By KATHY CHANG
Staff Writer
MILLTOWN — Four candidates are vying for two available seats on the Borough Council in the upcoming election.
Incumbent Republican candidate Doriann Kerber and her runningmate Richard J. Revolinsky will face Democrat newcomers Felipe Zambrana and Margaret O’Donnell.
Doriann Kerber, who is seeking her second term on the council, is a 13-year resident of the borough.
She earned her bachelor’s degree from Kean University in management science/management and earned an associate’s degree from Union County College in business/computer science.
Kerber is self-employed with a residential and office-cleaning services business that serves Middlesex County and provides free cleaning for children with cancer through the Hugs for Brady Foundation.
“Since moving here I have attended and supported many fundraisers for veterans, the schools and nonprofit [organizations], which allowed me to speak to residents long before being on council,” she said. “The stories of history and passion of the residents are so enlightening to learn.”
Kerber said residents are reaching out to her, wanting a healthier Milltown.
“We will need to tackle tree removal, replanting of trees [and] continue talks with New Brunswick Water [Utility] on their progress of improvements to the water treatment,” she said. “[New Brunswick Water] is getting proposals in to upgrade another part of the system.”
Kerber said she attends many stormwater management events and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Sustainable Jersey events to obtain knowledge and grant information for the borough and schools.
“As an elected official, [I want] to continue facilitating efforts on green/gray infrastructure for Milltown to deal with stormwater runoff,” she said. “I want updated internal measures with database systems for all departments to provide Milltown historical data electronically.”
Kerber said she and Revolinsky are looking into more efforts to reduce costs and keep taxes at bay by applying for much-needed grants.
“Grants are needed for first responders, borough equipment, supplies, roadway repairs/resurfacing and the LED lightbulb replacement program, [which] reduces costs and lasts longer,” she said.
Kerber said they are looking into additional grants for an electric charging station and playground equipment to repair or replace equipment.
“We are and will continue to reach out to the community,” she said, adding that she and Revolinsky will reach out to government officials, including Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, with concerns about flooding issues in the borough.
Kerber said if re-elected she wants to continue working as a liaison to the Utility Department to plan and implement more cost-saving measures with inter-local agreements with neighboring towns, which would help decrease costs and lessen the burden on borough staff so that they can concentrate on day-to-day operations for the department, residents and local businesses.
She said, for example, community engagement by reaching out for donations and volunteer labor is the key to reduce costs for taxpayers, which would help in an open space project that the borough is working on.
Margaret O’Donnell, who is seeking her first term on council, is a 17-year resident of the borough.
She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Rutgers University. She is an executive education program manager at Rutgers Business School.
O’Donnell said she has served as a committeewoman for Milltown’s 6th District; is a volunteer coordinator for Milltown Recreation’s Women Indoor Volleyball and Co-ed Outdoor Volleyball leagues; a member and volunteer for Rutgers Gardens; current awards chair for Rutgers Cook College Alumni Association, in which she was previously an events chair, first vice president and president; a board member of the Mid-Jersey Chapter Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation; and member of the Gala Committee and Golf & Tennis Outing Committee.
“I am running for Milltown Borough Council because Milltown matters to me,” she said. “Decisions made by the Borough Council affect our home values, tax rates and quality of life in Milltown.”
O’Donnell said she wants to impact these factors including keeping the good things and improving on anything that is not so good.
“I commit to doing so with transparency so fellow residents can have restored confidence in local governance,” she said. “Believing sincerely in the concept of representation, I hope to be the council member known for open dialogue and ongoing conversation on borough matters so that the best possible choices can be made on a timely basis.”
O’Donnell said she considers herself a “utility player,” capable of quickly stepping into whichever capacity that would best serve the council.
“Given the opportunity, I would like to start by addressing finance, planning and administration where spending can be thoughtfully and carefully examined for areas of potential savings and efficiencies,” she said.
Richard Revolinsky, who is seeking his first term on the council, is a lifelong resident of the borough.
He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in environmental policy from Cook College at Rutgers University and a Master’s of Science degree in construction management from Stevens Institute of Technology.
Revolinsky said he has worked in the construction/engineering field since 2005 as a design engineer, project manager and business development manager and currently works in construction material sales.
He is a member of the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Agency, a member of Milltown Office of Emergency Management, secretary of the Milltown Zoning Board of Adjustment and Milltown 4th of July Committee and a member of the Milltown Revitalization Committee.
He ran for an open council seat in 2015.
“As a child in Milltown, I developed a true love for Milltown and the values the town and its residents hold,” he said. “As an adult, there was no question as to where I wanted to raise my family. With a long future ahead of me in Milltown, I want to make sure the town is heading in the right direction, making smart financial decisions and [being] led by people who actually listen to the residents.”
Revolinsky said his experience and knowledge in construction management, utility maintenance and engineering, as well as intimacy with the borough, will provide the borough with a representative who really understands the steps it needs to take to keep Milltown “The Greatest Town in the Land.”
He said there are several areas that need improvement, from small public safety initiatives to balancing the budget and deriving the most benefit from tax dollars.
“In construction, I focus my project management efforts on efficiency and plan to utilize the same approach to our borough services,” he said. “As an engineer, I develop long-term capital improvement plans to address aging infrastructure. As a small municipality we need to make sure our investments in infrastructure are not only maintained, but improved, to provide a higher caliber of services to our residents.”
Felipe Zambrana Jr., who is seeking his first term on the council, is a 12-year resident of the borough.
He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in finance from Baruch College-The City University of New York.
Zambrana is an accountant in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at Rutgers University.
“I’m finishing up my second term as a school board member where for the past three years, I’ve served as the chair of the Finance Committee and was the board liaison between Milltown and Spotswood, where our Milltown children attend high school,” he said. “I also serve on the Planning Board and I am a member of the Environmental Commission.”
Zambrana said the primary reason he is running for council is to provide transparency and clear communication to the community as he feels that is an area that needs improvement.
“The council currently meets once a month and oftentimes these meetings adjourn at 11 p.m. without adequately addressing all agenda items, resulting in additional meetings,” he said. “Frequently these additional meetings are not held at times that the public can attend.”
Zambrana said he feels it is critical for a borough council to provide a forum where the community can be informed and question where their tax dollars are spent.
“With my background in finance, I have a particular interest in the management of this town, and I would ensure that the council makes wise financial decisions that benefit the town,” he said.
Polls open from 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Nov. 8.
Contact Kathy Chang at [email protected].