Showing posts with label Brain Nelson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brain Nelson. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
October 30, 2017 Special Middletown Township Committee Meeting; Ask A Simple Question ...
Yesterday, the Middletown Township Committee held a hastily called meeting to introduce an ordinance that would dissolve the current garbage district. The meeting was considered a formality by the committee so only acting mayor, Gerry Scharfenberger was in attendance. The other members of the current committee, Kevin Settenbrino, Tony Fiore and Stephenie Murray phoned it in.
What's of note here is that when the meeting was opened for public comments, the individual asking questions about the process of holding a meeting at 3:30 in the afternoon, as opposed to later so that other members of the public could attend, wasn't just rudely answered, this person was totally disrespected and accused of grandstanding due to the upcoming election by township committee attorney, Brian Nelson.
Nelson, has a history of interjecting his own thoughts and comments during meetings. Nelson is not an elected official but often acts as if he is the 6th committee person while the others sit back idly and allow him to do so.
Yesterday, his actions where cringe worthy and unprofessional.
As for the ordinance, if was approved and will be officially adopted at the next committee meeting on Nov. 20th.
Here is a copy of the Meeting Agenda
Monday, July 23, 2012
7-16-12 Township Committee Meeting: Buffoonery From The Dais Reigns
Here is the latest video of the Middletown Township Committee at work. It is of the July 16, 2012 meeting. The meeting lasted all of 41 minutes so again, it should be easy viewing.
The first thing that I need to point out about this meeting is the childish buffoonery displayed by Deputy Mayor Steve Massell and his colleagues on the dais. This is now the second meeting in a row where Massell has walked into the meeting late (you can witness him walking down the center isle as the Township Clerk is announcing the start of the meeting) playing to the camera. He gets to his seat on the dais (which at this point is not in the frame) just in time for the clerk to announce his name. He smiles, winks and wiggles his finger as if pointing and shooting a gun, announcing "Here" to the giggles of delight from all those in frame.
The other thing from this meeting that shouldn't be missed is the game of "Telephone" that was played between Township Attorney Brian Nelson and those on the dais in order to pass information down the line to Steve Massell during the Public Comments portion of the meeting.
Linda Baum, who is running against Massell in this years election was speaking in regard to the dredging of Shadow Lake and how the township was planning on paying the winning bidder of the dredging project; Was the winner of the bid to dredge Shadow Lake going to be paid upfront, in full, for the whole job prior to the job being complete? Or for just the dredging portion of the job then paid in full after the dredged spoils are carted off Stevenson Park after drying out for two years? Her concern was that the winning bid firm would be paid in full, upfront and then two years later would want more money to cart the spoils away.
At the 29:12 mark of the recording, two minutes into Ms. Baum's comments, Township Attorney Attorney Brian Nelson can be seen leaning over and whispering into the ear of mayor Tony Fiore, who then in turn leans to his right to whisper in the ear of Committeeman Settembrino. Settembrino can then been seen writing a note of some kind that Steve Massell stretches his neck for several seconds to read. Steve Massell, then and only then, asks Ms. Baum if she was for or against the dredging project.
When she ignores Massell's question and stays on point by responding that she is only there to seek information, Brian Nelson, the attorney, jumps in to badger Ms. Baum over the questions she raised.
This whole exchange is one of the most unprofessional displays I've seen in a long time coming from the Township Committee and that's saying a lot!
I would like to congratulate Assistant Township Clerk Lauren Kirkman who received a commendation for her years of service to the Township. She recently passed the NY/NJ Bar Exam and will be leaving the employment of the township sometime in the near future. I wish her well.
And as always, you can download a copy of the meeting agenda that contains the discussion items and the proposed resolutions and ordinances that were voted on or presented during the meeting. A box around an item is a link, bringing you further into the document to that resolution or ordinance. At the end of the resolution there will be a link bringing you back to the agenda. Attached to this agenda is also the monthly bill list, so that everyone can see how the Township is spending our tax dollars.
The first thing that I need to point out about this meeting is the childish buffoonery displayed by Deputy Mayor Steve Massell and his colleagues on the dais. This is now the second meeting in a row where Massell has walked into the meeting late (you can witness him walking down the center isle as the Township Clerk is announcing the start of the meeting) playing to the camera. He gets to his seat on the dais (which at this point is not in the frame) just in time for the clerk to announce his name. He smiles, winks and wiggles his finger as if pointing and shooting a gun, announcing "Here" to the giggles of delight from all those in frame.
The other thing from this meeting that shouldn't be missed is the game of "Telephone" that was played between Township Attorney Brian Nelson and those on the dais in order to pass information down the line to Steve Massell during the Public Comments portion of the meeting.
