Present were:

Absent were:

The meeting was called to order at 6:35 p.m.

Statement was made that the meeting was held in accordance with the requirements of the Open Public Meeting Act.

A motion was made by Larry Redmond seconded by Mayor Cannon and unanimously agreed upon for the approval of the July, 2001 Treasurer's Report and the August, 2001 Bill List.

A motion was made by Mark Proudman seconded by Mayor Cannon and unanimously agreed upon for the approval of the July 25, 2001 meeting summary to show the correction in the name of Gil Fallon.

We have received a letter from the IRS stating that they are in receipt of the EDC application for a 501(c)(3) status. This will take approximately 120 days.

Changes were made to the wording in the correspondence regarding the Coastal Barrier Designation that will be sent to Congressman Pallone. A map of the area will also be included.

John J. Hauser has been chosen for the Chamber of Commerce Business Leader of the Year Award.

A motion was made by Mark Proudman seconded by Larry Redmond and unanimously agreed upon to buy a full white page ad in the amount of $150.00 for the Business Leader dinner on October 24, 2001.

A motion was made by Larry Redmond seconded by Mike D'Agnes and unanimously agreed upon to cancel the meeting for September 26, 2001 because of Yom Kippur and to reschedule the meeting of October 24, 2001 to October 17, 2001 in the George Bush Center.

Discussion was held on the latest resumes received and how the search committee felt there was no one they wanted to see. Cy Thannikary's proposal for a consultant was discussed. Mr. Thannikary has a vast amount of experience.

Christine Manville stated that her experience with part-time professionals is very positive. They concentrate their efforts, focus and get the job done.

Kevin Calogera expressed concerns about part-time as it relates to accountability. The hours and days can become unstructured.

If the EDC is going to consider hiring someone on a consulting basis then the position should be advertised that way to reach a broader range of people. We should have a description or outline of what is expected up front.

We will continue advertising with the New York Times on line site for posting jobs and the League of Municipalities both in the magazine and on-line.

After this meeting a few members of the subcommittee will stay to discuss interviewing from the last group of resumes submitted for review.

If we were to advertise for a consultant we should get as part of the application the scope of what they intend to do plus hours, salary, etc.

Mayor Cannon suggested the EDC look at a possible source for funding through mercantile licensing. A booklet would be printed up listing the businesses which could be handed out to residents for information purposes. The Township Clerk would be in charge of collecting the fees which would be dedicated to the EDC.

The Board will review the packet on mercantile licensing and make recommendations for discussion at the next meeting.

Kevin Calogera would like to research possible tax abatements for recommendation to Council for the new town center area. This would help make small businesses more sustainable. There have been some concerns from builders that small shops will not thrive in that area.

The Business Leader of the Year Award Dinner will be held on October 24, 2001 at 6:00 p.m. at the Grand Marquis.

Kevin Calogera attended a seminar in Trenton on Empowerment Zones.

A motion was made by Mike D'Agnes seconded by Larry Redmond and unanimously agreed upon to purchase five tickets ($20.00 each) to the 2nd Annual Mayor's Breakfast hosted by James McGreevey. The topic will be Middlesex County Economic Development.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m

Township of Old Bridge
1 Old Bridge Plaza
Old Bridge, NJ 08857
Main Phone: 732-721-5600