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Council directs staff to draft residency requirement for redevelopment agency appointments starting 2025
Summary
After a heated workshop exchange, the council asked staff to draft an ordinance that would require Pompton Lakes residency for redevelopment agency appointments beginning with reappointments in 2025; supporters said redevelopment has outsized local impact, opponents warned about volunteer recruitment and uniform enforcement across boards.
During a lengthy workshop discussion on April 24, Pompton Lakes councilors debated whether members of the borough’s redevelopment agency should be required to be residents. Several council members said boards that shape redevelopment should be composed of local residents because their decisions have long-term impacts on the community.
One council member urged the change, saying simply: "I want my residents on my board." Other council members and the mayor raised concerns about losing volunteers, inconsistent residency requirements across boards and the need for a uniform application and verification process. Borough staff reported they are developing a citizen leadership form that will capture residency information and be verified by the clerk’s office.
The council directed the borough attorney and staff to draft an ordinance requiring redevelopment-agency members to be residents, effective for reappointments beginning in 2025, and to return with the ordinance language for a future vote.
Next steps: staff will prepare draft ordinance language and a citizenship/residency verification form for council review prior to introduction.
