For the second week in a row transparency in the borough was questioned at length by a frustrated resident. The borough commissioners defended the method by which they notify their official newspapers about meetings and how they disseminate information.
Janet Hallahan peppered the commissioners with questions in regards to a new sidewalk being installed on Washington Avenue. Hallahan was frustrated that as a taxpayer she — and other residents not in the Washington Avenue area — was not notified of the borough’s decision to install a sidewalk on the street while it was being repaved.
It might not sound like that big of a deal, Hallahan said, but the frustrated resident said it was a microcosm of how business in done in the borough. She questioned why all of the Haddonfield taxpayers were not notified of the decision to put in the sidewalk, which will cost about $66,000 for both sides if the borough moves forward.
“Why was I, the tax payer, not notified about a new sidewalk that I am paying for,” she said.
The commissioners defended the way business is done in the borough, pointing to the fact that notices were sent out to residents near Washington Avenue notifying them that the engineers were considering installing a sidewalk on the street while the road improvements were completed.
Mayor Tish Colombi said the public information meeting was well attended with Washington Avenue neighbors, with about 30 residents attending the informal meeting at borough hall.
Hallahan also questioned the need for a sidewalk in the area, asking why it was necessary to spend more than $60,000 on taxpayer money for the walkway.
“Sidewalks are good for property values, good for safety, and good for the walkability of the town,” Commissioner Ed Borden said.
She went on to criticize the commissioners for also violating the “intent” of the open public meetings act law by not paying their two official newspapers for meetings they don’t want the public to know about. The borough just has to send meeting notices to newspapers 48-hours before a “special” meeting is announced, but the newspapers don’t have to publish them.
The borough is 100 percent in accordance with the open public meetings act, Borough Solicitor Mario Iavicolli said. Haddonfield sends a complete list of its yearly meetings to its two official newspapers in January each year and always sends notice for a special meeting at least 48-hours prior.
“The borough actually goes above and beyond the open public meetings act by posting agendas online prior to the meetings,” he said.
