Few Changes in Lineup of 2012 Professional Hires

Barnegat Township has made its 2012 professional appointments, and there's little change in the lineup of contracted firms and individuals. The familiar list of names also includes several firms that were significant donors to the Republican candidates 2011 campaign for township committee.

Barnegat Mayor Al Cirulli acknowledged that a key factor in selecting professionals from among those who submitted applications is how well they have worked with the township. “Everyone is very, very satisfied with the job that our professionals do,” he said. And there’s something to be said for continuity, he said, particularly when it comes to legal issues.

“We’re at a point right now where we’re dealing with some very serious litigation, and (township attorney Jerry Dasti) is doing a great job,” he said. Dasti’s Lacey Township firm, Dasti, Murphy, McGuckin, Ulaky, Cherkos & Connors, is “very competitive, price-wise,” said Cirulli. “He actually lowered his price this year,” from $175 to $160 an hour.

The township also reappointed Birdsall Engineering’s John Hess as the township engineer and water and sewer engineer. Birdsall’s hourly fee increased this year from $140 to $145 an hour. The hire was again a case of a highly competent firm that has worked successfully with the township for years, Cirulli said. 

“John Hess knows every sewer line in Barnegat,” he said.

The professional hires come down to having a good working relationship, said Cirulli. “They always come through for the township,” he said. “They’ve done a great job, and we trust them, and that’s the main thing.”

Sometimes, he said, that results in officials not picking the lowest bidder. But a competent professional saves the township money, Cirulli said, whether by avoiding litigation or just getting the job done right. “In our experience, you get what you pay for,” he said. 

A few of those hired were , including auditor William Antonides and Citta, Holzapfel & Zabarsky, the Toms River law firm that provides Barnegat’s municipal prosecutor. 

Antonides gave $600 to the campaign of Republican incumbent Martin Lisella and his running mate, Maxine Blumenthal. A company associated with the same Freehold address listed for Antonides’ CPA firm donated another $600.

Citta, Holzapfel & Zabarsky gave $600 to the campaign, and Taylor Design Group, the Mount Laurel-based company that was reappointed as Barnegat’s landscape architecture firm, also gave $600.

Like Lisella, Cirulli said the Republican candidates don’t closely watch the major contributors to their campaigns, and aim to keep campaign finances at arms’ length. But, he said, everyone involved “follows the letter of the law” when it comes to anti pay-to-play rules.

Below, see a table of bids by applicants for professional positions in the township with data from public records.

It shows most individuals and firms given contracts were reappointments. Most hourly rates stayed flat or increased slightly, with the largest percent change coming from Occupational Medicine, the township's physician.

Some professionals' rates dropped. In addition to Dasti's $15 hourly decrease, public defender John Novak's rate also went down – a much larger drop of $700 per hour.

Auditor

Correction: This story originally said the township appointed Birdsall Engineering as the planning and zoning board engineer. In fact, those boards make their professional appointments independently of the township.