EATONTOWN – In 2022, Kevin Gonzalez will continue to serve as president of the Borough Council in Eatontown.
The borough’s 2022 reorganization meeting on Jan. 2 was held in a virtual manner due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
As the meeting began, new Republican council members David Gindi and Everett Lucas, who were the winners in the November 2021 election, were sworn in to begin serving their first three-year terms on the governing body.
With the victories by Gindi and Lucas, Republicans increased their majority on the Borough Council from 4-2 to 5-1.
Gonzalez, Gindi and Lucas are joined by Mark Regan Jr. and Maria Escalante as the Republican members of the governing body. Danielle Jones is the lone Democrat on the council. The mayor’s office is held by independent Anthony Talerico Jr.
After all the members of the council were seated, Gonzalez was appointed by Talerico to serve as council president for 2022. Gonzalez’s term was confirmed by his fellow council members.
Gonzalez is serving his fourth non-consecutive term on the Borough Council. He initially served from 2010-12 and returned to serve from 2013-16, before beginning his current term in 2020. Gonzalez is serving as the council president for the third consecutive year.
In separate resolutions, the council members confirmed Talerico’s nomination of Andrew Bayer as borough attorney for 2022.
Borough Clerk Julie Martin was appointed as Eatontown’s qualified purchasing agent; Chief Financial Officer Dena Amodea was appointed as the public agency compliance officer; and Leigh Schneck, whose four-year term as Eatontown’s certified tax collector expired at the end of 2021, was reappointed to the position.
Council members confirmed the appointments of Archer & Greiner as bond attorney; Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs as labor attorney; Gagliano & Company as appraiser for tax appeals; Settembrino Architects as architect; Robert Oliwa as auditor; Edward Herrman as borough engineer; Brown & Brown as health insurance broker; Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs as prosecutor; Albert Rescinio as special counsel and public defender; and Kevin Buchanan as alternate public defender.
The appointments of ARH Associates, Chapman Environmental and Colliers Engineering & Design as special projects engineer were also confirmed by the council. Jennifer Beahm of Leon S. Avakian was appointed as Eatontown’s planner.
Eatontown Medical Associates was appointed as borough physician, with Dynamic Testing Services appointed for alcohol/controlled dangerous substance testing, and Dr. Michael Kahn was appointed for employee assistance.
Jones was appointed as a member of the Borough Council to the Planning Board for a one-year term, Barry Roth was appointed to a one-year term and Mark Regan Sr. was appointed to a four-year term. David Alcott was appointed to the board for a two-year term as an alternate member.
Robert Gilmore was appointed to a four-year term on the Zoning Board of Adjustment.