Mendhams". Clearly the intention is to substantially censer this content beyond the limits permitted under the First Amendment, creating/maintaining nothing more or less than a "government controlled" content channel. As this channel is substantially "publicly funded" how do individual council members reconcile the obvious violation of the public's First Amendment "access" rights.
A recent effort to purchase woodchips/mulch that the Borough had made available in the past resulted in the week of my time being wasted as the "policy" had long since been discontinued, even though the town website indicated otherwise, and there was no mention at any council meeting regarding the policy change. I would inquire of individual members of the council if they are-- satisfied with the unreliable Borough website? Satisfied that it takes a week to inform a resident--who provided a phone number--that a service is no longer provided? ...and Satisfied that checks are returned, with unsigned notes, in unsealed envelopes illegally placed in mailboxes without postage? |
| By 07. 07. 2....... on Thursday, May 17, 2007 - 12:36 am: |
[Mayor] At this point we are at the intersection of public comment... open up the meeting for comment from the public... seeing none I will move to the questions that are typically submitted by Mr. Gary Mosher... of Ironia Rd.
[borough attorney] I can read them if you like Mayor...Apparently the council has been advised, or otherwise believes, it has the authority, or prerogative, to conduct this "public comment" portion of the meeting without any obligation to respect the First Amendment rights of resident participants. I would ask individual council members to explain their understanding of the purpose of this "public comment portion" and to defend the censorship they have applied that goes beyond what the First Amendment to the Constitution would permit.
[Mayor] and I would like to answer the question by saying that I'd like the Attorney to answer the question as to the purpose of public comment.
[borough attorney] Really under the open public meetings act njs10:4-12 it provides for anyone to participate at a public meeting, and a meeting set aside, a specific time where public comment on any governmental issue that the public feels may be of concerns to the residences of the municipality may be heard... that there's no other provision, except for the fact that, people can be heard at that point in time, it doesn't obligate anyone, it just obligates the governing body to be certain that time is set aside, and there's a public comment.
[Mayor] and we certainly do fulfilled that requirement.
[borough attorney] yes
[Mayor] ok
[borough attorney] next question Apparently the library committee is considering some new location for the new library... what's the address of this new proposed location?
[borough attorney] mayor with respect to the location of the new facility, I would think that something... at this point there hasn't even been any public discussion..
[Mayor] A and B anything, any new property being considered would fall under I would think a land acquisition for executive session.
[borough attorney] it would and that is only if it is being considered and at such time as there was any decision made that would be a public decision correct
[Mayor] and at this point in time there has been no decision made on any property... other than the present tract on... denewfill track.
[borough attorney] and with respect to the library meetings those are... there are what are known as ad hoc style committee meetings, but no formal action takes place, nor is there a quorum of the council thats present. with respect to the TV 25 in my understanding that committee does actually have minutes, they do conduct public meetings.
[administrator] a a For the record, um um the administrator of Mendham Township, is the Secretary to the TV 25 steering Committee, and Mendham Township it is my understanding takes care of the notification under the Open Public meetings act, the meetings of that committee, and that minutes are taken, they're not verbatim, but there's no requirement to be verbatim minutes, that is my understanding
[borough attorney] correct
[administrator] and those minutes can be made available upon request, to any resident or or interested citizen, I think probably the most direct way to get them is to go directly to the Township, although we do give copies here and if anyone makes a request for them we provide them will provide them.
[borough attorney] the next question is ...Apparently the TV 25 committee intends to sell "underwriting" sponsorships, conduct a content production contest, and create some sort of interview show on the federally regulated public "access channel of the Mendhams". Clearly the intention is to substantially censer this content beyond the limits permitted under the First Amendment, creating/maintaining nothing more or less than a "government controlled" content channel. As this channel is substantially "publicly funded" how do individual council members reconcile the obvious violation of the public's First Amendment "access" rights.
[Mayor] as I read that question I I really don't know what is meant by the entire question... because I'm unaware of any censering by the committee
[administrator] can I, can I, I was just going to add that um there is talk about sponsorships, there is a protocol that is being developed by the committee, once the protocol is in its final form, that will be distributed to both governing bodies, for their review, and as a matter of fact, the committee has been following... hasn't been breaking any new ground, they been following what's been done in other municipalities
[council member] sponsorship I don't think is a correct word... if you've ever seen um public television channels...
[?] 13
[?] underwriting
[council member] more of an underwriting then sponsoring, and as far as the interview, man on the street type of the interview process... that is something that has been discussed, but we are nowhere near doing it yet, and as... I have not heard any conversations I have been involved in the meetings and I haven't heard any conversations about censorship.... we're not even at that point yet where we are talking about what the content is going to be ...or whether it will take place.
[borough attorney] the final question mayor...A recent effort to purchase woodchips/mulch that the Borough had made available in the past resulted in the week of my time being wasted as the "policy" had long since been discontinued, even though the town website indicated otherwise, and there was no mention at any council meeting regarding the policy change. I would inquire of individual members of the council if they are-- satisfied with the unreliable Borough website? Satisfied that it takes a week to inform a resident--who provided a phone number--that a service is no longer provided? ...and Satisfied that checks are returned, with unsigned notes, in unsealed envelopes illegally placed in mailboxes without postage?
[Mayor] Ralph any comments on the website
[administrator] yeah... I mean we've a... taken steps now to upgrade the website, the software for the Web site, as a matter of fact I spent some time last week with a couple of staff members showing them how they can actually start putting information into the website...um you know if the council is dissatisfied with it let me know... in terms of the wood chips issue, I'm not sure the reference to policy being abandoned a long time ago, but the situation was that we're not grinding up the chips as much as we used to... grinding up the brush, we are actually disposing the brush... the containers... so there's a limited amount of chips and that's why we stopped giving them away, the only reason why we had them... we were trying to give them away we had a whole bunch... that was it.... I apologize that it took so long for that to get communicated to Mr. Mosher... but a... I will certainly look into the other aspect of thu.. of having the... his check returned... and the way it was delivered. I'll make sure I'll find out exactly the circumstances
[Mayor]ok
[Mayor]I think that does it for Mr. Mosher... moving on... |
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