Berkeley Heights Council Asked for Trust. Residents Asked for Answers.

Laura’s Notes on the 04/07/2026 Town Council Meeting

The April 7, 2026 Council meeting highlighted the Mayor-Township Administrator-Recreation Project Manager trifecta while tensions teetered on the edge of combustion.

The Township provided an overview of the budget, which passed with unanimous Council approval. Illis and Medeiros were absent.

The budget reflected that the Township is projected to receive $88.8 million through 2054 from its PILOTs. There is also an additional $20 million in expected tax revenue tied to Connell Park and Carriages at Berkeley.

During the citizens hearing, the proposal regarding Berkeley Heights Public Schools receiving future PILOT revenue came up again. A resident asked when the Township would be discussing the proposal in executive session. No discussion date has been announced.

The citizens hearing was filled with thoughtful and direct questions, few of which were actually addressed.

Several residents spoke about Resolution 151, approving bids for site work at Lower Columbia Field. Questions ranged from the legality of the Township managing a project that was originally undertaken as a Recreation Commission effort, to permits and potential DEP approval given claims that the soil is classified as hydric and therefore ineligible for synthetic turf. Questions also continued about funding for the project and the lack of any identifiable line item in the proposed budget. Whether the project is being funded by grants and donations or not, without a clear way in the budget to track expenditures and donations, the public, and likely the Council, have no reliable way to ensure the project is being handled responsibly. Questions also continued about what action, if any, was taken to grant the Township permission to assume control of what had been a Recreation Commission project.

Township Administrator Viana, sounding fatigued and frustrated, declared that the Lower Columbia project is being funded only through grants and that if anything were required by DEP, the Township would do its due diligence. But trust is not handed out with the same ease as the Thursday coupon mailer. Viana and Devanney did explain that grants are not included in the budget until they are received, and that grant money for the Lower Columbia project has come in over the last few years. The current location of those funds, however, remains unclear.

Varnerin, with the benefit of her long tenure working on the Lower Columbia project, answered as many questions as she could. Viana and Devanney both spoke about the importance of having a Township employee manage a project “of this magnitude” for the sake of accountability.

But if Varnerin, as an appointed volunteer Recreation Commission chair, had spent 10 years on this project, why did the Mayor only realize last fall that a project of this “magnitude” required a paid position to ensure accountability and completion?

I do not necessarily believe in coincidences. I think purpose and intention play a large role in life. The timeline of events, from an OPRA request involving Varnerin’s personal emails tied to Lower Columbia, to her resignation from the Recreation Commission, to the rapid creation of this new position, for which she was the only applicant, to her appointment as an administrative employee by executive order, all while not a single Recreation Commission member has publicly said a word about the project changing management and ownership, is interesting.

Moving on, questions were also asked about the budget, including levy cap issues and inconsistent rounding of line items.

Another resident requested the document that supposedly supports the Mayor’s and Administrator’s claim that the engineer does not believe DEP permitting or approval is required before breaking ground on the proposed Lower Columbia projects. No one seemed able to say whether such a document exists or, if it does, where it could be found. Viana suggested filing an OPRA request for the records.

With continued frustration and discontent in the room, Viana pleaded that she and the Township should be trusted to do the right thing.

However, the fact that multiple safety citations at the wastewater treatment facility were not disclosed by Viana for months serves as a strong reminder to trust, but verify.

After extensive questioning about DEP approvals and permits, Viana commented that “someone” had reported the Township’s proposed projects to DEP, so “they” are now involved. The timing of that comment was odd and could have been raised earlier in the evening, especially given the repeated resident questions about DEP involvement.

Concerns were also raised about the planning and construction on Sherman Avenue, from sidewalk space to the narrowing of the road, with residents arguing that nothing about the project seems to fully align or make sense.

Another resident, around the 1:32 mark, spoke about the Township’s debt burden and asked the Council to commit to deferring non-essential items and to formally request excess surplus funds from the library for property tax relief.

He received no response.

The resident also asked the Township to pursue unused library funds for tax relief. Devanney said she sits on the Board and that they are watching the budget.

Another resident pointed out that the Township’s claim that no taxpayer funds are being used for Lower Columbia is not entirely accurate. If someone, namely Deb Varnerin, is now being paid to manage the project, then taxpayers are funding the completion of the project in some form. Additionally, grants from the state are funded with tax dollars as one resident pointed out during her comments.

A scenario in which Devanney leaves Berkeley Heights before her term ends in December was also discussed, and Devanney reassured the public that protocols are in place. Another question was raised about what happens with the Council seat that will be vacant following the November election. Devanney said she believes the Democratic and Republican committees would each put forward candidates to fill those spots. The full process remains unclear, but there does appear to be a process.

Right before her Council report, Poage whispered something to Angie, to which Angie audibly replied, “No, you can’t.”

Read More about the CMS Turf Field/Sports Complex/Recreation Controversies