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Council promotes two officers, approves multiple ordinances and pledges tougher enforcement on unlawful pool rentals
Summary
The Elmwood Park council swore in Captain Keith Hartman and Lieutenant William Woods, adopted several ordinances and consent items including a $875,265 DOT grant application, and heard public complaints about repeated, advertised private pool rentals and nuisance parties at 63 Birchwood; police said summonses have been issued.
Elmwood Park’s Mayor and Council on July 17 celebrated two promotions in the police department, approved a slate of ordinances and consent items and promised stepped-up enforcement after neighbors described repeated unauthorized pool rentals and nuisance parties at a single property.
Police promotions and recognition: The council approved resolutions to promote Keith Hartman to captain and William Woods to lieutenant and held a brief swearing-in ceremony. Police Chief Michael Foligno and family members participated; both officers thanked colleagues and family in short remarks. Chief Foligno praised the officers’ work and said the promotions were well deserved.
Ordinances and consent items: The council adopted a range of ordinances on final reading including a Miller Avenue no-parking ordinance and a revised shade-tree ordinance (new tree removal and replacement rules). The council also amended the borough salary ordinance for certain nonunion employees on final reading. As part of consent business the council approved R-254-25 to submit a New Jersey Department of Transportation municipal aid grant application for an $875,265 decorative lighting project on Mullah Boulevard; the consent agenda was approved by roll call.
Code enforcement and short-term rental complaints: In public comment, neighbors described repeated parties, porta-johns in driveways, overflowing trash and alleged Swimply listings offering a private pool at a home on Birchwood/Route 46. Neighbors said events ran late into the night and that repeated complaints had not stopped the activity. A resident said the parties had created safety and sanitation problems and that evidence (advertisements, photos) showed the home was being rented to nonresidents for events.
Police response: Chief Foligno told the council the department had issued multiple summonses to the property owner and contacted Swimply to request removal of listings; he said four summonses had been issued as of the most recent week and that prosecutors had been asked to treat violations individually to move the case through court more quickly. "We will continue to issue summonses every single time," Foligno said (Chief Michael Foligno, speaker 14). The council urged residents to call police every time a violation occurs so officers can document incidents.
What’s next: The council moved into a scheduled executive session on attorney-client matters after the public portion ended. Council members said they would monitor code enforcement outcomes and follow up with municipal court if the behavior continues.
Provenance: Promotion and swearing started at SEG 038 and concluded at SEG 490; enforcement and pool-rental public comment began at SEG 3486 and continued through SEG 3691; consent agenda items were discussed at SEG 3026–3097.
