Red Bank has introduced two measures intended to lure more business to the city.
During its meeting Tuesday evening, the Red Bank City Commission voted to approve first reading of a "brown bagging" ordinance, which would allow restaurants to give their customers the option to bring liquor or wine to drink with their meals.
"It will promote business in Red Bank," Mayor Monty Millard said during the meeting.
The commission was approached with the idea by the owners of new Dayton Boulevard restaurant Old Saigon, he said.
Commissioners Floy Pierce and Ruth Jeno both hesitated at the idea, concerned with how the measure might influence the city's reputation.
"I don't have anything against anybody drinking, we just don't want to send out a signal to our young folk," said Pierce. "And I don't know if it would really bring other businesses into our city."
Both Jeno and Pierce agreed to the resolution after City Attorney Arnold Stulce told them that there is currently no ordinance that actually prohibits brown bagging in Red Bank.
"Essentially, it just makes it something we can regulate more closely," City Manager Chris Dorsey explained after the meeting.
The council also introduced a measure to allow property tax incentives for "economic development."
According to Dorsey, the measure -- if enacted -- would freeze a prospective business's property taxes to a "pre-development" level, excluding them from future tax hikes.
Millard said the ordinance, which is still being tweaked, is something the city could use to attract larger companies to the area.
"We want to already have it in place so that we can use it to entice business here," said Millard, who noted that Red Bank was not courting any businesses in particular.
Because the ordinance isn't ready, the council will not discuss the measure until its Aug. 2 meeting.