Cantor, Rosenthal picked to lead Marlboro council
BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer

MARLBORO - Jeff Cantor was reelected president and Steve Rosenthal was re-elected vice president when the Marlboro Township Council held its reorganization meeting for 2008 on Jan. 3 at Town Hall.

Members of Boy Scout Troop 86 were on hand to lead the Pledge of Allegiance as the evening's business got under way. The Boy Scouts present included Kenny Mohr, Andrew Ahn, Nick Bentivenga, John De Carlo, Scott Mitsching and Max Spano.

As part of the reorganization, council members were appointed as liaisons to various boards and commissions.

Councilwoman Randi Marder and Councilwoman Rosa Tragni will be the council's representatives to the Marlboro Education and Government Group.

Tragni will also be the liaison to the Marlboro Board of Education, the Marlboro Swim Club and the Youth Exchange Advisory Committee. Marder will be the liaison to the Open Space Committee and Senior Advisory Committee.

Working with the Recreation Commission will be Rosenthal, while Councilman Frank LaRocca will work with the Environmental Commission. LaRocca was named to sit on the Planning Board.

Former councilman Joseph Pernice, whose term ended on Dec. 31, was named the council's liaison to the Western Monmouth Utilities Authority.

Attorney Kenneth Biedzynski, of the firm Goldzweig, Green, Eiger and Biedzynski, was appointed special counsel for Marlboro's affordable housing matters. Biedzynski will receive an hourly rate of $135 for legal services and $80 for paralegal services. According to the resolution appointing him, there are funds available for this purpose in the 2008 municipal budget.

The firm Heyer, Gruel and Associates, of New Brunswick, has been appointed township planner and will receive compensation of $135 an hour.

Attorney Michael DuPont, of the firm McKenna, DuPont, Higgins and Stone, was named Marlboro's public defender as necessary for the administration of justice and the effective, fair and equal representation of the poor in Marlboro's municipal court, according to the resolution.

In other business, Matthew Weilheimer was appointed to the Zoning Board of Adjustment to serve as a regular member for a four-year term. Steven Pitchon will now be serving as a member of the zoning board for a two-year term as Alternate No. 2. Michael Mahon was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Cindy Sarna. His term will expire on Dec. 31, 2010.

Mayor Jonathan Hornik reappointed Heidi Rajan to the Agriculture Advisory Committee for a term of two years, designating her as the chairwoman for 2008. Thomas Chenal was also appointed the committee for a term of two years.

For the Youth Exchange Advisory Committee, which works with Marlboro's sister city of Nanto City, Japan, four members were reappointed. Hide Pece, Rita Scalzo, Paula Truppo and Denise Swartz were appointed for three-year terms. Truppo was named chairwoman for one year. Herbert Resnick was appointed to an unexpired term on the panel. His term will end on Dec. 31.

The council also appointed Richard Previte to a five-year term, beginning Feb. 1, on the Marlboro Township Municipal Utilities Authority. Previte will be compensated for his services in an amount not to exceed $2,000 a year.

Business Administrator Alayne Shepler was appointed as community development representative with Robert DiMarco, of the public works department, as her alternate. Shepler will also act as a coordinator to facilitate compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, again with DiMarco as deputy or alternate coordinator. Shirley Giaquinto was named the

tax search officer for the township.

Cantor said he was excited

for Giaquinto, calling

her the "nicest lady."

A resolution adopting

a temporary budget was

also approved on Jan 3.

According to the resolution,

the appropriations

will not exceed 26.25 percent of the total appropriations made for all purposes in the budget for the preceding fiscal year, excluding appropriations made for interest and debt redemption charges and the capital improvement fund.

The 26.25 percent of the budget for 2008 is $7.1 million and the swim utility budget at $274,975, according to the resolution. These appropriations were made for the first three months of 2008.

A resolution was also passed to acquire a New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Green Acres grant in the amount of $4.7 million. The township is seeking the grant for a recreation and open space acquisition, according to the resolution.

In other news, Hornik reported a power outage that occurred on Dec. 24 and affected the Marlboro Greens adult community on Route 9 near Union Hill Road, which lasted for about 10 hours.

Hornik said the administration is looking into why the power outage occurred and why telephone calls to a hotline were bounced to an automatic answering service with no one there to help.

Hornik said he learned about the power outage at Marlboro Greens in an e-mail message from a resident. He asked residents to do the same in similar situations.

The next council meeting will be held on Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. in Town Hall.