Pompton Lakes council adopts $796,050 bond ordinance to fund park improvements and cameras; raises parking penalties

Pompton Lakes Borough Council on Feb. 26 adopted a $796,050 bond ordinance that the council said will fund multiple municipal projects including park improvements and new camera infrastructure, and introduced separate ordinances updating a left-turn restriction and raising the fine for winter parking violations.

The ordinance, advertised as Ordinance 25-09 and described at the meeting as a bond ordinance appropriating $796,050 and authorizing the issuance of $758,000 in bonds or notes, passed on a roll-call vote during the regularly scheduled council meeting at the municipal building. Council members also approved a slate of consent resolutions, introduced Ordinances 25-13 and 25-14 for later action, and approved the appointment of Jason Lavasi to the borough redevelopment board.

The bond ordinance matters because it finances several visible local projects: the council said the package covers improvements at borough fields (listed in the ordinance as Willow Field and as part of Hershfield/Hirschfield Park), cameras and related infrastructure, and other municipal improvements. At the meeting a member of the public raised questions about whether grant money previously discussed for the baseball-field project was included in the ordinance’s advertised language; the council and clerk clarified that the ordinance’s full text (not always reproduced in the newspaper advertisement) does identify approximately $430,000 expected or received from county and state sources to reduce the borough’s net cost.

During a public comment period, Jake Humbauer of 130 Legion Street asked why the newspaper notice showed “$0 from grants to reserves” for the project and said, “I was under the impression that the project down at the baseball fields had 5 to $600,000 grants.” The council and municipal staff responded that the advertised notice did not include all detail but that the ordinance itself lists the expected grant funding and that the $430,000 figure is included in the ordinance’s bottom section.

Council members and staff also discussed how unused bond proceeds would be handled. The council stated that if bonded funds are not spent for an intended item (for example, cameras), those proceeds would be applied to pay down the bond rather than used for an unrelated new purpose.

On procedural items, the council:

- Approved the consent agenda, listing Resolutions 25-111 through 25-124 as adopted.

- Introduced Ordinance 25-13 to amend Chapter 7, Section 7-30 to prohibit left turns between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. from Ringwood Avenue into the car wash driveway; the ordinance was introduced by motion and passed to first reading with roll-call votes in favor.

- Introduced Ordinance 25-14 to increase the penalty for a violation of the borough’s snow parking/removal rules (the fine was discussed in public as increasing from $36 to $45). The ordinance was moved for introduction and advanced to the next reading.

- Adopted Ordinances 25-11 and 25-12 together by vote (vote recorded as a roll-call “aye” on both items at the meeting).

- Appointed Jason Lavasi to the redevelopment board for a term the council described as three years (the clerk said paperwork would confirm the exact expiration); the motion to appoint was made and seconded and carried on voice vote.

Public safety, parking and downtown concerns came up in several public comments. Lynn Hazleman of 50 White Way described recent changes to permit fees and local safety issues in the borough’s Pond lot, saying, “Last year, it was $50 for 6 months to park in the Pond lot for business, workers. This year, it is now $50 a month, which is $600-ish a year.” Hazleman said the lot has only about 50 spaces, described incidents in the lot including broken bottles and instances of a person following a worker to her car, and urged more cameras and enforcement. The mayor and council said the borough will add cameras as part of the project funded by the bond ordinance and that parking enforcement actions (tickets and tows) have been issued after recent snow events.

Resident Jay Trammell, who said a car in front of his house had been towed, thanked the council for towing enforcement. Council leaders encouraged residents to call police when they observe crimes or suspicious incidents so officers can document the incidents promptly; they also said the borough is planning additional camera coverage as part of the funded projects.

The council addressed one point of wording for the advertised ordinance: staff confirmed the project language refers to improvements at Hershfield (spelled in the ordinance) and Willow Field (listed separately in the ordinance language as the site for a new baseball field and related landscaping, structures, equipment and furnishings). The clerk advised that the full ordinance text—available to the public—shows the grant amount and project breakdown even when the brief newspaper advertisement does not.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution(s) 25-111 through 25-124 (consent agenda): adopted (voice vote).

- Ordinance 25-13 (introduce/amend left-turn prohibition): introduced/approved for first reading (roll-call recorded as in favor).

- Ordinance 25-14 (introduce/increase snow-parking penalty to $45): introduced/approved for first reading (roll-call recorded as in favor).

- Ordinance 25-09 (bond ordinance appropriating $796,050; authorize issuance of $758,000 in bonds/notes): adopted on final reading (roll-call vote; council members recorded in favor at the meeting included Councilwoman Kilberg, Councilwoman Paul Dore [recorded as Councilwoman Papalandore in the transcript], Councilman Benning, Councilman Cruz and Councilwoman Kent).

- Ordinances 25-11 and 25-12: adopted together (roll-call aye recorded).

- Appointment of Jason Lavasi to redevelopment board: appointed (motion made, seconded and carried by voice vote); term described as three years pending paperwork.

What the council did not decide or that was left unspecified

- The ordinances introduced (25-13, 25-14) require a second reading/possible adoption at a later meeting; the final fine amounts and enforcement details will be set if and when those ordinances are adopted.

- Bond proceeds’ precise allocations and contract details (for example, specific cameras or vendor contracts) were not finalized at the meeting; the clerk and staff said grant amounts and detailed project language are included in the ordinance text and in forthcoming contract documents.

Borough context and next steps

Council members and staff said construction and camera work will proceed as permits and contracts are completed and that grant application and award processes for the Willow Field/Hershfield projects are ongoing. The clerk noted that the full ordinance text is available to the public and includes the expected grant funding for the park project. The council did not set a specific timeline for all installations at the meeting.

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