Interim Administrator for Dennis?

DENNISVILLE—At the regular Dennis Township Committee meeting on Sept. 17, Committeeman Frank Germanio urged fellow members to press forward with finding a part-time administrator to manage the municipality’s daily affairs.
“I recommend that at our next meeting (Oct. 8), we go with a company that will provide temporary administrative services.”
Citing the need for an interim hire for the balance of 2013, Germanio noted that the time could be used to conduct an assessment of municipal operations with an eye to greater efficiency and responsiveness to the taxpayers. “From that (assessment), we’ll know how we should proceed for the long run.”
The future could see day-to-day government functions managed by a part-time on site administrator or perhaps the township would opt for a shared services arrangement with another municipality.
Without identifying a particular company, Germanio pointed out that companies have been contacted that “do this type of work.” He hopes that two such organizations will be able to make presentations at the next committee meeting. “We’re not close to appointing an administrator until January, but this will give us a chance to evaluate the township’s needs,” he said. If an administrator is eventually hired, the position will be part-time, with no medical benefits.
Other committee members agreed that the administrator idea deserves consideration but committeeman Al DiCicco, for one, wanted the public to hear more about what is being proposed. “Taxpayers need to be kept informed so they can know if an administrator is better for them.”
In other business, the committee appointed Anthony McCurdy to be the Municipal Alliance Coordinator. He replaces Monica DiVito, who resigned earlier this month. Annual salary for the position is $4,500. The township received $6,062 from the state for the 2013 Municipal Alliance Grant Program.
The Committee also directed Township Engineer Jack Gibson to look into completing work on improvements at the recreation center and town hall.
“The [new surface on the outdoor] basketball court looked pretty good,” Gibson observed.
Responding to comments about problems with ponding after rain in areas that aren’t level, Gibson advised taking a ‘wait and see’ approach to further work. “It didn’t crack in the hot weather so I recommend doing nothing with it in 2014,” he said. “You can always go back and resurface later if need be.”
Other maintenance issues raised by committee included heating and air conditioning problems at the recreation center. “There’s money [in the budget] available for that work,” Germanio noted. “It makes no sense holding off on those improvements.”