Brian Stuart ended 18 years as a Lackawaxen supervisor on December 16. A light agenda and a short meeting ended with a presentation of a plaque to the board’s outgoing chairman.

Stuart lost a May Republican primary election to horse-farm owner, Michael Mancino, who was unopposed in the fall election. The Greeley resident, who had considered a write-in fall run, but finally decided against it, got a standing ovation from citizens led by Mancino after the presentation.

Kidding his colleagues at the presentation, Stuart remarked. “They even spelled [my name] right. I probably would have gotten it wrong.”

In township business, the supervisors voted final approval to a 2014 budget, which calls for $3,200,621 in spending, but will retain existing millage (tax rates).

They declined a $1,600 proposal from Laurie Gozda to provide communications and branding instruction to township staff. Supervisor Robert Cocchi said they didn’t feel it was necessary as their secretary, Camille James, is already doing these functions.

The board approved a draft zoning amendment to reduce the setback from water bodies for homes and accessory uses from 100 feet to 50 feet. The amendment will face a public hearing on February 24 at 6 p.m.

They agreed to file a lien against a Mott Road, Welcome Lake property where, following a house fire several years ago, the township paid for the cleanup as the property owners were uninsured.

They approved a resolution adopting the state’s timetable for records retention and disposal.

They scheduled two January 13 conditional use hearings, for the Route 6 relocation of Tony Puorro’s County Waste, a trash operation, to a garage formerly occupied by T&D Power, at 6 p.m.; and for the Route 590, Vanderbeek Farms at 7 p.m.

They heard solicitor Anthony Waldron report that court orders have been issued to ensure clean-up work at long-term problem sites on Route 590 and at Woodloch Springs.

The supervisors rescheduled their February meeting to 6:30 p.m. on February 24, to avoid conflicting with the February 20 holiday.