Volunteers Needed for Domestic Violence Response Team

Domestic Violence (sometimes called Intimate Partner Violence) is a growing national concern. In fact, the Obama Administration recently created a new position for the first ever White House Advisor on Violence Against Women. Lynn Rosenthal, a former director of a women’s shelter and former Executive Director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, has been appointed to this role. Domestic Violence affects many households across the country. According to The National Organization for Women there were nearly 5 million intimate partner-related physical assaults and rapes in 2006. Sadly, domestic violence is closely tied to the murder rate as homicides and homicide-suicides are often committed by intimate partners. It is estimated that 3 women each day are murdered by spouses or boyfriends. While less information is available on men who are victims of domestic abuse, we do know that abuse does not affect just women. Domestic abuse is an issue affecting the Plainfield community. Below is a press release from the Plainfield Police Department with information on one way we are addressing this need. If you have the time and passion, please consider volunteering.


Volunteers Needed for Domestic Violence Response Team

The Plainfield Police Department, in conjunction with YWCA of Eastern Union County, is looking for volunteers to assist victims of domestic abuse. Specially trained volunteer advocates will meet confidentially with victims of domestic abuse at police headquarters on an on-call basis. Volunteer advocates, who are members of the community, provide support, information and referrals to victims at police headquarters. These advocates are trained to empower victims to make decisions about their own lives.

Applicant requirements:
- Must be 18+ years of age
- Must have access to transportation
- Must possess a valid driver’s license
- Must submit background check and fingerprinting

A 40 hour mandatory training course will be provided free of charge to successful applicants. YWCA-EUC will be conducting the training beginning in September. Classes are being held twice per week in the evenings in Cranford. Prior knowledge of domestic violence is not required. The Plainfield Police Department and YWCA-EUC are committed to culturally diverse teams to better serve the community Bi-lingual capability is a plus.

To request a DVRT application, please contact Divya Dodhia at 908-355-1500 ext. 18, ddodhia@ywcaeuc.org, Detective Thelma Williams at 908-226-8004 or Sgt. Francess Bennette at 908-226-2517.

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Michael Jackson 101

On Sunday afternoon I enjoyed a tribute to the late Michael Jackson, entitled, Michael Jackson 101. The production was a collaboration between M.PoWeR Performing Arts and H.E.R.I.T.A.G.E. Show Choir. M.PoWeR Performing Arts sponsored the very successful local production of Raisin in the Sun that ran at the YWCA earlier this year. H.E.R.I.T.A.G.E . Show Choir won first place at the 2009 McDonald’s Gospelfest (after winning in 2006 and 2008 as well). Both groups are based in Plainfield and the participants, largely children for this particular production, all hail from the Queen City.

The production was lively and fun and filled with best of MJ. The show captured the genius of Michael Jackson but also showcased the amazing talent that exists in our community. Enjoy my (very amateur) photos!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

M.PoWeR Performing Arts

Become a fan on facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/MPoWeR-Performing-Arts/129327633400)

H.E.R.I.T.A.G.E. Inc.

See website here - http://www.heritageprograms.org/

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IT Moving Forward

The IT Manager Ordinance has passed on the first reading. While similar to the ordinance that was proposed earlier this year, there are some key differences that I would like to highlight:

1. We are no longer hiring a Director, but a Manager. The difference in title means a difference in salary. We will no longer be mandated to pay a Director upwards of $130,000, a salary that I thought was too high. As it turns out, the salary research that I requested of the administration revealed that a slightly lower salary range was more fitting (70k-110k). While this is still no drop in the bucket, I recognize that we need to pay for talent. We just don’t need to overpay. And we certainly don’t need to overpay without seeing what this person will actually deliver on.
2. An IT citizen advisory committee is being put in place to help steer the development of an IT Department. This Council appointed committee of 14 residents share a background in technology and management. They are charged with using their knowledge to help ensure that an IT Manager is delivering what we need and is not taking advantage of our limited resources. The basic goals have been laid out by the administration already include upgrading and maintenance of existing hardware and software and support of the newly implemented Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) and telecommunication system (VOIP).
3. Shared Services is being considered as a way to save costs city-wide. The Council’s IT sub-committee will continue to look into what type of agreements make the most sense. I believe there will be an opportunity to share technicians/help-desk employees between the City and other local entities (ex: Board of Ed., Public Library) in the near-future.
4. We have an idea of how much money, about $200,000 total, will be spent on an IT department. These figures were provided to the Council by the Administration. The Council will have an opportunity to revisit this issue soon as we are approaching budget season. I am sure that the Citizen Budget Advisory Committee will weigh on this issue as well.