Linda Baum, who is running against Massell in this years election was speaking in regard to the dredging of Shadow Lake and how the township was planning on paying the winning bidder of the dredging project; Was the winner of the bid to dredge Shadow Lake going to be paid upfront, in full, for the whole job prior to the job being complete? Or for just the dredging portion of the job then paid in full after the dredged spoils are carted off Stevenson Park after drying out for two years? Her concern was that the winning bid firm would be paid in full, upfront and then two years later would want more money to cart the spoils away.
At the 29:12 mark of the recording, two minutes into Ms. Baum's comments, Township Attorney Attorney Brian Nelson can be seen leaning over and whispering into the ear of mayor Tony Fiore, who then in turn leans to his right to whisper in the ear of Committeeman Settembrino. Settembrino can then been seen writing a note of some kind that Steve Massell stretches his neck for several seconds to read. Steve Massell, then and only then, asks Ms. Baum if she was for or against the dredging project.
When she ignores Massell's question and stays on point by responding that she is only there to seek information, Brian Nelson, the attorney, jumps in to badger Ms. Baum over the questions she raised.
This whole exchange is one of the most unprofessional displays I've seen in a long time coming from the Township Committee and that's saying a lot!
I would like to congratulate Assistant Township Clerk Lauren Kirkman who received a commendation for her years of service to the Township. She recently passed the NY/NJ Bar Exam and will be leaving the employment of the township sometime in the near future. I wish her well.
And as always, you can download a copy of the meeting agenda that contains the discussion items and the proposed resolutions and ordinances that were voted on or presented during the meeting. A box around an item is a link, bringing you further into the document to that resolution or ordinance. At the end of the resolution there will be a link bringing you back to the agenda. Attached to this agenda is also the monthly bill list, so that everyone can see how the Township is spending our tax dollars.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Audio From Tuesday Night's Township Committee Meeting; Swim Club Members Want Answers
I wasn't unable to attend this past Tuesday night's Middletown Township Committee meeting. I was busy with my son at his Boy Scout pack meeting, winning this year's Pinewood Derby, so I'm not able to give an eyewitness account of what went on when the meeting was finally opened up for public comments, but from all accounts it was rather raucous.
The courtroom was packed with soon to be ex-members of the Middletown Swim and Tennis Club, who were angry at being blindsided by the news that the swim club would not be operational this year.
Middletown Patch actually has a very good article posted online about the meeting which I recommend others to read, I'm told is a very fair representation of the meeting.
Below is audio from the meeting that contain the questions of two swim club members who addressed their concerns about the club's demise to the Township Committee (the audio runs for roughly 19 minutes). Interestingly the first person you hear addressing the Committee is Tracy Lewis, who just so happens to be on of the residents quoted in the Patch article, so it's good listening. The second questioner that is contained in the audio clip, no matter how hard I try, I can't decipher his name but that doesn't really matter, what matters was the answer to his questions, which you can listen to.
While you're listening however, keep a sharp ear out and listen for a big pet peeve of mine. About 17 minutes into the audio, Township Attorney Brian Nelson jumps in to answer the gentleman's questions about how surplus/debt the swim club accumulated /accrued between the time the Township Purchased the property in 1997 to 2011. Nelson speaks up and starts giving numbers from 2008 to present, instead of allowing the Township Administrator, Tony Mercantante, or someone from the Committee itself to answer! Brian Nelson is there to give legal advice tot he governing body, he is not and was not ever an elected official of Middletown.
That's something that he seems to forget, but I can see where he might think he is seeing how is a member in good standing of the Middletown GOP and its Chairman's righthand man.
The courtroom was packed with soon to be ex-members of the Middletown Swim and Tennis Club, who were angry at being blindsided by the news that the swim club would not be operational this year.
Middletown Patch actually has a very good article posted online about the meeting which I recommend others to read, I'm told is a very fair representation of the meeting.
Below is audio from the meeting that contain the questions of two swim club members who addressed their concerns about the club's demise to the Township Committee (the audio runs for roughly 19 minutes). Interestingly the first person you hear addressing the Committee is Tracy Lewis, who just so happens to be on of the residents quoted in the Patch article, so it's good listening. The second questioner that is contained in the audio clip, no matter how hard I try, I can't decipher his name but that doesn't really matter, what matters was the answer to his questions, which you can listen to.
While you're listening however, keep a sharp ear out and listen for a big pet peeve of mine. About 17 minutes into the audio, Township Attorney Brian Nelson jumps in to answer the gentleman's questions about how surplus/debt the swim club accumulated /accrued between the time the Township Purchased the property in 1997 to 2011. Nelson speaks up and starts giving numbers from 2008 to present, instead of allowing the Township Administrator, Tony Mercantante, or someone from the Committee itself to answer! Brian Nelson is there to give legal advice tot he governing body, he is not and was not ever an elected official of Middletown.
That's something that he seems to forget, but I can see where he might think he is seeing how is a member in good standing of the Middletown GOP and its Chairman's righthand man.
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