Residents press council on parking permits, cannabis zoning and water-meter billing during public comment

Multiple residents used the Jan. 13 public-comment period at the South River Borough Council meeting to raise specific service and land-use concerns and to seek follow-up from borough staff.

A resident identifying himself as JP Simba of 52 David Street described an ongoing parking-permit problem after being denied a permit because his official address faces a different street and because a fire hydrant occupies the curb in front of his house. He said he has received tickets for parking on Lexington Street, which he said is where most of his house fronts. The mayor and other officials said the usual process for creating residential permit parking requires a petition from affected residents to the council; staff offered to collect the commenter’s contact information and to follow up with the borough administrator to determine next steps.

Cannabis zoning drew several public comments. One resident said they support retail cannabis but wished the issue had been placed on the ballot; they urged caution over proposed retail locations near Causeway and Water Street, which they said are close to churches. Meeting remarks noted statutory setback distances mentioned in the discussion: 200 feet from churches and 300 feet from schools. The council clarified that even if the borough approves zoning, state approval for retail licenses (the Cannabis Regulatory Commission or other state steps were referenced generally) is required before businesses may open. Council leadership said a public workshop on the cannabis ordinance will be scheduled before the next council meeting.

Several residents and council members discussed the recent replacement of water meters and the impact on customer bills. A council speaker explained that if a household’s bills had been estimated for an extended period, receiving an actual meter read can produce an adjustment — either a credit or an unusually large bill — and that the average residential water bill cited in the meeting was $240 per quarter (about $80 per month). The council encouraged residents with unexpectedly large bills to request a review.

Other public comments and staff reports included requests for clearer engineer reports on recent street paving (several streets and a Collin/LaBrosse Drive paving project had been on the agenda), concerns about meter technicians not leaving advance notices in some neighborhoods, and notice that a land-use board meeting was scheduled with new appointments.

What the council promised: staff offered to collect contact information from the parking-permit commenter and to consult with the borough administrator; council members said they would schedule a cannabis workshop and provide clearer engineering updates on roadway projects; water-billing concerns were referred to the billing/customer-service team and the newly authorized part-time administrative assistant (consent resolution 2025-64) for follow-up.

Ending: Council members asked residents to provide specific addresses and contact details so staff can investigate parking-permit eligibility and billing discrepancies; the borough will post notice of the cannabis workshop and the Feb. 3 second readings/public hearings for the ordinances.

Quotes (from the meeting): "They did decline. They said that because, like, my front is on, like, David Street, I have to park on David Street," said public commenter JP Simba describing a denied parking permit request. "You have to petition to you guys. And once I can petition that to you guys, if you guys approve that, then you will enforce that," the mayor said when explaining the residential permit process.