Township Council

TRANSGENDER DAY CEREMONY – Township Councilmember Ed Potosnak speaks during the Council’s recognition of Transgender Day of Visibility, which is March 31. The Township Council recognized March 31 as the Transgender Day of Visibility at the March 25 meeting with a proclamation. The proclamation said the day is “a day to honor the lived experiences of transgender individuals, acknowledge the …

EXPRESSING THANKS – Geetha Ponmudi, former president of New Jersey Tamil Sangam, thanks the Township Council for its commendation at the March 25 Council meeting. The New Jersey Tamil Sangam was formally thanked at the March 25 Township Council meeting for its donation of a bench to be installed by the cultural gazebo in the Municipal Complex. The New Jersey …

LEADING THE DISCUSSION – Mark Healey, the Township’s Principal Planner, at the March 26 Planning Board meeting,where a proposed Master Plan reexamination and BI Zone ordinance amendments were discussed. The Township cannot legally outright ban future warehouse development in Franklin, but officials hope actions that are planned for the next few months will give planners more control over where they …

Four candidates for Township Council ward seats have been endorsed by the Franklin Township Republican Municipal Committee. The candidates are Ward 1: Chris Lezny, Ward 2: Jan Brant, Ward 3: Sophia Georges, and Ward 4: Benjamin Guy III.

Township officials have a rough idea of how much money they would ideally need to keep Franklin running in 2025 – more than $72.4 million – and now they have to work out how that amount will be raised, or if it will be reduced. The Township Council wrapped up the second of two virtual budget hearings on March 18, …

FRANKLIN CONTINGENT – Sudhir Shah, Mahesh Muchhala, Deputy Mayor Shepa Uddin, state Assemblyman Joe Danielsen,Mayor Phil Kramer, Jan Brant, Eleanor Ogin, and Roz Sherman (left to right) after the Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee hearing on warehouse proliferation in the state. A contingent of Franklin residents – including Township officials – converged in Trenton on March 20 to offer …

TALKING CHICKENS – Township Councilmember Ed Potosnak discusses the proposed residential-area chicken regulations at the March 11 Council meeting. An ordinance governing the keeping of chickens in residential areas was introduced at the March 11 Township Council meeting. Councilmember Ed Potosnak (D-Ward 2), who introduced the ordinance, said chickens can serve several purposes, including being “great entertainment.”

SIGN CONTROVERSY – This sign in the front yard of a DeMott Lane home has sparked a response from Mayor Phil Kramer, Councilmember Ed Potosnak and state Assemblyman Joe Danielsen. A DeMott Lane resident is once again causing controversy with a sign placed on his front yard. The sign pictures a small boy under the large text: “Boys have a …

VIRTUAL HEARING – The Township Council held its first virtual budget hearing for the 2025 spending pan on March 10. The first of two municipal budget hearings was held virtually March 10 by the Township Council. During the hearings, the Township’s various department heads appear to present their proposed 2025 budgets. Council members are given the chance to question the …

NEW FTPD OFFICERS – Capt. Brandon Domotor and Captain Vincent Wilson, left to right, are ceremonially sworn into their new positions while Public Safety Director Quovella Maeweather holds the Bible at the February 25 Township Council meeting. Seven Franklin Township Police patrol officers were ceremonially sworn in and eight FTPD senior officers were promoted at the February 25 Township Council …