Elmwood Park council introduces bond and traffic ordinances, tables water-rate revision and adopts DPW leadership changes

The Elmwood Park mayor and council handled multiple ordinances and a consent agenda at their Feb. 20 meeting, introducing three ordinances on first reading, tabling a water-department rate ordinance and approving a second-reading ordinance that restructures Department of Public Works leadership.

On first reading the council introduced: an annual salary ordinance for borough employees (Ordinance 25-03), an ordinance to permit Title 39 enforcement on private property and an adjacent easement at 41 Slater Drive to address long-term tractor-trailer parking (Ordinance 25-04), and a bond ordinance to finance streetscape improvements on Molla Boulevard Phase 2 with an appropriation of $1,010,000 (Ordinance 25-05). Council members moved and seconded each introduction and the council’s roll-call votes were recorded as affirmative for each ordinance, allowing the ordinances to be advertised and scheduled for final hearing on March 20, 2025.

A proposed amendment to the borough’s water-department ordinance (Ordinance 25-01) — which had been on the agenda for second reading — was opened for public comment and then formally tabled at the request of the department head. Council President Pellegrini moved to table the measure and Councilwoman Choisy seconded; the roll call showed votes in favor and the motion to table carried. The council noted the ordinance will be revisited after further revision.

On final reading the council adopted Ordinance 25-02, which repealed and replaced borough code sections concerning Department of Public Works leadership and added a department-head position with associated compensation changes. The ordinance passed on roll call.

The council approved a broad consent agenda that included payroll and bills lists, tax exemptions and refunds, personnel appointments (two part-time police dispatchers and an auxiliary firefighter appointment), a mechanic’s-helper stipend, a DPW retirement payout, a fire-department stipend program for fourth-quarter compensation, and two shared-service agreements with the Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority for TV inspection and jetting services. The consent motion passed on a roll call; several council members recorded recusals on selected consent items (for example, Councilman Fasolo recused on R-93-25 and R-98-25 and voted no on R-97-25; Councilwoman Tracy recused on R-89-25, R-90-25 and R-98-25).

Why it matters: The bond ordinance, if ultimately adopted at its final hearing, would appropriate $1,010,000 for streetscape work on Molla Boulevard Phase 2 and enable the borough to issue bonds and anticipation notes to finance the project. The Slater Drive ordinance responds to long-term tractor-trailer parking on a private easement that property owners asked the borough to address. Tabling of the water ordinance pauses a potential change to metered-service billing rates until staff can refine the proposal.

Votes at a glance - Ordinance 25-03 (salary/wage ordinance) — introduced on first reading; final hearing scheduled March 20, 2025; roll-call introduction carried. - Ordinance 25-04 (Title 39 enforcement at 41 Slater Drive) — introduced on first reading to allow traffic enforcement on private easement; final hearing scheduled March 20, 2025; roll-call introduction carried. - Ordinance 25-05 (bond ordinance — Molla Boulevard Phase 2) — introduced on first reading; appropriation $1,010,000; final hearing scheduled March 20, 2025; roll-call introduction carried. - Ordinance 25-01 (water-department rates and rules) — opened for public comment and tabled at request of department head; motion to table carried by roll call. - Ordinance 25-02 (DPW leadership; code sections 2-32.1–2-32.8) — adopted on final reading by roll call. - Consent agenda (R-79-25 through R-99-25) — adopted; notable items: appointments of part-time dispatchers, shared-service agreements with Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority (TV inspection and jetting services), fire-department stipend program, mechanic’s-helper stipend; recusals recorded for specific items as noted above.

What’s next: The introduced ordinances will return for final hearings on March 20, 2025. The water-department ordinance will be revised at staff request and reintroduced at a later meeting.