The Township of Plainsboro is resurrecting an old practice in the interest of getting residents and administrators on the same page and of like mind as the town proceeds at what was described by Township Administrator Robert Sheehan as “a dynamic time for the township.”
The Township will hold a two-day retreat in the Westin Hotel on Route 1. Each government department head will give a presentation on Thursday, October 19, after the News went to print. A deliberation session will follow on Saturday, October 21, starting at 8:30 a.m.
Mayor Peter Cantu said: “It’s been a number of years since we did this on a regular basis. The committee felt it would be helpful to hear from the staff, listen to their presentations and get an understanding of the challenges facing their department.”
The township is facing a decision concerning a proposal to move the University Medical Center at Princeton to the township. The concept plans for the hospital will not be discussed during the retreat, since the township has yet to receive plans for the Medical Center. “There is a legally prescribed process we have to go through before we discuss the plans,” said Sheehan.
The reason for holding the retreat, a practice which hasn’t been done in Plainsboro in over 10 years, is to hold a “dialogue between committee and senior staff. We want to see what we come up with,” said Sheehan.
“The Township committee asked that the staff give thought to such a retreat, to report on the trends and conditions here in town, how they will be impacting the way we do business in a variety of ways, from demographics to economic trends,” said Sheehan.
The township administrator said Plainsboro is nearing its capacity for residential buildout. He said: “We’re going to make a transition from a fast-growing township to a more established community. The department heads will present new and different types of considerations, financial management, and discuss all the types of programs that we offer.”
