MANALAPAN — The attendance record of a township committeewoman at meetings of a county farmland preservation board has been questioned by a resident.
During the public portion of the Aug. 22 Township Committee meeting, resident Susan Heckler charged that Deputy Mayor Rebecca Aaronson’s failure to attend Monmouth County Agriculture Develop-ment Board meetings was costing Manal-apan farms points on a preservation ranking system.
Aaronson is the committee’s liaison to the board.
Heckler said the points decide how one farm rates against others seeking preservation funding and are a factor in which farms are funded for preservation.
"Two years ago our township was awarded 24 points on an application," said Heckler. "This year we have 12 to 18 points where we would have had 25. Two points were taken away this year because the county does not feel we have an active municipal liaison to the agriculture development board. According to the board’s records, Ms. Aaronson is the liaison and has been to no meetings since January."
Heckler explained that the two points were very significant.
"What’s two points out of 200? It’s no big deal," Heckler said. "But (farmland preservation administrator) Ms. (Karen) Fedosh said it could raise an application up 12 slots."
Business Administrator James Devereaux said the county "has told us we have a model program, so all of this comes as a shock. As far as programs with the county, we’re doing everything that has to be submitted."
Mayor Mary Cozzolino said she would like to see documentation to back up Heckler’s allegations.
Committeeman Stuart Moskovitz said he had contacted Fedosh and asserted that Heckler’s allegations were true. Additionally, he said an annual resolution indicating the township’s commitment level had not been filed.
"We didn’t do it this year and that’s why we lost the (other) five points," said Moskovitz. "Our municipal liaison has attended none of those meetings, jeopardizing our farmland preservation program."
Responding to the statements made by Heckler, Aaronson said, "It’s difficult to attend meetings you don’t know about. I’ve never been notified of any meetings."
In a subsequent conversation, Aaronson defended her attendance record to the boards for whom she is a liaison, including the town’s shade tree, open space and transportation committees.
"I believe I missed one transportation meeting because of a family conflict," said the deputy mayor. "I attend every meeting that I am liaison to. I don’t get notices. I know (when) they meet. Any meetings that are scheduled, I make it my business to attend, because it’s my responsibility. I’m not someone who shirks my responsibility. I do what I’m supposed to do. I certainly would have gone (to the county meetings) if I had gotten a notice. If I don’t know it exists, I can’t do anything about it. I don’t know how they can take points away for something we were unaware of. We named a liaison and you would think that they would have the responsibility to notify that person."
Fedosh confirmed that Aaronson is not on her mailing list, since she has not come to the meetings.
"Ms. Aaronson is correct. I have not directly mailed her anything, but the township is aware of when our meetings are and what the agenda items are," she said, adding that the point system used to determine farmland preservation rankings is being reviewed and may be revised.
Township Clerk Rose Ann Weeden said her office did not receive notification of the county meetings.
Devereaux said he spoke with Fedosh and was told that because of a lack of manpower, she had not yet been able to review all of the applications and information for the year.
"She did say that if she had to make a decision today there is a possibility that we could lose two points for not having a representative at the meeting," he said, noting that Manalapan has provided everything else required. "We’re not willing to give up on those two points yet," he added.
According to Devereaux, the meeting notices had been mailed to the home of former Committeewoman Noreen Hanlon, who previously served as the committee’s liaison to the agriculture development board.
Hanlon said some of the notices were sent to her home.
"It was not Rebecca’s fault," Hanlon said, "The (county) board was never informed to change the address."
Aaronson is a Democratic candidate for the Monmouth County Board of Free-holders.

