Maria Mento
VENTNOR – The Board of Commissioners renewed for one year its contract with an outside agency to provide consulting services and nonpartisan administrative support to assist the administration in governance.
The board approved a resolution Thursday Aug. 9 extending its contract, which has been in effect for two years, with Jersey Professional Management Corp. of Cranford at the same terms as the existing contract, but at a reduced rate not to exceed $12,150. Last year’s contract amount was $16,200.
JPM recruits experience municipal professionals who provide administrative support to municipalities on a part- or full-time temporary basis. According to its website, JPM’s services cover “a full range of municipal activity and responsibilities, including efficiency studies, department reviews, salary surveys, and more.”
The board also extended for one year its contract with JPM to provide the services of Acting City Administrator and Deputy Clerk Maria Mento, who works for the city on a part-time basis. Mento, who lives in Ventnor, works three days a week but is on call 24-7. Mento was first hired in August 2016.
Although the administration has been criticized every time the contracts were awarded, “That’s OK because the people who criticize really have no clue,” Holtzman said. “Maria is the backbone of our administration. She is brilliant, diligent, and taxpayer sensitive.”
Mento is retired from the Atlantic County Utilities Authority where she worked for 25 years. Before that, she worked in Atlantic County government for 10 years.
JPM will be paid $110 on a voucher for every hour Mento works not to exceed $137,500. For Workers Compensation and other insurance purposes, Mento will also receive $10 per hour on payroll.
Because they are professional services, the city was able to award the contacts without bidding.
In other business, the board appointed members of the newly formed ad hoc Citizens Advisory Committee, whose purpose is to advise the committee on finance and budget, public works, public safety, economic development, code and construction, recreation and other issues.
After receiving more than 35 written inquiries from interested full-time and seasonal residents and taxpayers, the board expanded the committee to include 15 members.
They are: Scott Bluth, Ed Cahan, Tom Hewett, Kenneth Gordon, Sheri Herman, Peter Kleiner, Rand Snyderman, Christian Bryce, Paul Giegerich, Molly Golubcow, Bob Gross, Jeff Jascol, Beth Kwart, Andy Starer and Kenneth Zucker.
