ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS –

Bernardsville attorney Marguerite  Schaffer was named borough attorney at the reorganization of the Mayor and Council Monday, replacing Jason Sena, by a unanimous vote of the new governing body.

Sena not completely out …

Sena, however also by a unanimous votes, has been retained  as Special Counsel to the borough for one year reportedly to finish working on some matters which have not been completed during the past year as borough attorney..

Eclectic Background

Schaffer, a senior partner in the law firm of Shain, Schaffer and Jalloh brings a strong background to her new position, ranging from degrees in law, English and philosophy,  certification as a secondary school English teacher, and as well as former legal writing instructor at her alumnus, Seton Hall University School of Law,  former counsel, prosecutor or other positions with East Orange, South Brunswick, Roselle and Watchung in northern New Jersey, as well as Lake Como in Monmouth County, where she owns a home. And besides being borough attorney here, she is also expected to be renamed borough attorney for another year at Lake Como when that governing body reorganizes Tuesday evening. Her law firm, Shain Schaffer & Jalloh, is also scheduled to be named special tax council in Lake Como at reorganization.

  Cannabis Law

According to her published biography, Ms. Schaffer  is an expert in the burgeoning field of Cannabis Law and represents a number of out-of-state entities anxious to do business in New Jersey when legislation permits.

Memberships

In addition to her legal and other appointments, Schaffer, is a past President and current Board of Directors member  of the Executive Women of New Jersey, serves on the Advisory Committee of the Institute for Women’s Leadership at Rutgers University, and is Chair of the Somerset County Democratic Committee, was elected delegate to three of the four  Democratic National Conventions, and has held several positions with  Essex, Somerset and Morris counties.

A former Assistant Counsel and Municipal Prosecutor,  Counsel and secretary to the Board of Adjustment, City  Counsel to the Planning Board,  all in the city of East Orange; and Counsel to and member of the Board of Directors of Mountain Ridge State Bank. Schaffer currently serves as Counsel to the Borough of Lake Como, and Special Counsel to the Township of South Brunswick and the boroughs of Roselle and Watchung.  She is also currently a Democrat Committeewoman in Bernardsville in Somerset County where she lives.

She is a member of  Somerset County, New Jersey and American Bar Associations.

Born in 1948 in Newark  and admitted to the bar since 1975. Ms. Schaffer specializes in commercial litigation, banking, land use and real estate law, and is the co-managing partner of her law firm.

The new borough attorney’s law degree is from Seaton Hall, cum laude, and also earned undergraduate degrees  from the  University of Dayton. She holds a Teacher’s Certification in Secondary English from the State of New Jersey and prior to law school taught in an inner city high school.

Ms. Schaffer served as an Adjunct Professor at Seton Hall Law School where she taught legal writing, and at Fairleigh Dickinson University where she taught commercial law.

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Praise

Open Hearts

ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS –

Mayor Loretta Gluckstein both praised borough employees and listed a series of accomplishments the governing body has made during 2022 during her Mayor’s message delivered at the reorganization meeting of the Mayor and Council  at noon Jan. 1.

Council Composition

The Mayor will now preside over of council of five Democrats and one Republican, James Murphy, and under this borough’s form of government, would only vote in case of ties among council.

Praise

In praising local employees and professionals, Gluckstein highlighted the individuals who “make the day-to-day magic happen for this wonderful and historic small town.” She especially complimented Administrator Rob Ferragina, Borough Clerk Michelle Clark, Building and HR Department employee, Elizabeth Merkel, DPW Director Jim Phillips and his team, Marty Hawley and the Water Department, Harbor Master Lou Fligor and his team, and Chief of Police Scott Reinhart and the police officers that are “always keeping our small town safe.”

Achievements

In citing achievements through the past year, Gluckstein cited 31 different areas of success, from accomplishing collective bargaining agreements for employees and shared service agreements with Highlands to the purchase of illuminated holiday snowflakes for First Avenue and holiday wreaths and LED decorative lights  at the Stone bridge.

Purchases

Among purchases during the year, the mayor praised the new sanitation truck, the travel lift hoist and other upgrades at the Harbor,  the LED bulbs installed in the Victorian lights in front of Borough Hall, the purchase of an AM radio for emergency communications anticipated to be operational this year as well as a new borough website.

Environmental and beautification improvements during the year include the repair and working condition of  JCP&L center median lights on Memorial Parkway, the removal of remnants of the Center Avenue gazebo, together with new grass seed, and plans for the installation of  a new gazebo this year, painting of  borough parking spaces in all borough lots and at the harbor gazebo and harbor buildings as well as the borough’s DPW garage also installed with energy efficient LED lights, and the replacement of the faded Bayshore Trail signs.

Communications

Communication improvements included with utility companies which resulted  in the removal of unused and non-functioning utility polls that litter the business district, a continuing project this year, with county officials resulting in the long  awaited repairs and light replacement to the MT-50 Stone Bridge,  as well as  wood planks replacement on the Bay Avenue and Center Avenue bridges and re-striping center lines on First Avenue and Ocean Boulevard, both county roads.

