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Politics & Government

Township Considers Changing Policy on Background Checks for Volunteer Coaches

Governing body may amend ordinance to extend duration between checks.

Due to a change in the state regulations, Chatham Township is revisiting how it conducts background checks on volunteer coaches.

In his report to the township committee on Thursday night, Committee Member Kevin Tubbs, liaison to the recreation committee, said the township passed an ordinance three years ago that said after the initial background check, volunteers must go through another check in three years.

The 320 coaches who had background checks done three years ago are now due to have one again, but because of a change in the state regulations, all volunteers must make an appointment and travel to Parsippany on their own, pay $26 for the background check, then come back to the township with a voucher and receive a credit from the township.

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“In the past, police from the borough and the township went to the high school, and the towns paid for the background checks to be run,” Tubbs said. “It was relatively painless. But such programs are not allowed anymore in New Jersey, and it’s very burdensome on our residents to go through that.”

Tubbs said there has already been some discussion with the borough and there is a general consensus that something needs to be done to alleviate the burden on volunteers.

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Although no vote was taken, committee members agreed that they would support amending the township’s ordinance to extend the three-year period between background checks. Such an amendment will be brought up at a future meeting for a vote.

In other business, committee members:

  • Appointed Michael Bloom and Kelly Sretenovic as township police officers.
  • Discussed the last meeting of the Colony Pool Advisory Committee. Committee Member Robert Gallop, liaison to the pool committee, said there will be no change to pool fees this year.
  • Township Engineer John Ruschke reported that the two major construction projects in the township, Shunpike and Colony Pool, are both geared up to start as soon as the weather breaks.
  • Tubbs reported on his meeting with the Environmental Commission and Green Teams. He said they went over plans for next year for increasing outreach to the community on sustainability.

“We want to help educate residents to try to make us a more sustainable community,” he said. “We have bronze certification now from Sustainable Jersey, and it would be nice to have that silver designation, but it’s more to make ourselves a better community and a better place to live.”

Tubbs said they are also looking at the possibility of creating a model conservation easement that will have already been vetted by the governing body and would not have to be created from scratch should one be needed.

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