Two meetings per month at 6:30p would replace one at 5:30 and another at 7:30.
Once again, it’s time for the time issue.
Red Bank’s governing body is set to change the start times of its bimonthly meetings for the second time in five years. Only this time around, the one-party borough council finds itself in unanimous agreement on the proposal.
At the August 24 meeting, Councilwoman Kathy Horgan asked that the regular 5:30p start time of one meeting, held on the second Monday of the month, be pushed back to enable her time to get to to it from her job in midtown Manhattan.
That led to discussion of also changing the start of the second monthly session, held at 7:30 on the fourth Monday of each month.
With little discussion and no resistance, the all-Democrat council informally agreed to have both sessions start at 6:30p. Members Sharon Lee, Juanita Lewis and Ed Zipprich spoke in favor of the change.
“It doesn’t bother me,” said Councilman Art Murphy. “I’ve got bigger fish to fry.”
That’s in marked contrast to the effort required in 2004 by then-Councilman John Curley, who conducted one of his famous door-to-door campaigns to force a change from two 5:30 starts to one at 7:30.
His Republican predecessor, Jennifer Beck, had also sought schedule changes. Both times, opponents of change said it made no difference in the number of residents attending no matter what time the meetings were held.
In recent decades, meetings have started as early as 5p in summer and as late as 8p, said Mayor Pasquale Menna.
An ordinance effecting the change is expected to be introduced at a special meeting next Tuesday, September 8, at 6:30p.
The regular session scheduled for September 14 has been canceled.
