If you arrive at Wednesday’s Frelinghuysen Township Committee meeting at the familiar 6 p.m. starting time and there’s nobody there but you and the crickets, fear not. Just hang in there until 7, the governing body’s new meeting time.
The newly reconstituted committee voted to change the meeting time after a motion proposal by incoming committee member Brian James at the committee’s reorganization meeting earlier this month.
Committee member David Tongo, who was also sworn in at the reorganization meeting, seconded the motion but did want to know James’s reasons.
“I have a job, and I find it hard to get here by 6 and be prepared for the meeting,” James said.
He added that most of the other boards and committees such as the Land Use Board have a standard starting time of 7 p.m.
“Personally, I think it would be easier for me, and I think it would allow for residents who work a distance away and are still traveling on Route 80,” James said. “It might give them a little more of a time span to get here, and attend more meetings.”
Dissent Rises in the Ranks
Committee member Shannon Drylie disagreed that changing the starting time would necessarily bring more people to the meetings.
“I’d just like to remind the committee for the past two years, we’ve been standing room only at times with the 6 o’clock start time,” Drylie said. “I’d like to take into consideration that our clerk stays here all day long and finishes up stuff prior to the meeting as well.”
Drylie cast the lone vote to oppose the time change.
Once the meeting starting time was settled, the committee returned to setting meeting dates for 2026, a discussion that had been paused earlier in the meeting until the time was resolved. They have planned to continue with the current schedule of the regular committee meeting on the third Wednesday of the month, with a workshop meeting, if necessary, on the second Wednesday.
A Motion to Increase Transparency
James had proposed earlier that the packets of meeting materials committee members routinely receive one week before the regular meetings get delivered two weeks before the meetings. And if that were not possible, he suggested the meetings could be moved up to the fourth Wednesday of the month.
“I’d like to change that to two weeks prior to the committee meeting, because it’s a little bit much receiving a packet of 212 pages,” James said.
Municipal clerk Zilberfarb said that while it would be possible to make some information available further ahead of the meetings, much of the material is generated by department heads and the chairs of volunteer boards and commissions.
And while several committee members were not particularly opposed to moving the meetings up a week, especially since four Wednesday did not conflict with other town meetings, it was pointed out the professionals like the town attorney, engineer and other advisors frequently serve other towns, and that could create conflicts.
So, for those of you scoring at home, the township committee will official meet on the second Wednesday for workshop meetings as necessary, and the third Wednesday for regular meetings. And both of the meetings will be held at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted on the township website and Municipal Building bulletin board.
Joe brings decades of journalism experience to the Ridge View Echo, covering everything from local school boards to the U.S. Supreme Court. A former National Law Journal editor and Columbia Law School press officer, he now enjoys telling community stories in Blairstown, where he lives with his wife, Rose, and their two dachshunds.
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
