Manalapan begins search for new administrator Alayne M. Shepler leaves position after two years BY KATHY BARATTA Staff Writer Alayne Shepler After two years in the position, Manalapan Township Administrator Alayne M. Shepler resigned from her post effective Dec. 1. Shepler had been Manalapan's administrator since Jan. 1, 2004. Assistant Administrator Tara Lovrich has been serving as the acting administrator for more than a month due to Shepler's absence over the same period of time. Stepping into the administrator's position on an acting basis may have given Lovrich a bipartisan boost over other candidates who decide to apply for the job. Democratic Mayor Drew Shapiro and Republican Township Committeeman Andrew Lucas said they believe Lovrich has proved she is the ideal choice for the job. Both men said essentially the same thing - that Lovrich has been doing the job of administrator for more than a month and that the transition for her to go from acting administrator to administrator would afford the smoothest transition possible. Committeeman Anthony Gennaro, who is serving as an independent member of the Township Committee, offered a different perspective when asked if he would support Lovrich being named administrator. He said, "I have no opinion on that, on her moving up to take over. Right now we're following the process. We've posted the job, so I remain open-minded at this point." Republican Committeeman Joseph Locricchio and Democratic Deputy Mayor Michelle Roth were unavailable for comment by press time Monday. Shapiro said he knows Roth shares his assessment of Lovrich and his sentiments regarding Lovrich being elevated to administrator. Manalapan officials placed a legal notice in the Asbury Park Press on Dec. 4 advertising the position of township administrator. The legal notice states that the person selected for the position will oversee the day-to-day operations of a community with 34,000 residents, 175 employees and a $28 million budget. The notice states that the candidate "must demonstrate a high degree of proficiency in finance and budgeting, grant writing, labor negotiations, public relations, growth management, open space preservation and long-range planning." It states that township officials "prefer a candidate with a degree in business management or administration and that has municipal administrative and operational experience." The notice does not state what salary the successful candidate will be paid. It states that the salary will be commensurate with experience. The notice does not give a deadline for the submission of resumes, nor does it state when the governing body will appoint a new administrator. Shapiro's term on the committee will end on Dec. 31. Speaking of Lovrich's performance so far in terms of the duties of township administrator, Shapiro said Shepler "has been out for over a month now and Tara has had more than four weeks to show the township what she is capable of and I would be hard put to find anybody who couldn't say Tara has done anything but a great job in keeping things running smoothly." Shapiro said that in addition to displaying her abilities as it relates to the nuts and bolts of the municipal operation, Lovrich, who holds a master's degree in public administration, also enjoys the respect and good will of township employees. He noted that under the present township ordinance, applicants for the position of administrator are not required to hold any particular certifications or degrees. While Lucas said the position should be "open to all qualified applicants so we can get the best candidate for the job," he echoed Shapiro's comments regarding Lovrich's abilities and as to whether he would be in favor of promoting her. "The fact that she has been doing the job, and an exemplary one at that, certainly makes her (Lovrich) the best candidate to date," Lucas said. Reached on Dec. 4, Lovrich, who said she has been employed in Manalapan for four years, said she would welcome an appointment as administrator. In related news, Shepler had recently assigned a three-day suspension against Director of Recreation Jerry Collincini for an issue related to job performance. The suspension was put on hold pending a hearing in the matter. Lucas said it is his understanding that since Shepler is no longer a township employee, the scheduling of a hearing for Collincini becomes moot. He said he believes Shepler's call for Collincini's suspension to have been terminated with Shepler's employment. Shepler was hired by the Township Committee in late 2003 to become Manalapan's administrator. Manalapan had been without a full-time administrator since James Devereaux resigned earlier that year. Robert Casey, the former administrator of Freehold Borough, filled the position on a part-time basis after Devereaux left the township. The committee's vote to hire Shepler was 3-2. Shapiro, who was mayor in 2003, Deputy Mayor Rebecca Aaronson and Committeewoman Beth Ward voted to hire Shepler. Committeeman William Scherer and Committeewoman Mary Cozzolino voted no on the resolution naming Shepler.