Electronic sign for Maplewood Town Hall

I wonder if anyone thinks it is necessary for our TC to spend $30,000 of taxpayer money on a sign for the town hall  

http://joestrupp.blogspot.com/2016/07/hpc-punts-on-town-hall-electronic-sign.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+Maplewoodian+(Maplewoodian)&m=1

OliveBee said:

I wonder if anyone thinks it is necessary for our TC to spend $30,000 of taxpayer money on a sign for the town hall  

http://joestrupp.blogspot.com/2016/07/hpc-punts-on-town-hall-electronic-sign.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+Maplewoodian+(Maplewoodian)&m=1

Garish and not in keeping with the style of the building

and for what it is worth $30,000 in self aggrandizement

Terrible idea. The justification of "people come in looking for information all the time" is ridiculous. 

Can you imagine someone driving to town hall, looking for information unavailable on the web or over phone, saying, "well how about that! Junk day is the 8th! Guess I'll just turn around! Thank you electronic sign!"

So we're all supposed to drive by Town Hall everyday for information?  How about we don't.

About as aesthetically pleasing and purposeful as the signs on Prospect Presbyterian and Columbia High School.

What information has anyone gotten from either sign that would justify those eye sores?

OliveBee said:

I wonder if anyone thinks it is necessary for our TC to spend $30,000 of taxpayer money on a sign for the town hall  

http://joestrupp.blogspot.com/2016/07/hpc-punts-on-town-hall-electronic-sign.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+Maplewoodian+(Maplewoodian)&m=1

What a complete waste of money.  In the Internet age, we hardly need a sign in front of town hall for information.

Jackson_Fusion said:

Terrible idea. The justification of "people come in looking for information all the time" is ridiculous. 

Can you imagine someone driving to town hall, looking for information unavailable on the web or over phone, saying, "well how about that! Junk day is the 8th! Guess I'll just turn around! Thank you electronic sign!"

LOL, that justification defies description. What a waste of money it would be. 

well I suggest you all contact the TC (emails and Tel on town website) because 4 of 5 TC members think this is a brilliant idea  and they will pass it soon. 

I asked because I wanted to see if I was the only only one here who felt this way  

I think it is a stupid frivolous waste of taxpayer money.  Certain TC members think there is a bottomless pail of gold to keep dipping from while our schools are cut to the bone and our taxes are sky high. 

Oh yeah if there is a blizzard and I can't get to work I am going to sled down to valley street to look at that sign  

Poppycock. another waste of our money.  Lots of constructive things to do with 30K or not spend it  

tjohn said:

OliveBee said:

I wonder if anyone thinks it is necessary for our TC to spend $30,000 of taxpayer money on a sign for the town hall  

http://joestrupp.blogspot.com/2016/07/hpc-punts-on-town-hall-electronic-sign.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+Maplewoodian+(Maplewoodian)&m=1

What a complete waste of money.  In the Internet age, we hardly need a sign in front of town hall for information.

It could tell us what is showing at the Maplewood Theater and explain why Ghostbusters cost more

than $6.00 on Tuesday

I don't care what it looks like or where it is placed.  It is not necessary.  

v.deluca@twp.maplewood.nj.us

nadams@twp.maplewood.nj.us

mbrownlee@twp.maplewood.nj.us

ILarrier@twp.maplewood.nj.us

glembrich@twp.maplewood.nj.us

OliveBee said:

I think it is a stupid frivolous waste of taxpayer money.  

+1

Thanks, OliveBee and Red; an email has been sent to the TC members. I care what it looks like, and it won't look good no matter where they put it. The taxpayer waste goes without saying.

what nonsense...  This isn't a relevant way to communicate today!  

And they're freaking ugly...

Four of five TC members reportedly are in favor of the sign. The fifth appears to be objecting on aesthetic grounds, not because she questions its usefulness or value. Maybe I'm missing a side of this.

OliveBee said:

I wonder if anyone thinks it is necessary for our TC to spend $30,000 of taxpayer money on a sign for the town hall  

http://joestrupp.blogspot.com/2016/07/hpc-punts-on-town-hall-electronic-sign.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+Maplewoodian+(Maplewoodian)&m=1

No.  A thousand times no.

So, is this a done deal?  Or is there still time for the TC to come to their senses and realize that it is a frivolous, unnecessary billboard that, most importantly, we just don't need.

Wow.  Unity on a Maplewood issue on mol. 

bramzzoinks said:

Wow.  Unity on a Maplewood issue on mol. 

Well, you have to admit that this proliferation of electronic billboards in front of schools and public buildings is unnecessary.  Makes you wonder how we survived in the days of the dial phone and before.

The town is trying to reach/inform members of the community that are not on-line, especially the elderly who are either unskilled with computers or uninterested in using them and the segment of the population that cannot afford to have on-line access at home.  I am not sure that an electronic sign in front of town hall is the way to go, especially one placed on a busy road like Valley Street where motorists are likely to be speeding by too quickly to read the sign anyway and on a stretch that doesn't get that much pedestrian traffic, especially from the population they are trying most to reach.  

Better to encourage this population to sign up for reverse 911 messages, including a version for the hard of hearing.  Perhaps, identifying this population and having an opt out rather than opt in sign-up program would help. Then there is the problem of getting emergency messages to the segment of our local population that is not fluent in English.  A sign with information written in English is not going to help there either.  Space limitation would be another problem if the information to be provided was lengthy or complex.

I am glad that the town is seriously considering ways to better communicate with its citizens, it sorely needs to do this, I just don't think an electronic sign in front of town hall is an effective way of doing this.

instead of a stupid sign how about a big bowl on town hall into which we can throw our grass clippings, which they've outlawed our landscapers from removing from our lawns.

