BRADLEY BEACH — A special business council meeting scheduled for Dec. 23 went without business being conducted due to a lack of quorum. However, that didn’t stop the sole attendees Mayor Larry Fox and Councilman John Weber from discussing the items on the table.
In an attempt to settle a few final business items before the new year, Fox — whose four-year mayoral term comes to an end on New Year’s Day when sitting councilman Al Gubitosi will be sworn in at the council’s reorganization meeting — had called for two special meetings, one on Dec. 23 and a final meeting on Dec. 30.
After a roll call, which excused Council President Jane DeNoble, Gubitosi and Councilwoman Kristen Mahoney, Weber called for a point of order, citing an improper meeting due to a borough ordinance. According to several members from the council, the next scheduled special meeting will also be without a quorum, with DeNoble having her sights on a productive 2025.
“I am confident that 2025 will be a year of productive collaboration, mutual respect and significant progress for our beloved Borough of Bradley Beach,” DeNoble said.
The ordinance cited by Weber states, “The notice of the meeting shall specify the purpose for which such a meeting is to be called, no business shall be transacted at any special meeting other than that specified in the request.”
While the mayor argued the specific interpretation of Weber’s claim, Borough Attorney Greg Cannon was not present to settle the dispute. Regardless, the council was without a quorum because only two of the five members were present, and they were unable to take action on any of the three resolutions on the table for Monday’s meeting.
Weber stated, “It is unfathomable to me why we are all here. As you probably all heard by now, the three other council members were very clear to Mayor Fox that they were not attending another meeting after our last scheduled meeting.”
Weber read a series of emails between council members and the mayor regarding the Dec. 23 meeting, in which the absent members preemptively expressed their unavailability.
In response, Fox said, “I just don’t consider this to be particularly onerous. We had a couple of things we were trying to get closed out and I think it was appropriate to get us together, so we can agree to disagree but I think it was appropriate to have these particular topics. We had some people working very hard on a number of things to get them closed out and to not bring them into 2025, I thought was appropriate.”
Following the meeting, DeNoble said, “As I informed Mayor Fox, I am unable to attend his additional holiday season special meetings. These matters do not constitute an emergency, and all items can be effectively addressed at our regularly scheduled council meeting two weeks from now.”
Of the three resolutions on the table, two had failed at the council’s last meeting on Dec. 11.
The third resolution, if passed, would have awarded a bid for the demolition of the 319 LaReine church structure. On Friday, Dec. 13, Borough Clerk Erica Kostyz read a series of demolition bids that were submitted to the borough for the demolition work. (See related story on page 25.)
On Dec. 11, the council voted down a resolution that would have authorized the sale of church artifacts such as stained glass windows and pews. The council was displeased with the dispersal process, which afforded neither residents nor the Bradley Beach Historical Society an opportunity to salvage any of the artifacts.
Gubitosi told The Coast Star following the meeting, “I believe that Mayor Fox may have acted outside of his authority in his efforts to sell or give away borough assets.”
Additionally on Dec. 11, the council voted down a resolution that would have authorized an award for engineering services to CME Associates for phase one of Main Street improvements. Gubitosi citing the need for “a better definition of scope” for the project.
Although Fox has scheduled a meeting for Dec. 30 at 5 p.m. to take action on the stalled resolutions, members of the council have continued to express their unavailability and discontent with the attempts to schedule a final meeting ahead of the new year.
DeNoble told The Coast Star, “I look forward to a thorough legal review of the artifact disposition options, and I am confident that we will complete our due diligence of the demolition bid packages to ensure the best outcome for our borough. I also anticipate productive discussions regarding the Main Street upgrades.”
Fox’s four-year mayoral term will come to an end in the new year, as mayor-elect Gubitosi is slated to take office and be sworn in at the council’s reorganization meeting on Jan. 1 at noon in the Bradley Beach Borough Hall.
Gubitosi told The Coast Star, “I believe that the two ‘special’ meetings that the mayor scheduled at the end of December are a waste of taxpayer dollars. The costs for advertising, employees and professionals are unnecessary. For over a week, the council expressed our concerns to Mayor Fox and repeatedly told him that we were not available to attend. Despite this knowledge, the mayor still scheduled these two meetings, knowing that no actual council business could be conducted. This is disingenuous towards the public.”
Check out our other Bradley Beach stories, updated daily. And remember to pick up a copy of The Coast Star—on newsstands Thursday or online in our e-Edition.
Subscribe today! If you're not already an annual subscriber to The Coast Star, get your subscription today! For just $38 per year, you will receive local mail delivery weekly, with pages and pages of local news and online access to our e-edition on Starnewsgroup.com.
 6x10 4c.jpg)
