Valori takes lead on Parsippany Council

PARSIPPANY - The Township Council and administration began 2016 with a new spirit of cooperation on Tuesday, breezing through a controversy-free reorganization and agenda meeting full of smiles, jokes and unanimous votes.

The question is, how long will it last?

Council liaison duties were distributed and committee member assignments were made while Louis Valori was unanimously named council president, replacing Paul Carifi Jr. Robert Peluso diplomatically abstained from an otherwise unanimous vote to retain him as council vice president.

"Moving froward starting today, I look forward to working with my fellow council members, mayor and the administration to provide an efficient, effective and accountable government," Valori said in his accepting remarks.

Barberio, a Republican, congratulated Valori and pledged his desire to work with the all-G.O.P. council.

"I met with the council president prior (to the meeting) and we have a commitment to each other and the township," Barberio said during the meeting. "We will meet on a regular basis, go over a lot of stuff that's happened in town, that's going to happen in town, and be cooperative. I know sometimes you think we don't get along, But when we do get along, a lot of good things happen in town."

Valori and Barberio both cited the announcement that UPS will open its new technical division in Parsippany as an example of economic growth critical to a municipality with 13 million square feet of office space.

"This year will probably be the first year, in 2015, that there will be no ratable loss," Barberio said. "We're definitely moving in the right direction."

The council also made quick work of the agenda meeting that immediately followed the reorganization, unanimously approving two public defenders and two prosecutors.

The council did not act on 14 other professional-service appointments listed on the agenda, including the appointment of John Inglesino as township attorney. Carifi, Valori and Peluso have blocked Inglesino's reappointment since 2013 as that majority council faction continues to spar with Inglesino and Mayor James Barberio over several issues, including multiple lawsuits between the township and Paul Carifi's brother, retired township police Capt. James Carifi.

Inglesino, a former Morris County freeholder and former Rockaway Township mayor, still serves as township attorney on a carryover basis. Carifi, Valori and Peluso continue to include Inglesino in their strong objections to mounting legal fees incurred by the township, including hundreds of thousands of dollars paid to a security firm for forensic analysis of computer files related to the James Carifi lawsuits.

One year ago, the same council majority also voted against the appointments of Stephen J. Trimboli and Todd M. Galante as special legal counsels and Michael B. Lavery as conflicts counsel. Resolutions to award them contracts for 2016 also were listed on the agenda, but were not discussed or voted on Tuesday.

Other resolutions still to be addressed include proposed appointments for engineering services, financial consultants and a golf-course designer.

The resolutions for those appointments were listed to "set the agenda for the regular meeting, so that's normal," Carifi said after the meeting. "The regular meeting is in two weeks, and that's when everything is voted on."

The public defender and prosecutor appointments were voted on Tuesday because municipal court will be in session this week "or the court would not be able to operate," Carifi said.

Asked if conflict can be expected regarding the appointments at the regular meeting on Jan. 19, Carifi said "I don't know."

But for one night, the governing body was in good humor. Valori accepted an oversize Snickers bar from business administrator Ellen Sandman, admitting they are "my weakness."

"I echo what the council president mentioned, also our mayor and administration, that I'm looking forward to working with everyone very cordially," Peluso said.

Morris County Clerk and former township councilwoman Ann Grossi attended the meetings, as did freeholders John Cesaro (another former Parsippany council member) and Doug Cabana. Cabana and Cesaro were confirmed during the agenda meeting as municipal prosecutors for 2016.

Gerald P. Scala, whose reappointment as municipal court judge was blocked by Carifi, Valori and Peluso in 2015, was reappointed by unanimous vote for 2016.

Staff Writer William Westhoven: 973-917-9242; wwesthoven@GannettNJ.com.