Atlantic City Council completes reorganization, confirms appointments and adopts procedural resolutions

Atlantic City Council met Jan. 7 for its annual reorganization meeting and carried a slate of routine procedural measures, appointments and ordinance votes, including adoption of Robert—s Rules of Order and approval of several board and commission appointments.

The reorganizational meeting, held in a hybrid format with in-person and virtual participation, opened with the council—s legislative solicitor outlining the nomination and voting process for council leadership. The council then approved procedural resolutions, a schedule of 2025 meeting dates and multiple appointments to city boards and commissions, and voted on a group of ordinances and resolutions recommended or signed by the mayor.

Why it matters: The reorganization sets council procedures and fills boards that advise or make decisions affecting municipal services, planning and development. Adoption of rules, voting on appointments and ordinances during this meeting establish the council—s operating baseline for the year and determine citizen representation on local boards.

The council formally adopted Robert—s Rules of Order as its rules and procedures and approved a calendar of 2025 meeting dates. The mayor—s signed ordinances reported to the council included ordinance numbers listed by staff as 51, 608, 609, 70, 701, 702, 703, 704, 705 and 76 (signed Dec. 20, 2024). Reappointments and appointments reported included Libby Wills and Dr. Jean Washington Griffin to the Atlantic City Free Public Library board, among others.

Council members also considered a set of administrative resolutions including authorization for the chief financial officer to invest municipal tax-exempt funds, authorizations related to tax collection procedures, and cancellation of certain receivables and grant reserves. Several grant and intergovernmental agreements were advanced, including a memorandum of agreement with Stockton University and acceptance of New Jersey—s Transit Village planning assistance.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution No. 3 (appoint Class 3 member to the Planning Board): approved (vote recorded in meeting as affirmative). - Resolution No. 5 (adopt Robert—s Rules of Order): approved, 9 in the affirmative. - Resolution No. 6 (2025 council meeting schedule): approved, 9 in the affirmative. - Resolution No. 9 (confirm tax management plan): approved, 9 in the affirmative. - Resolution No. 10 (authorize CFO to invest municipal tax-exempt funds): approved (vote recorded as affirmative). - Resolution No. 11 (authorize percentages on income-related items): approved (vote recorded as affirmative). - Resolution No. 12 (authorize interest on unpaid taxes — transcript wording: "at the rate of 8% for the first 1500 dollars at 18 on any excess amount per annum"): approved, 9 in the affirmative. (Text in the meeting transcript appeared garbled; full statutory language not provided.) - Ordinance No. 77 (second and final reading; code amendment chapter 173): approved, vote recorded as 6 yes, 2 no, 1 abstention. - Ordinance No. 78 (amend chapter 202-24 to expand the residential parking system to include both sides of Florida Avenue): approved (vote recorded as in the affirmative during the meeting). - Ordinance No. 79 (authorizing a memorial structure for International Mother Language Day at Texas Avenue Playground): approved, vote recorded as in the affirmative. - Resolution No. 17 (appoint Ronald Jordan): approved, vote recorded as in the affirmative. - Resolution No. 18 (reappoint Paul Hussain to zoning-related board): approved, vote recorded as in the affirmative. - Resolution No. 25 (authorize Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant FY2024 submission): approved, vote recorded as in the affirmative. - Resolution No. 27 (cancel 2024 receivables and grant reserves, appropriate balances): approved, vote recorded as in the affirmative. - Resolution No. 28 (authorize memorandum of agreement between the City and Stockton University): approved, vote recorded as in the affirmative.

Several additional consent and administrative resolutions were passed by recorded voice votes listed during the meeting as unanimous or "9 in the affirmative." The transcript records roll-call responses for routine consent items (minutes, licenses, standard administrative authorizations) with votes recorded by member surnames.

Parking ordinance discussion and safety concerns: During consideration of the residential parking ordinance expanding the system to both sides of Florida Avenue, members and at least one resident raised practical safety concerns about vehicle movements near a nearby site (reference to truck unloading, recent crashes and an electrical box damaged in a crash). Staff and council members indicated engineers would review traffic and safety implications; the ordinance itself converts public on-street parking into the timed residential parking system rather than adding new spaces.

Appointments and board membership: The council approved multiple appointments across library, planning, zoning and other boards. The meeting included repeated roll-call votes confirming nominees; specific appointment terms were mentioned for some nominees (for example, 5-year terms for library board appointees noted in the clerk—s report).

What the record does not provide: The meeting transcript contains partial or unclear wording for some items (for example, the exact statutory citation for the interest-rate authorization and some mayor-signed ordinance descriptions). When the transcript text was garbled, this article reports the wording as presented in the meeting and flags where the transcript did not provide a clear statutory phrasing.

Looking ahead: The council president opened nominations for internal council leadership at the start of the reorganization process and the council indicated further follow-up on board appointment procedures and, where requested, staff promised to provide clarifying information on board makeup and state appointment rules.

Ending: The reorganization meeting completed a routine annual set of votes and appointments; council members recorded a mix of unanimous votes for administrative items and one ordinance (No. 77) with a split vote. Several items flagged for additional staff review (parking safety and clarifications on board appointment rules) will return to staff or committee follow-up.