[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6654944,"mediaKeyId","5429491-155d7d1e6bcb783083ed0856baeaa1cf","parentId",5429491,"title","Plainfield council tables proposed permit ordinance for horses on public ways after hours of public comment","audioSeconds",1635,"startMs",806000,"endMs",2441000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5429491-155d7d1e6bcb783083ed0856baeaa1cf&start=806&end=2441","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5429491-155d7d1e6bcb783083ed0856baeaa1cf/thumbnail_806000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6654944/Plainfield/Union-County/New-Jersey/Plainfield-council-tables-proposed-permit-ordinance-for-horses-on-public-ways-after-hours-of-public-comment","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6654944-31810abc619d23b04d9ba0c2f680c69f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775197181&Signature=YUgQnWz~us3BZZZp-sr~ZBIWghGBjsb9x9yDz2ylQHHgItGd8BntUubTHsY2-NX6M4zVLOjm3bjryGDcQyIw7OKOcLRxcvcyP9RZbVk2rkATOz1tFc199cqqlH1o1nVvwi1mUQpbcjE39YFBrgZGFb-X8vdykR1x8~8EQq2xdohaMQVVY02GBvW6HVGLBlJxgPSSvbY5I-bvgoHqBi6i-EaqgrHp~PVCGgooxQPq8oMgupOZkQsL6gsvHrxAB4EbnnCJCzU1fvoaQ8E5G5tgGW7A~75s3O0aBo3jn0iNnKIZ6YGAuSXlhh~ttIENDJJseHgSEWmx6-C94OCLias3UQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Plainfield","date","2025-07-18T18:57:03.067Z","article","Plainfield City Council on July 6, 2025, tabled an ordinance that would have added a permitting requirement for horses on city streets and other public property, after more than a dozen residents and stakeholders testified for and against the change.

The measure, introduced as an amendment to Article 7 (Animals) of the city code (MC2025-26), would create a no-fee permit administered by the city clerk and reviewed by the police director, require proof of vaccinations and health records for animals, and establish escalating penalties for unpermitted riding. The council voted to table the ordinance to allow staff and legal to draft clearer language addressing conduct, cleanup and enforcement.

Supporters of horses told the council the practice has deep cultural and therapeutic value in Plainfield. “Removing horses from our streets eliminates one of the few enriching hands-on experiences still available to many of our children,” said Dr. Laura M. Diaz, a pediatrician and Plainfield resident, during the public comment period. Multiple speakers described longstanding traditions involving the Crazy Faith Riders of New Jersey, equine therapy programs at local schools, and volunteer rides that bring children to stables and parades.

Opponents and some council members framed the proposal as a public-safety and administrability question. The business administrator and corporation counsel told the council the city already licenses other activities and that a permit process is a lawful way to protect public safety while allowing horses in appropriate circumstances. Corporation counsel said comparable permit approaches exist in other New Jersey municipalities, and the city’s clerk and police director would draft implementing regulations.

Council members asked several detailed questions about how permits would work in practice, whether permits would be single-event or multi-day, how rain dates would be handled, and how the city would address waste cleanup and rider conduct. The administration said the process would be no-fee, that permits could be issued for specific dates or series of dates at the clerk’s discretion, and that vaccine and health records would be required with applications. The draft ordinance currently ties enforcement penalties to riding without a permit; council asked staff to add explicit conduct and cleanup requirements.

After discussion, a motion to table passed on roll call. The council directed staff to draft clarified language and to return the ordinance for further consideration. Council members and administration emphasized they did not intend to ban horses but sought a workable regulatory framework that balances tradition, equity and safety.

Quotes during the hearing ranged from clinicians describing therapeutic benefits to veterans and youth, to stable operators who said their horses are trained and that riders regularly clean up after animals. “A permit system is not the solution. It’s just a backdoor to more red tape,” said Dr. Tristan Cox, a rider who testified in opposition to a restrictive permit system. Veterinarians and stable managers urged regulations that protect animals and riders without criminalizing long-standing community activities.

