WEST MILFORD The Township Planning Board is left on the drawing board at the first meeting of the year. A new Democrat mayor and a council dominated by Republicans didn’t take long to find an issue to set them poles apart about 45 minutes to be exact. That’s how long it took into the first meeting of 2008 for the political divide in West Milford to hit an acute stalemate. Disagreement on appointments to the planning board, which considers planning applications as well as other business, means there may not be enough existing members of that body for it to function at all. The main order of business at the first meeting is the appointing and re-appointing of township officials and volunteers who serve on various boards, commissions and committees. It has long been a sticking point among some Democrats in town that too many individuals are given prominent roles in these volunteer positions based on their affiliation to or with the local Republican Club. New Mayor Bettina Bieri, has pledged to end this alleged approach and adopt instead a strictly non-partisan method to appointments. Bieri, however, must work with the consent of the six member council which has a Republican majority of 5 to 1. The mayor has the privilege of nominating individuals to serve in many of the volunteer positions but these nominations must be, essentially, ratified by a majority of the council. Bieri nominated two people to serve on the Planning Board, former Democratic councilman James Warden and former Democratic candidate and council member Andrew Gargano. The council, however, voted strictly on party lines and those two nominations were rejected 5 to 1. Bieri immediately voiced her disappointment with the GOP members of council at what she hoped would be a new cross-party working relationship. When given the opportunity to speak on the rejection of Warden and Gargano, Councilman Phil Weisbecker, one of the majority Republican group, spoke to respond to Mayor Bieri, “You took a cheap shot at this council tonight. I’m disappointed in you. You called me and you spent time on the phone with me from 10:30 till almost 11:45 last night discussing things and you knew what my considerations were.” Weisbecker alleged that Bieri tried to pressure him into agreeing with her nominations. “You tried to strong arm me on the phone and I explained to you if you tried to strong arm me in public I’ll come back at you,” said Weisbecker. “You’re not being bi-partisan. You turn around and decide to hold our township hostage . That was a cheap shot. I want an apology from you.” The sole Democrat on the council, Bob Nolan, addressed Weisbecker and said, “Now we have a new mayor in town and I think you’re going to need some kind of accommodation with her because there has to be some bi-partisan representation on that planning board. You don’t get everything anymore.” Mayor Bieri responded to Weisbecker. “I do not believe I have done anything that was a cheap shot,” said Bieri. “I spent 40 50 minutes on the phone with each applicant [for the planning board] and I did my best to be bi-partisan. I nominated Andrew Gargano and James Warden because of their high profile nature and the fact that they have served this township as councilmen. Their party affiliation did not factor into my decision at all.” Bieri said she had reached out to defeated GOP mayor candidate, Bill Gervens, to offer him a seat on the planning board but that he had declined due to family time constraints. Setting her personal agenda, Bieri addressed the council with regard to what she expects from them for the year ahead. Bieri said, “This is not going to be a one-way street anymore. I am reaching out, I have cooperated and I have made changes to this agenda asking for good qualified appointments, and if I can’t get that courtesy then this council will learn that I will stand on my feet as well.” Bieri completed her comments, “Anybody who ever thought that women were the lesser of the strong, I think I’m going to prove them wrong.” Township Attorney Fred Semrau advised on the legal position when a mayor and council do not reach agreement on appointments. “In this form of government, our Supreme Court has said, there is a tension at times between the mayor and council,” said Semrau. “It is critical that under such circumstances there is cooperation between the mayor and council. There is no other way, from a legal standpoint, to work around this.” In other appointments Mayor Bieri said she would open up consideration to outsourcing work currently carried out by the township’s planning department.