By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
The Lawrence Township Planning Board swore in new members and chose its officers and professionals for 2009 at its annual reorganization meeting Monday night — one month later than normal.
The reorganization meeting, normally held in January, was postponed because Township Council was grappling with filling a vacancy of its own. That issue was resolved last week, and openings on the Planning Board were filled.
Monday night, Keith Dewey of Gallo Court, was sworn in for a four-year term on the board. Mayor Pam Mount, Councilman Michael Powers and Municipal Manager Richard Krawczun also were sworn in for one-year terms.
David Maffei of Lawrenceville Road, who was appointed to a two-year term as an alternate member, was absent. He will be sworn in at the board’s next meeting, set for March 2.
The Planning Board also elected its officers for 2009. Nat Moorman was elected to serve as chairman, and Jim Kownacki was chosen as vice chairman. The term is for one year.
In a light moment at the meeting, Mr. Moorman acknowledged that former Planning Board member and longtime board chairman Tom Wilfrid would be hard to follow. Mr. Wilfrid’s term expired in December and he chose not to seek reappointment.
“Tom did a great job. Don’t expect anything that great (from me),” Mr. Moorman said with a smile, as board members chuckled.
In other business, the board agreed to appoint Mr. Moorman, Mr. Kownacki, Mr. Krawczun and Mayor Mount to serve on the Planning Board’s screening committee, which reviews pending applications.
Mayor Mount was appointed to serve as the board’s liaison to the Growth and Redevelopment Committee, and Mr. Kownacki as the liaison to the Business Route 1 Redevelopment Committee. Mr. Powers is the liaison to the Shade Tree Advisory Committee.
The Planning Board also named its professional staff, beginning with recording secretary Sara Summiel. The board also named David Roskos to serve as its attorney. He is a member of the Trenton law firm of Sterns & Weinroth.
Philip Caton of the Trenton-based firm of Clarke Caton Hintz was named as the board’s planning consultant, and Municipal Engineer James Parvesse was appointed to serve as the board engineer and in-house board secretary.
James Kochenour of Arora and Associates, P.C. of Lawrence, was appointed to serve as the board’s regular traffic engineer. McDonough & Rea Associates, Inc., of Manasquan was appointed to serve as the special traffic engineering consultant in cases of a conflict of interest involving the regular traffic engineer.
And Eric Zwerling of the Noise Consultancy LLC of Flemington, was appointed to serve as the township’s acoustical consultants regarding Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

