Dunellen Council Holds Reorganization Meeting

The Dunellen Borough Council held its annual government reorganization meeting on January 1.

Mayor Bob Seader began the meeting with his municipal address, covering the accomplishments in the past year and plans for the new year. He thanked former council members Kenneth Baudendistel and Jeremy Lowder for their service to the Dunellen community. Baudendistel, who had been a councilperson for nearly two decades, many of those years as council president, had not sought reelection. Lowder, who had been seeking his second term, did not win reelection.

After closing the books on 2018’s council, new council members April Burke and Stacey Narvesen took their oaths of office to start their inaugural terms. With their election, the council is now split between political lines with the mayor holding the final vote in the event of a tie.

Patrick Barry, Dunellen's newest police officer, is congratulated by Mayor Bob Seader during the Council Reorganization Meeting on January 1, 2019.

Heidi Heleniak

Patrick Barry, Dunellen's newest police officer, was congratulated by Mayor Bob Seader during the Council Reorganization Meeting on January 1, 2019.

As one of the 2019 council’s first actions, the council selected its new council president, Jason Cilento. Council members also approved the hiring of Patrick Barry as the Dunellen Police Department’s newest patrolman.

Karl Geiger received the 2018 Dunellen Volunteer Citizen of the Year and Laura Murray received the 2018 Dunellen Lifetime Achievement Award. Both are very involved in helping the community.

All agenda resolutions that required approval from the council, including new members, were approved unanimously. Cilento abstained from voting on Borough Depositories since he is affiliated with one of the banks involved.

Appoint Borough Attorney John E. Bruder
Appoint of William M. Robins as Public Agency Compliance Officer
Approve list of meeting dates for Borough Council
Approve list of official newspapers for the Borough
Appoint Borough Depositories
Appoint Robert Spengler as Dunellen Public Defender
Appoint Daniel Frascella as Alternate Public Defender
Appoint Miles Winder III as Dunellen Municipal Prosecutor
Appoint Thomas J. Lanza, Jr. as Dunellen Municipal Prosecutor
Approve list of employee holidays
Appoint Hodulik and Morrison as Municipal Auditor for Municipal CY 2018 Audit and the Sewer Utility CY 2018 Audit
Appoint McManimon, Scotland, Baumann as Bond Counsel
Appoint CME Associates as Municipal Engineer
Appoint Murphy McKeon as Special Counsel for Sewer Utility matters
Appoint Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf as Special Counsel for Redevelopment
Appoint NW Financial Group, LLC., as Special Financial Consultants for Redevelopment
Appoint Apruzzese, McDermott, Mastro & Murphy as Special Counsel for Labor Law matters
Authorize Mayor, Municipal Clerk and Chief Financial Officer to be eligible signatories for municipal financial documents
Approve rate of interest for nonpayment of taxes, assessments, or other municipal charges
Authorize Tax Collector to cancel tax refunds and delinquencies below $10.00
Approve Temporary Budget for CY 2019 Municipal Budget
Approve Temporary Budget for CY 2019 Sewer Utility Budget
Appoint William M. Robins as Dunellen Commissioner to the Middlesex County Joint Insurance Fund

As mayor, Seader has the ability to make appointments to several committees, boards, and commissions without the need of the council’s votes.

Here are his appointments that were placed on the agenda:

Planning Board: Scott Luthman, Kenneth Bayer, Roger Dornbierer and Barbara Seif
Dunellen Library Board of Trustees: Elizabeth Willoughby
Dunellen Arts & Culture Commission: Sheri Muha, Rachel Appleton and Margaret Lockwood
Dunellen Downtown Management Organization: William Robins, Kenneth Baudendistel, Jason Cilento, Adam Gordon, Margaret Lockwood, Heidi Heleniak, Maria Vitale and Ruben Woolcott
Dunellen Recreation Commission: Kelly Seader, Alternate Member