Township Council — August 20, 2026

What was decided

Present: Bucko, Kirsh, Ring and Council President Geiger, with Mayor Moench. Councilwoman Isla was absent. Votes were 4-0 (ayes Bucko, Kirsh, Ring, Geiger; Isla absent) unless noted.

• Ordinance #26-14, the omnibus ordinance amending Chapter 94-2 (fees) and Chapter 126 (land use) and adding Chapter 152 (residential lighting) — adopted. No one spoke at the hearing. Its Section 12 lets a residential structure that an insurer deems destroyed by fire or natural disaster be rebuilt within the same footprint at equal or smaller size.
• Data center ordinance introduced (became #26-15): a new section of Chapter 126, Article XLV, setting requirements for data centers and hyperscale data centers. It was referred to the Planning Board for September 1, with the hearing September 3.
• #26-08-20-192, Colliers Engineering & Design, Gilbride Road sewer pumping station evaluation, up to $40,500 from the sewer utility operating account.
• #26-08-20-193, Cifelli & Son General Construction, the NJDOT-funded Van Veghten Drive and South Avenue roadway project, amended to drop alternate bid A and approve the base bid of $784,430.75 (the title listed $834,430.75) — amendment and adoption each 3-0-1 (ayes Bucko, Kirsh, Ring; Geiger abstaining).
• #26-08-20-194, approving Cellares Corporation’s use of an NJDEP-permitted regulated medical waste alternative treatment at 95 Corporate Drive, amended to apply only to Cellares at that location.
• #26-08-20-195 and -196: fee waivers for the Green Knoll Fire Company fall festival, September 19.
• The KM Construction change order was tabled again. #26-08-20-197, a closed session on contract negotiations concerning Block 517 Lots 16 and 17 and Block 519 Lot 28. Minutes of July 23 and August 6 were deferred.

The 1200 Route 22 concept plan

Township Planner Katherine Sarmad said the concept plan in the 1200 Route 22 owner’s preliminary subdivision application (25-02-PB) was included in error, does not comply with the redevelopment plan, which requires the concept on its page 11 with no data center on the front office-building portion, and has no legal effect. She said she found it troubling that the plan was dated April 8, 2025 without having been disclosed to the township. Pappas said earlier councils and boards set guardrails assuming “a reasonably sized data center to be located at the rear of the property.” Bucko said no formal plan has been filed to build a data center on the site of the current office building. See data centers.

Sewer utility presentation

Director of Municipal Services Thomas Genova described a system about 65 years old, with about 350 miles of collection lines and 50 miles of trunk lines to SRVSA. He said the Middle Brook pump station Phase 2 ($4.1 million, NJ Water Bank) is due June 30, 2027; the Gilbride Road station, which receives 70% of its flow from Warren Township and has had five pump failures in recent years, is under evaluation with construction targeted for completion by 2028; the Headgates Dam siphon is paid entirely by EPEC Polymers, with completion in summer 2027; 2026 treatment costs are $6,075,076, about half the operating budget; and a phased inflow and infiltration program is in the 2027 budget request. See water and sewer.

Reports

Bucko said police do not use Flock license plate reader cameras and the township ended its relationship with the vendor, citing data-control concerns, and that he met NJ American Water about recurring main breaks. Geiger relayed Environmental Commission options on invasive bamboo. Kirsh reported a $420,000 federal grant for the Somerset food bank network.

Public comment

• Dr. Joseph Lifrieri of Washington Valley Road, an SRVSA commissioner, urged the inflow and infiltration program, saying the SRVSA plant, rated at about 24 MGD, can peak above 80 MGD in rain. Robert Albano, also an SRVSA commissioner, said dry-weather flow is about 14 MGD.
• Curtis Kraut of Adamsville Road described sewer backups near Cuckels Brook, Chelsea Way and Adamsville Road during Hurricane Ida (Genova: manhole repair there is a priority of the 2027 program). He said the redevelopment plan adopted April 24, 2025 (Ordinance 25-05) permits data centers and should be repealed, and asked about the repeal removed from the August 6 agenda and the warehouse application listed for the Zoning Board on September 22. Geiger and Corsini said the repeal was withdrawn in favor of the data center ordinance, no repeal is expected while litigation is pending, and settlements have historically come to the governing body.
• Thomas Shaffrey of Vosseller Avenue said speeding worsened after repaving and asked for routine enforcement; Pappas said speed devices are being explored.
• Ethan Chen of Wendover Place supported an ordinance requiring developers to bear full electricity costs, use renewable energy and limit environmental impact.
• Reuben Twersky, representing the owner of 1200 Route 22, said the concept plan was included in error and no data center site plan exists; said the planned project would be a collocation data center, not AI or hyperscale, with closed-loop cooling, and that PSE&G talks were ongoing; and asked the Council to table Section 1 or exempt projects under redevelopment plans already in process.

Records

• Minutes (township document page)
• Agenda (posted on the township site; LocalWhy has not yet reviewed it)
• Video on the township’s YouTube channel (3:03:30). This page follows the Clerk’s minutes.