In Case You Missed It: The March 26 Township Committee Meeting

In case you missed the Township Committee meeting Tuesday night, here are some of the highlights:

• The Township Committee introduced a $34.2 million budget that could mean a $39 annual tax hike for residents if approved in April. Officials say they will continue to tweak the budget and additional cuts are possible. The spending plan represents an increase of 1.69 percent over last year. A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for April 23 at town hall. Read the full story here.

• The Township Committee appointed Joseph M. Hartnett as the township administrator. Hartnett, who served for several years as the city administrator in Montclair, will replace interim administrator Police Chief Eric Mason. Mason resigned from his role as interim township administrator in December, after serving in that position from September 2011 to December 2012, while also working as police chief.

• Officials approved the official promotion of Lt. James Wozniak to the role of captain of the Cranford Police Department. An official ceremony to honor Wozniak will take place at the next Township Committee meeting.

• Green Business Certificates were awarded to two local businesses: Cranford Bike Shop and Little Scoops, for their environmentally friendly practices.

• The Township Committee approved an ordinance to amend a portion of the municipal code relating to the Historic Preservation Advisory Board and procedures relating to the designation of landmarks and districts. Local historians have advocated for the ordinance for years and officials have discussed the measure at numerous meetings over the past year.

• The Township Committee agreed to hire an expert to conduct an independent review of the legal representation in connection with two legal cases: Lehigh Acquisition and Cranford Development Associates (Birchwood Avenue Development). Officials will pay Michael Ambrosio, a legal ethics professor at Seton Hall University, up to $5,000 to give his opinion on whether or not the township has ground to file an ethics complaint against the firm representing the township in the litigation. A full story on this issue and the discussion that took place at the Tuesday night Township Committee meeting will be posted on Cranford Patch later today.