The West Orange Town Council meeting last night had some high points and some low ones as well.
It certainly was uplifting to have residents in attendance who are doing great things in inspiring and mentoring the youth of our community. I am sure the town council members---as well as those of us in the audience--- were happy to hear of good works and good results. This was a divergence from the usual council meetings where community concerns and issues more often deal with what is lacking, rather than what is available.
It was equally encouraging to hear a wonderfully written essay composed by a young man in the West Orange school system. The focus of his essay was the meaning of America and being an American, and the words were well crafted.
In fact, the conclusion of the essay talked about being an American as standing up for what you believe in.
And those of us there took some courage from these words.
We needed it, as the most disappointing of the council activities came when it was made clear the council was not ready to discuss the new tree ordinance, so laboriously created over these past few weeks. The township is now more than 9 months without a tree ordinance, and the hope that last night would see some progress was dashed immediately following the opening of the meeting.
The Council promised that it would deliberate over this new ordinance and put it out for public discussion on May 20, their next meeting, as also disappointingly, their meeting for May 6 has been cancelled. If met with no objections, it is possible that the ordinance may pass on June 10. Possible.
Meanwhile, after 9 months of edits and go-rounds, the trees are still left with no guardian ordinance. It would be possible under these conditions for hundreds, if not thousands, of trees in this town to be removed before an ordinance is accepted and adopted. Possible.
There are red ribbons tied around dozens of the trees in the tract of land proposed for development behind the West Essex Highlands. Will those be the first to fall? That, too, is possible.
It certainly was uplifting to have residents in attendance who are doing great things in inspiring and mentoring the youth of our community. I am sure the town council members---as well as those of us in the audience--- were happy to hear of good works and good results. This was a divergence from the usual council meetings where community concerns and issues more often deal with what is lacking, rather than what is available.
It was equally encouraging to hear a wonderfully written essay composed by a young man in the West Orange school system. The focus of his essay was the meaning of America and being an American, and the words were well crafted.
In fact, the conclusion of the essay talked about being an American as standing up for what you believe in.
And those of us there took some courage from these words.
We needed it, as the most disappointing of the council activities came when it was made clear the council was not ready to discuss the new tree ordinance, so laboriously created over these past few weeks. The township is now more than 9 months without a tree ordinance, and the hope that last night would see some progress was dashed immediately following the opening of the meeting.
The Council promised that it would deliberate over this new ordinance and put it out for public discussion on May 20, their next meeting, as also disappointingly, their meeting for May 6 has been cancelled. If met with no objections, it is possible that the ordinance may pass on June 10. Possible.
Meanwhile, after 9 months of edits and go-rounds, the trees are still left with no guardian ordinance. It would be possible under these conditions for hundreds, if not thousands, of trees in this town to be removed before an ordinance is accepted and adopted. Possible.
There are red ribbons tied around dozens of the trees in the tract of land proposed for development behind the West Essex Highlands. Will those be the first to fall? That, too, is possible.
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