Grants

Funding and grants accomplishments include  processing several federal appropriation funding request applications which has led to $ 2.1 million enabling harbor bulkhead repair to progress, with thanks to Congressman Frank Pallone, all projects which have proceeded while keeping within the budget.

 Green team

Additionally, Gluckstein cited  the borough Green Team’s work to accrue additional points leading to the boroughs recertification of Bronze status for several years while inching closer to Silver status,  the  borough’s  first Wellness Fair for Borough employees, funded t through a HIF grant and the Shade Tree Commission’s replacement of several dead trees with new trees.

Looking Forward

Looking forward to 2023, the Mayor said designated streets will be paved, the Upper Prospect wall will be started  and could be funded through a FEMA grant, collaboration with the county will continue to improve, maintain,and repair county assets within the borough and the relationship with JCP&L will continue to be strengthened.

County Commitment

Noting that the county has committed to repairing the concrete wall on Ocean Boulevard near Highland Avenue and reconstructing the Ocean Boulevard bridge and other upgrades, Gluckstein thanked the County Commissioners for their contributions, cited the continuing shared services with Highlands for ambulatory service daylight hours, and praised the   continuing improvements to the local volunteer First Aid Squad under the leadership of Lance Hubeny.

She said the borough engineer is working on the funding for the ADA restroom facility at the Center Avenue Park and  working on upgrades to other parks in the borough for 2023 completion.

An additional $219,320 in NJDOT FY23 Municipal Aid for improvements to East Garfield and Grant Avenue has also be secured, she said.

 Summary

In her summary, the mayor said that even with all the cited improvements the one she values most “is having the residents living in a safe community where traditional values, respect for our fellow neighbors, and civility take center stage.” That is how she remembers the town she said, and  how she wants it to continue with  “neighbors helping neighbors without worrying about political affiliation or socio-economic status.”

The Holly Tree Lot gate was reconfigured after input from DPW, The Parking Committee, and Seastreak.

The Habitat for Humanity House at 21 Leonard finally closed and our new neighbors are now proud Atlantic Highlands residents.

DPW extended yard hours for leaves and brush drop-off to now include November and December weekends, as requested by residents.

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ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS

Calling for a concentration on traditional values, respect for fellow neighbors and civility on center stage, Atlantic Highlands Mayor Loretta Gluckstein told borough council members “we do not need to always agree, however, an open heart and an open mind can achieve a lot.” The mayor made the statement when the borough council reorganized at noon yesterday with the Democrats taking control of a council that had been evenly divided until November’s election.

Incumbents

With GOP incumbents Brian Boms and Steve Boracchia defeated by newcomers Democrats Eileen Cusack and Vito Colasurdo, Councilman James Murphy remains the only Republican on the borough council along with Mayor Gluckstein. Under the borough’s form of government, the mayor only votes when there is a tie among council members. Councilwoman Lori Hohenleitner was unanimously named council president, so would preside at any meetings in which the mayor is absent.

Gluckstein Comments

In a prepared statement that itemized a number of achievements the mayor said the borough has accomplished in the past year, she also called on the council to “drop the importance of labels in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey (including the rest of the nation)” and encouraged  all “to open our hearts and minds and start to listen to all ideas and opinions.”

Labels

Gluckstein explained the difference between her teen years when “we didn’t care what brand of jeans, shirts, or shoes we had on or what label was on those items.” It has changed, she said so that we now live in an economic climate “where advertising and branding take center stage.”  The result she believes, is that young adults in earlier decades felt equal,” but the influx of branding and marketing now has people knowing “some people had more and some had less and once again this is occurring in our nation and our community” along with the addition of  political labels.

Reflection

The mayor also urged  “the council and myself “ to change their ways, noting “the way we conduct ourselves on the dais reflects on how the public will respond, the public will mirror our actions. If we display anger, irrationality, and mudslinging at each other we will have to accept the same from the public.” She reminded the council that “we are elected officials and we all at the dais need to be an example to our fellow citizens, ” before expressing the hope that  “ this may be the start of something that has been  lacking in parts of our nation, falling short of saying whether it also reflects Atlantic Highlands now.

Positive Example

Let’s have the Borough of Atlantic Highlands be the positive example where people can come together block by block.”  She admitted that while the elected officials might not agree on some areas,  “we can open a dialogue and know that we are all still residents of Atlantic Highlands, a beautiful small, quaint town that is the Jewel of the Jersey Shore.”

Votes Unanimous

Votes for every appointment and commission member named at the reorganization meeting were all unanimous, with Murphy approving each and only  questioning one. He requested to be named to the finance committee, which council also agreed to. Hohenleitner is chairman of finance, personnel and insurance committees, with Murphy and Councilman Brian Dougherty also serving on all three.

The mayor was named council representative to the Senior Citizens Recreation Board, Emergency management and the Senior Citizens Committees.