OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Franklin Township Council Regular Meeting - September 28, 2022

Township Council — Wednesday, September 28, 2022
BodyFranklin Township, New Jersey
SessionTownship Council
DateWednesday, September 28, 2022
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Order.

0:01

Madam Clerk.

0:05

In accordance with the open public meeting act of the state of New Jersey, adequate notice of this work session regular meeting.

0:12

The Franklin Township Council was made by the posting on the bulletin board in the municipal building and township website.

0:18

Electronically transmitted to the officially designated newspapers, indicating that this work session regular meeting will take place in the municipal building.

0:26

Council chambers at 7 p.m.

0:28

on Wednesday, September 28th, 2022.

0:33

Thank you.

0:33

If we could all stand for the Pledge of Allegiance followed by an invocation by Councilman Charles.

1:04

Here are our supplications.

1:21

Amen.

1:29

Councilman and Barrison?

1:31

Here.

1:31

Councilwoman Francois.

1:33

Mayor Kramer.

1:34

Here.

1:35

Councilman Nani Jaka.

1:36

Yeah.

1:37

Councilmember Patasni.

1:39

Deputy Mayor Pruitt.

1:40

Here.

1:41

Councilwoman Medine.

1:42

Here.

1:42

Councilman Vassanova.

1:44

Here.

1:44

Councilman Right.

1:47

Next item is item five on the agenda.

1:50

There are copies of the agenda there.

1:51

Copies of ordinances that are planned to be discussed tonight.

1:57

Commendations and proclamations.

1:59

Michael.

2:00

Donna.

2:01

ROI, New Jersey influencer to 2022 commendation.

2:06

Councilman Embarrasson.

2:24

Thank you, Mayor.

2:25

Good evening, everyone.

2:26

It gives me great pleasure to invite a special guest to our town today, President McDonough of Raditan Valley Community College.

2:38

The institution is a great one in Somerset County.

3:07

It's a 47,000 square foot workforce training center that has a number of uh training programs starting from automotive technology, advanced manufacturing, cosmetology, aesthetics, environmental control technology, and commercial energy management, all under one roof.

3:26

And I don't believe any other community college in the state of New Jersey that much comprehensive program offerings at a community college.

3:36

So uh hands off to him.

3:38

Uh we have a um a long relationship prior to my council job.

3:43

Uh I used to work in the community college system, and I have known um President McDonough for about eight years prior to coming here, and my wife went to RVCC as a nursing graduate, and she's a nurse, uh great school, and every year uh New Jersey um there's a magazine called ROI, return on investment New Jersey.

4:08

Uh the magazine uh ranks the colleges and the college presidents throughout the state of New Jersey.

4:14

There are about 73 or so higher education institutions, and this year, um Dr.

4:21

President McDonough uh made it to the top 25 in the list.

4:25

So I thought it would be appropriate to uh invite him to our council and honor him.

4:30

Um of you may have heard me speak about our uh uh upcoming relationship.

4:36

We are trying to create a uh RVCC center in town for the people of uh Franklin, and he has been uh very instrumental in driving that process forward uh with the county commissioners and of course uh with our township manager and our council.

5:00

Uh so we that's uh we are we have picked out a location on Hamilton Street, the old uh historic uh Tulip House location uh is where we are uh targeting to uh make the RVCC center that's going to help a lot of our students who just cannot travel to Branchburg, where the main campus is so as a result uh they don't go to college or they go somewhere else.

5:20

So we wanted to create that opportunity for our uh graduating high school students and adults who want to get a college degree, and we will slowly uh bring more workforce training programs as well in that location.

5:34

Anyway, I'm happy to present this commendation, President McDonough, if you would.

5:40

The commendation reads, whereas each year ROA New Jersey lists the presidents, deans, and directors who have the greatest influence and impact at their schools and within the business community, and whereas Michael McDonough, Ratchet Valley Community College President was named one of the top 25 ROA influences higher education 2022, and whereas Rush and Valley continually is ranked as a top community college in New Jersey and around the country as a result of Michael McDonough being named the president in June 2014.

6:17

Now, therefore, we Rahman Barrison, Councilman, and Philip Kramer, Mayor, on behalf of the Franklin Township Council, congratulate Michael McDonough on receiving the honor of top 25 ROA influencer higher education 2022.

6:34

Congratulations.

6:46

That was from all of council.

6:50

Um we're on now on to item number six public discussion.

6:54

So we have a motion to open to the public.

6:57

So in seconded, all in favor of opening to the public say aye.

