Open Space Committee

Meetings held the 3rd Tuesday of the month, Municipal Building at 7:30 p.m.
Municipal Code Section 39-6 – Regular Members from Other Boards – Terms concurrent with Board term; Citizen Members – 3-year terms

All meetings are held in the conference room in the Municipal Building, 475 DeMott Lane, Somerset.

The Open Space Committee. This committee developed and is now in the process of implementing the FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION PLAN. The committee is comprised of 12 voting members:

Randy Jones, Chair, Citizen Member
Jack Connolly, Vice-Chair Citizen Member
Robert Puskas, Agricultural Committee
Robert LaCorte, Historic Preservation Commission
Robert Mettler, , Planning Board
Mike Orsini, Shade Tree Commission
John Moon, Recreation Council
Arnold Schmidt, Environmental Commission
Bill Connell, Citizen Member
John Herrling, Citizen Member
Melba Battin Citizen Member
David Triggs, Citizen Member

Also, there are five ex officio members:

Kenneth W. Daly, Township Manager
Vandana Khurana, Chief Financial Officer
Rich Seamon, , Board of Education
Mark Healey, Township Planner
Alice Osipowitz, Director of Recreration

Finally, there are two members of the Township Council who are assigned as liasons to this committee:

Phillip Kramer          
James Vassanella              

Each month the committee listens to citizen input during the two "Open to the Public" portions of the meeting. It also deliberates on methods to preserve land and on methods to manage township-owned open space property and, in closed session, makes recommendations to Council concerning preserving specific properties.