By Sunayana Prabhu
RED BANK – Nearly six months after attending a community meeting where West Side residents voiced quality-of-life concerns, borough officials returned – this time joined by department heads – for a follow-up community engagement meeting at the senior center.
The June 4 meeting was hosted by Mayor Billy Portman and borough manager Jim Gant to gain community input about ongoing infrastructure planning in the town.
Borough officials, including Deputy Mayor Kate Triggiano and council members Nancy Facey-Blackwood, Ben Forest, Laura Jannone and Kristina Bonatakis, were joined by every department head, from police and fire to public works, parks and recreation, and others to engage directly with residents about the borough’s unique challenges and its evolving infrastructure.
Law Enforcement
“We’re a very unique (town),” the borough’s police chief, Mike Frazee, said during the meeting. Red Bank is “a small city. We have a state highway that runs through here, a busy county road… This is a cut-through to the parkway. We have a hospital; we have a train and bus hub. We’re a busy town.” Frazee noted the challenges that come with managing safety and infrastructure plans in this unique situation.
He said the police department had received 8,400 service calls and responded to more than 372 vehicle crashes this year. He further added that the department issued 7,125 summonses, including nearly 1,900 for moving violations, such as speeding and reckless driving, and responded to over 600 first aid calls. The borough police have resumed bicycle patrols, with four newly trained officers. The department deploys seasonal officers in parks and downtown areas and is in the process of hiring a Class-II officer to assist with traffic violations.
Capital Improvements
Gant provided an overview of several capital improvements in town, including progress made in streetscape projects, park renovations and lead service line replacements.
The $1.18 million Monmouth Street streetscape project is nearing completion. The project includes creating brick sidewalks along the street from downtown toward the train station. The project received a New Jersey Department of Transportation grant and “we’re hoping to wrap up within the next 45 days or so,” Gant said.
At Marine Park, Gant said phase one of the project is complete, which included the construction of a new parking lot, replacing the old tennis courts. “We were able to add over 28,000 square feet of green space to that project. So that was pretty significant in the overall project,” said Gant. The design phase for Marine Park is being finalized and will proceed to the bidding process for phase two, which involves the construction of the playground. The playground equipment is expected to arrive in early fall. The borough secured a $750,000 Jake’s Law grant from the state to help pay for the project. Jake’s Law grants are dedicated to creating inclusive and accessible playgrounds for children of all abilities.
Another “massive” project Gant said the borough is undertaking is lead and galvanized service line replacement, part of a state requirement to maintain safe water infrastructure. “All municipalities in the state have an obligation by 2035 to replace all lead service lines,” Gant said. “We are way ahead of the game. We are cruising through this project at really, really good speed.”
According to Gant, the first phase of the multiphase project focused on the West Side, cost $3.1 million and replaced 345 lead service lines. The second phase, which cost $2.5 million, recently concluded with 232 additional service line replacements. The third phase is currently underway and represents a $2.1 million investment that includes the replacement of another 279 lead service lines.
The borough has also launched a bicycle infrastructure enhancement project, securing a grant to install 24 bike racks throughout the borough and a repair station adjacent to the existing bike-shaped rack at the borough hall.
The borough is also launching a “pedestrian refuge island,” in front of South Bridge Avenue, Gant said, to address pedestrian safety concerns at the intersection of Drs. James Parker Boulevard and Bridge Avenue. Left turns coming out of South Bridge Avenue will no longer be allowed to prevent dangerous traffic movements at the intersection. The design incorporates recommendations from traffic engineers and police department crash data.
Additionally, the borough was offered a $10,000 mini-grant from the National Center for Safe Streets in Schools to improve pedestrian safety at the intersection of Leighton Avenue and River Street. The project will utilize “tactical urbanism” techniques to slow down traffic, such as using paint to mimic bump-outs on the road, Gant explained. Borough officials plan to collaborate with Monmouth County to provide shared services, creating “highly visible crosswalks” using thermoplastic paint with reflective elements.
The municipality has been wrestling with the challenges of managing a small urban center with rapid demographic and economic shifts. From pedestrian safety to parking issues, from e-bike regulations to property tax assessments, the discussion between residents and officials centered around balancing growth with preservation of what exists in the borough that gives it its unique identity – its people and its history.
Residents Speak Up
Resident Mary-Ellen Mess said she had growing concerns about affordability. “Is there any way to get out of the annual reassessment of our property taxes?” she said. “We are in a real estate bubble.” Mess suggested that owner-occupied property “should be taxed at a different rate than an investment property.”
In response, the chief finance officer of the borough, Thomas Seaman, said the borough has “no choice” in the Assessment Determination Program, a collaborative system of property assessment between the County Board of Taxation and locally deployed municipal assessors.
“The assessor does the best he can,” Seaman said. “The assessor uses the sales as one of the main drivers. But if it’s an outlier, like sold way above (market rate), assessor wouldn’t account for that. It’s supposed to be fair to the rest of the people.”
Resident Marjorie Cavalier discussed safety issues at the intersection of Front Street and Shrewsbury Avenue. She requested a timed walk sign where vehicles cut across the bridge toward the railroad station, which she said was “pretty dangerous.” Cavalier also requested improved drainage and repaving of the road to avoid flooding incidents.
Parking remains a persistent concern for residents. A few residents also discussed e-bike regulations during the meeting. Frazee explained the borough has plans to increase enforcement and potentially develop specific municipal ordinances to address safety concerns.
Community Engagement Coordinator Adriana Rodriguez presented the borough’s digital communication and multilingual outreach. Her department is developing a chatbot and expanding website accessibility to further community engagement.
The article originally appeared in the June 12 – 18, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
