Health & Fitness
A Call for Transparency in Borough Hall Planning
I am sure Council is following the minimum requirements that are legally required. But is that the best way for government to function?
Last month at Council, a vote was taken to move forward with the approval of plans for the new Borough Hall. Next week, Council will vote at a special meeting to approve a bid to construct based upon that plan.
I am sure Council is following the minimum requirements that are legally required. But is that the best way for government to function? Doing the least it can to involve and include the residents in this important decision?
The special meeting was advertised, but not in The Phoenix. The notice was in The Mercury. Which strikes me as odd, why wasn’t the notice in our local paper? Yes, The Mercury is a daily, but many residents do not read The Mercury. How are they being informed of this meeting?
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Also, like the fiasco with the trash & recycling bins, there has been no public notice or meetings held to discuss the proposed plans for the Borough Hall. Will we be faced with another ill-advised fait accompli? Why not slow this process down? Allow for more study, comment & inclusiveness? This is after all, going to impact us all for quite some time.
It continues to baffle me how we can simply continue to allow this and other issues to be pushed through without any time for our community to come together and review, discuss and form a consensus on this plan.
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I hope many of my friends, neighbors and all Borough Residents will come out for the meeting on Tuesday. I am not against the new Borough Hall, I am against it being done without public review, comment and input.
For one thing, I think building any new municipal structure without an insistence on energy efficient additions is wasteful. We need to insist on solar, US made and recycled materials & pervious pavement for parking and sidewalks. Also, since it is going to be funded by taxes and a bond issue, I believe that this plan needs to include an element of community development, including a community function room, or community center.
I hope all of Council will take a moment to remember that it is the residents who voted for you, to act in our interest, and it is the residents who deserve the time and consideration to be part of this process.
The meeting will be at 7pm at Borough Hall on Tuesday May 29.
