Borough officials say streets with one-side-only parking, including Spring Street, above, will allow parking on the other side during street sweeping.  (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

After a number of complaints were raised, a proposed alternate-side parking ordinance for Red Bank will be revised to make the system monthly rather than weekly.

The borough council arrived at a consensus on the change at its workshop meeting Wednesday night. The decision followed “concerns” raised by residents, officials said.

The ordinance, introduced last month and later tabled for minor revisions, would have required that cars be removed from one side of the street between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. according to a specified weekly chedule.

Borough officials have previously argued that the change would improve street-cleaning efforts.

Public works director Cliff Keen told the council that one of the most frequent complaints he’s heard in his three years working for the borough is that the streets aren’t swept enough, “and so the intention of this was to correct that problem.”

The proposed solution, though, has also raised concerns from residents, he said.

“I think it is still a very good idea,” he said, because it not only keeps streets looking good but helps prevent debris from accumulating in storm sewer catch basins, reducing the chances of roadway flooding.

“I think it’s impossible. We can’t do it,” said Mayor Pasquale Menna.

“It’s doable,” Keen responded. “The issue is that when you don’t sweep on a very regular schedule, we have problems with catch basins.” Clearing catch basins is far more labor-intensive, he said.

Still, the idea of monthly sweeps prevailed, and the new ordinance will be introduced at the council’s July 24 regular session, said Business Administrator Ziad Shehady. Because the latest changes are considered substantive, a new version will have to be crafted, officials said.

Shehady has previously said the ordinance won’t be enforced until an online sweeper tracker is up and running and has been publicized.