LONGPORT – Richard Carter has been the borough’s engineer for more than 30 years. He wants to wind down his career with the borough and has proposed an option for the governing body to consider.
At the Jan. 2 Board of Commissioners meeting, solicitor Pacifico “Pat” Agnellini said he met with Carter to discuss his proposal for the board’s consideration. Carter’s three-year appointment expired on Dec. 31, 2018.
“Dick wants to retire, and we want to hold on to him for a year,” Agnellini said before outlining the terms of a new one-year contract.
Carter has proposed working on a part-time basis at a greatly reduced salary until the board can decide if it will hire a permanent replacement or seek engineering services on a contract basis.
He would continue to attend Board of Commissioners work sessions and regular meetings along with Planning Board meetings and work about 32 hours a month until the end of the year, he said.
Carter, who has worked as the borough’s engineer since 1986, said it is important for the commissioners to obtain the services of an engineer who can take the borough through bonding and preparations to drill a new well for the municipal water system.
“That will require a lot of design work, although it will not be funded until July,” he said. “I will finish up what I have and get you postured for the future.”
Carter was paid $72,000 last year for his work as municipal engineer. If the board agrees, he will earn $30,000 in 2019.
“You will be saving $42,000 on salary that you can use for engineering projects,” Agnellini said.
“I just can’t walk away,” Carter said. “I need time to wind down, but there are several ways to make the transition.”
One of the issues on the table for 2019 includes developing a beach access plan to be submitted to the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. The borough may have to seek the services of an outside contractor to complete the plan, Agnellini said.
The board will vote on Carter’s new contract at its next meeting on Jan. 16.
In other business, the board authorized a temporary budget and approved several one-year professional services contracts, including reappointing Agnellini as borough solicitor at a cost not to exceed $50,000; Michael Garcia of Ford-Scott & Associates as municipal auditor at a cost not to exceed $31,500; Fleishman Daniels Law Offices, LLC as bond counsel at a cost not to exceed $10,000; James P. Swift, Esq. of Swift Law Firm as public defender at cost of $5,650 for the year. The board also renewed a $5,440 contract with City Connections, LLC to maintain the borough’s website.
It also appointed members of the Longport Floodplain Management Public Information Committee, including Commissioner James Leeds, Public Works Supervisor Christopher Berenotto, Zoning Officer Bruce Funk, Planning Board members Leonard Geria, and Joseph Marcasciano, Longport Volunteer Fire Department Capt. Pat Armstrong, Building Department Supervisor Richard Hirsch, Construction Management Supervisor Sean O’Leary, along with residents John Stroeble, Joe Baumgardner, Suzy Lawler and Stefan Douglas, and Non-resident Advisory Board President Shawn Sellback.
