Township Council — October 13, 2026

What was decided

All nine members were present: Mr. Anbarasan, Ms. Francois (arrived late), Deputy Mayor Kharazi, Mayor Kramer, Mr. Onyejiaka, Mr. Singh, Ms. Uddin, Mr. Vassanella and Mr. Wright (arrived late). Every vote below was 9-0: ayes Anbarasan, Francois, Kharazi, Kramer, Onyejiaka, Singh, Uddin, Vassanella and Wright; no nays; none absent.

• Ord. 4517-26 adopted (mover Wright, second Kharazi). It amends Chapter 112, Land Development, “to make Various Updates Regarding Cluster Subdivisions as well as Related Ordinance Updates”. No one spoke at the hearing. See master plan reexamination.
• Ord. 4520-26 adopted (mover Anbarasan, second Kharazi). It adopts the financial agreement and authorizes a tax exemption and payment in lieu of taxes “in Connection with the CWP-ASR Somerset I LLC and CWP-ASR Somerset II LLC Project”, the affordable-housing development at 260 Davidson Avenue. No one spoke at the hearing. See fourth round housing.
• Minutes of September 22, 2026 approved (mover Anbarasan, second Uddin). Warrants of $5,494,308.96 approved (mover Francois, second Vassanella).
• Consent agenda (Res. #26-418 to #26-440; mover Vassanella, second Anbarasan). It included:
  • Bartha Woods (Castleton Park) planting and maintenance, Sunset Creations, not to exceed $276,930.00 (#26-429);
  • SCADA software and system maintenance, Longo Electrical-Mechanical, Dec 1, 2026 to Nov 30, 2027, not to exceed $350,000.00 (#26-428);
  • stormwater detention facility maintenance agreements for 111 Cedar Grove Lane and 16 Heather Drive (#26-431, #26-432);
  • cannabis establishment licenses for 2026-27 (#26-434);
  • an affordable-housing down-payment assistance grant of $12,017.00 (#26-437);
  • renewal of membership in the Central Jersey Joint Insurance Fund for 2027 (#26-439);
  • a shared municipal court with the Borough of Millstone, July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2030 (#26-440).
• Executive session on “Contract Negotiations – FMBA 88 Contract” (Res. #26-441). The Council returned to open session 9-0 (mover Uddin, second Kharazi).

Public Discussion

Flock license-plate cameras. See license plate cameras.

• Jacqueline McCaffery, Ward 2, said the Council’s handling of the cameras lacked transparency and asked for a vote to shut down the system. Her documents are on file with the Township Clerk (Attachment A).
• Sanchi Sharma, New Brunswick Road, argued against the cameras, citing reliance on AI, a lack of accountability and the potential for immigration tracking. She said no study proves the cameras prevent crime and asked that the contract be cancelled.
• Danielle Williams, Ward 1, asked Mr. Singh for his opinion on the cameras and his plan.
• Frank Sciara, Ward 2, recapped the July 28 petition against the cameras. He said the company’s presentation used data from other states and misstated the retention periods and tracking capabilities. His documents are on file with the Township Clerk.
• Jim Johnston, Ward 3, raised the integration of the cameras with AI (his data-center comments are below).
• Doc Cunningham, Somerset, looked at the camera issue “from a systems perspective”: community distrust, the difference between tracking and surveillance, and concerns about domestic abuse.
• A North Brunswick resident spoke on affordable housing and the cameras, saying that as a business owner he received sales emails from Flock after asking about cameras.

The Sentinel data center and the NESE project.

• Kip, a Sierra Club member, spoke about the Sentinel Data Center under construction near the township boundary. He raised the lack of an air permit, diesel backup generators and NJDEP’s “minor source” classification, and asked the Council to object to the classification and press for renewable alternatives.
• Nupali Chakravarti, South Brunswick, said the draft permit leaves out operating scenarios such as grid stress and maintenance, so it underestimates NOx emissions. She asked the Council to demand that NJDEP review all 20 generators and require cleaner backup power.
• Linda Powell of Buffa Drive, provided sample letters on the data center and the NESE project and asked the Council to write to the Governor about the NJDEP certificate.
• Jim Johnston asked Franklin to join Princeton in issuing a press release and demanding NJDEP action on the South Brunswick hyperscale data center, citing health risks and water supply.

The Davidson Avenue housing site and PILOTs.

• Carla Visser of Conrad Way, objected to placing affordable housing in industrial zones near Route 287, citing health risks from diesel emissions, and asked the Township to pause the project.
• Terri Thorsten of Lebed Drive, opposed the Davidson Avenue project because of industrial truck traffic and health risks, and noted the lack of public transportation and the cost of car ownership for low-income families.
• Sharon Czebatar of New Brunswick Road, asked whether the Township had partnered with nonprofits experienced in public housing to plan the project.
• Kiki Anatasakos of Enclave Circle, asked about “the 40-year PILOT agreement”, why PILOT money does not fund the school district, and where PILOT funds go.

Other subjects.

• Peter March of Bennington Parkway, reported stormwater problems on Bennington Parkway, including clogged pipes and debris. He asked for acknowledgement of a July complaint, a site inspection and a regular maintenance schedule.
• Martin Czebatar of New Brunswick Road, pointed to an outdated “no right turn” sign at Cedar Grove Lane and Easton Avenue, raised truck-traffic deaths on Easton Avenue, and raised the taxation of unrealized capital gains.
• Debra Inman, Ward 4, asked the Fourth Ward Councilman to hold a town meeting.

Answers. The minutes record:

• Cameras: Mr. Singh “supported a full public review and a new vote on the camera system”. Mayor Kramer said the Council had received substantial documentation, including a 34 MB file, and is reviewing all feedback. Ms. Francois said the Council is listening and taking all feedback into consideration without rushing to judgment.
• Housing: the Township Attorney and Council members said the Davidson Avenue site is near grocery stores, pharmacies and transit shuttles, that the project is a model for compliance, and that it avoids the need for higher-density development on farmland elsewhere. Council members said the 40-year PILOT structure is meant to encourage development while protecting school budgets.
• Data center: Mayor Kramer said he and state senators secured an extension of the public comment period on the Sentinel Data Center, open until November 9.
• Stormwater and signs: the Manager said he would meet the Bennington Parkway resident on Thursday morning, and had already asked the County Engineer to remove the Cedar Grove Lane sign.
• Taxes: the Mayor said the method of taxation is a state constitutional matter that cannot be changed locally.

Council comments

• Mr. Vassanella spoke on the privacy issues raised by surveillance technology, said Public Works paving projects face delays from rising asphalt costs, and gave updates on Easton Avenue safety fixes.
• Ms. Francois said the Council is doing its due diligence on affordable housing and on evaluating the cameras, and that decisions will not be rushed.
• Mr. Wright reported progress on a speed-hump ordinance requiring a petition from 70% of residents, aimed for completion by year-end.
• Ms. Uddin announced a Garden State Balcony Solar Act session and thanked residents for information on the NESE project. Mr. Anbarasan noted the Planning Board’s recommendation on an ordinance on the agenda.
• Manager’s report: Mr. Vornlocker reported a 36% increase in asphalt costs affecting paving.

Records

• Minutes (approved October 27, 2026) · Agenda · Packet
• Video on Granicus (2:46). Granicus publishes no captions for Franklin meetings; this page follows the Clerk’s minutes.