Town will allow planning firm to pursue preservation grant

Staff Writer

By mark rosman

Town will allow planning firm
to pursue preservation grant

MANALAPAN — The Township Committee has voted to allow T&M Associates, Middletown, to prepare the necessary paperwork to seek a Planning Incentive Grant from the state. An amount not to exceed $15,000 was approved by the committee for this work on Aug. 8.

Richard Cramer, the township’s planner, previously explained that a $1.5 million grant could be made available to Manalapan on an annual basis for open space preservation purposes if the necessary applications were submitted and required steps were followed.

The funding would be available for as long as the state’s open space trust is in operation, Cramer said.

In order to pursue the grant, he said, municipal officials would have to establish a local agricultural advisory committee. That panel would be charged with the task of developing a farmland element that would become part of the town’s master plan and identify properties to be preserved.

The next application deadline for the Planning Incentive Grant is expected to be near the end of 2001. Getting an application in to the state during this cycle could qualify the town for funding in 2002, according to the planner.

In other business at the Aug. 8 meeting, committee members approved the hiring of Stephen Steinlight as a temporary electrical subcode inspector on an as needed basis at a salary of $25 per hour, plus mileage, effective July 30.

Business Administrator James Dever-eaux told committee members this is an addition to the municipal staff, noting, "At this time these inspectors are worth their weight in gold. It’s hard to find people to do these jobs and we’re recommending this hiring."

Committee members also approved the hiring of Michelle Smallze as assistant deputy court administrator at a salary of $18,199, effective Sept. 4.

Mayor Mary Cozzolino appointed Michelle Roth to the Planning Board to fill the unexpired term of Thomas Pallozi-Haynes, who recently stepped down from the panel. Roth will fill the board’s alternate No. 1 spot until Dec. 31.

Cozzolino appointed Sal Vitale as a full member of the zoning board, moving up from an alternate, to fill the seat held by the late Naomi Friedman. The unexpired term runs through Dec. 31, 2002.

However, the committee’s confirmation of Vitale’s appointment was tabled after Committeeman Stuart Moskovitz charged that at a zoning board meeting earlier this year Vitale, sitting as an alternate, did not recuse himself from an application involving one of his neighbors.

"Not only did Mr. Vitale fail to recuse himself on that application, he grilled his neighbor," Moskovitz said. "It is grounds for his removal from the zoning board. It is not grounds for a promotion. I will vote no on this appointment."

Moskovitz’s charges regarding Vitale led to a discussion among committee members about how to proceed with the confirmation of the mayor’s appointment. Committee members table the confirmation and directed Devereaux to obtain copies of the zoning board minutes in order to determine whether Vitale had recused himself at the meeting in question.

During the public comment session of the meeting, Vitale approached the committee to say that he had recused himself from all of the zoning board hearings regarding his neighbor’s application.

Moskovitz said he read the minutes of the zoning board meetings before making his allegations and wanted the other committee members to do the same.

Vitale responded by telling Moskovitz, "You better read the minutes," to which Moskovitz replied, "What does that mean? Is that a threat?"

A heated exchange between Moskovitz and Vitale followed before Cozzolino asked Vitale to return to his seat in the audience and called for order.

Vitale’s version of the events at the zoning board meetings in question — and his assertion that he had stepped down from hearing his neighbor’s application — were supported by Roth, a member of the zoning board prior to her Planning Board appointment, and current zoning board member Arthur Tortorelli.