Board Appoints Regular Radio Frequency Engineer

Due to a recent abundance of cell tower applications, the Bridgewater Township Zoning Board of Adjustment chose to appoint a radio frequency engineer at its annual reorganization meeting Tuesday.

Hank Menkes—of Hank Menkes and Menkes Associates—was appointed as radio frequency engineer to be on retainer for the board.

“We thought it would be a good idea to have someone on file so we can raise issues with him,” said zoning board attorney Lawrence Vastola. “There has been a plethora of cell tower applications.”

Menkes will be paid for his services by individual applicants, not the township.

In addition, Vastola said, he has been discussing with the township the option of introducing an ordinance regarding cell towers.

“I have been talking with the township administrator and township attorney Bill Savo,” he said. “It is my hope that the township will be adopting an ordinance regulating cellular facilities.”

Aside from this appointment, the board remained basically the same, reappointing William Vornehm as chairman, and Filipe Pedroso as vice-chairman.

And the board swore in several members who were also part of the board in 2010, namely Pedroso and Lee Schapiro as regular members. Pushpavati Amin was appointed as a first alternate, Evans Humenick as a second alternate and Carl Schulz as a third alternate.

Vastola Fackelman & Sullivan was again appointed as the attorney for the board, Scarlett Doyle was appointed as board planner and Bridgewater Township Director of Municipal Services Thomas Forsythe was appointed as board engineer.

The board also determined that meetings will be scheduled for the first, third and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 7:30 p.m.