Township looking to residents for ideas and research, By Terry McGahan WEST MILFORD The vast empty lands that made up the former Warner Brothers safari attraction Jungle Habitat is to be transformed into a multi-discipline recreational area. The township is looking for the public’s active involvement in determining just exactly how the new venture should develop. Head of Parks and Recreation in town, Renee Palermo, announced that she is looking for up to 70 people to step forward and provide their knowledge. A series of sub-committees will be set up to study various aspects and will report their findings to a central committee. Areas such as trails, cultural events, fields, other recreational facilities, finance, senior and disabled and stewardship will be covered by the committees. The central groupthe Jungle Habitat planning and development committeewill gather the findings of all sub-committees and prepare final development plans. Overseeing the entire project will be Palermo and the town’s recreational advisory committee, with the township council having final say. At the council meeting on Wednesday night, Palermo said, “The Jungle Habitat planning and development committee should be developed in a manner that would support a creative, and without bias, design that will promote several recreational opportunities that will include athletics, life-long fitness and community spirit.” A controversial tone arose when it was suggested the responsibility for selecting members for the committees be left with the recreation advisory committee. “I’m not sure if I agree with that,” said Councilman Bob Nolan, “I’m concerned that the recreation and advisory committee is acting as a funnel. The only way to for anyone to get on these committees would be with the approval of the recreational advisory committee ... the planning board, the zoning board; you pretty much have to be a member of the majority party in order to be appointed. I don’t know if we’re going to have fair representation.” Council member Carmen Scangarello interrupted Nolan saying, “Bob, I’m going to have to disagree with you on that.” Nolan and his colleague James Warden form a minority Democratic Party representation on the council. Warden responded to the debate, “We’ve had volunteers come and ask for appointment from our side of the table and they have been voted down unanimously. If you’re going to open this up to volunteers in the township it should be experience and resume and not if you’re a Republican or a Democrat.” The subject of volunteers blew up again later in the council meeting regarding the re-appointment of Michael Ramaglia to the Municipal Utilities Authority. Ramaglia was the campaign manager for Republican council members Joe Smolinski and Dr. Sal Schimmenti in the last election. Nolan and Warden requested Ramaglia be interviewed before appointment to obtain his views on housing development in town and, in particular, the Valley Ridge project. The majority of the council, however, approved Ramaglia for appointment without an interview. West Milford leases the Jungle Habitat property from the state and Scangarello noted, “The state has final decision on everything that we do. Anything that’s brought forth to the mayor and council goes in front of the Department of Environmental Protection, and they will have the final answer to any of our questions.” Anyone interested in serving on one of the committees should submit a letter of interest with resume to township clerk Antoinette Battaglia.