Township Committee Creates Springfield Improvement Team

Springfield's government has created a new group they hope will encourage volunteerism in town. At their most recent meeting, the Township Committee introduced an ordinance that proposed creating a new group, the Springfield Improvement Team.

The team takes on some of the functions of the recently dissolved Beautification Committee; the ordinance specifically tasks the new group with "beautification of public areas" as well as downtown improvements, responsibilities the Beautification Committee was previously responsible for. The scope of the new organization is larger than the beautification commission, though. In addition to beautification, it also includes functions such as outreach to veterans, historical and cultural affairs, public relations programs and initiatives and working with Springfield's green team in environmental efforts.

According to the ordinance, an executive board of volunteers would lead the team. The ordinance dictates that the membership of the board include a high school student, a board of education member, a senior citizen, a representative of the business community, a liaison from the township committee and two "citizens at-large."

"We have a lot of talented people out there and this is a great way to harness that talent," Springfield Mayor Ziad Shehady said at the Feb. 9 meeting, explaining that the team would be a "mechanism by which [Springfield residents] can volunteer."

Committee members said that residents had said they did not know how to volunteer with the town, and some believed that they needed to be appointed to committees in order to be involved. The team, officials hope, will get more people involved with township activities.

Officials expressed support for the proposed team.

"I think its going to be a great way to encourage volunteerism," Committee member Jerry Fernandez said.