Somerset Zoning Board Member Pimental re-elected to Dem Town Committee after shouting match last fall

A Somerset Zoning Board member managed to secure one of 35 seats on the Somerset Democratic Town Committee in yesterday’s election, despite his questionable comments made during a town meeting last fall.

James Pimental got into a heated exchange last October with a resident over the Zoning Board of Appeals decision not to allow discussion during one of it’s meetings. The board decided not to entertain a resident petition that was challenging the Zoning Board’s use of a municipal certificate for Prysmian, the company slated to build and operate an industrial cable manufacturing facility at the site of the former Brayton Point power plant. The move caused residents in attendance to call out and question the decision by the board. Pimental addressed the comments by one resident directly.

During the exchange with a member of the public, Pimental challenged resident Jeffrey Kardel to “step outside.”

Pimental, who was already on the Somerset Democratic Town Committee, was re-elected with 1141 votes.