In recent months, the Tribune has heard residents commenting on a lack of transparency in meetings. Specifically, in regard to Township Council, people in person at meetings and on social media have complained at how little discussion is had in public, prior to votes on resolutions and ordinances. Meeting transparency was also the subject of a question asked during last week’s Township Council debate. A common refrain we have heard is that most matters on the agendas during the regular meetings appear settled long before they are even brought up, resulting in what can at times be limited discussion and unanimous approvals. The overarching sentiment among those who have complained appears to be that most of what transpires among Township Council members happens in a private space, away from the public eye.There are certainly topics for which this is true. Litigation with the Fair Share Housing Center, presumably when the Council discusses the township’s affordable housing obligation, is one of the common topics listed on meeting agendas as closed session topics, for example.But there are many other topics that do get discussed in a public setting, at the conference meetings immediately preceding the regular sessions. They are held in the conference room, adjacent to Town Hall chambers, which is where the regular meetings take place.Aside from a few residents who are “regulars,” members of the press, and those scheduled to address the Council during this time, the conference meetings are not well attended, despite the fact that they are open to all.The regular meetings are where things are made official, where resolutions are passed, ordinances are discussed, and proclamations are made; they are, of course, important and well worth attending. But the conference meetings leading up to the regular meetings set the table for everything that occurs. It is at those informal meetings where attendees will find those lively discussions and questions. As we said, there are portions of these meetings that occur in closed executive session, where Council members can deliberate without a watchful public. And since they are closed, it is hard to say if what is discussed should be made public. Perhaps some of it should be. By design, this is a frustrating process, but nonetheless a regular function of municipal government that is certainly not limited to Livingston. Still, plenty is covered during the open portion of the conference meeting, and residents are invited to chime ...
