Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Local Government topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pennington Borough Council holds reorganization meeting; elects council president, approves routine appointments and contracts
Summary
At its Jan. 5, 2026 reorganization meeting held via Zoom, Pennington Borough Council swore in newly elected members, elected Nadine Stern council president and unanimously approved a slate of appointments, professional-service contracts (including auditor and bond counsel) and administrative resolutions.
The Pennington Borough Council convened its 2026 reorganization meeting via Zoom on Jan. 5, 2026. Mayor James Davy called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m., Borough Clerk Betty Sterling called the roll and the council confirmed the presence of all members. The mayor opened a public comment period; no members of the public addressed the council during that time.
Borough Clerk Betty Sterling reported the results of the 2025 general election: Katrina Angarone was re-elected to a three-year council term ending Dec. 31, 2028, and Amy Kassler-Taub was elected to a three-year term ending Dec. 31, 2028. Borough Attorney Walter Bliss administered the oaths of office to Angarone and Kassler-Taub.
Council Member Katrina Angarone nominated Nadine Stern for Council President; Council Member Rubenstein seconded the nomination. There were no other nominations and Stern was elected by roll call with all members present voting in favor.
Mayor Davy read three proclamations honoring longtime public servants: Charles “Chico” Marciante for 12 years on council, Stephen J. Papenberg for more than three decades of service to the Board of Health, and Municipal Court Administrator Margaret E. “Meg” Umbro on her retirement. Each proclamation was read into the record by the mayor.
The council then moved through the new-business agenda, approving a series of routine but legally required appointments and professional-service contracts for 2026. Notable approvals included:
- Resolution 2026-1.1 appointing PKF O’Connor Davies as Borough Auditor for a one-year engagement with estimated fees not to exceed $46,500 (annual audit $35,000; preparation of financial statements $8,500; LOSAP report $3,000). The council motion to approve was made by Council Member Chandler and seconded by Council Member Stern; all members present voted in favor.
- Resolution 2026-1.2 appointing McManimon, Scotland & Baumann, LLC as bond counsel for 2026; approved unanimously.
- Resolution 2026-1.3 reappointing Walter R. Bliss, Jr. as Borough Attorney with an aggregate fee cap of $70,500 (excluding separate litigation contracts); approved unanimously.
- Resolutions appointing the Chief Municipal Prosecutor (Craig J. Hubert), alternate prosecutors, the Public Defender (Patrick Nemes), and the Conflict Public Defender (John Holliday), each approved with unanimous votes.
- Resolution 2026-1.8 appointing Kamal Williams as Municipal Court Administrator effective Jan. 1, 2026, after a public posting and interviews; Municipal Court Judge Eric Perkins approved the appointment.
- Resolution 2026-1.9 authorizing retention of Phoenix Advisors LLC as continuing disclosure agent and naming the firm as the independent registered municipal advisor of record for no additional fee; the base annual fee cited was $1,600 (plus per-issue and event fees), with a not-to-exceed amount of $2,100 without further council approval.
Council also established committee structures for 2026 (Personnel, Public Safety, Public Works, Finance), adopted the regular 2026 meeting schedule (regular meetings first Monday of each month via Zoom, with specified work-session dates), designated official depository banks and newspapers, and approved financial-administration housekeeping items such as canceling tax/utility balances under $10 and setting delinquent-tax interest rates and penalties.
The council reappointed Michael W. Pitts Jr. as Qualified Purchasing Agent (increasing bid thresholds as permitted by law), appointed Gian Paolo Caminiti as Joint Insurance Fund Commissioner for 2026 (without additional compensation), re-established the regional Hopewell Valley Green Team and named Pennington representatives, reappointed Julian Antebi to the Stonybrook Regional Sewerage Authority, and appointed Pennoni Associates (through Ralph Petrella Jr.) as acting borough engineer on a month-to-month basis while a permanent engineer selection is completed.
A single public commenter, Dan Pace of 9 Railroad Place, welcomed Amy Kassler-Taub to the council during the public-comment portion. The meeting adjourned at 7:42 p.m. following a motion by Council Member Rubenstein and a second by Council Member Stern, carried unanimously.
Why it matters: The reorganization meeting set the borough’s staffing, legal and financial relationships for 2026, confirmed leadership for council committees and established the procedural calendar and financial-administration settings the borough will use throughout the year. These routine approvals set the administrative framework for municipal operations and any future policy work the council undertakes this year.
