Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. has scheduled a town-hall style Q&A about health insurance reform for Tuesday, August 25 in Red Bank.

But Pallone, a Long Branch Democrat who chairs a House subcommittee with responsibility for oversight of Medicare and other health-related matters, is facing pressure to find a larger venue than the council chambers at borough hall for the meeting.

Red Bank resident Krishna Tyler, on behalf of the vacationing GOP council candidate Kim Senkeleski, is circulating an email calling on recipients to contact Pallone’s office to ask for a change of locale.
Borough hall is “not able to accommodate” the residents of Red Bank, Little Silver, Shrewsbury and other nearby towns who will want to attend, Tyler says.

She says schools Superintendent Laura Morana has OK’d the use of the middle school auditorium for the session.

According to the Asbury Park Press, Pallone claims it’s too late to find a bigger venue for the potential crowd that could show up.

From the Press:

“We can’t switch now. Notices have already gone out (to constituents) and there is no way to notify them again,” Pallone said Friday after a press conference. “What will happen is people will get confused.”

Notices were sent to constituents by third-class mail, and the 11-day period between Friday and Aug. 25 isn’t enough time for a second round of third-class mailings to reach people, he said. Pallone estimated a renotification could take three weeks.

“If I switched (locations), it would have to be held a month later,” Pallone said.
“We’ll stay until everyone’s heard, but it’s not possible to switch it.”

The event is scheduled to run from 7 to 9p.