A Look Ahead To 2024 Planned At Red Bank Reorganization Meeting

RED BANK, NJ — The Red Bank Borough Council will meet this Monday - Jan. 1 - for a reorganization meeting.

The meeting will be at 3 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 90 Monmouth St., according to the borough calendar.

Compared with last year, when a newly elected council and new form of government were inaugurated on July 1, this meeting will be "nothing fancy," Mayor Billy Portman said.

Rather, he will recap accomplishments of the past six months and "lay out some goals for 2024," he said.

One goal accomplished by the council - elected in the May 9, 2023 special election - was the hiring of a borough manager as part of the new Council/Manager form of government, approved by voters in the November 2022 election.

James Gant, 38, of Matawan was named manager Nov. 17 in a unanimous vote of the Borough Council. He most recently was the Sea Girt borough administrator.

"There is so much opportunity here," he said of the borough at the time. "I'm excited about what we can do."

Gant is replacing Interim Business Administrator and Police Chief Darren McConnell, who is planning to retire.

Reorganization meetings are also when professional and board appointments will be made.

Portman said that, looking ahead, the council is hoping to appoint Historic Preservation Commission members, although new bylaws for the commission are still being worked on, he said on Wednesday.

One of the initiatives of the mayor and council was to set up office hours for one-one-one talks with residents.

The office hours will resume in the new year, the borough has said.

The Borough Council is comprised of what was the Red Bank's Ready team of current Mayor Billy Portman, current Councilmember and now Deputy Mayor Kate Triggiano and current Councilmembers Kristina Bonatakis, David Cassidy, Nancy Facey-Blackwood, Ben Forest and Laura Jannone.