Very nicely stated, Joan.

joan_crystal said:

The town is trying to reach/inform members of the community that are not on-line, especially the elderly who are either unskilled with computers or uninterested in using them and the segment of the population that cannot afford to have on-line access at home.  I am not sure that an electronic sign in front of town hall is the way to go, especially one placed on a busy road like Valley Street where motorists are likely to be speeding by too quickly to read the sign anyway and on a stretch that doesn't get that much pedestrian traffic, especially from the population they are trying most to reach.  

Better to encourage this population to sign up for reverse 911 messages, including a version for the hard of hearing.  Perhaps, identifying this population and having an opt out rather than opt in sign-up program would help. Then there is the problem of getting emergency messages to the segment of our local population that is not fluent in English.  A sign with information written in English is not going to help there either.  Space limitation would be another problem if the information to be provided was lengthy or complex.

I am glad that the town is seriously considering ways to better communicate with its citizens, it sorely needs to do this, I just don't think an electronic sign in front of town hall is an effective way of doing this.

The township has been using those ugly, wheeled road announcement signs on the lawn of the Town Hall for the last several years.  The information posted is sometimes very useful, as it was during Sandy. One important thing that the TC learned during Sandy is to use every available form of communication available to get out critical information. 

I'm definitely not keen on the proliferation of these electronic signs and cannot understand why, for example, a church might feel the need for one.  I will concede, however, that I have come to appreciate the one at Columbia High School because it informs me of events at the school that would otherwise escape my attention.  

Right now I'd appreciate a sign that says Valley Road closed at X.... intersection TODAY, right now.  That, to me, would be more informative and instantly helpful that the email that tells me sometime this week Valley Street may be closed.

Watching the discussion at the TC meeting, my impression was that Brownlee and Lembrich were on the fence, but did not want to halt the proposal before getting more details.  I didn't get the sense that either was a sure vote in favor.  DeLuca and Larrier both seemed supportive of the sign, while Adams was clearly against.  Will be interesting to see how it plays out if and when there is a final proposal and vote.  I certainly don't assume that this is a done deal, especially if many residents are voicing opposition.

krnl said:

 The information posted is sometimes very useful, as it was during Sandy. One important thing that the TC learned during Sandy is to use every available form of communication available to get out critical information. 

Good point.  Next time there is a storm of that magnitude, the TC should have information available at schools, libraries and train stations in order to reach the greatest number of people.  A bulletin board in front of Town Hall just doesn't achieve that.

I don't think we should have a knee-jerk reaction to this based on our personal notions of aesthetics or based on cost ($30K is a minuscule amount of the total budget).

Everyone here is by definition someone who goes online and proactively seeks information.  Not everyone does. Despite the fact that there are regular TC and BOE meetings covered by online and print news outlets, a township website, banners over Maplewood Ave in the village, township emails, and other means of communication, many township residents still don't get important communications. I kid you not, in the past month I've overheard people and seen FB posts asking -- what's going on with the construction in the village?   

We have groups complaining that the TC operates in a manner that is lacking in transparency. So now when they come up with another means to do things like announce important meetings or remind people of events, why are people dismissing it out of hand? I find it noteworthy that some of the people here complaining about a proposed informational sign are some of the same people who complain that the TC doesn't do enough to announce public meetings.  

That said, maybe an electronic sign isn't the best means of improving communication. But instead of just saying "no," how about we do like Joan Crystal has done here, and come up with some constructive alternatives?

Joan is so on target  later I will post the letter I wrote to Nancy Adams  

we have a nationally registered town hall and park  this sign does not fit in for these reasons on top of the cost and questionable usefulness  

ml1 said:

I don't think we should have a knee-jerk reaction to this based on our personal notions of aesthetics or based on cost ($30K is a minuscule amount of the total budget).

Everyone here is by definition someone who goes online and proactively seeks information.  Not everyone does. Despite the fact that there are regular TC and BOE meetings covered by online and print news outlets, a township website, banners over Maplewood Ave in the village, township emails, and other means of communication, many township residents still don't get important communications. I kid you not, in the past month I've overheard people and seen FB posts asking -- what's going on with the construction in the village?  "> 

We have groups complaining that the TC operates in a manner that is lacking in transparency. So now when they come up with another means to do things like announce important meetings or remind people of events, why are people dismissing it out of hand? I find it noteworthy that some of the people here complaining about a proposed informational sign are some of the same people who complain that the TC doesn't do enough to announce public meetings.  

That said, maybe an electronic sign isn't the best means of improving communication. But instead of just saying "no," how about we do like Joan Crystal has done here, and come up with some constructive alternatives?

There have always been people who for whatever reason are out of the loop, and there always will be.  I have to believe that is is now a lower percentage of the population than 5, 10, or 15 years ago.  What makes anyone think that this one sign in one location will help in this regard?  Some people you just can't help, and will complain regardless of what the TC does or does not do.  

author said:

tjohn said:

OliveBee said:

I wonder if anyone thinks it is necessary for our TC to spend $30,000 of taxpayer money on a sign for the town hall  

http://joestrupp.blogspot.com/2016/07/hpc-punts-on-town-hall-electronic-sign.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+Maplewoodian+(Maplewoodian)&m=1

What a complete waste of money.  In the Internet age, we hardly need a sign in front of town hall for information.

It could tell us what is showing at the Maplewood Theater and explain why Ghostbusters cost more

than $6.00 on Tuesday

Is Ghostbusters a Sony picture?

Oh, it is: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/ghostbusters/

Their website is down, but I did read that certain Sony releases are excluded from the $5 Tuesday deal.