Creating this position is a step in the right direction. I will continue to work to ensure that this is a successful endeavor. Plainfield can now move successfully into the 21^st century. I look forward to seeing City Hall run more efficiently and residents being able to take advantage of our technological advancements.

I would like to thank the outspoken residents, the rest of the Council and the administration for ensuring that my questions were answered and my concerns addressed. I believe that this will be the standard going forward.

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A Reflection on Legacies

My dad would be turning 56 tomorrow. It’s never easy to continue living without a loved one. I often think about the major life events that will be different for me and my siblings than what we imagined growing up because our dad won’t be there – graduations, weddings, births of his grandchildren.

With the recent passing of former Mayor Rick Taylor, I know that holidays, birthdays and anniversaries will be bittersweet for the Taylor family for years to come. I wish them strength during days like this. These days may never carry the joy that they used to, but they do become much easier. You have to hold on to the happy memories and talk about the good times. It’s how you will move on without forgetting.

It is a huge comfort in knowing that a person lives on through their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His legacy can be continued for generations. Dr. Yood’s Aug 9^th blog captures the essence of this – http://dpotpourri.blogspot.com/2009/08/immortality.html.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Rev. Gloria Taylor over the weekend. She is a strong woman and her family is blessed to have her as their rock during this time. We talked about the well-known celebrities and activists that Mayor Taylor brought to Plainfield and his passion for equal rights. Mayor Taylor was a public servant in the truest form.

I will undoubtedly spend the rest of this week reflecting on the legacies of these two former Mayors who contributed greatly to our City.

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The Great Tax Abatement Debate - Part II

One issue that has come up over and over again is the need for a vision of Plainfield’s downtown. If we had a vision, if we had more clearly set policies tied to that vision, there would not be so many questions when it comes to making decisions. Plainfield’s leadership team needs to set a clear vision for economic development. We also must set policies surrounding the use of development incentives (such as tax abatements). I have had this discussion with many of my colleagues on the Council as well as the Mayor and her administration. I think most people agree with this. Like most great ideas, the hardest part is making it a reality. This is something I will visit again in another blog post.

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Now back to the Monarch…

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Below are a series of questions that I have shared with my colleagues on the Council and have asked the administration to address:

1. Will a 5-year tax abatement ensure that the project will neither fail nor become rentals? This is a key concern I have. Do we need to put measures in place to guarantee that a tax abatement will lead to success? Can we evaluate the success of the project after 12 months and rescind the tax abatement if needed?
2. What will happen if the project fails? What is the effect in 5 years? 10 years? How would a failed project affect other developer’s decisions to build here in the future? What impact would that have on our goal of TOD (transit-oriented development)? Again, I’m not sure how to quantify this. Some people are convinced that if this development fails, then banks will not see our downtown as a wise investment and deny future developers the loans to build there.
3. What will happen if the building becomes a rental? What is the effect in 5 years? 10 years? Typically, although not always, rentals lower property value. The best municipalities strive for a housing stock that meets the affordability requirements of its residents so that people can own. The belief is that property ownership = pride in one’s property = well-maintained property = increased property value. Certainly we have enough rentals in the City already.
4. What taxes were being assessed & collected on the property before being sold to the developer? My understanding is that no taxes ($0) have been collected on this property in recent years.
5. If the full estimated tax amount of $400,000 is collected, what effect will that have on the total amount of taxes collected? I believe we would collect about 0.6% more taxes a year = $400,000 (full tax amount from Monarch)/ $70,000,000 (total 2008 taxes collected). Both my arithmetic and logic are open to questioning.
6. Will a well-kept, owner-occupied condominium boost property values? If yes, by how much? Obviously the answer is yes. That’s a figure that is hard to quantify, but certainly would be meaningful.
7. Why aren’t the many incentives already put in place for buyers enough? As pointed by other bloggers there are a number of incentives already in place for buyers – especially first-time buyers. My guess is that these incentives off-set national hesitance to purchase a home, but may not impact each municipality equally.
8. Is granting an abatement short-sighted? Once the market turns around, will it even be necessary? Time may be the key factor here

(Thanks to Anonymous 8/1/09 11:59pm for posing some of these questions!)

If anyone has insight into this matter or feels as though I am not considering something, please contact me. I look forward to hearing more residents speak out about their concerns on this issue.

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The Great Tax Abatement Debate

“I shall never use profanity except in discussing house rent and taxes.” - Mark Twain

I have received many phone calls and emails over the past two weeks regarding the proposed Monarch tax abatement. Justifiably, many people are alarmed to think that we might lose potential tax money at a time when residents are suffering from job losses and a depressed market. I was not on the Council in 2005 when the Monarch development was put into motion. Was this development the best option at the time that it was created and approved? My father did not think so. Councilman Mapp clearly did not think so (read his blog for details). Given the outcome, it seems that they were right. Unfortunately I can’t go back in time and sell the land at fair market value or approve a project that would serve a better purpose. That time has come and gone. What I can do, however, is understand what choices need to be made now, given the circumstances.

