One can just imagine the frustration of Millstone residents who attended last week’s Township Committee meeting.
First of all, they were forced to wait for the meeting to start while the committee completed a closed session.
Efforts to find out what the closed session was about fell on deaf ears.
By law, municipal governments must pass a resolution stating the reason for the executive session and stating when the minutes will be released to the public.
Generally, executive sessions are limited to pending or anticipated litigation, contract negotiations, personnel matters, investigations and certain financial matters.
Then, those who came to hear the results of the Kastning investigation learned that the final report would not be available until the end of the month.
That’s despite the mayor’s promise that the matter, which has dragged on for a year, would be put to rest in early January.
John Eric Marcy, of the law firm of Wilentz, Goldman and Spitzer, Woodbridge, which was hired by the township as investigative counsel in the matter, blames the delay on heavy court caseloads and personal issues.
That was the explanation provided in a letter from him read at last week’s committee meeting. And he promised to have complete the report by Jan. 31 — a week from today.
The mayor appeared as aggravated as everyone else.
The evening was not a complete waste of time, however.
Those who stuck around got to hear complaints about the Web site and lack of a Board of Education liaison.
They also learned about plans to rebid the municipal cleaning contract and to go ahead and restore the old Clarksburg School for township use.
Overall, it was a productive, if frustrating, night.