If you missed the Morristown zoning board meeting on Aug. 18, 2021, you’ll get a second chance.
Town officials failed to post the agenda in advance, as required by the electronic notice section of the state Open Public Meetings Act.
So a replay of the three-hour Zoom session is online. And members of the public who have questions will get a chance to pose them to the experts who testified that evening.
REPLAY OF AUG. 18 ZONING BOARD (BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT) MEETING
Board Attorney David Brady will spell out that procedure at the board’s next virtual meeting, on Sept. 15, 2021, said town Zoning Officer James Campbell.
“There was a mixup and the agenda didn’t get posted properly to the website, so to ensure there are no violations of the sunshine laws we will re-do the meeting as outlined by the board attorney on the 15th,” Campbell said.
State law says electronic notice should be made at least 48 hours in advance, “giving the time, date, location and, to the extent known, the agenda of any regular, special or rescheduled meeting,” and “shall accurately state whether formal action may or may not be taken at such meeting.”
For the record, on Aug. 18 the board discussed traffic flow and parking issues related to Turtle II, a 28-unit apartment complex proposed for a Madison Avenue parking lot. Members also heard traffic testimony pertaining to a convenience store proposed for the Delta gas station at the corner of Washington and Mills streets.
No action was taken on either application.
The opportunity to quiz that night’s experts will be limited to members of the public who did not participate on Aug. 18, according to a notice on the zoning board’s agenda page.
“In an effort to ensure fairness to members of the public, the recorded Aug. 18, 2021, meeting has been posted to the town’s website for viewing. The posting … will permit members of the public who were not aware of the scheduled applications to view and listen to all presented testimony and exhibits,” the notice advises.
Such a replay is unique.
Morristown’s zoning and planning boards, like other town boards, have livestreamed their meetings on Zoom throughout the pandemic, a practice scheduled to continue at least until Oct. 1, 2021.
But only Zoom sessions of the town council are posted to the town website for later viewing.
The Morris School District also has posted its pandemic Zoom meetings on its website, to enable the public to watch at its convenience.
Morristown Green correspondent Marion Filler contributed to this report.
