Township Council — October 28, 2025

What was decided

All nine members were present; the minutes note that Mr. Potosnak and Deputy Mayor Uddin arrived late. Unless noted, every vote was 9-0: ayes Anbarasan, Francois, Kharazi, Kramer, Onyejiaka, Potosnak, Uddin, Vassanella and Wright; no nays; none absent.

• Res. #25-464 designated an area in need of redevelopment with condemnation powers: Block 233, Lots 1.01 and 2.01, and Block 234, Lots 1, 14.01 and 16 on the tax map. It passed 8-0 (mover Anbarasan, second Uddin): ayes Anbarasan, Francois, Kharazi, Kramer, Onyejiaka, Potosnak, Uddin and Vassanella; Mr. Wright abstained. See redevelopment and PILOTs.
• Ord. 4483-25 adopted (mover Potosnak, second Anbarasan). It adds Chapter 198, Generators, “to Prohibit the Routine Use of On-Site Generators Powered by Fossil Fuels, Petroleum Products, Other Combustible Materials”. The minutes record that emergency use stays permitted and that the ordinance rests on public health, safety, welfare, zoning, building occupancy and noise, “not air quality standards”.
• Ord. 4484-25 introduced (mover Potosnak, second Uddin), vacating part of Executive Drive; hearing set for November 25, 2025.
• Res. #25-467: $10,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funds to the Franklin Food Bank, “to be used exclusively for rapid operational scaling and mass food procurement” during the disruption of SNAP payments expected from November 1, 2025 (mover Wright, second Vassanella).
• Res. #25-466 formed the Municipal Alliance Opiate Funds Advisory Subcommittee (mover Francois, second Uddin).
• Consent agenda (Res. #25-446 to #25-463; mover Anbarasan, second Uddin). It included:
  • #25-446, supporting the State House Commission final application to NJDEP for the major disposal/diversion of 0.14 acres of Green Acres parkland at Castleton Park, 816 Easton Avenue (Block 383, Lot 43.01);
  • #25-455, water department supplies, Core and Main LP, November 1, 2025 to October 31, 2027;
  • #25-457, Canal Road timber guiderail, final change order from $52,224.00 to $58,560.00;
  • #25-458, Van Doren Area resurfacing, final change order from $652,878.73 to $735,025.64;
  • #25-459, competitive contracting for road survey and asset software;
  • #25-461, a developer’s agreement with Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity for affordable housing units on various properties.
• Approved the minutes of June 11, 2024, April 8, 2025 and October 14, 2025, and warrants of $18,216,389.57.
• Executive session on a personnel matter (Res. #25-465; mover Uddin, second Anbarasan).

Public Discussion

The minutes record six speakers.

• Eugene Waltz questioned paying school taxes without school-age children.
• Jan Brant of Bryant Court, a Republican candidate for Ward 2, said she opposes warehouses sited next to residential areas.
• Robin Suydam of Skillmans Lane, held her comment on the generator ordinance for its hearing.
• A Rutgers student of Easton Avenue, asked how compliance with the generator ordinance would be checked: complaints, inspections or other means.
• John Stone of Hamilton Street, asked about advance timelines and notices for road work.
• Robin Roberts of Benjamin Street, asked for an update on the nuisance-ordinance litigation, including a hearing before the judge and possible outcomes.

Answers. The minutes record that:

• Township Attorney Rainone said that if a court decision is issued the Council will review it, and that the Council remains committed to the ordinance and to filing an appeal;
• Mayor Kramer said funding schools benefits society broadly, criticized property taxes as the way to fund schools, advocated a means-based tax, and referred to a recent press event supporting a study to end property-tax funding of schools;
• Mr. Vassanella described a state program for residents 65 and older with income under $400,000: a 50% property tax reduction up to $6,500 if paperwork is filed by October 31, contingent on annual legislative funding;
• Manager Vornlocker said all paving work is listed on the Township website, alerts go out through Nixle, and no-parking signs are posted locally when needed. He said police use Nixle more for temporary closures after crashes, which may make incidents seem more frequent, though crash numbers are lower than last year.

The generator ordinance hearing

• Robin Suydam, Vice Chair of the Environmental Commission, supported the ordinance and asked whether it would limit facilities to one generator for emergency use.
• Eric DeJesero, a lobbyist, asked whether “generator” could include industrial process boilers and about municipal authority under the Air Pollution Control Act (N.J.S.A. 26:2C-22). The Township Attorney said the ordinance does not regulate air quality standards and rests on municipal police powers.
• Evan Rentezetler asked whether the exception for mobile operations, such as refrigerated trucks and food trucks, requires actual movement. The minutes record that mobile food vendors fall under a separate ordinance and this one imposes no movement requirement.
• Walter of Cedar Grove Lane (surname recorded as inaudible), compared diesel truck traffic from warehouses and suggested requiring data centers to build cleaner generation that feeds 5 to 10 percent back to the grid. Officials said the Township regulates warehouses separately, data centers typically draw from the grid, state law does not allow producing more energy than used, and clean on-site generation such as solar is permitted.

Officials said enforcement runs through building permits and certificates of occupancy, since a facility cannot get a CO without a grid connection, and that the ordinance also limits whole-house generators at homes to emergencies. The minutes record Council members citing emerging AI, data-center and crypto-mining operations, including examples from Pennsylvania, and stressing that the ordinance is “usage-agnostic”.

SNAP and the Food Bank

Derek Smith, Executive Director of the Franklin Food Bank, read a request for $10,000 in emergency aid. It said 3,603 of the 11,480 Somerset County families relying on SNAP live in Franklin. Mr. Kharazi announced a $5,000 donation from Masjid Ali at 47 Cedar Grove Lane, and Mr. Anbarasan said he would contact Hindu temples. The Council then adopted Res. #25-467.

Reports

• Mr. Potosnak announced the virtual public hearing on the NESE project’s air quality permit on November 13, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. See the NESE pipeline.
• Mr. Kharazi thanked Assemblyman Danielsen for legislation to create a School Finance Reform Commission aimed at easing school taxes.
• Mr. Vassanella said new sidewalks on Highland Avenue and Franklin Boulevard were complete, and that a Shade Tree Commission “mini-reforestation” bid was expected through the Open Space Committee.
• Manager Vornlocker described the NJ Shares utility assistance program (up to $200 each for electric, water and sewer bills, once) and how to report deer carcasses: call the police main line, and call again if a deer is not removed within 48 hours.

Records

• Minutes (approved November 10, 2025) · Agenda · Packet
• Video on Granicus (2:12). Granicus publishes no captions for Franklin meetings; this page follows the Clerk’s minutes.