Politics & Government
East Brunswick Council Holds First In-Person Meeting
As COVID vaccination rates exceed 76 percent, Mayor Brad Cohen said the township was in a good position to host in-person meetings again.
EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ – East Brunswick took a big step in its return to normalcy. On Monday, the Town Council held its first in-person meeting in over a year.
“According to Alexa it has been 63 weeks since we've been here,” said council President Sharon Sullivan.
During the meeting, Mayor Brad Cohen reported that the township vaccination rate has exceeded 76 percent, putting it in the “higher end” of Middlesex County. “We are in a good position in terms of vaccination rates and that’s the reason why we opened public buildings, the library and we are all meeting here in public,” Cohen said.
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The mayor said that $1 million was set aside for the township in the recently approved state budget. The funds will go towards the expansion of the Community Arts Center. “It’s a project we’ve been asking for,” Cohen said. “That million is going toward architectural plans.”
As for the plans, East Brunswick is looking to add a black box theatre to the Community Arts Center and an art gallery. The township is also planning to expand the outdoor space to host more plays, much like Edison’s Plays in the Park.
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Cohen also updated the township on various road construction work, which will continue through the next few weeks.
“I just want to thank everybody for working together as a team to get through this pandemic,” Cohen said. The state, county, all worked together... the local government to make sure the people were well informed and that we acted in a manner that protected their health,” he said.
Cohen also thanked East Brunswick residents for being cooperative during the pandemic. “They paid their taxes, which allowed us to stay in the 99 percent collection ratio, even though we were in the midst of an economic recession.”
“Hopefully, we have it (pandemic) behind us and we can look forward to better times ahead.”
Monday's agenda also included a public hearing on cannabis regulation, provision for electric charging stations, liquor licensing, and more.
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