By Doug Carman, Staff Writer
HIGHTSTOWN Former councilman Mike Vanderbeck was unanimously voted back into the Borough Council after a labored interview process Monday evening that evoked an occasional barb from citizens involved in the selection process.
Mr. Vanderbeck, a Democrat, was sworn in to replace former councilman Dimitri Musing, also a Democrat, who resigned in protest last month while alleging the council delayed action on an ordinance granting legal indemnity to itself and other borough employees. Gail Doran, a high school science teacher in Monmouth County, and Hightstown First Aid Squad trustee Eugene Sarafin were also nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to replace Mr. Musing.
”The new guy says ‘thank you, council.’ I think that was a great exercise,” Mr. Vanderbeck said from the dais after being sworn in.
Mr. Vanderbeck, who owns and operates the Slowdown Café, described his election Monday as “a bit of déjà vu.” He previously joined the council in 1999 to fill a vacancy left by Amy Aughenbaugh, when she left her council seat to become the borough’s mayor. He was since elected to a three-year term and served as council president in 2001 and 2002, though [jsa: from TK year to TK year :]he left the seat in an unsuccessful bid for mayor in the 2002 Democratic primary against Ms. Aughenbaugh. More recently, he was a member of the borough’s Economic Development Council.
During the interviews, Mr. Vanderbeck expressed that even though he was considering it, he currently would not commit to seeking election in November to serve the last year of Mr. Musing’s unfinished term.
Despite the unanimous vote to seat Mr. Vanderbeck, there was still some contention ahead of the vote.
Republican council members Lynne Woods, Selena Bibens and Skye Gilmartin said they were looking for someone with experience to counterbalance the rest of the council. Of the five, Mr. Quattrone was the only member to have served more than a single term before Mr. Vanderbeck joined them.
”With so many new council members, (it’s) important to fill this position and hit the ground running,” Ms. Woods said.
Council President Isabel McGinty, however, blasted the rest of the council and accused it of not considering the interviews. [jsa: other candidates.: ]”We had an [jsa: (an) : ]informed discussion here for over an hour and three quarters … and now we’re being asked to make a hard decision,” she said. “If we’re just going to do it on experience alone, we could have voted on those three resumes for who spent the most time on council. … Why did we have this public discussion?”
Mr. Vanderbeck, Mr. Sarafin and Ms. Doran answered questions from the council during the selection process.
Mr. Vanderbeck said he wanted Hightstown to position itself for the anticipated growth down the New Jersey Turnpike, saying the borough can either use it to its economic advantage or remain a tourist stop until it’s annexed into another community.
When Ms. McGinty asked him about the most urgent matter facing the council, he pointed right at her.
”From a public point-of-view, [jsa: (for the public) : dsc: yes, that’s how I understood what he said. ]to come to a council meeting and to see divisions, that should not occur. There is no common vision on the council,” Mr. Vanderbeck said. “I think Council Member McGinty, you as council president have been remiss in not being able to bring people along with you on what you think, that needs to be addressed, and that is number one. …You guys have to act as one body.”
Ms. Doran expressed concern about the borough’s transparency. She told the council she wanted to work to retain the small-town character of Hightstown while maintaining sustainable growth, expressing concern over the long-term development and economic prospects.
”We are on a wild ride downhill with no brakes,” Ms. Doran said.
Mr. Sarafin said he wanted the council to re-examine the long-term benefits of running its own water and sewer systems, alleging it costs too much. He also stated that more people in Hightstown needed to get involved with its government.

