Role of Consolidation Commission in Merger Not Yet Decided

It’s not yet clear what role the Princeton Consolidation Commission will take in the upcoming transition to merge the two Princeton municipalities.

People are asking about the Commission’s future, chairman Anton Lahnston said Wednesday.

“I have to say we don’t have a very snappy or very good answer at this time,” he said.

The Commission will wait until it hears from both Princeton Borough Council and Princeton Township Committee about how it plans to structure the Consolidation Transition Team and the Commission will determine its role from there, Lahnston said.

Interested residents have submitted applications for a consolidation transition team and interviews are already underway in the Township, Administrator Jim Pascale said.

It’s still unclear how the transition team will be structured, whether it will be a single team or use its members' various expertise to staff consolidation subcommittees.

Commission member David Goldfarb suggested the Commission might be responsible for overseeing the entire process.

Borough Administrator Bob Bruschi said the key is keeping up the positive momentum among Princeton’s municipal employees, who are embracing the process.

“There is so much to do, we can not in any way show down our momentum,” he said.

Pascale agreed with Bruschi, saying he sees the process working in a Noah’s Ark fashion. When it comes to police consolidation, for example, the two police chiefs would meet with the Borough and Township administrators to determine the best way to consolidate, using the CGR report as a guide. If they come up with additional efficiencies or suggestions, those can be overseen and approved by an oversight body, whether it’s the consolidation commission or transition team.

Commission Member Bernie Miller said it’s important that the consolidation process have oversight so when it comes to January, 2013, the two municipalities are ready to merge.