WEST AMWELL: Molnar repeats as township mayor

By Linda Seida, Staff Writer
   WEST AMWELL — Thomas Molnar will be the township’s mayor for the second year in a row. He was returned to office Saturday (Jan. 1) during the township’s annual reorganization meeting.
   Also on Saturday, the Township Committee reverted to an entirely Republican body after several years of integration with Democrats.
   Normally, mayors in West Amwell do not serve consecutive terms.
   Traditionally the Township Committee member who is serving the last year of a three-year term takes the mayor’s office. In 2011, the tradition gives the seat to Mr. Molnar.
   In 2010, Mr. Molnar became mayor out of order when the only Democrat on the committee, Frank Masterson III, who was slated to become mayor himself, stepped aside and voted to install Mr. Molnar.
   With Zachary Rich sworn in on New Year’s Day to replace Mr. Masterson, the three-member committee reverts to an all-Republican governing body. This is Mr. Rich’s first term, and he will serve for three years.
   It’s possible that change may be coming to the governing body. Two citizens, one of them a former West Amwell mayor, Carolyn Deal, urged officials to give serious consideration to giving voters a voice in whether to expand the Township Committee from three members to five. The committee did not vote on the proposal, but said it would consider a non-binding referendum.
   Also during the reorganization, Mayor Molnar made appointments to various commissions and committees.
   The mayor reinstated the ad hoc Country Fair Committee, which was disbanded last year. He has appointed only two members so far, Breanna Fulper and former township clerk Betty Jane Hunt. Ms. Hunt also will serve on the Agricultural Advisory Committee.
   Mayor Molnar is a Class 1 member of the Planning Board, with Committeeman George Fisher serving as a Class 3 member. Township Zoning Officer Lonnie Baldino is a Class 2 member. Robert Tomenchok will serve as an alternate. Mr. Baldino will serve for one year. Other board members serve for four years.
   Reappointed to four years on the Zoning Board of Adjustment were John Cronce, David Sanzalone and Ruth Hall. John Hoff was appointed to a two-year term as an alternate.
   Ernie Andreoli and Alison Sommers-Sayre were reappointed to the Open Space Committee. Kyle Kilmer is a new appointee to Open Space.
   Cathy Urbanski was reappointed chairwoman of the Environmental Commission, a position she has held since 2006. She has served on the commission since 2005. The mayor also appointed Arthur Neufeld to serve as a commission member for a term of three years. Charity Hall and Robert Piel were reappointed for three years.
   Reappointed to the Recycling Committee were Kenneth Hart, Jeff Slowick, Randy Hoagland, Nella Hamtil and Paul Cronce.
   Porter Little is the committee’s Solid Waste Advisory Council representative.
   Township Committeeman Fisher is the liaison to the governing body.
   Karen Rissmiller and Heidi Tomenchok were reappointed to serve on Parks and Recreation.
   Jill Haug and Tom Davis were reappointed to the Community Forestry Committee.