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Record of Proceedings

Franklin Township Council Reorganization Meeting – January 3, 2023

Township Council — Tuesday, January 3, 2023
BodyFranklin Township, New Jersey
SessionTownship Council
DateTuesday, January 3, 2023
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 49:29

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
0:02

This reorganization workshop work session regular remote meeting not remote in-person meeting of the township council is called to order.

0:15

Madam Clerk.

0:18

In accordance with the open public meeting act of the state of New Jersey, adequate notice of his reorganization work session regular meeting of the Franklin Township Council was made by the posting on the bulletin board in the municipal building posted on the township's website electronically transmitted to the officially designated newspapers indicating that this reorganization work session regular meeting would take place at the municipal complex council chambers at 7 p.m.

0:42

on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2023.

0:46

We could all stand for the Pledge of Legies.

0:48

Pledge of allegiance, followed by an invocation by the Honorable Councilwoman Kimberly Francois.

0:56

Pledge allegiance to the as we gather here today as members of the we pray that we are ever mindful of opportunities to render our service to fellow citizens and to our community.

1:26

Exerting our efforts in those areas on those things upon which future generations can build with confidence.

1:46

Councilman Embarrison.

1:48

Councilwoman Francois present.

1:51

Mayor Kramer?

1:52

Here.

1:52

Councilman Oni Jaka.

1:55

Councilmember Pataznik?

1:56

Present.

1:57

Councilwoman Pruitt?

1:59

Here.

1:59

Councilwoman Udean.

2:01

Councilman Vassanella?

2:02

Here.

2:03

Councilman Wright.

2:05

We have no proclamations or commendations.

2:08

We are now on item number six.

2:10

Copies of the agenda are available by the clerk.

2:16

Next item is public discussion.

2:18

Do I have a motion to open to public discussion?

2:21

Oh moved.

2:22

Second.

2:22

Moved and seconded.

2:24

All in favor of opening for public discussion say aye.

2:28

Aye aye.

2:28

Opposed say nay.

2:30

Motion carried.

2:32

We're now open to the public.

2:34

Five minutes, no yielding of time.

2:38

They only come up once.

2:42

People may speak about anything to do with government.

2:46

The reason why I've always asked for the public discussion to be early on at this meeting is so that people can talk about appointments we're going to make if they have any objections to what's been but you can speak about anything you wish to wishing to speak, please.

3:08

Seeing no one come up, Mayor, I'll motion to close the public portion of meeting.

3:15

We have a second.

3:17

I'll second that.

3:18

Moved and seconded.

3:20

All in favor of closing public portion say aye.

3:22

Aye.

3:23

Opposed say nay.

3:24

Public portion is cop is closed.

3:27

On to item number sec seven, appointment of the deputy mayor.

3:31

Tradition has it that the um deputy mayor has first crack at nomination.

3:41

Thank you, Mayor.

3:42

Um I would like to nominate Rahm and Barison to take over the helm.

3:49

We have a nomination for Rahman Barrison.

3:51

There's no requirement for a second, though people may second if they wish to honor him.

3:56

A second.

3:57

Okay, any other nominations for deputy mayor.

4:03

Seeing none, we can do this by acclamation.

4:05

All in favor of Rahm and Barrison for Deputy Mayor, say aye.

4:09

Aye.

4:10

Opposed say nay.

4:11

Motion is carried unanimously.

4:14

Uh Deputy Mayor Embarrison.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████29%
Personnel Matters██████████████14%
Zoning Regulations████████████12%
Community Engagement███████████11%
Public Engagement█████████9%
Public Safety█████5%
Animal Welfare█████5%
Tree Planting█████5%
Taxation████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Franklin Township Council Reorganization Meeting – January 3, 2023

The Franklin Township Council held its annual reorganization meeting on January 3, 2023, at 7:00 PM in the municipal complex council chambers. The meeting included the appointment of a Deputy Mayor, numerous professional appointments for 2023, adoption of ordinances, and setting of a town hall meeting on property assessment. All votes were unanimous unless noted.

Consent Calendar

  • Resolution #23-005 through #23-032 were adopted as a block, including designations of depositories, adoption of the cash management plan, fixing interest rates on delinquent taxes, appointment of Lucinda Belanger as Public Agency Compliance Officer, donation of 2022 Mayor's wedding fees ($2,500) to Second Chance for Animals Inc., award of professional services agreements for bond counsel, township attorney, tax appeal counsel, prosecutor, public defender, engineer, auditor, and various purchases and contracts.
  • The consent agenda was approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • During the public discussion period at the beginning of the meeting, no members of the public came forward to speak.
  • During the public hearing on Ordinance No. 4389-22 (tree replacement fees), two residents spoke:
    • Jan Brandt (22 Bryant Court) asked whether the ordinance would apply to site plans already in process but not yet approved. The Township Attorney responded that it would apply to those not approved as of the date the ordinance becomes final.
    • Debbie Stewart (Farrington Plaza) asked about the tree size threshold, clarifying that the ordinance does not change the size requirement (remains at 4 inches at shoulder height) but only increases the fee. She noted that the environmental commission had discussed lowering the threshold to 2.5 inches, but that is a separate matter.
  • No public comments were made on the other ordinances.

