Vernon abolishes Historic Preservation Committee

The Vernon Township Council on Jan. 25 voted unanimously to abolish the township’s Historic Preservation Committee after its chair, Jessica Paladini, refused to resign last year.

The council started seeking Paladini’s resignation on Sept. 28, after her public comments at the Sept. 14 township council meeting in which she threatened “legal consequences” to any council members if they ever “publicly lie, slander, harass or defame, me and my reputation”.

Paladini was also accused of harassing other township volunteers. She refused to resign and likened the commission’s abolition to racketeering. She asked for due process and for her accusers to come forward, calling her treatment a “frame job.”

“The action you took tonight will be your legacy of disgrace,” Paladini said.

Mayor Howard Burrell said the action has shown that he and the council have joined together to change negative conditions in the town’s government.

“We have demonstrated to those who count on us that we have the political will, the courage and leadership to do what is needed to implement a principle that we all strongly agree on,” Burrell said.

Burrell said he is open to creating a commission or committee where annual appointments are made by either the mayor or council, or both.

“Within the next month or so, let’s provide these willing volunteers the opportunities to serve our town on a commission or committee that’s free of the civically negative influence that they have said that they, understandably, want to avoid,” Burrell said. “Let us now put this civically unhealthy episode behind us.”