The council will hold its final session of 2018 Wednesday night. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
By JOHN T. WARD
Red Bank’s political plates begin shifting once again Wednesday night, the last council meeting for the governing body’s only two Republicans.
When the council convenes again at 3 p.m. on January 1 for its annual reorganization meeting, Democrats will be in control of all six council seats, as well as the mayoralty.
Mayor Pasquale Menna, who served 18 years as a councilman before he was elected mayor in 2006, is scheduled to begin his fourth four-year term after handily defeating Republican challenger Pearl Lee in November’s election.
Democratic activists Kate Triggiano and Hazim Yassin are scheduled to be sworn in as council members, replacing Republicans Mike Whelan and Mark Taylor, who both chose not to seek second terms.
Meantime, for its final session of 2018, the council is slated to hold final votes on:
• a revised rdevelopment plan for the former Visiting Nurse Association headquarters at 176 Riverside Avenue, changes that would allow site owner Saxum Real Estate to seek approval for as many as 80 units per acre on the 2.7-acre lot, and to earn additional “density bonuses.”
• a resolution approving a new four-year contract with borough police covered by the collective bargaining agreement with PBA Local 39, the details of which have not yet been disclosed.
• an amended sign ordinance, which trims the regulations from 30 pages “to approximately 19 pages.”
• the award of a new grant-writing contract, the details of which also were not available Tuesday morning.
Here’s the full agenda. The council meets at 6:30 p.m. at borough hall, 90 Monmouth Street.
