Borough Council Meeting Tues. April 1 @7:30pm

Good news.........................We're Baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Our next Matawan Borough Council Meeting will be held at the Matawan Borough Community Center at 201 Broad St. @ 7:30pm on Tuesday, April 1st.

That's right folks, April Fool's Day! On the Agenda, the professional appointments made at the last meeting will be voted on. Professional appointments include but are not limited to the much discussed Borough Attorney appointment. Pat Menna, Esq. was appointed by Mayor Buccellato along with other professional attorneys, engineers, etc. The question for this meeting is: will the Democratic majority Council approve the appointment of Pat Menna, Esq., known Democratic Mayor of Red Bank, experienced municipal attorney, who gave Matawan the lowest quote or not? If not, we will be interested in hearing the reasons.

Among the Resolutions being presented at this meeting are the following:

Resolution authorizing the Borough Administrator to advertise & interview for a part time Recreation Director.

Resolution authorizing the Borough Administrator to advertise & interview for a part time Deputy Court Administrator.

Resolutions awarding bids for purchase for leaf collector and mechanical street sweeper.

Hope to see you there......

Borough Council Meeting 3-18-08, Tues. 7:30pm

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all our Irish readers.

An Old Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you.May the wind always be at your back.May the sun shine warm upon your face,and rains fall soft upon your fields.And until we meet again,May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

The Council will meet at the Matawan Community Center at 7:30pm on Tuesday.

We have noticed the Borough's Payment of Bills is on the website. Thanks to Councilman Cannon who listened to the residents and has made it available. All in all it looks like a routine meeting, excluding the Mayor's appointment(s).


Mayor Buccellato is expected to announce his appointment for Borough Attorney. There might be other appointments as well. The Council will then vote on his appointment(s). We are optimistic that the Council will agree with the Mayor's choices.


Matawan has serious issues that must be addressed. We are ever hopeful that the Mayor and Council can get on with the business of running the Borough in an efficient, frugal manner.

Workshop Follow Up 2008

Although unable to attend the Budget Workshop meeting on Thursday, March 13, the following is what we have pieced together from various sources. Cannot tell anyone if the information is entirely correct, but here goes:

There has never been a Budget Workshop meeting with all department heads prior to this one

All Departments offered additional reductions to their budgets

Mayor Buccellato suggested multi-year budgeting (we don't know exactly what he had in mind, but it may have something to do with a 2 or 3 year budget process

Recreation Director salary is only $8,000., not $16,000. as previously indicated. Hope the Borough can solicit a person to perform these services for $8,000.

Matawan Aberdeen School Board will present its Budget to the Council the first meeting in April

No one recalled any actual amounts of tax increases the Borough will face

2008 Road Program was discussed to what end it is unsure

Any additional information will be posted.

Former Mayor Mary Aufseeser Guilty or Not Guilty?

In Wednesday's Asbury Park Press and The Independent the residents of Matawan were informed that Matawan's hiring of professionals, i.e. engineers, planners, auditors and borough attorney were flawed. We suggest you read the articles and judge whether or not the former Mayor, Mary Aufseeser along with any Council Members who participated should pay the Borough for the monies that was misspent.

Aufseeser could not be reached for comment. Councilman Mullaney stated, "It's a pretty delicate situation." and "It wouldn't be proper for me to speak." Why not? It is time for the people responsible to step up to the plate and be accountable. Pay the Borough back the expended monies for the second and third request for RFQ's. Fess up, pay back, learn from your mistakes and move on. Any member of the Council who worked with Aufseeser on this matter should be held accountable. It doesn't matter what your party affiliation is, it was wrong for Aufseeser to interview attorneys after losing the Special Election. Have to agree with Mayor Buccellato the Democrats exposed the Borough to lawsuits. They should have known better.

Mayor Buccellato, in a statement said, "The timing of the presentation to the council and myself was done late when most residents left the meeting." "Given the short time I had to review the resolution, if there is an allegation placing blame on the former mayor, there really should be some sort of investigation."

Misspending of Borough funds should always be recovered and wrongdoing should be addressed, in order to prevent this type of spending from happening again.

What do you residents say? Do you think Aufseeser along with any council member who participated, should pay back Matawan? Do you think she did this on her own? If so, why do you think she would have done it? She had already lost the election.

BUDGET WORKSHOP 7PM, MARCH 13, 2008

Mark your calendars folks for a Budget Workshop on Thursday. Concerned about the increases in Matawan's Budget, then be at this Workshop. This is your opportunity to observe your elected Council at work. The floor will be open to the public at the end. This would be the time you can express your concerns and make suggestions. If cuts have to be made and quite frankly can't see that isn't going to happen, then residents should have input. We are facing cuts in State Aid of $200,000. Thanks for nothing Gov. Corzine! Never mind discretionary state aid, which was cut last year.

An ambitious Road Program has been mentioned. Now we are all for the roads in Matawan being improved. However, are we getting any grants to offset the cost? If not, why not? In order to undertake a comprehensive Road Program grants must be obtained to reduce the cost to taxpayers. Has Maser Consulting (Borough Engineering Firm) applied or received any grants? Maser as the Borough Engineer while developing the Road Program should be applying for grants to offset the cost. If not, the entire cost will be on the backs of the taxpayers. Councilman Cannon did mention we had money left over from the last Road Program which would be for water and sewer upgrades. Where will the money come from for the roads?

