Council meeting

31- Jan. 2014

 The Bogota Borough Council made a small move forward on their selection of  the professional service providers for the upcoming year.  After several heated discussion on how the selection should processed.  One of the issues was whether or not prospective appointees should go through a " RICE Notice". This would have been to allow those current & future employees to have a private meeting with the members of council about the positions they are applying for.  This would have set the appoints back another two weeks in order for the candidates by interviewed by the Borough Council.  Council President Jorge Nunez disagreed that this process was needed. He stated that it had not been done in the past, and even at the same meeting to hire a plumbing service for the Borough.
  Another issue was that some members of  Council met with each other in private to discuss who should be nominated for these appointments.  It would would a violation of the New Jersey Open Meeting law if four or more elected office met in private, but it was unclear that a one on one meeting would be against the policies.
  Mayor Tito  Jackson then called for a vote on his recommendation. The first one to be approved by the council, in a 4-2 vote, was selecting the firm of Environetics of Englewood Cliffs, NJ to be the new Architect for the Borough. Next was a vote for Borough Attorney, the Council voted 4-2 to hire Mr. Douglas Bern of the firm Rubenstein, Meyerson, Fox, Manicinelli, & Conte from Montvale , NJ. After that vote the current Attorney Mr. Joseph Monaghan  excused himself from Council Chambers upon hearing that he has been replaced. For Auditor the Council voted for Ferraioli, Wielkotz, Cerullo, & Cuva from Pompton Lakes, NJ. Along with McManimon, Scotland & Baumann from Roseland, NJ to provide Bond Service counseling to the Borough.  These were also passed by 4-2- votes. All of these were the second choice to be voted on after the Council voted 4-2 to reject the Mayors nominees.
  After these  votes the public in attendance voiced their concern that, with no Attorney to advise the Council, that no further appointment be made. Mr. Bern who was voted to be the Borough Attorney was not present at the meeting to assume his new position.  A postponement was officially brought before the Council by Councilman John Mitchell to resume at another time, when  the Borough  Attorney would be  present to advise on legal matters.  It was voted that the rest of the appointment be postponed until the next meeting which is now schedule to be on Tuesday 4- February at 7:30p  in Council Chambers. Mayor Jackson invited the public to return to that meeting. The 4-Feb. will also serve as the regular Council Meeting and work session after the appointment have been voted on.
  The meeting, again, will be on Tuesday 4- February at 7:30p. This meeting is open to the public and will take place in the Borough Hall Council Chambers located at 375 Larch Ave. in Bogota, NJ

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