Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • August 8, 2012 Mahwah Political issue surfaces at council meeting by Frank J. McMahon This year’s municipal political season began at the last public meeting of the Mahwah Township Council with a disagreement between a council member and the mayor about a conversation the council member had with a township employee. Councilman John Roth read a statement in which he reported to the council about an incident that had occurred among Roth, Mayor William Laforet, and Edward Sinclair, the superintendent of the department of public works, who is planning to challenge Laforet in the November mayoral election. The incident involved a conversation Roth had with Sinclair in the office of Keith Hallissey, the DPW department head, which Roth said occurred after he dropped off some recycling materials. The incident was recounted in a letter from Laforet to Roth in which the mayor stated that he was surprised to see Sinclair, who works for Hallissey, sitting in his department head’s chair with Roth in the room while the door was closed. According to Roth, the purpose of that meeting was to ask a couple of questions as a resident and taxpayer regarding brush pickup on his street and the recycling of electronic equipment. That conversation was joined unexpectedly by Laforet and, following that meeting, Laforet wrote to Roth stating that he was concerned that the closed door meeting between Roth and Sinclair was political in nature and, therefore, a violation of the township’s personnel policy and a violation of the Faulkner Act under which the township government operates. Laforet reminded Roth that council members must deal with employees solely through the mayor or his designee, and he asked Hallissey to discuss the matter with Sinclair to determine exactly what was discussed with Roth and to take appropriate action with the employee as a result of the discussion. Roth responded to Laforet, stating that he made it abundantly clear to Sinclair at the meeting that he was not (continued on page 23) Extra-inning winners The Mahwah 14U Girls Softball Team beat Ridgewood 3-2 in 10 innings to become the 2012 Bergen County Girls Softball 14U champions. The members of the 2012 championship team are Danielle Altamuro, Christy Altomare, Emily August, Alexis Corra, Kayla Devine, Caitlin Doyle, Allison Dudek, Emily Hattem, Meghan Hollins, Dominique Maio, Morgan Morris, Dana Shafer, Olivia Sprofera, and Lexi Varrato. The head coach is Lee Ehlermann. Assistant coaches are Jamie Doyle, Tom Dudek, Ken Hollins, and Joe Corra.