Norman Rockwell suggests that our civic responsibility is to attend town hall meetings and other public events, shoulder to shoulder with our fellows, interested in public discourse and adamant to defend our right to assemble. But few of us actually go and do that. Well, unless the local sports club is making too much noise or a major development is planned down the block. Then we all go traipsing down to Aberdeen Square and raise a fuss.
Some people rely on word of mouth, but that only reveals the high profile actions of our government, especially those that have irked some individual or group. Actually, the next best thing to attending meetings is to monitor the agendas and minutes of the Township Council and its Planning and Zoning boards. It isn't ideal, but it provides some insights into what's happening in town and alerts you to either attend a meeting or make further inquiries.
I say all this to point out that the Town Council is providing less and less information online. Its agendas lack the detailed resolution attachments that I've grown accustomed to. And its most recent minutes were published over 4 months after the meetings they memorialize and lack any meaningful detail.
We have one party rule, few citizens are attending municipal meetings, and the agendas and minutes are uninformative and/or delayed to the point of uselessness. It's a bad combination.. I hold out little hope that we will flock to town hall for the next meeting, but consider the situation and think about what your response should be in the long term.
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