Mayor has changes planned for the new year Pezarras keeps his job as administrator for another year BY PATRICIA A. MILLER Staff Writer Ruthanne Scaturro BRICK TOWNSHIP- Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis wants to revamp the township's organization chart and create two new departments this year. Acropolis made the announcement at the New Year's Day organization meeting. The new departments will be Community Development and Land Use, and Parks and Recreation, the mayor said. "We want to streamline the building department process and reallocate assets," Acropolis said. "We're trying to reduce the number of employees through attrition." Acropolis also plans to form an ad hoc committee to research environmental energies for use in township buildings. "We're going to look at solar as well as wind turbines," he said. Council President Ruthanne Scaturro presented Acropolis with a plaque honoring his 12 years on the Township Council. "I'm so thrilled you are the mayor, but it's certainly a loss not having him as one of our council people," she said. State Sen. Andrew W. Ciesla (R-10) swore in incumbent council members Scaturro, Michael Thulen and Anthony Matthews and newcomer Brian DeLuca. MIchael Thulen Councilmembers voted unanimously to select Scaturro for council president in 2008. Thulen made the motion to nominate her, seconded by Councilman Joseph Sangiovanni. "You will not find four more hardworking individuals through the new year," Acropolis said before he began his brief remarks. Council members also voted unanimously to reappoint Scott M. Pezarras as township administrator. "He has hit the ground running,"Acropolis said. "Scott has done a good job and I'd like to see him back for another year." They reappointed the Toms River firm of Gilmore & Monahan to serve as township attorney. The firm will be paid $165 per hour for their services. The council also appointed nine legal firms to handle "certain legal matters not handled by the township," according to the resolution. They include Apruzzese, McDermott, Mastro & Murphy; Gilmore & Monahan; Citta, Holzapfel & Zabarsky; Dasti, Murphy &McGuckin; Dennis Salerno; Gertner Snyder; Sinn, Fitzsimmons, Cantoli; Mulvaney, Coronato & Brady; and Hiering, Gannon & McKenna. Each firm will be paid $165 per hour. Anthony Matthews John H. Jackson III was appointed public defender. The council appointed five attorneys to serve as alternate public defenders, including Councilman Joseph Sangiovanni's daughter, Bianca Sangiovanni. The other attorneys are Gregory McGuckin, Dennis Salerno, John G. Koufos, and Sean Gertner. They will be paid $250 per session. Steven Zabarsky was reappointed as municipal prosecutor. The council reappointed Birdsall Engineering to serve as township engineer for 2008, at the rate of $96,000 per year. The council reappointed Edward Mercer to another term as an alternate II Board of Adjustment member. Deacon Edward Fischer III, Diane J. Hart and Richard V. Lau were reappointed to one-year terms on the township's Ethics Information Committee.