Mayoral Appointments Approved with Little Discussion

More than 70 volunteers were appointed to a variety of boards, advisory panels and committees during Bensalem Township Council's reorganization meeting Monday night. 

So many, in fact, that Bensalem District Judges Joseph Falcone and Leonard Brown took turns swearing in the dozens of volunteers in attendance. 

Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo read off names from a 21-page packet of appointments prior to the council's votes. Democrat Bryan Allen, who was sworn in Monday for another term, following his defeat in 2009, asked that the appointments be tabled until the council's Jan. 27 meeting. 

"I'd like some more time to go through each one," Allen said in making a motion. 

The motion did not garner a second from the Republican-controlled council, drew no further discussion and failed. Allen, who abstained from voting on the appointments, said afterward that he appreciates the work of volunteers for what he described as a "thankless job."

"You don't get paid to do this," he said. 

Councilman Ed Kisselback said "Bensalem is known as a volunteer city" and offered gratitude to those who serve.

The appointments to various boards are as follows:

• Cable Advisory Board: Ralph Douglass, Frank Goldstein, Lee Connelly (one-year term)
• Code Appeals Board: Maryanne Groninger (three-year term)
• Community Development Advisory Board: Paul Giordano, Bill Tenuta, Marc Winokur (one-year term)
• Disabled Advisory Board: Nick Quattrone, Bhasker Patel, Loreen Cimino (one-year term)
• Drug and Alcohol Advisory Board: Mike Patterson, Anne Lubinski, Mark Vettori, Frank Schilling, Pamela Janvey, Liz Bourne, Kathleen Stahl, Caroline Williams, Jean Pawlowski, John Woods, Bill Siani, Kathy Lesnevec (one-year term)
• Economic Development Corporation: John Grossi, Matt Etzrodt, Al Gougler, Jim Humphreys (three-year term)
• Emergency Management Advisory Board: Don Anderson, Ed Canning, Fred Harran, Ron Harris, Joseph Pilieri, Robert Race, Robert Sponheimer, Tom Topley, Jim Thorpe (one-year term)
• Environmental Advisory Board: Ankit Parikh, Sandy Rogers, Tony Stallworth (three-year term)
• Gaming Advisory Board: Mark Cohen, Sonny Parikh, Donna Patti, Carl Pearson, Steve Pers, Joe O'Donnell, Peter Waitze (one-year term)
• Impact Fee Advisory Committee: Joe Domzalski, Deepak Dhawan, Monish Patel, Tom Nevrotski, Mike Petra, Dave Fackler, Stacy Champion (one-year term)
• Parks and Recreation Board: Joanne Fields (five-year term)
• Planning Commission: Marc Bourne, Peter Krieger (five-year term)
• Senior Citizens Advisory Board: Alice Gresko, Denise Schorle, Frank Zeidler, Barbara Zeidler, Bob Burdge, Robert Knapp (one-year term)
• Shade Tree Commission: Mark Luciani (three-year term), Virginia McKay, Joe Farley (one-year term)
• Vacant Property Review Committee: Bill Cmorey, Al Gougler, Raymund Wall, Bob White (one-year term)
• Veterans Affairs Advisory Board: Valerie Bahner, Joe Slemmer, Joe Trucks, Robert Craven, Jim Pinto (one-year term)
• Zoning Hearing Board: George Seymour (five-year term)