Medford Council’s mission of being more open to the public moved forward at the final council meeting of 2013.
An ordinance passed on second reading created a policy that dictates rules on appointing board and committee members, establishes guidelines for filling vacancies, details an application process and more.
The goal is to establish an orderly method of maintaining the local government, something that wasn’t done in past years, officials said.
“The handbook summarizes how those boards are to function from an organizational standpoint and establishes a personal conduct,” Deputy Mayor Chris Buoni said.
Council has been working at creating regulations to better organize township government in recent years. It has worked closely with Township Manager Chris Schultz in looking at where the inefficiencies are and trying to fix them.
This has resulted in a number of changes, which included the consolidation of boards and committees as well as an ordinance that was passed in November that will hold government officials accountable for their actions and details punishment if they violate township ordinances.
“What we’ve tried to put together is a long-term organization,” Buoni said. “When we leave office, we want to have something that functions long-term.”
Much of this initiative is to increase the council’s openness to the public. Buoni said that the council has discussions during meetings on ordinances prior to their placement on the agenda, and a new information technology initiative will look at upgrading the township website and making all public documents in the township accessible.
“Every public document, we want it to become accessible to the public,” Buoni said.
In addition to better informing the public on government work, the township has a Local Government Institute class that puts 25 interested Medford residents into a nine-week class. The class is designed to inform participants on virtually every department in the government. Government officials volunteer their time to teach the classes.
Buoni describes it as a local version of a civics class and said it can serve as a huge stepping stone to a board position.
“If we have board positions up and someone applies for the board and they went to the class, it shows that they want to come to meetings and that there is an interest level,” he said.
In other news:
• Council passed an ordinance on second reading that adds stop signs at seven intersections.
At the Dec. 3 council meeting, Schultz said the stop signs were being added following complaints about safety from local residents. The stop signs are being added after a study done by the Traffic Safety Unit and township engineer.
Four of the stop signs were added along four roads to exit onto Pine Boulevard. Two others were added at the intersection of Ramblewood Lane and Elm Drive. The final sign was place on Little John Drive at the intersection of Friar Tuck Drive.
• Daniel Condren was appointed as a new member for Union Fire Company and Marc Krasson as a new EMS member.
• Medford Council moved its reorganization meeting to Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. in the Public Safety Building, prior to its regularly scheduled meeting. The reorganization meeting was originally scheduled for Jan. 1.
