Monday, January 14, 2013
During last week's Lawrence Township Council meeting, an ordinance that would change the agenda for future meetings was introduced. Council will decide on Jan. 22 whether or not to approve the changes.
In response to repeated requests from several residents, Lawrence Township Council last week introduced an ordinance that would amend the agenda for future council meetings by adding a second opportunity for public comment. If council members approve the ordinance at their next meeting on Jan. 22, the change will take effect 20 days later, in time for the meeting scheduled for Feb. 19. Traditionally, public participation has been held at the start of council meetings, with the only other opportunity for public comment coming just prior to council voting whether or not to award a bid or approve an ordinance slated for adoption. Led by Amy Davis – a vocal critic of how the township’s prolonged budget crisis has been handled – a group of …
Friday, December 14, 2012
Since July, several Lawrence Twp. residents have been imploring township council to allow additional public comment at council meetings, but thus far council has taken no action on the request.
After backing off for a month to allow council members to focus their efforts on the township’s recovery from Hurricane Sandy, several township residents last week resumed their months-long campaign for changes to be made in how public participation is handled at Lawrence Township Council meetings. Led by Amy Davis, a vocal critic of the way the township’s ongoing budget crisis has been handled, residents on Dec. 4 again implored council members to either add a second opportunity for public comment toward the end of future council meetings or move the existing public participation period from the start of meetings to a later position in the agenda. The issue, Davis and the others argue, is that limiting public comment to the beginning of …
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Saying it's "only a matter of time before something terrible happens," residents of Yorkshire Village complained to council about Province Line Road traffic. Also, another request was made for public participation to be allowed at future council meetings.
Lawrence Township’s 2013 municipal budget was not the only topic addressed by residents during the public participation period of last week’s (Oct. 16) township council meeting. Council members heard concerns about traffic safety at the Yorkshire Village housing development, as well as yet another request for public comment to be allowed following the township manager’s report at future meetings. “I think it’s just a matter of time before something terrible happens,” Edith Wolff said as part of the discussion about traffic at Yorkshire Village, which straddles Province Line Road between the Delaware & Raritan Canal and the rear of the Mercer Mall shopping center, near Lawrence Township’s border with West Windsor and Princeton townships. …
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
"If you can’t make a decision that’s as logical and reasonable and easy and simple to make as that, how are we supposed to trust that you have the capacity to get anything right, let alone solve the ongoing budget crisis?” ~ resident Amy Davis to council
The debate over whether Lawrence Township Council should allow a second opportunity for public comment during council meetings has resumed, with exasperated township resident Amy Davis during last week’s meeting asking why council has taken no formal action to allow such public participation despite an apparent compromise to the months-long argument having been reached at the Sept. 4 council meeting. “While we may differ on our opinions concerning recreation and trash and bulk pickup, I just don’t understand why anyone would disagree with allowing another public comment period after the manager’s report and before executive session,” Davis, a Pine Knoll Drive resident, told council members Cathleen Lewis, Greg Puliti and David Maffei …
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
In response to requests made by several residents and a suggestion made by the township attorney as a way to end the debate, Lawrence Township Council is considering allowing a second period of public participation at future council meetings.
A potential compromise has been reached in the debate over whether Lawrence Township Council should allow members of the public to make comments toward the end of future meetings in response to Township Manager Richard Krawczun's manager’s report, which often contains new information about the township’s finances and operations. During last Tuesday’s (Sept. 4) meeting, in an effort to end a heated and rapidly-escalating exchange about the topic between Pine Knoll Drive resident Amy Davis and Councilman Greg Puliti, Township Attorney David Roskos suggested that council consider allowing such a period of public comment. “Rather than the debate going on and this trading of barbs, I’m going to make a suggestion,” Roskos said during the …
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
During last week's Lawrence Township Council meeting, frustrated residents again asked council to allow public participation at the end of future meetings so that the public can offer a timely response to the township manager's report to council.
Repeating a request she had made at the previous council meeting, Pine Knoll Drive resident Amy Davis stood before Lawrence Township Council at their meeting last Tuesday (Aug. 21) and implored council to allow members of the public to speak at the end of future council meetings, after Township Manager Richard Krawczun makes his regular report to council. Council members listened while Davis read a prepared statement and, a few minutes later, Pin Oak Drive resident Allen Cohen stood up and made a similar request. Council members did not respond directly to either resident. At the end of the meeting, a 45-second discussion about public comment took place between two council members but did not result in any action. “At last month’s …
930Sun
7:24 am on Friday, December 14, 2012
I am all for public participation however with that said it seems that the township can control whether you have the right to speak and they have clearly demonstrated that how they feel about it. Even if they did turn around and allow it now simply to appease you; what difference do you think your comments will make? You might consider starting a campaign or petition for the changes that are … more ›