An Open Invitation to "The People’s Inaugural"

In about 48 hours, I will take the oath of office to become Plainfield’s next mayor; it will be an opportunity for Plainfielders to come together to celebrate the city’s new beginning. Therefore, I am extending an invitation to the “One Plainfield” community, family, and friends to join us for The People’s Inaugural.

This historic event will take place at 12 noon this Wednesday, January 1 on the steps of Plainfield City Hall, beginning with a ceremonial swearing in. Following a brief ceremony, attendees and all Plainfield residents are invited to “The People’s Feast,” an event with food and music at the Plainfield High School from 1-4 p.m. Plainfield’s restaurant community will donate food tastings for the event, which is free of charge. Following the People’s Inaugural will be the Inaugural Week of Service from January 1-January 7.

 

The Inaugural Week of Service will feature the following service activities:

Wed, January 1 – Ceremonial Swearing In, noon, City Hall, and People’s Feast, 1-4 p.m. at the Plainfield High School.  The People’s Feast will have opportunities for residents to sign up for membership on Plainfield’s Boards and Commissions. 

Thurs, January 2 – New and gently used men’s, women’s, and children’s coats will be collected at City Hall from 9 am – 5 pm.  The coats will be distributed to service organizations throughout Plainfield.

Fri, January 3 –Senior Appreciation Day.  Mayor Adrian Mapp will visit senior centers across Plainfield.  Plainfield residents are asked to perform acts of kindness and gratitude for Plainfield’s senior citizens.

Sat & Sun, January 4 and 5 – Plainfield residents are asked to “Shop, Eat, Support Plainfield” by patronizing local stores and restaurants throughout the weekend.  The Mapp Administration is focused on economic development and revitalizing Plainfield’s downtown.

Mon, January 6 – Thank-you cards and letters to our military will be collected at City Hall from 9-5 p.m. and distributed through the organization, “A Million Thanks.”  Guidelines can be found on the organization’s website at www.amillionthanks.org. The City’s reorganization meeting begins at 6:00 pm in the auditorium at Plainfield High School.

Tues, January 7 - Mayor Adrian Mapp and other city officials will participate in “Read Across Plainfield,” an initiative designed to highlight the importance of education in the Mapp Administration. This will be done in partnership with the Plainfield Board of Education.

In the coming weeks, I plan to introduce a “Plainfield Volunteer Corps,” an initiative that will match city residents with volunteer opportunities. Please join us and extend this invitation to participate in both the historic People’s Inaugural and the Inaugural week of Service.

Regards,

Adrian O. Mapp

Mayor-Elect, City of Plainfield

Happy Holidays, Plainfield!

On behalf of my family, my beautiful wife, Amelia, and my daughters, Shermona and Ayisha, I want to wish all my friends, supporters, and the wonderful residents of our beloved Plainfield a joyous and safe holiday season!  

Adrian

Thank You and Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for all of the blessings that have been bestowed upon us; it is a time for people to show appreciation for their achievements, for the people in their lives, for good health, and for friends and family. I am especially thankful for my beautiful and loving daughters Shermona and Ayisha, and for my soul mate, my best friend and the most beautiful, loving and wonderful person I have ever met, my wife and the next First Lady of our City, my Amelia, affectionately known as "Mimi."

As a people, we have much to be thankful for. We must be thankful and forever grateful for our men and women in the armed services who protect us abroad and on the homeland. Their dedication to defending and preserving the freedoms we enjoy as a nation deserve our thanks and appreciation. We must also be thankful for the bravest and finest among us, our public safety professionals, who put themselves in harm’s way to protect our city, our homes, and our neighborhoods each and every day.

Finally, I must thank all of the people of Plainfield for the opportunity they have given me and for the confidence placed in me to be the next mayor of our great City. Again, thank you. Plainfield, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Adrian

Photo by Bernice Paglia

Transition Letter and Questionnaire to Key Employees

Last Thursday November 7, 2013, I launched my transition team at a meeting held at Crescent Presbyterian Church. The following day a member of the transition steering committee delivered a letter from me along with a questionnaire to key employees in City Hall, inviting their input into the transition process. As many of you know, I have made it very clear, throughout the course of my campaign for mayor, that I will be practicing a participatory leadership style where the opinions of all members of our city government will be solicited and valued. Therefore, it is in that spirit that I am seeking input from employees at City Hall.

Unfortunately, shortly after my letter and questionnaire were delivered, there was an attempt to misinform and to discourage participation in the process of transition. I am taking this opportunity to post the letter and questionnaire that were delivered to some key employees in City Hall in an attempt to quell the rumors and misinformation.

I invite anyone who has a question to give me a call at (908)380-2241

Regards,

Adrian

One Plainfield. One Future.

