MANVILLE: Benefits issues gets comments again

Borough briefs

By Mary Ellen Zangara, Special Writer
    Residents questioned Borough Council’s move to limit future health benefits for public employees at its meeting on Monday night.
    Resident Rudy Nowak questioned the ongoing resolution regarding lifetime health benefits for 15-year-or more employees, did John Mehalick.
    Mr. Mehalick suggested that Manville follow Governor Chris Christie’s lead of asking the employees to pay for part of their benefit. The resolution was amended to include “any employee hired by the borough on or after July 1, 2011, will not be eligible for any Chapter 48 health benefits.”
    The council also approved and renewed all the plenary consumption, plenary retail distribution and club liquor licenses in the borough.
Committee reports
    Lou Petzinger mentioned that the street fair is on Sept. 11 and the farmer’s market began Friday.
    Sherri Lynn said there will be no Board of Health meeting in July; the next meeting will be in September. She also reported that Somerset County issued a press release in the extreme heat a few weeks ago suggesting people could head to their local library to keep cool.
    Richard Onderko said that the Department of Public Works Committee unanimously voted to pull the DPW cars except for DPW head Phil Petrone. He said he attended a conference on the Raritan River and flooding and reported on a new organization, called the Silver Jackets, that had been formed for funding.
    Mr. Fischer had no report but thanked everyone for coming to the meeting. “I want to thank everybody who saw something on this agenda tonight and came out. It says a lot and, in all honesty, I will admit that the decisions going forward do not get any easier.” He also wished everyone a Happy 4th of July.
    Steve Szabo reported that the Finance Committee discussed the financing of future fire department equipment, road improvement and public works. A temporary DPW worker was discussed. Mr. Szabo made it clear that the Finance Committee did not discuss the vehicle issues as he had heard.
    Susan Asher reported that the Safety Committee met and discussed the vehicles and decided to pull all cars except for the chief’s car and the canine vehicle. She said she attended the opening of the farmer’s market, and met with an animal shelter employee, who said that they are having a free adoption of adult cats one year and older to qualified applicants through July 2.