William Enslin was elected deputy mayor by the all-Democratic committee.
By: David Campbell
Phyllis Marchand was sworn in to her fifth term as Princeton Township’s mayor at the township’s annual reorganization meeting Sunday.
The all-Democratic Township Committee voted unanimously to appoint Ms. Marchand mayor and Committeeman William Enslin deputy mayor.
Mr. Enslin replaces Committeeman Steven Frakt, who served as deputy mayor for four years and said Monday he will not seek re-election in November (see story, Page 7A).
Newcomer Casey Hegener and Mayor Marchand were sworn in for three-year terms following their victory over Republican and Green Party challengers in the November election.
Sister Frances de La Chapelle, headmistress of Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, read the opening invocation Sunday, calling for "wisdom, charity and justice" by the township’s leaders "to promote the well-being of all people."
The oath of office was administered to the mayor by U.S. District Court Judge Anne E. Thompson, who called the mayor "a wonderful friend and an admirable public official."
In her address, Mayor Marchand thanked fellow committee members, board and commission appointees and township staff.
The mayor said the new year will see the completion of the new municipal building on Witherspoon Street and called on fellow committee members to see that the township’s deer-management program is carried out for the sake of public safety.
"The attempt to manage the township’s deer herd has been a contentious affair, to say the least," said Mayor Marchand, who has served on the Township Committee since 1987. "We on Township Committee have a legal obligation to protect the inhabitants of our community."
The mayor said she hoped two recently approved zoning overlay ordinances for land off Mount Lucas Road and Bunn Drive will bring much-needed senior housing to the township this year, "so Princeton seniors can age in place, and continue to contribute their talents and expertise to our community."
Mayor Marchand lauded the township’s AAA bond ratings from Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s, and said the committee "will be ever vigilant to ensure that taxpayer dollars are wisely invested."
The mayor said $5 million has been budgeted for several roadway improvements this year. She called 2001 a "banner year" for parks, recreation and open-space preservation with the dedication of Barbara Smoyer Park and the purchase of the former Robert Wood Johnson estate and Coventry Farm for active and passive recreation.
"We also hope to add a significant portion of the Gulick Farm to the township’s open-space inventory later this year," she said.
The mayor said she looked forward to construction beginning on the new public library this year, and she called on Princeton Borough officials to "move with great dispatch to come up with an acceptable parking garage scheme as soon as possible. It is imperative that the new parking garage be built simultaneously with the construction of the new library."
Also on Sunday, the committee voted to approve several appointments to township boards and commissions.
Philip Feig was re-appointed for a five-year term on the Planning Board, and Mayor Marchand and Deputy Mayor Enslin will continue to serve as committee liaisons to the board.
Carlos Rodrigues and A. Perry Morgan were re-appointed for four-year terms on the township Zoning Board of Adjustment, and James P. Begin was re-appointed for a two-year term as alternate 1.
David Breithaupt was re-appointed for three more years on the Princeton Environmental Commission, and Scott Carver was appointed for a three-year term.
Mr. Carver replaces Peggy McNeill, who stepped down after 25 years on the environmental commission.