The council took a moment to remember restaurateur Gary Sable, who died last week. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

The Red Bank council tackled a heavy agenda Wednesday night.

Debates on bylaws, elections, Airbnbs, cannabis zoning and more jammed a session that ran for almost four and half hours.

Gloria Mitchell, with Councilmember Michael Ballard, was honored upon her retirement from the Red Bank Housing Authority. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

Here are some highlights; redbankgreen will have further details on some of these topics, as noted:

• Heated discussion about amendments to a controversial set of bylaws got underway, without immediate resolution. More to come.

• The council explored the costs of the special election scheduled for May 9. All six council positions, and the mayor’s seat, will be at stake, as the town moves toward reorganizing its government, as approved by voter referendum in November. More to come.

• Heard a request from a principal in the Scarlet Reserve Room, a cigar and CBD shop, asking for a change in zoning to allow it to convert to a cannabis retailer.

The shop, at 3 East Front Street, is within 250 of a playground in Marine Park. Based on that proximity, the business cannot sell cannabis. More to come.

• As previously reported, the council introduced an ordinance regulating short-term rentals, such as those offered via Airbnb.

• The council also honored Gloria Mitchell on her retirement from the Red Bank Housing Authority after 26 years, many of them as clerk.

“As Gloria retires, she leaves a wealth of institutional knowledge and history, which is irreplaceable,” said Councilmember Michael Ballard. “The housing authority community will not be the same without her.

• At the start of the meeting, Mayor Billy Portman asked for a moment of silence in memory of Gary Sable, who died January 20 at age 70.

For 24 years, Sable owned and operated That Hot Dog Place, next to the Dublin House Pub on Monmouth Street. There, beneath a photo of rock musician Lou Reed, he ran a one-man, 175-square-foot kitchen “about the size of a jail cell – not that I’ve ever been in one,” he said in a 2006 Q&A with redbankgreen.

The name of the business aside, Sable was renowned for his soups, which he made daily from scratch.

Councilmember Kate Triggiano told the meeting audience that Sable let her to keep a running tab on her purchases when she was a teenager working in a nearby shop.

“Gary was a top-notch guy,” she said. “He was always there, he was a support to a lot of people, and he really cared about giving back to the community.”

Here’s his obituary.

If you value the news coverage provided by redbankgreen, please become a financial supporter for as little as $1 per month. Click here to set your own level of monthly or annual contribution.