Edison Township will hold a meet-and-greet- with its new Water-Sewer Utility Director Robert J. Smith at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 19 in council chambers at the Municipal Complex, 100 Municipal Blvd., Edison.
Smith will moderate a question–answer session open to the public. The Edison Township Council approved a four-year contract for Smith, a resident of Newton, with an annual salary of $170,000 at a council meeting on Nov. 13.
He began his role on Nov. 18 to manage the township’s water and sewer utility’s day-to-day operation, supervise personnel, and oversee maintenance. Smith has a state-issued W-3 operator’s license and 27 years of professional experience in pubic and private water distribution and wastewater collection and treatment.
Smith is also working with a 10-member Water Advisory Committee Mayor Thomas Lankey appointed to help the township implement its new municipal water-sewer utility.
The committee includes Business Administrator Maureen Ruane; Melissa Perilstein, the township’s administrator of policy and strategic initiatives; Council President Alvaro Gomez, Council Vice President Ajay Patil and Councilman Robert Diehl; Civil engineer Tarendra Lakhankar and IT expert Biral Patel, both Edison residents; police Officer Keith Hahn and resident Anthony DeAmorin, who were instrumental in a voter referendum to keep water service under local control; and attorney Joseph Baumann Jr.
Before coming to Edison, Smith was superintendent of Hoboken’s water utility and he served for six years as water-sewer utility director for Sayreville.
