Zwicker will swear in Princeton Council members at Jan. 7 reorganization meeting

ByKrystal Knapp
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Princeton’s governing body will hold its annual reorganization meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 7, at the municipal building to swear in council members, select a council president, and approve a slate of appointments and contracts for 2026. The meeting will be accessible both in person and via Zoom.

Veteran council members Mia Sacks and Michelle Pirone Lambros, who ran unopposed in both the primary and general elections, will be sworn for their third three-year terms in by Sen. Andrew Zwicker. Members will then elect a council president, who will also be sworn in.

The council will approve 2026 governing body assignments and appoint members to Princeton’s boards, commissions, and committees.

Several professional services contracts are on the agenda, including:

  • An agreement with Catholic Charities Diocese of Trenton for behavioral health and community services totaling $56,169.08.
  • An auditing and financial services contract with PKF O’Connor Davies for an amount not to exceed $68,000.
  • An agreement with Shah & Rubenstein, LLC to serve as tax appeal counsel for up to $125,000.
  • A contract with T&M Associates for 2026 landfill gas monitoring, groundwater sampling and annual inspection, not to exceed $82,625.
  • An extension of an agreement with the Arts Council of Princeton for artistic programming and community-engagement services, up to $75,000.

The council will adopt its 2026 meeting schedule and several financial housekeeping measures, including temporary budgets for the municipality, the parking utility, and the affordable housing utility.

2026 council committee and liaison assignments

David Cohen

  • Affordable Housing, Planning & Redevelopment (internal council committee)
  • Code Review, chair (internal council committee)
  • Finance (internal council committee)
  • Traffic Safety (internal council committee)
  • Ad Hoc Council Committee on Firehouse Facility (2025–2026)
  • Ad Hoc Council Committee on Department of Public Works Facilities (2025–2026)
  • Ad Hoc Council Committee on Stormwater Utility (2025–2026)
  • Ad Hoc Council Committee on Transit (2025–2026)
  • Planning Board (Class III)
  • Flood & Stormwater Commission
  • Local Emergency Planning Committee
  • Pedestrian & Bicycle Advisory Committee
  • Central Jersey Forum liaison
  • Princeton Center for Modern Aging liaison

Leticia Fraga

  • Legal & Governance (internal council committee)
  • Personnel, chair (internal council committee)
  • Public Safety, chair (internal council committee)
  • Police commissioner
  • Board of Health
  • CARES Committee
  • Youth Advisory Committee

Mayor Mark Freda

  • Ad Hoc Council Committee on Firehouse Facility (2025–2026)
  • Ad Hoc Council Committee on Stormwater Utility (2025–2026)
  • Public Safety (internal council committee)
  • Planning Board (Class I)
  • Local Emergency Planning Committee
  • Experience Princeton
  • Public Library Board of Trustees member

Leighton Newlin

  • Communications (internal council committee)
  • Personnel (internal council committee)
  • Traffic Safety, chair (internal council committee)
  • CARES Committee
  • Historic Preservation Committee
  • Local Emergency Planning Committee
  • Arts Council liaison

Brian McDonald

  • Finance, chair (internal council committee)
  • Legal & Governance (internal council committee)
  • Infrastructure & Operations (internal council committee)
  • Personnel (internal council committee)
  • Traffic Safety (internal council committee)
  • Ad Hoc Council Committee on Department of Public Works Facility (2025–2026)
  • Ad Hoc Council Committee on Stormwater Utility (2025–2026)
  • Animal Control Advisory Committee
  • Board of Parks & Recreation
  • Shade Tree Commission
  • Environmental Commission
  • Princeton Public Schools liaison

Michelle Pirone Lambros

  • Affordable Housing, Planning & Redevelopment (internal council committee)
  • Code Review (internal council committee)
  • Communications (internal council committee)
  • Finance (internal council committee)
  • Infrastructure & Operations (internal council committee)
  • Public Safety (internal council committee)
  • Fire commissioner
  • Ad Hoc Council Committee on Transit (2025–2026)
  • Ad Hoc Council Committee on Firehouse Facility (2025–2026)
  • Experience Princeton

Mia Sacks

  • Affordable Housing, Planning & Redevelopment, chair (internal council committee)
  • Code Review (internal council committee)
  • Communications, chair (internal council committee)
  • Legal & Governance, chair (internal council committee)
  • Infrastructure & Operations, chair (internal council committee)
  • Ad Hoc Council Committee on Transit (2025–2026)
  • Ad Hoc Council Committee on Department of Public Works Facility (2025–2026)
  • Princeton Public Schools liaison
  • Sustainable Princeton liaison
  • Friends of Herrontown Woods liaison

Appointments to boards, commissions and committees

Animal Control Advisory Committee

  • Gary Maltz, three-year term ending Jan. 1, 2029

Bicycle Advisory Committee

  • Dan Rappoport, three-year term ending Jan. 1, 2029
  • Tineke Thio, three-year term ending Jan. 1, 2029
  • Pallavi Nuka, three-year term ending Jan. 1, 2029

Board of Health

  • Rick Weiss, MS, three-year term ending Jan. 1, 2029
  • Mona Shah, Alternate 1, two-year term ending Jan. 1, 2028

Board of Parks & Recreation Commissioners

  • Andrew Koontz, five-year term ending Jan. 1, 2031
  • Lesley Germaine, five-year term ending Jan. 1, 2031
  • Darius Young, five-year term ending Jan. 1, 2031

CARES Committee

  • Bernadette Alexander, three-year term ending Jan. 1, 2029
  • Leanna Jahnke, three-year term ending Jan. 1, 2029
  • Ari Meisel, three-year term ending Jan. 1, 2029

Environmental Commission

  • Abel Smith, three-year term ending Jan. 1, 2029
  • Anne Soos, three-year term ending Jan. 1, 2029
  • Fredi Pearlmutter, three-year term ending Jan. 1, 2029
  • Amy Craft, Alternate 2, two-year term ending Jan. 1, 2028

Flood & Stormwater Commission

  • Scott Sillars, three-year term ending Jan. 1, 2029
  • Louise Wilson, three-year term ending Jan. 1, 2029

Historic Preservation Commission

  • Roger Shatzkin, four-year term ending Jan. 1, 2030
  • Emily Croll, to replace Elric Endersby, four-year term ending Jan. 1, 2027
  • Maria Kozhevnikov, Alternate 1, two-year term ending Jan. 1, 2027, replacing Emily Croll

Library Board of Trustees

  • Priya Peyman, five-year term ending Jan. 1, 2031
  • Keisha Smith-Carrington, three-year term ending Jan. 1, 2029 (Princeton Public Schools superintendent’s designee)

Planning Board (mayor appointments, for information)

  • John (Jack) Taylor, Alternate 2, two-year term ending Jan. 1, 2028

Zoning Board of Adjustment

  • David Dobkin, Alternate 2, two-year term ending Jan. 1, 2028
Avatar of Krystal Knapp
Krystal Knapp

Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.

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