The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Winners of the November 2018 Township Council election were sworn in Jan. 1 at the annual reorganization meeting.
Newest council member William Galtieri (D-Ward 2) was sworn in, as were returning council members Ted Chase (D-Ward 1), Charles Onyejiaka (D-Ward 3), Carl R.A. Wright (D-Ward 4) and James Vassanella (D-Ward 5).
Councilwoman Shanel Robinson (D-At Large), was voted by her colleagues as Deputy Mayor.
Also sworn in were returning township attorney Louis Rainone and Bernice Jalloh, who was reappointed a township prosecutor along with Erika Inocencio. Also reappointed was Dennis A. Auciello as township public defender.
Among the dignitaries who spoke were state Assemblyman Joe Danielsen (D-17), Somerset County Freeholder and former township Mayor Brian Levine, newly-elected Somerset County Clerk Steve Peter and former township councilman and now BPU Commissioner Upendra Chivukula.
The Franklin Reporter live-streamed the reorganization meeting:
https://www.facebook.com/franklinreporter/videos/1374974509280924/
The council made the following reappointments to boards and committees:
Advisory Board of Health:
- Shirin Poustchi & Charlotte Shipley as Regular Members to the Advisory Board of Health, each for a three-year term ending December 31, 2020.
- Linda Powell as Alternate No. 2 Member to the Advisory Board of Health for a two-year term ending December 31, 2019.
Advisory Recreation Council:
- William Gallagher, Nancy Sayre, Towanda May-Butts & Venkateshan Pundi as Regular Members to the Advisory Recreation Council, each for a three-year term ending December 31, 2020.
Agricultural Advisory Committee:
- Robert Puskas, Albert Puchalek, Frank Hasner & Cathy Lynn Blumig as Regular Members to the Agricultural Advisory Committee, each for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
Board of Adjustment:
- Robert Shepherd as Regular Member to the Board of Adjustment for a four-year term ending December 31, 2021.
- Anthony Caldwell as Alternate #1 and Cheryl Bergailo as Alternate #4 to the Board of Adjustment, each for a two-year term ending December 31, 2019.
Cable TV Advisory Committee:
- Jerry E. George & Kirkman Frost as Regular Members to the Cable TV Advisory Committee, each for a two-year term ending December 31, 2019.
Clean Communities Committee:
- Michele Samarya-Timm, Emily Amon, Carl Hauck & Thomas Zilinik as Regular Members to the Clean Communities Committee, each for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
Cultural Arts Council:
- Michael Steinbruck & Zachary Lichtman as Steering Committee Members to the Cultural Arts Council, each for a three-year term ending December 31, 2020.
Environmental Commission:
- Walter Andrews as the Chairman of the Environmental Commission for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Jenny-Ann Kershner as a Regular Member to the Environmental Commission for a three-year term ending December 31, 2020.
- John Clyde as Alternate No. 2 Member to the Environmental Commission for a two-year term ending December 31, 2019.
Hamilton Street Advisory Board:
- Dean Adi as SID Property Owner Member to the Hamilton Street Advisory Board for a three-year term ending December 31, 2020.
- Patrick Gianotto as SID Business/Property Owner Member to the Hamilton Street Advisory Board for a three-year term ending December 31, 2020.
- John Okoye as SID 100% Residential Owner Member to the Hamilton Street Advisory Board for a three-year term ending December 31, 2020.
- Jamie Yeh as At-Large Member to the Hamilton Street Advisory Board for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
Historic Preservation Advisory Commission:
- Andrew Burian as Class A Member to the Historic Preservation Advisory Commission for a four-year term ending December 31, 2021.
- Nancy Hohnstine as Class C Alternate No.1 Member to the Historic Preservation Advisory Commission for a two-year term ending December 31, 2019.
Housing Authority:
- Ike Agudosi as a Regular Member to the Housing Authority for a five-year term ending February 8, 2023.
