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Residents urge council to fund peer‑recovery program and to oppose 'Nessie' pipeline; one speaker criticizes council conduct
Summary
During public comment residents urged the council to approve a $20,000 opiate‑settlement grant for peer recovery services, warned about environmental and health risks from the Northeast Supply Enhancement ('Nessie') proposal, and criticized councilors' conduct in prior meetings; officials said the recovery resolution was on the consent agenda and expected to pass.
Franklin Township's public comment period on April 28 featured residents pressing the council on recovery funding, environmental concerns and public‑meeting decorum.
Phyllis Beiel, co‑chair of the Municipal Alliance for Prevention of Substance Abuse, urged the council to approve a one‑year, $20,000 award from the township's opiate settlement fund to Communities in Crisis, a nonprofit peer‑recovery center. Beiel described the group's approach — credentialed peer recovery specialists and teen smart recovery programming — and said the advisory committee recommended the award unanimously; she closed by saying, "I urge you to vote yes on this resolution."
Environment and health concerns: Linda Powell warned that the Northeast Supply Enhancement ("Nessie") pipeline and a proposed gas‑powered compressor station would harm air and water quality, threaten wetlands and resuspend toxins in Raritan Bay. Powell urged residents to sign up for a virtual Tidelands Resource Council meeting and to contact the governor; she said, "It's going to pollute our air. It's going to pollute our water." Council members acknowledged the concern and several said they continued to oppose the project.
Other public comments: Theodor Chase thanked the council for joining the Lower Millstone Watershed stormwater management plan and reported that the township had approved the plan and will send the requested financial contribution based on impervious surface. Deborah Inman urged the council to provide a respectful forum and criticized the conduct of some members as "inappropriate and lacking in courtesy," describing an incident at a prior meeting that she said discouraged residents from speaking.
Town response and procedure: Mayor Kramer noted the recovery resolution was on the consent agenda and said the council expected it to pass; the public portion was closed without objection and council later voted to approve the consent agenda. The manager and councilors highlighted upcoming community programs (Narcan training, youth recovery initiatives) and asked residents to participate in hearings about state permitting for the pipeline project.
What comes next: The recovery award appeared on the consent agenda and was approved as part of consent items; state permitting processes and agency hearings will determine next steps on the pipeline project.
