In Emotionally Charged Meeting, Princeton Consolidates 3 Boards & Commissions

PRINCETON, NJ – In an emotionally charged meeting held Monday, Princeton Council adopted an ordinance that consolidated three boards and commissions into one committee.

The Council voted to consolidate the Affordable Housing Board, Human Services Commission and Civil Rights Commission into a new committee to be known as the “Community Services Advisory Committee.”

But the move was not welcomed by many in the community. Some community members feel the streamlining of all three into one entity will disenfranchise a large number of people.

The council however maintained that consolidating the three would help “Princeton address the varied needs of its diverse community.”

In an earlier memo to Council explaining the proposal for consolidation, Deputy Administrator Jeff Gross said the ordinance was a “catalyst for change” that would help promote affordable housing, accessible human services and protection of civil rights as “essential pillars of a just and inclusive society.”

“Currently, the Human Services Commission, Affordable Housing Board, and Civil Rights Committee represent an outdated paradigm, where Boards, Commissions, and Committees (BCCs) are siloed and compartmentalized within narrow focuses that attempt to address complex, multifaceted problems, without taking into consideration the broader range of influences and variables which underpin them,” Grosser explained.

“At the same time, the three bodies have become too large to meaningfully evolve to the changing needs of Princeton. With a total of 29 members combined, the size of these BCCs creates a significant challenge in terms of recruitment and coordination. Most importantly, since the creation of these groups, the Municipality has increased staffing and expanded its work capacity within Human Services, resulting in redundancies between staff and the BCCs.”

For this move, Council members received many comments and letters from resident who opposed the idea.

Former Council member Lance Liverman, who also served on the Civil Rights Commission, Affordable Housing Board and Human Services said he felt “personally disrespected.”

“I felt the distrust of my Council folks. The noncaring and complete dismissal of asking the three BCCs - I just couldn’t believe it. Let me just say that these three boards serve the most vulnerable population we have,” Liverman said.

I’m asking that you suspend or defeat the ordinance tonight.” He suggested forming an ad hoc committee to look into the matter and come up with a better name and solution. “You don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater,” he said.

Veronica Olivares-Weber who served on the Human Services Commission, said the council should work with the community on the matter

"The BCCs currently serve the purpose of presenting the critical issue to the entire community. It is the job of public officials to connect the dots that most of the time are ignored because you simply do not have the time time to hear the needs of the public, in particular the needs of underserved and minority groups,” Olivares-Weber said.

The Council offered its apology to the community for the flawed execution in the rollout of the ordinance., which caused anxiety and frustration among those who served on the BCCs.

“We hear your concerns, and we share your disappointment. In these moments of discontent, it is crucial for us to remember that our community is at the heart of everything we do. The individuals who dedicate their time and passion to these boards are the backbone of our commitment to justice, equality, and the well-being of all residents. Tonight, I stand with you in solidarity, acknowledging the gravity of the situation, Councilman Leighton Newlin said.

He however noted that change was never easy.

“The challenges faced by our underserved and underrepresented populations demand a thoughtful and inclusive approach... we cannot continue with the status quo. When the current organizational structure is not effectively meeting the needs of our underserved community members,” Newlin said.

The Councilman promised the community he would not co-sign anything that would disenfranchise the “least among us.”

Councilwoman Eve Niedergang too apologized to those who suffered the brunt of the poor process.

“I know many of you took the news, which was badly handled, as a slap in the face and a repudiation of the years of effort that you have put into volunteering for the community. That was not our intention,” Niedergang said.

“The change that we are proposing tonight mirrors the change that we've already made in how our staff is organized in order to enhance our effectiveness and efficiency and to work in a concerted manner towards their goals.”

After comments made by Leticia Fraga, Mia Sacks and Michelle Pirone Lambros, the ordinance was adopted unanimously by the Council.

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