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RED BANK: JANNONE Q&A

laura-jannone-020623-500x375-6459576On the ballot May 9: Red Bank council candidate Laura Jannone. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

election-2023_qa-220x189-1779922Red Bank voters will have 13 candidates to choose from when they elect six council members May 9.

Here’s what candidate Laura Jannone said in response to a questionnaire sent to all by redbankgreen.

Name and age: Laura Jannone 68

Street address: 105 East Bergen Pl

Where did you grow up? Kearny NJ I did live in Bloomington Indiana for 2 years (5th & 6th grade) when my father was transferred there with Otis Elevator but we came back to Kearny.

Where did you go to high school? Kearny High School

If you hold college or graduate degrees, where did you earn them, and in what areas of study?

Christ Hospital School of Nursing Jersey City RN 1976
Bachelors Science of Nursing Jersey City State College 1981
School Nurse Certificate Jersey City State College 1995
Masters in Community Health 1999 New Jersey City University
Doctorate Nursing Education Teachers College, Columbia University 2006
Masters in Nursing education 2008, Monmouth University

Have you served in the military? If so, which branch and when? No

How long have you been a resident of Red Bank? 23 years

Do you own your home? Yes

What do you do for a living, and who is your employer?

Currently Adjunct Associate Professor of Nursing School of Professional Studies, City University New York (CUNY) I teach totally on-line

Visiting Nursing of Central Jersey Home Group when needed to help at vaccine clinics

Retired Associate Professor of Nursing & Health Studies Monmouth University retired 2021. While in that role I coordinated the School Nurse Program, Served as Director of the Masters in Nursing Program for 10 years and was Chair of Nursing for one year.

What, if anything, about your work makes you particularly suited to serve as an elected official?

Besides my leadership roles in Academia I was a Head nurse in ICU-CCU before I became a school nurse.

Leadership Roles I am currently Standard & Practice Chair NJ State School Nurses Association (NJSSNA)

Executive Board of Monmouth County School Nurses Association currently Legislative Chair

I served on the Planned Parenthood of Central Jersey Board for 2 terms

I have had many Leadership roles in Academia and served on many committees in Academia such as Faculty Council, curriculum planning and accreditation committees.

Please tell us about your community involvement efforts, if any.

Greater Red Bank Women’s Initiative, Voting Committee

COVID Outreach Manager VNA of Central Jersey January 2023-August 2023 In this role I set up testing and vaccine clinics throughout Monmouth County including several in Red Bank.

Your party affiliation, if any: Democrat

Is party affiliation important to you? What does it mean to you to be a member of your party?

I believe in Democratic values. I like to attend events to hear from new candidates who are running assembly/ senate etc.

Why are you running for office?

I supported the Charter’s Study Commission Recommendation for a non-partisan government. I believe since I have been a nurse since 1976 that I have good listening skills and will listen to residents. Because of my leadership and committee roles I have the skills to serve on the council especially in the areas of public health and public safety.

What are the most pressing issues facing the town, and what specific initiatives can voters expect from you if you are elected?

First the council will have to hire a Qualified Borough Administrator who is educated and has experience in local government who will be in charge of the daily operations of the borough.

The town will have to transition to the council manager form of government.

We also have to address the borough facilities.

We also have to start assessing borough functions.

Do you expect the change to a council-manager form of government starting July 1 to improve the governance of Red Bank over the existing borough form? Please explain.

Yes, I think having a qualified Borough Administrator to oversee the various departments and daily operations is important. Also I think having fewer elections and longer terms lets the council and Mayor get more things done during their tenure.

Do you believe the council meetings in recent years have been unnecessarily acrimonious? Yes If so, what specifically should residents expect from you to address the situation?

Having worked in academia for 21 years I have served on the Faculty Council and various other committees. I am accustomed to working in a group. I also have served and continue to serve on Executive Boards. I think I can work with the council and mayor as a team so that we can get things done. I also think having this council-manager form of government may help in this area.

What qualities will you prioritize in selecting a borough administrator?

The borough administrator should be educated and certified and also have experience in local government. I also think they should have strong leadership skills.

Is Red Bank doing all it can to keep the municipal portion of the tax rate in check? If not, what should be done that is not being done?

I am not really sure because I do not have access to this information. If I am elected I will be sure to look into this.

Can Red Bank afford and manage to simultaneously take on the rehabilitation of the municipal public works yard and borough hall; the contamination cleanup at the former landfill; and the redesign of Marine Park?

