Elmwood Park council advances Garden Drive bond, moves multiple park, parking and vehicle rules; mayor announces upcoming surgery

Elmwood Park — The Mayor and Council on Feb. 19 introduced a $340,000 bond ordinance to fund improvements on Garden Drive, scheduled a public hearing for March 19, and moved forward several ordinances affecting parks, parking and micro-mobility.

The council introduced Ordinance 20605, a bond ordinance to appropriate $340,000 for Garden Drive work and to authorize bonds and bond anticipation notes; the clerk said a final hearing will be held March 19 at 7 p.m. Mike Foligno, the borough business administrator, described the Garden Drive measure during the introduction. The motion to introduce the ordinance on first reading passed by roll call.

Council also introduced an amendment to borough facility-use rules (Ordinance 20606) to allow dogs off leash in the borough’s designated dog park while keeping on-leash requirements in other parks. Foligno told the council the change is intended to formalize existing practice at a single dog park and distinguish it from the borough’s other parks. The ordinance was introduced on first reading and scheduled for the March 19 final hearing.

An ordinance to align borough parking code with Department of Transportation designations along Route 4 was also introduced on first reading. A borough police representative explained the change will make enforcement and court prosecution simpler by matching local code to existing DOT rules.

On second reading the council passed three ordinances on final reading: the measure to permit leashed dogs in borough parks (previously introduced), an update to borough towing fees, and a new code section regulating electric scooters and electric bicycles. In each case the council opened and closed the public portion with no comments and approved the ordinances by roll call vote.

Routine business proceeded in a single consent agenda covering payroll, bills, capital budget amendments, grants and multiple appointments. The consent package (resolutions R-78-26 through R-101-26) passed by roll call; two council members recorded recusals on specific items (recusals were recorded for R-86-26 and R-97-26), which was noted in the vote record.

During council reports, Councilman Fasolo noted that the Garden Drive work is one of several local paving priorities and asked the police department to monitor double parking and visibility issues on Market Street near businesses. Councilwoman Sheridan reported that the borough has 588 fire hydrants and said crews cleared most but about 30% were not shoveled immediately after the recent storm — approximately 75 hydrants — and urged residents to clear hydrants on or adjacent to their property to ensure access.

Mayor Caletti made a personal announcement in the meeting’s latter portion: after six months of chemotherapy to treat a tumor attached to the bile duct and pancreas, and following multiple stent placements and tests, he said he will undergo a Whipple procedure on Feb. 23 and expects a hospital stay of six to 10 days. "Surgery is scheduled for February 23," the mayor said, adding that Council President Lorraine Pellegrini will handle mayoral duties during his recovery.

In public comment, resident Kenneth Arabia gave his name and address and raised several neighborhood concerns: people asking for money near a local bank (he asked for increased patrols), broken glass from a downed pole near the Elks that crews had not yet cleared, and a clogged drain in the City Hall parking lot that he said could cause flooding. Borough officials acknowledged the items and said staff would follow up.

What happens next: final hearings on the introduced ordinances are scheduled for March 19, and the council entered executive session at the end of the meeting to discuss attorney-client privileged matters and litigation. The borough indicated follow-up will be provided on public-works and public-safety items raised in public comment.

(Quotes and attributions are taken from the Feb. 19, 2026 Elmwood Park Mayor and Council meeting transcript.)