MANASQUAN — Residents of Manasquan will soon get a closer look at the inner workings of their local government officials as the mayor, council and the planning board have all recently initiated efforts to expand communication with the community.
Mayor Michael Mangan noted in a press release that borough residents will receive a borough newsletter to their mailboxes three times a year, beginning this spring. There will also be a town hall meeting on April 9, in which he plans to recap his first 100 days as mayor. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in borough hall and provide updates on some of the initiatives that were announced earlier in the year.
The newsletter will be sent as a physical release to “every home in Manasquan,” and there will also be an electronic version available, said Mayor Mangan. It has multiple sections pertaining to various aspects of life in the borough, including upcoming events, trash pick-up schedules and more.
During the April 9 town hall meeting, residents will be encouraged to ask questions and raise concerns. Mayor Mangan said that some of the topics he will discuss include recently-bolstered committees like the mayor’s committee on zoning, the recreation committee, the open space committee and the mayor’s charity ball committee.
Both are part of an effort to increase governmental communication with residents, said Mayor Mangan.
Planning board members also announced at their regular meeting on Tuesday some procedural changes to encourage community input, including a later start time for the meeting. They also discussed, budget approval pending, the proposed purchase by the mayor and council of additional equipment for both the virtual and physical audiences and upgraded technology in the council chamber, where the board meets.
Mayor Mangan proposed starting future planning board meetings at 7 p.m., rather than the current start time of 4 p.m., which is often difficult for people who work 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. shifts.
He also proposed having a board member other than the chairperson preside over the meeting in instances when the chairperson could not attend in person; this way, he said, it would be less disorienting for the applicant and in-person audience. Alternate board members would not be allowed to perform this duty.
Mayor Mangan said these changes would have to be voted on at the next planning board meeting, scheduled for May 7.
One change that would not require board action, said Mayor Mangan, would be to ensure that all alternate board member positions are filled, which could help increase the number of planning board members physically in the room.
The borough acquired a camera that Mayor Mangan said could be installed as soon as the next planning board meeting. It would be positioned facing the desk where applicants sit so that those viewing the meeting virtually could better see any testimony that occurs.
Multiple board members agreed that having digital scans prepared of any materials that applicants would be presenting would allow those attending remotely to follow along with any testimony referencing the materials.
In a similar vein, Mayor Mangan said that adding a second television screen to the room so that the audience could see what the board members on the dais see would be beneficial.
He noted that multiple members of the planning board have in recent years asked for upgrades to the council chamber’s audio equipment, which is something he said would be beneficial but expensive.
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