Council approves one-time park-permit waivers and orders ordinance review after Girl Scouts dispute

The Pompton Lakes Borough Council considered proposed changes to the park-permit ordinance and debated whether school-sponsored and youth-group events should be exempt from permit fees. Administration said the borough attorney advised that events sponsored by the Board of Education fall under the "municipal family" and would therefore be eligible for fee waivers; staff also proposed allowing a single certificate of insurance valid for a full year for board-sponsored events rather than requiring separate certificates for each event.

Council members raised concerns that a broad waiver could prompt many outside groups to seek similar treatment. A specific request to waive park-permit fees for Lakeside Girl Scouts prompted a heated debate: some members said granting a one-off waiver would contradict the recently adopted ordinance; others cited the civic nature of scout activities and the borough attorney's guidance about school-sponsored events. The council voted to waive fees for the particular Girl Scouts events on the agenda and directed the ordinance committee to return with clearer language to differentiate school-affiliated youth activities from other groups.

The council also directed staff to prepare an ordinance amendment to allow a blanket certificate of insurance valid for one year to cover a board of education's multiple events, alleviating repeated insurance filings for recurring school-sponsored activities.

What happens next: The ordinance committee will review the park-permit ordinance and propose revisions to clarify eligibility for fee waivers and insurance requirements; council flagged the need for clearer public communication about permit costs and exemptions.