Municipal Meeting Minutes- All in Favor …
There is nothing in the law that says an official of any board or governing body must be present at a meeting in order to vote for approval of the minutes of that meeting, Harbor Commission attorney Gregory Cannon said at this month’s meeting of the Commission.
“Voting to approve the minutes is not as a witness to the meeting,” the attorney said, “it is a vote to accept it as an accurate record of the meeting.” He added that Roberts Rules of Order do not require that an official be present at a meeting to vote to accept the minutes of that meeting, and indicated there is no state law on the issue.
The affirmative vote is not a vote as a witness that it happened, it is a vote that the minutes are accepted by the body as an accurate record” the attorney explained.
The question came up at the April Commission meeting when Mark Fisher, a local resident and frequent presence at municipal meetings of several boards, pointed out that both last year and this year, at different meetings, a member of council or the commission voted to approve minutes although they were not in attendance. In one case this year, the council-member voted to approve the minutes of the regular meeting but abstained from voting on the minutes of the executive meeting that same night, neither of which she had attended. Another council member who did not attend the meeting abstained. Cannon explained these are personal choices and not governed by any law that prohibits a vote to approve the minutes.
Fisher pointed out that in one case, it was the minutes that were actually in error as well, saying a member was present when she was not. That, Cannon said, would be different and he agreed to look into that
In other business at the meeting, Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club Commodore Joseph Patsco expressed his personal thanks and that of the Yacht Club for the swift and efficient response to the small kitchen fire at the Club last month. The swift action of both the fire department and Harbor personnel along with their cooperative efforts prevented a serious accident and enabled the Yacht Club to repair any damages and get back to normal operations within 24 hours. Commissioner Chairman Thomas Wall thanked Patsco and expressed the commissioner thanks for the cooperative efforts of the Yacht Club staff and members so the incident was handled with the cooperative attention the Yacht Club always has shown with the Harbor.
The Commission also noted the Yacht Club is hosting its 20th annual MS Race on Saturday, August 17, Tom Caiazza, on behalf of the Sandy Hook Little League was approved for use of the Senior building to offer a Rutgers safety course for coaches last month, and Betty VanDeventer on behalf of the Atlantic Highlands Historical Society received permission to use the Senior Center and surrounding parking lot on Sept. 14 for the Society’s annual outdoor Flea Market fundraiser. Rain date for the Sept. 14 event would be Saturday, Sept. 21.
The commission went into executive session to continue discussion on its litigation against Kappa Construction Co. the firm that built the Sea Tow Building several years ago which was approved for use by its tenants by the Harbor Commission.
