Marlboro council OKs land purchase
BY TALI ISRAELI
Staff Writer

MARLBORO - The Township Coun-cil has adopted an ordinance authorizing the purchase of a 3.7-acre parcel on Tennent Road. The site will be preserved as open space.

The council took the action at its Oct. 19 meeting.

According to the ordinance, the municipality and the owners of the property, James and Mary Geoghegan, have agreed that the cost of the land will be $450,000.

Marlboro taxpayers pay into an open space trust fund every year through an assessment that is included on their property tax bill. The assessment is 2 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.

That means the owner of a home assessed at $200,000 pays $40 into the fund, the owner of a home assessed at $400,000 pays $80 into the fund and the owner of a home assessed at $600,000 pays $120 into the fund each year. The funds collected through the assessment help the township purchase open space tracts.

In other business at the meeting, the council adopted an amendment to the ordinance that requires Marlboro Recre-ation Department volunteers and employees to undergo a criminal background check.

The original ordinance that was adopted by the council in May would allow applicants for a position who have been disqualified by a background check to appeal the decision before a review committee consisting of residents, the superintendent of the recreation commission, the chair of the recreation commission and the mayor or his designee.

The ordinance that was adopted on Oct. 19 would amend that provision of the law. According to Township Attorney Andrew Bayer, the amended ordinance would eliminate the need for a review committee and instead would require an independent company to handle the appeals process.

The ordinance also added domestic violence, arson and burglary to the list of criminal acts a person would be disqualified for.