HOLMDEL — Municipal officials in Holmdel were expected to appoint a new police chief and a new township administrator during a special meeting of the Township Committee at 9 a.m. Sept. 16, however, the meeting was cancelled due to the lack of a quorum.
When the meeting was called to order, Mayor Greg Buontempo and Deputy Mayor Prakash Santhana were the only committee members present.
No explanation was provided as to why committeemen Rocco Impreveduto and D.J. Luccarelli were not present.
The governing body has been operating with four members, and not a full complement of five, since Committeewoman Cathy Weber resigned several months ago when she moved out of the township. The open seat on the governing body has gone unfilled.
Township Attorney Michael Collins explained that with four people serving on the governing body, three committee members were required for a quorum.
Without three committee members present, Buontempo concluded the meeting.
Commenting on the situation, Santhana said, “This is an important meeting. We have several very important things to cover. Unfortunately, we do not have a quorum today and we cannot continue with our meeting.”
William E. Antonides Jr., who is Holmdel’s chief financial officer, has been serving as the interim township administrator since late March, when the administrator’s position opened.
Holmdel Police Department Capt. Frank Allocco has been serving as acting police chief since March 1 following the retirement of Police Chief John Mioduszewski.
No information was provided as to who the Township Committee members were going to name as the new township administrator and as the new police chief.
After commenting on the lack of a quorum, Santhana announced that effective at the end of the business day on Sept. 16, he was stepping down from his position on the Township Committee and would not seek re-election on Nov. 8.
Santhana said a change in his work situation necessitated his resignation as an elected official and his withdrawal from the upcoming election.
Santhana said it has been a privilege to serve the community for three years and added, “Holmdel is in a better place now than it was three years ago. If my circumstances were to change in the future, I would look forward to serving you again.”
The Independent has reached out to Buontempo for a comment regarding the committee members’ plan to fill the two vacancies on the governing body.