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Passaic council fills zoning board vacancies, names seven full members and four alternates
Summary
After a prolonged discussion about how to allocate seats, the council ratified seven full zoning-board appointments and four alternates, setting terms to expire Dec. 31, 2026 and agreeing to stagger expirations going forward.
The Passaic City Council on April 22 ratified appointments to the Zoning Board, naming seven full members and four alternates and directing that terms be staggered going forward.
Council members said they wanted to broaden participation and avoid clustering expirations; they instructed the clerk to read nominees and then voted on the slate. The council approved the full members and alternates by roll call.
Why it matters: zoning-board members decide applications affecting property use, variances and local development. Filling the board ensures continued review of land-use matters and reduces the risk of quorum problems delaying decisions.
Nominations and appointments: the clerk read nominations and the council confirmed the following as full members (terms set to expire Dec. 31, 2026): Jacob Bressman (nominated by Councilman Monk), Sheila Woodson (Councilman Love), Ralph Maid (Councilwoman Mello), Menaka Bazian (Councilman Schwartz), Yolanda Soto (Councilman Garcia, moved from alternate to full member), Jamie Montanez (Councilwoman Colon Muntenez), and Moshe Starchevsky (nominated by Council President Schaer). The council also appointed four alternate members: Jamie C. Delgado, David Blumenthal, Danae Rhodes and Harold Hess.
Council discussion focused on fairness of nominations, the desire to stagger future term expirations so seats do not all turn over at once, and the difficulty of filling boards. Council members described a mix of continuing members and newly nominated residents; some members noted prior practice of allowing long-serving members to continue as alternates if new nominees did not meet attendance expectations.
Vote: the council approved the slate by roll call. Council President Schaer said the task was "arduous" but important; the clerk and staff will administratively record the appointments and term expirations.
Ending: With the vote, the zoning board has a full complement of seven voting members and four alternates; the administration and council said they will implement staggered terms so future expirations occur at different times.
