Colts Neck committee votes to remove planning board member after hearing officer recommendation

The Colts Neck Township Committee voted to remove planning board member Chris Lukowitz on May 28, adopting Resolution 2025-102 after an independent hearing officer recommended removal.

At the meeting the committee read the hearing officer's decision into the record. A township representative read that the hearing officer “finds just cause for the removal has been established by the preponderance of the evidence” and recommended removal for violations of the township workplace-violence policy. The resolution cites NJSA 40:55D-69 and invokes the doctrine of necessity because several governing-body members were witnesses to the incident under review.

Mayor opened the meeting and described the decision as a difficult matter that had been a ‘‘cloud over the township.’’ The committee moved and seconded the resolution, and a roll-call vote recorded four yes votes; the Deputy Mayor did not vote because the resolution noted his conflict as the victim in the underlying incident. The resolution states that Lukowitz is removed immediately from his appointment as a Class 4 member of the Colts Neck planning board.

Bill Blaney, who identified himself as attorney for Chris Lukowitz, addressed the committee during public comment to correct the record about the selection of the neutral hearing officer, saying he did not pick the hearing officer and that he had only been asked whether he objected. The township representative responded that the selection was agreed upon absent objection.

The committee retained a certified copy of the hearing officer's decision alongside the resolution and directed that copies be provided to Mr. Lukowitz and the planning board.

Next steps: the resolution takes effect immediately as read; the committee did not discuss appointing a replacement at this meeting.