Unger wants council meetings televised
BY CHRISTINE VARNO
Staff Writer

LONG BRANCH - - Keeping a campaign promise to Long Branch voters for a more transparent government, Councilman Brian Unger is proposing that City Council meetings be televised.

At the Jan. 9 Council workshop meeting, held prior to the regular meeting, Unger put televising municipal meetings on the table for discussion by Mayor Adam Schneider and the council.

"This comes from some recent trends in government," Unger said, "more transparency.

"Video, in this century, is becoming a major international source," he said. "Perhaps we could take the initial steps and we thought a reasonable first step is to test it out."

Unger was elected in November to fill the seat vacated by former Councilman John "Fazz" Zambrano.

During his campaign, Unger pledged to be a voice for the people and make changes in city government.

At an Oct. 30 debate at Trinity A.M.E. Church on Liberty Street, Unger said if elected he would vote to have city council meetings televised.

Unger also pledged to rework the city's Web site.

At the workshop meeting, Unger commended the city administration for recent updates to the Web site and suggested that the city televise a workshop meeting to test the feedback from the community.

"Because there are so many ordinances [introduced on the agenda] to be voted in the next two weeks, maybe more people would come to meetings or call," Unger said.

Schneider said he would entertain the idea, but there is no money in the budget to fund the project.

"I am not in favor of televising meetings for various reasons," Schneider said.

"We would have to hire someone," he continued, adding, "We don't have the equipment. We don't have the manpower."

But Schneider agreed to have the proposal put on the agenda for the specifics of what the project would entail to be discussed by council members.

"I have no idea what it would cost or if there would be any support to do it," Schneider added.

During the public portion of the regular council meeting, a resident said he supports broadcasting the meetings.

"I have been talking about [televising meetings] for four years," Harold Bobrow, Ocean Boulevard, said.

"Other municipalities have this," he added.

Bobrow suggested that the city require that the biweekly meetings be taped by the city's cable provider.

"Part of that contract, part-and-parcel, should be to televise the meetings," Bobrow said.

Councilwoman Mary Jane Celli, who sits on the Monmouth University Cable Commission, recommended that a study be conducted to estimate costs of the project.

And Unger suggested possibly asking students at Monmouth University to take on the responsibility.

"Even if it was dirt cheap or free," Council President Michael DeStefano said, "as long as it is not intrusive to a timely and productive meeting."