Two veteran Hightstown Borough Council members were sworn into office for three-year terms during the Hightstown Borough Council’s annual reorganization meeting.
Mayor Lawrence Quattrone administered the oath of office to Borough Councilwoman-elect Susan Bluth and Borough Councilman-elect Frederick Montferrat on Jan. 3. Both are Democrats.
Bluth is beginning her fifth term on the Borough Council and Montferrat is beginning his first full term. Montferrat was appointed to fill out a vacant seat on the council in July 2021.
Bluth was also chosen to serve as the Hightstown Borough Council president for the second year in a row. She was nominated by Borough Councilman Joshua Jackson, who said she did a “fantastic job” in 2021 and that she will continue to do so.
The vote was unanimous.
“Thank you. I am very overwhelmed by your confidence in me,” Bluth said.
In other business, the Hightstown Borough Council approved an assortment of resolutions that are needed to keep the town running – from appointing its professional staff to setting meeting dates and adopting temporary budgets for 2022 for the municipal government and the water and sewer department.
Once the routine matters were settled, the Borough Council members were offered a chance to make some remarks.
Jackson said it has been a pleasure to work with his colleagues on the council. He also thanked the volunteers who serve on the advisory boards, committees and commissions.
“They make the magic happen here,” Jackson said of the volunteers.
Borough Councilman Steven Misiura congratulated Bluth and Montferrat. He said he met Montferrat when both men served on the Hightstown Borough Planning Board 20 years ago.
Misiura said he is looking forward to continuing to work on projects that aim to make the town more pedestrian-friendly, such as crosswalks and sidewalks. There are still many issues to tackle, however, he said.
Borough Councilman Joseph Cicalese agreed that there are many goals to pursue, but the town had an “outstanding year” in 2021.
Quattrone, in his mayoral remarks, said Bluth had done a “wonderful job” in 2021 as the Borough Council president, stepping up while he recovered from some health-related issues.
He also praised the Borough Council members for their work as liaisons to the Cultural Arts Commission, the Finance Committee, the Board of Health, the Parks and Recreation Commission, Downtown Hightstown, the Environmental Commission, the Historic Preservation Commission, the Department of Public Works, the Hightstown First Aid Squad, the Water and Sewer Department and the Construction Department.
Looking ahead, Quattrone said there are projects that must be completed, such as cleaning and painting the water tower. He said he was pleased that Mercer County will replace the county-maintained bridge on East Ward Street over Peddie Lake.
“We will work well together this year. We will do the best we can and tighten our belt in 2022,” Quattrone said.