Scarpelli says his office has more weight to get things done than GOP’s board
BY JENNIFER DOME
Staff Writer
BRICK — There are now two traffic committees being formed in the township — one headed by the Democratic mayor, and one headed by a Republican council member.
Mayor Joseph Scarpelli announced last week that he will bring together township residents and professionals to form M-TAC — a Mayor’s Transportation Advisory Committee.
The committee’s goals are to look at the township’s transportation needs; identify traffic problem areas and recommend solutions; and educate the public about transportation options and promote their use, according to a March 16 press release from the mayor’s office.
“Whether it’s work or recreation or just daily living, our lives are dependent upon getting from point A to point B,” Scarpelli said in the release. “The mission of the M-TAC will be to identify and hopefully implement ways to improve our residents’ transportation.”
Councilman Anthony Matthews said last Thursday that he was surprised to hear about the mayor forming a transportation committee, especially because he held a meeting with residents on traffic late last year with the intention of forming such an advisory board.
“The problem is the mayor’s office never shares anything with the council,” Matthews said. “I find out too many things after the fact.”
Matthews and Acropolis, both Republicans, said that ever since they went with Ocean County Engineer Ronald Lotrecchio to meet with the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) in Newark recently, the mayor and his administration have been out to prove that they have been working on traffic problems in the township, particularly Route 70’s “missing mile” between Brick Boulevard and Duquesne Boulevard.
“Everything up to this point has been a facade,” Matthews said. “I think what people are trying to do is back track and cover their tracks a little bit.”
Scarpelli said Friday that he feels the Republican council members have been trying to embarrass his administration as far as traffic concerns go. He said that a few years ago a task force met to look at traffic problems and since then the township’s traffic engineer, Mark Kataryniak, has been working on solutions, particularly for the missing mile. Kataryniak gave a presentation to the council outlining some possible improvements to the area and also met with the township Planning Board March 16 on the same issue.
“We did our homework,” Scarpelli said, adding that he thinks the implementation of the improvements will be accelerated since the township has taken the time to research the traffic problems intimately.
Matthews’ committee has only met once, Scarpelli said, and so far they haven’t accomplished anything.
“The prestige of the mayor’s office carries a lot more weight than the council,” Scarpelli said. “I have the tools to do things.”
Scarpelli said he and his administration have been working on these issues for years. “I just don’t run to the papers with everything,” he said.
Last week, Scarpelli said, he met with representatives from the state Department of Transportation and they discussed the missing mile.
“They were very interested,” Scarpelli said.
Matthews said he would like a traffic advisory committee that’s established by the council — not just controlled by the mayor.
“Others want to say we’re cooperating, but unfortunately that’s not being done,” Matthews said.
Acropolis pointed out that most committees or township boards have members appointed to them by the Township Council members. If the Republicans are in control, they generally nominate the members; but if the Democrats are in control of the council, they appoint members.
“Instead of working together, it’s going to be separate,” Acropolis said.
He said that Matthews wanted to form the committee because “the council was tired of waiting for the mayor to get involved with this stuff.
“The mayor is looking to grab headlines in an election year,” Acropolis added.
Scarpelli said that this may be an election year, but he felt the time was right to bring the experts in the field together.
“The information going out to the public won’t be political because it’s coming from a citizens group,” the mayor said.
“If one of them would like to go on the committee, that’s fine,” he added, referring to the Republican council members.
Scarpelli has already appointed an implementation coordinator for M-TAC, Sal Petoia. According to the March 16 press release, Petoia has lived in Brick for 40 years and is a member of the Central Jersey Rail Coalition and the Ocean County Transportation Advisory Board. He is also a former Board of Education member and sits on the Brick Township Municipal Utilities Authority.
For those interested in serving on M-TAC, résumés may be sent to the mayor’s office, 401 Chambers Bridge Road, Brick, 08723. Scarpelli said he expects to finalize his appointments within 30 days and have the committee up and running in 60 days.
For more information, contact the township public information officer, Bryan J. Dickerson, at (732) 262-1010.