Night of Transitions for Township Committee

The Springfield Township Committee meeting of Tuesday, Dec. 22 was packed with goodbyes, congratulations and messages of thanks.

It was the last Township Committee meeting for two committee members, Beth Manes and David Barnett—Barnett was absent from the meeting—and Township Attorney Bruce Bergen. In addition, during the meeting, the committee accepted the retirement letter of Township Administrator Ed Fanning.

In addition to working as the Township Administrator for the last five years, Fanning has served Springfield as a Township Committee member, Mayor and Township Attorney. In his retirement letter, which he read during the meeting, Fanning said he felt that it was time to exit public life and devote more time to his family. His last day will be in March.

Bergen, a prominent figure in Springfield's Democratic party who unsuccessfully ran for General Assembly in November, has been the Township's Attorney for the last 16 years. The position is appointed annually. The Township Committee will have a Republican majority next year. Bergen will be replaced by Jeff Lehrer.

In a short speech, Bergen thanked Township employees and his wife and children.

Manes, who did not run for reelection in November, received a plaque from Mayor Bart Fraenkel honoring her service to the town. In a short speech in front of her friends and family members who came at the request of Mayor Bart Fraenkel, she gave some advice to incoming Township Committee members Marc Krauss and Jerry Fernandez, who were both present at the meeting.

"Keep politics out of it and just do what's right," Manes said.