7:02

Aye, aye.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning Regulations█████████████████17%
Public Engagement█████████████13%
Procedural███████████11%
Community Engagement███████████11%
Traffic Safety██████████10%
Warehouse Development██████6%
Affordable Housing██████6%
Planning And Zoning█████5%
Land Development███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Franklin Township Council Regular Meeting - September 28, 2022

The Franklin Township Council held a regular meeting on September 28, 2022, at 7:00 PM. The meeting included a commendation for RVCC President Michael McDonough, extensive public comment on warehouse traffic and the proposed Kmart Plaza redevelopment, and council deliberation on a motion to prohibit private meetings with the developer. The council adopted several ordinances and consent agenda items.

Commendations & Proclamations

  • Councilman Barrison presented a commendation to Michael McDonough, President of Raritan Valley Community College, for being named a Top 25 ROI-NJ Influencer in Higher Education for 2022. Barrison highlighted RVCC's workforce training center and plans to establish an RVCC center in Franklin Township at the historic Tulip House location on Hamilton Street.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Shirley Tallman (57 Talman Lane, Canal Walk): Expressed severe traffic safety concerns, describing an incident where an 18-wheeler forced her off the road on Canal Road. She noted that the police department is overburdened and called for more patrols, especially on Randolph Road near Amazon.
  • Arnold Schmidt (134 Hickory Road, Somerset): Questioned the policy on council members meeting privately with developers regarding zoning changes. He referenced an article about the owner of Rutgers Plaza seeking an informal planning board discussion to convert the former Kmart into 200 apartments. He argued that residents overwhelmingly oppose residential use on the site and urged council to avoid setting a precedent that would allow similar rezoning throughout Franklin.
  • Dina Lux (51 Patriots Way, Somerset): Thanked council for the warehouse ordinance but expressed concern about developers seeking zoning changes. She asked that council adhere to the master plan and the new zoning ordinance regarding the proposed warehouse at Mettler's and Western Canal Roads, and that residents be heard before any high-density apartment construction in Ward 5.
  • Eleanor Rogan (9 Republic Row, Somerset): Described a dangerous incident at the intersection of Western Canal Road and Cottontail Road where a truck in a left-turn lane went straight, almost causing a collision. She noted similar incidents with cars and requested better lane signage and enforcement, especially for vehicles heading to Amazon.
  • Benjamin Garrett (35 Patent Drive): Called for the township manager and planning board director to explain the master plan to residents, citing a lack of transparency. He also raised concerns about the community solar program solicitation letter, questioning the clarity and fairness of the process.
  • Angelica Granados (3307 Jackie Hollow Trail, Canal Walk): Raised fire safety concerns about a proposed spec warehouse near her senior community, noting recent warehouse fires in North Brunswick, Hillsborough, and an Amazon facility. She urged the council to reject the application due to unknown storage and inadequate safety safeguards.
  • Donnie Tibbs (25 Parkside Court, Somerset): Stressed the need for 10 jobs for young Black men in the Fourth Ward and for low-income apartments, arguing that development is pushing out long-term residents.
  • Valerie Josoviak (30 Highwood Road): Expressed a defeatist attitude about the Kmart redevelopment, stating she feels residents have no say. She suggested desirable commercial uses like an ACE Hardware or Starbucks at the site.
  • Dr. Jack Farr (19 Academy Road): Opposed the Kmart apartment complex, citing existing traffic congestion on Easton Avenue. He urged council to stick to the master plan.
  • Lorraine Suarez (1228 Easton Avenue): Opposed the apartment complex due to traffic and school overcrowding. She questioned who was considering the zoning change.
  • Terry Dorison (18 Labed Drive, Somerset): Criticized the township for following trends (hotels, offices, now warehouses) instead of innovative development. He suggested requiring solar panels on all new warehouse roofs and addressing cumulative traffic impacts.
  • Alex Strauss (285 Hows Lane, Somerset): Criticized the planning board for rubber-stamping warehouse projects and questioned why council members can hide behind boards when they appoint the board members.

Council Discussion & Decisions

  • Motion on Private Developer Meetings: Councilman Vasanella moved to prohibit any private meeting between council members and the developer/owner of the Kmart property (Levin Management) regarding the proposed residential development at 920 Easton Avenue. After debate, the motion passed with 8 in favor, 1 abstention (Councilwoman Pruitt). The motion specifies that any such meeting must be public and open to the public.
  • Request for Developer Presentation: Councilman Vasanella initially moved to direct the township manager to arrange a public meeting for Levin Management to present alternative plans to the council. After discussion, he withdrew the motion, agreeing to revisit it after the October 12th planning board informal presentation.
  • Master Plan Informational Session: Councilwoman Pruitt moved to hold an informational session to explain the master plan and the roles of the planning board, zoning board, and council. The council unanimously agreed to proceed.
  • Traffic Camera Network: Councilman Vasanella discussed a concept with the manager to install a network of cameras on Schoolhouse and Randolph roads to monitor traffic and deter illegal activities.
  • Truck Routing Signs: The township manager reported that the engineering department is designing directional signs to guide trucks to industrial areas and away from residential streets, and will notify GPS manufacturers of weight-restricted roads.

