Township Committee — April 13, 2026

The Township Committee’s minutes of this regular meeting, approved at its April 27 meeting, are on the Township’s Documents-On-Demand portal, linked from its Agendas/Minutes page, in the Township Committee and Board of Health minutes folder. Mayor James Schworn called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. Present were Mayor Schworn, Mr. Brendon Beatrice, Mr. Thomas Young and Mrs. Anna Columbus; Mr. David Owens was absent. The minutes record approximately eight members of the public. There were no public comments, either on agenda items or in the general comment period.

The cap-bank ordinance and capital requests

The Committee held the second reading and public hearing of Ordinance No. 2026-1510, “Calendar Year 2026 Ordinance to Exceed the Municipal Budget Appropriation Limits and to Establish a Cap Bank (N.J.S.A. 40A:4-45.14).” Mayor Schworn said it is an annual budgetary requirement that lets the Township increase its budget appropriations and establish a cap bank for possible use in future years. No one spoke at the public hearing. The ordinance was adopted on motion of Mrs. Columbus, seconded by Mr. Beatrice. Recorded vote: 4–0 (Aye: Young, Columbus, Beatrice, Schworn).

In a discussion of capital requests, Township Administrator Gregory Bonin reviewed the requests submitted by each department. The minutes record that, after discussion, the Committee approved the items determined to be within the Township’s budgetary capacity.

In his liaison report, Mayor Schworn said the Township had recently completed a competitive bidding process for its general obligation bonds, which he said resulted in very favorable interest rates. He said this kind of financing, undertaken about every twenty years, lets the Township fund future capital improvements, and that the market response reflected the Township’s financial management and fiscal stability.

A new police building and 580 Old York Road

Two consent resolutions concerned Township buildings: Resolution No. 2026-78, authorizing preliminary costs for a feasibility study to repurpose 580 Old York Road, and Resolution No. 2026-80, awarding a professional architectural services contract to The Goldstein Partnership, LLC for the conceptual design of a new police building. Both passed with the consent agenda, 4–0 (below).

The Red Rock Preserve fire

Health Officer Norgalis’s March report to the Board of Health covered the fire at the Red Rock Preserve, along with the annual well water testing event and retail food licensing. In the Administrator’s report, Mr. Bonin said Somerset County, Conifer, the United Way and other volunteer agencies were continuing to help residents affected by the fire, and that the Branchburg PTO had organized the donations received over the past weekend and would begin distributing them to affected residents that week. In liaison reports, Mrs. Columbus said she hoped the Red Rock Preserve could clean up the back of the building destroyed by the fire, and that she had visited the Fairfield Suites, where some of the residents displaced by the fire were staying. Mayor Schworn said the Township would send residents another information blast when the Red Rock Preserve fire report was available.

Other business

Consent Resolutions No. 2026-78 through 2026-85 and the departmental reports passed on motion of Mr. Beatrice, seconded by Mr. Young. Recorded vote: 4–0 (Aye: Young, Columbus, Beatrice, Schworn). Besides 2026-78 and 2026-80, they authorized the purchase of an F250 pickup from the Branchburg Board of Education (2026-79); covered Public Works seasonal help (2026-81) and a grade increase (2026-82), Police Department grade elevations (2026-83); and approved recreation refunds (2026-84) and tax refunds (2026-85). The claims for payment passed 4–0 on motion of Mrs. Columbus, seconded by Mr. Young.

Sitting as the Board of Health, the Committee heard Health Officer Norgalis’s March report and his review of the Annual Local Health Evaluation Report, and moved Resolution No. BH2026-06, a public health mutual aid agreement, on motion of Mr. Young, seconded by Mrs. Columbus.

The minutes of the March 23 regular session were approved. Mayor Schworn read commendations for Eagle Scouts Riley Rohrbach, Jayden Weis and Jeffery Weis, and presented a proclamation for Child Abuse Prevention Month to the Branchburg Woman’s Club. In the Administrator’s report, Mr. Bonin said the tree program had concluded with 160 trees planted this round and approximately 1,000 in total, and that the Township would decide whether another round is feasible in the fall; that maintenance was underway at the Silver Saddle Community Pool; and that tennis court play was expected to resume in mid-May. Mr. Beatrice announced the Food Truck Festival (May 9), the 250th Anniversary Celebration (July 5) and the Harvest & Hops Celebration (September 26).

The meeting adjourned at 8:04 p.m.

See budget and taxes, municipal annex and police headquarters, the Red Rock Preserve fire and public safety.

Records

• Minutes and agenda: Agendas/Minutes page of the Township’s website, which links its Documents-On-Demand portal (Township Committee and Board of Health folder)
• Meeting video on the Township’s Granicus archive