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Council removes employee membership "section M" from proposed pool-fee ordinance after public comment
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Summary
At a public hearing on Ordinance 2025-02 to amend municipal pool fees, council members expressed concern about adding a free membership fringe for employees (section M). After debate and a public comment urging removal, the council voted to strip section M and advance the ordinance's remainder to second reading.
The Borough of Waldwick held a public hearing on Ordinance 2025-02, which would amend chapter 48‑87‑7 of the municipal code governing swimming pool fees. During discussion, several council members raised fiscal concerns about a provision (referred to in the meeting as "section M") that would provide free pool memberships to some borough employees or individuals identified in the ordinance.
One council member said the amendment had been added without a prior financial analysis and that, given the budget shortfall and a proposed 3.5% cap increase under discussion, ‘‘asking taxpayers to shoulder an even greater financial burden without a clear plan for offsetting costs is not responsible.’’ Another council member said the town is already drawing heavily from surplus and that now was not the time to add additional benefits.
At the public microphone, resident Maureen Daniels said she supported removing section M on principle, arguing that volunteer service and municipal salaried work are different statuses and that extending a broad exemption to salaried employees blurred that distinction: "Salaries distinguish you from volunteers... and I think that other than the specified volunteers found elsewhere in the ordinance, that all of us should pay to use the pool." The council acknowledged the point.
After discussion, a motion to remove section M from the ordinance was made and seconded; the clerk recorded a roll-call vote moving the ordinance forward without section M and authorized advertising and a second-reading public hearing in two weeks.
What’s next: the ordinance (without section M) will be advertised and brought back for a second reading and public hearing; the removed benefit may be revisited with further fiscal analysis if council so directs.
