Captain El-Amin's comment on my previous post regarding the mayor's inaction on crime and public safety deserves clarification. It turns out that the very competitive COPS grant I referred to in an earlier post was applied for by the administration by the deadline, but without council knowledge or approval. This means that the administration failed once again in its fiduciary and legal responsibility to keep the governing body informed about all significant grants that will be applied for.
This instance highlights the continued failure of this mayor to communicate with the council except in a rushed, haphazard, and last-minute way. The governing body is supposed to approve grant applications before they are sent out—failure to communicate with us about this grant is par for the course of this administration, which clearly feels it does not have to be transparent and accountable to the people or the governing body of Plainfield.
The resolution the captain is referring to is a blanket resolution that I proposed—one that would enable the police to apply for significant grants through President Obama’s Stimulus Plan in a timely fashion without the city having to suffer from waiting until the last minute. The reason I proposed this resolution was to ensure that the administration would not wait until the last minute (as is their standard operating procedure) to file for certain grants.
It is the ethical responsibility of the mayor to fully and openly communicate with the governing body about all grants. To say that “The application was submitted on-line electronically by the deadline” WITHOUT council approval just highlights the lack of accountability on the part of the administration.
That said, our police force deserves the full support of the governing body, the administration, and our community. A Mapp administration would ensure that all grants are applied for and that the city council and the public remain informed about all crime fighting efforts in a timely fashion.
Regards,
Adrian
Thank You, Plainfield!
9 years ago
Thank you Mr. Mapp for your response. However, again, the Police Division had little time to forward an Authorizing Resolution to the Council PRIOR TO submitting the grant online and meet the COPS imposed deadline for filing.. Had we followed your procedures and time line we surely would have missed the deadline to apply.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I personally created the Resolution from the Police Division regarding this COPS Hiring Grant which has been submitted to the Council. We have no knowledge at the Police Division of your resolution to the Council. Captain Siddeeq W. El-Amin
My resolution is something I put forward to avoid missing out on grants due to procedural issues such as this one, and I have, as you know, expressed my displeasure about the council president's change in the council meeting schedule.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that you were unaware of my resolution speaks volumes about the failure on the part of the administration to clearly and effectively communicate with the various departments in a timely manner about issues affecting the city.
This is why I am running against the failed record of this mayor and her administration. Moving forward, we both agree that we must work together to make sure that this city receives the benefit of all the stimulus monies available to us. As mayor, I will open clear lines of communication to make that happen.
I will speak to you about this grant and others in more detail when I see you, Captain.
Regards,
Adrian