Plumsted Officials Discuss Plans For New Year

Photo by Bob Vosseller

  PLUMSTED – The Township Committee covered a number of subjects during the first of two monthly meetings. This is a change from previous years in a move designed to improve efficiency and cut the lengthy three-to-five-hour single meetings.

  The Committee held a moment of silence for those impacted by the many wildfires in Los Angeles and the first responders involved in combatting them.

  Mayor Robert Bowen noted the presence of Gregory McGuckin who is the township attorney this year while former town attorney, Jean Cipriani’s firm will continue as Labor Counsel, Affordable Housing Attorney, Special Counsel and Tax Appeal Attorney.

  Bowen noted the attendance of Fred Rubenstein, 75, of Barnegat who was hired late last year to serve as the township’s latest business administrator, who oversees the town on a day-to-day basis. He has 51 years in the transportation field, 44 involved some type of managerial/administrative duties and his most recent job was as director of Paratransit in Philadelphia.

  Rubenstien said, “I had heard about the Plumsted position through a friend. It really interested me, so I applied for it.” He got word that he would be hired following a series of interviews with township officials.

  “The staff here gives you 300 cents on the dollar. They are stepping it up on their morale, productivity and efficiency. We should all be proud of them. They care,” he said during the meeting.

  Also noted during the meeting was that 31 Main Street building, which served as the old Welcome Center and Town Hall, is still up for sale.

  The Committee passed a resolution to reject the bid through the Max Spann auction unless the bidder accepts the 45-day extension for township to then act and make a decision. A bid opening was held on November 21, 2024 and the township was expecting to accept or reject the bid within 60 days. 

  If the bidder does not accept the request for the extension then the bid is rejected.

   Mayor Bowen noted that dog licenses were due at the end of the month. Township Clerk Jennifer Witham said there was a grace period “so definitely by the end of February.” New dog owners can pick up an application for it at the clerk’s office.

  The mayor spoke about work being done by the Engineering Department in regards to securing grants and how to proceed with some road work projects based on grants that had been received.

  Committeeman James Hagelstein reported he had been in touch with Monarch Services that has been contracted by Ocean County and that they wish to come into the township to perform a survey of the homeless population in the community. “They have requested to use some of our facilities and we have been in touch with the chief of police as well as Fred (Rubenstein) to find a proper location. They are looking at the tail end of January into early February.”

  Deputy Mayor Herb Marinari who was absent from the Committee’s January 2, reorganization meeting welcomed Hagelstein and Thomas Potter who were both sworn in to office for their first terms on the Committee.

  “I’ve been an elected official for 43 years now starting with the Board of Education. I was president there for 15 years and I’ve had the honor of being on this Committee for some years now and I want to thank those who had faith in me to nominate me to serve as deputy mayor. This will be my last of service and I want to thank every single person who has ever helped me in any way and for those who did not vote for me, I hope when I get done, you will say, at least he did what he had to do,” Marinari said.

  He went on to congratulate Mayor Robert Bowen who was chosen to serve as mayor again during the reorganization meeting. “I feel he will lead this committee and lead us more to unification which I think we need.”

  Marinari noted that nine months ago “I made the statement that this was not the community I knew it could be and now I think we can all try to turn the other cheek and try to go forward.”

  Committeeman Leonard Grilletto talked about insurance issues saying the township paid 29% less in commercial insurance “and one of our highest insurance claims is workman’s compensation, people getting hurt on the job. The second is property insurance.”

  New Egypt Historical Society has a new project which Society member Stacy Reed explained from the audience involved turning “the Well House into a museum so you can see how the artesian well house originally worked when it was our water resource in New Egypt.” The Well House is on Lakeview Drive.

  She added, “the roof done, the windows have been ordered and should be here in a month and once the weather breaks, we will start with the siding and once that is done, we will be starting with the displays for the inside and working with JCP&L to get some power into the building. It is a work in progress.”

  Committeeman Thomas Potter spoke about JCP&L being around the town, “poking around the poles. A couple of residents asked me what was going on so I did some research. I worked for Jersey Central Power & Light. I knew what they were doing but I wanted to know what they were doing was environmentally friendly.”

  Potter sent he reached out to the power utility company and learned “it is mainly poll maintenance. The polls deteriorate over time so they come by, dig around the poles, they put stuff inside to stop the insects (from eating and burrowing through the polls). Tree services do the same thing but they are doing it and I think they are sub-contracting.

  He added that he was also part of environmental Joint Insurance Fund inspection around some of the buildings in town that have to be brought up to date and involved in some discussions “with the landscapers that we are trying to get ironed out.”