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RED BANK: RUMAGE NAMED SUPER OF THE YEAR

Superintendent Jared Rumage, second from left, with board members. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

Press release by the Red Bank Borough Public Schools Board of Education

The Red Bank Borough Public Schools Board of Education is proud to announce that Dr. Jared J. Rumage, Superintendent of Schools, has been selected as the 2023 Monmouth County Superintendent of the Year.

Annually, superintendents from each of the nearly 60 school districts in Monmouth County nominate a superintendent who embodies the spirit of district leadership. This year, Dr. Rumage was recognized with this distinction by his colleagues during the monthly Monmouth County Superintendents’ Roundtable on Friday, March 24, 2023.

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May 30, 2023 - 6:00 am |

RED BANK: TAX INCREASE HELD TO ONE PERCENT

Parking revenue has been strong since the pandemic and an increase in enforcement hours, officials said. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

red bank taxesLocal taxes on the typical Red Bank home will increase by one percent this year, officials said at a walk-thru of the 2023 municipal budget Thursday night.

That’s about $25 for the owner of a home assessed at the new townwide average of $505,244, Chief Financial Officer Thomas Seaman said at the one-hour forum, held in the council chamber at borough hall.

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May 5, 2023 - 3:45 am |

RED BANK: BUDGET WALK-THRU SLATED

red bank taxes

Red Bank officials are scheduled to hold an informal walk-thru of the 2023 municipal budget Thursday night.

The $25.911 million spending plan calls for $14.47 million to be raised by taxes, Chief Financial Officer Thomas Seaman told the borough council last week.

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May 4, 2023 - 8:20 am |

RED BANK: WATER LINES, CANNABIS ON AGENDA

A map used in a February presentation indicated that 366 properties were known to be served by lead water supply lines, with most others “unknown.” (Image by ENGenuity. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank njAt its final meeting before a history-making election, the Red Bank council will take up a big cost increase for removing lead water service lines.

Also on deck: adoption of a cannabis zoning law that the planning board said does not comply with the town’s Master Plan.

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April 25, 2023 - 8:05 am |

RED BANK: POT, BUDGET & MORE ON AGENDA

Responding to public pressure, the council plans to create a four-way stop at the intersection of Leighton Avenue and Drs. James Parker Boulevard. (Google Maps image. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank njOn the Red Bank mayor and council’s agenda for Wednesday night: new hurdles for licensing of cannabis businesses; the 2023 budget; a new four-way traffic intersection and more.

 

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April 11, 2023 - 8:09 am |

RED BANK: SIX-MONTH BROADWALK ON HOLD

RiverCenter’s proposal includes plans to boost weekday activity in the Broadwalk zone. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topicA six-month season for Red Bank’s Broadwalk dining plaza would feature enhanced efforts to boost weekday visitors and battle litter, a business representative told the borough council Wednesday night.

The council, however, withheld an immediate decision on the request.

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March 9, 2023 - 8:50 am |

RED BANK: ZIPPRICH WON’T SEEK NEW TERM

Councilman Ed Zipprich, right, with Councilman Michael Ballard in December. (Photos by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank njFive-term incumbent Red Bank Councilmember Ed Zipprich won’t run for a seat in the new form of government he opposed, according to a news report.

In recent years, Zipprich has been a lightning rod for controversy as the the Democratic party, which dominates borough politics, split into warring tribes under his leadership.

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February 21, 2023 - 7:20 am |

RED BANK: GENDER NEUTRALITY ON AGENDA

The borough will provide employee training “to facilitate greater understanding of genderneutral options in communications,” according to a resolution.  (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank njAn effort to infuse gender-neutral language into the workings of Red Bank government is on the council agenda Wednesday night.

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February 8, 2023 - 6:45 am |

RED BANK: BYLAWS TO GET COUNCIL REVIEW

Councilmembers Michael Ballard, center, John Jackson, left, and Ed Zipprich at the January 4 reorganization session. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank njA controversial set of bylaws that were rushed into adoption will get a review by Red Bank’s council later this month, members of its majority bloc said last week.

At the council’s first session following adoption of the bylaws, Council President Michael Ballard acknowledged that the governing body had already done a “horrible job” sticking to its own rules.

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January 17, 2023 - 7:45 am |

RED BANK: DPU HEAD OUSTED

Cliff Keen on Broad Street last June. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank njAt its first working session of 2023, the Red Bank council fired public utilities director Cliff Keen Wednesday night.

Unmentioned at the meeting: he was replaced on an interim basis, at a cost of $16,500 per month, by Gary Watson Sr., whom Keen succeeded in 2016.

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January 12, 2023 - 7:30 am |

RED BANK: ZIPPRICH BLOC SETS NEW BYLAWS

Councilmen John Jackson, Michael Ballard and Ed Zipprich at Wednesday’s reorganization session. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank njRed Bank’s council majority adopted a new set of bylaws Wednesday night that would give it broad power to block resolutions from even making it to the dais.

In the process, allies of Councilman Ed Zipprich rejected a request by new Mayor Billy Portman that the measure – which no one from the public or media saw in advance – be tabled.

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January 5, 2023 - 10:15 am |

RED BANK: THIRD TIME AS CHIEF FOR HARTMAN

Wayne Hartman at the start of his last stint as fire chief in 2019. (Photos by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

Just three years after he concluded his last term, Wayne Hartman is slated to return as chief of the Red Bank’s fire department next week.

This will be his third time heading the all-volunteer department.

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December 30, 2022 - 7:57 am |

RED BANK: EX-COP TO BECOME SCHOOL SRO

Joey Fields at a ceremony marking his promotion to police sergeant in 2014. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topicA retired Red Bank police officer who’s a product of borough schools will be returning to work as a school resource officer, following action by the council last week.

