Township Council — May 26, 2026

What was decided

All nine members were present: Mr. Anbarasan, Ms. Francois, Deputy Mayor Kharazi, Mayor Kramer, Mr. Onyejiaka, Mr. Singh, Ms. Uddin, Mr. Vassanella and Mr. Wright, who arrived late. Unless noted, every vote was 9-0, with those nine members voting aye.

• CY2026 municipal budget adopted. See budget and taxes.
  • Res. #26-220, reading the budget by title only (mover Singh, second Kharazi).
  • Res. #26-221, the budget amendment (mover Anbarasan, second Uddin). It raised total general revenues and appropriations from $75,289,361.55 to $75,455,645.64, adding a $166,379.29 Clean Communities item, and raised the water utility budget from $24,804,226.00 to $24,849,476.14.
  • Res. #26-222, the budget as amended (mover Anbarasan, second Singh). It authorizes $41,722,842.00 to be raised by taxation for municipal purposes, an Open Space Trust Fund levy of $8,683,214.10 and a minimum library tax of $5,774,647.00. Total appropriations are $75,455,645.64, including $4,643,307.64 for municipal debt service and $5,500,000.00 as a reserve for uncollected taxes.
• Ord. 4508-26 introduced (mover Uddin, second Kharazi). It amends Chapter 226 to prohibit parking at all times on Pine Grove Avenue; hearing set for June 9, 2026.
• Consent agenda (mover Wright, second Kharazi). The minutes record the vote as 6-0: ayes Kharazi, Kramer, Onyejiaka, Singh, Vassanella and Wright, with Anbarasan, Francois and Uddin listed as absent. The same minutes list all nine members present at the roll call, and record each of the other votes that night, before and after the consent agenda, with all nine voting aye. The consent agenda included:
  • timber guiderail emergency repair, Capela Construction, June 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027, not to exceed $325,000 (#26-226);
  • final change orders on two Main Street area water main replacement contracts with MSP Construction, decreasing from $2,835,910.00 to $2,746,844.75 (#26-228) and from $2,834,893.00 to $2,769,217.43 (#26-229);
  • final change orders decreasing the Rogers Avenue area resurfacing to $860,810.00 (#26-230) and the Cornelius Way area resurfacing to $752,698.54 (#26-231);
  • the CivicPlus website platform and redesign (#26-233) and the sale of one plenary retail consumption license (#26-237).
• Executive session on the “Potential Acquisition of Open Space – 287 Cedar Grove Lane & Contract Negotiations - YMCA” (Res. #26-238; mover Kharazi, second Uddin).
• The minutes of March 24 and April 14, 2026 were approved (mover Kharazi, second Uddin). The Mayor nominated Peter March as Alternate #3 to the Zoning Board of Adjustment, carried by acclamation.

Public Discussion

The minutes record five speakers.

• Kathleen (surname recorded as inaudible) proposed a township-facilitated snow-removal program for residents 65 and older, with seniors paying and the Township helping locate willing contractors.
• Shanique Davis of Davis Avenue, asked how a 14-story senior living building proposed in New Brunswick would affect nearby communities, particularly traffic.
• Maryann Riley of Riley Court, said Board of Education and Council meetings scheduled on the same evening hinder public participation and oversight of taxes.
• Jim Johnston of Norwich Place, thanked the Council for an ordinance limiting warehouses and banning data centers, and said he supports a complete ban on data centers.
• Javahn Walker of Kuhn Street, asked when the data-center ban would take effect and how many recreational cannabis licenses the Township allows.

Answers. The minutes record that the Manager discussed the legal and operational limits on a snow-removal program, including the need to bid if the Township engaged contractors, and that volunteer models and pre-season contracts with landscapers were discussed. The New Brunswick project was said to be before New Brunswick’s Zoning Board, and Franklin was not formally notified because of distance. The Mayor said the Superintendent had been told about the meeting conflict. The Council discussed the warehouse ordinance’s process and its intent that data centers not be a permitted use. An agenda item was clarified as an alcoholic-beverage license, not cannabis; the State is the licensing authority for cannabis.

Budget hearing. At the public hearing on the budget, a resident asked how meetings are announced; the Manager listed the website, emails, Nixle, social media and legal notices. Another resident raised the school board’s budget increases and their effect on taxes; the Mayor said state mandates influenced the school board’s decisions. A third encouraged residents to attend the Board of Education meeting on May 28. The minutes do not name these speakers.

Council comments

• Mr. Vassanella reported from a Public Works meeting that this year’s road repaving was being finalized and that a final payment had been made on water system upgrades in the 4th and 5th wards. He suggested the Senior Citizen Advisory Committee look at a volunteer snow-removal program.
• Mr. Anbarasan said businesses discharging clean water into the sewer system raise costs for ratepayers, and outlined a plan to monitor water usage and normalize sewer rates. As Council liaison to the school board, he said he would attend its meetings to represent concerns about tax increases.
• Ms. Uddin said Weston Canal Road signage was being worked on to clarify truck access, and that MacAfee Road work was scheduled for the end of June.
• Mr. Singh cited road paving in the Coppermine and Stirling areas, the development of Catalpa Park with cricket and pickleball courts, and a traffic signal and pedestrian crossing he is pursuing on Route 27. He said he continues to oppose the Williams Transco NESE compressor station on environmental and safety grounds, and that the budget was built without compromising public safety or essential services and without layoffs.

Records

• Minutes (approved June 9, 2026) · Agenda · Packet
• Video on Granicus (2:14). Granicus publishes no captions for Franklin meetings; this page follows the Clerk’s minutes.