Mayor’s Message: Transparency and Public Meetings (Part 1)
Over my term as your mayor and reflecting back on my years on council, residents will from time to time inquire about a problem, issue or circumstance of their concern. Unfortunately my reply may ask, why did they not go to the public hearing to voice their viewpoint or issue?
Our governing body is tasked under rigid laws and rules to scrutinize every issue brought before them in the public forum. The various agenda and other items are reviewed through careful consideration and deliberation while engaging in the due diligence process. Surprisingly, few residents show up for these meetings (as well as our Joint Land Use Board among other meetings). Is this an anomaly or plain apathy?
Being asked about allowing two-family housing next door to a residential zone, road paving on my street or the status of Creighton Lake water quality harkens back to these issues being covered and voted upon in past meetings. Since all residents have full access to our public meetings, many questions would be answered.
Rules of Decorum
Those wishing to address our governing body must first come up to the microphone and be recognized by the mayor.
State your name and address.
Speak in a respectful manner.
Comments may be limited to several minutes until all have spoken. More time may be given depending on circumstances.
Questions may be asked for clarification by the speaker.
Council members should refrain from getting into a Q and A dialog as this is a public comment period. The mayor will use discretion to answer questions at the meeting or elect to seek further review then respond to the speaker at a later date by email, phone call or a follow up at a subsequent meeting.
Understanding the Process
According to N.J. State Statute, notice must be given to all scheduled public meetings at least 48 hours in advance regarding time, location and agenda. Understanding the process of how to participate and what to ask in a public forum is simple as you can see. Your participation will lift the veil of apprehension on important topics.
Please remember, as much as you want your question answered and voice heard, we also want to hear from you. Keeping informed allows all concerned to provide efficient deliberations which will lead to a favorable conclusion and vote. This is the best format to keep informed (not social platforms). Communication is the key. Please note that we all live in town, we all pay taxes and probably have similar concerns.
As a matter of fact, this is so important a topic to preserve our national form of government trickling down to a local level, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has put out a bulletin with much related information entitled: “Guide to Participation in Council Meetings.“ Public meetings promote the various stakeholders to come together to share their concerns, issues and viewpoints or just for information gathering.
Reviewing the available agenda beforehand may trigger an important point which may need to be discussed before us. There may be a specific agenda item on a topic reflecting how payment of a capital item will be paid and expensed for instance. The governing body must be prudent as to how we spend our tax dollars. Again, this is all about communication as we must balance wants and needs. Well managed municipalities provide easy access for issues within the community with collaborative decisions and policy.
The bottom line is that this process will ultimately build a trusting sense of cooperation and community.
Thomas Jefferson stated in his many letters regarding this topic, “involving the public will ensure that their ideas and concerns are thoroughly considered resulting in better decisions.“
Thank you,
Mayor John L. Madden
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