By Chris Rotolo
ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS – Vito Colasurdo suppressed his personal pain behind a triumphant smile during the borough’s Jan. 1 reorganization meeting, when he and councilwoman Eileen Cusack were sworn into office by U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr.
In November’s general election, Colasurdo and fellow Democrat Cusack, shared a ticket that edged out a pair of Republican incumbents, Stephen Boracchia and Brian Boms. Though the reorganization served as the culmination of that victory, the moment was not without its share of heartache for Colasurdo.
“The entire election process really had a damper put on it,” said Colasurdo, whose father Vito Colasurdo Sr. died in October at the age of 77 near his Bayonne home. “He was so enthusiastic about the campaign; always checking in, even from his hospital bed, to see what he could do to help. Me being here today, for me, it’s a tribute to my dad.”
Colasurdo Sr. owned and operated Pat’s Tavern on Avenue C in Bayonne, and this December would have been the 46th consecutive holiday season he opened his doors to local patrons in need of a festive meal, free of charge.
“My dad did his best to do what was best for everyone. Not just his family or his close friends, but anyone who may had needed a lift. He was a ‘shirt-off-his-back’ kind of guy. And that’s how I want to approach this role,” Colasurdo told The Two River Times. “It’s about doing what makes sense for everyone.”
Though in the infancy of their three-year terms, Colasurdo and Cusack will be asked to immediately participate in the borough’s ongoing debates, including whether to allow the sale of commercial cannabis, the collaborative creation of an all-purpose K-12 regionalized school district with Sea Bright and the neighboring borough of Highlands, and the development of a tract of land connected to the vacant Mother Teresa Regional School and St. Agnes Thrift Shop.
“As a council person, I believe it’s a really important job to do your homework, and not just talk the talk,” Cusack said. “I think a lot of people see politicians as talkers and not necessarily as doers. But I hope to change that perception by hitting the ground running.”
In November, the governing body conducted a contentious meeting at which members of the public questioned the council’s commitment to transparency following the introduction and unanimous adoption of an ordinance that sent a 34-page development plan for the 3.6-acre school and thrift shop parcel to the planning board for a consistency review.
The notion of this development plan had not been discussed in public session since September 2019, when borough residents expressed their interest in repurposing existing infrastructure to accommodate new senior housing in the borough. Additionally, setting aside a portion of the land for recreational or passive green space was also pitched.
During the November 2022 meeting, the development plan included two conceptual renderings for the parcel, both of which concentrated on the construction of single-family homes. Borough resident Mark Fisher suggested that decisions about the plan be tabled until the new year, when Colasurdo and Cusack were seated on the dais and new planning board officers were appointed. The November planning board meeting was subsequently canceled and a consistency review was not administered in December.
Cusack’s professional background is in social services and health care administration, including a focus on systems related to continuum of care and attention to end-of-life services. This experience led to her appointment to the borough’s senior services committee. She will also serve as a council liaison to the borough’s office of emergency management.
It is unclear at this time if her experience will have an impact on the development of additional senior living facilities in Atlantic Highlands, but Cusack is hopeful she can positively affect this segment of the community.
“I think this (is an area) I can make a positive impact in right away,” said Cusack. “My goal is to try and get the community back on the same track and everyone on the same page, particularly in regard to our seniors and the (office of emergency management).”
Cusack said she wants to cultivate a stronger relationship between the senior residents and the office of emergency management, “because there may be some people who need more help than we are really aware of.”
Borough Council Attorney Turnover
A unanimous vote led to the appointment of Marguerite M. “Peg” Schaffer as the new council attorney. The Seton Hall University Law School alum will replace former borough attorney Jason Sena. However, Sena has been retained by the borough as special counsel for a one-year term to advise ongoing operations that were not settled in 2022.
Schaffer is a senior partner at the law firm of Schaffer, Shain and Jalloh, which has locations in Bernardsville and Linden.
According to her professional profile, Schaffer specialized in the fields of commercial litigation, banking, land use and real estate law, and is an expert in cannabis law.
Schaffer currently serves as the chair of the Somerset County Democratic Committee and was elected as a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 2008, 2012 and 2016. In 2019, she was appointed interim vice chair of the New Jersey State Democratic Committee.
The article originally appeared in the January 5 – 11, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
