JACKSON – The subject of leadership forms, social media requirements and how applications are handled once again served as the topic of conversation during the public comment period of a recent council meeting.
Resident Peter Vincinio brought up that during a prior council meeting Councilwoman Jennifer Kuhn stated to him that former Council President Martin Flemming remarked that (Vincinio) wouldn’t make a good fit for a land use board position due to the content of his social media page.
“Everyone up here has a social media account. Why exactly am I being singled out?” he asked.
“He (Flemming) agreed that due to your social media that you were probably not a good fit?” the councilwoman replied.
“What is wrong with my social media compared to yours?” he asked Kuhn.
Kuhn answered, “I would think it might be different groups or specific information you put on there that he felt it would not be good for the town. I don’t have the content on mine that I believe you have on yours.”
The resident and councilwoman disagreed over whether her use of the position title of chief executive officer, CEO was accurate wording to describe her leadership of eight companies she owns. Kuhn said “that is true” regarding the accuracy of what she put on her social media. She said she was not voted in by share-holders but that the title came from licenses that she has as owner of those companies.
“You gave yourself the luxury of a title as a small business owner. It is not a CEO. Your page is very misleading and every one of these companies is in direct conflict with your position (on Council),” he added.
“I would leave that to our attorney to answer if he feels it is a conflict. I don’t feel it is misleading the public. I own the companies and I can choose whatever title I want. That is your right,” she said.
She said she would speak to the present and former council president about how social media is viewed in regards to an application for a volunteer position within the township.
Resident Eleanor Hannum said that during two prior council meetings she felt Councilwoman Kuhn had been critical toward Township Clerk Mary Moss regarding the handling and filing of leadership forms used to review applicants for township volunteer committee positions.
Councilwoman Jennifer Kuhn at left joins Council Vice President Nino Borrelli, Council President Steve Chisholm, Councilman Martin Flemming, Councilman Scott Sargent and Business Administrator Terence Wall during a council meeting this month. (Photo by Bob Vosseller)
She noted that in looking into the matter it was Assistant Business Administrator Samantha Novak, not Moss who received the forms directly and that Novak had forwarded them to members of the council.
“Ms. Kuhn I think you owe Ms. Moss an apology for your attack and not one but two council meetings,” Hannum said. The leadership form asks for a resume, biographical information and references and information about property owned in the township and social media accounts.
Hannum asked, “is that required?”
She was told yes.
“There is one resident who was going for a position on the Zoning Board and the only thing on his citizen leadership form is their name, the name of the board they wanted to be appointed to and that’s it,” Hannum said.
Hannum said, “for that individual, that was okay to have absolutely no information to be appointed to the Zoning Board but Pete over here got ridiculed and criticized. We know nothing about this person who was appointed to the Zoning Board except for the fact that they wanted to be appointed to the Zoning Board. I find that quite unethical.”
Council President Steve Chisholm said “if it is the person I am thinking you mean, did you get the updated version because for some people the reason they weren’t appointed is because they did not fill out the information that was requested and those people are usually put aside and for those people who filled out complete information are usually chosen ahead of them,”
The council president said at least two applicants sent in a secondary form. He said in that case such information should also be made available.
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