Violations are minor, but Councilman James Murphy urges everyone to take more care and follow the recycling, and trash disposal regulations.
The councilman reported at Thursday’s meeting of the Mayor and Council that residents can assist the Public Works Department simply by following the notices followed in the borough calendar for recycling procedures and dates for pickups.
While Public Works Director James Phillips agreed any violations are minor and generally seasonal, he urged residents to put out their recyclables only on the appointed days.
While residents who bring their recyclables to the borough yard themselves occasionally leave them on the ground instead of in the containers set up for receipt of recyclable items, the department is adding to signage to make it easier for residents to be aware of their locations.
“The vast majority of residents do a great job and we appreciate all that they do to comply. We have a great town,” both Murphy and Phillips agree. “The public participation is fantastic. It has been a priority of the mayor and Business Administrator Ferragina to beautify the town and we at the DPW are in full support to help with that effort,” Philips added.
Murphy praised the public works department and noted the number of compliments he receives frequently for their service and dedication to their work. “We are fortunate to have a great team in the department, and can take pride in the pride they themselves take in doing their job. ”
I really like all the members of the Atlantic Highlands Borough Council; they’re friendly, they’re nice, they give up so much of their time on volunteer projects that are so great for the borough and its residents. They work hard, go to every event possible and are swift and generally thorough in responding to my many questions. They even stay up until midnight for their meetings if necessary and are still patient with the 11th hour citizens still full of questions. They even, for the most part, are pretty good-natured when VeniVidiScripto criticizes them as elected officials and they seem to know it isn’t personal and I appreciate they seem to take it that way.
But lately … they have given me so many things to wonder about.
I was truly surprised when they approved the minutes of the meeting in which the famed cannabis ordinance was introduced for the first time, not included in what they were approving.
Nor could any of them give any good reason for it other than they simply overlooked it.
Understandable for mundane matters and depending solely on the incredibly efficient clerk they have. But on something as important as allowing marijuana sales in town?
They didn’t even remember they had introduced it, taken a vote on it and were going to have a public hearing on it? That is the obvious conclusion since it wasn’t in the minutes at all. That does make me wonder.
There were so many other ‘errors’ as well… they wanted to hold the public hearing before they got the comments from the planning board; finally got recommendations from the planning board they liked … but didn’t include them when they advertised for the second go around. Finally, they pulled the ordinance back at the last meeting only to start over again some time in the future. Which means… yes, another introduction and publication of the whole thing once again. None of it is really serious, though it costs the borough a few unnecessary bucks. But when you’re dealing with an ordinance that has brought out so many people with so many opinions, wouldn’t you think they’d be a bit more careful?
But far more serious than all of that is all this activity on the question of regionalization. At last week’s meeting, they all voted to call in a mediator. Great idea. Highlands and Atlantic Highlands are scuffling over the cost sharing arrangements, so perhaps a mediator is a good thing. But did they even ask Highlands if they wanted to do that? And if they did, wouldn’t it be nice to tell the folks the latest?
They voted unanimously to request a specific mediator and authorized their attorney to ask him. That’s the same attorney who has said more than once he’s a labor attorney….not a mediation, education, or finance attorney. They unanimously granted him authority to ask the county commissioner of education to be the mediator.
Now that brings up two more questions: Did they even ask Highlands if they had a recommendation for a mediator? For that matter, why would they ask the county education commissioner to mediate? Isn’t this mediation over money sharing? Seems the towns are agreed on the educational issues, it’s just the money they’re talking about. Why ask someone in education? Can’t the elected municipal officials who set the tax rate make decisions themselves?
For all the money the towns have spent on attorneys, why not spend a few bucks more and get an actual trained, certified mediator? In mediation, it’s not necessary to know the specific facts, it’s simply to get the two sides to come to a compromise that hurts both, helps both, and gets it done. Not sure a Commissioner of Education is adept at that. His interest is education, regardless of cost.
If they do go to mediation, and that would really be the smart thing to do, who establishes who will represent each town? Will it be the mayors? All the Council-members? Or just attorneys? Surely it would not be anyone connected with the boards of education or their superintendent…. This isn’t an education issue, it’s a tax issue. And that’s an issue for elected officials running towns to decide, not the folks running the schools.
