Township Council

A New Brunswick attorney who is under a state ethics investigation for comments he made to a defendant while serving as Franklin Township’s presiding Municipal Court judge was not reappointed to that position at the January 6 Township Council reorganization. The Council chose to not reappoint Hector Rodriguez, who had served as the Municipal Court presiding judge since 2014. Instead, …

Township Councilman Charles Onyejiaka, right, is given the Oath of Office for Deputy Mayor by state Assemblyman Joe Danielsen at the Jan. 6 Council reorganization meeting. Township Councilman Charles Onyejiaka made history January 6 when he became the first West African to be voted in as Deputy Mayor. Onyejiaka (D-Ward 3), has been a member of the Council since 2016, …

Township Councilman Rajiv Prasad was feted for his 13 years on the Council Dec. 10 by the same Council members who voted to censure him a year earlier. The Township Council chamber was awash in love for Councilman Rajiv Prasad on December 10 as friends and Council colleagues honored him for his 13 years on the governing body. Prasad decided …

Township Manager Robert Vornlocker said he and township attorney Lou Rainone are reviewing information on the FTPD’s use of “union time” paid leave to see if any of it was granted inappropriately. In the wake of allegations of “substantial mismanagement” by the township police department’s former top brass, officials are determining which FTPD officers may have inappropriately used a benefit …

Township Manager Robert Vornlocker discusses the ordinance amendment that would create a Public Safety Director’s position overseeing the police department. An ordinance amendment that would replace the Franklin Township Police Chief’s position with a Public Safety Director was unanimously introduced at the July 9 Township Council meeting. The change comes at a time when the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office has …

The heads of the two unions representing township police officers say they were blindsided by the Township Council’s move to eliminate the Police Chief and Deputy Chief positions in favor of a Public Safety Director. The two union presidents say their members would prefer the department stay under a Chief/Deputy Chief command structure. The Council is expected to introduce an …

Township Manager Robert Vornlocker would appoint and supervise the Public Safety Director. (File photo.) An ordinance amendment that would replace the Chief and Deputy Chief of Police with a Public Safety Director is expected to be introduced at the July 9 Township Council meeting. The ordinance amendment would also increase the number of Captains in the department from one to …

Township Councilwoman Kimberly Francois led the effort in the ordinance amendment. An ordinance amendment that would allow the Township Council to remove some board and commission members “for cause” was introduced at the May 28 Council meeting. The amendment would give Council members more leeway in removing board and commission members than they now have. Currently, a member of a …

Zoning ordinance modifications that tweaked a few spots in the township were further tweaked before they were adopted at the April 9 Township Council meeting. The changes – affecting properties outside the Canal Walk development, at the intersection of Mettlers and Weston Canal roads and some properties on roads off DeMott Lane – were meant to fix anomalies that did …

The Franklin High School Lady Warriors basketball team’s victory tour continued April 9 with a commendation by the Township Council. The Lady Warriors posted an historic season, going 34-0 – the best single-season record in state basketball history –  and winning the state Tournament of Champions for the second time in three years. According to the commendation, the team “is …