Township Council Taxes

More than $130,000 in Community Development Block Grant sub-grants to area social service organizations helping township residents were approved at the Oct. 8 Township Council meeting. The money is targeted primarily to groups and organizations serving the township’s minority and low- and moderate-income residents. The money comes from a total $254,714 CDBG grant won by the township. The remaining funds …

Purchases worth nearly $380,000 were approved at the Oct. 8 Township Council meeting. The items the council voted to buy are two utility body trucks for $106,000 and two pickup trucks with snow plows for $78,500 from Beyer Brothers of Fairview, and a backhoe for $106,405 and an articulated wheel loader for $66,680 from Jesco of South Plainfield. The council also …

The Hampton Chase Homeowners Association is putting itself out of business, but helping the Franklin Township Food Bank along the way. The association’s three-member board on Oct. 5 will donate more than $11,000 – in the form of liens on homes in the single-family development – to the Franklin Township Food Bank. The idea for the donation came from Township …

Worries about the effect of a low insurance rating for the township’s code inspectors, the Township Council has decided to partially reverse a ban on taking township-owned cars home. The township’s chief multi-purpose inspector will be allowed to take his official car home, the council decided at its Sept. 24 meeting. This is so any overnight inspections can be completed. …

A need for more asphalt in one road project and increases in the material’s cost in two others lead to a total $92,000 increase in the cost of those projects. The three projects total about $1.2 million. The Township Council approved change orders for the increases at its Sept. 24 meeting. The biggest increase came in the $431,394.62 Clyde Road …

A Somerville firm is the winner of a nearly $400,000 contract to repave part of Canal Road and Market Street. The Township Council at its Sept. 24 meeting awarded Top Line Construction the $380,334.37 contract to repave Canal Road from Blackwells Mills Road to Market Street, and also market Street. Township manager Bob Vornlocker said the project should get its …

Nearly $300,000 in purchases were approved at the Sept. 24 Township Council meeting. The big ticket on the agenda was for a dump truck with snow plow from Cambria Truck Center for $143,773. Also on the council’s shopping list were nine APX mobile radios from Motorola for $60,369.80; a set of FCS TriCorr Touch Correlator with all accessories – used …

Former Township Councilman and prolific fundraiser Bill Grippo was honored at the Sept. 24 Township Council meeting for his efforts in raising money for the annual 4th of July celebration. Councilman Carl R.A. Wright, D-Ward 1, presented the citation on behalf of the council. Wright noted that Grippo’s efforts resulted in the celebrations being held at no cost to taxpayers. …

UPDATE: A resolution urging state Legislators to override Gov. Chris Christie’s veto of a bill recognizing same-sex marriage died before the Sept. 24 meeting because the all-Democratic Township Council did not support it, its sponsor said. Councilman Theodore Chase, D-Ward 1, said he pulled the resolution because he knew it wasn’t going to get the five votes needed to pass …

Outdated cost estimates for a water main interconnection with the New Brunswick water utility have boosted the project’s cost by about $430,000. The Township Council at its Sept. 10 meeting passed on second reading a bond ordinance for the additional amount. That brings the total for the project to about $1.2 million, according to the ordinance. Township Manager Bob Vornlocker …