Among the goods and services purchased were: $36,700 for shade trees for Middlebush Park from Northern Nurseries of Somerset. The cost is for the trees only, the township’s Department of Public Works will plant them. $73,742.58 for two 2017 10-foot Stainless Steel Dump Bodies, $36,871.29 each. The bodies will be installed on: Two 2018 Model SD 108 Freightliner Cab and …
Read More »Coming Soon To Airwaves: Township Emergency AM Radio Station
A $73,000 contract to create an AM radio station for the township was awarded to a Michigan-based company by the Township Council. The station – the frequency of which has not yet been determined – is mainly envisioned to serve as a way to reach township residents with important information during emergencies, especially during widespread power outages, Mayor Phil Kramer …
Read More »Township Council Approves $242,000 In CDBG Grants
More than $240,000 in Community Development Block Grant applications were approved Aug. 8 by the Township Council. CDBG grants, as they are known, originate at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and are used to help communities “address a wide range of unique community development needs,” according to the program’s web site. According to Deborah Mitchell, the township’s …
Read More »Claremont Road School Construction Irks Neighbors
Construction workers at the Claremont Road School site are ruffling the feathers of some of their neighbors. Two Marion Avenue residents appeared at the July 27 Board of Education meeting to ask the board members’ help with some issues with the workers. The residents were introduced by Lakeside Avenue resident Daryl Kipnis, an attorney who is challenging state Sen. Robert …
Read More »Queens Bridge Repair Schedule ‘Not Yet Determined’
Despite announcements released by Bound Brook officials, a final schedule for the repair work to the Queens Bridge has not yet been determined, according to a state spokesman. The bridge, which connects South Bound Brook and Bound Brook, is scheduled for “high priority structural repairs,” according to an announcement from Bound Brook. The announcement also said that work would begin …
Read More »Township Council Green-Lights Final Planning Of Catalpa Park
Catalpa Park could be open by the fall of 2018, now that the Township Council has green-lighted the final concept plan. The park’s two cricket pitches – the source of much of the controversy over the park during the past three years – should be ready for play by the spring of 2019, according to one of the engineers planning …
Read More »UPDATED: Officials: Somerset County YMCA Board Approves Of Site In Township, Could Be Consolata Property
Update: Franklin Township is one of three towns in Somerset County identified as possible branch sites, Somerset County YMCA David Carcieri said in an email. Carcieri declined to name the other two, but wrote that “the interest and enthusiasm of Franklin township officials, and the community, have been the catalyst for advancing this opportunity.” “Franklin was identified primarily based on …
Read More »Get Ready For The Mess; South Middlebush Road To Be Closed For Three Months
A three-month bridge replacement project – slated to start June 28 – is expected to cause massive delays along South Middlebush Road and surrounding roads. Come mid-September, according to the plan, the $745,000 project will result in a brand-new, wider bridge, according to documents on file with the Somerset County Public Works Department. During the construction, South Middlebush Road will …
Read More »Ari Drive Chain Brings Residents To Township Council
The chaining off of Ari Drive at Julie Court was once again a hot topic during a Township Council meeting. Most of the residents of streets affected by the chains who showed up at the May 30 council meeting praised the decision, but there were some who opposed it. The council on Feb. 14 voted to install the chain in …
Read More »Schools Superintendent Gets New Contract, Salary Increase, In Line With State Regs
A new 5-year contract for the schools Superintendent was approved May 25 by the Board of Education. The $196,584 contract ups schools Superintendent John Ravally’s salary by nearly $20,000, and comes just two years into his original 5-year term. The move was made to bring Ravally’s salary in line with updated state regulations concerning schools superintendents’ compensation, school board president …
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