BY MICHAEL OLOHAN
OF NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS
ENGLEWOOD, N.J.—A preliminary five-step plan that includes public forums in each city ward focused on the need for a community center will likely be discussed Jan. 29 by the City Council.
On Jan. 15, City Council President Katharine Glynn presented members with a draft five step “framework to consider how we might structure future community center conversations” that includes citywide participation in public meetings on the long-discussed topic.
Glynn said the five steps included doing a “programmatic inventory” of recreation and library programs to assess attendance and cost; four town hall-style meetings, one in each ward; creation of a citizens’ advisory committee; a structure for each ward-based meeting; and a report of findings and next steps.
Councilwoman Cheryl Rosenberg told Glynn she did not want to limit a program inventory to the recreation department and public library, suggesting senior and other popular programming be incorporated. Glynn noted the five-step framework was a draft for revision.
When Rosenberg called the framework document “short-sighted” due to council members not yet receiving Joyce Dudley’s (of Dudley and Hamilton Associates) proposal for facilitation services of four city meetings, Glynn said it was important to begin to develop a process now “and get something on paper.”
Glynn said she expected to receive Dudley’s facilitation contract proposal by week’s end.
Dudley declined to comment on this article.
‘Very demoralizing’
During public comment, Amy Bulluck, a resident and longtime community center advocate, said holding more ‘town hall’ meetings without deciding to go ahead with a community center “will be very demoralizing to the citizens and not a good reflection on the council… The council needs to make a decision on whether we’re going to have a community center and not put us through another series of town halls,” she added.
“It’s repetitive, it’s already been done,” Bulluck said of ward-specific public forums.
She said similar outreach was done in 2014 but the town halls could be useful if they help determine what type of programming is needed at a community center.
To enable council members to speak to residents informally and hear their views, Bulluck invited council members to visit her home over upcoming weeks and meet with some residents to discuss city issues.
Councilman Wayne Hamer, who facilitated the council’s first public input meeting on a community center in November, later said he was “encouraged” by the proposed framework.
“I don’t think there’s enough information honestly, but I think that there is a lot of interest in moving in the direction of a community center. Everyone just needs to understand what we’re asking for and what we’re going to get,” he added.
City 2010 study
A Northern Valley Press report Dec. 31, 2018, found that eight years ago, a city-sponsored study recommended that Liberty School—now being eyed by three community organizations as a potential community center site—should be repurposed as a performing arts high school or a combination arts and community center.
No action was taken by the City Council despite interest from bergenPAC to acquire Liberty School and develop a performing arts school.
The 100-page study by Phillips, Preiss, Grygiel LLC, Hoboken and Fradkin & McAlpin Associates LLP, New York City, was completed in 2010 and cost approximately $34,000. Public comments and opinions then appeared to favor turning the historic school into a performing arts high school or community center.
Recently all three community center-focused efforts, including Project Liberty, an initiative of Northern New Jersey Community Foundation in Englewood, and outreach efforts by Metro Community Baptist Church and Shiloh A.M.E. Zion Church of Englewood have been on hold pending a City Council decision on whether to pursue a community center.
Both Project Liberty and Metro Community Church have held well-attended community forums in 2018 to solicit community center ideas and feedback.