Township Manager, Council Vacancies Set For Howell Special Council Meeting

HOWELL, NJ — The Howell Township Council has scheduled a special meeting for Tuesday, July 29 to discuss hiring a township manager and the council vacancy created by the resignation of Fred Gasior.

The meeting begins with an executive session at 6 p.m. followed by a regular session at 7 p.m. in the meeting room on the second floor of the municipal building, 4567 Route 9 North.

Joseph Clark resigned as the township manager after accepting the position of business administrator in the borough of Stone Harbor on June 23. Clark began that post on July 11. He was placed on paid administrative leave by the Howell council on June 24.

Diane Festino, the township clerk, was appointed temporarily to replace Clark while the township council decided on an interim township manager.

Gasior, who opposed placing Clark on paid leave and opposed the appointment of Festino, announced on July 17 that he had resigned from the council.

"I will confirm that I have resigned my post from the Howell Council," Gasior wrote in a public post on Facebook. "There are current internal and external matters going on that because of a potential role I may play in them I am legally required to make no statements about them."

"The external is a legal matter and I do believe that because the required legal documents have been filed, it is public information that will indicate all of the people who are involved," Gasior wrote. "Those documents are available to the public in the appropriate places. They would also be available to be opra'd. I am feeling pretty good today as my hands are no longer tied."

The notice of the special meeting said formal action will be taken.