DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
Before you comment on the intense discussions of leaf blowers, Lackawanna Plaza, the municipal clerk, and civility at August 15’s Township Council meeting, can you focus on a troubling aspect of August 7’s “emergency” Council meeting?

Sincerely,
Full Column Agenda

I can — and will do so by writing on a laptop computer that’s not gas-powered.

DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
Well, “isn’t that special.” What was a troubling aspect of that virtual August 7 meeting, called to move up the start date of interim township manager Michael Lapolla after the death of interim manager Joseph Hartnett?

Sincerely,
The 7th Seal

Some councilors were given such short notice — mere minutes — for the meeting that copies of “The Time Machine” spontaneously exploded all over Montclair.

DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
My copy of H.G. Wells’ novel is fine…um…whoa…it’s totally charred! Anyway, was the short notice suspicious — especially in the cases of interim-manager-situation-questioning councilors David Cummings, Robert Russo, and William Hurlock, all of whom couldn’t attend the 2:30 meeting on the 7th?

Sincerely,
War of the Words

Well, the three did rightly oppose last month’s surprise Council vote for Hartnett and his Government Strategy Group to supplant competent acting manager Brian Scantlebury. And new manager Lapolla was a Hartnett/GSG pick — which, if it were a guitar pick, could strum “Suspicious Minds.”

DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
After a lesson at School of Rock Montclair. So, Mayor Spiller and councilors Peter Yacobellis, Lori Price Abrams, and Robin Schlager — who all favored Hartnett, GSG, and Lapolla, and who were reportedly made aware of the August 7 meeting sooner than were Cummings, Russo, and Hurlock — became the only councilors to attend that afternoon?

Sincerely,
Four Had the Floor

Yup. The meeting could have easily been delayed a few hours or until August 8 to enable all seven TC members to “be there or be square” — which is sort of the shape of Wellmont Plaza.

DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
And, despite what the mayor said, there was no payroll emergency. It was also said that no one was waiting to make public comments at the virtual August 7 meeting, but several residents said they WERE waiting to speak. Who do you believe?

Sincerely,
Trust in the Wind

I believe the residents, and would like to thank the band Journey for singing “Don’t Stop Believin’.”

DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
Well, “isn’t that special.” Getting back to “The Time Machine,” could the August 7 meeting have been scheduled for that novel’s final year of 802,701 AD?

Sincerely,
Google Calendar on Steroids

Hey — that’s the far-future year when controversial recent township manager Timothy Stafford would’ve been fired if public outrage hadn’t rightly forced his removal to happen sooner (April 2023) albeit not soon enough.

DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
Now there’s been three managers since then!

Sincerely,
Thrice and Beans

The most turnover since Pink Floyd fans in 1973 obsessively flipped “The Dark Side of the Moon” album from Side One to Side Two and back again.

DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
Civility was mentioned in your first question. I assume that was a reference to Mayor Spiller again urging civility when some August 15 meeting attendees made noise while a councilor spoke?

Sincerely,
Charge of the Impolite Brigade

Yes. But was it civil of Spiller, Yacobellis, Price Abrams, and Schlager to hold the August 7 “emergency” meeting without their three fellow councilors? No, it was not civil. Was it civil for that quartet to take last month’s surprise vote to appoint Hartnett? No, it was not civil. Was it civil to demote acting township manager Scantlebury back to deputy manager? No, it was not civil. Is it civil that the fire chief still has his job despite problematic performance, a huge rank-and-file vote of no confidence, and being sued by Black firefighters charging racism and nepotism in the promotion exam? No, it is not civil. Is it civil that my answer is rambling on for so long? Let me read Amor Towles’ novel “Rules of Civility” and get back to you.

DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
Still, things can get complicated in terms of who votes for what. For instance, Spiller, Yacobellis, Price Abrams, and Schlager deserve kudos for passing the very welcome ban on gas-powered leaf blowers at the August 15 meeting, right?

Sincerely,
Raking in Praise

Right! A BIG win for the environment, our lungs, our ears, and all living creatures. Those even more deserving of kudos are the admirable Montclair residents who for a long time urged the Council to pass the ban. They put our elected representatives “Under Pressure” — a David Bowie/Queen song hard to hear with leaf blowers roaring.

DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
The final leaf-blower vote was 4-1?

Sincerely,
Count of Montclair Cristo

Yes, with Hurlock saying no and Russo and Cummings not in attendance. (Russo would’ve almost certainly voted yes if he were there.) The 4-1 tally reminds me of the 41 uniform number of pitcher Tom Seaver, who didn’t need a two-stroke engine to blow fastballs by batters.

DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
The August 15 introduction of the revised Lackawanna Plaza proposal was also passed 4-1, with Hurlock saying no at least partly because 4th Ward councilor Cummings wasn’t there to vote on a 4th Ward-based project. Comment?

Sincerely,
May the 4th Not Be With You

Would’ve been CIVIL to wait until the next Council meeting as a courtesy to Cummings. As for the proposal itself, I’m glad it’s now somewhat smaller but it’s still quite big and I worry about more traffic and (despite 20 percent of the housing units being “affordable”) I also worry about more gentrification. Still, the revision might be almost “As Good as It Gets,” the 1997 movie that could be projected onto the side of a milk carton in the promised Lackawanna supermarket.

DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
Well, “isn’t that special.” Will the Planning Board now look at the revised proposal, followed by a final Council vote this fall?

Sincerely,
Autumnal Agenda

Seems to be the schedule, but don’t forget Halloween is also this fall. I’m not expecting any trick-or-treater to wear a municipal clerk costume.

DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
Why not?

Sincerely,
A Why, Not the Y

On August 15, a number of residents again complained that the clerk has been very slow producing the minutes of Council meetings and responding to OPRA (Open Public Records Act) requests — and expressed worry that she’d get tenure anyway. Might explain why the 1994 film “Clerks” won’t be projected onto that aforementioned milk carton.

Dave Astor, author, is the MontClairVoyant. His opinions about politics and local events are strictly his own and do not represent or reflect the views of Baristanet.