April 30, 2012

The Hon. Ravinder Bhalla, Esq.

 President, Hoboken City Council

Dear Ravi:

The Board of Directors of People for Open Government (POG) invited you, and any Council colleagues you chose, to meet with us in a public forum to discuss problems with the way the City Council conducts its business.  In reply, you have said that, instead of such a meeting, POG should send you a list of remedies to the problems we have identified.  POG expects the City Council and City administration to be willing to meet with citizen groups on public issues.  Such meetings would foster the accountable and transparent government to which POG is dedicated.   Inasmuch as you are unwilling or unavailable to meet with us, this letter will inform you of our thinking.

POG’s main concern is with the difficulty for the public of obtaining information about Council agenda items in a timely way. 

1.  The practice of allowing late items to be added to the agenda means that often the public, as well as Council members themselves, can not read the material in time to prepare a careful response.
2. The absence of complete supporting documentation for agenda items on the City website has the same effect as the above; the lack of information about resolutions and ordinances that are to be acted upon at the meeting effectively denies the public the opportunity for informed commentary.
3. Judging from comments by Council members at Council meetings, the Council committees do not meet in a regular way.  Again, the result is a lack of information. 
4. Resolutions to be acted on that night will be brought to the Council meeting and handed around to members, rather than passed through the agenda and/or committee process.  These appear at the last minute without affording either Council or public a chance for informed comment.

As for POG’s remedy, we ask that, at a minimum, the Council follow its own rules as set forth in the Resolution Adopting New Rules of Procedures for the City Council of the City of Hoboken, adopted by the City Council Feb. 18, 2009.  Article IV provides that “All reports, communications, resolutions, ordinances, contract documents, or other matters to be submitted to the Council, shall be delivered to the City Clerk by 4:00 P.M. on the Thursday preceding each regular Wednesday Council meeting.”  Further, the City Clerk shall make the agenda available to the public as well as Council members and City officials “no later than 4:00 P.M. on the Friday prior to the Wednesday meeting.”  Exceptions shall be items “of an urgent nature, and  . . . shall have the written approval of the Mayor before presentation to the Council.”  The Council should adhere to these procedures and deadlines in order for the public to be properly informed in a timely way about Council business.

We use the expression “at a minimum” above because we think there were other steps the Council could take in addressing these issues.  You have said that the Council recognizes that there are difficulties with its present operations and that it is considering changes to its procedures.  We look forward to learning about your proposals.

Regards,

Alice Crozier, President, for the POG Board

Cc:  Council members

        Mayor Zimmer

We are disheartened to hear Hoboken Councilman Michael Russo, in his own words on FBI tapes in the Spring of 2009, while at lunch with an FBI informant, talk about legal restrictions on campaign contributions, anti-“Pay to Play” laws, as “nonsense.”  Additionally, we are troubled by Mr. Russo’s description of how he would, in theory, control and circumvent what should be the autonomous planning and zoning processes for development in Hoboken.

With the support of Hoboken citizens, POG has worked hard over the years to open the processes of government, shine light on its procedures, and reform government to work more in favor of the citizens than for the special interests and the politicians themselves.  We have had good success in enacting anti- “Pay to Play” laws that strengthen restrictions on money in politics.

But Councilman Russo reminds us when he says that he operates under the mantra, “I do for you, you do for me,” that we must continue to fight against those that use their positions in government to advance and enrich themselves and their selected friends over the interests of the public that they are sworn to serve. 

Using the taxpayer-supported resources of government to selectively buy favor and promises of support is wrong and those who violate this public trust should be held accountable.

Revelations that then candidate for office and recently resigned Public Safety Director Angel Alicea also met with the same FBI informant as Russo, while important, are a separate matter and one about which the public has a right to know.  Our Mayor and the full City Council must take forceful measures to rebuild the public trust that is necessary for us to have confidence in our government. 

Please join us in our on-going endeavor to make government work better for the people.

POG