The council did not adopt ordinance language on second reading; instead it voted to table MC2025-26 and asked the clerk, police director and corporation counsel to prepare a revised draft that would add clearer conduct standards, cleanup expectations and implementation details before the ordinance returns to the council.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting Wednesday July 16, 2025 | 7:00PM","oneSentenceSummary","Plainfield City Council on July 6, 2025, tabled an ordinance that would have required permits for horses on public streets, after lengthy public comment from residents who described the equine tradition as therapeutic and council members who sought clearer safety and enforcement language.","taxTitle","Plainfield, Union County, New Jersey","taxId",5146,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6654932,"Votes at a glance: key ordinances, resolutions and budget actions from Plainfield council meeting July 6, 2025",2715,531000,3246000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5429491-155d7d1e6bcb783083ed0856baeaa1cf&start=531&end=3246","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5429491-155d7d1e6bcb783083ed0856baeaa1cf/thumbnail_531000.jpg","/articles/6654932/Plainfield/Union-County/New-Jersey/Votes-at-a-glance-key-ordinances-resolutions-and-budget-actions-from-Plainfield-council-meeting-July-6-2025","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6654932-211a843716e0a380e149cbb7afa96d94/orig.mp4?Expires=1775197181&Signature=S6xMypfoTrMleP7CO5e4pgrpL38I8UGQ4pPKvJnOeSoa54YVRn8yFl~vjvyGJOxNc3YVys0MBZAgxT4NQfS92QrF4F3hmw8OCp5-9XSLSQOvN5XaE65niMJ5NXJcv1eExnzIkTTY-h~EqvS~v1crpFvNwRjLun1n9hNts2Y7livGfbWVtNK0jDhJoQQySJ1PUKn2AB-580Szi4DtvOYqt1aBROWEZIQoLKCdiEoxaMBcv2Mi-MDjHMvVSOeJURfDK6~XoSdQL56Qa0blXVybBoq9P~fF~I0fUooxQh43yEsDwVX4aGbF0RX9tDwz9akGqUuLVej4AjyIk-qdgSUQqA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Below are key formal actions and recorded outcomes from the Plainfield City Council meeting on July 6, 2025. This is a summary of votes, roll-call outcomes and short notes about each action as recorded in the public proceedings.

- MC2025-24 (Ordinance – tax exemption / SRB Plainfield 3 Urban Renewal LLC): Adopted on second reading and final passage (roll call recorded as unanimous yes). The ordinance grants a tax exemption and authorizes execution of a financial agreement concerning a set of properties on the city tax map (Block 307, parcels listed in the ordinance). Notice of the public hearing was published as required.

- MC2025-25 (Ordinance – Amendment to 197 Scattered Sites Redevelopment Plan): Adopted on second reading and final passage (unanimous roll-call yes). Notice of public hearing was published as required.

- Municipal budget amendments and adoption (R261-25 and R262-25): Council approved a budget amendment and then adopted the 2025 municipal operating budget (roll-call votes recorded as unanimous). Staff explained the amendment was budget-neutral and reflected additional revenue (pilots and state grant reappropriation), allowing reduced reliance on surplus.

- Multiple departmental resolutions (staff and departmental items): The council approved a block of departmental and administrative resolutions including corporation-counsel appropriations for redevelopment counsel, police grant applications and National Night Out encroachment, fire-department contract items, DPW grants and contracts (including an ADA playground award funded by Green Acres), sewer and solid-waste authorizations, and health and social-services agreements. Most passed on roll-call votes recorded as unanimous or with isolated abstentions noted in the record.

- Redevelopment resolutions and designations: The council approved a block of redevelopment study and designation items, including area-in-need studies and redevelopment designations for specific blocks and lots; one item (R279, a proposed mixed-use development with 52 units and 44 parking spaces) failed on a separate vote after being pulled from the block for individual consideration.

- Items withdrawn or tabled: Two economic-development resolutions (2 72 and 2 73) were formally removed from the agenda at the request of the Plainfield Housing Authority; MC2025-26 (horses on public ways) was tabled for reworking; other items (2 75 and 2 79) were taken from the voting block for separate consideration; R279 failed after separate consideration.

This summary lists principal outcomes but is not a comprehensive roll-by-roll transcript of every resolution on the agenda. For a complete record, see the official city minutes and the recorded roll-call entries.","Council approved multiple ordinances and budget items at the July 6 meeting, including two ordinances on second reading, the municipal budget and several departmental resolutions. A redevelopment/items voting block passed after removal of two items for later action.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6654937,"Council adopts developer fee ordinance on first reading to fund homeowner repair grants",152,5664000,5816000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5429491-155d7d1e6bcb783083ed0856baeaa1cf&start=5664&end=5816","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5429491-155d7d1e6bcb783083ed0856baeaa1cf/thumbnail_5664000.jpg","/articles/6654937/Plainfield/Union-County/New-Jersey/Council-adopts-developer-fee-ordinance-on-first-reading-to-fund-homeowner-repair-grants","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6654937-c15d85b921e7dfa23b74c251a4ffef65/orig.mp4?Expires=1775197181&Signature=D7ngmHO~uDnXtx55JugdT0gqart86f5GWipJa72JlK8BkwQHd3iLI6a4cEp9qYIjKGnaePTfq0gpkbga750LUdkQWOYOpHtWMYj9RQuH0ahhjUmrZu9p11~9tOKxn9E8v27-P~pPTwRcWQB35rwIg7hb1LuMwm9w82uO~bCye79OzhgN-cPZbjGLvTw~KhAAxT3SD6kci2MZTbnpa9L1yCnkQPMwguwgfcbB82iy5ApRubCgXWo4-HOio529qFiPc2027oOMmclvDBCVDtbVyOf1HWMayQAEq9wbhuBp6sr9GnRFem5gbziThJrgRTf1hoNKBpILsMqmxAIRpNNc6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the July 6 meeting Plainfield City Council adopted on first reading an ordinance (MC2025-27) that would impose a development fee on new construction—1.5% of construction costs for residential projects and 2.5% for commercial projects—to create a trust for homeowner repair grants. The ordinance was advanced on first reading unanimously.

