Montville to Revisit 2 Appointments

The Township Committee will revisit two of Montville's professional services agreements after 90 days because they deal with ongoing issues of concern for the governing body and some committee members said the town's new chief financial officer should have a chance to offer her input on which businesses get the contracts.

The approved by a 3-2 vote 90-day agreements with bond counsel McManimon & Scotland LLC and with Water & Sewer Department consulting engineer Anderson & Denzler Associates. Both businesses provided services to the town last year.

Mayor Tim Braden and Committeewoman Deb Nielson voted against the 90-day periods, saying the Township Committee should have approved the agreements for a full year because there is not enough time to solicit proposals from other businesses and changing the appointments would be disruptive at a time when the town already has a new CFO, an interim administrator and an ongoing search to decide who the permanent administrator will be.

Committeeman Scott Gallopo proposed the 90-day appointments, saying he would have implemented the 90-day period for all appointments until the town received input from the CFO, but settled on those two appointments in particular. Deputy Mayor Don Kostka and Committeeman Jim Sandham voted in agreement.

"I don't want to bind this committee," Gallopo said.

Gallopo and other committee members have raised concerns with and the fact that the surplus wasn't addressed in 2011. Gallopo also has said he is concerned with a bond ordinance for a project designed to bring Plausha Park water system customers into the township's water system. All bids for the water project were in excess of the amount approved in the bond ordinance.

Montville's appointments were the same as the previous year, with the exception of CFO Katie Yanke serving as public agency compliance officer this year instead of Robert Lowenfish, who served in that role last year when he was the town's interim director of finance as it searched for a permanent CFO.

Agreements and Appointments Approved at the Reorganization Meeting:

1. Resolution Authorizing Professional Services Agreements:
   • Attorney – Murphy & McKeon, P.C. (Martin F. Murphy, Attorney)
   • Labor Counsel – Knapp, Trimboli & Prusinowski, LLC (Fredric M. Knapp, Esq.)
   • Auditor – Lerch, Vinci & Higgins (Gary J. Vinci, Auditor)
   • Bond Counsel – McManimon & Scotland, LLC (Edward J. McManimon, III, Attorney)
   • Water & Sewer Department Consulting Engineer – Anderson & Denzler Associates
2. Appointment of Municipal Judge, Three year term – Joseph Deming, Esq.
3. Appointment of Municipal Prosecutor, One year term – Daniel Danzi, Esq.
4. Appointment of Special Municipal Prosecutor, One year term – Denis Driscoll, Esq.
5. Appointment of Municipal Public Defender, One year term – David Amadio, Esq.
6. Appointment of Tax Searcher, Christine Corcoran; and Improvement Searcher, Gertrude Atkinson
7. Appointment of Public Agency Compliance Officer – Katie Yanke
8. Appointment of Qualified Purchasing Agent – Frances L. Vanderhoof