Township Committee — May 11, 2026

The Township Committee’s minutes of this regular meeting, approved at its May 26 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 7:05 p.m. Present were Mayor Schworn, Mr. Brendon Beatrice, Mr. Thomas Young and Mr. David Owens; Mrs. Anna Columbus was absent. The minutes record approximately three members of the public. No one commented on agenda items.

The towing ordinance

The Committee held the second reading and public hearing of Ordinance No. 2026-1511, “Ordinance Amending Chapter 3 ‘Police Regulations’ Section 3-10 ‘Towing’ … to Amend the Towing Rotation Schedule and the Table of Maximum Fees.” The ordinance, read into the minutes, says it was recommended by the Branchburg Police Department. It:

• changes the police towing list from a weekly rotation to a rotation per incident, administered by the chief of police or a designee, with new licensed towers added to the end of the list;
• keeps the 20-minute response requirement and adds that, when the tower called cannot respond within 20 minutes or has no tow vehicle available, the next tower is called and the original tower goes to the bottom of the list;
• replaces the table of maximum fees that the Committee set by resolution with the New Jersey State Police rate schedule, barring tow operators from charging more than the State Police rates in effect, with a copy of the schedule available in the Township Clerk’s office; and
• requires every tow operator to give the vehicle owner a written estimate and a written receipt.

Mayor Schworn said the ordinance would amend the towing rotation schedule and update the fee schedule. No one spoke at the public hearing, which was closed on motion of Mr. Owens, seconded by Mr. Beatrice. A motion to adopt the ordinance was made by Mr. Owens and seconded by Mr. Beatrice.

Four capital ordinances introduced

The Committee introduced four capital ordinances on first reading, each with a public hearing set for May 26, 2026:

Ordinance	Purpose	Amount and source	Moved / seconded
2026-1512	Facility improvements at the Annex, Police Station and Municipal Complex	$100,000 from the Capital Fund balance	Owens / Beatrice
2026-1513	New or replacement police vehicles and equipment	$240,000 from the Capital Improvement Fund	Young / Beatrice
2026-1514	New or replacement Department of Public Works equipment	$1,018,000 from the Capital Improvement Fund	Young / Beatrice
2026-1515	New or replacement emergency services equipment	$150,000 from the Capital Improvement Fund	Beatrice / Young

Mayor Schworn said 2026-1512 would pay for new doors, a water filtration system and HVAC replacement at the Municipal Complex; 2026-1513 for three new, outfitted police vehicles; 2026-1514 for a street sweeper, a loader, a double drum asphalt roller and a mini asphalt track paver; and 2026-1515 for equipment for the volunteer fire companies, including SCBA air packs, thermal imaging cameras, and fire and turnout gear.

The Lehigh Road rail crossing

In public comment, Lauren Mates of 98 Briar Way said she had spoken with more neighbors about a permanent closure at the Lehigh Road railroad crossing, and asked how much travel time a closure would add for emergency services. Township Administrator Gregory Bonin said the alternate route would add approximately six minutes to emergency response times. He said the Township was continuing to work through the construction planning, and that construction is expected to proceed once Norfolk Southern approves the new right-of-way mapping plans. The minutes record a discussion of possible future plans or regulatory changes affecting the crossing, in which it was noted that future requirements cannot be predicted and that the Township’s current course is to comply with the safety improvements now required at the crossing.

Other business

Consent Resolutions No. 2026-94 through 2026-100 and the departmental reports passed on motion of Mr. Owens, seconded by Mr. Young. Recorded vote: 4–0 (Aye: Young, Owens, Beatrice, Schworn). They authorized execution of a settlement agreement in Forlenza v. Township of Branchburg and Branchburg Police Department (2026-94); authorized purchases of a Ford Super Duty F-250 from Nielsen Ford (2026-95) and road resurfacing materials from Schifano Construction Corporation (2026-96); and covered a Public Works grade increase (2026-97), recreation program salaries (2026-98), a community garden refund (2026-99) and a recreation refund (2026-100). The claims for payment passed 4–0 on motion of Mr. Young, seconded by Mr. Beatrice.

The minutes of the April 27 executive and regular sessions were approved. In the Administrator’s report, Mr. Bonin said surface treatment of the tennis courts was expected in the next couple of weeks; the Township was working with the Baseball Club on turf improvements to baseball field no. 7; the Silver Saddle Community Pool would open Memorial Day weekend; the Food Truck Festival, cancelled for rain, was rescheduled for August 30; and the former Country Fair, renamed the Harvest & Hops Celebration, would be held September 26, with a 250th Anniversary Celebration on July 5.

In liaison reports, Mr. Young said he had met with Reinhard Pratt, the Township’s representative to the Somerset Raritan Valley Sewerage Authority (SRVSA), about SRVSA capacity expansions and capital improvements, and that the Finance Committee should meet with SRVSA’s Executive Director to discuss them and their possible financial impact. Mayor Schworn thanked the Police Department for its annual Fishing Derby.

The meeting adjourned at 7:24 p.m.

See public safety and roads and traffic.

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