Franklin Township Council Meeting - August 13, 2024
Franklin Township Council Meeting - August 13, 2024
The Township Council of Franklin, Somerset County, New Jersey, met on August 13, 2024, with Deputy Mayor Petaznik presiding in the absence of Mayor Kramer. The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation by Councilman Charles Onyejiaka. The Council issued a community award, heard public comment, approved warrants, introduced one parking ordinance, passed a large consent agenda, and made appointments to two boards. No minutes were submitted for approval, and no second-reading ordinances or executive session were on the agenda.
Commendations & Proclamations
- The Council recognized the Franklin Woman's Club, Rutgers Environmental Stewards, and Rutgers Master Gardeners of Somerset County for receiving the New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs' Best Community Improvement Program Award. Their project created a model pollinator garden next to the township gazebo, plus educational signage, to address pollinator habitat loss. Recipients thanked the Council and noted the addition of a water spigot and use of a rain barrel at the garden.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Mrs. Peterson of 12 Lake Avenue, Somerset, asked the Township to enforce ordinances against a neighboring property at 10 Lake Avenue. She cited unkempt junk, partial mowing, bamboo, lack of garbage disposal causing odor, idling trucks, noise, and late-night traffic, and raised concerns that idling trucks over pipeline routes could damage underground infrastructure.
- Phyllis Beals of 6 Alma Court, Somerset, announced a Hope and Healing Overdose Awareness Vigil on Wednesday, August 28, at 6:30 p.m. at the gazebo, with the council chambers as the rain location. She said it was organized with Central Jersey Family Health Consortium's Perinatal Addiction Prevention Project, Empower Somerset, Stigma Free Franklin, the Mayor's Wellness Campaign, and Community and Connection. Speakers would include a mother who lost an adult son to overdose, a person in recovery, and a county representative.
- Benjamin Guy of 35 Patent Drive announced the Week of the People annual back-to-school event on August 17, 2-5 p.m. at Naaman Williams Park. He suggested classifying Hamilton Street as a Main Street to unlock state and county resources, forming an association of cannabis dispensaries to provide awareness training and regulate the industry as sales tax revenue begins in 2025, and addressing local public housing needs for seniors and new immigrants.
- Maryam and Amina Gouray of 1483 Lincoln Highway, who are opening a dispensary, asked the Township for guidance on community education. They distributed a survey and said their planned dispensary would focus on educating the community about cannabis, including potential uses for anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
- Council and staff responses included: police should receive after-hours violation reports; health and zoning investigations at the cited property were already open; bamboo is covered by a Township ordinance; the Municipal Alliance against Alcohol and Drug Abuse could be a partner for cannabis education, though its emphasis is preventing substance use by minors; cannabis is legal and the number of dispensaries is a free-market matter; and housing prices are largely set by the market, while Township tools include housing rehabilitation.
Council Comments & Reports
- Councilman Vasanella congratulated the award recipients, noted the Franklin Food Bank's outdoor benefit concert on September 7 from 2 to 10 p.m. on Butler Road, described a recent public works meeting on road projects, and reminded residents to be careful as school resumes.
- Councilwoman Francois noted a Franklin High School connection to the Olympic gold medalist, and promoted the Franklin Youth Center's Ready, Set, School event on Saturday, September 7, 3-6 p.m., with free school supplies and program information.
- Councilman Ambarrison reported on sewerage authority, historic preservation commission, and planning board meetings; said the planning board rejected one substitution application and asked another applicant to return; and mentioned an Imam Husain Day event and a cricket demonstration by India's blind cricket team.
- Councilman Onyejiaka wished residents a safe Labor Day and said he would attend the Democratic National Convention as a delegate.
Township Manager's Report
- The Citizen Police Academy will run from September 4 to November 20, Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at the Community Relations Building, 935 Hamilton Street, for residents 18 and older; applications are online.
- Third-quarter property tax bills have been mailed, and the grace period has been extended to September 10, 2024.
- The tennis and pickleball courts at Inman Park have been closed because of safety issues and will be reconstructed in spring 2025. In the interim, Franklin High School's recently resurfaced courts are available to residents daily during the summer and on weekends during the school year, providing three tennis courts and six pickleball courts.
Warrants
- The Council approved warrants totaling $11,825,077.86, as presented on August 13, 2024, by a unanimous roll-call vote.
Ordinances on Introduction & First Reading
- Ordinance No. 4449-24 was introduced to amend Section 226-13 of Chapter 226, Vehicles and Traffic, to add Oakbrook Place to streets with parking prohibited at all times. A councilmember explained the restriction was needed so the sewage authority can access a facility 24/7 for public safety. The public hearing and final adoption were scheduled for September 10, 2024, at 7 p.m.
