Members hope to draw on proposed hiring of parks manager
By: David Campbell
The Princeton Environmental Commission on Wednesday night said it doesn’t have the administrative support needed to carry out the growing number of programs on its agenda.
One possible solution, commission members said, might be to draw on the talents of a new parks manager position that will be under consideration as Princeton Township and Princeton Borough officials prepare their joint operating budget.
Last month, the Princeton Parks Task Force recommended the two municipalities restructure the Joint Recreation Department into the Joint Recreation and Parks Department, and create a parks manager position to oversee the municipalities’ 36 parks.
The parks manager position with an administrative assistant would cost around $100,000 annually.
On Wednesday night, commission members grappled with how best to move forward on its activities, which members said have been growing in number in recent years without adequate administrative support.
"I think it needs more discussion as to what kind of support is appropriate," said Chairman Anthony Lunn.
The issue arose after the commission’s nominating committee announced that none of the members is willing to take over as chair when Mr. Lunn steps down at the end of the year.
Barbara Simpson agreed to replace David Breithaupt as vice chair, but commission members expressed reluctance to take on the heavy workload that has come to be associated with the chairperson’s job.
"Everybody here has so many other responsibilities," said Wendy Benchley, Princeton Borough Council liaison to the Environmental Commission.
The commission agreed to reconvene the nominating committee to find three members to share the chairperson’s duties in the coming year, one of whom would serve as the titular chair.
Some commission members also indicated that administrative support similar to that provided to the Princeton Regional Health Commission by the Health Department may be needed, and suggested tapping the new parks manager’s office if it is created.
But on Thursday, Princeton Township Deputy Mayor William Enslin, the Township Committee’s liaison to the commission, expressed caution about such a move, recommending instead that the commission prioritize and pare down some of its activities.
"We can’t be all things to all people, particularly with the members of the Environmental Commission serving on other boards and commissions as well," Mr. Enslin said. "We certainly have an obligation as a township to support the commission, but I’m not ready to say they need additional staff support at this point."
The deputy mayor said budgets will be "extremely tight" this year given the state’s 1-percent spending cap and cuts in state aid, and noted that while a parks manager position, if created, would be compatible with the commission’s goals, its priorities should be the parks.
"That individual may pick up some of the support activities, but that individual is not there primarily to serve the Environmental Commission," Mr. Enslin said. "That’s got to be very clear."
Princeton Borough Mayor Marvin Reed said the question of whether to include commission business in the job description of a proposed parks manager is a legitimate one for the two Princetons to consider.
Princeton Borough Administrator Robert Bruschi indicated he was open to considering sharing the parks manager with the commission, but noted that all new positions in the coming year, including the proposed parks position, will be subject to intense scrutiny because of budgetary constraints.
"If there’s some administrative help the commission needs, perhaps it can be absorbed somewhere else in existing personnel," Mr. Bruschi said. "I wouldn’t say no to the concept, I just think it’s going to be a tougher year to sell new positions to the governing bodies."
Recreation Director Jack Roberts said that if a parks manager position is made available, the manager could take on some administrative duties for the commission, within set limits.
"I don’t have a problem with that concept," Mr. Roberts said. "Certainly I would see one of the elements of the job description would be to carry on a very active relationship with the Environmental Commission."
Princeton Township Administrator James Pascale was unavailable for comment.