2016 Reorganization Meeting

This year’s reorganization meeting saw only one new face on council with no change in the political party majority. After the invocation from Reverend James Spera from the Church of the Assumption, Mr. James Vigliotti opened Thursday night’s municipal reorganization meeting by singing the national anthem to the standing room only audience. The meeting was to have outgoing fifth ward councilman Richard Templeton give his farewell address but Mayor Carl Hokanson stated he was unable to be in attendance due to a family emergency. The mayor wished him well.

Joseph Petrosky was then given his oath of office as second ward councilman. Although already serving as an appointment by council when he filled the vacancy caused by Charlene Storey becoming council-at-large, this will be his first full term as a councilmember.  Thomas ‘Thos’ Shipley was also sworn in as the fifth ward councilman, defeating Richard Templeton who himself was appointed by council when Michael Yakubov resigned in February of last year. Mr. Shipley becomes the first African-American and the first openly gay man to be elected into municipal office in Roselle Park. After Councilman Shipley’s eight-and-a-half minute prepared speech, the 2016 municipal governing body had its official roll call in order to conduct the people’s business. Mayor Hokanson and council gave their remarks for the coming year then council unanimously voted to have Charlene Storey be council president for the second year in a row.

Borough Clerk Doreen Cali read the appointment of council to the four (4) components of local government: public safety, municipal services, finance, and public services. Three of the four chairs remained from last year with Councilman Shipley taking over as Finance Chair for Councilwoman Storey. Mayor Hokanson and First Ward Councilman Eugene Meola kept the exact same committee seats as last year while a majority of the remaining council retained some of last year’s committee with some interchanging to accommodate the newest council member. As opposed to last year when Councilmen Mohamed ‘Gino’ Elmarassy and Joseph Petrosky only had one committee each, this year every member of the governing body has, at least, two committee appointments.

After the municipal bylaws were adopted for 2016, the appointments for boards and committees that require council confirmation were made. The eight groups were unanimously approved by council. The only significant change was the non reappointment of former mayor Joseph DeIorio, who is Councilman Shipley’s husband and a Republican, from the Library Board of Trustees. Although he expressed an interest to remain on the board and was pivotal in restructuring how the library reports its finances, Cass Roty was appointed for a five-year term in his place. Additionally, with regard to the Community Center Committee, it is not certain as to the term of Jackie Templeton since she was erroneously listed as being a Board Of Education representative which has a term of one year while a committee member from the public has a three-year term.

Next were the mayor’s appointments which do not require confirmation nor approval from council. The 20 groups of appointments ranged in areas from the arts to diversity to recreation to sewage authorities the Municipal Land Use Board.

The Arts Council, which was previously ad hoc for a number of years, was officially made permanent while the Technology Committee, who has Councilwoman Storey as a representative, were absent of appointments.

A review of last year’s Environmental Commission showed that James McCready was appointed to a two-year term as Alternate II but has him listed for a three-year term as a full member. Michael Peterson is listed as being appointed as an Alternate II but it is not clear if he is filling out the vacancy. Additionally, Maxine Padulsky was listed as Alternate I for a one-year term in 2015 but, having been appointed to a three-year term, the Alternate I was not filled this year.

The final order of council business were 38 resolutions that dealt with appointments for professional services, various legally required authorizations, and the formal designation of eight (8) properties from 218-256 West Westfield Avenue as “An Area In Need Of Redevelopment”. This last resolution of the evening paves the way for an as-yet-unknown developer to begin formal proceedings to develop the property.

The professional services approved amounted to over $170,000 that the municipality has agreed to, in just in the first meeting of the year, pay contractors and individuals to perform. Almost all fees remained the same as last year. The only two slight increases on the agenda were for Clean Communities Coordinator Dan Petrosky, who is Roselle Park Democratic Committee (RPDC) Chair and Councilman Petroksy’s brother, with a 2% increase to $1,891.11 (Resolution 06-16) and a combined increase of $1,025 for services provided by Gibbons. P.C. as Bond Counsel (Resolution 10-16). Missing from the appointments Thursday night were those for municipal prosecutor and alternate municipal prosecutor. Both resolutions, 03-16 and 11-16, were pulled from the agenda to be voted on at the next municipal meeting.

The outdated practice of representatives from both political parties coming up during the public portion, each offering gifts to select members of the governing body, was still performed, however garishly out of place.

The meeting ended with a benediction from Pastor Manuel Cruz, Jr. from the Community United Methodist Church followed by Mr. Vigliotti leading the audience in singing “God Bless America”.

The next Mayor & Council meeting is scheduled to be January 21, 2016. Below is a listing of all appointments.

2016 Appointments (Council Committees)

2016 Appointments (Fire Department Officers)

2016 Appointments (Fire Prevention Bureau)

2016 Appointments (Board Of Health)

2016 Appointments (Community Center Committee)

2016 Appointments (Joint Sewer Representative)

2016 Appointments (Library Board)

2016 Appointments (Morses Creek Flood Control)

2016 Appointments (Police Doctor / Panel Physician)

2016 Appointments (Arts Council)

2016 Appointments (Animal Control Bureau)

2016 Appointments (BOE Council Liaison)

2016 Appointments (Clean Communities)

2016 Appointments (Community Development Committee)

2016 Appointments (Diversity Committee)

2016 Appointments (Environmental Commission)

2016 Appointments (Events Liaisons)

2016 Appointments (Borough Historian)

2016 Appointments (Keeper of Kelly-Kaulfers ad hoc Committee)

2016 Appointments (Matron)

2016 Appointments (Municipal Land Use Board)

2016 Appointments (Rahway Valley Sewerage Authority)

2016 Appointments (Solid Waste Advisory Council)

2016 Appointments (Street Lighting Committee)

2016 Appointments (Town Crier)

2016 Appointments (County Transportation Advisory Committee)

2016 Appointments (Youth Center Council Liaison)

2016 Appointments (Youth Center ad hoc Advisory Committee)

2016 Appointments (Professional Services)