West Amwell approves several professional contracts; abstentions and opposition recorded on attorney and auditor votes

The West Amwell Township Committee voted on multiple professional-service contracts during its Jan. 1 reorganization meeting, approving awards for engineer, municipal attorney, municipal prosecutor and the township auditor.

Resolution #20-2026 authorized a non-fair-and-open contract with Thomas Decker of Van Cleef Engineering to provide engineering services for one year; the Treasurer certified sufficient funds in the 2026 temporary budget and the motion passed by voice vote.

Resolution #21-2026 authorized a one-year non-fair-and-open contract for municipal attorney services with Arlene Quinones Perez of DeCotiis, FitzPatrick, Cole & Giblin, LLP; the motion passed by voice vote with Committeemen Gary Hoyer and Robert Balaam recorded as abstaining. Minutes show the firm’s Political Contribution Disclosure and Business Entity Disclosure on file.

Resolution #22-2026 authorized municipal prosecutor services with W. James Moscaguiri of Lavery, Selvaggi, Abromitis & Cohen; the firm’s disclosure materials were noted as on file and the contract was funded from Township Attorney or Prosecutor OE as listed in the 2026 budget.

Resolution #23-2026 authorized the auditor contract with Suplee, Clooney & Company, LLC. During discussion the Mayor said the Township had received proposals from several firms; Committeeman Robert Balaam opposed changing auditors at this time, stating concern about the recent resignation of the Chief Financial Officer. The motion passed with Balaam recorded as opposing.

Mayor Robin Deal framed periodic auditor rotation as a way to "have a fresh set of eyes on things." Balaam said he believed a change could be destabilizing following the CFO’s departure. The minutes record the dissent and the final outcome but do not show individual roll-call tallies beyond the abstentions and the recorded opposition on Res. #23.

Several resolutions authorizing other professional services under $17,500 were also approved (Resolution #26), listing specialists such as a public defender, special counsel for open-space projects and a special planner for affordable housing; Mayor Deal said Res. #26 would be revised initially to omit the substitute public defender until the contract was received, though the minutes later show a separate Resolution #29 appointing Jenna Casper Bloom as substitute public defender.

What the minutes record about votes and disclosures: where required by statute, Political Contribution Disclosure forms and Business Entity Disclosure Certifications were reported as on file for the firms and individuals awarded contracts; several motions were passed by voice vote with abstentions or a recorded opposition noted in the minutes.