City staff described the program as a spectrum grant program intended to keep people in their homes by funding safety- and habitability-related repairs (not cosmetic work). Grants would range from $10,000 to $20,000 per household and would be administered under guidelines the city must prepare; staff said the ordinance allows the city to set income thresholds and other eligibility requirements in the program guidelines.

The administration said the approach also incentivizes developers to build 100% affordable projects (those would be exempt), and that the developer-fee trust would be distinct from negotiated community-benefit commitments in individual redevelopment agreements. Council members praised the proposal and asked staff to consider household income ceilings and to create an advisory or review panel that includes residents to help administer the program; staff agreed the guidelines would address those issues and return to council with recommended administrative rules.

The ordinance passed first reading with unanimous council support and will return for a second reading/public hearing and final adoption once staff finalizes program rules and eligibility details.","Council approved on first reading an ordinance establishing developer fees (1.5% residential, 2.5% commercial) to fund a grant program providing $10,000–$20,000 repair grants for existing homeowners; 100%-affordable projects would be exempt. Staff will prepare program guidelines and eligibility rules.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6654940,"Plainfield unveils 5-year Urban Enterprise Zone strategic plan; 30-day public comment opens",3976,398000,4374000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5429491-155d7d1e6bcb783083ed0856baeaa1cf&start=398&end=4374","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5429491-155d7d1e6bcb783083ed0856baeaa1cf/thumbnail_398000.jpg","/articles/6654940/Plainfield/Union-County/New-Jersey/Plainfield-unveils-5-year-Urban-Enterprise-Zone-strategic-plan-30-day-public-comment-opens","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6654940-5cc5b2cc2bd933e027366a236a54d8ab/orig.mp4?Expires=1775197181&Signature=h7YhSDj6gglZSJ6r4H8S2~jrls0FnWUDC0pM9-5BNkUW531C5jY8vW4QgU1jbwuY6YUzhM4E4kEt-xRJyW~nk273Bt-GOXtcG2l4RqZW-JdAvRbwO-ZL~f5m-04WHKPSpqAeHFLnDlmGRsVAAE9V6g5d0Q1bcH9ZVv2uNEfOfMHDHcDKWYsxRBwJWeIrArtjlnUWgpx87pGsG~4crIhjiZPHaLu7qi7-64cu6i5PoEF2o4-z3pLKltvJpv6xWbkotEp0H3fWS1fgShbEijduWGpFuEwR45YcTGul2w7pwzDyl8g4BMeG0DSmUhJi9VfEOuiLrvYdP5XN-FFbN85rfA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City economic-development staff on July 6 presented a five-year strategic plan for Plainfield’s Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ), outlining proposed programming, minor boundary adjustments and an administrative framework for drawing down roughly $1.5 million in annual UEZ funds.

The plan, required by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) for continued UEZ funding, was prepared with outreach that included 155 surveys, in-person open houses, business outreach, and one-on-one stakeholder meetings. The plan identifies administrative priorities such as a UEZ task force, marketing campaigns, a retail-recruiter role, business workshops, workforce-development programs, and increased support for special events to promote downtown activity.

Economic-development staff said the draft also proposes minor boundary edits to remove some noncommercial parcels (for example, parks and certain school parcels) and to add areas targeted for new development. Those changes are intended to focus incentives on commercially active corridors and sites with redevelopment potential. The draft strategic plan is posted on the city’s UEZ web page and will remain open for at least 30 days of public comment before submission to DCA.

Council members asked how the plan aligns with the city’s longer-term master plan and whether there would be in-person meetings for residents. The director said the UEZ plan is a shorter, five-year implementation document that aligns with master-plan goals and that written comments may be submitted through the UEZ coordinator listed on the web page; staff also noted prior open-house sessions during plan drafting and said additional outreach will continue.

The council approved the plan for public comment as part of a block of economic-development items that proceeded later in the meeting. Staff said they will return with final changes after the public-comment period and then submit the plan to DCA.","Economic development staff presented a 5-year strategic plan for Plainfield’s UEZ program that outlines programming and boundary changes to support business attraction, workforce development and special events. Council approved the plan for public comment.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Plainfield council tables proposed permit ordinance for horses on public ways after hours of public comment

Votes at a glance: key ordinances, resolutions and budget actions from Plainfield council meeting July 6, 2025

Council adopts developer fee ordinance on first reading to fund homeowner repair grants

Plainfield unveils 5-year Urban Enterprise Zone strategic plan; 30-day public comment opens