Council adopts multiple bond, traffic and parking ordinances; approves delayed budget resolution

Linden City Council closed public hearings and adopted a package of ordinances at its meeting, approving bond measures for vehicles and capital projects, amending traffic and parking chapters, and adopting a resolution to delay formal introduction of the 2025 municipal budget under state statute citations presented during the meeting.

The ordinances the council adopted during the session fund police and fire equipment and vehicles, capital projects for public works and parks, make changes to on-street handicap and residential parking regulations and create a mobile-payment parking rule, among other technical amendments. Council members recorded unanimous voice votes in favor when each ordinance was brought to a vote.

Votes at a glance - Ordinance 69-3: Amend Chapter 3 (Police regulations, noise model) — public hearing closed and ordinance adopted (vote: recorded yes votes from council members present). No written public comments were received. - Ordinance 69-4: Amend Chapter 7 (Traffic) — adds on-street handicap parking at specific addresses; public hearing closed and ordinance adopted. - Ordinance 69-5: Amend Chapter 7 (parking regulations for lots adjoining railroad) — public hearing closed and ordinance adopted. - Ordinance 69-6: Bond ordinance appropriating $401,500 for acquisition of sport utility vehicles and a van for the police department and authorizing issuance of bonds/notes in the amount reported on the ordinance (transcript text: "authorizing the issuance of $30,181,425 dollar bonds or notes of the city"); public hearing closed and ordinance adopted. - Ordinance 69-7: Bond ordinance appropriating $310,200 for various items of capital equipment and vehicles for the fire department and authorizing the issuance of $294,690 in bonds/notes; public hearing closed and ordinance adopted. - Ordinance 69-8: Bond ordinance appropriating $1,215,500 for capital improvements and acquisitions for public works and authorizing issuance of $1,154,725 in bonds/notes; public hearing closed and ordinance adopted. - Ordinance 69-9: Bond ordinance appropriating $1,168,200 for the acquisition of a fire engine and related equipment and authorizing issuance of $1,110,580 in bonds/notes; adopted after public hearing. - Ordinance 69-10: Bond ordinance appropriating $880,000 for landfill renovations and authorizing issuance of $836,000 in bonds/notes; adopted after public hearing. - Ordinance 69-11: Ordinance authorizing various capital improvements for the Division of Engineering, appropriating $770,000 and authorizing issuance of $731,500 in bonds/notes; adopted after hearing. - Ordinance (amendment) 69-12: Amend Chapter 10-11.9 (removal by owner or city) — public hearing closed and ordinance adopted. - Ordinance 69-13: Amend Chapter 7-35.5 (mobile payment system) to limit mobile parking payments to 2 hours at $1.35 per hour — public hearing closed and ordinance adopted.

During the meeting the council also moved a package of consent items, noted retirements and approved personnel actions by vote.

Budget resolution The council adopted a resolution permitting the municipality to delay introduction of the calendar year 2025 municipal budget and to forward certified copies to the director of local government services, citing "NJSA 48:4-5" and related statutory references in the resolution text as read into the record. The resolution stated the formal budget introduction would occur at the April 15 meeting and the public hearing and adoption would be set for May 20, 2025.

Several ordinances were introduced for future hearings (69-14 through 69-21) covering additional capital projects and technical land-use amendments; those measures were introduced and will return for public hearings on the schedule set by the council.

Council minutes record motions to close hearings and repeated roll-call affirmations; for the adopted ordinances the roll-call recorded the vote as "Yes" from the members present at each vote.

The session included the removal of one resolution from the package (resolution 2025-187) before the council voted on the remaining resolutions.