Lacey Township Committee approves 2025 reorganization appointments, adopts temporary budget and authorizes $866,000 in bills

The Lacey Township Committee on Jan. 2025 completed its annual reorganization, electing a mayor and deputy mayor, approving a wide slate of municipal appointments and professional contracts for 2025, adopting a temporary operating budget and authorizing payment of $866,000.98 in township bills.

The reorganization meeting set the township’s leadership and administrative assignments for the year and confirmed counsel, planners, engineers, public-safety officers and board appointees that the committee said are needed to run municipal operations. The committee also adopted meeting dates and designated official newspapers for 2025.

Committee members nominated and approved Peter Curitolo as mayor and Steven Kennes as deputy mayor; both were sworn in during the meeting. The committee then approved Resolution 2025-1, a consolidated designation of municipal appointments and departmental liaisons for 2025, which lists assignments for finance, zoning and land use, public works, recreation, liaison roles to boards and committees, and board of education liaisons.

The committee also approved multiple professional appointment resolutions: Christopher Connors as township attorney (Resolution 2025-02), Christopher Dasey as conflict counsel (Resolution 2025-03), Gene Cipriani for affordable-housing counsel (Resolution 2025-04), bond counsel Megan Ann Bennett of Dilworth Paxson LLP (Resolution 2025-16), Van Cleef Engineering Associates LLC as township engineer (Resolution 2025-08), and Jerry Conedy of Holman, Fruhny & Allison as township auditor (Resolution 2025-14). The meeting record shows the committee moved and seconded each appointment and recorded individual roll-call responses.

Other professional and operational appointments approved included special project engineers, town planner(s), architects, public defenders and conflict public defenders, hearing officers, tax map maintenance contract with East Coast Engineering, a township physician (City MD) and various boards and advisory committee members (planning board, zoning board of adjustment, environmental commission, board of health, ADA advisory committee, veterans commission, municipal alliances, senior committees and others). The committee also reappointed Heather Scanlon as municipal alliance coordinator and appointed Amy Shelton as the public agency affirmative action compliance officer.

On fiscal matters the committee adopted Resolution 2025-51 establishing a temporary operating budget for 2025 and Resolution 2025-55 authorizing payment of township bills in the amount of $866,000.98. The committee also approved Resolution 2025-54 setting township meeting dates and naming The Beacon, Asbury Park Press and the Atlantic City Press as official newspapers; that resolution includes a schedule of regular meeting days and exceptions for summer and holiday months.

Public comment at the meeting was brief. One resident urged the committee to consider scheduling times that make meetings more accessible; other speakers offered New Year’s remarks and congratulations to newly sworn officials. Several committee members thanked outgoing and returning members, volunteers, department staff and guest Jack Ciattarelli, who administered oaths and was recognized by committee members during the ceremony.

Votes at a glance (selected items) - Resolution 2025-01: Making various municipal appointments for 2025 — approved (motion moved and seconded; roll call recorded as approved). Provenance: transcript lines beginning at the agenda item introduction for this resolution. - Resolution 2025-02: Appointment of township attorney (Christopher Connors) — approved (motion moved and seconded; roll call recorded as approved). - Resolution 2025-16: Appointment of bond counsel (Megan Ann Bennett, Dilworth Paxson LLP) — approved (motion moved and seconded; roll call recorded as approved). - Resolution 2025-51: Adoption of 2025 temporary operating budget — approved (motion moved and seconded; roll call recorded as approved). - Resolution 2025-55: Payment of township bills — approved; amount authorized $866,000.98 (motion moved and seconded; roll call recorded as approved). - Resolution 2025-54: Township meeting dates and official newspapers for 2025 — approved (motion moved and seconded; roll call recorded as approved).

A large group of additional numbered appointment resolutions (Resolutions 2025-03 through 2025-50) appointing conflict counsel, special counsel, engineers, planners, hearing officers, public defenders, project engineers, commissioners and committee members were presented and approved in sequence with motions and recorded roll-call responses. The meeting record shows occasional abstentions on individual items but does not indicate any failed motions.

For many items the record reflects little substantive debate; votes were called immediately after the motion and second. Where committee members asked questions or noted preferences (for example on the meeting time), the transcript records those comments but no formal change to the adopted resolutions was made.

Minutes and official resolution texts filed by the township will provide the complete roll-call vote lists, contract details and any contract values not read into the record at the meeting. The committee indicated that more detailed follow-up on implementation or contract terms will be handled through the appropriate municipal departments and posted materials.

The meeting closed after public comment and committee remarks, and the committee invited attendees to a social reception following the session.