Yes, I believe so. There is money for the cleanup of the landfill from the DEP as stated by members of the current council. I hope we can write grants and find other ways to pay for these projects, perhaps long term bonds, grants and even look into public and private partnerships.

Who should have the lead role in guiding large-scale capital projects?

The Borough Administer should have the lead role with oversight by the Council and Mayor. As I mentioned before perhaps parks can be financed with grants or other separate financing. Perhaps buildings can be funded with grants and very long term bonds (30 +years) that hopefully will result in lower payments given the buildings will last 50-60 years. If elected as a Council member I believe we have to explore all options.

Do you support the Kimley-Horn proposal for redesigning Marine Park, including the relocation of the parking lot to the former site of tennis courts?

Yes, because where the tennis courts are currently located they flood (we saw this with Super Storm Sandy) so that area would be better suited for parking.

Should the former landfill at the western end of Sunset Avenue be redeveloped as a park?

No, I think we should listen to the residents of that area. Clean up and cap off that area and let the residents decide what they want in that area, perhaps by having a referendum.

Is the borough doing enough to encourage and safeguard walking and biking? What additional measures, if any, do you think are needed?

I would like to see more bike lanes and Complete Streets as outlined in the Master Plan and advocated by my running mates Nancy Facey Blackwood and Kristina Bonatakis. I think the Council should support and incentivize bike and transit use as described in the Master Plan.

Should Broadwalk be an annually recurring feature?

Yes Should any changes be implemented? Perhaps more clean up of the area trying to assess what worked and didn’t work every year and implementing changes to make it better every year.

Do you support the effort to revise the 2021 cannabis zoning ordinance? Why or why not?

No, I support the previous cannabis ordinance. I think this one is too strict and puts all cannabis business in one area of the borough namely the West Side of the borough.

I also agree with the Planning Board that it is in violation of the Master Plan where it states supporting small and emerging businesses. I think there is a potential benefit to our town and residents from the cannabis tax revenue.

Do you support the short-term rental ordinance adopted by the council in February? Why or why not?

No, I support owner operated short- term rentals. I think some people use the money they earn renting out rooms to help pay their bills. I believe because they live there they can assure that there is no disruption to the neighbors.

Should the council rank the recommendations of the new Master Plan for action? If so, which recommendations would you put at the top of the list?

Yes Council sets policy, legislation and direction for the borough.

  1. Provide a diverse range of housing options across income, household size, and age groups.
  2. Collaborate with the Red Bank School District to plan for future space needs.
  3. Because of my background, I promote actions to support public health. I believe public safety is a part of public health. There should be collaborations between municipal, nonprofit and private organizations to support public health.
  4. Strengthen connections among the downtown core, Shrewsbury Avenue, and train station area, while preserving each as a distinct place.

Do you favor a transit village designation for the area around the train station, as recommended in the 2023 Master Plan? Why or why not?

Yes. I think it cuts down on car use and makes people walk more, which is good for their health. Because we have a train station where people can commute to work or go to Newark/New York City for pleasure, this makes us a perfect town for a Transit Village. I commuted six years to NYC in the evening to study for my doctorate degree while working full time at Monmouth University. I was happy to live in Red Bank where it was an easy commute. I did a lot of my work while on the train.

What if anything should Red Bank’s government do to create opportunities for new, affordable housing?

I think we can do this with Public /private partnerships with builders.

We also have limited land space available so we must work with space we have.

Are there any reasons for Red Bank residents to be concerned about Tim Hogan serving as mayor in light of his role as president and chief executive officer of Riverview Medical Center? Why or why not?

Yes, I feel there is a conflict of interest with Tim Hogan being the CEO of Riverview while also being Mayor. He will have to recuse himself from anything that has to do with the hospital, which he himself has mentioned. Since the Mayor in our new form of government has a full vote I think this will be a problem.

Are there any reasons for Red Bank residents to be concerned about Billy Portman serving as mayor? No Why or why not?

Although Billy is a private contractor he has stated he will not take on any projects in Red Bank.

Please add anything you’d like here:

*****

ELECTION NOTES

• Find the Red Bank sample ballot here.

• Early, in-person voting will be available at borough hall (90 Monmouth Street) from Friday, May 5, through Sunday, May 7. The hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. No other polling stations will be open for early, in-person voting.

• In-person, election day voting will take place at the polling stations shown below. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Note that in-person, election day voting for residents of the 1st and 8th districts will take place at borough hall (90 Monmouth Street).

red-bank-voting-district-map-2021-500x320-6021294

• Finally, here’s a video on using Monmouth County’s digital voting machines, which employ touchscreen technology familiar to users of smartphones and tablets:

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