Human Relations Commission:
- Thomas F. DiGanci, Edna Arguello Hitchner, Alex Kharazi, Nora Q. Catiis, Willie B. Goods & John Tibbs as Regular Members to the Human Relations Commission, each for a three-year term ending December 31, 2020.
Joint Advisory Committee/Kingston:
- Catherine Pavelec as a Franklin Member to the Joint Advisory Committee/Kingston for a three-year term ending December 31, 2020.
Local Energy Team:
- Thomas Zilinek (Township Engineer) & Carl Hauck (DPW Manager) Members to the Local Energy Team, each for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
Municipal Wastewater Management Planning Committee:
- Soulmaz Khojasteh (Sewerage Authority Director), Thomas Zilinek (Township Engineer), Theodore Chase (Planning Board Member) & Mark Healey (Planning Director) Members to the Municipal Wastewater Management Planning Committee, each for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
Open Space Advisory Committee:
- Robert Puskas as the Agricultural Advisory Committee Member to the Open Space Advisory Committee for a term concurrent with his Agricultural Advisory Committee Member.
- William Connell & Jack Connolly as Citizen Members to the Open Space Advisory Committee, each for a three-year term ending December 31, 2020.
Planning Board:
- Michael Orsino & Robert Thomas as Class IV Members to the Planning Board, each for a four-year term ending December 31, 2021.
- Jennifer Rangnow as Alternate No. 1 Member to the Planning Board for a two-year term ending December 31, 2019.
Redevelopment Agency:
- Michael Gianotto & Nina Jordan as a Citizen Member to the Redevelopment Agency, each for a five-year term ending December 31, 2022.
Senior Citizen Advisory Committee:
- Constance Pizzaro as the Non-Senior Citizen Member to the Senior Citizen Advisory Committee for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
Somerset County Solid Waste Advisory Committee:
- Thomas Zilinek (Township Engineer) & Carl Hauck (DPW Manager) as Franklin Township Members to the Somerset County Solid Waste Advisory Committee, each for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Committee:
- Jan ten Broeke as the Franklin Township Representative to the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Committee for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
Sustainable Jersey Municipal Certification Program (Green Team):
The following are appointed to the Sustainable Jersey Municipal Certification Program (Green Team), each for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018:
- Walter Andrews, Environmental Commission Chair
- Mary Healey, Planning Director
- Cecile MacIvor, Environmental Commission Member
- Paul Walitsky, Environmental Commission Member
- Carl Hauck, DPW Manager
- Sara Malone, Shade Tree Commission Chair
- Michael Burke, Colgate-Palmolive Company Representative
- Constance Coriell, FTPS Energy Efficiency Coordinator
- Robert Vornlocker, Township Manager
Trails Advisory Committee:
- Jack Connolly as the Open Space Advisory Committee Member to the Trails Advisory Committee for a term concurrent with his Open Space Advisory Committee term.
The Council also made the following appointments to board and commission seats that were vacant:
Advisory Recreation Council:
- Govind Seshadri as a Regular Member to the Advisory Recreation Council for a three-year term ending December 31, 2020.
Agricultural Advisory Committee:
- Craig Feibel as a Regular Member to the Agricultural Advisory Committee for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
Cultural Arts Council:
- John Felix as a Steering Committee Member to the Cultural Arts Council for a three-year term ending December 31, 2020.
- Tanya Haslon as a Steering Committee Member to the Cultural Arts Council for an unexpired three-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Lisa Brown as a Steering Committee Member to the Cultural Arts Council for an unexpired three-year term ending December 31, 2019.
Hamilton Street Advisory Board:
- Wayne Gordon as SID Property Owner Member to the Hamilton Street Advisory Board for an unexpired three-year term ending December 31, 2019.
Sewerage Authority:
- Ben Jalloh as a Regular Member to the Sewerage Authority for an unexpired five-year term ending January 31, 2021.
- Surendra Tiwari as a Regular Member to the Sewerage Authority for a five-year term ending January 31, 2023.