Approval of Minutes

  • Minutes of the September 13, 2022 work session/regular meeting and executive session were approved with one abstention (Deputy Mayor Pruitt) on the executive session minutes.

Approval of Warrants

  • Warrants totaling $4,031,977.48 were approved unanimously.

Ordinances on Second Reading & Adoption

  • Ordinance No. 4380-22 (Vacation Accrual Policy): Adopted unanimously after public hearing. Corrects the municipal code to comply with state law limitations on vacation time accrual.
  • Ordinance No. 4381-22 (Sick Leave/Vacation Accumulation at Retirement): Adopted unanimously after public hearing. Aligns the code with state law regarding retirement payouts.

Ordinance on First Reading

  • Ordinance No. 4382-22 (Mid-Block Crosswalks on Rutgers Boulevard): Introduced and passed first reading unanimously. Public hearing and final adoption scheduled for October 11, 2022.

Consent Agenda

  • Resolutions #22-350 through #22-364 (14 items including tax lien redemptions, refunds, water adjustments, release of performance guarantees, award of contracts for tablets, body cameras/tasers, folding tables, sidewalk replacement, special event permits, out-of-state training, fireworks, CDBG agreements, and stormwater management agreement) were all adopted unanimously without discussion.

Key Outcomes

  • Motion passed prohibiting private council-developer meetings regarding the Kmart residential proposal (8-0-1).
  • Council agreed to hold an informational session on the master plan and land use process.
  • Two ordinances amending employee leave policies were adopted.
  • One ordinance introducing mid-block crosswalks was advanced.
  • All 14 consent agenda resolutions were approved.

Meeting Transcript

Order. Madam Clerk. In accordance with the open public meeting act of the state of New Jersey, adequate notice of this work session regular meeting. The Franklin Township Council was made by the posting on the bulletin board in the municipal building and township website. Electronically transmitted to the officially designated newspapers, indicating that this work session regular meeting will take place in the municipal building. Council chambers at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 28th, 2022. Thank you. If we could all stand for the Pledge of Allegiance followed by an invocation by Councilman Charles. Here are our supplications. Amen. Councilman and Barrison? Here. Councilwoman Francois. Mayor Kramer. Here. Councilman Nani Jaka. Yeah. Councilmember Patasni. Deputy Mayor Pruitt. Here. Councilwoman Medine. Here. Councilman Vassanova. Here. Councilman Right. Next item is item five on the agenda. There are copies of the agenda there. Copies of ordinances that are planned to be discussed tonight. Commendations and proclamations. Michael. Donna. ROI, New Jersey influencer to 2022 commendation. Councilman Embarrasson. Thank you, Mayor. Good evening, everyone. It gives me great pleasure to invite a special guest to our town today, President McDonough of Raditan Valley Community College. The institution is a great one in Somerset County. It's a 47,000 square foot workforce training center that has a number of uh training programs starting from automotive technology, advanced manufacturing, cosmetology, aesthetics, environmental control technology, and commercial energy management, all under one roof. And I don't believe any other community college in the state of New Jersey that much comprehensive program offerings at a community college. So uh hands off to him. Uh we have a um a long relationship prior to my council job. Uh I used to work in the community college system, and I have known um President McDonough for about eight years prior to coming here, and my wife went to RVCC as a nursing graduate, and she's a nurse, uh great school, and every year uh New Jersey um there's a magazine called ROI, return on investment New Jersey. Uh the magazine uh ranks the colleges and the college presidents throughout the state of New Jersey. There are about 73 or so higher education institutions, and this year, um Dr. President McDonough uh made it to the top 25 in the list. So I thought it would be appropriate to uh invite him to our council and honor him. Um of you may have heard me speak about our uh uh upcoming relationship. We are trying to create a uh RVCC center in town for the people of uh Franklin, and he has been uh very instrumental in driving that process forward uh with the county commissioners and of course uh with our township manager and our council. Uh so we that's uh we are we have picked out a location on Hamilton Street, the old uh historic uh Tulip House location uh is where we are uh targeting to uh make the RVCC center that's going to help a lot of our students who just cannot travel to Branchburg, where the main campus is so as a result uh they don't go to college or they go somewhere else.

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