DENNIS TOWNSHIP – Mayor Zeth Matalucci has been excused from Township Committee meetings through June.
“I received a promotion at work to an investigator position (in the Sheriff’s Office), and am attending a New Jersey state-mandated residential training academy,” Matalucci told the Herald.
“I’m still able to attend to township issues via phone and email, just not in person, Monday through Friday.”
A resolution approving the mayor’s absence that was adopted by the committee on Feb.11 reads, “Due to mandatory obligations with his employment Mayor Matalucci will be unable to attend Township Committee meetings from February through June and requests that his absences from said meetings be excused.”
The resolution cites the New Jersey statute related to such absences, saying if the mayor or member of the governing body is absent for a period of eight consecutive weeks, the governing body can vote to excuse the member’s absences.
A “sheriff’s investigator” is defined as one who, “under direction, performs one or more functions in the following areas: maintaining order and security in the courtroom, serving court processes, criminal identification, ballistics, investigations, apprehension of violators of the law; forensics and other related assignments which may include Emergency Management. As required by the operational needs of the jurisdiction (County), may be assigned to perform other law enforcement or public safety related duties outside the parameters of a courtroom environment, which may include criminal investigations, patrol duties, dispute intervention/resolution, public safety/service assistance, traffic control and enforcement, motor vehicle accidents, etc., and/or other assignments as determined by the appointing authority.”
The full description of the investigator’s duties is long and broad and includes performing “the office and field work necessary to serve and execute writs and other legal papers and documents such as court orders, summonses, subpoenas, writs of attachment, writs of replevin, writs of arrest and indictment, and such other documents directed to the sheriff.”
Antwan McClellan, chief of staff with the Sheriff’s Office, said Matalucci would be responsible for background checks on all new hires and assist with Internal Affairs investigations, while maintaining most of his duties as a confidential assistant, which are likewise varied.
Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com, or call 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
