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Public raises transparency and filming concerns as Hudson County corrects notice error on county‑building use ordinance
Summary
A July 17 public hearing on a proposed amendment to county rules for use of county buildings drew public questions about whether the ordinance limits photography and whether the advertised notice contained a wrong date. County counsel said the rules apply only to county buildings and the clerk moved an amendment to correct the hearing date in the ordinance text; the board voted to adopt the amendment and then proceed to final adoption.
A public hearing July 17 on an ordinance amending rules for use of Hudson County buildings prompted sustained public and legal scrutiny after attendees raised questions about transparency, enforcement and an internal error in the ordinance's published text.
Mark Bloomberg, a West New York resident, told the board he had asked for copies of the ordinance but only received material late and was unsure whether the amendment would prevent him from photographing or filming inside county buildings such as the boathouse/environmental center in Braddock Park. He asked whether county notices and the underlying ordinance text could be made available earlier to the public.
County counsel responded that the amendment applies only to county buildings and offered to provide the original ordinance and further clarification after the meeting. Counsel noted that building designations (public access, restricted access, no access) determine whether filming and photography are allowed and said the amendment did not change those designations; staff offered a follow‑up meeting with Mr. Bloomberg and the parks director.
Separately, commissioners identified a discrepancy between the ordinance text and the published advertisement: the ordinance's body referenced a June 26 hearing date that conflicted with the Star‑Ledger notice showing the correct hearing date. Several commissioners urged caution and asked whether the published notice cured the internal error. County counsel advised that the published notice in the Star‑Ledger reflected the correct hearing date and would cure the typographical issue; commissioners then moved to amend the ordinance text to correct the hearing date to July 17 and adopted that amendment by roll call. The board then voted on final adoption with recorded roll‑call votes.
Commissioners debated the ordinance’s potential chilling effect on recording in public buildings; one commissioner said he had previously voted against a related ordinance because of concerns about limiting the public’s ability to record inside county facilities. Legal counsel said the amendment did not change the underlying designations controlling filming access and committed to providing the published notice and ordinance documents.
The clerk recorded the amendment text to change the public hearing date in section 6.1 to July 17 at 1 p.m. at the Board of Commissioners Chambers, 567 Pavonia Avenue. Commissioners directed staff to supply the advertised notice and the underlying ordinance text to the board and public.
