Hamilton Council President’s last minute decision to abruptly change the location of tonight’s Council Meeting has more to do about Council’s attempt to avoid facing seniors and plans for a duplicative Senior Advisory Commission. Mayor Kelly Yaede blasted this last minute decision; and calls on the Council to face Hamilton’s seniors on this issue.

This morning, the Hamilton Township Council President ‘demanded’ that tonight’s Township Council Meeting, which has been arranged to be moved to the Township’s Senior Center (a Municipal Government Facility) by the Clerk’s Office due to a Municipal Building elevator issue, be moved to Nottingham Fire Company (a non-Municipal Government Facility).

Yesterday afternoon, the Municipal Clerk’s Office informed the Council that the meeting would be relocated to the Senior Center as in prior month’s during the elevator repair.  However, as of 4:59 PM yesterday (Monday, September 16, 2019), the Hamilton Township Council President emailed that he wanted to “talk about this in the morning.”

This morning, the Council President ‘demanded’ that the meeting be held at Nottingham Fire Company, rather than the Hamilton Township Senior Center, where numerous Township employees were already working diligently to set up for tomorrow’s Senior Picnic.

“Ever since the Council’s ill-advised plan to override my veto of this duplicative commission, the seniors of our community have attempt to hold the Council’s feet to the fire and are demanding that the Council abandon their original plan,” says Mayor Kelly Yaede.  “I think this last minute maneuver is more about the Council not wanting to face our community’s seniors following the backlash the Council has received at past meetings.”

Recently, the Mayor wrote to the Council President to call upon the Township Council to make a final decision on this issue: http://www.hamiltonnj.com/news/?FeedID=3319

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COPY OF PRIOR LETTER BELOW

September 9, 2019

Jeff Martin, Council President
c/o Municipal Clerk
2090 Greenwood Avenue
Hamilton, NJ 08609

Dear Council President Martin:

On July 2, 2019, you issued a press release along with three of your Council colleagues announcing your intention to override my veto of a duplicative Senior Advisory Commission, which I have publically explained is unnecessary and inefficient due to our existing Senior Advisory Commission.

In your press release, you personally called my veto “appalling”, “short-sighted”, “mean” and “vindictive.”

Yet, at the July 16, 2019 Township Council Meeting, after the overwhelming opposition from our senior community, you did not override the veto, despite your announcement and your overly exaggerated language.

In addition, Councilman Tighe had the audacity to say “Shame on Kelly Yeade”, while Councilwoman Schirmer actually said “Maybe if we put [my] name as part of the Commission [I] would have approved it.”

Subsequently, at the August 20, 2019 Township Council Meeting, despite having another opportunity to override veto, once again, no action was taken on this issue.

Instead of stalling, I am calling upon you and your Council colleagues to make a decision one way or the other.  Despite my disagreement with your decision to seek an override, I am calling upon you to either override my veto or publicly announce that you are reversing your original decision.  Do not continue to play politics with our senior community.

Sincerely,

Kelly Yaede
Mayor