[AsburyPark] AP has one of the shortest time limits
Local rule puts limit on free speech Time strictly enforced by Long Branch council head Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 08/15/06 BY CAROL GORGA WILLIAMS COASTAL MONMOUTH BUREAU LONG BRANCH To some, it is a matter of free speech. To others, it's an issue of controlling an often unruly crowd. But for several weeks now, since Councilman Michael DeStefano took over the reins as City Council president from Anthony Giordano III, DeStefano has enforced a strict five-minute rule on people wishing to address the council during the meeting's public-comment session. DeStefano, however, will not cut a person off mid-sentence, which sometimes means the five minutes grow by a few seconds. Giordano also had a five-minute rule, which he often stretched to 10 or beyond. That meant longer public sessions, although the tone of those sessions rarely changes. The meetings generally are attended by critics of the current administration, and during the public session, they typically criticize. Although some residents chafe at the idea of limiting their time to five minutes, what DeStefano has done is not only legal, it is not at all unusual, legal experts said. Frank Askin, director of Rutgers Law School's Constitutional Litigation Clinic, said Long Branch isn't the first community to invoke limits on public comment. As long as they have some public comment and limit it to five minutes, I don't think there is anybody who can legally challenge that, he said. Deborah M. Kole, staff attorney for the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, said meeting conduct is governed by the state's Open Public Meetings Act, which became effective in 1976. However, the law was amended in 2002 to require a public comment portion at municipal meetings. That amendment permits the governing body to regulate the comment session, Kole said. The same section (of the law) that says you have to have it says it can be limited, she said. Kole could not say how many other towns in New Jersey have such limits but said it was reasonably common. Elizabeth Mason, president of the New Jersey Foundation for Open Government, agreed, calling the five-minute rule rather routine, especially in larger towns and cities. She said many governments will allow citizens time to make their points, provided they are not repetitive. It is when people say the same thing over and over again, they will tend to move the meeting along, Mason said. In the smaller towns, where there tends to be less controversy, the idea of a rule to limit public comment is less likely, she said. Oceanport, for example, has never had a rule and does not envision one in the new set of borough bylaws being drafted, said Mayor Lucille Chaump. Only once in recent memory, did Chaump ask citizens to hold their comments to five minutes each, she said. Chaump, however, will make sure that everyone who wants to talk has had a chance at the microphone before people who want to speak a second time are allowed back up. I think if they want to come in and say something, they have a right to, Chaump said. Asbury Park has a three-minute rule for public comment, which Deputy Mayor James Bruno said people have adapted to. He said people who want to talk longer, just want to grandstand. Bruno, like other municipal officials, say their time with the public is not limited to meetings. DeStefano often urges people to have one-on-one conversations with the mayor or council members if they feel their concerns have not been addressed. In Long Branch, the council will wait around after meetings to talk to citizens. But because Long Branch's meetings have become so contentious, DeStefano, like Long Branch Mayor Adam Schneider, feels people with legitimate issues are put off by the tenor of the audience, which can include catcalls and booing. I hear it all the time, Schneider said. I hear it from people who come to a meeting and then leave when they see how badly certain members of the audience behave or having heard about it they will just not come. Schneider maintains the best way to get results is to call the mayor or a council member and have a direct conversation. The idea that people will come to these meetings to reasonably address concerns has long since stopped being the case, he said. Other communities have faced the same issue: critics dominating the public agenda. At the Lakewood Board of Education, there is a policy that board members will not engage in a dialogue with the public, said board President Chet Galdo. Instead, citizens ask their questions and are told to schedule a meeting with the schools superintendent to gain an answer. It was impeding our ability to run an agenda, Galdo said. It took me a long time to realize that no matter what you do, you will always have people who will criticize. . . . People will criticize me or the board, they have a right, this is a democracy. It is when a board becomes vindictive
[AsburyPark] Re: AP has one of the shortest time limits
