Zoned out

One day after receiving a promotion from part- to full-time status and a bump in pay, Middlesex Borough’s embattled zoning officer told his bosses he’s leaving.

Officials confirmed on Thursday, April 24 that Zoning Officer Tyler Gronau has resigned to take a position in another municipality. Two nights earlier, the council voted to promote Gronau to full-time Director of Code Enforcement and Zoning, effective Sept. 2 with a $75,000 annual salary.

When asked about Gronau’s intended exit, Mayor Jack Mikolajczyk and Council President Michael Conahan had few comments. Officials intended to find out more about the situation. They did not mention Gronau’s intended departure date.

“I’ve asked for an exit interview for tomorrow afternoon,” Mikolajczyk said via text on Thursday evening, April 24. “I want to make sure the reason given is the reason.”

Gronau “scored another job for more money,” according to the mayor.

Conahan said Borough Administrator Michael LaPlace will “find out more details for us.”

“However, everything happens for a reason,” Conahan added.

Gronau received the promotion at the council’s Tuesday, April 22 session, but not all agreed with the decision. Borough resident Kevin Redzinski has been a persistent critic of Gronau, asserting that the municipality’s zoning enforcement has been lax in recent years. Gronau has worked for Middlesex Borough since 2023.

Redzinski questioned Gronau’s promotion, telling the governing body it “absolutely defies logic.”

Throughout the meeting, Mikolajczyk did not dispute that the municipality’s code enforcement could have been more stringent in recent years. Gronau was not present at that session.

“We recognize there’s an issue, that’s why we’re moving this from part-time to full-time,” Mikolajczyk said. The mayor acknowledged there had been other candidates for the full-time position, but “this is the route we feel is most appropriate for Middlesex.”

During hiring interviews, Mikolajczyk said, officials were specific with their expectations, including to Gronau.

“We’re expecting a lot out of this,” the mayor said. “He knows – and I’ll say this for the public record – if we’re in the same spot in six months, we’re going to be looking for another code enforcer. We made that very, very clear.”

Along with his current part-time Middlesex Borough position, it has been widely known that Gronau holds a job working for the Borough of Bound Brook. The Bound Brook municipal website lists Gronau as that town’s full-time zoning officer.

Reccently, Gronau apparently added a position in a third municipality, according to documents located online by Inside – Middlesex.

The Pennington Borough Council in Mercer County hired Gronau as part-time zoning officer, effective immediately on March 3. He succeeded that town’s former zoning officer who resigned after 32 years on the job.

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