My thought process so far has been:
1) What is our reality given the real estate market?
2) Let’s say the tax abatement is approved. What is the best that can happen? What is the worst that can happen?
3) Let’s say the tax abatement is not approved. What is the best that can happen? What is the worst that can happen?

It is important to examine Plainfield’s real estate reality. I’ve analyzed information on the average absorption rate over the past 3 months (May-July) for Plainfield and 17 nearby municipalities.

The absorption rate is a key measurement of the real estate market in a given community. It measures how much time, in months, it would take for all of the current inventory (multi-family, single family, condos, coops, etc) to sell. The rate is based on the supply of units available for purchase and the demand for those units.

• 0-4 months is considered a “seller’s market” which means that the demand for homes is greater than the supply


• 5-6 months absorption is considered a “normal, balanced market”. In a normal market the supply of and demand for homes is balanced


• 7+ months is a “buyer’s market” which means that the supply of homes is greater that the demand

Take a look at Plainfield’s absorption rate as compared to other markets. It is debatable to say that anyone is experiencing a true seller’s market with no one below 4 months. Agents who work the municipalities with the lowest absorption rate have told me that those units are being sold far below asking price. According to these figures, some communities are in a normal market. Like Plainfield, however, many communities are still in a buyer’s market.

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Plainfield’s absorption rate is 12 months. This means that at the current rate that units are selling, it would take 12 months (1 full year) to sell everything - and that’s if no other units are put on the market. Since the real estate bubble burst no municipality has been safe from unbalanced markets. At one point it was not unheard of that the absorption rate was peaking at 20+ months in municipalities including Watchung and Warren. Rates as high as 50+ months have not been unheard of across the state. Historically, when the market drops Plainfield is one of the first communities affected and one of the last to recover. This trend has improved somewhat over the last decade.

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Although Plainfield’s current absorption rate is still fairly high, the good news is that the rate has been trending down in recent months. This is consistent with what some real estate experts have been predicting. Jeff Otteau, a trusted real estate analyst and head of the Otteau Valuation Group, believes that the market will bottom out in the 2nd half of 2009 (May 27, Star Ledger). As noted in other blogs the many incentives that have been put in place at the state and national level have contributed to this balancing of the supply and demand for real estate.

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So, what does this mean for the Monarch? Well these numbers show that Plainfield’s market is still not a balanced market. There is too much supply and too little demand. Ideally all 63 units at the Monarch would be sold quickly, be 100% owner-occupied and be fully-taxed (no abatement). Based on the above figures, I have to question if this is realistic.

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I’d prefer to leave gut-feelings out of the decision-making process and focus only on the numbers from both a short-term and long-term standpoint. In a later post I will share my thoughts on how the City will be affected should the abatement be approved or rejected.

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Thoughts on Plainfield’s Branding Challenge

Anyone who knows my family and me knows how much we love Plainfield. There are not many places where you can find a diverse community, beautiful homes, talented residents and many other assets all within 6 square miles. Furthermore, like you, I know that Plainfield has the potential to be even better. Our 2 train stations, rich housing stock, fascinating history and close proximity to major highways make us a “sleeping giant”. Unfortunately, the problem is that we are, well, asleep.

In order to wake up the Queen City, Plainfield’s leadership must address what I will call our “Branding Challenge”. I am not the first to say it and I won’t be the last: Beyond our city limits live many people who think of Plainfield as dirty, unsafe, difficult to do business with, poorly managed and stagnant. In general it is not seen as the most attractive place to live, work or shop. Re-branding Plainfield as a safe, clean, developing city with a wide appeal to a diverse group of people must be our long-term goal.

Furthermore, we don’t have to be a Westfield or a Summit or a Princeton to develop a valuable brand. We can create our own appealing brand that builds on the assets that we already have. For example, there are a number of talented professionals in the arts and entertainment industries that hail from Plainfield. Alonzo Adams, Indira Bailey, Chanj and Alrick Brown come to mind. Could the Plainfield name attract art, music and film aficionados to the Queen City? We could also focus on the richness of our diversity. We have a number of restaurants that serve different ethnic foods. Events like EthFest have been successful in the past. Could Plainfield’s brand be “The Melting Pot”?

I firmly believe that the Queen City has the potential to grow into something truly special. As my father used to say, Plainfield is “a very manageable city.” By setting the right goals, working with the administration to develop a vision for the City and ensuring that the basic foundations of safety, cleanliness and efficiency are in place, we can clean up Plainfield’s image and develop a brand that entices people to live, work and spend their hard-earned money right here.

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