Mayor Robinson-Briggs Directs Payroll Clerk to Break the Law – Orders an Increase in Compensation

I received some disturbing phone calls on late Friday afternoon about a decision made by Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs that is in clear violation of the City Charter. The City Charter is a state document, state law, that governs the type of government we have in Plainfield; it lays out, in clear and unambiguous language, for the most part, what elected officials can and cannot do. The City Charter is a road map that guides many of our decision and actions as government officials.

Former City Administrator Eric Berry submitted his resignation to the Mayor and Council effective September 23, 2013. On September 24, 2013 Mayor Robinson-Briggs submitted a letter to the City Clerk informing him that “pursuant to Section  2:5-3 and 2:3-4 of the Plainfield Municipal Code, please be advised that as Mayor, I do hereby appoint myself as Acting City Administrator for the City of Plainfield effective today, September 24, 2013 until October 6, 2013.” 

As if that wasn’t bad enough, the Mayor reportedly sent a letter to the City’s Payroll Clerk directing her to pay her acting pay as Acting City Administrator in addition to paying her as the Mayor of the City. Therein lies the problem. It’s one borne of selfishness and greed, and it is in clear violation of the City Charter. Section 3.2 of the Charter specifically says that the Mayor’s “compensation shall be fixed by ordinance and may not be increased or decreased during the term for which he was elected.” 

By directing the Payroll Clerk to pay her acting pay in addition to her mayoral salary, Mayor Robinson-Briggs is arbitrarily increasing her compensation during the term for which she was elected, in clear violation of the Charter and the municipal ordinance that set her compensation at $35,000 per year.

How can the Mayor direct the Payroll Clerk to break the law by giving her excessive compensation? Section 3.7 of the Charter states that “In the event of an emergency which represents an immediate, clear and present danger to the public health, safety or welfare, the mayor may assume the personal direction of any department, agency or instrumentality of the city government as may, in his (her) discretion, be necessary to alleviate the emergency; and he (she) may take such action as he (she) may deem necessary or desirable to that end.”

Given that there is no current emergency as described and defined in the language from the Charter, it is my position that the Mayor cannot appoint herself as the Acting City Administrator. No emergency exists.

Furthermore, although Section 3.7 of the Charter is silent as to whether or not the Mayor can be paid for acting as a department head in case of an emergency which is defined as a “clear and present danger to the public health, safety or welfare,” the Charter is crystal clear in Section 3.2 which, again, states that the Mayor’s “compensation shall be fixed by ordinance and may not be increased or decreased during the term for which he (she) was elected.”

In light of the very clear and compelling language in the Charter, I urge Mayor Robinson-Briggs to reverse the misguided direction she gave to the Payroll Clerk, and that she be guided by the letter and the spirit of the Charter. Furthermore, I urge the Payroll Clerk not to issue any additional compensation to the Mayor in violation of the Charter or the local salary ordinance.

Finally, I say to every employee of the City of Plainfield, you must ignore all directions that will cause you to knowingly break the law, regardless of the source of the direction.

Regards,

Adrian

6th Annual COMMUNITY BBQ this Saturday!

Hello, Plainfield,

Once again you are invited to the 6th Annual Community BBQ hosted by Amelia and me at our home, 535 West 8th Street, Plainfield. We invite you to join us for an evening of summer fun in our back yard; there will be plenty of food and refreshments. However, we know that as we are eating and drinking there will be others in the city who will not know where their next meal will come from.

Therefore, all we ask is that you bring some canned goods or other non perishables to be donated to a local food bank to help provide for those among us who are not able to provide for themselves. Your donation can be dropped off on our front porch or side yard any day this week or you may bring it with you on Saturday. The BBQ begins at 4:00 pm; we look forward to celebrating the summer with you.

Regards,

Adrian & Amelia

ECC's Leadership Bootcamp and "The Servant Leader"



With Dr. Gale Gibson, Interim President of Essex County College

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a Leadership Boot Camp at Essex County College, where I did a presentation to the students participating in the camp for the Urban Issues Institute, which is housed at the college.The title of my presentation was “The SERVANT LEADER: A Paradigm for Leadership in Local Government.” It was a great experience presenting to the students, interacting with them and answering their many questions about the process of government and my journey on the road to elective office.

The students were very engaged and showed a keen interest in many aspects of government. I was one of many present and past elected officials who participated in this annual program aimed at exposing students to the workings of government.

Interim President of Essex County College, Dr. Gale Gibson, a native of Barbados, was in attendance for the duration of my presentation, as was Dr. Margaret Stevens, who is the Director of ECC's Urban Issues Institute. My council colleague Rebecca Williams, who is a member of the English faculty at Essex County College, was also in attendance. This was a wonderful opportunity to again talk to young people about civics and government and to get them interested, engaged, and involved!

Regards,

Adrian