Clarity was provided on what exactly happened at the November 6 City Council meeting, where five Councilpersons voted to put back an ordinance up for First Reading that had been pulled by Council President Jen Giattino.
The clarity came in an anonymous comment yesterday, then confirmed today by a source who spoke to GA on background.
Why clarity was sorely needed, was in part due to the Council President's finger-pointing snit (email) naming the five council members who voted to bring back the ordinance she'd pulled; she wrote that she was "disappointed" by the move.
Note, the whole matter of bringing back the LCOR redevelopment ordinance was moot; with two council meetings left in 2019, upcoming public meetings, and more amendments likely, the ordinance will get kicked into 2020 where it automatically goes back up for First Reading. The Council knew that. They need to push LCOR to change the proposed residential tower to commercial; the entire LCOR development should be commercial and retail. The public should not support anything else.
So, why did the Council bring the LCOR ordinance back for a moot vote?
Perhaps DeFusco and Russo, enthusiasts for the project, wanted to show LCOR their support, but there is at least one more reason: pushback on the Council President.
Sources tell GA that Council President violated Roberts Rules of Order by failing to get consent from the sponsors prior to pulling it from the agenda. Interestingly, she only asked one sponsor for permission: Councilman DeFusco, her ally.
Sources tell GA that Council President violated Roberts Rules of Order by failing to get consent from the sponsors prior to pulling it from the agenda. Interestingly, she only asked one sponsor for permission: Councilman DeFusco, her ally.
DeFusco consented, then later changed his mind.
GA's source affirmed the accuracy of the following anonymous comment:
"What apparently has been lost on a number of people is that Jen Giattino had NO AUTHORITY to remove the NJTransit ordinance from the Nov. 6 agenda prior to the last meeting. There were three sponsors (only two are needed), and she directed the clerk on Monday to remove it after it had been properly proposed and published on the City web site as up for first reading. She cannot just remove matters that other council people properly propose.
Then, after taking that improper action, she told many people that it had been removed (and told the Clerk to report that, too) and that there was no need for the public to come to the meeting and comment on it.
Then, she asked DeFusco, the day of the meeting (two days after she removed it), if he as one of the sponsors was ok with its removal. But there were still two other sponsors, mind you …
Apparently DeFusco said yes, hours before he then changed his mind at the meeting and stabbed her in the back. Heh. Then, when Russo asked at the meeting why it had been removed, she said that she did it and it could not be put back on because people had been told it was off the agenda.
A genuinely unfortunate situation that she created with her improper conduct. Hence the slap in the face for her poorly thought out, improper action."
Either Giattino doesn't know the basics of Roberts Rules and the requirements of the Open Public Meetings Act, or she can't be bothered by procedures and laws. Ignorance or corruption, either way, she shouldn't be in public office. And by now she's figured out that Fisher is her only ally, but that's like having a venomous snake as a pet. One day, it'll bite and everyone will be thinking what did you expect?
ReplyDeleteDeFusco became very animated once there was blood in the water at the last council meeting, but he too is not too bright. Russo and Ramos will give him enough room to feel comfortable enough to do their dirty work, and then cash out when they decide the game of who gets to angle for mayor has gone on too long.
One things for certain, the next two years won't be boring.
So wait, are you folks FOR or against the Massive NJ Transit plan that is open ended and will turn Hoboken into Dubai? I know some ex NJ Transit lawyers and family and allies in town feign they are against the plan, but hey, they can rebuild Hoboken by design and cash out with nice pensions at the same time pretending to hate the plan....LOL. Give me another Gin and Tonic! Last Tuesday was a blowout. Maybe those who hate the Hoboken they moved into should follow Zimmer's lead and sell their homes too
ReplyDeleteOh, Lord. You know that this post isn't about the merits (or lack of) of the LCOR proposal. Did you read it? Next, keep spinning about the "blowout" - people are generally pleased with the direction of Hoboken which favors incumbent candidates. Expect the same in 2021.
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