Taxes at Work

DELAYED OPENING – The Franklin Park branch of the Franklin Township Library is now scheduled to be open by the end of April or beginning of May. (File photo.) A delay in the delivery of an electrical panel has delayed the opening of the new Franklin Park branch of the Franklin Township Library. The new branch, located at 64 Clover …

RISING WATER … RATES – Mayor Phil Kramer said increases in what the Township pays for water forced its hand in raising rates to township customers. An ordinance amendment that calls for a 15 percent increase in water rates was introduced on first reading at the March 14 Township Council meeting. The hike would be the first such increase in …

WORK UNDERWAY – This was the scene on February 21 in the Township Council chamber. Chairs were removed and existing carpeting taken up in preparation for the installation of new carpet. The replacement of the carpeting in the Township Council Chamber in the Municipal Building should be completed by the Council’s February 28 meeting, the Township Manager said. The $16,972.16 …

The new Middlebush skate park is open. The new Middlebush Park skate park is already garnering attention. The new park, located next to the basketball courts, is smaller than the one it replaced, but is considered by skaters as an upgrade. The $309,000 skate park is made entirely of poured concrete, vastly different than the metal ramps that were placed …

Contracts worth more than $430,000 were approved October 11 by the Township Council. The largest of the two, for $363,746.70, was for lighting for a Franklin Township Little League field at the DeKalb Avenue baseball complex. The baseball contract was awarded to Helias Construction of Cedar Park, Texas. The contract was issued through the Educational Services Commission of New Jersey …

DeMott Lane between Amwell and New Brunswick roads is expected to be resurfaced starting August 8. Update: The project’s start has been delayed by a week. Concrete work is expected to begin on August 16, with milling and paving to begin the following week. The resurfacing of DeMott Lane between Amwell and New Brunswick roads is scheduled to start the …

Township Manager Robert Vornlocker wrote a letter in February concerning the state Comptroller’s Office report on abuse in municipal sick leave policies. (File photo.) The Township has made no payments under sick leave and vacation accrual policies found by a state agency to be in violation of state law, according to a Township official. In a report issued on July …

Contracts worth more than $3 million in goods and services were approved by the Township Council in June. The Council authorized contracts totaling $913,281.60 at the June 14 meeting, and $2,274,154.55 at the June 28 meeting. At the June 14 meeting, the Council approved contracts for: extending a recreation and enrichment program from various vendors, worth $400,000eight land surveyors, worth …

A $3 million bond ordinance to pay for a handful of road improvements in the Township was introduced by the Township Council at its May 24 meeting. The Ordinance sets aside $2,812,500 for the work. The nearly three dozen streets included in the 2022 resurfacing program are Red Oak Court, Butler Road, Appleman Road, Westminster Road, Cedar Avenue, Equator Avenue, …

Township Councilwoman Kimberly Francois cuts the ceremonial ribbon at the Franklin Township Youth Center as Township Manager Robert Vornlocker and Mayor Phil Kramer (left to right) look on. A half-century of talking about it and 15 years of planning came to fruition on May 14 with the Grand Opening of the Franklin Township Youth Center at 429 Lewis Street. Set …