Residents urge a senior snow‑removal program; council discusses volunteer and procurement constraints

During public comment on May 26, Kathleen Zapatiki of Six Darwin Road told the Franklin Township Council she was injured shoveling snow and called for a program to help seniors 65+ arrange residential snow removal. She said many contractors will not do small residential jobs or prefer commercial clients, and said seniors would be willing to pay ($200–$300) but need the township’s help to locate contractors or organize an advance sign‑up system.

Council members described multiple models and legal constraints. Deputy Mayor Kurazzi and the mayor noted that some New Jersey towns use high‑school volunteer programs or nonprofit arrangements to organize snow‑removal help; others use pre‑season contracting with landscapers. Township staff and the deputy mayor warned that facilitating paid contractors could constitute a concession or biddable contract, requiring a formal procurement process and contract management if the township were to recommend or arrange paid services.

Council directed the matter to the Public Safety Committee and asked the Senior Citizen Advisory Committee and council liaisons to explore volunteer‑based models and community outreach. Council members offered to share lists of landscapers they use and to connect residents to local leads, but did not authorize a funded municipal program at the meeting.

The council’s response balanced resident safety concerns with legal and procurement restraints: volunteer organization or nonprofit facilitation were presented as lower‑risk starting points; formal concession contracts would require a bid process and staff oversight. The mayor invited the resident and other seniors to follow up with council liaisons and the township manager for next steps.