Politics & Government

Council Agendas Go Online In Paper-Saving Effort

In an effort to go green, only agendas and second reading items will be printed for distribution at council meetings

Some weeks, Manchester Township Council meetings see a heavy turnout and residents snatch up each copy of the full agenda printouts provided by the clerk's office.

Other times, a lackluster public showing means that a stack of unwanted papers requiring disposal remains following the meeting.

As a result of fluctuating turnout and a hope to save paper costs and protect the environment, clerk Sabina Skibo said that starting this week, the township offers agendas, including drafts of upcoming resolutions, ordinances and bills, on its website.

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"It was difficult because you can't anticipate," she said. "Sometimes there's an issue that people are coming out for, so you have 200 packets that you need. Other times, there are maybe 10 to 15 people in the audience."

"It's a shame that you wind up with reams and reams of paper that you're recycling when there was no use for the documents at all," Skibo said.

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Deputy clerk Jodi Pellicano estimated that at least one-half of a ream of paper, or over 250 sheets, was used each meeting. That paper was used to print five packages which included the full agenda and another 25 packets with just the bills.

"Some weeks I have none left. Some weeks, from those 25, I could have 10 left," she said.

Skibo said that, even though the leftovers were recycled, it did not make sense for the township, which is trying to "go green," to play a guessing game of how many members of the public would show up at each meeting.

The township will still provide paper copies of items up for a second reading and vote, as well as a basic one page agenda, at the meetings.

"We'll post the rest, so at everybody's leisure over the weekend, it will be on the website so they can review it in draft form," Skibo said.

Normally, Skibo said that she plans to have the documents online by the end of the day on the Fridays before the scheduled Monday council meetings.

The agenda for the April 25 town council meeting, including draft documents, is currently available online under the "Important Links" heading because the municipal complex will be closed on April 22 for Good Friday.

Skibo said that the documents posted online are "technically not public" because they are still in draft form, but the township nonetheless likes to alert the public to upcoming issues.

"We stamp them 'draft.' We don't want things floating around out there when they haven't been discussed and voted on yet," she said.

Having documents online could also lead to more public interaction as residents can find out what will be addressed at the next meeting, Skibo said.

"People ahead of time can take a look," she said. "If they look at a resolution and maybe they take issue with it, they will come to the meeting to question it. It's more informative for them to see the entire document."

Agenda items are also availabe on the bulletin board at the municipal complex, 1 Colonial Dr., or by request from the clerk's office which can be reached at 732-657-8121, ext. 3200.

The borough of Lakehurst also publishes its council agendas online.


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