Township officials pledge not to reveal certain info
BY KATHY BARATTA
Staff Writer

MANALAPAN — A confidentiality agreement was signed by some members of the Township Committee at their last meeting of 2006.

After returning to public session following a closed session at the Dec. 27 special meeting, outgoing Mayor Drew Shapiro announced that some members of the governing body had that night signed a confidentiality agreement.

Shapiro explained that the document had been drawn up following a suggestion made by Committeeman Andrew Lucas some time back, although Shapiro said, “I supported (the confidentiality agreement) because I thought it was important.”

The News Transcript obtained a copy of the document.

Titled, Oath of Confidentiality, the document consists of two paragraphs wherein by signing, the governing body member affirms that he or she will not divulge any confidential or privileged information “... that I have been or will be informed of by either individually or during any meetings as it relates wholly or partially to any issue during my service on the governing body of the township of Manalapan.”

The agreement further states, “If [it is] found that I have divulged any confidential/privileged information, I will voluntarily resign my service on the governing body of the township of Manalapan.”

The agreement was signed by Lucas, Shapiro and Deputy Mayor Michelle Roth.

Roth and Shapiro are Democrats; Lucas is a Republican.

Shapiro’s term of office ended on Dec. 31.

“I’m only sorry it wasn’t done sooner,” Shapiro said, noting that the confidentiality agreement was retroactive. He said, “if anybody has breached it this year, it is retroactive.”

Committeeman Anthony Gennaro, who was elected as a Democrat and later declared that he would serve as an independent, did not sign the agreement at the Dec. 27 meeting. He said, “I’ll abstain on this until I have a chance to review it.”

Republican Committeeman Joseph Locricchio, who has missed some meetings recently due to health problems, was not at the Dec. 27 meeting, but was reached afterward and asked his opinion of the merits of a confidentiality agreement.

When asked if he plans to sign the document, Locricchio said he did not have an answer to that question since he had not yet read the agreement, he had only heard about it. He said that since it was his understanding that the agreement had not been drawn up by the township attorney, he would want an attorney to review it before he would “even think of signing it.”

He did, however, question the need for the agreement itself.

“It seems to me like a majority of the Township Committee is attempting to put a gag order on people, perhaps to keep information from the public and if that’s the intent I will never sign it. I will never agree to keep vital information from the residents of this township,” Locricchio said.

Speaking after the meeting, Lucas said, “the importance of keeping privileged information from executive session confidential has nothing to do with keeping secrets from the public, it has everything to do with protecting the township’s interest from parties that have an adverse interest, such as plaintiffs (in litigation) or developers.”

Lucas said he “got tired of executive session information being divulged to persons with interests adverse to the best interests of the town” and that was the reason behind the Oath of Confidentiality.

“If you haven’t leaked anything and aren’t planning to then I wouldn’t see why you would have a reason not to sign it. It says a whole lot if someone doesn’t want to sign it,” he said.

Democratic Committeeman-elect Richard Klauber said he would have no problem signing the agreement if he is asked to do so.