SAYREVILLE – The Sayreville Borough Council has taken action that may result in the chairman of the borough’s Planning Board being removed from his position.
Council members approved a motion on July 24 to hold a hearing on Thomas Tighe’s future as chairman of the Planning Board at their Aug. 21 meeting.
With cause, the council may remove Tighe from his role in the borough. Council President Daniel Buchanan cited Tighe allegedly making disparaging comments and improperly following procedure on entering executive (closed) session.
The council began to discuss possibly removing Tighe as chairman during a June 26 meeting after residents Julie Ott and Tom Pollando raised issues they had with Tighe’s comments at a board meeting on June 21.
Some of the statements the residents focused on were made before the meeting officially began and after it ended, but were picked up by a microphone, including a derogatory remark made in reference to Buchanan.
Ott, who focused on the remark directed at Buchanan, did not specify which member of the board made the comment, but council members later acknowledged it was said by the chairman.
Buchanan had voiced criticisms of the Planning Board prior to the June 21 meeting, whom he felt had improperly approved projects by not including affordable housing components in the approvals.
While Ott stated that Buchanan deserved a public apology, Pollando believed Tighe should be removed.
Resident Ruth Mahoney has also frequently told the council that she felt disrespected at a Planning Board meeting when she spoke before the members.
However, much of Buchanan’s concerns centered on instances where he found that the Planning Board under Tighe did not properly enter closed session. The council president noted that during at least three meetings – Jan. 18, April 19 and June 7 – the board went into closed session without a resolution.
When asked by Buchanan at the June 26 meeting, Borough Attorney Michael DuPont said that in his opinion, if a public body entered closed session without a proper resolution, any action taken during the closed session is void.
Of particular concern to Buchanan was that one of the Planning Board’s closed sessions dealt with the Council on Affordable Housing. The borough is currently in litigation over meeting its affordable housing obligations.
The council president said at the July 24 meeting that he intended to ask Mayor Kennedy O’Brien, who appoints the members of the Planning Board, about requesting Tighe’s resignation. However, the mayor was absent from the June 26 and July 24 meetings, which led to the council’s motion to hold a hearing.
Prior to the council’s action, members of the Planning Board voiced their support of Tighe at a July 19 meeting and indicated that they hoped he would continue to serve as chairman.
Tighe did not respond to a request for comment.
Contact Matthew Sockol at msockol@newspapermediagroup.com.
