By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger

We have previously complained about non-transparency by the Neptune Township Committee regarding public information such as the hidden truths behind the North End Redevelopment Project.

And now we have seen yet  another way to conceal important information by announcing it before any citizen shows up at the twice per month Committee meeting.   Each time, from 6-7 pm, there is a “Workshop” which is open to the public, but the citizens usually don’t show up until the general meeting at 7 pm. So if important information is read during the Workshop, the public will miss it.

Of paramount importance at these Committee meetings are the reports from the Committeemen regarding what has happened since the last session regarding every function under their supervision.

Each department, eg public works, has a Committeeman who acts as a liaison.   (see comment below.)   That Comitteeman is supposed to make a public statement  at each meeting about those departments which he represents.

But the meat and potatoes of those reports are no longer spelled out  by the elected officials, but rather by Vito Gadaleta, an administrator.

The problem is that Gadaleta’s reports are scheduled during the Workshop, when hardly any citizens are present yet.

I  spoke to 2 concerned citizens who attended the May 23 meeting: one from the OGHOA and one from Blogfinger, and neither got there early enough to hear the Gadaleta report which, this time, included the news of  a unique trip to the Governor’s office by the Mayor and others.   How do these people go to the Governor’s office without making their visit widely known to the public?

Undoubtedly, Vito and the Committee  (sounds like a rock group) realize that such information should be made available during the regular open meeting when concerned citizens generally show up.

This smells like a purposeful attempt to suppress information from the public. The Committeemen  clearly don’t want to misspeak about anything, so they keep quiet while Gadaleta speaks for them on important matters. and then, during the main meeting, they get up to report on mundane topics such as their attendance at parades and ribbon cuttings.  They don’t speak about anything useful except during their response to the roll call.

They do not allow themselves to be in a position of vulnerability to public scrutiny.  And if someone from the audience gets up during the  Public Portion, they only get 5 minutes to speak, but the Committeemen do not respond to the public comments.   They usually  sit silently while the Mayor might say something like: “We will look into that.”  Or she might ask one of her “experts” like Vito to provide a terse answer.

So, what should be done?    Email the Mayor and demand that Vito’s regular news summary be held during the general public open session.

Mayor Carol Rizzo email

The idea that we have transparent representative government in Neptune is a joke.

THE BEE GEES: