BY LAYLI WHYTE
Staff Writer

PHOTOS BY LAYLI WHYTE Above, Pasquale "Pat" Menna (l) presides over his first council meeting as mayor of Red Bank. Although Edward J. McKenna Jr. has ended his 16-year run as mayor of Red Bank, there is still a McKenna in municipal government.

Among his first official acts at the borough's reorganization meeting Jan. 1, newly-sworn-in Mayor Pasquale "Pat" Menna appointed Christine McKenna, wife of the former mayor, as an alternate member of the borough Planning Board.

Menna had served as a councilman alongside Edward McKenna for the past 20 years, and for much of that time served as council president, a title he passed Monday to first-term Councilwoman Sharon Lee.

Menna was sworn in at Borough Hall in front of an audience that overflowed council chambers, spilling over into the hallway.

Council newcomer Michael DuPont, McKenna's law partner, was appointed by Menna to chair the Finance Committee in the first year of his first term on council.

Lee, as well as Councilman Robert J. Bifani, will serve with DuPont on the finance committee, and Lee will chair the newly created Education and Technology Committee.

Below, outgoing Mayor Edward J. McKenna Jr. received many accolades at the borough reorganization meeting. Bifani will continue to chair the Public Utilities Committee and will also serve on the Public Safety and the Parks and Recreation committees.

The Public Safety Committee is a new incarnation of the former Fire and Police committees, which combines the two under one commissioner, Councilman Arthur V. Murphy III, who was also appointed to serve as a member of the Public Utilities Committee.

Councilwoman Kaye Ernst kept her position as chairwoman of the Code Enforcement Committee and was also appointed to the Parks and Recreation, Education and Technology and Public Utilities Committees.

Councilman John P. Curley, along with Ernst, a member of the council's Republican minority, was appointed to chair the Parks and Recreation Committee and will continue to serve as a member of the Code Enforcement Committee.

Although Red Bank has a new administration for the first time in 16 years, many of the appointments remain the same, including Stanley Sickels, whose name appeared on the appointment resolution six times, including as borough administrator and purchasing agent.

Sickels also works as the borough fire marshal, community development alternate, hazardous material technician, member of the Planning Board, and the mayoral representative to Red Bank RiverCenter.

In addition to Christine McKenna, Menna appointed another newcomer, Edward Zipprich, to a two-year term as an alternate on the Planning Board. The other appointed members of the Planning and Zoning boards remain the same.

When the time came for the council to vote to approve the appointments, Curley, who campaigned against Menna in the 2006 mayoral race, said that he would vote against the resolution.

"I campaigned in the fall against [borough employees] holding more than one position," Curley said. "I have to vote no."

"I respect your opinion," replied Menna, "and it is so noted."

Menna said that he has been waiting to become mayor for a long time, and he recognized many of the more than 125 people who attended the meeting to witness his swearing-in.

Some of those in attendance included Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6), state Assemblyman Michael Panter, Baron Robert LaRocca, representing Italian Prince Ferdinand of Two Sicilys and David Skoblow, who came to the meeting to represent Prince Emanuel Filbert of Italy.

In his remarks, Menna spoke about his Italian roots, and noted that his grandfather and namesake had come to Red Bank in the early 1900s, before moving back to Italy, Menna's birthplace, around 1911.

"In honor of him," Menna said, "I am grateful to be able to serve this community."

Also in attendance were mayors from surrounding communities and NBC news anchor Brian Thompson.

The outgoing mayor was honored by a resolution thanking him for his years of service.

"He brought a drive, vision and enthusiasm to the borough that is unparalleled," Menna said of McKenna. "He really turned this town around."

Menna also reiterated some of his campaign promises including holding public budget meetings that would allow taxpayers more say in the budget process, having the salary ordinance struck in the first financial quarter, rather than the last, a tradition, and to continue to lobby for new tax structures more appropriate to the individual communities.

"People should be able to pay their taxes and water bills online," he said.

Menna also pointed out some appointments that were not made, including the positions of assistant borough administrator in charge of special projects and assistant prosecutor.

"The prosecutor will be responsible to pay for an assistant prosecutor out of his own funds," he said.

Menna also said that he is pursuing the option of hiring an interlocal purchasing agent with some other local municipalities, and that he will continue to work toward his campaign pledge of reducing the number and size of the borough vehicle fleet.

"The age of gas-guzzling trucks is over," he said. "[Borough Attorney Kenneth Pringle, who is also the Mayor of Belmar], started an initiative in Belmar for electric vehicles. We want to show that we are responsible stewards of the environment."

Menna also reiterated his commitment to affordable housing in the borough.

"Red Bank just can't be the home of the rich and famous," he said.

Menna gave a nod to Curley and the campaign he ran in the mayoral race.

"You ran a good race," he said. "You brought up some good issues, and we will address some of those issues. We are going to work together."