- Bryana DeVegut as Alternate No. 1 to the Sewerage Authority for an unexpired five-year term ending January 31, 2021.
- Ram Anbarasan as Alternate No. 2 to the Sewerage Authority for an unexpired five-year term ending January 31, 2022.
Sustainable Jersey Certification Program (Green Team):
- Saffie Kallon as Special Projects Manager & Tara Kenyon as Land Consultant Members to the Sustainable Jersey Certification Program (Green Team) for one-year ending December 31, 2018.
The Council creates standing committees, comprised of council members. The committees and members for 2018 are:
- Administration: Kimberly Francois/Rajiv Prasad/William Galtieri/Charles Onyejiaka
- Financial Oversight: Shanel Robinson/Phillip Kramer/Kimberly Francois/Theodore Chase
- Public Safety: Shanel Robinson/William Galtieri/James Vassanella/Phillip Kramer
- Land Use, Open Space, Parks & Recreation: Theodore Chase/Carl Wright/Rajiv Prasad/James Vassanella
- Public Works: Theodore Chase/Charles Onyejiaka/Carl Wright/James Vassanella
- Economic Development: Phillip Kramer/Theodore Chase/James Vassanella/Kimberly Francois
The Council also appointed the following liaisons to various board, commissions and committees:
- Phillip Kramer as Advisory Board of Health Council Liaison for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Carl Wright as Advisory Recreation Council Liaison for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Theodore Chase as Agricultural Advisory Committee Council Liaison for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Carl Wright, Kimberly Francois, Shanel Robinson, Phillip Kramer as Council Members to the Board of Education Joint Subcommittee, each for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Phillip Kramer as Board of Education Council Liaison for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Charles Onyejiaka as Cable Television Advisory Committee Council Liaison for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- James Vassanella as Representative to the Central Jersey Housing Resource Center for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- James Vassanella & Kimberly Francois as Community Foundation Council Members, each for a two-year term ending December 31, 2019.
- Phillip Kramer as Community Foundation Council Member for an unexpired two-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- James Vassanella & Charles Onyejiaka as Emergency Life Support Committee Council Representatives, each for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Theodore Chase as Environmental Commission Council Liaison for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
Shanel Robinson as Fire Chief’s Association Council Liaison for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Phillip Kramer as Fire Prevention Board Council Liaison Alternate and Shanel Robinson as Fire Prevention Board Council Liaison Regular, each for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Kimberly Francois, James Vassanella, Carl Wright & Shanel Robinson as Hamilton Street Advisory Board Council Representatives, each for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Theodore Chase as Historic Preservation Commission Council Liaison for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Carl Wright as Housing Authority Council Liaison for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Rajiv Prasad as Human Relations Commission Council Liaison for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Kimberly Francois, Phillip Kramer & Shanel Robinson as IT Steering Committee Council Liaisons each for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Theodore Chase as Joint Advisory Committee/Village of Kingston Franklin Township Council Liaison for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Theodore Chase as Local Energy Team Council Liaison for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- William Galtieri as Municipal Wastewater Management Planning Committee Council Liaison for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Theodore Chase as Open Space Advisory Committee Council Liaison for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Theodore Chase as Planning Board Class III Member for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- William Galtieri as Raritan & Millstone Rivers Flood Control Commission Alternate for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Kimberly Francois & Carl Wright as Redevelopment Agency Council Representatives, each for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Carl Wright as Rent Leveling Board Council Liaison for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Charles Onyejiaka as Sewerage Authority Council Liaison for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Kimberly Francois & Brian Levine as Somerset Community Action Program Board of Trustees (Elected Official Members), each for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Theodore Chase as Sustainable Jersey Municipal Certification Program (Green Team) Council Representative for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Phillip Kramer as Trails Advisory Committee Council Liaison for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
- Kimberly Francois & Shanel Robinson as Youth Services Commission/Alliance Against Drug Abuse Council Liaison, each for a one-year term ending December 31, 2018.
Here are some scenes from the day:
