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North Haledon Council adopts emergency remote‑meeting rules, sets written public‑comment process
Summary
The Borough Council unanimously adopted Resolution #1‑2022 implementing N.J.A.C. 5:39 emergency remote meeting protocols, requiring clear public notice, a minimum remote participant capacity and a written‑comment option submitted by 4:30 p.m. on meeting days.
The Borough of North Haledon’s Board of Council voted unanimously Jan. 3 to adopt an emergency remote‑meeting resolution that codifies how the borough will run virtual or limited‑capacity meetings during declared emergencies.
Resolution #1‑2022, adopted on a motion by Councilwoman Donna Puglisi and seconded by Councilman George Pomianek, implements the procedures set out in N.J.A.C. 5:39‑1 et seq. It requires the borough to post clear instructions for accessing remote meetings, make agendas available on the borough website and at the municipal building by 4:30 p.m. on meeting days, and provide telephonic access for listeners.
The resolution sets a minimum participant capacity for remote public meetings (not fewer than 50 members of the public, excluding officials and staff) and instructs the chair to announce electronic‑notice statements at the start of each meeting. It also requires that members of the public be allowed to make comment by audio or audio/video when the meeting format supports it, and it allows written public comments to be emailed to the municipal clerk or mailed to the clerk’s office; written submissions must be received by 4:30 p.m. on the date of the meeting to be read aloud.
The rules call for the chair or the chair’s designee to manage muting functions and to warn or remove disruptive participants if they continue to impede meeting decorum. The resolution further states that, when sworn testimony is involved, witnesses must appear on video and that materials ordinarily available at in‑person meetings must be posted to the borough’s website or displayed during video broadcasts.
Council members said the policy is intended to preserve transparent public access to meetings during public‑health emergencies and to mirror the decorum expected at in‑person meetings. The motion passed on roll call with all members voting in the affirmative.
The council also adopted a companion policy establishing a standing Consent Agenda for routine, noncontroversial items and approved an initial consent packet that includes meeting dates, official newspapers, a temporary budget, a cash management plan and authorization for payment of bills.