What the Asbury park Press left out is that up until recently we had a seperate public portion after all the city business was accomplished. It was the last thing on the agenda, it was our time. 11 months ago Councilman Giordano struck the public portion from the agenda and made us speak co mingled with the resolutions hearing. In many cases, if not all we have 15 - 20 resolutions on the agenda for vote. How can we ask abou these legislative resolutions and comment all within the restricted time. We at PLUS Please Let Us Speak. are asking that the City Council restore The Public Portion on the agenda. It has become apparent that city officials who are afraid of public comment have something to hide from the public. Schneider and Destefano's position about talking privately to them outside the on the record scope has not worked for us here, because they will tell us what we want to hear, privately. Often times reverseing and denying what was told an individual in the future. I am sorry to say the level of trust for our elected and appointed officials is at an all time low. Rev. Kevin Brown Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [AsburyPark] Re: A Man's Beach Bungalow is his Castle, Under Seige by Developers
If we can reach out to this guy, we should show him our support for him AND OTHERS LIKE HIM THAT're TRYING TO TELL FOLKS TO WAKE UP BEFORE NOTHING IS LEFT!! MORE POWER TO MR. G!!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!THANKS FOR THE ARTICLE!! -al --- Hinge [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Mr. Rosen accused Mr. George of protecting the bungalows simply to preserve his income as a landlord. He buys these bungalows for dirt cheap, and he's lining his pockets by running the biggest scam, he said. Here you have developers bringing millions of dollars into the neighborhood, and he's killing their projects and making them want to walk away. He said he was suing Mr. George for malicious prosecution of my client. I'll take all the bungalows if I win, he said. Most of them are garbage anyway. They're shacks. Mr. George dismissed Mr. Rosen's claims. If money was my motivation, I'd want the project built because it would increase my property value, he said. I'm not antidevelopment; only when it discriminates against everyone else living around it. Disgusting, isn't it? --- In AsburyPark@yahoogroups.com, dfsavgny [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: http://tinyurl.com/osyxe __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [AsburyPark] Re: Traffic light on corner of Deal Lake Drive and Park Ave
GOOD POINT!! I'VE ALSO SEEN LIGHTS CONTROLLED SO THAT AFTER A CERTAIN EVENING HOUR, THE LIGHT ON THE MAIN DRAG WOULD STAY GREEN, AND ONLY TURN WHEN A CAR APPROACHED IN THE CROSS-STREET. THIS ALSO SAVES FUEL, AND TIME WAITING FOR A LIGHT WHEN NO TRAFFIC CAN BE SEEN, ASIDE FROM THE IMPORTANT EFFICIENCY AND SAFETY REASONS. GOOD IDEAS! -al --- dfsavgny [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: --- In AsburyPark@yahoogroups.com, Lighty [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I¹ve often thought that the lights should be one of the first things fixed as I think they help promote the image of the town as a scary place. There is nothing scarier for someone new to the area than being stuck at one of those lights at night for a very, very long time (when no other cars are nearby). Solution, after midnight selected intersections have blinking red lights and become stop signs. Some intersections can be four-waystop signs. That can be adjusted (assuming they are centrally controlled, which one would think would be the case with the infrastructure improvements) when there are events and seasonally. I think I noticed traffic cameras above some of the new poles on Kingsley. How about at each intersection. Money - yes. Crime deterent, efficiency - oh yes. Cheaper in the long haul. The problem is there is really no one in charge. We need a short-term dictator/emperor for this city. __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [AsburyPark] Re: AP has one of the shortest time limits
KEEP FIGHTIN' TO GET THAT 'AIR TIME' BACK REV!!! -al --- noblarneyzone [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: What the Asbury park Press left out is that up until recently we had a seperate public portion after all the city business was accomplished. It was the last thing on the agenda, it was our time. 11 months ago Councilman Giordano struck the public portion from the agenda and made us speak co mingled with the resolutions hearing. In many cases, if not all we have 15 - 20 resolutions on the agenda for vote. How can we ask abou these legislative resolutions and comment all within the restricted time. We at PLUS Please Let Us Speak. are asking that the City Council restore The Public Portion on the agenda. It has become apparent that city officials who are afraid of public comment have something to hide from the public. Schneider and Destefano's position about talking privately to them outside the on the record scope has not worked for us here, because they will tell us what we want to hear, privately. Often times reverseing and denying what was told an individual in the future. I am sorry to say the level of trust for our elected and appointed officials is at an all time low. Rev. Kevin Brown __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[AsburyPark] Re: perspective
--- In AsburyPark@yahoogroups.com, 2fine4u [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: --- In AsburyPark@yahoogroups.com, Skip Bernstein Skip@ wrote: A bit of perspective http://www.care2.com/ecards/p/8020-3532-10346-2209 That was sweet! Loved it! It IS! Clicked for the Kids who need feeding, then I clicked for the RainForest! Thanks, Skip! Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[AsburyPark] condo projects on hold across the country
http://tinyurl.com/l5tln From coast to coast, developers are nixing or delaying condominium projects as home sales decelerate, construction costs soar and lenders start to balk at financing units that might not sell. What's making it worse is the glut of high-priced condos and too few people who can afford them. Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
