By alison granito
Staff Writer
MILLSTONE — David Lee, a local farmer and candidate for Township Committee, was appointed to an alternate position on the Planning Board last week.
Mayor William Nurko, a Democrat, appointed Lee, who is running on the Democratic ticket, to the board’s second alternate position. That term will end Dec. 31 next year.
The vacancy was created when the committee accepted the resignation of two board members last week. Both Stuart Fenick and Dorothy McLaughlin, who is the board’s vice chair, cited plans to move out of town as their reason for stepping down.
First alternate Ron Byer was promoted to a permanent position on the board, to replace McLaughlin. Second alternate Gus DeBlasio will replace Byer, and Lee will replace DeBlasio.
Since Fenick was the board’s liaison to the Environmental Commission, his resignation also created a vacancy on that body.
Nurko promoted commission alternate Richard Tomer to a seat on the body. Zoning board member Bob Hughes was appointed to replace Tomer as an alternate.
The appointments led to questions from one official at last week’s committee meeting.
GOP Committeeman John Pfefferkorn questioned whether placing a zoning board member on the commission would create a conflict of interest.
"I don’t see the conflict it creates," Millstone Township Attorney Duane Davison said.
Davison told Pfefferkorn that he saw no problem with the move.
"With all the citizens we have in town, we should try to maintain an air of independence," Pfefferkorn said.
"That is a different issue. What you are saying is spread out the appointments," Davison said.