EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is compiled by Linda Baum. Ms. Baum was a 2012 Democratic candidate for Middletown Township Committee.  Although she lost the election, she has maintained her active role as an open government advocate.  

The Township Committee will have a reorganization meeting Sunday, January 6, 2013 and swear in newly elected and appointed officials. 

Below are members of boards & commissions as of 12/31/2011 per the Middletown Twp website, along with appointments made since 1/1/2012.  Boards in green below are new for 2012.

Boards, Committees, and Commissions

There are more than two dozen boards, commissions and committees in Middletown Township. Board members are volunteers, except for Sewerage Authority (TOMSA) board members who get salary, pension credit, and medical benefits.

Board members are appointed by the Middletown Township Committee. Appointments are made annually at the Township’s Organization Day Meeting in January. Terms on the Boards and Commissions vary from 1 year to 5 years.  Terms expire at year end (12/31) unless otherwise indicated.

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• Bayshore Village Senior Citizen Housing Corporation
• Clean Communities Advisory Committee
• Community Affairs Council
• Environmental Commission
• Green Team Advisory Board
• Middletown Housing Authority Board
• Municipal Alliance for the Prevention of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
• Human Rights Commission
• Landmarks Commission
• Library Board
• Local Assistance Board
• Lincroft Senior Citizen Housing Corporation
• Open Space Preservation Committee
• Planning Board
• Recreation Advisory Board
• Safety Council
• Sewerage Authority (TOMSA) Board
• Veterans Affairs
• Zoning Board of Adjustment  

New boards for 2012:

• Economic Development Committee
• Historic Preservation Commission
• Joint Shared Services and Consolidation Advisory Committee
• Advisory Outdoor Sports League Committee
• Volunteer Corp

Bayshore Village Senior Citizen Housing Corporation

The Bayshore Village Senior Citizen Housing Corporation is an independent entity that provides rental housing and related facilities for seniors and handicapped families on a non-profit basis. They manage 96 units of housing at Shoal Harbor in the Port Monmouth Section of Middletown.

A Board of Commissioners governs the affairs of the corporation and includes two residents of the facility. Members serve five-year terms. Meetings are held the third Tuesday of the month at the Shoal Harbor administrative office, Shoal Harbor Court, Port Monmouth. Call 732-787-8840 for information.

Clean Communities Advisory Committee

The Clean Communities Advisory Committee oversees the use of Clean Community Grant provided by the state. The grant enables the employment of part-time staff to further clean township roadways.

Board membership includes the Recycling Coordinator and Public Works Director. The term of service is one year. Meetings are held as required by grant specifications. Call 732-615-2110 for more information.

Community Affairs Council

The Community Affairs Council advises, suggests, counsels, researches, investigates and recommends to the Township Committee general programs, activities, methods and techniques for the general civic cultural and community betterment of Middletown Township.

Residents are appointed to the council by the Township Committee. The term of office is one year. Meetings are held at 7:30 pm on the first Wednesday of each month at Town Hall Conference Room, 1 Kings Highway. Call 732-615-2014 for more information.

Environmental Commission

The Environmental Commission is an advisory body that focuses on the protection, development or use of natural resources including water resources, located within the territorial limits of Middletown Township. The Environmental Commission reviews all planning and zoning board applications for any environmental concerns. They also undertake special projects funded largely by matching grants from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Residents are appointed to the commission by the Township Committee. One member is a member of the Planning Board. The term of office is a three-year term. Meetings are held the third Wednesday of each month at 7p.m. in the Conference Room at Town Hall, 1 Kings Highway. Call 732-615-2014 for more information.

Green Team Advisory Board

The Green Team Advisory Board was established by the Township Committee to further focus township efforts to save tax dollars, conserve energy and reduce the community’s carbon footprint.

The Green Team reviews and recommends eco-friendly, cost-efficient projects designed to improve municipal operations. The advisory board includes citizens, elected officials and township staff. Members are appointed for a one-year term. Meetings are scheduled by as needed.

