The municipal clerk presented two pending ordinances to amend zoning and land-use rules governing major fossil-fuel facilities and to prohibit the use of city funds for fossil-fuel generation.

Council members raised practical questions about scope and language. One council member asked whether the phrase “use of city funds for fossil fuel” could be read to ban ordinary purchases such as gasoline at retail stations or fuel for city vehicles. Business administrator Eric Pennington said the ordinance as written may be vague and could raise unintended consequences; he recommended tightening definitions before final passage.

Dr. Leah Owens, a ports and policy analyst with the South Ward Environmental Alliance, urged clarifying the target: major facilities that exceed New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection thresholds for carcinogens, carbon and particulates, not retail gas stations. “Gas stations are nowhere near that threshold,” Owens said, and she suggested textual revisions that focus on major sources of air pollution rather than routine consumer fuel transactions.

Sponsors said the ordinances are rooted in environmental-justice goals and work conducted with local advocates such as Kim Gaddy and the South Ward Environmental Alliance. Council leadership moved both items to first reading with the expectation of additional drafting and consultation with administration staff to resolve vagueness and constitutional concerns.

What’s next: Both ordinances were advanced to first reading with the administration and council agreeing to refine language and address specific questions about exemptions and definitions before final reading and a vote.