Ramsey council adopts package of ordinances on porches, lead-service lines, parking, noise and retiree insurance

The Ramsey mayor and council on Sept. 10 unanimously adopted five ordinances addressing porches, lead water-service-line replacement, parking on private property, noise limits and retiree insurance for nonunion employees.

Borough Administrator Bruce Jose summarized the measures before the council’s roll-call votes. Ordinance 18-2025 implements local steps to comply with a New Jersey requirement that all lead or galvanized water service lines be replaced by 2031. The ordinance assigns responsibility for the portion of a service line owned by the borough and the portion owned by the property owner, and provides a $750 payment to property owners who replace their portion within the later of 270 days after adoption or 180 days after first notification. The ordinance requires certification from the borough plumbing inspector for that payment.

On the porch rule, Ordinance 17-2025 adds a six-foot encroachment allowance to the front-yard setback for covered porches or steps in residential R1, R2 and R3 zones, but only where the porch is neither enclosed nor fitted with screens or shades. Patricia Mace of 32 Martis, who said she planned to add a five-foot covering to an existing stoop to prevent ice damage, urged passage during final hearing: “I certainly would encourage the council to pass this ordinance … I probably passed 15 homes that have similar type of work.”

Ordinance 19-2025, requested by Donbos High School and vetted with the Ramsey Police Department, requires vehicles at events on private property to be parked in designated spaces to preserve emergency access. Ordinance 20-2025 revises noise-prevention hours: construction and repair work will end at 6 p.m. on all days (down from 8 p.m. on most days), music nighttime limits move from 11 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, and morning start times shift (weekdays begin at 8 a.m., with later weekend starts). Ordinance 21-2025 updates retiree insurance eligibility for nonunion employees, confirming a minimum of 25 years in the New Jersey pension system with at least 15 years of service in the borough for eligibility and setting employee contribution rates at 54.5% of those of an active employee (matching the union contribution rate language used in the ordinance).

Council conducted roll calls after public hearings and recorded approval for each ordinance. The borough clerk was directed to publish titles and adoption notices as required by law.

The council’s adoption completes the local actions described in the ordinances; the lead-service-line measure implements the borough’s allocation of responsibility and a modest incentive for early voluntary replacement. The borough’s Board of Public Works and the borough plumbing inspector are identified in the ordinance as involved in implementation steps, including certification for the incentive. The council did not attach a timetable for implementation beyond the ordinance language tied to state deadlines.

Next procedural steps: the clerk will publish the adopted ordinances in the official newspaper; Ordinance 22 (capital funding for culvert replacements on Alita Place) was introduced and is scheduled for final consideration on Sept. 24, 2025.