MANCHESTER – Township officials, staff and residents bade goodbye to Mayor Robert Arace during the recently held Township Council reorganization meeting.
This meeting served to pave the way for change within the governing body but the council president and vice president will remain the same.
Normally, the reorganization meeting starts with the swearing in of any public officials elected or re-elected during the November general election which in this case would have been council members Craig Wallis, James Vaccaro and Michele Zolezi on the all-GOP council. The incumbents, who easily won re-election in an uncontested race, were sworn in prior to the 11 a.m. reorganization meeting so the first point of business was to select the council president and vice president.
Councilman Joseph Hankins nominated Councilwoman Roxy Conniff to serve another year in that role which will mark her third in the position. She took on that duty when she was first elected and was part of the ticket with mayoral candidate Arace and fellow council candidate Hankins.
Returning for a third year as vice council president is Councilman James Vaccaro who is currently the senior serving member on the council. He was nominated by Conniff.
Councilman Craig Wallis resigned two years ago before Arace’s tenure began but he returned to the dais a few months later when he was appointed to fill a spot following the resignation of another councilman. Wallis abstained when it came to Conniff and Vaccaro’s nominations while the remaining council members voted in the affirmative for their reinstatement.
Mayor Arace provided a report that served as an overview of his time in office. His term concluded that day as he was later sworn in as a member of the Board of Ocean County Commissioners having won his seat on that panel in November. He would have served two more years as mayor but by law cannot serve both roles simultaneously.
He described the occasion as bittersweet but expressed confidence in the incoming leadership that will take his place and praised his staff that consisted of Judy Noonan, Frank Nicolato and Kaylan Ricotta, the members of council, Business Administrator Carl Block, Township Attorney Lauren Staiger, Township Clerk Teri Giercyk, Police Chief Antonio Ellis and department heads for their professionalism.
Arace congratulated those re-elected to the council and reflected on his time as mayor. “I’ve learned so much – especially from the Carl Block Academy – over the last two years, he joked. Serving as your mayor has truly, truly been the highest honor of my life and I am deeply thankful that you have trusted me to lead our beautiful town. Together we have accomplished so much.”
He added, “we have preserved hundreds of acres of open space ensuring Manchester’s natural beauty and rural character will remain intact for generations to come. We have expanded services for our veterans and invested in public safety and on the infrastructure that effects our daily lives.”
“One of my proudest achievements has been our work toward vital community services. The mayor’s office has taken great strides in meeting the needs of those that give so much to our community, whether it is to address individual concerns or creating programs to improve the quality of life, this partnership has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my tenure. As I transition to service for the county I vow to continue with this focus with communication and accountability.”
He spoke about residents of not only Manchester but across Ocean County having a direct line of communication to those who provide services they rely on. “While I am excited to start this new chapter of my life with the county leaving my role as mayor is very bittersweet. Manchester will always hold a very special place in my heart. It is where my journey began and it is where I learned the true meaning of community.”
Arace was thanked for his service and provided a plaque presented by 9th District Senator Carmen F. Amato, Jr. and Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf.
Resolutions And Appointments
The council approved a resolution appointing police officers to fill three vacant full-time positions.
Appointments included Joseph Faccone of Samuel Klein and Company as township auditor, Matthew Wilder of Morgan Engineering as township engineer, Robert Mullin of Colliers Engineering as special projects engineer, Matthew Moench for legal services in the utilities department, and Colliers Engineering and Design as Townshp Planners.
The Council also voted to approve the appointment of Debra Rumpf as Rent Leveling attorney and a contract was also awarded appointing Brian and Debra Rumpf as conflict public defender while Bonnie Peterson was appointed as municipal prosecutor.
Other appointments include Coronato Law as Conflict Municipal Prosecutor, Parker McCay as counsel on affordable housing matters and Water Resource Management for Water and Sewer Operator.
Meeting Dates
The governing body set its meeting dates for the new year at this session. Meetings will be held on the second and fourth Mondays of each month, starting at 6 p.m. in the courtroom at the township’s municipal building at 1 Colonial Drive.
Two exceptions on the schedule occur. In May, the council’s second meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 27, due to Memorial Day, and in October, their first meeting will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 14, because of the Columbus Day holiday.
