By Christine Barcia
Staff Writer
FREEHOLD — After 25 years of service to the community, a member of the Freehold Borough Police Department will retire.
Lt. Michael Sweetman, who started his career as a patrolman in the early 1990s, will retire effective Feb. 1. A resolution noting Sweetman’s retirement was passed by the Borough Council on Jan. 19.
“Lt. Sweetman was raised in Freehold and became a member of our police department after his service in the U.S. Air Force. He served as a patrol officer, sergeant and lieutenant … Lt. Sweetman moved easily from a popular and effective patrolman and sergeant to an efficient administrator,” Mayor Nolan Higgins said.
Higgins said Sweetman has “given back many times over to his community.”
A new police officer was sworn in and took the oath of office at the council meeting. Christopher Atkinson, a former special officer, will now be full-time and replace a retiring officer, according to Business Administrator Joseph Bellina.
Other personnel action taken included the promotion of Freehold Borough Police Sgt. Ronnie Steppat to lieutenant, effective Feb. 1; the reappointment of Paul Jensen to the recreation commission for a term that will expire on Dec. 31, 2020; the resignation of Samantha Daesener, violations clerk, effective Jan. 19; the resignation of Edward Keller as a member of the Freehold Fire Department, Monmouth Hose Company, effective Dec. 31, 2015; and the resignation of Michael Burtt as a member of the Freehold Fire Department, Monmouth Hose Company, effective Dec. 21, 2015.
In other business, the borough entered into an interlocal services agreement with Englishtown, Bellina said. Under the terms of the agreement, Englishtown will reimburse Freehold Borough for the number of hours the borough’s certified public works manager and recycling coordinator devotes to providing the same services for Englishtown.
“Every town is required to have a certified public works manager and certified recycling coordinator. Englishtown had an engineering firm, but it is easier to use a municipal employee. This is the second year we are doing this,” Bellina said.
Dan Megill serves Freehold Borough as the engineering aide and recycling coordinator and will also serve Englishtown in this role.
