MANVILLE: Cornelson to serve as rec director

Mayor breaks council tie for interim appointment

By Mary Ellen Day, Special Writer
   Stephanie Cornelson was appointed interim recreation director by the Borough Council Monday night, with Mayor Angelo Corradino breaking a tie vote.
   The interim appointment will end upon appointment of a permanent Director of Recreation, according to the council’s resolution. The appointment is part time with no health benefits and includes the complete administration of the existing programs and events. Compensation is $300 a week with an average of 20 hours a week including evenings, weekends and weekdays, the resolution said.
   Ms. Cornelson is a resident and the borough’s current Municipal Alliance and Youth Service coordinator. She is also a member of the Manville Board of Education.
   The six council members split their votes, with Councilmen Steve Szabo and Richard Onderko and Councilwoman Susan Asher voting no, with Council President Sherri Lynn and Councilmen Lou Petzinger and Ed Komoroski voting yes. Mayor Corradino broke the tie to pass the resolution appointing Ms. Cornelson.
   Councilman Szabo made a comment and read from the police report from the May 19, 2012, softball tournament, which Ms. Cornelson co-chaired with then Recreation Director Richard Armstrong.
   Mr. Szabo told the council and residents that, “Cornelson stated she was a co-organizer of the softball tournament along with Manville Recreation. She attended the event and was watching the championship game when she heard that somebody was drunk and passed out in a tent. Cornelson stated that she saw this person, apparently passed out, in a pop-up tent with a can of beer in his hand. She said this person had been playing for the Manville Recreation softball team which had made it to the championship game. Cornelson stated she did not know who brought the alcohol onto the school grounds and concluded by stating the permit application states there is to be no alcohol allowed on school grounds. The tournament permit was issued to her and this person.”
   The police report can be found at http://ogtf.lpcnj.org/2012/2012243uf//ManvilleReport.pdf.
   ”I don’t think that this person (Cornelson) is qualified to do this. Being that she was involved in this scandal that rocked this town since May,” said Mr. Szabo.
   The mayor interrupted, saying “First of all, it was no scandal. It was an incident that was addressed and it may have been a scandal in your mind.”
   Mr. Szabo also pointed out that Ms. Cornelson is also in the Alliance and wanted to know if she was going to take two paid jobs. Mayor Corradino replied that “she could do both under one salary.”
   The resolution states that the Recreation Department is in need of an interim director to organize and administer its program. Without someone to organize and administer the Recreation Department, there would be no winter programs including wrestling, basketball, walking, senior exercise programs and holiday programs.
   Ms. Asher said that Ms. Corneslon is a current member of the Manville Board of Education and Ms. Asher asked the mayor and Borough Attorney Francis Linnus if someone looked into it whether Ms. Cornelson could hold the position and both the mayor and borough attorney said neither looked into it.
   The council also passed a resolution to have Jersey Professional Management complete an analysis of the borough departments and assist in the search for qualified persons. Jersey Professional Management will be awarded the contract for up to $7,500 to help with how the filling of the recreation position should be done.