An Impassioned Plea for Duderstadt Sign [VIDEO]

Grossweiler Drive resident Betty Grossweiler made a plea for the Township Committee to replace a tattered vinyl sign at Duderstadt Field with a more permanent one at the Aug. 18 Township Committee meeting.

Making a very passionate plea, Grossweiler, who lives a short distance up DuBois Road from the Duderstadt homestead and knew the family, said the family's contributions to the township have never "really been recognized."

William Keane promoted to lieutenant

After interviewing several candidates for the post of lieutenant in the Warren Township Police Department, the committee appproved the promotion of Sgt. William Keane.

A cermemony at the Sept. 8 Township Committee meeting will formally install Keane in the post.

Committee OKs 'Best Practices' report

The Township Committee unanimously approved this year's response to the Department of Community Affairs' "Best Practices Checklist."

The checklist was created in response to Gov. Chris Christie's 2010 budget address, which included an inventory for municipalities to review highlighting best practices for local governments.

The checklist asks questions in a number of topics, including Financial Standards, Public Safety, Energy, Municipal/School Relations, Personnel, Budget Preparation an General Management.

"It's a whole series of questions every single town has to answer—it's not just Warren," Township Adminsitrator Mark Krane explained in an interview Friday. He said the state law allows for a portion of state aid to be withheld for towns not scoring at least 90 percent on the checklist.

Krane said Warren with score well above the 90 percent threshhold, and reported 42 "yes" answers, four "prospective" (indicating action may be taken on the subject), three "not applicable" and one "no" on the 50 questions in the checklist.

The resolution voted on Thursday states the committee members have reviewed the repsonses and agree with them.

The list will be field with the state Sept. 1.

"No Idling" policy adopted

Noting emissions from gas and diesel-powered vehicles are major contributors to athsma, allergies and climate change, the Township Committee adopted a policy aimed at reducing unnecessary emissions from idling vehicles.

The policy says the township will endeavor to educate the the public about the dangers of such emissions, encourage parents not to idle at schools or school events to reduce students' exposure, and maintain township vehicles to reduce excess emissions.

Committee pans legislation

Saying passage of S2950—a bill which would allow for modifications to land use approvals because of the downturn in the economy—would undermine local control and Planning Boards, the members of the Township Committee urged Mayor Gary DiNardo to lobby other municipalities against the measure.

DiNardo requested Township Attorney Jeffrey Lehrer to draft a letter outling the committee's objections to the billand urging other municipalities to contact legislators to oppose it.