Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Residents spoke against an ordinance that would lessen parking requirements for businesses amid borough-wide parking shortage.
The Chatham Borough Council continued the second reading of an ordinance that would bring chances to downtown amid objections and concerns from residents near Main Street. The ordinance would bring new definitions and changes to existing sections of the existing business zone ordinance. Among the changes would be less parking requirements for new business applications before the Chatham Borough Planning Board and Board of Adjustment. "The parking standards in the existing ordinance weren't based on anything," Mayor Bruce Harris said. "The Planning Board worked with the Borough Planner, [who] recommended switching [the parking requiremtents] to match industry standards because it would be more defensible in court." Bill Tackaberry, a …
Monday, August 13, 2012
Chatham Borough became one of 10 towns certified as silver level sustainable town, thanks to the efforts of Cindy Steffens.
Chatham Borough Mayor Bruce Harris announced Monday that Sustainable Jersey has awarded the borough with Silver Certification for 2012. Harris was quick to credit Cindy Steffens with the credit the "significant achievement" of winning silver level certification. Steffens, who chairs the Green Initiatives Committee, was a "taskmaster," Harris said, who outlined all the projects and the work needed to win silver certification and made sure they all got done in time for the May 31 deadline. Only 10 towns were awarded silver level certification through Sustainable Jersey this year, Harris said. Councilman Len Resto said, "It was really a core group of six volunteers who made this happen," with Steffens taking the lead. "Other towns that got …
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Chatham Borough mayor was approved Tuesday by Turnpike Authority board.
Chatham Borough Mayor Bruce Harris was appointed as the new general counsel for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA). The Alternative Press reported Tuesday that the NJTA's Board of Commissioners approved Harris, 61, for the position at a meeting Tuesday at a salary of $165,000. The board is made up of eight members, including Gov. Chris Christie, who appointed Harris to the state Supreme Court in January. The Judicial Committee of the state Senate rejected him for a role on the New Jersey Supreme Court by a vote of 7-6, amid allegations from republican politicians that the democratic-led committee judged the nominees unfairly. Harris, 61, currently works for Greenberg Traurig in Florham Park. He graduated magna cum laude from Amherst …
Monday, July 30, 2012
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority board will vote on whether to appoint Bruce Harris as general counsel Tuesday.
Chatham Borough Mayor Bruce Harris could get a job as general counsel with the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. The authority board will consider Harris' appointment at a Tuesday meeting, according to a story in the Star-Ledger. Harris' possible appointment to the role comes two months after the Judicial Committee of the state Senate rejected him for a role on the New Jersey Supreme Court by a vote of 7-6. Harris and fellow Supreme Court nominee Phillip Kwon were chosen by Gov. Chris Christie in January to fill vacant seats on the Supreme Court. Both men were voted down by the committee amid allegations from republican politicians that the democratic-led committee judged the nominees unfairly. Harris, 61, currently works for Greenberg …
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Borough's mayor used as political ploy by Democrats, former state senator says.
Bruce Harris was back on the dais Monday night as Chatham Borough's mayor for the borough's council meeting after losing his bid for a State Supreme Court seat. Harris became the second of Gov. Chris Christie's Supreme Court nominees to be rejected by the Senate Judiciary Committee in May. The committee's vote, while not quite along party lines, was 7-6. When former State Sen. Leanna Brown learned of the results of Harris' confirmation hearing, she said she was "devastated." "It turned into a battle of wills between [Senate Majority Leader Robert] Sweeney and Gov. Christie," Brown, a Chatham resident, said. "Sweeney wanted to prove he could keep his troops together, and the court suffers." Before the hearing began, Brown told Chatham Patch…
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Governor criticizes Judiciary Ccommittee for rejecting Bruce Harris.
In the wake of Chatham Borough Mayor Bruce Harris' failed nomination hearing Thursday, Gov. Chris Christie said Senate Democrats proved they would rather reject a qualified Republican than give nominees a fair chance. "Democrats decided that merit doesn’t actually matter. That intellect doesn’t actually matter. That temperament doesn’t actually matter. That diversity doesn’t actually matter. The only thing that matters is politics,” Christie said. Harris and Phillip Kwon of Chester were nominated to the New Jersey Supreme Court by Gov. Chris Christie on Jan. 23 of this year. In advance of the hearing, Christie's office released several statements highlighting Harris' education and legal experience at two of the state's top law firms, where…
Senator who introduced Bruce Harris expressed dismay at his rejection by the judiciary committee.
Sen. Thomas Kean, Jr. issued a statement Thursday afternoon attacking the Democratic majority on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which rejected Chatham Borough Mayor Bruce Harris' nomination for the state Supreme Court. Democrats, Kean said, were "out of control" and "did not apply an objective, or even reasonable, standard to Bruce's nomination. Make no mistake about it, Bruce Harris was rejected by the committee for political reasons rather than anything pertaining to his ability to do the job by a legislative majority that is drunk on power." Kean said Harris' "intellect, personal story, professional record, and educational background qualify Bruce by any objective measure to serve on the Court." Kean introduced Harris to the committee …
Nay votes centered on Harris' lack of courtroom experience and statements that he would recuse himself from same sex marriage.
Chatham Borough Mayor Bruce Harris failed to garner enough votes from the Senate Judiciary Committee to be confirmed as a Supreme Court justice. Harris was denied by a slim 7-6 margin. Unlike Phillip H. Kwon's hearing in March, two Democrats broke party lines to vote in favor of Harris. State senators Kevin O'Toole, Joseph Kyrillos, Jennifer Beck, Gerald Cardinale, Brian Stack and Christopher Bateman said they were all impressed with Harris' history, intelligence and demeanor and all voted to approve Harris. O'Toole said when he looked at Harris, "I don't see a black man, I don't see a gay man, I see an American who has done incredible things with his life," and someone who made decisions based on the law he enjoyed practicing, "not on the…
Three employees at Riker Danzig speak in favor of Harris' nomination to state Supreme Court.
Chatham Borough Mayor Bruce Harris appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday morning for his confirmation hearing over months after Gov. Chris Christie nominated him for the state Supreme Court. Early Thursday afternoon, the hearing was opened to comments from the public. Three employees of Harris' former law firm, Riker Danzig, spoke in favor of Harris' nomination, including partner Edwin Chociey and James Lott, Jr., who is currently the borough's attorney. Chociey answered questions from committee members about why Harris was not named a partner at Riker Danzig. It was not because of any shortcoming, he said. "On the contrary, his work was considered to be excellent." When Sen. Kevin O'Toole asked if Chociey thought Harris …
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Gov. Christie says yes; Judiciary Committee chair says no.
As Chatham Borough Mayor Bruce Harris appears before the state Senate Judiciary Committee in Trenton Thursday, Chatham Patch wants to know: What do you think of Harris' qualifications? Harris deflected criticisms this week that he lacks the experience to sit on the New Jersey Supreme Court. He was nominated to the New Jersey Supreme Court by Gov. Chris Christie in January, days after he was sworn in as the borough's mayor. James Lott Jr., the Chatham Borough's attorney, and Edwin F. Chociey Jr., both of Harris' old firm Riker Danzig, wrote statements supporting Harris that were among several press releases distributed this week by Christie's office. "Bruce is thorough, inquisitive, and insightful in every task that he undertakes. I believe…
Marty Mcfly
1:23 pm on Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Haha John right on more ›