Jackson council names township professionals
BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer

JACKSON - A list of mayoral appointees for 2007 was given the nod of approval by members of the Township Council on Jan. 2.

Council members voted 5-0 in favor of all of the appointments, with the exception of two appointments which were 4-0 votes with one abstention.

Councilman Scott Martin abstained without comment in two appointments, one for public defender Dina Vicari, of R.C. Shea and Associates, and the other for rent leveling board accountant Juan Bellu, of Juan Bellu and Associates.

Mayor Mark Seda said, "We made appointments on July 1 (when the new council took office) based on proposals and to date the professionals who were appointed have done a phenomenal job in helping myself and the council in getting a grasp on the many issues facing the township. I recommended them [all] for reappointment."

One new firm, Commerce Insurance Services, was appointed as Jackson's risk management consultant.

Seda said he was pleased the council members agreed with his appointments or recommendations and that the members of the governing body see the value of appointing good professionals who are responsible and who respond back to residents' issues.

"[These professionals] are able to help the council and myself get a grip on the issues that face Jackson," Seda said. "Therefore, I recommend reappointing the same professionals."

Receiving full council approval for the mayoral appointments were: George R. Gilmore, of Gilmore and Monahan, as township attorney; John Russo, of Russo and Cassidy, as affordable housing attorney; and John O. Bennett, of Dilworth Paxson, LLP, as bond counsel.

The council also approved the following appointments: environmental engineer, Larry French, of French and Parrello Associates; special projects engineers, Remington and Vernick, Gravatt Consulting Group, French and Parrello Associates, and O'Donnell, Stanton and Associates Inc.; municipal prosecutor, John Coronato, or Mulvaney, Coronato and Brady; tax map maintainer, Reming-ton and Vernick; township engineer, Charlie Rooney, of T&M Associates; and township planner, Remington and Vernick.

Also appointed were: open space consultant, Andrew L. Strauss; affordable housing rehabilitation program administrator, Rehabco Inc.; labor counsel, James W. Holzapfel, of Citta, Holzapfel; rent leveling board attorney, Brian Rumpf; an municipal auditor, William E. Antonides, of William E. Antonides and Company.

In other business, the council approved Councilwoman Ann Updegrave as Jackson's representative to the Ocean County Community Development Block Grant program and Councilman Jason Gudaitis as the alternate representative.