Township Council

The effort by a group of township residents to recall Township Councilman Rajiv Prasad has begun. A “Notice of Intent to Recall,” the first step in the process, was filed with Township Clerk Ann Marie McCarthy on Sept. 18. McCarthy has three business days from then to validate the three signatures on the notice – Christina Ganzer, Ravikanth Kolla and …

Updated with comment from Deputy Mayor Robinson and statement from the Somerset County Democratic Committee. The chairman of the Somerset County Republican party Sept. 18 called on Deputy Mayor Shanel Robinson to release all of her emails concerning the “Peace and Nonviolence” monument park issue.

A Township Councilman on Sept. 13 called on an embattled colleague to “consider resigning” over his actions in furtherance of the proposed “Peace and Non-Violence” monument park. The comment came from Councilman Ted Chase (D-Ward 1) after members of the public had eviscerated the council in general, and Councilman Rajiv Prasad (D-At Large) in particular, for more than an hour …

For the 17th consecutive year, fire fighters and other first responders gathered at St. Matthias Church on Sept. 11 to honor their colleagues from around the country who were killed in the 2001 terrorist attacks. The service included a prayer and statement from St. Matthias’ Fr. Douglas Haefner, and the traditional reading of the names of first responders killed in …

Story is updated with OPRA’d emails.  

For the first time in 13 years, the township is putting up for sale a liquor license that would allow for another bar, restaurant or club in Franklin. Bidding on the plenary retail consumption license starts at $200,000.

The school district has an updated list of areas it considers too dangerous for children to walk to school.

The donor of statues targeted for a controversial “Peace and Nonviolence” monument park on township open space owns vacant land in the township that could be suitable for such a park. The land, two adjoining rectangular lots on Davidson Avenue, is primarily wetlands, but there are about 3 buildable acres at the front of the combined lots, facing Davidson.

The Township Council on Aug. 14 approved the idea of placing a “Peace and Nonviolence” monument park on township open space, but not before some testy exchanges and surprises, not the least of which was that council members would be voting on it at all. While it OK’d the idea of a monument park there, the council balked at approving …

Township Councilman Rajiv Prasad knew that construction of the four statues planned for a proposed “Peace and Nonviolence” monument park began months ago, even though the idea of placing the project on township open space has not yet received Township Council approval. Work on the statues was underway at least by early March, according to a review of Prasad’s and …