TO THE EDITOR: I am writing to urge your readers who live in Bedminster to help re-elect Colin Hickey and elect Rich Costa to the Bedminster Township Committee.
As a longtime resident and current chair of the Bedminster Land Use Board, I am grateful for Colin and Rich’s commitment to keeping Bedminster affordable, securing our community’s future and delivering results.
Hickey’s service to Bedminster began years ago. Before his nine-year tenure on the Bedminster Township Committee, Colin led the Bedminster Environmental Commission, ensuring that our natural resources were safeguarded while simultaneously creating new programs to engage the community.
He was later tapped by then-Mayor Bob Holtaway to serve on the Bedminster Master Plan Review Committee. The Master Plan is instrumental in maintaining our community’s bucolic and historic character, while also ensuring that Bedminster is protected and prepared for the challenges it faces from development, state mandates and changes in the way we all live, work and play. His work on this subcommittee prepared him well for his eventual appointment to the Land Use Board, in addition to his position on the Township Committee.
Currently, Colin is recognized as an advocate for the people of Bedminster. He has established channels of communication between residents and public utilities to make certain that issues tied to water, power, cable, Internet, and telecommunications services are heard and addressed.
Colin’s strong online presence has earned him a reputation as an accessible and reliable source of information on a variety of topics, and residents know they can always reach out to him with a problem or a question.
And, when he’s not online, you’ll be certain to see him at the Bedminster Farmers Market, where he and a dedicated group of volunteers run the show every Saturday from May through December.
Rich Costa made his mark through successful leadership roles with the Homeowners Associations for Wood Duck Pond and Hills Village North.
He has developed and stuck to fiscally responsible budgets that limited association fee increases, while delivering high value capital improvements to residents, including siding, roofing and paving projects in Wood Duck Pond.
In addition, Rich has used his hands-on management style to oversee complex installations, including the introduction of fiber transport by Altice and the replacement of failed lateral electrical feeds by JCP&L.
As the newest member of the Bedminster Township Committee, he is already applying the financial discipline gained from homeowner association governance to his expanded role serving all Bedminster residents.
Through these prior positions, Colin and Rich each honed their stellar work ethic and built leadership skills that they successfully utilize in their present roles on the Bedminster Township Committee.
Participating in elections is a privilege and a responsibility that I take seriously. Whether you vote by mail, during early voting from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1, or in person on Nov. 3, join me in voting for Colin Hickey and Rich Costa for Bedminster Township Committee.
CAROL GUTTSCHALL
Heatherwood Lane
Bedminster
Editor’s note: This Letter to the Editor originally appeared in The Bernardsville News.