This week sees the end of February and the beginning of March. The good news is it's no longer dark at 5:00 p.m. The better news is that we are just two weeks away from the return of daylight saving time returns. In the meantime, here is what's happening.
- On Tuesday, February 25, Hudson Development Corporation (HDC) meets at noon. The meeting takes place in person at 1 North Front Street, and it can be viewed on Zoom. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
- Also on Tuesday, February 25, the Common Council ad hoc Parking Study Committee meets at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
- On Thursday, February 27, Hudson Community Development & Planning Agency (HCDPA) meets at 5:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
- Also on Thursday, February 27, Randall Martin, recently appointed as First Ward supervisor by the Common Council, holds a town hall meeting for the First Ward. The meeting takes place in person at 1 North Front Street, beginning at 5:30 p.m. The meeting can be accessed on Zoom. The meeting ID is 818 8646 1294.
- On Friday, February 28, the Historic Preservation Commission meets at 10:00 a.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
- Friday, February 28 is National Spending Blackout--no shopping, no gas, no big box stores, no Amazon, from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.
- On Saturday, March 1, it's the Oakdale Plunge, raising funds for the Hudson Youth Department, the Hudson Fire Department Water Rescue Unit, and Perfect Ten After School Program. Plunger check in starts at 11:00 a.m.; the plunging begins at noon.
Why are so many of these meetings Microsoft Teams or Zoom? Is it a throwback to CoVid? I can't imagine that. Or is it just to have some way to get more people involved?
ReplyDeleteWowser, it’s easier for special interest groups in NJ to attend remotely.
DeleteWhy do you even question this, Wowser? COVID is still around, we're having a very bad flu season, and there's no telling how the situation with avian flu might develop. Besides, making meetings more accessible is always a good thing in a democracy.
DeleteKristal is it the opinion of the charter reform group that meetings should not happen online to curtail special interest groups?
DeleteI believe all meetings should by hybrid, but with the caveat that elected and city officials be there in person whenever possible. The public should be given as much opportunity for access as possible. It’s hard for regular people to be able to make it to every meeting in person. It’s really a privilege to have that much schedule freedom. And at the very least, even if the meeting isn’t participatory remotely on Zoom or Teams, it should be recorded and posted on YouTube or a website hosted by the city so that people can watch later, and ensure transparency and accuracy with the public record.
DeleteThe fact that the he Planning Board is trying to do away with this is a MAJOR RED FLAG!🚩
As far as special interest groups and astroturfing, they’ll be anyway. We may as well give residents all the opportunities available to speak for themselves.
My statement is my own. While I appreciate the value of a remote meeting, it is my opinion that if you want to speak at a meeting, you should appear in person. If you can’t attend, write a letter. I’ve been to too many meetings wherein it takes 20 minutes to set up the owl or connect to Zoom/Teams. Or someone who wants to speak is muted. Or no one can find the doc to screen share. We have no tech person in the City, so if something isn’t working, the meeting is adjourned. There’s simply too much inefficiency. I think live streaming is great, but if you want to participate, show up.
DeleteI agree with you about the hiccups and also about speaking in person. In any meeting where I have personal business before the city I have always chosen to speak in person because I believe one is way more coherent and forceful when you can look them in the eye and speak clearly. And I really think all elected and appointed board members should be there too. Illness and personal plans aside, it’s nuts we haven’t seen the DPW superintendent in years.
DeleteThat being said, we shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. There is a way to set up the rules of order to encourage in-person participation while still recording the meeting for posterity. Regular citizens that want to follow what’s going on in this city should not have to do what is really a part time job going to these meetings. It’s nice to be able to go on YouTube and fast forward to what you’re interested in hearing. Local media is near nonexistent, and we can’t hope that Gossips will write an article about every single thing. It’s also beneficial for both citizens and city officials to have an unbiased record that can be referenced, especially when some feel misquoted or out of context. The more watchdogs and transparency the better. Also, if I recall, public meetings law requires that meetings are held in a space that can hold a potential audience size and city hall lacks greatly. It spills into the lobby on numerous occasions.
The Planning Board, in its current state of incompetency, is feeling the heat from the public and doing everything it can to keep public criticism at bay. First they limit their monthly meetings to 2 hours. Now they want to eliminate video recording because it’s too difficult to figure out, when one of their members and the one who facilitated thier online presence, Randall Martin, runs a freaking A/V business! By the way, Randall is streaming his Town Hall this Thursday. Maybe someone can Zoom in and ask him why he feels it’s important to stream his political candidate events but not the Planning Board?
The world has changed over the years. Many people have meetings and work obligations that require some travel. The vast majority of these people pay taxes too and care what they come home to. Give them access, please, and be fair.
ReplyDelete