Private sector now has two votes on fort reuse
BY SUE MORGAN
Staff Writer

EATONTOWN — In keeping with the wishes of acting Gov. Richard Codey, the private sector now has two voices on the committee overseeing the future uses of Fort Monmouth’s land and facilities.

Caren Franzini, the CEO of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, and Larry Downes, CEO of New Jersey Resources, were formally introduced as the newest members of the Fort Monmouth Reuse Committee (FMRC) during that entity’s public meeting here on Friday.

Franzini and Downes were selected by Codey to represent the private sector on the recently formed committee, according to Eatontown Mayor Gerald Tarantolo, who co-chairs the FMRC.

New Jersey Resources is the parent company of Jersey Central Power & Light.

Both Franzini and Downes will each have a vote on the committee that is expected to review proposals to redevelop the 1,126-acre Fort Monmouth after its anticipated closing by 2011 under the Pentagon’s Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process .

The FMRC will have seven voting members in accordance with Codey’s directions.

A representative from each of the fort’s three host communities, Eatontown, Tinton Falls and Oceanport, and one representative each from the Monmouth County and New Jersey State governments make up the balance of the voting membership.

On the government side, Tinton Falls Mayor Peter Maclearie, who was previously expected to serve on the FMRC as the voting member for his municipality, will now be represented by Bryan Dempsey, that borough’s newly appointed business administrator.

Tarantolo and Oceanport Mayor Maria Gatta represent the voices from their respective municipalities.

Monmouth County Planning Director Robert Clark represents the county freeholder board, and Virginia S. Bauer, the New Jersey Commerce secretary, is the voting member for the governor’s office.

Bauer also co-chairs the FMRC with Tarantolo.

The FMRC’s application for start-up funding for its work has been received at the Defense Department’s Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) in Washington, D.C., according to John Leigh, an OEA project manager also present at the meeting.

However, before a review of the application can be done, the congressional delegation representing the host communities and the governor’s office must present written endorsement of the request, Leigh told committee members.

“The OEA fosters a collaborative effort between the committee, the state and the congressional delegation,” Leigh said.

U.S. Reps. Rush Holt (D-12) and Frank Pallone (D-6) and U.S. Sens. Jon Corzine and Frank Lautenberg (both D-N.J.), who represent Fort Monmouth and its host communities in Congress, will be asked to contact the OEA in support of the application, Tarantolo said.

Bauer pledged to consult with Codey’s office for his endorsement as well.

Future meetings, open to the public, will be held on the third Friday of each month at 2 p.m. in the council chambers at Eatontown Borough Hall, 67 Broad St., committee members decided. The next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 18.