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Council adopts ordinance establishing Division of Human Resources; administration says move reduces liability
Summary
Council voted to adopt ordinance 26‑12 to establish a Division of Human Resources inside the Department of Administration to comply with New Jersey civil‑service requirements; a resident criticized the ordinance as creating unnecessary positions, and the administration said it will staff one HR professional initially and that formalization reduces insurance exposure.
The Township of Clark council voted on April 6 to adopt ordinance 26‑12, which creates a Division of Human Resources within the Department of Administration.
During a public hearing on the ordinance, resident Michael Shulman urged the council to reject or substantially trim the ordinance, saying the text lists nine potential HR positions and questioned whether Clark needs a separate HR department given the township—s existing staffing levels. Shulman said the town had 118 employees in 2025 and the proposed budget shows 148 employees for 2026, and he described the listed positions as potentially redundant.
Mayor Angel Albanese and Business Administrator Jim Ulrich responded that the organizational chart is required by New Jersey civil‑service rules and that the township does not intend to hire all nine positions immediately. Ulrich said the formal structure is necessary to meet a checklist required by the township—s insurance pool (MEL/JIF), and that complying with the policy and procedural requirements materially lowers the township—s potential deductible and liability caps for employment‑practice and cybersecurity coverage.
Ulrich told the council that, although the ordinance identifies multiple job titles, the administration expects to employ a single HR professional initially to ensure consistency across departments, handle personnel policies and satisfy insurance risk‑control requirements.
After discussion the council moved and adopted ordinance 26‑12 by roll call. The clerk recorded affirmative votes from Council Member Hough, Council Member Hunt, Council Member Manetti, Council Member O'Connor, Council Member Toll and Council President Smith.
The administration said the next step is publication and implementation steps consistent with civil‑service rules; the formal public hearing and adoption of related personnel ordinances will follow standard municipal procedures.
