Brick council lifts cap on planning contract

Planning work kept going while the township changed planners. Under its consent agenda, the council approved an amendment to the professional planning services contract that lets spending go above the budgeted $90,000 per year. The explanation from the dais was straightforward: the added cost is fully offset by escrow contributions required for planning reviews and board matters.

Council members said the work covers planning reviews, attendance, professional reports, and testimony for matters before the Planning Board and Board of Adjustment. During questions on the consent agenda, one council member asked Joanne Bergin to explain what was described as a $70,000 increase and spell out the reason for it. Joanne Bergin said the township planner retired, the township used consultants during the transition, and those costs are charged back to escrow accounts connected to Planning Board and Board of Adjustment applications.

That answer appeared to settle the question. The same council member then confirmed that the township collects escrow fees from applicants, and the item stayed in the consent agenda block approved later in the meeting. The practical effect is that Brick can keep paying for outside planning work tied to pending cases without treating the added expense as a hit to the general operating budget.

One resident used public comment to press on process and spending. The resident asked why, at an August meeting, one person was not allowed to speak a second time while another person did, and asked the council president whether that fit the rules.

The same speaker asked for follow-up on a resolution tied to federal Title III funding for Brick schools, saying the measure involved contacting Senators Kim and Booker and noting that the mayor, the council vice president, and others met with Senator Booker in Brick. The resident wanted to know what came of that discussion.

The comment period then turned to the budget. The resident asked for more detail on the Brick Pride newsletter, including labor time beyond printing and mailing, and again argued for using the township website and public service announcements instead. The resident then asked about public works hours, a previously discussed Saturday schedule change tied to projected savings, and whether the mayor's request for 10% departmental cuts had been completed and would be presented before next year's budget and upcoming union contracts.