By Allison Perrine
HOLMDEL – One of the demands by some Holmdel residents this past election season was for more transparency from the township committee.
So, at the first regular meeting of the new year, committee members unanimously introduced an ordinance to ensure all town meetings are recorded and available for the public.
“We want to create greater transparency and we want our residents to understand what’s happening in government,” said deputy mayor Cathy Weber. That way they “don’t have to rely on volunteers and the goodwill of the public to do it,” she said. She and fellow committee member Prakash Santhana ran on a campaign focused on transparency this past election season. “People over politics, that was our tagline,” Weber added.
Township meetings have long been recorded and streamed by members of the Citizens for Informed Land Use (CILU) organization, a nonpartisan community group established over 21 years ago. Karen Strickland and Regina Criscione, CILU co-presidents, are happy the committee “sees the value in” recording the meetings and have advocated for it for a long time. Member Scott Goldstein spearheaded the initiative.
“The CILU Board is currently discussing whether we will continue to video- tape Township Committee, as well as relevant Planning Board and Zoning Board meetings,” Criscione wrote to The Two River Times.
“We began doing this as a public service, because we felt it would help those with busy schedules to become more engaged in their local government. Having documentation of township meetings promotes government transparency.”
She added that it allows viewers to research ongoing topics, including the New Jersey Natural Gas regulator station proposal that has been ongoing in Holmdel for several years.
“Part of CILU’s mission is to ‘promote government decision-making based on open communication with an informed electorate.’ We feel that videotaping the meetings for people to access on YouTube is a step toward fulfilling that mission,” Criscione added.
According to township administrator Cherron Rountree, Holmdel is currently exploring ways to implement this at a minimal cost, using equipment they already have. There could be “some minor software costs” throughout the process, she said. Videos will be accessible through the township’s website and/or YouTube channel.
“The ordinance requires the township administrator to make the best possible efforts to stream and record the videos. As we all are aware, technology can often times be difficult and while we will do our best to ensure that the meetings are recorded, there could be a time when equipment or technology fails,” she said. If that happens, the township will make its best efforts to get it up and running as fast as possible, Rountree added.
“In 2020 the township committee is focused on improving transparency in local government and this is a big step forward. We encourage all interested residents to participate in local government in any way that they are able and the township committee believes this will allow residents who are unable to attend the meetings to be actively engaged,” she said.
The ordinance was unanimously introduced by the township committee.
Spring Lake Heights Borough and Brick Township are two municipalities that have been recording and streaming their meetings for the public for the past few years. According to Heights borough admin- istrator John Barrett, the initiative started in 2017 with former councilman, now Mayor Chris Campion.
“It was his initiative and desire to livestream the meetings to increase transparency for the resi- dents and all the parents of school-age children not to have to leave their kids at home,” he said. Videos are stored on YouTube and the borough’s Facebook Page and can be viewed live or at anyone’s convenience thereafter.
Records are done with a hardwired camera in the council chambers. With a few clicks of a button, Barrett said, the borough clerk can start livestreaming the meeting. It gives viewers a clearer picture of the room at that angle, he said.
When the equipment isn’t working, they have received calls from residents asking where the videos are. Some videos are viewed hundreds of times, he said. It has been very well received. However, before the equipment was installed, one resident would frequent meetings to record them for others to watch. Now, she rarely attends.
Environmental commission meetings have been livestreamed while hotly contested topics were being discussed, Barrett added, but planning and zoning board meetings have not.
The most important thing, he said, is to educate the public. “When people can see the council meetings and they have an opportunity to participate, ask questions,” it gives them a chance to stay informed on town happenings “in real time,” Barrett said.
Holmdel’s steps toward recording the meetings is just one of a few things the township is doing to be more open and transparent. At the Jan. 2 reorganization meeting, Mayor Greg Buontempo said the committee would be reinitiating its finance and traffic safety committees.
“We want to bring back the committees that seem to be of greatest interest to the community,” said Weber. “And again, increase public involvement.”
Additionally, the committee amended its rules of order Jan. 2 so residents would have a chance to air any concerns on agenda items before any votes take place. Previously, there was only one public comment portion at the end of the meeting, after voting had taken place.
“It’s showing transparency and integrity and we want to hear from people before we vote on something if it’s of a concern,” she said.
The ordinance, 2020-01, will be up for a public hearing and second reading at the committee’s next meeting Tuesday, Jan. 28.
