CRANFORD — After almost a month of questioning by local residents, Cranford officials are still refusing to comment on the sudden departure of former Township Administrator Jamie Cryan, who was replaced by Chief Ryan Greco as “Interim Township Administrator” without public explanation in mid-December of last year.
On Tuesday, during a regular meeting of the township committee, Cranford resident Jim Carvalho said Mr. Cryan had been appointed as the new business administrator in Parsippany. Mr. Carvalho asked the committee whether Mr. Cryan was still on paid administrative leave in Cranford, but received no answer in response.
According to an agenda posted by the Parsippany-Troy Hills town council, Mr. Cryan was appointed to his new position with the Morris County community on January 4 of this year.
In other township news, resident Don Smith asked the committee on Tuesday to explain its recent decision to eliminate a second round of public comment from its regular meetings.
Mr. Smith said he felt it was important for people to have a chance to say what they felt was important for the township to know. Mayor Brian Andrews said the second comment portion was cut because it seemed to confuse residents as to whether their topic of discussion was for the first or second comment period.
Terrence Curran, commissioner, added that there was a public-comment portion for the township’s workshop meeting before the meeting in council chambers and encouraged residents to come to that as well. Mr. Smith then got up again to add that he felt the second public-comment section should be in front of the cameras so all residents had a chance to hear.
The township committee also recognized Barbara Bilger, a volunteer around Cranford, for outstanding accomplishment and dedication to the township and residents of Cranford. Mayor Andrews presented her with a proclamation and said she would be missed in the community. Ms. Bilger said she started out volunteering for an hour at St. Michael Church when she had first moved to Cranford, and it turned into volunteering around the township. Every member of the committee wished her well but said they would miss her. She said she was not excited to move but that it was time and she would be back.
Mayor Andrews also introduced commissioner reports to the agenda, reminding the residents that this was to help with government transparency and to alert residents of upcoming projects. Mr. Curran spoke about finances, making sure to add the budget meeting would be Saturday, February 11, and the capital budget meeting would be Thursday, February 23.
