JACKSON, N.J. — The Jackson Township Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA) has parted ways with Van Cleef Engineering Associates and its lead engineer, Robert Chankalian, appointing the larger firm Remington & Vernick Engineers in his place.
The decision, made unanimously at the MUA’s annual reorganization meeting, comes as the authority prepares for a year of major expansion projects that could generate nearly $1 million in engineering fees.
Chankalian, a former Toms River Township engineer, was hired last year under a contract valued at approximately $300,000 annually. Before joining Van Cleef, he had been terminated from his position in Toms River by Mayor Dan Rodrick. His hiring in Jackson was backed by MUA chairperson Todd Porter, who himself was recently fired by Rodrick from a township role.
The shift marks a return to prominence for Remington & Vernick Engineers, a firm with deep ties to Republican political circles in New Jersey.