Board invokes "doctrine of necessity" to allow recused member to vote so stalled cafeteria work can resume

Winslow Township — On July 15, 2026, the Winslow Township Board of Education voted to invoke the so‑called "doctrine of necessity," allowing a conflicted board member to participate in votes tied to a stalled high‑school cafeteria change order so work can resume before the school year begins.

Board counsel Missus Wolf asked members to consider the exception after hearing that work on a major cafeteria upgrade had stopped because a change order for vendor Joseph Peretta remained unresolved. "We need to pass a resolution doing that," counsel said, describing the stoppage and the project's urgency. Strong (board member) moved to invoke the doctrine of necessity; the motion was seconded and passed on roll call with the members present voting in favor.

Mister Shaw, who disclosed a commercial relationship with a contractor, acknowledged his conflict but supported invoking the doctrine to avoid delaying construction while students are out for summer. He said, "I send their manpower out to him," describing the working relationship that created the disclosure.

The board's action enabled the body to return to the Peretta change‑order item on the agenda; the president instructed staff to place the change order back before the board for formal consideration now that the doctrine had been invoked. No final dollar amounts or contract language for the Peretta change order were stated on the public record at the meeting.

Why it mattered: Board counsel framed the vote as a time‑sensitive procedural step to prevent further construction delays on the cafeteria upgrade. Members said completing the work over the summer was essential so projects would not carry into the school year.

What happens next: The board moved the addendum and related change‑order items back onto the floor for vote under the invoked exception; staff will proceed with the agenda process to finalize the Peretta change order and related payments. The meeting record shows the motion to invoke the doctrine carried on roll call but does not include the signed change‑order text or the final tally for the later vote on the change order itself.