Franklin Township Council Meeting - May 27, 2025

The Franklin Township Council held a regular meeting on May 27, 2025, at 7:00 PM. The meeting included commendations, public comments on traffic, warehouse development, and the Hamilton Street Special Improvement District (SID) assessment, followed by council reports and votes on resolutions.

Commendations & Proclamations

• Franklin Township Stigma-Free Commendations: Recognized 12 young people for mental health advocacy. Saphia Callan (Special Projects Manager) and Phyllis Beals co-chair the Stigma-Free Council. Recipients included Rafik Tabunley, Siddharth Kutamula, and members of the "Smile with Braces" youth group from St. Matthias Church. The next Stigma-Free Council meeting is June 18.
• Thinai America Commendation: Councilman Carazi presented a commendation to members of Thinai America for organizing the first World Culture Day Dialogue and Development on May 10, 2025, at the Franklin Township Library, celebrating cultural diversity.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Walker (no address given): Suggested creating a community cultural language class, supplementing school offerings, to foster unity and understanding. Also asked about rent control regulations (later referred to the rent control code 267).
• Michael Bryan (40 Bryan Court): Expressed concern about truck traffic on Schoolhouse Road, questioned the boundaries of truck-restricted zones, the proposed new warehouse, signage size, and asked if the council would work with a Canal Walk HOA committee monitoring truck traffic. He also denied accusing the mayor of calling him and questioned why that was brought up at a prior meeting.
• Shirley Tallman (57 Tallman Lane): Criticized lack of follow-up from Manager and Mayor on traffic cameras and signs, demanded structural barriers to stop tractor trailers, and asked about the lawsuit on property near her home (money exchanged?). She also requested spare change for a baby bottle drive for mothers and children.
• Pastor Johnny Myers Sr. (2600 Road, Somerset): Asked how the Hamilton Street SID assessment would affect his church (nonprofit) and what he could do to help.
• Oliver (student, Claremont Elementary): Spoke in favor of promoting cultural diversity, noting Franklin is the second most diverse community in New Jersey with over 65 languages. He mentioned a school International Food Festival.
• Elenka Their (junior, Franklin High School): Urged education, representation, and open-mindedness to promote diversity, and praised existing courses like AP African American Studies. Asked for more curriculum additions.
• Skip Richards (14 Bryant Court): Complained that the B9 warehouse site was incorrectly zoned (ROL vs. BI) on the county website, and that Franklin did not exempt Schoolhouse Road from truck exceptions as it did on Weston Canal Road and Weston Road.
• Jan Brandt (22 Bryant Court): Noted that the Franklin Township website also shows incorrect zoning for block 514 lot 60. Citing the traffic study showing future level-of-service F at intersections, she questioned emergency response times, citing an 18-minute ambulance arrival at Canal Walk. She argued that local delivery exceptions undermine truck bans on Schoolhouse Road.
• John Baptist (858 Hamilton Street): Longtime business owner questioned the third SID assessment, citing minimal past improvements (cherry trees knocked down, benches, flags) and asked what the new funds would be used for, how much, and for how long. He criticized prior lack of notice.
• Squiglin Daubin (128 Cossett Street): Asked about impact on private homes (told assessment is zero) and raised concerns about cannabis dispensaries on Hamilton Street near children.
• Jagish Patel (921 Hamilton Street): Complained about spending $18,000–$20,000 in past assessments with little visible development, and opposed new assessment.
• Yatin Patel (653 & 645 Hamilton Street): First-time attendee, confused about the assessment letter for his commercial property ($71.94) and asked what it would fund.
• Javon Walker (15 Kuhn Street): Asked if the council could create an ordinance to prioritize assessments on cannabis dispensaries, and suggested attending advisory board meetings.

Discussion Items

• Manager Vornlocker addressed multiple issues:
  • Weight limits: Explained that all weight-restricted roads, including Schoolhouse Road, have an exemption for local deliveries/pickups per municipal ordinance 226-17. The restriction on Schoolhouse predates Canal Walk and warehouses.
  • Signage: Signs were improved at key intersections to direct trucks to routes like Randolph and Cottontail. Discussions with Somerset County about Amwell Road signage are ongoing.
  • Zoning: The B9 site (104 Schoolhouse Road) was zoned M2 light manufacturing since 1998, later consolidated into BI. He warned against relying on commercial websites like NJ Parcels.
  • Roundabout at Mettler’s and Weston Road: Engineer Darren Massey is nearing completion of an evaluation.
  • EMS response: Stated that response times vary due to many factors (number of available ambulances, time of day). The police response to the Canal Walk incident was quick. He noted that level-of-service F in the traffic study only applies to peak hours, not 24/7.
  • Cameras: Delayed due to PSE&G.
  • Hamilton Street SID: The last assessment was in 2014; this year’s total assessment is $34,268.34, with no assessment on residential properties. Funds go to marketing, events (Juneteenth, Halloween), and emergency preparedness. Since council took over, many improvements (sidewalks, trees, cameras) were funded through other sources (CDBG, Shade Tree Commission) to avoid taxing businesses.
• Council comments:
  • Councilman Wright spoke about Memorial Day parade, Juneteenth parade (June 14), and honoring colored troops.
  • Deputy Mayor Dean announced property tax relief event at Canal Walk (May 30), estate planning seminar (June 4), and new health fair series (bone density, anxiety workshop starting July).
  • Councilwoman Francois highlighted the youth center’s free drone program (six weeks, funded by a grant from Assemblyman Danielson).
  • Councilman Carazi reported on advanced manufacturing workforce training starting mid-July at the Board of Education campus, progress on YMCA, and upcoming cultural festivals.
  • Councilman Onichaka suggested a single cultural day for all communities and noted the African community makes up 20% of Franklin.
  • Mayor Kramer read letters from Franklin Park School fifth-graders about littering and stray animals, and said he drafted an ordinance regarding feeding strays.
  • Councilman Pataznik reminded about Franklin Pride (June 7) and library media conversion services.
• On cannabis dispensaries: Councilman Wright admitted to not capping earlier; currently 18 dispensaries. Manager reported $120,000 in cannabis tax revenue in 2023 and $400,000 in 2024. The state regulatory commission approved more than anticipated after many towns opted out. Councilman Francois noted the market is saturated and some may close.
• Hamilton Street SID discussion: Councilman Francois urged listening to complaints; Councilman Carazi encouraged residents to join the advisory board (vacancies exist). Mayor Kramer acknowledged that advance notice of the budget could be improved. The manager noted that meeting notices are sent by certified and regular mail and published in the newspaper. Residents can also subscribe to township website updates.

Key Outcomes

• Resolution #25-210: Adopted the CY2025 Hamilton Street Special Improvement District Assessment Roll. (Vote: unanimous aye)
• Consent Agenda (Resolutions #25-211 through #25-224): Adopted as a block with no items pulled. (Vote: unanimous aye) Items include authorizations for tax title lien redemptions, budget insertion (Van Cleef Bike Path), professional services agreements, state contracts for police sally port, portable radios, CAT equipment parts, repeater replacement, postage, performance guarantee releases, fireworks display, etc.
• Nomination of 250th Anniversary Committee Chair: Councilman Wright nominated Bob LeCourt as chair; approved by acclamation. The committee will plan celebrations for the nation’s 250th anniversary.
• Township Manager Report: Recycling collection delays due to Memorial Day; urge reliance on township website for zoning information, not commercial sites.