Photo by Sean Quinn Human Relations Commission Chairwoman Tammy Williams voices her support of decreasing the HRC and better defining its role.
Human Relations Commission Chairwoman Tammy Williams voices her support of decreasing the HRC and better defining its role.
WEST ORANGE, NJ — The West Orange Township Council unanimously approved an ordinance on second and final reading during its Feb. 7 meeting that reduces the West Orange Human Relations Commission from a maximum 23 commissioners to a maximum 13 commissioners.
According to the ordinance, the mayor will appoint three commissioners while each council member will appoint two. Originally, the mayor could choose eight commissioners while the council members each picked three.
By eliminating some positions, and requiring that the commission adopt bylaws and submit an annual report of accomplishments, the ordinance states that the HRC will be more effective in carrying out its mission of fostering tolerance within the township’s diverse population. And the council members agreed.
“I think (the ordinance) is crafted in a way to make (the HRC) more efficient, more focused,” Councilman Jerry Guarino said. “You don’t need 23 people to run a board. A lot of us have boards that we’re on that have less than 15.”
Councilman Victor Cirilo also felt that the ordinance was in the best interests of the commission, a conclusion he arrived at after speaking with former HRC Chairman Doug Adams. Though Cirilo had some concerns at first, he said Adams explained that having a more streamlined commission would allow it to become a better conduit for public dialog. He was also heartened by the fact that the ordinance calls for the adoption of bylaws, which he said noncommissioners could help craft.
Still, Cirilo did question how the HRC’s membership would be cut down to just 13. According to the township website, there are currently 18 commissioners.
But HRC Chairwoman Tammy Williams said there are actually only 13 active commissioners: Vice Chairwoman Stephanie Brown, treasurer Dagmar Hobson, secretary Philip Kayal, Youssef Wadih, Reji George, Patrecia West, Abdur Yasin, Ramsey Abdallah, Tim Carter, Alexandra DeRonde, Asmeret Ghebremicael, Akil Khalfani and herself. That means no active member will have to lose a spot in the commission due to the ordinance, Williams said.
The only difference will be that — due to the new number of appointees the mayor and each council member are allotted — some of the commissioners will have to be reappointed by a person different from the one who originally appointed them, Williams said. And she certainly hopes they will be allowed to continue serving the commission.
“The group is a good group,” Williams said. “I look forward to continuing to work with everyone.”
After reviewing appointment records, Cirilo said just three of the six active members originally appointed by Mayor Robert Parisi would need to be reappointed by someone else once Parisi fills his three open slots, assuming the mayor will indeed choose the same people again. At the same time, Cirilo said Councilwoman Susan McCartney, Guarino and himself will each have one opening to fill if the council members reappoint all of their own active commissioners.
Cirilo is willing to use his vacancy to reappoint one of the three active commissioners, and he said he would vote in favor of the ordinance if the other council members agreed to do the same. McCartney told the Chronicle she also wants to reappoint one of Parisi’s commissioners. And Guarino promised to do so as well.
“These are good people,” Guarino said during the meeting. “We don’t want to lose good people.”
And though five inactive commissioners will lose their appointments due to the ordinance, Council President Joe Krakoviak pointed out they can always become involved with the HRC’s numerous initiatives as volunteers. Of all West Orange groups, the commission makes the large impact, Krakoviak said, and it needs a lot of people to carry out its work. One does not need to be a commissioner to make a difference, he said.
“You still come to the meetings, you still be just as active and vocal as you want to be,” Krakoviak said. “You just don’t get a vote.”
Councilwoman Michelle Casalino agreed that nonmembers can be just as integral to the HRC’s success as commissioners. And Casalino did not think those losing voting rights will have much of a problem since, according to the attendance records Williams shared with the council, some of them have not been present at a meeting for a year.
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