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Helmetta council adopts three ordinances, advances budget actions and several finance resolutions
Summary
The council adopted ordinances revising dog and cat licensing fees, updating stormwater control to meet NJDEP rules, and appropriating $13,000 for HVAC work at Borough Hall; council also approved a bills list, temporary emergency appropriations, transfers of unexpended reserves and scheduled a July 15 public budget hearing.
Helmetta’s borough council took several formal legislative and financial steps during its June 17 meeting.
Ordinances adopted - Ordinance 2026-05 amended Chapter 31 to establish a tiered schedule of dog and cat licensing fees that vary by application date and sterilization status (for example, January 1–31: spayed/neutered $10, not spayed/neutered $13; fees increase later in the season). The council opened the public hearing, heard no public comment and adopted the ordinance by roll call. - Ordinance 2026-06 updates the borough’s Stormwater Control code to comply with New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection stormwater-management rules; the ordinance text (as distributed in the packet) includes definitions and design/performance standards and adopts the state BMP references. The public hearing drew no speakers and the council adopted the measure. - Ordinance 2026-07 is a capital ordinance appropriating $13,000 from the borough’s General Capital Improvement Fund for improvements to the HVAC system at Borough Hall; the council adopted the ordinance after a public hearing with no public speakers.
Finance and resolutions - The council approved the bills list (Resolution 2026-87) and several consent resolutions at the June 17 meeting, including adoption of Resolution 2026-88 (environmental workplan for 58 Main Street) and Resolution 2026-92 (Temporary Emergency Appropriation #5), among others. The consent block passed by roll call vote. - Resolution 2026-90 cancelled various inactive reserves and transferred amounts into water and sewer operating funds (example: transfer $14,414 to Water Utility Operating Fund as anticipated revenue for painting of water tower; partial transfers from sewer reserves also recorded). - Resolution 2026-89 published notice for the municipal 2026 budget and scheduled a public hearing on the budget for July 15, 2026; the minutes show a recorded vote with Councilwoman Bohinski marked as abstaining and Councilman Dzingleski as voting aye; other recorded entries in the minutes are not fully specified in the text. - Resolution 2026-91 (LOSAP payment of $6,000 to AIG Retirement for qualifying volunteer firefighters for calendar year 2025) was handled separately and adopted with Councilman Reid recused; the resolution lists the names of the qualifying volunteers. - Resolution 2026-92 listed emergency temporary appropriations across Current, Water and Sewer funds totaling $152,000 to cover pre-budget-year costs.
What this means: The ordinances change local licensing, update the code to align with NJDEP stormwater standards and fund a small capital HVAC repair. The budget and emergency appropriation motions move preparatory finance steps forward; the environmental remediation authorization also advances a site cleanup plan that may require certified funds.