Middletown Housing Authority Board

The Middletown Housing Authority is an independent public body organized and operating according to the laws of the State of New Jersey. They own and operate 252 units of subsidized housing for the elderly and people with disabilities. at Daniel Towers and the Alice V. Tomaso Plaza. Both buildings were built in the 1970s with Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) funds.

The Middletown Housing Authority consists of a seven-member Board of Commissioners. The Mayor and Township Committee appoint six commissioners. One member is appointed by the state Department of Community Affair’s Executive Office of Public Housing and Development Authority. The term of office is five years.

Meetings are held the fourth Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the conference room at Daniel Towers, 1 Oak Dale Drive or the Alice V. Tomaso Plaza, 2 Oakdale Drive. Locations alternate monthly. Call 732-671-2990 for meeting location for a particular month. No meeting in July or November.

Municipal Alliance for the Prevention of Alcoholism & Drug Abuse

The Middletown Municipal Alliance for Prevention of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse was created by township resolution in 1990 in response to the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (GCADA) blueprint to establish and maintain a network of community based prevention programs. Middletown’s networking associates include the Health Department, the Board of Education, the Police Department, the Municipal Court, Parole, Probation, local civic associations, treatment facilities, individuals directly affected by substance abuse, as well as other individuals and organizations. We present residents of all ages with opportunities to learn about the current realities of alcoholism and drug abuse and to ask questions will that help them protect their loved ones.

Alliance membership continues to be a broad representation of the private sector and professional communities. Meetings are generally held the third Saturday of each month, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., at Crossroads at Croydon Hall, 900 Leonardville Road. There are no meetings during July and August. The term of office is one year. Call 732-615-2269 for more information.

The Alliance members are as follows for YEAR 2011:
Maryann Bedell
Margaret Bertorelli         
Deputy Mayor Pamela Brightbill
Robert Bucco, Jr. Vice-Chairman        
Peter Caras
Ed Chretien
Nancy Crowell                                     
Leslie Culver-Schwarz  
Anthony DiMeglio, Sr.
Anthony J. Falvo                                  
Fern Foster, Secretary/Coordinator/Treasurer
William Gerris
Thomas G. Hall
Eugene Hannafey
James Homiak
Calvin Jenkins
Karen Jenkins
Kristie Kane
Bruce Levy
Daniel J. McCartan
Patrick Parkinson
Thomas S. Pegut
Kathleen Prevost
James Roese
Mary Anne Ruane
Gerard P. Scharfenberger
Frank Self           
Joseph Shaffery, Sgt. at Arms
Sgt. Michael Shaffery
Michael Slover, Chairperson, Non-Voting
Madolyn F. Smith
Det. Daniel Sullivan
Richard Thompson
Dep. Chief Craig Weber
Alison Wheeler
Erin Wheeler
Thomas P. Wilkens

See the 2012 resolution for list of new members.  See the resolutions here:  http://cdn.gov-i.com/clients/28bd4cc0/files/000/016/470/original/a9d08d2d6052c08a98fa369de1cf7731.pdf?1325190936

See the 2013 resolution for list of 2013 members:  http://cdn.gov-i.com/clients/28bd4cc0/files/000/023/986/original/19b3d8a5f6413d75daf94a9c8f892a00.pdf?1357328118

The Alliance office is based at Crossroads at Croydon Hall, the township’s substance abuse services center. Partial funding for Municipal Alliance prevention programs is derived from the Drug Enforcement Demand Reduction fund. These are fines levied on convicted drug users and sellers. By way of annual application to the Monmouth County Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Middletown receives in excess of $26,000 of these funds for township substance abuse early intervention and prevention education programs.

Early Identification, Intervention, Assessment and Referral
If you are a parent and your child abuses drugs or alcohol, you may be confronted with confusing symptoms and behaviors. Or perhaps you have a parent who abuses drug and alcohol and this is affecting you. An evaluation can often provide an initial diagnosis of the problem so that appropriate services can be provided. Call (732) 615-2275 to schedule a free and confidential appointment.

