Valentine's Day Vote Set For Toms River Police Staffing Ordinance
TOMS RIVER, NJ — The controversial Toms River police staffing ordinance has been scheduled for a vote of the Toms River Township Council on Valentine’s Day.
Public notices published in the Asbury Park Press and the Star-Ledger of Newark announced the controversial ordinance will have its second reading, public hearing and final vote during a Township Council meeting set for 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 14 in the L. Manuel Hirshblond Meeting Room at Town Hall, 33 Washington St.
The ads, placed in the legal notices sections of both newspapers were published Wednesday, Feb. 7.
Find out what's happening in Toms Riverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The 2 p.m. meeting time falls in the middle of the workday. In addition to Feb. 14 being Valentine’s Day, it also is Ash Wednesday.
Messages have been sent to Mayor Daniel Rodrick, along with emails to Council President Craig Coleman and Assistant Township Attorney Peter S. Pascarella, whose name was on some of the notices, requesting comment on the choice of the meeting time.
Click Here: Kanken backpack
Find out what's happening in Toms Riverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
In all, there were 14 notices about ordinances published in the two papers. In addition to the police staffing ordinance, the council is scheduled to vote on the following ordinances:
While the ordinances were announced, there was not a notice specifically announcing the Township Council meeting, which would be a special meeting as it was not among the original meeting dates approved by the council at the January reorganization meeting.
The ordinance notices were the first information about a new date for the township council meeting, which was anticipated after the council’s attempt to meet by Zoom on Jan. 31 ended when an antisemitic commenter hijacked the meeting.
The meeting had been moved to Zoom for what Council President Craig Coleman said was for the safety of the participants and because the anticipated attendance was expected to exceed the capacity of the L. Manuel Hirschblond Meeting Room because of the uproar over the police staffing ordinance. Read more: Antisemitic Commenter Forces End To Chaotic Toms River Zoom Meeting
As the Zoom meeting — which had a capacity of 500 participants and filled up, preventing Councilman George Lobman from joining — ended after 35 minutes, Councilman David Ciccozzi urged Coleman to reconsider holding the meeting in person, because the Zoom meeting had gone so badly.
“It’s not going to go well if we have people banging on tables,” Coleman said in rejecting Ciccozzi’s request.
The controversy over the police staffing ordinance has led efforts for a recall petition that, if successful, would force the council to rescind the ordinance or put it to a public referendum. Read more: Police Staffing Controversy Sparks Recall Petition In Toms River
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.