OLD BRIDGE – In an effort to get business done at Township Council meetings, council members are in discussion to limit public comment during the two public portions at the meetings from five minutes to three minutes.
Ward 4 Councilman Mark Razzoli had suggested eliminating one of the two public portions to fall in line with other municipal council meetings at a meeting on Sept. 21.
“I think what started out as something good has deteriorated,” he said, noting public portions have become slandering sessions. “Right before [COVID-19] we had a family come into this town and wanted to open a business and we all witnessed what they went through with the slander. I think as a council we owe it to the people who want to invest in our township as well as our residents [to make the changes].”
Razzoli added some residents are afraid to call in to the meetings.
Fellow council members agreed with Razzoli’s comments. Ward 5 Councilman Tony Paskitti said while he is not in favor of taking away public portions at the meetings, he suggested limiting the first public portion at the meeting to Old Bridge residents.
Ward 1 Councilman David Merwin said the council has always been for open government and allowing people to speak and having open frank discussions.
“I understand the reasoning behind [Razzoli’s suggestion],” he said. “We have rules, if [the public] gets out of line, I think we have to take stronger methods on shutting them down.”
Councilwoman Debbie Walker wants to “find a way if people are really being abusive to not allow them to speak for five minutes,” she said.
Councilwoman Anita Greenberg-Belli said hearing from the residents is very important.
“It’s unfortunate how public speaking has become, instead of people coming forward with concerns of theirs on how we can help someone, it has come to be, come up and say very derogatory things and things that aren’t true,” she said, noting a few years ago the council increased the speaking time to five minutes during the public portions.
Greenberg-Belli said limiting the public portions to three minutes is a start, noting the public portions at the Old Bridge Municipal Utilities Authority and planning and zoning boards are limited to three minutes. She said being a commuter community, it’s important to have the second session for people who are not able to make it to the beginning of the meeting.
Business Administrator Himanshu Shah, who has been with the township for 27 years, said council meetings used to go to 1 to 2 a.m. in the morning. He said an 11 p.m. curfew was added to help streamline the meeting.
Mayor Owen Henry said it’s important for business to take place at council meetings, which benefits every resident.
Township Attorney Ken Lozier said the council cannot exclude any public from the meeting or limit speaking times for just Old Bridge residents, however, he said the council can set terms to its agenda including limiting the public portions and changing the order of the council agenda.