Prevention Education
Education is the key to substance abuse prevention. Educational programs are presented on a variety of substance abuse topics to youth through the K.I.D.S. (Kids Instructed on Dangerous Substance) Program and through the peer to peer program, Project P.L.U.S. (Peer Leaders Understanding Students). Adult prevention education is provided though the G.L.A.D. (Grown-ups Learning about Drugs) Program. Your group or organization may request a program tailored to meet the specific needs of the audience. Contact Retired Detective Mike Slover (732)615-2277.

Human Rights Commission  (MHRC)

The Human Rights Commission is an advisory body created pursuant to state law. Their purpose is to foster, through community effort or otherwise, good will, cooperation and conciliation among the groups and elements of the citizens of the community, and to make recommendations to the Township Committee for the development of policies and procedures in general and for programs of formal and informal education that will aid to eliminate all types of discrimination based on race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, familial status, disability, nationality or sex.

Residents are appointed to the commission by the Township Committee. The term of office is 3 years. Meetings are held the fourth Thursday of each month at 8 p.m. in the Town Hall Conference Room, 1 Kings Highway. Call 732-615-2014 for more information. 

Formed in 1968, the Middletown Human Rights Commission (MHRC) is the oldest human rights commission in the state of New Jersey. Its primary mission, under state law, is to foster good will and cooperation among our diverse community groups. An 11-member board which currently has only 2 members, the MHRC is dying by attrition as terms expire and no appointments are made by the Township Committee.

Landmarks Commission

The Landmarks Commission is an advisory body that promotes the educational, cultural, economic and general welfare of Middletown through the preservation of historic buildings and structures, and of places and districts of historic interest and the development and maintenance of appropriate settings for such buildings, structures, places and districts.

The Landmarks Commission provides architectural review of structures within Historic Districts. They also work to identify and record all buildings, sites, places and structures or significant historical or architectural value and aid the public in understanding their worth.

Residents interested in contributing and qualified to contribute to the preservation of historic buildings, places and structures are appointed to the commission by the Township Committee. The term of office is four years. The Commission is required to include a historian, an archivist and an architect.

Meetings are held the second Thursday of each month at the Middletown Library, 55 New Monmouth Road, at 7:30 p.m. Call 732-615-2014 for more information.

Library Board

The Middletown Township Public Library exists for the purpose of providing materials that are necessary for the education and entertainment of the people of Middletown Township. The library works to increase the quality of its services and provide materials needed to accomplish this aim. The Middletown library is not part of the Monmouth County Library system.

Residents are appointed to the Library Board of Trustees by the Township Committee. The Mayor’s and Superintendent of Schools appointments are one-year terms. The remainder of the trustees serve a five-year term.  The board chooses the Library Director.

Meetings are generally held the third Wednesday of each month at the Main Library, 55 New Monmouth Road. Call 732-671-3700 for more information.

*  The board size was expanded for 2012 – membership was increased from 7 to 9.

Local Assistance Board

The Local Assistance Board oversees assistance programs provided to residents by the Middletown Social Services Department. Some of their responsibilities include determining the eligibility of applicants and recipients; determining the amount of financial assistance to be received; helping clients obtain an adequate standard of living and to become self-supporting; provide case management; and maintain and protect all records and appropriate documents required by the state.

Residents are appointed to the board by the Township Committee. Four members serve a four-year term and one member serves a one-year term. Meetings are held the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at 3 Penelope Lane. Call 732-615-2085 for more information.

Lincroft Senior Citizen Housing Corporation (Luftman Towers & Pavilion)

The Lincroft Senior Citizen Housing Corporation is an independent entity that provides rental housing and related facilities and services for elderly and handicapped families on a non-profit basis. This Corporation offers housing through Luftman Towers and the Pavilion. Both are located off Hurley’s Lane in the Lincroft section of Middletown Township.

