Boro Council postpones appointments James Aaron to be appointed boro attorney BY ERIN O. STATTEL Staff Writer MATAWAN - The Borough Council was set to appoint several professionals at the May 6 council meeting, but the appointments were postponed pending the appointment of a borough attorney. "We are going to hold [the appointments] because the borough just received the borough attorney's agreement at 2:30 this afternoon," Mayor Paul Buccellato said at the opening of the meeting. "In the best interests of the borough, we need to allow the rest of the council and myself to make comments." Attorney JamesAaron ofAnsell, Zarro, Grimm and Aaron, Ocean Township, was introduced at the meeting in anticipation of being appointed borough attorney. Aaron currently serves as the city attorney for Long Branch and special waterfront redevelopment counsel for Asbury Park. He was working pro bono for the May 6 meeting. Other appointments would have includedWilliamNorthgrave ofMcManimon and Scotland, Newark, as redevelopment attorney; Wanda Chin Monahan, also of McManimon and Scotland, as environmental attorney; Scott Arnette, a Red Bank attorney, as labor attorney; and Joseph Layton of Maser Consulting, Red Bank, as the borough planner. Northgrave previously served as the redevelopment attorney for Matawan and has served as the counsel for the New Jersey Democratic State Committee. "There is no certification of funds, and some of the funding agreements had been done without council's approval," said Buccellato. "I feel strongly we first need to make an appointment of a borough attorney so they can review other agreements. We still owe other professionals for their services." Council President Mike Cannon stated that he had received an e-mail from Chief Financial Officer Monica Antista regarding financial concerns. "The e-mail was regarding costs. Monica wants financial readings from our attorneys and professionals about howmuch we currently owe," he said. "Borough expenditures need to be certified by the chief financial officer before monies can be allocated to pay for professionals' services," said Borough Administrator Fred Carr in an interview last week. "We already have a close accounting of where we are; we just want to be closer." Carr explained that the borough still has outstanding invoices from former Borough Attorney Pasquale Menna for his legal services. Councilman William Malley asked if Menna had reviewed the rest of the appointments so the council could move forward with the hiring process. "Were they given to Mr. Menna?" he asked. "They were given to the clerk on Thursday," Buccellato answered. "Mr. Menna was already told not to show up for any more work." After serving as the borough attorney for the past two years, Pasquale Menna of Menna, Supko and Casagrande, Shrewsbury, was not reappointed as attorney for the borough, with opposition led by the Democratic majority at the April 1 council meeting. The partisan discord continued at the May 6 Borough Council meeting when Democratic Councilman Kevin Mendes attempted to introduce a resolution that would name a successor to Police Chief Robert McGowan, who is retiring at the end of June. Buccellato, a Republican, directed Mendes to remain quiet on the matter because no attorney had reviewed the resolution and it could potentially open the borough up to a lawsuit. "Not one single council member called me to tell me what you're doing," Buccellato said. "Why are you going to read this without an attorney reviewing this?" "Mayor, this is not a dictatorship," said Democratic Councilman Joseph "Bud" Mullaney. "I think you are out of line by not letting Mr. Mendes read this resolution." "I have been asking for this for some time now," Mendes interjected. "It needs to be reviewed by the attorney. I am not going to put the borough into another lawsuit," Buccellato responded. "I will sign a letter putting the captain into the position." Mendes began to read the resolution amid cries of "don't" from the audience. The council took a five-minute recess at Cannon's request. When the meeting resumed, Mendes retracted the resolution until the entire council could look at the resolution and review it. Resident Joe Urbano, of Matawan Green Lane, offered the council some advice at the end of the public comment section. "I would appreciate it if the council would act in a better manner," he said. The next Borough Council meeting will be held May 19 at 7:30 p.m