Township hair salons, beauty parlors, and banquet facilities are among the businesses that were required to shut down as of 8 p.m. March 16 after the township declared a state of emergency.

The shutdown order comes from the township Office of Emergency Management in the wake of new Statewide restrictions to deal with the growing coronavirus pandemic announced earlier by Gov. Phil Murphy.

“All banquet and meeting facilities, Hotel banquet and meeting facilities, child day care centers, adult day care centers, barber shops, hair salons, State licensed cosmetology establishments, massage establishments, camps, indoor recreational facilities, public theaters, and performance halls shall be closed at all times until further notice,” the order reads.

The power to enact the restrictions comes from a state-issued Emergency Disaster Declaration, according to a statement on the township’s web site.

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The Governor’s order requires all bars and restaurants in the state to close for in-house dining, and closes all gyms, theaters and casinos.

“The Township strongly encourages businesses not mentioned in the emergency declaration to proactively follow guidelines set forth by the CDC, including social distancing, and continual cleaning and sanitation of facilities,” the announcement reads.

“To minimize exposure for municipal employees, and to ensure continuity of municipal services, all municipal buildings, with exception of the Public Safety Lobby, will be closed to the public,” according to the announcement. “All Municipal Offices will be working with minimum staff levels with the remainder of employees working remotely. All township business must be conducted via telephone, email, fax, mail, or the township website. https:\\franklintwpnj.org. Please note there will be a delay in response during this time-frame.”

According to the statement:

The following procedures for Municipal services shall be in effect until further notice. 

Police

The Police Records Bureau will be closed to the public.  A minimum of staff members will be available to process requests for reports.   Members of the public who need to obtain accident reports can do so online at https://policereports.lexisnexis.com//search/.   If you are unable to obtain your crash report in this manner or have additional questions regarding other types of reports you can call 732-873-5533 ext 1020 and leave a message and you will be contacted at a later date by a staff member.

The pickup of firearms ID Cards and permits to purchase handguns will be done by appointment only.  If you have been notified that your Firearms Permits are ready for pickup please contact our Firearms Unit at 732-873-5533 ext 2036.   IF you have not been notified that your permits are ready, additional instructions will be sent to you via email when your application has been processed.

Water Bills

Water bills may be paid via mail, online or be deposited in the drop box in front of the Public Safety building located at 495 DeMott Lane. No personal payments will be accepted at this time.

Construction Code Office

No new applications for permits shall be accepted unless they are sent via mail. Inspections of occupied residential units is suspended until further notice.

Court

All court sessions for the month of March have been cancelled. If you had a schedule court date for March, you will receive a court notice with the rescheduled date. The violation window will be closed through March 31^st.

Payments can be made online at Njmcdirect.com.

To file a complaint please call (732) 873-7285to schedule an appointment, staff will be available by phone Monday – Friday 8:30AM – 4:00PM

Fire Prevention

The Franklin Township Fire Prevention Department is temporarily suspending all CSACMAPFEC inspections and modifying the procedure for obtaining a Certificate of Smoke Alarm, Carbon Monoxide Alarm and Portable Fire Extinguisher Compliance (CSACMAPFEC) required under N.J.A.C 5:70-2.3(a).

We are providing the sellers of 1 and 2-Family dwellings with two options:

• Option 1 is the Seller can postpone their closing to a later date
• Option 2  is the seller and buyer can agree to complete an Affidavit and have the inspection done at a later date after the closing.
• Sellers should contact Fire Prevention at 732-873-2500 ext. 6303 or email FireMarshal@franklinnj.gov.

Social Services

Ensuring you receive your benefits during this ongoing coronavirus concern is a top priority, so in an effort to make it easier for you to apply or receive your benefits, a number of temporary changes have been put in place regarding social services that are administered here at the (FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP COMMUNITY RESOURCE & SERVICES at 935 Hamilton Street, Somerset, NJ 08873)

We are encouraging county residents who want to apply for SNAP food assistance, or cash assistance under the Work First New Jersey program to do so online at NJHelps.org.  During this public health crisis, we can do interviews by phone, so you do not need to come into the office to apply for benefits.

Work First New Jersey cash assistance clients who are due for their case to be reviewed in March or April automatically will get a 60-day extension.  You do not need to come into the office. 

If you are a SNAP food assistance or a Work First New Jersey cash assistance client, you are not required to attend your work activity, unless you want to and the program is operating. This includes people who are applying for Work First New Jersey General Assistance and are in a work activity for 28 days while their application is being reviewed.  No penalty will be assessed to you if you do not attend your work activity.  

When you need to bring paperwork to the office, you can fax at 732-873-5798, or mail to:  935 Hamilton Street, Somerset, NJ 08873. 

We understand that these restrictions and reductions in municipal services are inconvenient and do impact our resident’s lives.  We ask for your patience and understanding while we work through this difficult time together.