December 26, 2007. Several weeks ago, the Mayor and Council of Harrison defeated a resolution proposed by Councilman Steve McCormick to install videotaping equipment in the council chambers which would have allowed town meetings to be broadcast on the town’s local access channel. Mayor McDonough stated during the public portion of the town meeting that the town could not afford spending $60,000 for video equipment. When it was suggested that Harrison High School students could use a basic video camera to videotape meetings as a class project at no cost to the town, Mayor Raymond McDonough stated that he did not want video cameras because he did not want "a circus" atmosphere at town meetings. KOTW agrees that $60,000 for video equipment to broadcast town meetings is a little bit much. However, Mayor McDonough’s explanation of why he does not want to videotape town meetings is just a excuse. Harrison has the distinction of being the only West Hudson town to not audio or videotape its meetings. Mayor McDonough simply put does not want anyone to see how Harrison’s government is run. One persistent resident is about to change the status quo.
Former Harrison 4th Ward council candidate, Jim Wood, announced both in a Letter to the Editor in the Observer and on KOTW that he has established a website which will broadcast town meetings. The site, www.HarrisonMeetings.com, is Joe Wood’s response to the Mayor and Council’s refusal to broadcast town meetings. As Joe Wood put it in his letter to the Editor published in the Observer, "Since the town council feels it’s unnecessary to have a public record of what goes on at council meetings, I will do it for them, free of charge, and post it online for the residents to see." KOTW applauds Joe Wood’s efforts to make a public record of Harrison’s town meetings. Harrison needs more individuals like Joe Wood who take the initiative to do what they feel is best for their community.
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January 1, 2008. KOTW wishes its members and guests a Happy New Year.
January 22, 2008. This weekend you may have experienced KOTW withdrawal. Our Discussion Board was down and life was not exactly the same. Now that the Discussion Board has been restored and improved, it is time to log back in, sit back with that cup of coffee and join the discussion. As this weekend proved, KOTW is a community. That is very clear because as soon as the Discussion Board was restored, Members and Guests began posting as if the Board had never been down. What better way to enjoy your coffee while logged in to KOTW than in a KOTW coffee mug. Order yours today by clicking here. Your purchase will help support KOTW.
January 19, 2008. KOTW's Discussion Board is currently down. We are working to restore the board.
January 26, 2008. The New Jersey Public Advocate, Ronald K. Chen, has filed an amicus curiae brief in the Appellate Division of the Superior Court that argues that a key section of the state's redevelopment law is unconstitutional.
According to a press release from the Public Advocate's office:
Chen
said state law does not give property owners any meaningful opportunity to
challenge a town’s plans to take their property because they may not know
whether their property is actually targeted for condemnation until years after
deadlines under the statute have expired for them to take legal action.
Read more: Public Advocate Files Brief in Support of Property Owners
“Under our current law New Jersey residents can lose their property without
adequate notice that their property will be taken and without a hearing,” Chen
said. “This case demonstrates why the current law fails to satisfy the due
process requirements of the federal and state constitutions.”
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