Council Meeting Tonight

Random image: Beetle on edge of Soil Scoop.

A contract to operate Dudley House, cabinet appointments, salary increases for crossing guards, bonds for road improvements, 22 liens for property cleanups and establishment of an information manager's position are all on the agenda tonight, among other matters.

It has been good to see the newest and youngest City Council member, Annie McWilliams, taking notes and asking questions at meetings since she was sworn in Jan. 1 as the citywide at-large representative, meaning her constituency is all four wards of the city. Wherever you live in Plainfield, you can bring your concerns to her.

Each resident also has another at-large representative, Linda Carter for Wards 1 & 4 and Council President Rashid Burney for Wards 2& 3. Then you have one representative for each ward: William Reid, Ward 1; Cory Storch, Ward 2; Adrian Mapp, Ward 3 and Elliott Simmons, Ward 4. Contact information for council members is posted here on the city web site.

One thing that came out in the Connolly saga was that residents don't always let their landlords or City Hall know about housing issues. The proper way to proceed is first to ask the landlord to fix things. If that doesn't work, you can file a complaint with the Inspections Division at (908) 753-3386. And now that the council is revisiting the issue of safe and decent housing, your input can help your representatives understand what tenants face in rental housing. Renters constitute about half of all city households and more apartment housing is planned for the future.

Your council members have many other issues to deal with, and your communication with them can help their decisionmaking.

Tonight's meeting is 8 p.m. in Municipal Court, 325 Watchung Ave.

--Bernice Paglia