Copies of the Borough Manager’s End of Year Report were on hand for the meeting. (Photo by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge.)
By BRIAN DONOHUE
There was a glossy new borough “manager’s report” fresh off the presses. A new contract to have social workers work with Red Bank Police officers. And a discussion about a hot topic in town: a possible tax abatement for a redevelopment of the train station area.
It was all part of the night’s offerings at the meeting of the Borough Council last week. redbankgreen has your better-late-than-never rundown of the people’s business.
Mayor Billy Portman honored members of the St. James Royals 11u football team, which won the New Jersey Pop Warner champtionships and reached the East Region final in the teams’ first year in existence. (photo by Brian Donohue)
As borough planners prepare to present a redevelopment plan to the planning board for the train station area, the issue of a potential tax abatement for the developer continues to rumble in the background. Several council members used their allotted time to discuss the issue.
Councilman Ben Forest reiterated his support for the idea of making sure local schools share in the revenues raised by the developer’s payments under an Payment In Lieu of Taxes ordinance that might be approved.
That issue came to the forefront last month when the Red Bank Regional High School Board of Education passed a resolution asking for a cut of revenue from any PILOT agreement – a move that would make Red Bank almost entirely unique among the scores of NJ towns that have used the incentive program to spur development.
RBR BOARD TO RED BANK: DON’T STIFF SCHOOL ON TRAIN STATION PILOT MONEY
Deputy Mayor Kate Triggiano stressed that there is currently no PILOT ordinance before the council and might not be for some time.
But she touted the effectiveness of using tax incentives to boost non-profits and spur the creation of affordable housing – one of the borough’s key goals in the train station plan.
NJ Transit, which selected Denholtz to develop the parking lots and other properties around the station, says the 13-acre development would set aside 20 percent of its housing units as affordable housing. But the borough can negotiate with the developer over that figure as part of the redevelopment plan approval process, with a PILOT used as an incentive.
“There is no current conversation right now about a PILOT but I will reiterate again that PILOTs in Red Bank historically have been used to enable nonprofits to exist and thrive, for affordable housing to exist and thrive in our borough, and to create equal ground and equal space to be a welcoming and inclusive community,” she said. “That is how that tool has been used in Red Bank and that is how we intend to continue to use that tool. There is no intent by this council to misuse that tool.”
Forest put that notion more bluntly, saying if the town doesn’t find a way to create more affordable housing, “we’re going to become a ghetto for the rich.”
In other business the council:
- Voted unanimously to approve a resolution renewing a contract with P.U.L.S.S.E. (Proactive Union of Law Enforcement and Social Service Experts) of Jackson Township to provide social worker services to assist police with low-level offenders with emotional or mental health issues. The contract is for a maximum of $62,250 and marks the extension of a one-year-pilot program. The previous contract expired in August and the new contract extends the agreement to September.
- Voted for final passage of an ordinance reducing by 50 percent the sewer connection fee rates for non-profit developers of affordable housing. The normal fee for a single family residence is $3,246.
- Introduced a resolution selling 8.4 million in bond anticipation notes to fund capital projects. The sum includes $6.1 million in general improvement notes and 2.3 million in water sewer notes.
- Voted to introduce an ordinance allowing the borough to exceed the 2.5 percent limit on budget increases to boost it to 3.5 percent The resulting extra $727,839 raised can be set aside as a “cap bank,” a common budget maneuver that allows towns to use the money over next two years.
- Received the first “Borough Manger’s End of Year Report” issued by Borough Manager Jim Gant. 2024 was both Gant’s first full year on the job and the borough’s first full year under the nonpartisan Council/Manager form of government. The 16-page glossy printed report (also available in a digital version) includes a summary of the year’s highlights for every borough department, from a reduction in crime to numerous grants received. It also contains, about 11 photos of Gant, by our count. At the end of the meeting the borough council went behind closed doors and entered into executive session for Gant’s annual performance review, according to borough attorney Greg Cannon.
Have a news tip or story idea? redbankgreen editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331. Do you value the news coverage provided by redbankgreen? Please become a financial supporter if you haven’t already. Click here to set your own level of monthly or annual contribution.
