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Residents urge memorial for longtime leader, press for park improvements and question DPW spending
Summary
Public commenters honored the late Lillian G. Bur and urged a memorial, raised questions about DPW spending and grants, and pressed the township for bathroom and lighting improvements at Five Points Field; the administration answered and said permanent bathrooms are being re‑scoped due to cost inflation.
Community members used the Sept. 10 public‑comment period to press several local issues.
Memorial for Lillian Bur and proclamation: Michelle Batista spoke at the mic remembering the late Lillian G. Bur, recounted Bur’s decades of local service and recommended a township memorial. Earlier in the meeting Deputy Mayor Michael Viola read a proclamation for Suicide Prevention Week and noted Bur’s recent death; the committee observed a moment of silence.
Questions about DPW spending and grant accounting: A resident identified as Man raised a sequence of detailed questions about public‑works expenditures (vehicle and equipment costs, tree removal, fertilizer, contracted mowing), the use of Clean Communities funds versus other grants, and requested records about cash from scrap‑metal and cardboard collections. The administration and CFO responded on the record, saying the police temporarily operated out of DPW while sewer repairs were completed, that National Night Out was funded through a separate governor’s council grant (not Clean Communities), and that specific procurement and grant uses are accounted for in appropriation lines.
Five Points Field facilities and lighting: Resident Alisa Spa asked about porta‑potty conditions and the absence of long‑term lighting; officials said a prior open‑space grant (approximately $125,000 with matching funds) and escalating construction costs (from ~ $700,000 to roughly $1.3 million because of inflation) required re‑scoping. The township said it has $542,000 bonded for the project but that bathrooms will likely be prioritized before long‑term lighting; the sports foundation and potential donors were described as partners for fundraising.
Moment of silence / meeting ritual: Alan Ryan requested that meetings include a routine moment of silence or singing; committee members said they deliberately maintain secular meeting formats but have used moments of silence for particular occasions and could consider adding them regularly.
What happens next: The administration said it will post legal filings and continue to respond to records requests and budget questions; parks work remains under study while the township explores grants and private fundraising.
