By ROBERT LINNEHAN | The Cherry Hill Sun
If you plan to stop by Ponzio’s Diner tomorrow for a cup of coffee, an omelet, and a nice English muffin, don’t forget to swing by the first booth of the eatery to talk about your property taxes or whatever else is on your mind in regard to Cherry Hill.
The first regular monthly meeting, “Coffee with Council,” will be held on Thursday, Feb. 4, from 8 to 9 a.m. at Ponzio’s Diner on Route 70. The monthly meeting will be held the first Thursday of every month, with up to three council members sitting in the first booth of the diner waiting to answer any question from interested residents.
Council President David Fleisher, Council Member John Amato, and a third council member will be in attendance at the first “Coffee with Council.”
First mentioned at the annual reorganization meeting, Fleisher said the monthly meetings would allow residents to ask questions of council members in a leisurely setting.
“When we were sworn into office in January, we promised the residents of Cherry Hill that they would see their township council all over town. This is the first step in fulfilling that promise,” Fleisher said. “Public engagement and community outreach are, without a doubt, our number one priority as elected officials.”
The format for these meetings will be informal, Fleisher added, with residents invited to stop whenever they like to openly discuss any issue of concern to them.
The key to the monthly meetings is the informal setting, he said. People need to view the council members as approachable leaders of Cherry Hill, willing to deal with problems and help people within the community.
“We have a simple message. The town council is accessible and responsive,” he said. “This was a collective effort among all the council members and especially during the last campaign. We promised grassroots connections with residents and that’s what we’re delivering. This is one piece to the puzzle.”
Council Vice President Sara Lipsett said she hoped Ponzio’s popularity and central location would help encourage attendance.
“Everyone knows Ponzio’s, and that’s crucial to making this effort successful,” Lipsett said. “I want Cherry Hill residents to know our faces — not just our names — and to know that they have a regular outlet to connect with us.”
A rotating schedule of each of the Council’s seven members will be available in advance for residents who would like to speak with a specific individual. More information will be posted in Town Hall and on the township’s Web site, www.CherryHill-NJ.com, and published in the mayor’s weekly briefing.
For more information, contact the mayor’s office directly at 856–488–7878.