Discussion Items

  • Town Hall Meeting on Property Assessment: Council discussed setting a date for a town hall meeting to explain the property assessment process. Councilman Kramer proposed February 6, 2023, at 7:00 PM in the council chambers. Councilwoman Pruitt questioned whether tax cards would be available by then, but the mayor clarified the meeting is about the process, not individual assessments. The date was approved, and the meeting will be broadcast on FTTV.
  • Councilman Wright's Comments on Zoning Board Appointment: During the council discussion items, Councilman Wright expressed strong displeasure about a recent zoning board appointment (a member who had stated her only issue was stopping warehouses). He argued that board members should consider all aspects of the township's interests, not single issues. He stated that he voted for the appointment but wanted the public to be aware of the circumstances. The mayor noted that the appointment had already been made.

Key Outcomes

  • Deputy Mayor: Councilman Rahman Barrison was nominated and elected Deputy Mayor for 2023 by acclamation. He was absent, so the oath of office was not administered.
  • Professional Appointments: All appointments for 2023 were approved unanimously:
    • Township Attorney: Louis N. Rainone, Esq. (Rainone Coughlin Michello)
    • Tax Appeal Counsel: Gregory Pasquale, Esq. (Shain Schaffer Jalloh)
    • Bond Counsel: Everett M. Johnson, Esq. (Wilentz Attorneys at Law)
    • Township Auditor: Suplee, Clooney & Company (Robert Swisher)
    • Township Engineer: Robert Russo (CME Associates)
    • Municipal Court Judge: Sheila Ellington (3-year term)
    • Township Prosecutor: Norman W. Albert (Law Office of Norman W. Albert)
    • Associate Prosecutor: Mohammed Ezano (Jaru and Jell's Donat Law)
    • Alternate Prosecutor: Chirag D. Mehta (Law Offices of Chirag D. Mehta)
    • Public Defender: Dennis A. Auciello
    • PACO: Lucinda Belanger
  • Mayoral Appointments: Tiana Grissom was appointed as Mayor's designee to the Library Board of Trustees (1-year term), and Iris Kinslin was appointed as Trustee (5-year term). The mayor held his planning board appointment for later.
  • Advisory Board of Health: Christine Baffo was nominated and approved as a regular member for a three-year term.
  • Ordinances Adopted on Second Reading:
    • Ordinance No. 4388-22: Amending dog licensing late fees to a flat $5 fee.
    • Ordinance No. 4389-22: Increasing tree replacement contributions from $30 to $300.
    • Ordinance No. 4390-22: Establishing on-street handicapped parking at 248 Matilda Avenue.
    • Ordinance No. 4392-22: Accepting a conservation easement from the Franklin Township Board of Education for a water/septic line at 1 Central Avenue to support the new library satellite office, supported by a $1.2 million state grant.
  • Minutes: The minutes of the December 13, 2022, work session/regular meeting and executive session were approved with Mayor Kramer abstaining (not present) and Councilwoman Pruitt abstaining.
  • Warrants: Warrants totaling $8,200,221.70 for December 30, 2022, were approved.
  • Council Discussion: A town hall meeting on property assessment was scheduled for February 6, 2023, at 7:00 PM in the council chambers.

The meeting adjourned without executive session.

Meeting Transcript

This reorganization workshop work session regular remote meeting not remote in-person meeting of the township council is called to order. Madam Clerk. In accordance with the open public meeting act of the state of New Jersey, adequate notice of his reorganization work session regular meeting of the Franklin Township Council was made by the posting on the bulletin board in the municipal building posted on the township's website electronically transmitted to the officially designated newspapers indicating that this reorganization work session regular meeting would take place at the municipal complex council chambers at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2023. We could all stand for the Pledge of Legies. Pledge of allegiance, followed by an invocation by the Honorable Councilwoman Kimberly Francois. Pledge allegiance to the as we gather here today as members of the we pray that we are ever mindful of opportunities to render our service to fellow citizens and to our community. Exerting our efforts in those areas on those things upon which future generations can build with confidence. Councilman Embarrison. Councilwoman Francois present. Mayor Kramer? Here. Councilman Oni Jaka. Councilmember Pataznik? Present. Councilwoman Pruitt? Here. Councilwoman Udean. Councilman Vassanella? Here. Councilman Wright. We have no proclamations or commendations. We are now on item number six. Copies of the agenda are available by the clerk. Next item is public discussion. Do I have a motion to open to public discussion? Oh moved. Second. Moved and seconded. All in favor of opening for public discussion say aye. Aye aye. Opposed say nay. Motion carried. We're now open to the public. Five minutes, no yielding of time. They only come up once. People may speak about anything to do with government. The reason why I've always asked for the public discussion to be early on at this meeting is so that people can talk about appointments we're going to make if they have any objections to what's been but you can speak about anything you wish to wishing to speak, please. Seeing no one come up, Mayor, I'll motion to close the public portion of meeting. We have a second. I'll second that. Moved and seconded. All in favor of closing public portion say aye. Aye. Opposed say nay. Public portion is cop is closed. On to item number sec seven, appointment of the deputy mayor. Tradition has it that the um deputy mayor has first crack at nomination. Thank you, Mayor. Um I would like to nominate Rahm and Barison to take over the helm.

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