What action does the Council plan for cutting the Budget? Where is the money coming from for the part time position of Recreation Director? Will there be staff reductions, cuts in services, will events be eliminated or reduced in number? What plans are there for the Water Filtration System? Will the Budget include the increased costs of water service to Matawan? Budget reductions last year for the Borough was considering a change in banks to cut costs, reducing full time employees to part time status thus saving the cost of benefits, a reduction in legal fees to name a few.

The Council has to set goals and develop plans to apply for grants. At which time the Borough Administrator, Fred Carr, would have the information necessary to apply.
Keep in mind grants are free money, Bonds are loans that must be paid back!

Perhaps we can get back the money wasted when former Mayor Mary Aufseeser who without Council consent cost the Borough unnecessary expenditures for RFQ's. The cost of that fiasco has yet to be determined. Ah, but we digress.

The Borough Council must work together to cut the 2008 Budget while preparing for the 2009 Budget. We should be prepared so there will be no repeat of the expenditures exceeding the Budget this year.

We have high hopes for this Council and trust they along with the Mayor will work together for Matawan. It will take more than pinching pennies to deal with the financial crisis facing Matawan!

Hope to see you there....

Home Team 5, Visitors 1

That was the vote last night after much blah, blah, blah. By siding with his wife, Councilman Mullaney was the only member to vote against the Girls Softball field. Councilman Mullaney stated there was a meeting at his home where he and his wife met with various people who disagreed with the Councilman and his wife. Mrs. Mullaney and the Councilman disagree with the Borough's safety experts on placement of the softball field. If the Council represents the people of Matawan, as Councilman Mullaney stated, and the majority of the people wanted the softball field then after considering all the facts, i.e., Matawan's safety experts findings, then why wouldn't you vote for it? Councilman Mullaney wouldn't disagree with his wife, that's why! Councilman Cannon stated, in his opinion Mrs. Mullaney wanted the Babe Ruth League to let the girls softball league share the field, end of story. Now the Recreation Commission's volunteers do a great job donating time and energy. However, when a Councilman's wife takes advantage of the privilege of the floor with endless belaboring of her position, it is time for someone to say enough! Congratulations to the Girls Softball League, Babe Ruth League and all their supporters for bringing this matter to the attention of the Council. Hope to see you all at the field.....

Councilman Bunyon reported he attended a Seminar on Redevelopment. He stated it was very informative and that some ideas used in Collingswood could be implemented for Matawan's Redevelopment program. Of course, nothing can be done until Aberdeen's Developer Silver Oaks v. Matawan appeal is heard.

Councilman Mendes reported that the Matawan Police/Court Building is in major disrepair. He found the conditions to be deplorable. Hellooooooooooooooooooo, tell us something we don't know.

Councilman Cannon announced that the State in an email that very afternoon announced a cut to State Aid to Matawan of $200,000. Corzine is really hitting small municipalities hard. Kudos to the CFO and Councilman Cannon for their hard work on the Budget. Cannon also mentioned an extensive Road Program projection. Sounds good, but how can we pay for it. Unlike grants, bonds have to be paid back. Quite frankly, after we see the Budget increase, the Road Program may have to be cutback.

As an observation, Councilman Mullaney abstained on the vote for the payment of bills. Due to the fact that Mullaney Tires did some work for the Borough. Question, Councilman isn't that a conflict of interest? Afterall, you were going to bring an action against Councilman Cannon over the softball field. What's the expression what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Time for Mullaney to stop doing work for the Borough.

Mayor Buccellato appointed to the Special Events Committee, Councilwoman Linda Clifton and resident representative Agnes Falk. With the current financial crisis. doesn't look like the committee will have anything to recommend to the Council.

We would like to see the Council members review the agenda prior to the meetings. It doesn't seem too much to ask. We have witnessed over and over again Council members who claim they don't have documents, didn't get the email, haven't had time to review issues, therefore tabling items on the agenda. Instead of stonewalling Mayor Buccellato they should try to work together for Matawan. Isn't that why we voted them into office. Oh well, November will be here before you know it.

If the Council can't dazzle us with brillance, they should not try to baffle us with bullshit!

Borough Council Meeting Agenda Revision

A revised agenda for the Borough Council meeting tonight will include a vote on the girls Softball League field. Not mentioned on the published agenda on the Boro's internet site, but an article in the Asbury Park Press noting comments from Council members.

Advised by an Anonymous commenter, there is a workshop at 6pm for the purposes of a seminar on Employee Practices Liability. Seminar is given by the Boro Risk & Control Consultant and attendance by employees will reduce the premium for the Borough.

Matawan Borough Council Meeting 3/4 at 7:30pm

Borough Council meeting Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at 7:30pm. No workshop prior to Council meeting.

Budget Introduction on Tuesday, March 11. 2008 at 6:30pm.

Hope to see you there!