Council sets Wards 1,2,3 Town Halls

Turnout was sparse, perhaps because of the weather.

Councilors Williams, Toliver, Rivers, Greaves, Brown
and Storch were present.

Plainfield City Council President Bridget Rivers announced a further three Council Town Hall meetings at Tuesday's lightly attended Ward 4 Town Hall at Clinton School.

Perhaps it was the glowering weather that kept the attendance down, but fewer than twenty people took part in a meeting that usually brings out a roomful.

With six Councilors in attendance (Ward 3 representative Gloria Taylor was absent) and department heads Eric Watson, Ron West, Corporation Counsel David Minchello and chief of staff John Stewart also there, Council President Rivers got the meeting under way by saying, "This is your meeting", indicating residents could bring up any issues they wished.

The evening provided an opportunity for candidates Barry Goode, John Campbell Jr. and Norman Ortega to hit some of their campaign themes.

Residents raised issues ranging from folks running informal auto repair businesses in their driveways (on Myrtle Avenue) to worries about young people hanging out on the street, to questions about tax abatements and conplaints about information.

Except for one resident, everyone was respectful and addressed the Council as protocol demands. The one exception was a woman who -- as the longest speaker of the evening -- took one of the Council's mikes, turned her back on the Council and addressed the audience as if it were her meeting. Council President Rivers did not object to this flouting of proper procedure.

President Rivers announced the schedule of the Town Halls for the remaining wards, as follows --

Ward 2
Wednesday, October 14
Cook School

Ward 1
Tuesday, October 20
Emerson School

Ward 3
Tuesday, October 27
Cedarbrook School

All meetings begin at 7:00 PM and run until 9:00 PM. Residents are invited to attend any or all and are free to speak at any meeting.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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