Sparta seeks new committee members

By Jennifer Jean Miller
SPARTA — There are vacancies on the planning board, economic development committee, and environmental commission that the township is seeking to fill, and residents in the community are encouraged to volunteer.

Meetings for the groups seeking members are held at Sparta’s Municipal Building at 65 Main Street.

Interested volunteers can contact Township Clerk Mary Coe for an application at 973-729-4493, or by email at mary.coe@spartanj.org.

According to the township's website, the planning board provides recommendations to the township council, pertinent to the township’s master plan, and reviews site plan and subdivision applications. The planning board meets at 7:30 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of every month at the municipal building.

The economic development committee helps to foster economic development in Sparta, providing reports and recommendations to the manager, council and planning board.

The committee analyzes areas where business expansion, development and redevelopment can take place. The economic development committee may also create information about the advantages of running a business in Sparta.

The committee meets the first Monday of every month, beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the municipal building.

The environmental commission is under the board of health and researches the use of open space in town.

When recommendations are needed for open space, water resources management, solid waste management, noise control, and others, the environmental commission decides on the topics.

The commission works closely with the planning board, providing recommendations for development, and contributing findings for the master plan. The commission is the liaison with regional, state and federal agencies.

The commission meets the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the municipal building.