Council reorganizes: Criscuolo, Sieg to lead

RIVER VALE—Although no seats for mayor or council were up for grabs last November, the Jan. 2 reorganization meeting featured agenda items approved by the council and the unanimous election of a council president and vice president.

Paul Criscuolo was elected council president; Denise Sieg was elected vice president.

The Township Council approved 54 resolutions covering everything from designating official newspapers and establishing a town hall petty cash fund to appointment of a township architect and appointment of an environmental consultant.

Town architect is Settembrino Architects, Atlantic Highlands and its environmental consultant is VFS Environmental, Inc., East Brunswick.

Other resolutions approved for 2024 include a calendar of council meeting dates; appointing a tax search officer (tax collector Ada Vassallo); confirming appointment of a township attorney (Silvana Raso, Schepisi & McLaughlin); confirm appointment of township engineer (Christopher P. Statile); and confirming appointment of the township bond counsel (DeCotiis, Fitzpatrick, Cole & Giblin LLP).

Council recently approved, 3-0, a nearly $15 million construction bid by Dobco, Inc. of Wayne for a new Public Safety Complex on a township-owned parcel at the corner of Rivervale Road and Prospect Avenue. Officials at the Nov. 27 council meeting, where the lowest qualifying bid was approved, did not provide a timetable for the project.

See “Public Safety Complex is a go,” Michael Olohan, Dec. 4, 2023, Page One, Pascack Press.
The 61-page reorganization meeting agenda is posted on the township website. River Vale does not broadcast via community television or record council meetings for later public viewing online.