Township Committee — January 6, 2026

What the record shows

Municipal Clerk Kieffer called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. Somerset County Commissioner Director Shanel Robinson administered the oath of office to Brett Hodges and John Tompkins. All five members were present: Asay, Duarte McCarthy, Hodges, McNally and Tompkins.

Officers

• Mayor: Hodges nominated Ana Duarte McCarthy, seconded by Tompkins; there were no other nominations. Elected 5-0 (aye Asay, Duarte McCarthy, Hodges, McNally, Tompkins).
• Deputy Mayor: Duarte McCarthy nominated John Tompkins; there were no other nominations. Elected with aye votes from Asay, Hodges, McNally and Duarte McCarthy, as the roll call prints it.

The Mayor’s address

Mayor Duarte McCarthy named three priorities: public safety, the future of the community, and the needs of residents.

• Allen Road. She said residents raised concerns about safety on Allen Road in October after a township resident was struck by a car and died, that Allen Road is among the most enforced roads for traffic safety in the township, that she and Committeeman McNally serve on the police subcommittee, and that the county and township were proceeding with engineering studies expected to inform next steps within a few months. She mentioned a possible partnership with RideWise for pedestrian safety education. See Allen Road safety.
• Housing. She said the township expected an order of conditional compliance from Judge Mennen approving its affordable housing obligations through July 2035, and that the township had committed $200,000 from its Affordable Housing Fund in July 2025 to open a sixth Our House home. See Fourth Round housing.
• She announced an economic development subcommittee of Asay and Tompkins, and a $70,000 state age-friendly grant awarded to the Somerset County YMCA in partnership with the township.

Resolutions

The consent agenda passed 5-0 (motion Asay, second Tompkins). Among its resolutions:

• Professionals for 2026: Municipal Attorney John P. Belardo, Esq. ($220.00 an hour, not to exceed $150,000.00, #2026-0069); special, alternate, tax appeal and labor counsel; auditor Nisivoccia LLP (not to exceed $39,455.00, #2026-0050); surveying, site inspection, and Kyle + McManus Associates as Housing Element and Fair Share Plan planner (not to exceed $17,000.00, #2026-0108). #2026-0036, air monitoring at the Pill Hill Landfill by T & M Associates, prints $11,750.00 in its title and $12,500.00 in its body and CFO certification. See trash and recycling.
• Budget and taxes: temporary operating appropriations of $10,681,820.11 (#2026-0028), an emergency temporary appropriation of $1,500,000.00 for the Capital Improvement Fund (#2026-0029), golf utility temporary appropriations (#2026-0031), the tax grace period and interest rates (#2026-0017) and the 2026 cash management plan (#2026-0033). See budget and taxes.
• How the township runs: the rules for the conduct of meetings (#2026-0043), with two public comment periods and five minutes per speaker; the 2026 meeting dates (#2026-0002); legal notices moving from newspapers to www.bernards.org effective March 1, 2026 (#2026-0014); the administrator protocol (#2026-0046) and personnel handbooks (#2026-0066); and Thomas Timko reappointed Township Engineer to December 31, 2028 (#2026-0082).
• #2026-0136, participation in State Plan cross-acceptance, with a committee of John Crane, Mayor Duarte McCarthy, David Schley and Kathleen (Kippy) Piedici.
• Board, commission and committee appointments, the Mayor’s appointees and the Board of Health and Library Board members (confirmed by a unanimous motion).

Public comment

Two people spoke, Jane Shin of Spencer Road and Somerset County Commissioner Deputy Director Sara Sooy, both offering congratulations. The meeting adjourned at 8:23 p.m.

Records

• Minutes (township document page)
• Agenda (township document page)
• Video on the township’s YouTube channel. This page follows the Committee’s minutes.