Taxes

It’s that time of year again; the curbside leaf collection program will begin Oct. 28 and run through Nov. 29. The leaf drop-off program started Oct. 21, and also runs through Nov. 29. Regardless of whether they are picked up or dropped off, the leaves must be placed in brown paper biodegradable bags with the Franklin Township logo imprinted, or …

The township’s efforts in shielding Gauguin Way residents from noise and other nuisances of Middlebush Park’s sports complex aren’t sitting well with at least one resident. The 70-acre park, accessible off of DeMott Lane, is home to the township’s Pop Warner football program. With 300 players, Franklin’s Pop Warner program is considered to be the largest in Central New Jersey. …

An ordinance that would continue the lease of township-owned land to the Franklin Township/South Bound Brook Little League was introduced at the Oct. 22 meeting. The five-year lease calls for an annual payment of $1 for the property at Hall Street and Madison Avenue. The lease would take effect in January 2014 and expire at the end of 2018. A …

A $311,000 contract for two dump trucks was approved at the Oct. 22 Township Council meeting. The contract is for two trucks with combination bodies and snow plows. Cambria Truck Center of Edison was the winning bidder. The deal includes a $20,000 trade-in.

Although Mayor Brian Levine wondered aloud whether the money could be better spent elsewhere, and at least one councilman was unsure of the contract’s term, the Township Council on Oct. 22 voted to spend $55,000 for software that is touted to allow police departments to “predict” where crime will occur. The idea’s champion on the council, Councilman Phil Kramer (Ward …

Mayor Brian Levine said Oct. 19 that he’s already been asked by a same-sex couple to perform their marriage. The wedding will occur next week at the municipal building, he said. “I was approached by a same-sex couple for the 24th, which is probably the first day you can do it after the three-day waiting period,” he said. The state …

Pressured by two months of lobbying and calls to organize, the Board of Education will take another look at a pay cut that has angered the district’s substitute teachers. School board president Julia Presley said at the Oct. 17 board meeting that the board’s personnel committee will review an earlier decision to cut the teachers’ per diem pay from as …

Seasonal agricultural signs would be allowed on township open space under a proposal approved by the open Space Advisory Committee. The committee at its Oct. 15 meeting voted to recommend that the Township Council amend the ordinance banning such signs to allow the temporary seasonal signs. Only the council can change ordinances. The proposal was added to the agenda at …

A proposal to limit smoking in the township’s larger parks – and ban it outright in the smaller ones – is on its way to the Township Council. The township Open Space Advisory Committee at its Oct. 15 meeting endorsed a proposal brought by Alice Osipowitz, director of parks and recreation, to create the smoke free zones. The council would …

Canal Road from Elm Street to Blackwell Mills Road will be closed to all but local traffic from Oct. 15 to Nov. 1, 2013, due to reconstruction work. Detours (Blackwell Mills Road, Van Cleef Road, Amwell Road) will be posted. [wpgmappity id=”4″]