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Council Sets Special Zoom-Only Meeting -

Monday October 30



PUBLISHED BY TEANECK VOICES

10/29/2023

Contents:


Council Sets Special Zoom-Only Meeting - Oct. 30


Background: Status of Two Council Resolutions


Draft Council Resolution on Peace and Unity


Still 3 Ways for Teaneck Citizens to Vote in General Election


This Week in Teaneck - October 30 to November 5


Announcements


Town's General Election Ballot Design-for All Voting Options


Flu Shots - for Appointments call 201-837-1600 ext. 1500


Teaneck International Film Festival - 2023 -Nov. 5 - 12


Packathon for Haiti - Nov 11



How to Contact Teaneck Voices

Council Sets Special Zoom-only Meeting:

Monday October 30, Public Session at 8:00 PM

Summary: Teaneck Voices believes that the following is what it can best advise its readers about the Special Meeting of Council that will occur on Monday evening, October 30.

 

Public Access for participation in the meeting will be by zoom only and the zoom address is

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87497165863 with a passcode of 432125


Television Access for Verizon viewers is Channel 47;

Television Access for Optimum viewers is Channel 77


Voices believes the Public portion of the meeting will actually begin at 8:00 pm, although access to the zoom address above may begin earlier and a large audience is expected


The meeting will be short unless the Good & Welfare public input is extensive. The Council may or may not report anything about the Closed Session discussion of a negotiation the Town is officially reported to be having with the Englewood City Council. The subject matter of these negotiations has not been made public although it is generally expected to have to do with the location of the DPW.


The formal meeting items will consist of consist of G&W and the Consent Agenda under which are listed two routine current resolutions and a bills list. Whether a Peace and Unity resolution authored by Council members Belcher & Gee will also be acted is not yet known - see Voices discussion below


Why does Voices introduce these matters so tentatively. We have worked hard to seek clarification – and what we describe above is based in major part on our direct discussion about the Meeting’s process with the Clerk on Friday.

Further in our Town Code special meetings have their own rules – beginning with who gets to call them and what they can include. To our knowledge who has actually called tomorrow’s meeting has not been clarified.

Background: the Status of the Peace and Unity Resolution

at Two Council Meetings


At its regular October 17, 2023 Council Meeting, a resolution was walked-in and read by Council member Goldberg on Hamas and Israel. Immediately thereafter a second resolution on Peace and Unity was walked-in and read by Council members Gee and Belcher.


After Council discussion a motion was made and seconded to have Goldberg’s resolution made part of the meeting’s Consent Agenda. That motion passed a roll call vote unanimously. An identical motion to include their Peace and Unity resolution in the Consent Agenda was made by Council members Gee and Belcher.


That motion was declared to have been defeated by the Clerk since the vote was 3 yes, 2 no and 2 abstaining under an interpretation of the rules which requires that to pass, a motion must have a majority of the quorum in attendance with the two abstention votes counting as being part of the quorum. Hence the 3 yesses constituted less than the majority of seven. The Belcher-Gee resolution was not included when Council approved the Consent Agenda including the Goldberg resolution on October 17.


Assuming that an amended Belcher-Gee Peace and Unity resolution (Click Here at p.10 & see it in the Voices article below) will (as the Town website's meeting agenda indicates) be proposed by Belcher & Gee at the Special Council Meeting on the Monday October 30th, that resolution will be formally considered by Council if a motion formally to include it is supported by a majority of the Council members in attendance and voting. (It is widely expected that it will be supported by a majority).


DRAFT Council Resolution on Peace & Unity

to be proposed for inclusion

at 10/30 Special Meeting

by Council Members Belcher & Gee

WHEREAS, the Township of Teaneck (the “Township”), represents a diverse community with residents from numerous races, ethnicities and religious groups who may have personal connections to innocent civilians in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank; and

WHEREAS, there has been an increase in antisemitic and Islamophobic threats of violence across the United States and reports of bias incidents in the Township of Teaneck in the wake of the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023; and

WHEREAS, Anti-Palestinian and Anti-Muslim attacks are on the rise having resulted in the killing of a six-year old child in Illinois on October 14; and

WHEREAS, the actions of Hamas, do not represent the views of all Palestinian people or the entire international Muslim community; and

WHEREAS, the Township recognizes that residents are hurting, in pain, and in need of compassion and understanding; and

WHEREAS, the Township desires to facilitate human understanding between community members who may have been impacted by the ongoing Israel-Hamas War; and

WHEREAS, Teaneck supports community efforts to reach out and learn about different community groups in order to increase understanding of one another; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Township Council of the Township of Teaneck has zero tolerance for terrorism, violence, hate crimes and discrimination of any kind against any race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, gender, or persons; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Township Council of the Township of Teaneck supports all Teaneck residents and values the lives of innocent Israeli and Palestinian civilians; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Township Council of the Township of Teaneck supports a

humanitarian solution to minimize the loss of innocent lives in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war

and calls for the safe return of all innocent hostages currently in captivity; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Township Council of the Township of Teaneck supports

the Teaneck Jewish Community, the Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim Community and will work to

ensure their continued safety in the wake of increased hate crimes; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Township Council of the Township of Teaneck will communicate to our residents without bias and be inclusive of all residents; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Township Council of the Township of Teaneck will always stand by Teaneck residents first; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Township Council of the Township of Teaneck will work towards bringing the entire Teaneck community together to listen to and support each other regardless of religious affiliation or demographic background in order to reach a place of PEACE, UNITY and HEALING

Still 3 Ways to Vote

What Offices are Teaneck Voters Choosing

in 2023's General Election?