Consent Agenda
- The Council approved Resolutions #24-263 through #24-303 in one consent agenda. Items included bid awards for auto body repair, with Nappa Investments LLC d/b/a Dayton Collision, up to $100,000 per year; recreation and enrichment programs, with various vendors, up to $400,000; water system emergency repair services, with Conquest Construction, up to $350,000 per year; Rogers Area resurfacing, with DLS Contracting, at $900,312.25; New Brunswick Road resurfacing, with CCM Contracting, at $651,212.36; appraisal services; equipment purchases including a trailer, portable radios, and four Ford Police Interceptor utility vehicles; final change orders for Crown Road resurfacing and the Route 518 Pump Station upgrade; tax title lien redemptions; refunds; release of performance guarantees; ADP payroll services; revised Fire District Nos. 1-4 tax rates; a stormwater detention facility maintenance agreement; consent to a water quality management plan amendment; support for a proposed 0.14-acre diversion of preserved open space at Castleton Park; special event permits; fireworks at The Palace at Somerset Park; CDBG housing rehabilitation change orders; a liquor license place-to-place transfer; water charge hardship adjustments; out-of-state training for the IT Director; and open-space appraisal services.
Old Business: Appointments to Boards, Committees & Commissions
- On a motion by Councilwoman Francois, the Council appointed Jennifer Gomez Hernandez, Sheena Britton, Joshua Duncan, Jamie Morales, Phyllis Beals, and Joel Pays to the Municipal Alliance and Youth Services Commission. The motion passed unanimously, and the meeting adjourned.
Key Outcomes
- Award presented to the Franklin Woman's Club, Rutgers Environmental Stewards, and Rutgers Master Gardeners.
- $11,825,077.86 in warrants approved.
- Ordinance No. 4449-24 introduced on first reading; public hearing set for September 10, 2024.
- All consent agenda resolutions approved.
- Appointments made to the Municipal Alliance and Youth Services Commission.
- Inman Park tennis and pickleball courts will remain closed until reconstruction in spring 2025, with Franklin High School courts offered as an interim option.
- No minutes, no second-reading ordinances, and no executive session were on the agenda.
Meeting Transcript
He may not know that he was doing that, so we'll give him a second. If there's to be peace in the world, there must be peace in the nations. If there is to be peace in the nations, there must be peace in the cities. If there's to be peace in the cities, there must be peace between neighbors. If there's to be peace between neighbors, there must be peace in the home. If there's to be peace in the home, there must be peace in the heart. Amen. So just take one a little bit hard, Jeremy. Okay. Councilman Embarrasson. Yeah. Councilwoman Francois. Councilman Carrazi. Mayor Kramer. Councilman Oni Jaka. Yeah. Deputy Mayor Petaznik. Present. Councilwoman Udine. Councilman Vasanella. Yes, here. Councilman Wright. And the mayor is at another meeting right now, so I'll be uh continuing through. The first item on the agenda is commendations and proclamations. So I can invite the Franklin Women's Club and Master Gardeners for the best community improvement program to come forward and I'll read the resolution and give you guys a chance to share some words about your great work you're doing. No. There we go. There's two of them there. Take one of them. Oh, that's a good idea. We're gonna need it for the finding show. Okay, back to business here. Whereas the Franklin Women's Club, a dedicated member of the New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs, has been steadfast in its commitment to community service empowerment and improvement, embodying the Federation's mission of enhancing the lives of others through volunteerism, and whereas the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Somerset County and the Rutgers Environmental Stewards are dedicated, our dedicated group of trained volunteers who work under the auspices of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension to provide research-based horticultural knowledge and best practices to the local community, and whereas the Franklin Women's Club, the Rutgers Environmental Stewards and the Master Gardeners, have undertaken an exceptional community improvement program that has significantly impacted the Franklin community, addressing the threats to pollinators due to habitat loss, increased chemical use, among other factors, and harmful consequences of large-scale pollinator loss. And whereas this program, through the innovative approach, strategic partnerships, and tireless efforts of volunteers, has resulted in a Model Pollator Garden adjacent to the township cazebo, and educational signage for the benefit of our environmental for our environment and the education of residents in Franklin. And whereas the Franklin Women's Club, along with the Rutgers Master Gardeners, have been recognized by the New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs as the recipient of the best community improvement program award. An honor that reflects their outstanding dedication, leadership, and ability to inspire and uplift the community it serves. Now, therefore, be it comp proclaimed by me, the deputy mayor and mayor and council of the township of Franklin, the County of Somerset, and the state of New Jersey, hereby congratulates and commends the Franklin Women's Clubs, the Rutgers Environmental Stewards, and the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Somerset County for the positive impact they have made here in Franklin for our community and setting a standard of excellence in a community improvement programs across the state. So congratulations to you. And I will just mention too, the last time I saw Phyllis, you were actually gardening at the gazebo. Um and if you hadn't had a chance to look at the uh gazebo and the plantings that are there, they're specifically designed to be attractive to our pollinators. Without pollinators, we don't have food. And I can tell you that because I have two cherry trees. We do have a rain barrel, uh, which we are using, but the addition of that uh water spigot's been really helpful. So uh thanks to everyone and uh Lauren is uh Randolph is an amazing uh Rutgers environmental steward and master gardener, and she and her team and including intern were really instrumental in the design of the part that is the pollinator garden. Thank you. The next item on the agenda is public discussion. Is there a motion and a second to open to the public on any topic for five minutes? Second. Moved by Councilman Francois, and seconded by Councilman Vassanella. All those in favor say aye.
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