Shanel Robinson is sworn in as the 2018 Deputy Mayor at the Township Council reorganization meeting.

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: