City Council Town Hall Meeting at Jefferson School

CITY COUNCIL TOWN HALL MEETING

Tuesday, June 26, 2012 – 7:00 PM

Jefferson Elementary School

1750 West Front Street

On behalf of the Plainfield City Council, I cordially invite all residents to attend our fourth town hall meeting. These informal meetings offer you an opportunity to meet with all the council representatives and to share your thoughts and concerns about our city. I hope to see you there!

 

Regards,

 

Adrian

 

Thank You, Plainfield!

 I just want to thank my constituents in the Third Ward for their support in Tuesday's primary in making me once again the Democratic candidate for council. I have always tried my best to deliver good representation to you, the people, and I look forward to winning in November and continuing to serve you. 

I want to congratulate Rev. Tracey Brown, the county freeholder candidates, Sen. Menendez, Rep. Rush Holt, and certainly our leader, Pres. Barack Obama. Thanks also to Chairman Green and the members of the Plainfield Democratic City Committee who made calls on my behalf. Finally, I want to thank my campaign team--Paul, Rebecca, Carmencita, and our volunteers and, of course, my lovely wife, Amelia, and our two daughters, Shermona and Ayisha, for their support and love.

Regards,

Adrian

Memorial Day: Thank You

Let us never forget the sacrifices made by our veterans on behalf of this great country of ours. They fought and continue to fight for the freedoms we enjoy.

Thank a veteran today...and every day.

Regards,

Adrian

I am FOR Protecting the Jobs of Frontline PMUA Workers

As many of my readers know, I have consistently made the case for the re-absorption of the PMUA into the city’s operation. I have taken this position out of concern for the rate payers, and out of a genuine concern for the frontline employees whose jobs have been threatened by the mismanagement of resources of the PMUA and the conspicuous consumption of its retired executives. 

The recent proposal by PMUA commissioners to furlough the frontline employees in order to pay for the egregious over $1 million settlement paid to the retired employees, coupled with the very harsh rebuke from the commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, makes this issue impossible for anyone to remain silent on.

Thus, it is important for the workers of the PMUA to recognize their real enemy. It is not those on the council, including me, who want very much to protect their jobs by absorbing them into the city’s work force. The enemies of the PMUA workers are those who would have them furloughed in order to pay for a settlement that is hard for even supporters of the PMUA to swallow. PMUA frontline employees are being deceived and bamboozled by those leaders who have gotten fat from gluttony at the public trough and contempt for rate payers.

I was appalled when I learned that the PMUA executives offered to haul the solid waste of a municipality with a population of 65,000 for a mere $8 million, while charging the 50,000 residents of Plainfield $12 million. How is this fair to our struggling ratepayers? The municipality with the population of 65,000 currently contracts out its solid waste for $4 million. Needless to say, the PMUA’s former executives were laughed out of town with their $8 million proposal.

This example clearly demonstrates how the PMUA leaders have priced themselves out of the solid waste market, making it impossible to attract external customers while at the same time rendering the authority a burden to rate payers in Plainfield and a threat to the future of its frontline employees if is not reined in.

Therefore, I say no to the proposed furloughing of PMUA employees, and no to the very bad and misguided idea the PMUA commissioners suggested of having the workers pay for the $1 million plus payout to the retired executives. I say yes to absorbing the PMUA frontline employees into the city’s workforce; yes to reduced rates, and yes to tax relief for homeowners. 

I am for reining in the PMUA and protecting the jobs of its frontline employees.

Regards,

Adrian

 

Enjoy Plainfield's Weekend Events

This weekend, Plainfield has a number of events for residents to attend: 

Saturday

The League of Women Voters of Plainfield will be hosting a Voter Education and Registration Initiative at Plainfield High School, with sessions running from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. I highly encourage parents to send their newly-registered high school students to attend at least one of the information sessions so they will know what identification to bring with them to the June 5th primary, and what to expect. 

As other bloggers have already said, the superintendent search public interview process will take place at Emerson School from 1:00 - 3:00 pm.

The Friends of the Plainfield Public Library will be hosting the Annual Wine Discovery Fundraiser from 4:00 - 7:00 pm in the Reading Rainforest Children's Room.

Sunday
I will be out again, canvassing in the Third Ward, knocking on doors to meet you, my constituents, to discuss the state of the Third Ward and our city.

The FOSH Garage Sale will take place from 9:00 - 4:00 pm in the Sleepy Hollow area and also in the Third Ward's Van Wyck Brooks Historic District--I will see you there!

At 5:00 pm, the NAACP will be hosting a candidate forum at the Whitney Young Apartments Community Center, 300 Central Avenue. All the candidates will be in attendance, and I will make my case for re-election as the Third Ward Democratic council representative. 

On Monday, I will be posting my thoughts on this year's budget--stay tuned!

Regards,


Adrian

The Future of Muhlenberg may rest with the CREAM

Over the past couple of weeks, several people have contacted me regarding the status of JFK Health Systems’ proposal to construct 600 units of residential housing in two multi-story buildings on the Muhlenberg Hospital Campus. 

As many of you will recall, I led a ward 3 council meeting at Cedarbrook School a few weeks ago to give the community at large, and my ward 3 constituents in particular, an opportunity to be heard on JFK's proposal for the Muhlenberg Campus. During that meeting I made my position very clear; I stated, emphatically, my opposition to JFK’s idea, which seems more like a devious plot intended to implode the existing historic structures that cradle 150 years of history. My wife Amelia gave birth to our children at Muhlenberg--it holds a lot of history for us as well.

The thought of residential multi-story buildings in this beautiful, park-like area of the city seems more like a bad dream, where stealth pilots descend from hatches in the sky onto the third ward with giant parachutes designed to inflate 4 stories high. Then suddenly we are jolted back to reality and the thought of 600 apartment units in buildings that would tower over pristine single-family homes with manicured lawns is more than a bad dream; it’s an actual proposal, born of insensitivity by an institution (JFK Health Systems) that has taken flight from the community, leaving its citizens in the area in the lurch.

In order for the current proposal to begin moving forward, JFK Health Systems would have to submit a request to the City Council if it desires to change the current zoning of the Muhlenberg Campus. The Council would then have to vote up or down the request. A "yes" vote by a majority of council members would be required to refer the matter to the Planning Board for review and for a recommendation back to the Council. The Council would then be required to accept or to reject the Planning Board's recommendation. As of this date, there has been no request or application submitted to the Council by JFK Health Systems, or by any other entity for the rezoning of the Muhlenberg Campus. 

Given that next year will mark the fifth year of Muhlenberg’s exit from the City, I am proposing the creation of CREAM: 

Community Residents Engaged About Muhlenberg

The purpose of the CREAM committee would be to work with JFK Health Systems, the Mayor, and the Council to develop a consensus proposal for the best use of the campus. This would be a "bottom up" approach, as opposed to a "top down" approach that is foisted upon us with no real community involvement or engagement. The CREAM should be made up of citizens from across all four wards of Plainfield, with diverse backgrounds and open minds. JFK’s recent proposal for the Muhlenberg campus is an example of how not to take a community for granted, and why community buy-in is a key ingredient to success. The future of Muhlenberg may rest with the CREAM.

It remains my position, that the best use of the Muhlenberg Campus is one that delivers quality healthcare to the residents of Plainfield and the surrounding communities. It is my hope that this will be the ultimate outcome. However, a recommendation coming from the CREAM among us should be embraced by all.

I will keep certainly keep YOU, the residents, apprised of any request that is received by the Council regarding the Muhlenberg Campus.

Regards,

Adrian

Proposed Muhlenberg Development:Town Hall at Cedarbrook School

Tuesday, March 20, 2012 – 7:00 PM

Cedarbrook School

1049 Central Avenue

 

Dear Friends,

The Board of Muhlenberg has proposed demolishing the hospital and replacing it with 600 units of housing. Several questions arise, among them:

• Does this type of development make sense? 
• Is this too much density for that neighborhood? 
• Is this what Plainfield needs? 
• Are the ratables enough to offset the costs to the city and to the school system? 
• Why housing only? Why is there not a commercial component to what has been proposed? 
• What are the alternatives? 

What are your thoughts? Come share them with me and the rest of the Council, along with the Muhlenberg Board. 

Regards,

Adrian