New Englishtown Mayor, Council Court Cannabis, Other Businesses

ENGLISHTOWN, NJ — With a new mayor and new Borough Council members now sworn into office, this historic borough is ready to look to the future to develop its downtown business district.

"We have a serious posture toward growth in our downtown," Mayor Daniel Francisco said.

"Our small borough has languished for decades with stagnation and businesses closing. We are aggressively working to change the perception of our borough to being welcoming to new commercial partners, and creating a fantastic residential space for families to enjoy and be proud of," he said.

In a county with thriving downtowns such as Freehold, Red Bank and others, Francisco said he sees Englishtown as having the potential to become a similar business and cultural hub for the Manalapan area and western Monmouth County.

"We are the downtown that should be, but isn’t yet. We are the downtown that Manalapan residents, and those of other nearby towns, should be flocking to for food, entertainment, and services. Our Main Street should be buzzing on Friday and Saturday nights. We are building that vision," he said.

The composition of the Borough Council changed after last year's Republican primary, with Francisco and his running mates, Louis E. Sarti Jr. and William Sabin Sr., defeating the incumbents, including Councilwoman Cindy Robilotti and longtime Mayor Thomas Reynolds. Eric Mann did not seek re-election.

Francisco was sworn into a four-year term as mayor. Sarti and Sabin were sworn in for three-year terms. Shortly after, Councilman Wayne Krawiec resigned from his position after serving one year, citing personal issues, Francisco said.

At the Jan. 24 regular meeting, the vacancy for Francisco's seat - after he won the primary for mayor - was filled by resident Kyle Jewusiak, after a nomination and vote of the council. A nomination and vote also was taken to fill the seat vacated by Krawiec, who was replaced with resident Alexi Reque, Francisco said.

The other council members, William Lewis and Meaghan Lewis (husband and wife), were already on the Borough Council. William Lewis is Council President.

In discussing his election last year, Francisco said he grew up in the area since the age of 2. He has a career in the energy industry, he said.

"Being the son of immigrant parents (from Portugal), getting granular on discussions about liberty is a deep passion of mine. With the Revolutionary roots of Englishtown, I think our humble borough could become a fantastic space for enterprise and community building in the future."

And he's ready to make that happen.

Here are some initiatives Francisco said residents - and prospective businesses - can look to be coming soon:

• New community branding and marketing, supported by new and existing businesses.
• Zoning adjustments to make doing business easier and more attractive.
• Aggressively courting community partners.
• Helping deregulate whatever is necessary to "let free people with great ideas flourish," Francisco said.

"We welcome anyone with a commercial dream or idea to personally meet us. We want to grow and we want our community members to prosper. Bring us your ideas, we will open the door with a warm smile," Francisco said.

The town is particularly welcoming to the cannabis community, he said.

"The cannabis community has been unbelievable in their enthusiasm and investment in our borough. We want to open doors for all business concepts to come along for the ride as we transform the face of our Main Street," he said.

All applicants for cannabis businesses have received resolutions of support from the Borough Council, he said.

Borough ordinances set up five retail spots, one of which has, as of December, state approval by the Cannabis Regulatory Commission. Three are currently in the state approval process. There is one retail license open.

Francisco said there will be other zoning and/or construction approvals required as facilities are actually built, but construction to one degree or another is underway. He said there are also two resolutions of support by the council - for a cultivation facility and for a manufacturing facility that are awaiting state approval.

In another area, Francisco described himself as a "natural rights absolutist, and I want our town to lead on respecting the rights of our residents in whatever manner possible," he said.

He specified how that philosophy relates to firearms permits, an area he said he takes seriously.

He said the public may be for or against legal gun possession, but he said state laws regarding timeframes for permits - 30 days for a decision - need to be respected for those who seek a permit.

"I’ve made a promise to voluntarily publish our FPIC (Firearms Purchaser Identification Card), Permit to Purchase, and Handgun Carry Permit application timelines publicly on a recurring basis," he said.

And Francisco said he believes in being accessible. His contact information, also on the town website, is through the Office of the Municipal Clerk at 732-446-9235 ext. #215 or you can email Mayor Francisco.