In other RBPD news, the ranks of retired officers is slated to grow by two.

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December 19, 2022 - 2:00 pm |

RED BANK: ADMINISTRATOR HIRING PAUSED

Interim Business Administrator Darren McConnell at a meeting in June. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank njRed Bank’s council has hit the brakes in its search for a new borough administrator, redbankgreen has learned.

The unexplained pause comes two months after majority Democrats dispatched borough Attorney Dan Antonelli to negotiate a deal with the leading candidate for the town’s top unelected job.

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December 9, 2022 - 7:00 am |

RED BANK: PENNEY CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION

Jonathan Maciel Penney addressing the council Wednesday night. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank njA Republican candidate for Red Bank council called for an investigation Wednesday into the abrupt firing of the borough attorney in July.

 

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October 27, 2022 - 7:57 am |

RED BANK: BOLLARDS, AND BARRELS, VANISH

Red Bank borough workers lowered safety bollards into their subsurface silos and reopened upper Broad Street to vehicular traffic Monday morning.

Marking the end of the abbreviated third season of Broadwalk, they also carted off the orange-and-white safety barrels used in conjunction with the bollards to keep vehicles away from the outdoor dining plaza.

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October 3, 2022 - 12:45 pm |

RED BANK: BROADWALK ENDS SHORT RUN

The abbreviated third season of Broadwalk, Red Bank’s outdoor dining plaza on upper Broad Street, is scheduled to end Sunday night, with a reopening to vehicular traffic Monday. 

Created by the borough council in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and renewed in 2021, Broadwalk didn’t get a green light for this year until late July, delayed by a streetscape project. Then it was allowed to continue another month past its original termination of Labor Day, meaning the new vehicle-blocking retractable bollards (seen at right) vehicles would remain up.

Though the council has not yet determined the future of the economic experiment, Bob Zuckerman, executive director of the downtown promotion agency Red Bank RiverCenter, said he’s “hopeful” the endeavor will return in the spring of 2023.

Meantime, here’s some info on the season-ending activities. While Friday night’s weather appears conducive to a final raising of wine glasses, the rest of the weekend could be a bit chancy. Here’s the outlook:

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September 30, 2022 - 6:50 am |

RED BANK: TWO NEWSLETTERS LAUNCHED

A screen grab from the first edition of the borough’s new newsletter. (Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

With the recent launch of newsletters, Red Bank residents have two additional ways to keep abreast of civic events and downtown goings-on.

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September 26, 2022 - 7:49 am |

RED BANK: FOR 1,261, IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL

Teachers and staff welcomed students to the Red Bank Middle School with a clap-in on the first day of the 2022-2023 school year. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Red Bank Superintendent Jared Rumage is not a fan of summer.

“I hate empty school buildings,” he said outside the middle school Tuesday, as the two-school district welcomed 1,261 students for a new academic year. “They should be like this, filled with kids.”

In an email exchange with redbankgreen last week, Rumage, now in his 10th year at the district’s helm, provided an overview of some key issues.

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September 7, 2022 - 6:00 am |

RED BANK: BROADWALK GETS ANOTHER MONTH

With the extension, Broadwalk is now scheduled to continue through October 2. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank njRed Bank’s council unanimously approved a one-month extension of the Broadwalk plaza Thursday night. But at least three of its members weren’t happy about it.

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August 19, 2022 - 7:55 am |

RED BANK: JOBS, BROADWALK ON AGENDA

A one-month extension for Broadwalk, now scheduled to end Labor Day, is up for council discussion. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

Correction: The council workshop and regular sessions are slated for Thursday, not Wednesday as originally reported here.

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank njFor its only public sessions of August, the Red Bank council will meet virtually Thursday night.

Among the business on the workshop and regular agendas: filling the posts of borough attorney and tax assessor; extending the Broadwalk dining plaza by a month; authorizing searches for a “strategic municipal planner” and a “municipal vision planner;” and greenlighting a “porchfest” event.

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August 17, 2022 - 7:48 am |

RED BANK: SCHOOL COPS ON HOLD

Councilman Michael Ballard, seen here at a June 29 forum, cited . (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topic red bank njThe Red Bank council tabled a plan to put armed police in the borough’s primary and middle schools Wednesday night.

The council’s second session of the month ended with quarreling among members over a requested change to the meeting schedule.

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July 28, 2022 - 7:55 am |

RED BANK: SCHOOL COPS ON AGENDA

RED BANK MIDDLE SCHOOLThe middle school, above, and primary school would each have a school resource officer onsite when in session, said Chief Darren McConnell. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Action that would put a police officer in Red Bank’s primary and middle schools is up for approval by the borough council Wednesday night.

Here ‘s the agenda at a glance:

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July 27, 2022 - 7:50 am |

RED BANK: ZIPPRICH LEADS ATTORNEY FIRING

Attorney Greg Cannon at borough hall last November. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot topicIt was another night of political fireworks, this time punctuated by Cannon fire, as the Red Bank council terminated borough attorney Greg Cannon without explanation Wednesday night.

The abrupt action created a vacancy Mayor Pasquale Menna angrily refused to fill when Councilman Ed Zipprich nominated a lawyer who recently “exonerated” him of impropriety.

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July 14, 2022 - 7:59 am |

RED BANK: BUDGET INTRO ON AGENDA

The mayor and council meet at borough hall for their first in-person session in 26 months Wednesday night. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

A budget for 2022 is on the agenda when the Red Bank mayor and council hold their first in-person meeting since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic Wednesday night.

The session is also the first to simultaneously employ technology allowing participation from home.

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May 25, 2022 - 7:55 am |
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