Plainfield's Independence Day Parade: Should we stop now?

Stepping off in a patriotic vein.

Though it was not July 4th, yesterday was a perfect day for Plainfield's 88th Central Jersey Independence Day Parade.

With the spirited return of the Plainfield High School Marching Band and Cheerleaders, a lively Ecuadorian troupe as part of the SID contingent and the flamboyant Islanders dance troupe as a spectacular finale, there was some real pizzazz.

The elegance of the Stone Square Lodge's float and the always-well-themed PMUA float were joined by newcomers this year, the Plainfield Elite Soccer Club and the local Knights of Columbus chapter, which meets at St. Bernard's church.

A selection of the 160-plus pictures from the Parade.

Am having trouble posting a slide show of the pictures.

Will continue post when they are up. Bear with me.

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-- Dan Damon

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A New Year's Resolution for Council, Administration

Fellow Plainfielder blogger Maria Pellum gave a reader some clear instructions on filing a successful OPRA request today (see here) and in doing so jogged my mind about a longstanding issue that needs to be addressed: developing a coherent, consistent and compulsory EMAIL POLICY for Plainfield officials and employees.

Maria's post flagged the issue because one of the parties she is discussing is listed with THREE email addresses, none of which is an official '@plainfield.com' email address. Anyone who has seen the contact lists for Council members floating around must have noticed that most of the Council does not use official '@plainfield.com' email addresses.

The conduct of official government business by email is becoming more and more common, including the City of Plainfield. The same has been acknowledged by the Government Records Council (GRC), which is responsible for enforcing the Open Public Records Act and the Division of Archives and Records Management (DARM), which is responsible for the archiving of public records.

Emails by city employees and elected officials in the execution of their duties constitute public records and must be collected and preserved as with any paper record which qualifies as such.

The use of personal email addresses only makes it more difficult for municipalities to fulfill their responsibilities; that does not, however, excuse them from doing so.

So, having official email addresses and putting policies in place for their use is becoming part of good government practices across the country.

There can be no knock on elected officials -- yet -- for using private email addresses (a number of the Council members do), but come the New Year, I think the Council should formally adopt a policy that Council members will be assigned, and use, a '@plainfield.com' email address for the conduct of all city business. Further, the Council should enunciate a policy that carries over the Sunshine Law requirements to emails: that the number of participants in an email cannot be greater than allowed by law for face-to-face meetings (three, in the case of Plainfield).

Adopting such a policy will allow the City of Plainfield to properly archive the emails as public records and supply them when bona fide OPRA requests are made (exceptions may be made for deliberative and consultative emails, but that concerns their release, not their archiving).

This would be a proactive move on the part of the Council to adopt a policy in line with best practices in other municipalities across the country.

Further, while there has been a noticeable improvement in the use of the '@plainfield.com' email addresses in recent months across communications with department heads and city employees (thank you Chris Payne?), there needs to be a clear email policy, stated by the Administration and posted online for public inspection.

Lastly, there is the question of boards, commissions and certain volunteers (as in the Rec Division's 2011 baseball registration, which has a Yahoo mail address on its registration flyer).

Though they are composed of volunteers, they conduct city business and certain of their communications (also increasingly by email) constitute public records, meaning they need to be archived and available when needed. While it may be burdensome to create '@plainfield.com' email addresses for each and every board and commission member, one solution may be to create an official mailbox for every board and commission, to which copies of all applicable emails are cc'ed.

Adopting and publishing clear email communications policies for Plainfield elected officials, employees and boards and commissions will demonstrate full commitment to openness and transparency in the conduct of the public's business.

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• Maria's Blog:  "Responding to a reader's request"
• ARC:  "Email management, retention and usage policies in the 50 United States"
• Sample policies:  "New Jersey (DARM)" | "Kentucky (PDF)" | "Oregon: Local Governments (PDF)"
  

-- Dan Damon [follow]

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The problem with Historic Preservation

Maybe not THE problem, but AN IMPORTANT PROBLEM confronting Plainfield's Historic Preservation Commission.

The spectacle of yet another property owner having to come before the Commission in regard to work on the exterior of their property where the owner claimed to be unaware of their obligation to have proposed work reviewed by the HPC was witnessed yet again on Tuesday evening.

A long discussion ensued among HPC commissioners after the applicant left the meeting, highlighted by consultant Gail Hunton's plea that a way needs to be found to both enforce the legislation which created Plainfield's historic districts and the Historic Preservation Commission, and to do so in a way that is supportive and not adversarial.

One suggestion floated was to put an informational ride-along piece in the tax bill mailing at least once a year. I'm not sure how helpful that would be if owners aren't even aware they live in an historic district.

There seem to be two points here: one that property owners are unaware of their obligation, and the other that Plainfielders generally are unaware of the beneficial effect of historic preservation efforts on property values CITYWIDE.

It seems to me there could be a more effective way to address at least the first issue.

And that would be to enlist the real estate community at the most important point in the cycle -- when a property exchanges hands.

