News Expected Monday - At a Cost

The addition of a special meeting with 14 important items to Monday's rescheduled regular meeting portends a long night for the City Council and any bloggers or members of the public who aim to brave the single-digit temperature that is forecast.

The agenda includes about 30 appointments to six boards and commissions; possible passage of the vital tax lien penalty rules; naming of a chief financial officer at long last; confirmation of Carl Riley as police director and creation of the title and salary band for a deputy police director; confirmation of Police Lt. James Abney as Emergency Management Coordinator; and two resolutions to amend judges' salaries.

Regarding the appointments, in the past candidates were interviewed and some may well be interviewed in the announced closed session for personnel matters. But the sheer numbers are daunting: Nine citizens possibly for the Human Relations Commission, five residents and a mayoral appointee for the Plainfield Advisory Commission on Hispanic Affairs, a city employee and a citizen for the Planning Board, four residents for the Zoning Board, six people for the Plainfield Public Library Board, and not least, possible action on appointments to the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority, which as of February will otherwise have four of five commissioners in holdover status.

The special meeting notice says the council will immediately go into closed session after opening the meeting at 6 p.m. At some point, the council will reconvene in public session and action may be taken on the special agenda before the regular meeting begins at 8 p.m., or as soon as possible after the special meeting.

Besides the wear and tear on council members and the public, the cost may include short shrift to decisions that would otherwise be made in a more deliberate fashion. But if it gets things in gear in this new administration, I suppose the marathon meeting schedule will be worth it.

--Bernice

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