Newly elected township Councilman Christopher Keating was officially sworn in by Mayor Nicole Gillespie on Dec. 18 to fill the unexpired term of Jake Van Dyken. Keating’s term will run through Dec. 31 of next year.
“This town means a whole lot to me and my family, and (I) welcome this opportunity to make this community into an even better place than we found it,” Keating said. “Mayor Nicole Gillespie, Deputy Mayor Quinton Law, Councilwoman Sue Mammarella, I look forward to putting in the hard work with each one of you throughout the remainder of my term, to work for all residents of Moorestown.”
Keating is an attorney whose practice focuses on representing employees who suffer from unlawful conduct by their employers, victims of civil rights violations and survivors of sexual abuse and harassment, according to the Keating law firm’s website. He has nearly a decade of experience in litigating civil and criminal matters, settlement negotiations and trials, and he’s argued before New Jersey’s appellate division and supreme court.
“I’m cognizant of the fact that I’m being appointed to an elected position,” Keating acknowledged. “It’s not lost on me (and) I’m going to make sure that I spend every day of the remainder of this term earning it and making sure that I’m serving each one of you and you will be held accountable to it.”
Van Dyken resigned last month and addressed the public at council’s Nov. 27 meeting.
“I’ve enjoyed the last three years on council learning how small government works and working with key stakeholders, township professionals …” he stated. “I want to thank Township Manager Kevin Aberant, Township Clerk (Patricia) Hunt, our Solicitor Doug Heinold, my fellow council persons and my friends Sue, Dave, Quinton and Nicole,” Van Dyken said. (Councilman David Zipin was not at the meeting.)
“ … Certainly last, but not least, I want to thank my wife Dina and my two daughters Erica and Bridget for being patient and sharing my time with the town. I wish everyone the best this year. I hope everyone has a great holiday season and I want to thank you for allowing me to be of service to the town.”
Later in the meeting, council adopted three ordinances on second reading: to amend chapter 168 of the township code entitled “vehicles and traffic,” namely article IX, motor-vehicle towing and storage; changing chapter 180 of the township code entitled “zoning” to amend the definition of family; and amending the township code at chapter 101, called “governing licensing,” and renaming it to “licensing and registrations.”
For more information on the measures, visit www.moorestown.nj.us and click on the live meetings tab.
“We take to heart and to our minds everything that’s said, and we will absolutely continue to do our best but we really do appreciate all the input,” Mammarella noted.
“I think that these ordinances passed tonight add the clarity that we need to the code but also take the step in the right direction,” Law observed.
“I do think it is going to be a lot of work; I don’t think this is going to be an easy thing to figure out, but I think we will get there,” Gillespie added.
