Municipal officials in Eatontown have approved a corrective action plan in response to recommendations found in the borough’s 2019 municipal audit.
On Jan. 27, Borough Council members passed a resolution certifying Eatontown’s 2019 municipal audit and covering the period up to Dec. 31, 2019. The audit was filed by Oliwa & Company.
The audit contained two recommendations from Oliwa & Company. To address those issues, council members passed a resolution approving a corrective action plan.
Officials said the auditing firm noted that payroll tax reporting relative to employee health insurance deductions was not in compliance with established regulations. The auditors found that internal controls to verify the accuracy of data provided to the borough’s payroll service provider had to be enhanced.
In response to the recommendation, municipal officials said they spoke with the borough’s payroll company, which is performing an audit of all the codes it has set up for Eatontown.
Auditors from Oliwa & Company also noted there were interfund balances at year’s end. Borough officials said they will review all accounts at year’s end and, where practicable, liquidate. Eatontown’s corrective action plan was developed by Chief Financial Officer Dena Amodea.
The Ranney School, Tinton Falls, has launched the T. Thomas Fortune Merit
Scholarship, a program designed to recognize incoming ninth grade black students for their outstanding academic achievement with a full, four-year merit award for Upper School (grades 9 through 12).
Students must also demonstrate financial need for a full scholarship. This particular scholarship was developed to ensure that black students with high academic potential, but without the financial means to afford a Ranney education could access the resources the school offers to inspire students to reach their full potential, according to a press release.
The scholarship is named in honor of Timothy Thomas Fortune, an American civil rights leader and writer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Ranney School looks forward to welcoming students to apply for the T. Thomas Fortune Scholarship. Students may also apply to the Ranney Scholars program. The deadline to apply for either scholarship is March 15. Visit www.ranneyschool.org/admissions for more information.
Somerset Development has announced the grand opening of the new health and wellness complex at Bell Works, Holmdel, featuring a network of healthcare and wellness services, open to the Bell Works community and surrounding residents.
The health and wellness complex features a mix of physicians and healthcare providers that will operate through several new entities: BellHealth, Bell Wellness and The Pharmacy at Bell Works.
This hand-selected network of providers, which will use innovative technology including a customized treatment app, will be joined by Iorio Plastic Surgery and Medspa as the core healthcare offerings available at Bell Works, according to a press release.
Lunch Break, the food pantry and social service agency at 121 Drs. James Parker Blvd., Red Bank, needs help providing holiday meals for families and individuals struggling with financial insecurity.
Since March 2020, Lunch Break has seen steady increases in the number of people needing direct assistance to put food on the table. Grocery pickups increased 111% in 2020 compared to 2019, according to a press release.
“COVID-19 has challenged us in many ways. We suddenly must find many additional pounds of food because more and more families need our help,” said Millie Jeter, Director of Administration at Lunch Break. “And … we have had to do it all while keeping our staff, volunteers and recipients as safe as possible.”
To sponsor a family or families, Lunch Break is accepting reusable tote bags filled with non-perishable holiday meal items such as rice; instant mashed potatoes; canned corn, green beans and carrots; Jello; muffin, pudding and cake mixes; and prepared frosting. Each bag should include a label with the donor’s name and address.
Donations will be accepted on Feb. 25 and on March 1, 4, 8, 11 and 15. To schedule a donation drop-off or for further information, contact Millie Jeter at mjeter@lunchbreak.org or 732-747-8577, ext. 3102.