Sellers and realtors are subject to many conditions -- smoke and CO² alarm certificates, asbestos, radon and underground storage tank tests, and even the size, placement and duration of 'FOR SALE' signs (for example, South Plainfield in today's Courier -- see here) -- in the sales process, and it is the one point at which the municipality can get everyone's attention.

So why not use it to the advantage of Plainfield's historic districts and properties?

How about an ordinance that requires every real estate broker offering a Plainfield property for sale to --

1. Include a notice in the listing if a property is in a Historic District or is landmarked that the new owners will subsequently be bound by the rules regarding changes to the property's exterior.
   
   
2. Obtain from the city personnel responsible for monitoring historic properties a form letter designating the property by both street address and lot and block number, confirming that the real estate professional is hereby complying with the ordinance, and
   
   
3. Require the countersignature of the new owners at the closing on the property sale, this countersigned form to be kept on file by the city personnel responsible for monitoring historic properties, and
   
   
4. Provide for a fine if the real estate broker fails to comply with both requirements.

Of course, this would oblige the City, in good conscience, to make an effort to supply any all brokers with the tools needed to comply (access to up-to-date and accurate maps of the historic districts, and an online version of the historic preservation ordinance).

The advantage is the City is applying pressure at the point at which it is most likely to have the full attention -- and cooperation -- of the concerned parties. Money rules!

Then there is the other side of the issue, the long-term, community-wide educational task of helping ALL PROPERTY OWNERS understand that a benefit of strong enforcement of the rules in the Historic Districts spills over in regard to value of all other properties. It can be a tide that lifts all boats.

Of course, that would require the Robinson-Briggs administration to take up the cause in a pro-active way.

But why wouldn't it?

The mayor and any of her cabinet living in Plainfield could benefit, just like every other property owner.

And who knows, someday she -- or they -- may put their house on the market.

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-- Dan Damon

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Plainfield's 'PLAN AHEAD' policy?

Plainfield's lack of a 'plan ahead' mindset is on display this week with the repaving of Watchung Avenue from the North Plainfield line to 5th Street.

The work caps the project which has included installing Belgian block curbing, ADA-compliant corner cuts and (partial) new sidewalks.

Some merchants were surprised and a little miffed that the repaving commenced without any warning, displacing on-street parking while traffic was shifted to new patterns for the duration.

In addition, traffic snarls ensued as southbound traffic on Watchung was shunted west on North Avenue forcing folks onto Second Street and creating gridlock in the entire area.

The plan, which was developed years ago in conjunction with the UEZ-funded streetscape improvements on Front Street, was dusted off to take advantage of federal stimulus funding. Unlike the Front Street segment, though, the city made no effort to circulate flyers to affected merchants alerting them to upcoming phases of the work.

Roadwork, necessary as it is, is alway disruptive to someone, and sometimes all that is needed is to show a little common courtesy (such as flyers, or signs on light poles as with last summer's E'town water work).

The 'common courtesy' part is where Plainfield seems to fail to 'PLAN AHEAD'.

Everyone will be pleased when the work is done, some probably a little more than others.

But will the City learn from this project to do better when -- and if -- it gets to the Park Avenue phase which was also planned for way back when?

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-- Dan Damon

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North Plainfield Sunshine Act would leave Plainfield in the dust

If adopted, a citizen-driven initiative in Plainfield's sister community North Plainfield would leave the Queen City in the dust when it comes to access to public records.

Led by a committee of six residents and needing to collect 300 signatures by the end of this month (tomorrow), the effort is an outgrowth of North Plainfield Citizens for Community Rights (NPCCR), a grassroots community organization formed two years ago. See their website here.

Provided enough signatures are gathered, the petition would place a fully formed ordinance (The North Plainfield Sunshine Act) on the November ballot, where ratification by the voters would make the ordinance a public law in the borough.

Plainfielders interested in access to public records would do well to study the proposed ordinance -- see the petition and ordinance here (PDF) -- which sets out a clear and comprehensive public meetings and public records policy.

Among items of interest are the following --

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Not only the Council, but every board and committee would be required to establish a period of public comment near the beginning and end of EACH PUBLIC MEETING (section 6). As things stand now in Plainfield, the public can only comment at the end of the Council's agenda session, and there are no established overall rules for public comment at various boards and committees.

RECORDINGS

An explicit policy is set that sound recordings be made of ALL meetings -- including closed (executive) sessions, and that they be made available in a prompt manner in both printed and electronic format(section 8). Procedures for redacting minutes of closed meetings are outlined as well as a process for guaranteeing these minutes eventually become open public records to the extent allowed by law. Aside: As I learned in 'Clerk University', municipalities which sound record their public meetings but not their executive sessions put the town at risk in case of lawsuits over what was discussed at those closed meetings. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that executive sessions of Plainfield's City Council have had improper conversations in the past, a situation which the North Plainfield proposal would discourage its Council from indulging in.

ACCESS

The proposed ordinance would make access to public records (including financial records) easy by posting them to the borough's website or making them available electronically, or both. This would allow residents to download minutes or financial spreadsheets and perform their own analyses of payments made or budget allocations, etc. -- something to delight open government advocates anywhere.