The towns are so, so close, to getting this question to the people footing the bill. If it takes a mediator to get them to compromise, then do it. But keep the people informed.
Also seems there’s another issue that may well be coming up before all of this is resolved and everyone gets back to thinking of the education of the children and how their parents and everyone else in town are going to pay for the best they can get. Seems there might be a conflict of interest or two among a principal player or two, involved in the entire process, but that’s another story for another time.
Back in May, Mayor Broullon called a special meeting for this Wednesday evening at 6:30 at the Highlands Community Center and invited everyone to come in and talk about regionalization, ask questions, talk about the advantages or disadvantages…you know, have their say. Sounds like even at the first beginning of all this talk about letting the people decide that she wanted the question to get on the ballot and wanted the people to have their say. A heck of an idea!
Or now, might she have something more to say? Bound to be an interesting meeting
With his father, a former Asbury Park police officer holding the Bible, Leonardo resident Sean McDonald was sworn in as the 15th police officer on the Atlantic Highlands Police Department. Mayor Loretta Gluckstein administered the oath of office at the last council meeting and noted the borough is now at its full complement of officers.
Police Chief Scott Reinert welcomed the newest officer, and noted that McDonald exceeded the many who applied for the position and will be an asset to an already well respected and efficient department. The chief noted that because of the reputation for excellence the department has, there were many applicants at a time when other municipalities are not seeing the same number of outstanding choices.
McDonald, who assumed the position immediately and thanked department members for their assistance is a Keansburg native who grew up in Middletown and graduated from Middletown High School North. He has completed training as a Class A officer, earned a degree from Jersey City University and was employed by the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office.
A highly successful CPR training night sponsored by the local First Aid Squad has led to another community training event in November, Councilman Brian Boms announced at Thursday’s meeting of the Mayor and Council.
Since the squad responded to four CPR calls and four critical cardiac calls over the past eight weeks, Boms said, squad members agreed the public could be better served if more people had emergency training. They planned the course and offered it at no cost to those signing up. Thirty residents took advantage of the opportunity, Boms said. He also noted those who successfully passed the class could receive the certification card for a small fee.
The November special course will be on Bleeding Control, the councilman continued, instructing in the proper use of a tourniquet.
“Not only is our first aid squad so generous with their time in answering emergency calls,” Boms said, “but offering these classes also extends the possibilities of saving a life when someone on scene knows what to do before EMS can get there.” He added that “in emergency situations, knowing how and where to stop the bleeding can often make be the difference between life and death.”
An additional advantage of offering the programs give some residents the incentive to recognize how they could be helpful and possibly sign up to be a squad member or future EMS/EMT. “Our squad is doing everything possible to build up membership and I think these classes are a great way to help,” Boms said, “I congratulate them for all they do for our residents, and I commend them for taking on these extra steps in addition to answering all emergency calls.”
In addition, members of the Squad completed a high level training class in Pre Hospital Trauma Life Support ( PHTLS ) and members are attending another high-level class in Active Shooter training ( TECC )Tactical Emergency Casualty Care. Other near term training for the squad is pediatric emergencies. Squad members will also be participating in the NJ State mandated refresher training three Saturdays in October. The refresher courses are in airway, medial and trauma specialties.
While it appeared until the 11th hour that Mayor Carolyn Broullon
would be unopposed in her bid for the mayoral position in the November
election, it would not be the first time a candidate ran unopposed. It happened at least once before, in the first election after Highlands was incorporated as a
borough in 1900.
Broullon had filed her petition for election to her second three year term as
mayor several weeks ago. There was little talk of anyone opposing her for the
post until Michael Warren, who had run for council in the last election, filed his
petition before deadline Tuesday seeking to unseat Broullon. The mayor also
served three years as a councilwoman prior to becoming Mayor.
Broullon’s first term as mayor came in a tightly contested election when she
unseated incumbent Mayor Rick O’Neill and won the seat by three votes after
the close vote was challenged.
In 1900, David Miller was a member and treasurer of the Democrats of
Middletown before the first election in Highlands. He competed in a primary in
October, 1900, with Charles T. Maison and won the primary with two votes to
Maison’s 1. Maison then ran for one of the four council seats and was again
defeated. In his third attempt to get on the ballot, Maison was successful in
beating W.S.Armstrong and Robert Savage for the post of collector.
