Highlands Council seats filled with 7 new members; representation restored from all 7 counties
CHESTER, N.J. (Morris County) — The New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council welcomed seven new members at its first public meeting of 2026, restoring representation from all seven Highlands counties and filling all vacancies after a series of nominations and confirmations in late 2025 and early 2026.
“We were delighted to have these nominations and confirmations moved so quickly,” said Carl Richko, Highlands Council Chairman. “Our sincere thanks to Governor Murphy and the legislature for taking these actions. Having a full Council will make a huge difference in our ability to move forward with the important work of the Council to protect the New Jersey Highlands region.”
Four members were approved during Dec. 18 and Dec. 22, 2025, state Senate sessions, with three more confirmed during Jan. 8 and Jan. 12, 2026, sessions, according to the council. The new members are Mary J. Amoroso, Joseph Basralian, Tammy Koop, Helen Le Frois, Melonie Marano, Matthew Oswald and Kelley Smith.
The Highlands Act sets requirements for the 15-member council, which must include eight elected officials — five municipal and three county — and seven public members. Among the elected officials, there must be one representative from each of the seven counties in the Highlands region and two from the most populous county, Morris, officials said. The council said the new appointments fill three municipal and two county elected official seats, and two public member seats.
“Having elected official representation from each of the seven counties that have lands in the Highlands region is extremely important,” explained Ben Spinelli, Highlands Council Executive Director. “While most New Jersey residents benefit from the resources of the Highlands and enjoy visiting the region for all it has to offer, the work of protecting the region occurs largely at the municipal and county levels. We’re particularly pleased to finally have representatives from Warren County which has been missing on the Council for several years.”
At the January meeting, the council also honored retiring member Michael Francis, who first joined the council in 2009 after being appointed by then-Gov. Jon Corzine. Francis was serving on Hopatcong Borough Council at the time and later served as mayor from 2016 through 2023, the council said.
The council said it approved resolutions awarding grants to Hunterdon County, the Morris County Parks Commission, Morris Plains Borough and Netcong Borough. It also approved requests from Mendham Township, Morris County, and Peapack and Gladstone Borough, Somerset County, to begin implementing the Highlands Regional Master Plan at the local level through plan conformance.
Among the new members, the council said Amoroso, a Bergen County commissioner from Mahwah, is filling a county elected official vacancy left by the death of Michael Dressler in December. Koop, a Belvidere Town Council member, is filling a municipal elected official seat and will represent Warren County, the council said. Marano, a Somerset County commissioner deputy director from Green Brook, will represent Somerset County, and Oswald, a Riverdale Borough council member, will serve as one of two Morris County representatives, according to the council.
Le Frois, the mayor of Newton, is filling a municipal elected official role replacing Francis, the council said. Basralian, a special projects manager at the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, and Smith, a farmer from Harmony and co-owner of multiple farms, were appointed to public member seats, the council said.