Residents are appointed to the Board of Directors by the Township Committee. The term of office is five years. Call 732-630-0668 for more information.

Open Space Preservation Committee

The Open Space Preservation Committee is an advisory body reviews potential open space acquisitions and funding resources and make recommendations to the Township Committee. The Open Space Preservation Committee includes representatives from local and county agencies involved in open space preservation. Appointments are for one year.  Meetings are scheduled as needed.  Call 732-615-2098 for more information.

Planning Board

The Planning Board pursuant to state law is responsible for the preparation of the Township’s Master Plan; reexamine the master plan and development regulations at least every six years; and review site plans and subdivisions.

Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55-D-23, the Planning Board consists of nine (9) members and two alternates appointed by the Mayor and Township Committee. Meetings are generally held the first Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the main meeting room of Town Hall, 1 Kings Highway.

The members are as follows:

• 1 – Class I concurrent with term – Mayor or Mayor’s Designee;
• 1 – Class II with 1 year term – Official of Township;
• 1 – Class III with 1 year term – Township Committee Member;
• 6 – Class IV with 4 year term;
• Alternates I and II with staggered 2 year terms

Planning Department staff provides the Planning Board with development reviews and administrative support. Department personnel are also available to the public to explain specific applications, as well as oversee engineering and legal support. The records of all applications pending before the Board are located in the Planning Department’s active files.

Debi Yuro, Planning Board Secretary
1 Kings Highway, Middletown, NJ 07748-2594
Phone   732-615-2098 | Fax: 732-615-2103
Office Hours:  Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Recreation Advisory Board

The purpose of this committee is to provide guidance to the Township Committee and the Department of Parks & Recreation regarding recommendations of programs to meet the needs of the citizens of Middletown. The committee also reviews the Capital Budget of the Recreation Department and gives input on the annual programs to be provided by the Township.

The Recreation Advisory Committee consists of eleven members to be appointed by the Township Committee. The term of service is three years. Meetings are held the fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Middletown Arts Center, 36 Church Street. Call 732-615-2260 for more information.

Safety Council

The Safety Council is an advisory board that reviews safety concerns in the township and provides guidance to the Township Committee and the Police Department.

Membership includes two members from the Police Department and one from The Fire Department, First Aid and Office of Fire Prevention. The term of service is one year. Meetings are held the third Thursday of each month in the Town Hall Conference Room, 1 Kings Highway. Call 732-615-2014 for more information.

Sewerage Authority

The Township of Middletown Sewerage Authority (TOMSA) was formed by the Township of Middletown in 1966 for the purpose of meeting the wastewater collection and treatment needs of the township. The TOMSA Board of Commissioners oversees the township’s centralized wastewater collection system and treatment plant, located in Belford.

The Board of Commissioners consists of five members and two alternates appointed by the Township Committee. Meetings are held in the administrative office of the Sewer Authority, located off Center Avenue, at 7:30 p.m. on the 2nd Thursday of each month.

The TOMSA board is the only board in town that is NOT volunteer – the TOMSA board members earn salary, pension credit, and medical benefits.  Per a 2009 state law and Township resolution, new appointees thereafter are not entitled to benefits, just salary.  An exception, however, is that existing board members are “grandfathered in” and keep their benefits upon re-appointment.  THUS, the Township Committee could save taxpayers money simply by NOT re-appointing the board members when their terms expire.  Unfortunately, the Twp Committee continues to re-appoint members as terms expire.

Seat V was vacated in early 2011 by Clifford Raisch, who left to join the board of the Monmouth County Improvement Authority (MCIA).  New appointee Anthony DeMarco is not entitled to health benefits or pension credit.  All other board members are currently receiving those benefits.

Note that as of February 2013, Tom Stokes is on the TOMSA board 25 years and James Hinckley is on the TOMSA board 24 years.  Mr. Stokes owns a home in Florida and resides there at least 6 months out of the year. 

