The Belmar Borough Council and mayor met at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, at Borough Hall, 601 Main Street. 

(The meeting agenda is attached in the PDF section of this story.)

Members of the Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh presented the governing body with a World Trade Center cross. 

For the second time this year, the governing body adopted an amendment to an ordinance governing secondary dwellings in the borough.

In June, the same ordinance was adopted unanimously intended to lift the age restriction on tenants of secondary dwellings, as well give residents incentives to spruce up both their primary homes and back houses. 

However, during a following meeting, it came to light that Republican Councilman Jim Bean owned a back house and the borough's attorney said that, out of an "abundance of caution," the councilman should have recused himself from the discussion and abstained from voting. 

So the governing body had to hit the proverbial "reset button" on the ordinance and start over, this time with Bean recused from the process. 

On Wednesday, despite Borough Attorney Michael DuPont's recommendation Bean recuse himself from discussion and the vote, the councilman defied counsel and cast a "yes" vote to adopt the amendment. 

DuPont instructed Borough Clerk April Claudio to strike Bean's vote from the official record. 

Check out the details in the above transcript.