Council debates creation of engineering committee – Star News Group

POINT PLEASANT BEACH — The Point Pleasant Beach council on Tuesday took the first step toward creating an engineering standing committee on the governing body.

A resolution that authorizes the borough attorney to draft an ordinance establishing the engineering committee passed on a 4-1 vote in which Councilman Mike Ramos offered the sole “no” vote. Councilman Jack Pasola was absent from the meeting. 

Originally a consent resolution, a motion was made by Councilman Ramos to carve out the item for individual discussion.

“I have some questions about it…I wasn’t aware of what this was. I’d like to know…what is the scope and purpose of having this committee?” asked Councilman Ramos.

Councilwoman Arlene Testa said the idea for the engineering standing committee came from meetings with the inspections, licenses and building code committee that she thought were lengthy and not optimally productive.

“There are a lot of projects going on in this town…by the time we got out, we were sitting two-and-a-half hours back there. We didn’t even get to one page of [Borough Engineer] John Mele’s committee report,” she said of the run-times of these inspections, licenses and building code standing committee meetings. “I think it’s just as important to have a separate engineering committee.”

“There is no hidden agenda with this; this is just to be informed. Other towns have engineering committees. This is not taking away from anybody; this is just trying to do what’s right. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with forming this committee — that’s my opinion,” said Councilwoman Testa. “It’s unfair to have everyone sit here for four hours to get a report when it could be broken down to one hour.”

Council President Rosa Crowley added that the endeavor would not cost money and it could help streamline the work of the current inspections, licenses and building code committee, which consists of herself, Councilwoman Caryn Byrnes and chair Councilwoman Testa.

This is an excerpt of the print article. For more on this story, read The Ocean Star—on newsstands Friday or online in our e-Edition.

Check out our other Point Pleasant Beach stories, updated daily. And remember to pick up a copy of The Ocean Star—on newsstands Friday or online in our e-Edition.

Subscribe today! If you’re not already an annual subscriber to The Ocean 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.