Veterans Affairs Committee

The Veteran’s Affairs Committee, established in 2011, is responsible for reporting the concerns of veterans to the governing body, providing information on local state and federal veteran’s programs and making recommendations on how to best meet the needs of veterans.

The board consists of 5 members. At least three of the members will always be veterans of the armed forces. Meetings are held the first Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 1 Kings Highway. Call 732-615-2015 for more information.

Zoning Board of Adjustment

The Zoning Board’s purpose is to hear cases for requests for variance(s) where certain types of land developments and property improvements are proposed. The Zoning Board may hear and decide requests for interpretation of the zoning map and zoning regulations as well as other powers as outlined in the state Municipal Land Use Law. Meetings are held on the fourth Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the main meeting room in Town Hall.

The Zoning Board consists of seven members and four alternates appointed by the Mayor and Township Committee.

The Planning Department provides the Zoning Board with variance reviews and administrative support. Department personnel are also available to the public to explain specific applications, as well as oversee engineering and legal support. The records of all applications pending before the Board are located in our active files.

Jason A. Greenspan, PP, AICP, Director,  Janki Patel, PP, AICP, Senior Planner ,  Debi Yuro, Board Secretary
1 Kings Highway, Johnson Gill Annex , Middletown, NJ 07748-2594, Phone 732-615-2102 Fax: 732-615-2103
Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00AM – 5:00PM 

Economic Development Committee  (new for 2012)

The Middletown Economic Development Committee focuses on fostering new economic growth and the retention of existing businesses and industries. Members will be charged with uniting business leaders and local elected officials so that they may pool resources and ideas that benefit all residents and businesses.  The committee’s goal is to facilitate the creation of a desirable business climate that promotes economic growth, job development and the expansion of the commercial tax base.

The Economic Development Committee will consist of seven volunteer members – the Mayor’s designee and six public members, three of which shall be from the business community.  The Committee is expected to meet monthly.

12-231 Resolution Appointing Members to the Middletown Economic Development Committee

The above resolution making initial appointments was approved at the 9/17/12 Township Committee meeting: http://www.middletownnj.org/clerk/read/844c3dda

Historic Preservation Commission  (new for 2012)

The Middletown Historic Preservation Commission is charged with fostering awareness and appreciation of our community’s history, advancing public knowledge through outreach programs and education, and encouraging the growth of heritage tourism in the township. Members will also be dedicated to collecting, exhibiting and archiving documents and artifacts that tell a tale about the founding of Middletown as one of the state’s earliest colonial settlements as well as its continuing evolution.

The Historic Preservation Commission will consist of seven volunteer members – the Mayor’s designee, a Landmark Commission member and five public members appointed by the Township Committee. The commission is expected to meet six times a year.

Initial Appointments per Resolution 12-219, Aug. 20, 2012 Township Committee meeting:

Joint Shared Services and Consolidation Advisory Committee  (new for 2012)

The advisory committee members include citizens, elected officials and township staff. Members are appointed for a one-year term. Meetings are scheduled by as needed.

April 2012

RESOLUTION NO. 12-127

TOWNSHIP OF MIDDLETOWN

COUNTY OF MONMOUTH

RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING:

ADVISORY OUTDOOR SPORTS LEAGUE COMMITTEE

As of Jan 5, 2013, this committee is not yet listed under boards & commissions on Twp website and I have not seen any appointment resolutions yet.

VOLUNTEER CORP  (new for 2012)

RESOLUTION 13-25

APPOINTMENTS TO THE VOLUNTEER CORP

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF

MIDDLETOWN, IN THE COUNTY OF MONMOUTH, STATE OF NEW JERSEY, as

follows:

1. That the following individuals are hereby appointed or reappointed as members of the

Volunteer Corp pursuant to the Resolution No. 12-271 for an unexpired term of

January 1, 2013 and terminating December 31, 2013.