Mayor Expects to Hear About Irene at Brown Bag Lunch

Bernards Township Mayor John Malay has scheduled another community-wide “brown bag” lunch for this Saturday, an informal get-together where residents are invited to bring their own lunches and discuss with him township matters, according to a township announcement.

The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday at The Hills Recreation Center, 75 Hansom Road, in Basking Ridge.

Following Tuesday's Township Committee meeting, Malay said he expects that he will hear residents talk and ask questions about their experiences which hit the area on Aug. 28.

Previously during the meeting, the governing body had approved a resolution thanking local and other emergency responders for their actions during the storm, but calling for an investigation into the response of regarding the power company's ability to cope with widespread power outages following the storm.

However, Malay said residents are sure to raise other subjects, especially since there is no agenda for issues raised during the lunch.

The lunches are a way to "find out what's on people's minds," Malay said before the first of this year's scheduled brown bag lunches, held in March at the municipal building. A second lunch was held in June at Fellowship Village retirement center.

"It's a way to have a more informal interaction with the residents that (for them) to get up at public comment during a regular meeting," Malay said.

Holding the lunch on Saturday should help some residents provide input who might otherwise might not be able to attend regular meetings, the Malay said.

No preregistration is required.

For more information on this event, contact Denise Szabo, township clerk, at (908) 204-3001.