Resident Comments on Land Use Ordinance – 12/05/2023 Town Council Meeting
While BHCW has focused much of its attention on issues connected to political signs and free speech with the new land use ordinance, we must be aware that this is an impactful 200+ page document that includes multiple changes on a variety of items that’s worked its way through a lame-duck session. Government – good government – has a responsibility...
BHCW 12/10/2023 Newsletter
What’s Important to Know About Berkeley Heights This Week… This week, BHCW informed residents of where Mayor Devanney stood in relation to OPRA and shared an email in which she encouraged state legislators to protect critical aspects of this vital law. BHCW exposed a highly suspect RFP and warned the BOE and Community of the potential for more violations on...
Mayor Devanney Writes to Senator Scutari | Defends Key Aspects of OPRA
A significant and welcome update on our efforts in asking state representatives to pause any effort for OPRA reform to the next legislative session. BHCW was copied on an email from Mayor Devanney to Senator Scutari. This email addressed three of our primary concerns with the reforms that have been proposed: First, moving disputes over cases away from the Superior...
Resident Comments on Redevelopment Study Approved by the Council during the 11/21/2023 Berkeley Heights Council
An informative exchange involving a resident during the 11/21/2023 Town Council Meeting. One note is the response to the question on how these properties were decided on by citing one property owner’s request without clarifying how the other properties were decided upon. This was repeated throughout the whole meeting when asked. Also, we notice that we are no longer able...
BHCW 12/03/2023 Newsletter
What’s Important to Know About Berkeley Heights This Week…. This week’s newsletter begins with revisiting the Berkeley Heights Board of Education; we review the current BOE Majority’s attempts to gridlock change next year through policy changes. Berkeley Heights residents also discovered that the District’s issues with conducting ethical surveys in obtaining student information continue – this time in connection to...
Responses from Mayor Devanney and Members of the Town Council on Concerns Surrounding OPRA and OPMA Reform
Since learning about potential changes to OPRA in June of this year, we have been reaching out to the Mayor and members of the Town Council in connection to concerns we have about harmful changes to the NJ Open Public Records Act and (more recently) the Open Meetings Act. Here are the responses we received from Mayor Devanney, Councilman Couto,...
BHCW 11/27/2023 Newsletter
What’s Important to Know About Berkeley Heights This Week…. This week’s Newsletter looks at two essential items impacting Berkeley Heights residents being passed immediately after an election during lame-duck sessions. On the state level, legislators are looking to overhaul the Open Public Records Act and the Open Public Meetings Act. All early indications are that these changes make both laws...
11/21/2023 Town Council Meeting – Questions On Redevelopment Studies
On the town council agenda tonight: “2. Resolution directing the Planning Board to undertake an investigation to determine whether all or a portion of certain properties identified on the tax map as Block 702, Lots 4,6, 16, constitute a non-condemnation area in need of redevelopment. (458, 414-424 Springfield Avenue, and 230 Sherman Avenue)” This is the state statute, Section 52:27D-302...
Cleary, Giacobbe, Alfieri, and Jacobs Has Over 86,000 Reasons to Be Thankful for Berkeley Heights
I should start out by acknowledging that our District has taken a small step in the right direction by publishing the Bill List and Transfer Report with this month’s Board Meeting Packet. However, considering all the claw-backs over the past three years, we are far from where we need to be. So yes – it is a good step- but...
BHCW 11/12/2023 Newsletter
What’s Important to Know About Berkeley Heights This Week… This week’s newsletter includes a parent exchange with Dr. Varley on class sizes and other issues. This exchange adds evidence to parental concerns about the direction of the District and the value the Superintendent places on feedback from parents outside of her small circle of support. A new board with two...
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