Packed Agendas, Glossed-Over Details: The 01/21/2025 Town Council Meeting
Township and prior BOE meetings often feature packed agendas and lengthy presentations, leaving residents overwhelmed and details overlooked. By the time critical items are finally discussed, these meetings often feel like staged performances or exercises in futility. The 01/21/2025 Town Council Meeting was yet another example of this, highlighting how Devanney’s Town Council has adopted the same strategy as the...
Laura’s Notes on the 01/07/2025 Berkeley Heights Town Council Reorganization Meeting
With the November 2024 election results favoring Andrew Moran, our community seems to be heading toward a direction that many, including myself, are concerned about: governance by a single party. Regardless of political affiliation, single-party dominance rarely benefits anyone. A balanced leadership with diverse ideologies and perspectives fosters healthier governance, especially in a small town like ours, which feels more...
Concerns About the 11/18/2024 Town Council Meeting and the “New Civility”
A resolution authorizing the township to seek bids for improvements to Deerpath, previously pulled from the last Town Council meeting, has returned to the agenda for this weeks council meeting. This development comes on the heels of the controversial approval of a $450,000 resolution connected to the Westside Drainage Project. Before Ms. Akiri addressed the council at the last meeting,...
Follow Up to Controversial Berkeley Heights $450,000 Old Farm/Orchard/Mercier Resolution
The township has uploaded the video of the November 12, 2024, meeting to its website. The video provides further discussion on the $450,000 Old Orchard/Mercier resolution, a topic covered two weeks ago. This resolution, which includes repaving the neighborhood and adding curbing, has sparked frustration among some residents. Critics point out that a $100,000 engineering study and a letter from...
Today’s Berkeley Heights Special Town Council Meeting Raises More Questions
A resolution concerning Deerpath Lane, which appears similar to a contentious $450,000 proposal voted through at the last meeting, appears on the agenda for today’s unusually scheduled Town Council meeting at 5:45 p.m. This timing, combined with lingering concerns from the prior meeting, has left residents and stakeholders asking even more questions. The previous meeting highlighted significant unresolved issues surrounding...
Discussion on $450,000 Resolution Raises Oversight and Project Alignment Concerns
11/12/2024 Berkeley Heights Town Council Meeting In the clip below, Mr. Donnelly highlighted that the project under Resolution #2 approved by the Council last night, would involve repaving an area resurfaced only a year ago without addressing the primary drainage issues this project was originally intended to resolve. Additionally, it appears – in this discussion – that other council members...
09/24/2024 Town Council Meeting- Resolutions 9 & 4- Nokia Property and New Attorney with Higher Rates for Sewage Issues
Residents should pay close attention to a proposed Memorandum of Understanding regarding the Nokia Property, which involves the NJDEP Resolution #9 on the 9/24/2024 Town Council Agenda. The NJDEP is headed by Shawn LaTourette, who has been accused of using strong-arm tactics in connection with waterfront properties. Critics have argued that he places pressure on builders until the few preferred...
Union County Park at Berkeley Caterers Site
Berkeley Heights Residents Need to Ask Questions About the Proposed Park -Steven Kark Berkeley Heights residents need to pay attention to what’s happening to our town. Did you see this? Could Berkeley Heights end up losing its iconic Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel—a 100-year tradition—with its July 16 Garden State Fireworks show? The Planning Board is reviewing the...
Laura’s Notes on the Berkeley Heights 06/25/2024 Town Council Meeting
There was no one who presented during the public hearing on agenda items. The announcement was that the Senate President awarded the Township $250,000, which will go towards the lower Columbia repairs. A shared service agreement with Springfield Township for the CFO and Qualified Purchasing Agent was discussed. Donnelly raised that the hours listed are 15, but the individual being...
Response from BOE Representative Sai Akiri on CMS Field Question
Yesterday I wrote on the Council’s Attempt to have the public vote on the CMS Field Issue with little to no detail on the actual agreement publicly available and with no presentation in front of the BOE – which would give the BOE an opportunity to ask questions and express concerns. I followed up with an email to the full...
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