Cohen tapped to chair board
BY KATHY BARATTA
Staff Writer

MANALAPAN - The Planning Board held its annual reorganization meeting on Jan. 11, electing new officers from among its members and appointing the board's professionals.

Richard Cohen was elected chairman of the Planning Board, Don Holland was elected vice chairman and Susan Cohen (no relation to Richard Cohen) was elected secretary. Eleanor Ruggiero remains the board's administrative officer and clerk.

Daniel McCarthy, an attorney with the firm of Rogut, McCarthy, of Cranford, was appointed as the board's attorney. Greg Valesi of CME Engineering, Howell, was reappointed to serve as the board's engineer. Richard Cramer of T&M Associates, Middletown, was reappointed as the board's planner.

Ron Cucchiaro, of the firm Weiner, Lesniak, of Parsippany, was appointed to the position of conflict consulting attorney, and Michael Geller of Geller, Sive, of Howell, was appointed conflict consulting planner.

Following the election of the board's officers and the appointment of the professionals, the board, which meets on the second and fourth Thursday of every month, adopted its meeting schedule for 2007.

When the Township Committee reorganized on Jan. 7, the governing body's appointment of volunteers to the board included township construction official Richard Hogan being reappointed for a one-year term; Holland to a four-year term; Stephen Pine to a four-year term; Herbert Barak to a four-year term; and Richard Farrell to a two-year term as a second alternate.

Deputy Mayor Michelle Roth was designated as the committee's representative on the board along with Mayor Andrew Lucas.