RiverCenter fills two
of four vacancies
By gloria stravelli
Staff Writer
RED BANK — RiverCenter directors did some restructuring at a board meeting this week, appointing two new members and voting to change the board’s makeup.
Four seats are open on the board, and directors approved the nominations of Valerie Aufiero, co-owner of Front Street Trattoria, and Vance Valente, proprietor of Quicksilver, to fill two three-year terms.
Aufiero, who has been in business in Red Bank for 18 years, will fill the seat vacated by Sharon Rivera, who moved out of state and whose term expires in December.
Valente, a member of the downtown business community for 30 years, will fill the seat vacated by Mark Van Wagner, who resigned due to the demands of his business schedule and whose term will expire in December 2003.
At the same time, directors approved a change in the bylaws of the downtown business alliance that would eliminate the seat now filled by a representative of the borough Planning Board. The change requires the approval of the mayor and Borough Council.
According to Jack Readie, chairman of the nominating committee, the change is being proposed because Planning Board representatives have been unable to attend meetings due to scheduling conflicts.
"It’s been hard to identify someone on the Planning Board who can make it to meetings," said Readie. "We need someone to show up; we’re a working board."
Board directors proposed converting the Planning Board’s seat to a seat held by an owner or tenant of a building assessed at more than $500,000, increasing that category of representation on the board.
When asked about criticism that there is not enough change on the board, Readie said there has been a turnover of 31 board members over the previous four years.
The fourth board vacancy was created when Margaret Mass, a resident representative on the board, resigned to accept a position as executive director of the new Red Bank Visitors Center. Her seat is filled by mayoral appointment.
The full RiverCenter board has 30 members appointed for three-year terms. The board is composed of representatives from the Borough Council and Planning Board; the mayor or his designee; two resident representatives; representatives of Riverview Medical Center, the Monmouth County Arts Council and the Eastern Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce, all appointees; and 22 elected members.
Of the 22 elected members, five are at-large members and 17 are members of the Business Improvement District (BID). Six of those BID members are property owners or tenants of buildings assessed at more than $500,000.
RiverCenter is the nonprofit corporation created to manage the borough’s Special Improvement District.