Pinkin to hold council prez. position in 2006

BY VINCENT TODARO
Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK — The new year will bring new leadership on the Township Council.

The Township Council on Monday elected Nancy Pinkin as its president and Donald Klemp as vice president. The two Democrats will each serve one year in those positions, and both said their main objective as council leaders is to continue the major projects already under way.

Pinkin said the council has a lot of work just continuing projects from prior years. Among those are redevelopment of the Route 18 site officials refer to as the Golden Triangle, the development of the Heavenly Farms recreational area, and the resolution of issues surrounding the township’s 6-acre zoning law.

The budget also needs a lot of attention, Pinkin said, adding that like the state, the township faces a challenge with this year’s municipal budget.

Pinkin said her college degree is in public policy, so she wants to look into the idea of integrating services, be it with various departments or between the township and school district.

For example, she wants to see the schools be used to meet more township needs.

“I’m a big advocate of shared services,” she said. “East Brunswick is a big town, so we can incorporate a lot of resources. I want to take it further.”

Klemp, who served as president in 2002 and 2003 and was vice president in the late 1990s, said he also sees the need to continue major projects such as redevelopment.

In addition to the Golden Triangle, he said, the town must focus on the multi-use facility that will replace Playhouse 22 and be located on the Heavenly Farms site.

Klemp, in his 10th year on the council, said the future commuter parking deck at the Golden Triangle is also an issue that needs immediate attention.

Finances will continue to be a major hurdle for the council, both officials said. Pinkin said the Golden Triangle project is important because the commercial tax base in East Brunswick is not as large as those in other communities.

Klemp said the stock market has been slow, and low interest rates have meant the township earns less on its investments.

“The Golden Triangle revenue sale will certainly help, but there probably will be some [municipal tax] increase, but we hope to keep it minimal. We’ve kept it way below the rate of inflation over 10 years,” he said.

Pinkin mentioned a number of other areas she wants to address, including expanding services for people with disabilities, improving safety for pedestrians, lengthening the municipal bike path, and changing the tone during public portions of council meetings.

This is the first time Pinkin has been president. She was elected to her first term on the council in November 2004, when Klemp and Mayor William Neary were both re-elected.

Last year’s council president, David Stahl, will be up for re-election this year along with fellow Democrat Catherine Diem and Republican Christi Calvano.