JACKSON – Questions about police investigations and personnel costs were raised by residents at a recent Township Council meeting.
Resident Nick Moccio expressed concern that the township had not invested enough resources to locating his missing friend, 22-year-old Mortimer “Mekhai/Morty” Wortman. He remarked that Councilman Pollak was seemingly the only public official speaking out and supporting the search for Wortman, who was reported missing on November 21.
The township man was last seen in a wooded section of the Collier Mills Wildlife Management Area. Police reported Wortman was last seen around 10:30 p.m. near the High Bridge Road entrance to the preserve and is considered missing and endangered.
Wortman is described as 5 feet 10 inches tall, about 200 pounds, with light skin, dark brown hair and brown eyes. He has a nose piercing and several earrings in each ear. He was last seen wearing a black T-shirt, a burgundy sweatshirt and blue jeans.
Mayor Kuhn responded that she was part of a large law enforcement presence that had returned to Collier Mills on December 6 as the search expanded. Multiple agencies, including the New Jersey State Police, Jackson Police Department and Manchester Police Department, assisted the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, which is leading the investigation.
The nature preserve spans more than 12,000 acres.
“I don’t think anyone up here doesn’t care. We do have to amplify what is happening (regarding search efforts and the investigation). We have to keep searching until we find him,” Pollak said during the reorganization meeting.
Council President Mordechai Burnstein responded that “our job is to follow up with the police department through the appropriate channels and we have to allow that process to unfold and not interfere with an ongoing police matter for an ongoing search and rescue and I understand our prayers are with your friend and his family and I hope he is found to be safe.”
On January 18 a candlelight vigil attended by friends and family of Wortman along with many Jackson residents was held at Regional Day School. Among the public officials present were the mayor and Councilman Pollak both of whom donated personal funds as a reward for any information that leads to locating the missing young man.
Staff And Appointments
Michele Riscen and Michelle Defrancis came up to the podium to question the mayor’s decision to allow township workers to have Black Friday off despite getting a personal day for it. Under a prior contract, they got the personal day for working that day. Township Attorney Gregory McGuckin responded to them stating that the mayor had the authority to give them days off despite the contract arrangement.
They also asked about how to become a member of the town’s Municipal Utilities Authority.
“How do you apply to the MUA? Do you present a resume? Do you provide qualifications? Do people have knowledge of water treatment or is it just friends and family?” Riscen asked. “You should have some knowledge if you are sitting on the Board.”
Burnstein responded “we have a citizen leadership form that is for any board or commission that the mayor or council appoints. We did not get many resumes who applied for the MUA. The MUA is doing a great job; they are doing phenomenally well. I am very happy with the members we put in. They weren’t just family and friends they are people who have served in the past.”
He said a release to the news media was put out periodically noting vacancies on various boards and that volunteers for committees and boards were being sought. A recent release featured a deadline in which to apply and to fill out the leadership form.
Burnstein responded to another question pertaining to the reinstatement of township professionals and staff. He said there was no review committee regarding the appointments. “The council received tentative appointments from the mayor last week. I had the opportunity to speak to some of the departments – not all of them – and solicit some feedback. Generally, when something isn’t broken there is generally no reason to change it. Many of the professionals are people we already have a relationship with whether it be the engineers or attorneys, etcetera.” It was noted that with the township’s form of government the professionals were chosen by the mayor and that most of the sub-committees were designed to liaison with the mayor including the Department of Public Works and Code Enforcement.
While purchasing falls under the mayor’s administration the council’s job is to audit and review “and hold the administration accountable and we have an auditor who was appointed tonight,” Burnstein noted.
An outside consultant for purchasing according to McGuckin is being overseen by “the Business Administrator and/or the mayor.”
Other residents noted mounting legal costs from various township lawsuit settlements and if the governing body was spending taxpayer money wisely.
