The council meets twice monthly at borough hall, 90 Monmouth Street. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Red Bank’s council would clear the way to give itself its first pay bump in at least 15 years under an ordinance up for introduction Thursday night.

It would also reset the maximum salaries for the top three unelected positions at borough hall, one of which is open.

Here’s a quick look at the agenda:

• The council plans to introduce its annual salary ordinance, which sets pay ranges by position, but does not itself change anyone’s salary. That must occur by separate resolution.

But “likely” at the September 28 meeting, “there will be a salary resolution passed which sets the actual dollar amount paid to a particular position/person,” interim borough Manager Darren McConnell told redbankgreen this week.

Noteworthy in this year’s salary ordinance are pay bumps for the top three administrative jobs: borough manager, police chief and chief financial officer.

The top of the range for the manager – formerly known as the administrator – would jump 40 percent, to $210,000 per year, from the current maximum of $170,000, and the chief’s would also top out at $210,000, up from the current maximum of $200,000.

McConnell now holds both posts. He has announced plans to retire following the conclusion of a New Jersey Attorney General’s office investigation into complaints about him by the local police union. Captain Mike Frazee is slated to succeed McConnell as chief; the council is conducting a search for a new borough manager.

McConnell said he and CFO Thomas Seaman set the new ranges so the town can “remain competitive in a difficult employment market while being fiscally responsible and still fair to our employees.”

In the proposed bump for the manager’s position, McConnell said, he and Seaman were “trying to be cognizant of the fact that getting a qualified candidate and retaining that candidate does come at a cost. The range in that position is larger than other positions to afford the governing body more latitude when a manager is ultimately hired.”

The CFO’s pay range, currently set at $105,000 to $135,000, would have a new maximum of $195,000, a 44-percent boost.

Also noteworthy: the mayor’s salary, which has been fixed at $7,301 since at least 2008, would now have an upper range of $8,000, a 9.6-percent increase. Other council members would be eligible for salaries of up to $4,000, up from the present $3,650, also in place for at least 15 years.

All council members excluding the mayor would be paid the same amount, McConnell said, though “that number has not been set yet.” That, too, is likely at the September 28 meeting, he said.

• Community Planning Director Shawna Ebanks is slated to make a presentation denoted on the agenda as “transit village.”

• Ordinances on graffiti, waterfront building heights and fees paid by developers for tree replacement are up for final adoption.

• A $65,520 contract to P.U.L.S.S.E.  Services of Jackson Township for the provision of social services through the police department is up for approval.

• The council is also set to accept Breanna Hartman, daughter of fire Chief Wayne Hartman and a math teacher at Red Bank Middle School, as the newest member of the volunteer fire department.

Chief Hartman will not be present, because he’s attending the New Jersey Firemen’s Convention in. Wildwood. But he noted to redbankgreen that Breanna is also a a member of the First Aid squad, the auxiliary and rehab unit, and comes from deep fanily roots in the emergency services.

“Her great-great grandfather, and great grandfather, both belonged to Independent back in the 1920’s,” Hartman said via email. “I’ve been there since 1984. Her grandfather and uncle, on her mom’s side, are ex-chiefs from Liberty. And her mom [Tina] is a long time member and ex-captain of the first aid. ”

Here’s the full agenda. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. at borough hall, 90 Monmouth Street, with remote participation available via Zoom.

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