Honeywell Redevelopment: Two Morris Township Planning Board Members Recuse Themselves

Two members of the Morris Township planning board have recused themselves from matters relating to Honeywell International's controversial proposal to redevelop its 147-acre campus.

Early in the March 7 planning board meeting, prior to a scheduled presentation by Honeywell representatives, board attorney Brian Burns announced that Anthony Romano and Laurence D. Bobbin would step down because each receives a pension from Honeywell. Burns said both men were capable of making independent decisions despite the pension money and made clear that the decision was based solely on the desire to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

Burns asked both men if they would like to make any comments. Bobbin asked whether it would be appropriate for him, as a local resident, to come to future meetings dealing with the Honeywell proposal and perhaps even comment or ask questions.

Burns replied that Bobbin had the right to comment, but said it was "not recommended." 

Romano then said that his thoughts on the matter had been covered in Bobbins' remarks and that he had no further comment. Burns explained that the time had come for the men to step down from the dais and they did so.

During the first special meeting that the planning board devoted to the Honeywell proposal, in November, 2010, three members of the planning board; Romano, Bobbin and Mayor H. Scott Rosenbush revealed ties to Honeywell and/or its predecessor, Allied Signal. At that time, all three said they had no plans to step down.

Reached after the meeting and asked why he did not also recuse himself, Rosenbush said that the board attorney did not think it necessary. Though he was employed by Honeywell at one time, Rosenbush said that he has neither a pension nor any other financial ties to the corporation. He also said he wanted to emphasize that the two members who stepped down did so in an effort to err on the side of caution and to "dispel even a whiff of impropriety."

The board's alternate members, Linda K. Murphy and Kevin McNally, had been called into service and were present at the meeting. In the middle of the sometimes-contentious question and answer period, local resident David Budd drew laughs from the crowd when he offered them his condolences on drawing this particular assignment.