Borough of Point Pleasant – In-person monthly Mayor’s Hours will resume this month in Point Pleasant. Mayor Robert A. Sabosik will be holding January’s Hours from 6PM to 7PM on Monday January 17th in the Court Room at Borough Hall.
According to Mayor Sabosik, “I started doing these in my first term and unfortunately due to COVID, we stopped the in-person one-on-one meetings but I’m happy to say we’re starting them back up. What I found when I became Mayor was that there were a lot of residents who are not available to schedule a meeting during the day because they work or have other commitments. Then I also found out that a lot of people don’t want to come to a Council Meeting because they don’t want to have to talk in front of a large crowd of people. So, I then started setting an evening aside each month where residents can come in and talk one-on-one and have some truly meaningful conversations about whatever issues or suggestions might be on their mind.”
Council President Charlene Archer stated that “These Mayor’s Hours are a real benefit. Many residents have told me how nice it is to just come in a very informal setting and just talk. Too many times things can get lost in a big setting, but these more intimate meetings are a real benefit to the residents. I’ve sat in on a number of these meetings and truthfully, I also gain a lot of knowledge from them as well. It’s the Mayor, a Councilperson on a rotating basis and the Borough Administrator who sit right across from the resident. This is a very personal style meeting with attention to the resident in mind.”
Mayor Sabosik pointed out that “There are no appointments needed to be made and it’s on a first come, first served basis. We’ll call people up in the order they come in and we just start talking. Often times, issues get solved right then and there. If it’s a more complicated matter that a resident has brought up, I have the Borough Administrator email appropriate Department Heads or Professionals right then and there with residents’ contact information to follow up with them for whatever the issue may be.”
Councilman Joe Furmato echoed these sentiments by stating “This may be one of the best tools we have in serving residents. We are already accessible and available throughout the day, but it’s important to go the extra mile and set time aside in the evenings to meet with residents. The best thing you can do is talk one-on-one sometimes in a relaxed setting like this so the important things don’t get lost in emails, phone calls or bigger settings.”
Borough Administrator Frank Pannucci added that “Point Pleasant is in good hands with Mayor Sabosik and this Council. Residents often forget that the Mayor and Council are only part-time positions but our elected officials treat their offices like they are full-time continually going the extra mile with things like Mayor’s Hours despite their personal life jobs and responsibilities.”
