RED BANK: BOROUGH IN SHUTDOWN MODE

Public employees will continue working, but borough hall and other facilities will be closed to the public. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

Public access to Red Bank’s borough government buildings will be halted starting Monday to help mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

In an announcement posted on the borough website Friday afternoon, the administration said all public employees will continue to work, serving the public by email. telephone and mail.

While the shutdown impacts public meetings and the municipal court, it does not alter regularly scheduled trash and recycling pickups, which are handled by a private contractor, or the operation of the recycling center, said Business Administrator Ziad Shehady.

Here’s the full announcement:

Effective Monday, March 16, 2020, Borough of Red Bank municipal offices will be closed to the public until further notice.  These proactive, preventative measures are being taken as part of a coordinated response to the continued outbreak and to aggressively mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus. All municipal employees will continue to report to work and will serve the public by telephone, e-mail, regular mail or fax.

Visit the municipal website at www.redbanknj.org for contact information for various municipal offices and employees as well as online services.

• • Payments for bills, fees, fines, etc. can be dropped off in the designated drop box at the Police Station.
  • Vital statistics certified copies can be ordered online or through the mail.
  • Municipal court session scheduled for March 19, 2020 is cancelled.  New notices will be mailed out.  Defendants can call to request a new date.  Payments can be made online.  Records disposition form can be found online and requested by email or fax.  Any civilian complaints that need to be made can be processed at the Police Department.
  • Boards and Committee meetings scheduled for the week of March 16, 2020 are cancelled.
  • Water and sewer construction payments may be arranged by calling the Department of Public Utilities.
  • Red Bank Department of Parks and Recreation indoor and outdoor organized activities, events, and sports programs are suspended.
  • The Red Bank Senior Citizen office has suspended meetings and gatherings at Trinity Episcopal Church.  Senior Citizens in need of assistance and transportation may call 732-747-5204 to schedule an appointment.
  • For more information about the status of the Red Bank Public Library, please call 732-842-0690 or visit www.redbanklibrary.org

It is incumbent upon all of us to aggressively mitigate the potential for exposure and further spread.  We apologize for any inconvenience but the safety of our employees and the public is our main concern.  We appreciate your advance cooperation and understanding during this difficult time.

As part of the state’s coordinated response to address the novel coronavirus outbreak, Governor Phil Murphy declared a State of Emergency and a Public Health Emergency, effective March 9, 2020 to ramp up New Jersey’s efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.  The Borough of Red Bank Mayor & Council, Administration, Office of Emergency Management, Police Department and Fire Department are monitoring the developing situation involving presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in Monmouth County. As of March 13, 2020, the Borough of Red Bank is not aware of any presumptive or confirmed positive cases of the COVID-19 virus in Red Bank.  According to the State of New Jersey Department of Health, there are 5 presumptive positive cases in Monmouth County.  For more information, visit the New Jersey COVID-19 Dashboard at https://www.state.nj.us/health/cd/topics/covid2019_dashboard.shtml

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the respiratory illness caused by a new virus that first emerged in December 2019.  The NJ Department of Health (NJDOH) is leading the state’s response to COVID-19 and is working closely with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For up-to-date information and recommendations, please visit the NJDOH coronavirus webpage (https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/ncov.shtml) and the CDC coronavirus webpage (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html).