Police Break Up Point Beach Council Spat Amid Spending Squabble

POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ – A years-long disagreement between members of the Point Pleasant Beach borough council reached its boiling point during the latest meeting as a police officer broke up a physical confrontation between two officials.

What started as a discussion on a resolution for the approval of emergency funding for engineering costs quickly became heated as Councilman Bob Santanello and Mayor Paul Kanitra argued over whether or not the appropriation was needed.

Santanello, who has questioned the borough’s spending in the past, stated that he felt that the funding isn’t a waste of money. Kanitra responded by asking Borough Administrator Christine Riehl for clarification on the matter.

Before she finished her response, the two rivals began yelling at each other, then got out of their chairs and into each others’ faces, with Santanello shoulder-checking Kanitra in his chest.

“What kind of unhinged lunatic says they’re going to shove a gavel up someone’s a** in response to a mayor trying to restore order in the chambers? What kind of adult thinks it’s ok to shove somebody in a public meeting?," Kanitra told Patch. "He exploded because he couldn’t handle that we turned to the Borough Administrator, and she clarified how he’d voted for similar measures numerous times in the past with no objection from him. She also said we’re on incredibly sound financial footing and revenue is up. We once again disproved his crazy conspiracy theories, and he couldn’t handle it."

The skirmish was quickly broken up by a police officer who was in the room and the two sat down.

"I stood right there and he just came after me. I want to file something against him," Kanitra told the police officer.

"Go for it, you big five-year-old," Santanello responded.

While the meeting continued with some residual back-and-forth verbal sniping at one another, the resolution was eventually approved.

When asked about the emergency funding squabble, Kanitra told Patch the following:

“Instead of taking on projects for Point Pleasant Beach, volunteering and giving back to the community like the rest of the council has, Councilman Santanello simply looks to instigate new situations every week. He has been censured already this year for his antics. He has cursed at residents in the audience in previous meetings. He once again publicly cursed at and threatened me in this meeting before things even got to this point."

“The money we spent on engineering was partially to save the entire town from a $200-$300 increase in flood insurance costs from the previous administration’s negligence. Another large portion of it was spent in applying for a grant that brought us 1 million dollars to redo Channel Drive. Other portions were to revitalize downtown,” Kanitra added. “If anyone looks at the later parts of the video, they’ll see how it was all laid out, without any doubts whatsoever. As proof, Councilman Migut even spoke from the dais about how the facts and evidence changed his mind. Councilman Santanello has already announced he’s leaving town in a few months for good. That day can’t come soon enough.”

Santanello, however, offers a different perspective.

“We have way overspent on engineers,” Santanello said to Patch via phone, pointing out that the borough has spent over half a million dollars on engineering fees this year.

“The mayor didn’t like when I objected to the resolution, and I was shocked that he took such a menacing position.”

Santanello also questioned the legality of the vote taken at the meeting since Councilwoman Caryn Byrnes was not in attendance at the meeting in person but via phone since she wasn’t feeling well, according to Kanitra during the meeting.

Santanello said a section of the borough’s code states that participation in council meetings can only be done in person and not by telephone or any other electronic or audio device.

“They (the council) violated borough code,” Santanello said, adding that on the borough’s website, it states that all meetings can be watched on YouTube, but you can not participate in the meeting.

“I’m looking into going into Superior Count and looking for Byrnes’ vote to be overturned, or at the very least getting a revote,” Santanello said.

The meeting can be watched on the borough’s YouTube channel, with the incident starting around the one-hour, 27-minute mark.