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Monday, September 14, 2015

Council: Sick leave ordinance, liquor license renewals up tonight


City Council President Bridget Rivers presides over Council meetings.
 
Annual liquor license renewals and the proposed sick leave ordinance are on Plainfield City Council's agenda tonight.

Because the state is moving to electronic renewal, the annual license renewals were delayed until September. Municipal Clerk 'AJ' Jalloh and his crew are to be complimented for the format in which the renewals have been presented this year -- grouped by category, and with an explanatory paragraph about those not on the list and the reasons why their license renewals have been delayed.

The police diivision reported last week that all conditions placed on renewals by the Council are being met and the only problematic license was for the Express Night Club (formerly the Richmond Beer Garden) at East 3rd and Richmond Streets.

The Police Division recommended to the Council that that license not be renewed. If the Council had moved that recommended item to tonight's agenda, they would have had to hold a hearing before ruling on the matter. Both sides would have the right to counsel and to present testimony in favor of their case. Any decision by the Council would be subject to appeal by the licensee to the state.

But a Council majority declined to put the license in jeopardy and moved it to tonight's agenda where it appears simply as one among many renewals, though with a notation that the Police Division recommended non-renewal. With only Williams, Storch and Brown in favor of the PD's recommendation, it seems likely to be renewed without even any conditions.

Also on tonight's agenda is the first reading of the ordinance designed to implement a sick leave program for some of the workers in the city's retail and food service sector.

With four co-sponsors of the bill (Williams, Brown, Greaves and Storch), it seems likely to move ahead. The second reading and public hearing on the ordinance would then take place at the October business meeting.

Tonight's City Council session gets under way at 8:00 PM in the Council Chambers/Courthouse at Watchung Avenue and East 4th Street.


  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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