Red Bank Council Back In Action; Triggiano Named Deputy Mayor

RED BANK, NJ — The first meeting of the newly elected Red Bank Borough Council had a full agenda Thursday night, with appointments, a swearing-in ceremony and a drawing for which councilmembers will need to run for re-election in two years under the nonpartisan form of government.

The first order of business was to swear in Benedict Forest, better known as Ben Forest. He was elected to office with the Red Bank's Ready team in the May 9 election, but was unable to attend the installation last Saturday for a family reason.

But Forest was at the meeting Thursday with his wife Amy and his son (his daughter was unable to attend), and was sworn in by state Sen. Vin Gopal, D-11th District.

He said he was honored to be elected to the position, and said his goal will be "to listen to everyone, even if you don't agree with me."

A former longtime Red Bank Board of Education member, Forest will be the council representative for educational issues, both at the local and regional boards and with the Red Bank Charter School.

With the full council ready for action, and with Mayor Billy Portman now empowered to make motions and vote with the rest of the council members, the meeting moved quickly.

Another order of business was to name Councilmember Kate Triggiano as deputy mayor. Under the previous form of government, there was a Borough Council president, noted Portman.

Triggiano had served on the Borough Council for four years before the recent election and is now chairperson of the Red Bank Democratic Party.

Appointments of professionals were announced, notably the appointment of former Borough Attorney Greg Cannon to the post for this year.

In a factional move under the prior council majority, Cannon was removed from the position, but he was reappointed Thursday. Cannon is also a councilman in Aberdeen.

Other professional appointments and citizen appointments to boards and commissions can be seen here on the borough website. You can also see the meeting on the borough Facebook page.

Portman said he was happy to see many new people apply for borough volunteer positions, as well as the return of certain previous appointees.

"I'm grateful to all who stepped up to volunteer," he said.

He noted also that under the new form of government there will be no council liaisons to borough departments. Rather, the new Borough Manager position, when that is filled, will coordinate the needs of the council with the local government departments.

Current Interim Business Administrator and Police Chief Darren McConnell will remain in those posts until July 31, when he retires.

Staggered Borough Council terms

Under the new form of government, council terms will be staggered. The mayor will serve four years, but only two councilmembers will initially serve four-year terms. The other four councilmembers will serve a two-year term, prompting another election.

All the members drew lots from Borough Clerk Laura Reinertsen and those who drew four-year terms are Triggiano and Councilmember Nancy Facey-Blackwood.

Facey-Blackwood served as the head of the Charter Study Commission that recommended a change to a nonpartisan government be put before the voters in November 2022. The voters approved the idea by a wide margin.

The four councilmembers who drew two-year terms are Kristina Bonatakis, David Cassidy, Ben Forest and Laura Jannone. They will, if they choose, seek re-election in two years. It is believed local elections will return to November voting. Under state law, the first nonpartisan election had to be held in May.

The meeting schedule has been adjusted, too. Meetings will now be the second and fourth Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. The next meeting is July 13.

Facey-Blackwood also noted that councilmembers will rotate hours at the Senior Center on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon to meet with the public. "Residents wanted more accessibility," she said. Portman already holds mayor's hours on Mondays at the Borough Hall.

Jannone and Cassidy and Bonatakis, as with all the councilmembers, made statements at the end of the meeting, all thanking the residents for their support.

Cassidy said he served on the Planning Board for six years and found it "really gratifying," and he was happy to see others step up.

Jannone said the council "must listen to everyone in the community."

And Bonatakis noted that all the councilmembers, despite being a team of candidates, come with different perspectives and "will argue well."

"Thank you for entrusting us with the future of Red Bank," she said.