The Voorhees committee had its first official meeting of 2022 on Jan. 4, a virtual reorganization session that was supposed to be the first in person gathering in more than a year until an area COVID spike.
The meeting began with Mayor Michael Mignogna congratulating Township Administrator Larry Spellman as he prepares to retire next month. He has served in the role for more than 17 years.
Mayor Michael Mignogna addressed accomplishments in the township in the past year and said he remains hopeful for the future.
“Whether it’s neighbors helping neighbors, providing meals [for one another], or even a simple wave, I think this pandemic has brought us closer together,” he said. “I’m very proud of that.”
The mayor also thanked members of the township committee for their leadership, including its police chief.
“Under the leadership of Chief Lou Bordi’s constant commitment, our first responders, our police, our fire and our EMS, have continued to greatly carry out their jobs, taking the correct safety precautions and meeting COVID head on.”
Mignogna was proud to say that the township’s approval of cannabis businesses will continue to increase retail sales.
“On Dec. 29, with proper precautions and buffers, this township committee adopted an ordinance to allow distribution of adult cannabis,” Mignoga noted. “This will continue to create even more retail.”
The meeting also included the unanimous nominations of Jason Ravitz and Michelle Nocito as deputy mayors. Both kept their speeches short as they thanked the community for allowing them to serve.
“This year has been hard on a lot of people, so I want to thank our first responders, restaurant workers, grocery-store clerks, hospital employees at Virtua in Vorhees, everyone,” Ravitz said.
‘It all means a lot.”
Nocito joked about Mignogna’s brief speech.
“I now feel pressured to keep this short considering how quick the mayor was,” she said. “But I give my sincere thanks to this community and all the residents. I am so grateful for this position and take this role very seriously.”
The full agenda for the 2022 Voorhees reorganization meeting can be found here. Spellman said that the next committee meeting will take place at the end of the month, but an exact date has not been determined.