1 State Senator-Legislative District 37 - 4 yr. term

2 State Assembly Members-Legislative District 37- 2yr. terms

2 Bergen County Commissioners -3 year terms

3 Teaneck Board of Education members - 3-year terms


Teaneck Voters have Three options for Voting:


  • Vote By Mail - get ballots only until 10/31;
  • Vote Early - 10/28 to 11/5 at the Rodda Center
  • Vote election day - 6 AM to 8 PM on Tuesday Nov. 7


Vote by Mail – The County Clerk Election division sent out Teaneck's Vote by Mail ballots September 25. Voters with active vote-by-mail requests should long ago have received their ballots Specifically:


·     Voters with active requests who have not received their ballot by October 3 should have already called 201-336-7020 to request a duplicate. The Deadline for the County Clerk's office to receive Vote by Mail Applications for this Election is 10/31/23.


You can either mail your completed ballot, take it to the County drop box in Teaneck at the Township Municipal Building or take it directly to the County Clerk’s office at 1 Bergen Plaza in Hackensack.


·    Once again If you want a mail in ballot your request must reach the County Clerk a week before the Nov. 7 election date (in other words, by October 31)


For the Vote by Mail Application and information in English Click Herein Spanish Click Here or in Korean (Click Here)

 

  • The County Clerk’s office has prepared a useful video for Mail-in Voting Voters – Click Here


  • Follow-up: Once you have returned your Mail-in-ballot, you are Advised to track whether or not the County Clerk has received it by going to the state Track Your Ballot website. To access that site Click Here.


Voting Early – In Teaneck, voters can vote early at the Rodda Center from Sunday October 28 to Sunday November 5. Polls are open 10 AM to 8 PM except the polls close at 6 PM on the two Sundays (Oct 29 and Nov 5)


Voting on Election Day – 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM is at your normal polling location which you can look up either on the sample ballot you should have received or soon be receiving. Or you can easily look up your polling place at www.vote.nj.gov


Note: A good video developed by the County Clerk’s office for reviewing all of this "how to vote "information is at Click Here


This year's ballot design for Teaneck is clearer than the ballot design in prior general elections. Of particular importance is the fact that the two BOE candidate slates of 3 candidates each are placed in side-by-side columns.

And the BOE portion of the ballot is placed to the right - and separate - from the other to-be elected offices.


In our Announcements section (below) Voices has again produced a snipped copy of Teaneck's sample ballot which is also found on the County Clerk's website at Click Here  

This Week in Teaneck - Oct 30 to Nov 5

This Week in Teaneck – Oct 30 to Nov 5, 2023

 

General Election Day – Early Voting – Monday Oct 30, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm  The Rodda Center


Stigma Free Advisory BoardMonday October 30, at 6:00 pm – by zoom – no other information currently available


Teaneck Council Special Meeting - Monday October 30, 2023 - public session at 8:00 pm – by Zoom only Click Here add passcode 432125 – Agenda Click Here


·      See this Voices edition's lead article for additional information


General Election Day – Early Voting – Tuesday Oct 31, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm – The Rodda Center


General Election Day – Early Voting – Wednesday Nov.1, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm – The Rodda Center


Municipal Open Space Committee (MOST)Wednesday Nov. 1 at 6:30 pm – according to the Town website – but no other information is currently available. Check Voices website (Click Here) for delayed information as it becomes available later in the week


Youth Advisory Board (YAB) - Wednesday Nov. 1 at 7:00 pm – The Rodda Center


Parks, Playground and Recreation Advisory Board (PPRAB) - Wednesday Nov. 1 at 7:30 pm – according to the Town website – but no other information is currently available. Check Voices website (Click Here) for delayed information as it becomes available later in the week


General Election Day – Early VotingThursday Nov.2, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm – The Rodda Center


Board of Adjustment (B of A) Thursday Nov.2, 7:00 am – typically these meetings are by zoom only but no other information is currently available. Check Voices website (Click Here) for delayed information as it becomes available later in the week

·       According to a recent OPRA response to Voices, the BofA agenda for this meeting will include approval of missing BofA minutes dating back to April 2022.


General Election Day – Early Voting – Friday Nov. 3, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm – The Rodda Center


General Election Day – Early Voting – Saturday Nov. 4, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm – The Rodda Center


General Election Day – Early Voting – Sunday Nov. 5, 10:00 am only to 6:00 pm – The Rodda Center – Final Day of Early Voting

Teaneck International Film Festival (TIFF)– First Day. Click Here for information and see Voices Announcements 


The next regular Council meeting has been moved to November 21 from the original schedule, November 14.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Teaneck's Gen'l Election Sample Ballot - Same for all Voting Options

Last Chance for: Flu Shots November 3- See Flyer

Click Here for Trailer

Contacting Teaneck Voices


Co-Editors: Dr. Barbara Ley Toffler and Dr. Chuck Powers

By Email: teaneckvoices@gmail.com

By Phone: 201-214-4937

By USPS Mail: Teaneck Voices, PO Box 873. at 1673 Palisade Ave. 07666

Teaneck Voices' Website is www.teaneckvoices.com


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