As most are aware, Denise Brouse has been attending classes in an effort to attain certification to become our Borough Clerk.  As the governing body we are progressing toward a more efficient way of doing the peoples business, thanks in part to the knowledge Mrs. Brouse is obtaining at her classes and the input and experience offered from our C.F.O., Denise Moules.  Michele McKinney is also working very hard at instituting better control over payroll, personnel files and tax collection matters. With the assistance of JoAnne Lewis providing the necessary clerical support, council minutes, resolutions, ordinances and other related matters should be current on or before year ending.       

 

In short the front office is working very hard to improve operations, provide a friendlier and accommodating atmosphere for our residents and render the necessary assistance to council and mayor when needed.

 

Because of this transition from the way things were previously performed and/or the lack thereof by the Administrator/Clerk’s Office, efforts to transcribe documentation that is six to twelve months past due is somewhat confusing, and at times mistakes will be made.  

 

It is requested that all council members review matters prior to our meetings. There should be no excuse for a council member not to advise Mrs. Brouse of a found error or errors in the documentation presented for review prior to a council meeting. Making the clerk’s office aware of a discrepancy will enable a correction in a timely fashion. Not to do so in the opinion of this mayor is nothing more then grand standing!  Addressing issues of this nature prior to our meeting will enable the agenda to move along more quickly and perhaps help to retain those residents that leave before the meeting has finalized.  

 

Thanking all for their cooperation as it relates to this request.

 

 Being that  I'm the only one to offer corrections to "...documentation that is six to twelve months past due..." (in clear language, Council meeting minutes - there's nothing else I know of that falls into this category) that would indicate that I'm the one being accused of grandstanding.

 

The ironic thing is that I have always talked with the Administrator and/or Clerk about upcoming items on the agenda and offered corrections to any errors I find if there is time to do so. Since Minutes are handled slightly differently than other matters (resolutions, etc.) per Robert's Rules of Order, the rules under which the Council By-Laws require that we operate, I offered the corrections at the Council meeting per that manual, though I did mention to the Clerk that there were a few corrections to the minutes while we were discussing the Inspector's agreement with Collingswood (for which I had a couple of corrections as well, by the way) and other things coming up at the 11 August meeting.

 

Anyway, my apologies to the mayor if doing the job I was elected to do and following the Rules was somehow grandstanding. And my further apologies, because I'm going to continue to do the job I was elected to do, in the way I think is the most effective.