Belleville Town Council Votes To Resume In-Person Meetings

BELLEVILLE, NJ — The Belleville Township Council plans to start holding in-person public meetings after going virtual-only due to the coronavirus pandemic, officials recently announced.

The council will resume its conference and regular meetings in person on Tuesday, May 11 at 6 p.m. Members of the public and council members will still have the option of participating via telephone.

The mayor and council met regularly in Town Hall chambers on the second floor until March 2020, when Gov. Phil Murphy issued a series of executive orders aimed at limiting indoor gatherings in response to the first wave of the pandemic.

Council members Vinny Cozzarelli, Naomy De Peña, John Notari, Steve Rovell and Marie Strumolo-Burke, Deputy Mayor Thomas Graziano and Mayor Michael Melham voted unanimously to adopt Resolution 21-111, which calls for their meetings to be held in-person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Their vote at the April 27 council meeting came after Murphy signed Executive Order 230 on March 11, which expanded indoor and outdoor capacity for venues such as casinos and college athletic events, but specifically exempted proceedings of local government for capacity limits and gatherings.

“I think there is a feeling that we communicate better, are more productive and serve the residents of Belleville best when we are all in the same room,” Melham said.

“This is not to say that we won’t continue to exercise caution,” Melham added. “But, since the executive order does not prohibit in-person mayor and council meetings or put capacity restrictions on them, we are going to resume our traditional format for those who are comfortable being there.”

See the Belleville council’s meeting schedule here.

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