Kenilworth Council approves amended service agreement with Roselle Park; one member votes no

Kenilworth Borough Council on June 18 approved Resolution 25-157, an amended intermunicipal services agreement with Roselle Park that delays full service delivery until the contractor or partner secures required staffing and that allows two limited services to begin July 1.

The measure matters because it governs which municipal services Kenilworth will provide to Roselle Park and under what staffing and cost conditions — a change council members said is intended to protect Kenilworth residents’ service levels while permitting partial service delivery to a neighboring borough.

Council discussion focused on staffing thresholds, administrative costs and an initial six-month review. Council members agreed the contract should require sufficient staff before Kenilworth provides full services; limited services were described in council debate as starting July 1 and focused on specific collection tasks. Council members also discussed adding an administrative fee and reviewing administrative costs at a six-month checkpoint.

The council voted on the resolution after debate. The motion to approve Resolution 25-157 was made by Councilman Finestrella and seconded by Councilman Boyle. Roll-call voting recorded Yes votes from Councilman Boyle, Councilman Finestrella, Councilwoman Giordano Fasorno, Councilman Piper and Councilman Scurris; Councilman Morrow voted No. The motion passed.

Councilman Morrow explained his opposition during the roll call: "I am unwilling to take these types of risks with our resident services, so I am a no." The meeting record does not show additional public comment on the resolution during the open session.

The adopted amendment instructs staff to withhold full service delivery until the staffing condition is satisfied and directs a six-month administrative review to assess any administrative costs that have been incurred. The resolution language discussed during the meeting also contemplated that Roselle Park could arrange for a third party to provide services if Kenilworth cannot meet staffing requirements.

The council placed a six‑month review into the agreement to evaluate administrative costs and the operational impact; the record shows the council asked staff to return with updated contract language and to build any ongoing administrative cost into future budgeting.

The contract and the amendments will be recorded in full in the minutes and will appear in the borough’s administrative files.