The Democrat team was unopposed the following week when Highlands held its
first election.
Blame it on miscommunication, lack of communication, School Superintendent Dr. Tara Beams or lawyers but the regionalization of Highlands, Atlantic Highlands and Sea Bright schools which last week looked like it was heading to the people for a vote in November, appears to have fallen by the wayside.
That was the message at last night’s meeting of the Atlantic Highlands Council when council members were profuse in thanks and bowed to the schedule of its attorney assigned to the regionalization question, Matt Giacobbe.
The attorney, on ZOOM then reported on the latest event in the convoluted and often confusing proposal of creating one K-12 school district for better educational values and lower costs. Borough Administrator Rob Ferragina reiterated Giacobbe was on a tight schedule due to another commitment but could explain the situation and answer some questions within a limited time period.
Giacobbe said what was conveyed to him through a series of calls at all hours because other attorneys involved were out of state or out of country, that the attorney for Highlands regionalization project, Kerry Wright, had communicated to him that Mayor Carolyn Broullon wanted to bow out of the resolution that borough council had last week unanimously agreed to accept, namely that the boroughs would share equally in cost sharing funds. Although Giacobbe said Wright’s communication was in writing, he did not read it during the standing room only council meeting.
The attorney strongly recommended the boroughs and school boards involve a mediator to help resolve the issue and offered to contact the Monmouth County Superintendent to see if he could mediate the matter. Council agreed and authorized Giacobbe to make the contact and contact Highlands to keep that borough informed.
Councilman Steve Boracchia led some questioning on how the situation got to this point, and noted “it sounds like a problem,” asking “who’s talking to who?” It was also brought up that Wright appears to be in conflict of interest in any communication inasmuch as last year she had represented Atlantic Highlands as well as Highlands. Councilwoman Lori Hohenleitner cautioned that she hoped “we aren’t creating drama,” and added that neither side should be afraid to give a little.
Several council members said more than once all should get in one room and talk, or why not just talk, or why can’t the neighboring towns resolve the issue but also acknowledged they were acting in the best interest of their borough.
Council members praised Schools Superintendent Beams and in response to questions indicated she as the prime educator concerned with the issue speaks for the boards of education but did not say why none of the three boards of education or any of its members have been vocal as the councils have been in discussing regionalization.
Nor could anyone give an absolute response on whether this latest action means the regionalization question will not be on the November ballot. Close to midnight, when the question of whether the question can be on the November ballot came up again during the public portion of the meeting, Ferragina recommended the discussion end until the mediation recommendation could be enacted and a more definite response could be given.
Neither Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon nor Attorney Wright has yet responded to a request for comment.
Last night’s five hour long Atlantic Highlands Council meeting, in addition to being a record for its length and possibly diverse and numerous topics to be discussed, decided and delayed, also raised more questions on so many issues.
For instance, Councilman Jon Crowley abstained from voting on the regionalization question. So why all of a sudden should he be involved in any discussion?
Why should he be making any recommendations about anything to do with it, and for that matter, why should he continue to be seated at the council table during discussions?
At least when Councilman Brian Boms abstained on another issue, while he did not absent himself from the table, he did not get involved in any discussion.
Did the mayor and council simply let the people have their say on the cannabis issue because the meeting room was so crowded and they did not want to disappoint or anger folks on both sides of the issue?
And there were lots there on both sides to be sure. They had already announced they were withdrawing, not just tabling, but withdrawing the ordinance. So why waste time talking about it at all?
The people have been voicing their opinion on cannabis at earlier meetings, council knows how they feel, why not just work on whatever their new ordinance is going to be, hope they follow all the steps in the proper order, advertise it correctly, then let the people have their say at the public hearing?
And once they made it clear, though they had not announced it in advance, that any speaker wanting to be heard on ZOOM must put his camera on so he can be seen, it begs the question…
What happens to those who do not have a camera or are giving their opinions via a phone connection?
Will they be deprived of their right to speak?
Or does it mandate that as an equality issue, inasmuch as if they spoke at the meeting they would be seen, so why they not be seen on ZOOM?
Although announcing in advance they had intentions of voting to withdraw the cannabis ordinance, the Mayor and Council nonetheless listened to residents and out-of-towners in an approximately 90 minute long public hearing speaking both for and against having a distribution center in the borough.
