Closed Door Meetings with No Supporting Data

A second BOE member indicated that the Policy Committee still has not released the data driving the decisions related to streets designated as ” hazardous” in the transportation policy and continues to make decisions in closed-door sessions.  

This is important as the lack of criteria is the main criticism of Courtesy busing, which continues to provide some families with free transportation while others pay $1000 for the service.  

After numerous meetings and presentations, the public still does not have the rubric, and the BOE still does not have the actual data to support the decision-making within the rubric.  

As noted yesterday, I reached out to the Berkeley Heights BOE with the following questions:

Are there plans to share the rubric and data driving the scoring that led to the hazardous road designations by the consultants-with the public?

Will there be a period of time when public input is sought on those designations?

Can you provide clarity on the assertion that specific homes were indicated while the streets they were on were not designated?

Ms Joly, who sits on the Policy Committee, provided the following response:

Hello Mr. Migues,

Thank you for your email.

I’m not sure if Mrs. Stanley or Mrs. Bradford responded to your email yet, but they both attended a meeting recently with the consultants, the administration, and the BHPD. The short answer is that the consultants will not provide the rubric scores for any roads. Mrs. Stanley and Mrs. Bradford can perhaps explain their rationale because to me, their rationale didn’t make sense.

Due to OPMA, the meeting was only open to three BH Board members.I did not attend the meeting as I was concerned that this was happening in a closed session, that the Board did not approve the additional fee, and that there would be no data/materials forthcoming before or after the meeting.

Note: These are my thoughts and opinions as an individual and do not reflect the opinion of the Berkeley Heights Board of Education.

Thank you,
Natasha

Yesterday, I published Ms. Akiri’s Response to my question which you can find here.

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