Now young people from Pennington and Hopewell Borough can serve on the Youth Advisory Board, too
By John Tredrea, Staff Writer
Members of the Hopewell Township Youth Advisory Board may be from Pennington or Hopewell Borough as well as the township, under an ordinance amendment adopted unanimously by the Township Committee Monday night.
Under the amendment, the board must have at least five members and no more than 12. Prior to the amendment, the board had to have seven members.
The board, created by a township ordinance in 2003, advises township government on matters pertaining to youth. The ordinance that created the board did not specifically say borough residents were eligible, said Township Committeeman and board liaison Mark Iorio.
Addressing the Township Committee Monday night were board members Kesley Bruno and C.J. Sevilla, a junior and sophomore respectively at Hopewell Valley Central High School. Both are township residents.
They said the board recently had appointed three new members from a field of eight applicants. The new members, all Central High School students, are sophomore Sam Roskos and freshmen Nicole Pashley and Julia Rockey.
The board’s objectives for 2007-2008 include:
— Continue to work toward establishment of a teen center.
— Continue to work with Hopewell Cares (which also backs a teen center) and other community organizations to promote teen activities.
— Continue to work with the Valley’s Senior Advisory Board. That collaboration already has produced last spring’s youth-senior citizen event — the dance, “Swing into Spring.”
— Continue to support the Lawrence-Hopewell Trail.
According to the measure adopted in April 2003, the duties and responsibilities of the Youth Advisory Board are:
— To advise the Township Committee regarding issues of concern to youth in the community.
— Work with the Township Committee, township department heads, schools, civic clubs and service organizations to provide service and leadership opportunities for the youth of the township.
— Inform and educate other youth of issues facing the township and opportunities for youth involvement in city and community affairs.
— Promote community pride.
The Township Committee makes final decisions on all matters pertaining to recommendations from the youth board.