In the end, the vote to withdraw the proposed ordinance before a scheduled public hearing was approved unanimously, and the idea put forth it will appear again at some time in the future with changes.
With a standing room crowd only and a heavy agenda that kept the council at the table in open meeting until a minute before midnight, including a half hour long executive session midway through the meeting, the governing body agreed that the state’s latest possible changes in regulation on cannabis, with a period for comment open until Sept. 30, is one reason why they agreed to table their ordinance last night.
Council members also conceded they had not included any recommendations made by the Planning Board when they were given the opportunity to read, review and comment after the proposed ordinance was introduced the first time in June and final action was delayed because of that failure to get board comments.
If it intends to continue to pursue an ordinance permitting cannabis, the governing body will now have to draw up a new ordinance forward it to the Planning Board for its recommendations and statement that it is in keeping with the borough’s Master Plan, wait for the planners to discus it at their meeting, then bring it back to council for an introduction, another newspaper advertisement and a public hearing and final action most likely at the meeting the following month. Conceivably, this would put any action on approval of cannabis off until after the Nov. 10 election.
With impassioned reasons both for and against the code brought up by a retired teacher, church leader, former on-line newspaper publisher, businessmen and out-of-towners aided by their use of cannabis, there were both loud moments of discussion and light-hearted moments, along with numerous comments on both sides of the issue bringing applause from the crowd.
The comment drawing the most laughter came when one advocate, after hearing comments on the availability of liquor stores in spite of alcohol causing problems commented that in his experience, “when somebody who drinks gets drunk, he generally gets into fights; when someone who spokes pot has too much, he generally starts a band.”
Another resident pointed out the decision should be made on simple basics, including “will this business be helpful to the town, to health and to the business district, or not?
Another resident from Leonardo said he has used marijuana for 25 years, is responsible, has a family and a job. “The stigma has to go away,” he told the council.
An Eatontown resident speaking on ZOOM, said if there’s room for a brewery in the borough, there’s certainly room for a small marijuana shop.
In addition to the overflowing crowd in borough hall, there were 29 people on ZOOM, three of whom spoke during the public session. And when it was all over, the vast majority left the meeting, the order of business for the rest of the meeting was somewhat modified to enable professionals to meet with council in executive session on other matters, and when the regular meeting resumed a half hour later, only a handful of residents remained to hear and see action on the rest of the agenda.
Actor writer Tom Lynskey will present the history of the SS Atlantic in a Sept. 21 presentation of the Atlantic Highlands Historical Society’s Speaker Series.
The program will be held at the Strauss Mansion Museum on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 7:30. p.m.
Lynskey will speak on the White Star Line ship that met disaster off the coast of Nova Scotia 40 years prior to the Titanic disaster of the same ship line.
An author, actor, archeologist and game producer, Lynskey is currently developing a series of video games focusing on history and vintage eras, most notably a project about the RMS Titanic titled “Titanic: Honor and Glory”.
The historian will bring artifacts from the last voyage of the Atlantic to the Strauss museum for his presentation and discussion of the event and artifacts.
There is no charge for the program, and all are invited to attend.
Care One at King James Administrator Jimmie King and resident John look over some of the numerous gifts residents, friends and relatives of residents at the Route 36 facility collected as one of several outgoing and generous projects the residents conduct throughout the year.
John was one of the residents who spearheaded this event, said Activities Director Karen Cohen, in appreciation for the kindness and warmth all visiting pets bring to residents at the Care Center.
Among the frequent canine visitors is Reese, who comes with Social Services Director Christian Ingegnere to visits the rooms of residents. Other employees also bring their pets for visits with residents, as do volunteers who come in with their own pets to bring joy and lower blood pressure to residents.
“All these pet food items are being delivered to Lunch Break in Red Bank and Open Door in Freehold,” Cohen said. “When our residents heard how Covid has seriously impacted some people financially and they either had to give up their pets or seek help from others in order to continue to afford to purchase pet food, they asked if they could donate and take up a collection so food can be delivered to places where others get food for themselves, so they could also get supplies for their pets.” The Director said the residents quickly joined the cause, asking friends and relatives, as well as making their own financial donations so the director could make purchases to be presented to the food banks.
