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New Milford council adopts series of ordinances to fund road, sewer, cemetery and technology projects
Summary
At its March 9 work session the New Milford Mayor and Council approved multiple ordinances including road and sewer projects, a cemetery headstone restoration appropriation, and a $53,000 capital purchase for a new finance system; several first readings were set for March 23.
The Borough of New Milford on March 9 adopted a package of ordinances funding local infrastructure, historic preservation and municipal technology improvements.
The council approved a payments-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement ordinance for redevelopment at Block 501, Lots 9 and 10 (listed in the meeting as 814 River Road Urban Renewal LLC), describing a project with 160 residential units including 32 low- and moderate-income units and about 12,500 square feet of retail space. Mayor Michael J. Petrino opened the public hearing on the ordinance, closed it with no speakers, and the council adopted the ordinance on final reading by roll call.
Council members also adopted a capital appropriation of $50,000 to restore headstones at the historic French Huguenot Cemetery, with $25,000 to come from a Bergen County preservation grant and $25,000 from the borough’s Open Space Trust Fund. The meeting record shows the grant and borough-matching split.
The council approved two bond ordinances to fund road improvements: one package totaling $425,000 for resurfacing and drainage on several streets (East Woodland Road, Lumen Drive, Greve Drive, Ridge Street and Pleasant Drive), and a separate appropriation of $245,000 (including a $135,157 federal/community-development grant) for resurfacing and related work on Clinton Avenue, Huguenot Drive, Arlington Road and Yale Street.
A capital appropriation of $53,000 was adopted to purchase and implement a new tax and finance computer system (identified in the meeting as "Edmonds"). The council also approved an ordinance to replace sanitary sewer lines on portions of Pine Avenue and Hughes Road, a $490,000 project that meeting materials show includes a $365,395 grant component. The annual salary ordinance updating pay ranges for municipal positions was adopted as well.
Several ordinances were introduced on first reading and set for public hearing March 23: a measure requiring municipal fines be paid before issuance of certificates of occupancy, a new section reserving parking for publicly accessible electric vehicle charging, fees for lead-based-paint inspections for rental dwellings (the meeting cites NJSA 52:27... as the statutory authority), and a parking amendment to allow vehicle removal for street cleaning and snow removal.
Most adopted ordinances were moved and seconded on the floor and approved by roll call. For example, the vote on the PILOT/redevelopment ordinance (2026:01) registered affirmative roll-call responses from the members the clerk read at that time: Councilman Sandhuysen (yes), Councilman Duffy (yes), Councilman Grotzky (yes), Council President Seymour (yes) and Councilman Grant ("reluctantly, yes"). Vote tallies for other adopted ordinances were recorded similarly during roll calls in the meeting minutes.
The meeting packet and council discussion identified funding sources where provided: county grants and the borough’s Open Space Trust Fund for cemetery work; federal and community-development grant funds for portions of road projects; and a noted grant amount for the sewer replacement project. Officials directed staff to post all legal notices and ordinance introductions on the borough website as now required by state law.
The council adjourned to closed session at the end of the work session. No further action was announced when the body reconvened.