FEES

Lastly, the proposal establishes a common-sense and up-to-date fee structure that includes not only photocopying fees (as state law currently specifies, but at a lower rate that reflects recent adjudications on the matter), and outlines fees for providing records in other formats, such as DVD, etc.

All in all, this is a very forward-looking effort and one that Plainfielders and the City Council should keep an eye on.

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• Website: "Grassroots Groundswell"
  

-- Dan Damon

On-street parking permits for Plainfield?

Is it time for Plainfield to adopt overnight on-street parking permits?

One of the less pleasant consequences of the management of Connolly Properties has been the mushrooming parking of cars overnight on city streets near Connolly Properties buildings. This is no doubt a consequence of their policy of charging renters -- who, under previous owner Fred Tedesco, got a parking space included with the rent -- a monthly parking fee.

But besides the influx of onstreet cars in Connolly neighborhoods, I have noticed many streets which formerly were lightly parked now lined block after block by cars jammed bumper to bumper even as the neighborhood driveways are full of vehicles.

Whatever the reasons for the burgeoning on-street presence is -- and it can range from more cars per household to more cars because of illegal apartments and rooming house arrangements -- it provides both dangers and opportunities for the city.

Danger?

Crowding the streets with cars can lead to more traffic accidents, as in my block of West 7th Street, which seems particularly prone to them on account of the jog in the road between Plainfield and Spooner Avenues.

Opportunity?

Other towns take a proactive stance toward on-street parking, allowing it with permits, and turning it into an income opportunity where funds are increasingly tight.

Take Montclair, for example.

Montclair has long had overnight parking rules, and revised them effective this past July 1st (see Ledger story here and Baristanet blog's background here).

Residents can get overnight permits two ways -- on an single-use, as-needed basis, for $5; and a six-month permit for $240. Currently, the six-month permits are for use in town lots, but the Council plans to roll the permits out to neighborhood streets.

If there are 16,000 vehicles in Plainfield (a conservative estimate of one per household), and even a quarter park on the streets (again, I think, a conservative estimate), that could mean approximately 4,000 permits at $240 for a six-month tag, or approximately $1.9 million in receipts on an annualized basis.

Montclair also got a one-time extra dollop: Enforcement of the new rules began after a six-month moratorium. In the first two weeks, about 1,000 tickets were issued for parking without a permit -- netting the town another $30,000 or so.

As one Council member said --

"It's a complicated issue, trying to come up with something that works, that pleases the largest number and infuriates the smallest number" of people...

Maybe the time to please and infuriate has come for Plainfield.

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-- Dan Damon

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One 'Queen City' to another: New Rochelle's lesson for Plainfield

Plainfield and New Rochelle, NY, have many similarities besides both being known as 'the Queen City', and New Rochelle has recently done something that Plainfield may want to consider doing.

Transit-oriented development (TOD) is becoming the buzzword for both as these leafy suburbs with urban issues face the opportunities being brought by the rejuvenation of towns along rail lines (though Plainfield's, at present, is more promise than reality).

Situated along the New York-Boston leg of Amtrak and bisected by I-95, New Rochelle shares the moniker 'Queen City' with Plainfield, though its waterfront is perhaps a tad more upscale than Plainfield's -- at least for now.

Settled in the 1680s by Huguenots, French Protestants whose home base was the French city of La Rochelle, its early history parallels that of Plainfield, whose early settlers in the 1680s were Quakers and Seventh-Day Baptists, Protestant groups from England seeking more religious freedom in the New World.

What has New Rochelle done that Plainfield should take to heart?

It's requiring bike racks in new residential and mixed-use developments of ten or more units (read more on the town's blog-of-record Talk Of The Sound here).

Why should Plainfield consider this a good idea, one worth copying?

Well, it has to do with one of the contentious elements of TOD, transit-oriented development.

Developers love the idea that they can use TOD to subvert a community's zoning and planning directives concerning parking allocations for new development. Parking requirements restrict developers' ability to maximize their profits on projects.

As proposals in Plainfield over the past several years show, developers are more than willing to ask for relief from what have always been considered reasonable parking requirements for new residential units -- whether condo or rental.

The baloney offered to planning and zoning boards is that these new residents are all going to be walking to the train or bus, and no doubt walking for their milk, bread and newspapers too (if any of them are old enough to still get their news dead-tree style). In this rosy scenario, cars are an inconvenient reminder of our greedy, carbon-neglectful past, which will, like the state, wither away under the right conditions.

New Rochelle's City Council figures they need to give that withering away a little boost, so in June they passed an ordinance requiring that all future development -- residential AND mixed-use -- of ten units or more MUST include bike racks. After all, if people aren't going to drive gas-guzzlers, they're going to bike, right? Right!

It certainly wouldn't hurt for Plainfield's City Council to consider such a move and maybe even ask the Planning and Zoning Boards to look into the matter.

All in the name of freeing Plainfield from the grip of that most nasty, wasteful and selfish mode of transportation -- the private automobile.

And it would be heart-healthy, too!

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• Talk of The Sound: "City Council Approves New Bike Rack Requirements"
• New Rochelle, NY: "Website" | "Legislation" | "U.S. Census" | "Wikipedia" |

-- Dan Damon

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