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Residents ask Lopatcong to modernize legal notices and flag data-center concerns; council says planning board will review
Summary
At the Jan. 13 special meeting, residents asked whether the township will adopt online legal-notice publication under a new state law and whether it will consider a model ordinance to limit data centers; staff outlined the upcoming change and the council said any zoning change would require planning-board and master-plan review.
Residents used the public-comment period at the Lopatcong Township special meeting on Jan. 13, 2026, to press the council on two policy topics: how the township will publish legal notices under a new state law, and whether it will consider excluding data centers from local zoning.
John Cashson of 38 Jade Lane asked the council how the township will 'modernize' its notification process. Beth, a township staff member, replied that New Jersey enacted Public Law 2025, chapter 72, which revises legal-notice publication requirements to allow posting notices on the official public-entity website in place of traditional print-only publication. Beth said the change takes effect March 1 and described the township website’s planned approach: 'Our website main page has a big yellow button saying legal notices and that's all that we will have to do going forward.'
A separate public comment asked for explanation of environmental "right to know" filing requirements. Bob, who responded, said the state requires annual inspections of chemicals at public buildings; the township hires a contractor to perform inspections and file reports with the state, while township staff maintain required chemical lists and training for employees.
Resident John Ketcherson referenced reporting that a Warren County commissioner circulated a model ordinance to exclude data centers from municipal zoning because of concerns about strain on water and electrical resources. Ketcherson asked whether Lopatcong would adopt such an ordinance. Council members said that adopting limits on data centers would involve changes to the township master plan and would require review by the planning board; the council said it would look into the model ordinance but did not propose or adopt any zoning changes at the meeting.
The council did not take formal action on either topic during the meeting; staff and the planning board were identified as the next points in the process for potential future action.
