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The town board discussion and public comment was most notable on a resolution to “support due process” that passed unanimously after discussion. Town board members Werwaiss and Wapner rewrote the resolution from a previous submission to read as follows: Whereas, there are currently multiple consequential court cases regarding the right of Due Process granted by the United States Constitution to every individual in the country and its territories, And whereas, Due Process is a fundamental principal of Democracy as enshrined in our Bill of Rights in the 5th Amendment to the United States Constitution, And whereas, the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution extended the right of Due Process to state and local governments, And whereas, the Town of Chatham Town Council Members have sworn an oath to support the United States Constitution, Therefore, be it resolved that the Town of Chatham Town Council calls on all government officials who have sworn an oath to uphold the United States Constitution to respect the guarantee of Due Process and any such judicial rulings regarding that right.
The public comment session yielded comments in support of the resolution, along with some caution that this action related to federal government activity could open the way for future extraneous resolutions on matters where the town has no authority. The Board unanimously approved the resolution. In subsequent public comments, Elizabeth DiPalma, who originated the initial resolution, expressed gratitude to the board for its decision. She emphasized that "due process is the foundation of our legal system" and serves to protect all residents of the United States.
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