STONE HARBOR – After weeks in which several residents used the public comment periods at Borough Council meetings to question why the borough was moving away from its popular tourism director, Jenny Olson, the council on March 18 awarded a contract to a Trenton-based firm for the “coordination, administration, promotion and execution” of the town’s special events and to meet other public information needs.

The $70,000 contract with Princeton Strategic Communications will run for one year at $5,666 per month.

Olson earlier this month was named the new recreation director, a position vacated when Shannon MacPherson quit in the fall.

The reorganization of the tourism function was driven by a strong desire on the council to have a greater focus on the public information role. Olson had spent most of her time in the tourism position, managing and executing special events.

The question that has been asked repeatedly at council meetings is how a firm located hours away from Stone Harbor will manage special events in the borough. As resident Geoff Woolery phrased it yet again at the March 18 meeting, where will the “boots on the ground” element of special events management come from?

No council member has addressed that question directly.

According to its website, Princeton Strategic Communications was founded in 2012 and is a “full-service marketing and communication firm.” While the website discusses a firm focused on public relations, brand management and marketing, it gives no hint of a team that does in-person execution of special events.

The council has not spoken at a public meeting about how tourism management will run in 2025. The council’s reticence to respond to issues raised by residents during the public comment period has been a topic of comment itself and was again on March 18.

Contact the reporter, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.