Township Adopts Colony Pool Jr. Tennis Memberships

The Committee voted with one abstention Thursday to amend the membership fees at by allowing out-of-town minors to join the junior tennis teams.

Under the amended ordinance which governs membership fees to Colony, children between the ages of 6 and 17 years who do not reside in the township will be able to join the club as members of the junior tennis club for $50, with an additional out-of-town fee of $50.

The committee had a brief debate over the legality of allowing minors to join without their families.

"Without getting into a legal box, can you grant a minor permission [to join]?" Committee Member Bailey Brower, Jr. said. "I've never heard of a junior membership that stands by itself."

Township Administrator Tom Ciccarone said he viewed the policy as a "logical  extention" of the recreation department. "It's no different than paying to play recreational baseball," Ciccarone said.

The amendment to the ordinance passed 4-0, with Brower abstaining from the vote.

Paddle Tennis at Colony

A discussion of the paddle tennis team at Colony was postponed to July. George Foot will come before the committee to discuss the paddle tennis program.

Paddle tennis runs for two seasons, winter and spring. In the past, membership in Colony's paddle tennis teams has included residents of the township, Chatham Borough and Summit, among other towns.

In a past presentation before the committee, Foot said the courts are in need of repair to continue to drive membership. Membership fell over the 2010-11 year, when winter snow storms hit the region nearly every week.

July Meeting Dates

The committee changed their scheduled meeting dates from July 12 and 26 to one meeting on July 19. Mayor Nicole Hagner said the committee will refrain from introducing new ordinances until September when residents return from summer vacation, as is the tradition in the township.