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Toms River council adopts new 2025 meeting rules after divided debate over 4 p.m. start and public-comment limits
Summary
The council approved a resolution setting meeting rules for 2025 that move many regular meetings earlier and limit public-comment mechanics; the proposal prompted several council members and residents to say the changes reduce public participation.
The Toms River Township Council approved a resolution establishing rules and regulations for calendar year 2025 after a contentious reorganization meeting that included a failed motion to table and extended public debate.
The adopted rules change meeting procedures, including a regular meeting start time moved earlier in the day and a tighter structure for public comment: a single 60-minute public comment period with three-minute limits per speaker, a requirement to state full name and address, and a procedural practice asking council members to cast roll-call votes before offering explanations. Council members and members of the public sharply disagreed over whether the rules would reduce public access.
Councilman Quinlisk led a motion to table the rules; Quinlisk moved to table and the motion was recorded as seconded by Councilman Nieveson. In the roll call on that motion, Councilman Quinlisk, Councilman Nieveson, Councilman Byrne and Councilman Zuccozzi voted to table. Councilwoman Lynn O'Toole, Council Vice President Greg Coleman and Council President Justin Lam voted against tabling. The motion to table did not carry.
After debate, Council Vice President Greg Coleman moved to approve the rules; Councilwoman Lynn O'Toole seconded. The council debated changes including: requiring members to record votes before offering floor comments to make it easier for the clerk to record votes; moving regular meetings earlier to reduce overtime and comp time for township department heads; and allowing additional online outlets to receive legal notices in addition to traditional newspapers.
Councilman Sikozi said he opposed the rules as written, arguing they “reduce the amount of time that anybody has an opportunity to say or do anything,” and said, “My vote is obviously no.” Council President Lam defended the changes as necessary to keep order and to reduce costs from long evening meetings, saying the rules “provide order in our meetings going forward.” Mayor Roderick backed moving meetings earlier as a fiscal measure and said meetings are streamed and remain available to watch later.
The resolution also added an option to list additional online publications for statutory legal notices; some council members questioned whether adding a paid online outlet used by the township created a conflict or a preferential arrangement. The administration said the change offers additional outlets that may publish notices more quickly in time-sensitive cases.
The council then moved through a consent agenda and recorded roll calls on several consent items (letters N, Q and R were considered on request and voted on separately). The council president said the rules could be revisited in the future, but that for now the council would proceed under the adopted process to keep meetings orderly and to aid clerks in maintaining an accurate record.
