Elmwood Park Celebrates Centenarian, Approves School Budget

Elmwood Park Borough Council’s recent meeting highlighted various community acknowledgments, including the celebration of a local centenarian, discussions on redevelopment, and the approval of the Board of Education’s budget with a 0% tax increase. The meeting, held on March 21, 2024, celebrated the 101st birthday of Jerry Johnson, a woman who contributed to the Elmwood Park community as a high school secretary and treasurer for the Friends of the Library board. A proclamation was presented to her family, recognizing Johnson’s legacy. The Lady Crusaders basketball team was also honored for winning the 2024 NJIC American Division Championship, commending their teamwork and achievements.

Discussions at the meeting included a potential redevelopment of a town home site, previously a nursery, with interest from a developer in constructing town homes there. Concerns were raised regarding the clarity of the borough’s resolutions and plans, particularly about whether a specific Redevelopment plan had been adopted and the language used in a resolution. The council debated the borough’s intent to provide funds necessary for affordable housing obligations, eventually clarifying that the borough was compliant with affordable housing requirements.

Ordinances on first reading addressed several issues: limiting parking time on Market Street to improve customer access, adding multiway stop intersections on Summit Avenue, and excluding larger vehicles from a narrow road due for resurfacing. These measures aimed to improve traffic flow, safety, and parking availability in response to community concerns.

The council’s consent agenda included resolutions related to payroll, bills, transfers, tax exemptions, and appointments. Departmental reports were presented, covering topics from zoning board meeting minutes to Board of Health meeting minutes.

Expressions of gratitude were abundant throughout the meeting. Acknowledgments included the successful senior’s event, the arrival of new equipment at Cherry Hill Park, and the support of Congressman Pell and Assemblyman Wimberly for the Market Street revalorization project and additional school funding. Upcoming events such as the next rabies clinics, the fourth annual Elmwood Park Celebrate Seniors event, and the Junior Police Academy were discussed, with the council expressing enthusiasm for these community initiatives.

The meeting also touched on the widening of Route 80, which will include sound barriers for Elmwood Park but will not commence until 2027. This was viewed as positive news for residents concerned about noise pollution. A Spring Festival on April 27th and a new residence assistance program were announced by the Mayor, along with the approved Board of Education budget for the 2024-2025 school year that featured no tax increase for homeowners.

Field availability, particularly for little league teams during the turf construction project at the high school, was a point of concern. The council expressed gratitude to the Board of Education for collaborating on accommodating the teams. However, concerns were raised about the potential removal of a softball field and the limited field space’s impact on sports programs. The public expressed frustration over a closed session meeting advertised as a special meeting, leading the council to apologize for the confusion and assure that they would revisit the decision regarding the softball field and address field space concerns.

In-depth discussions arose around the turf project and field use at the high school. The council debated the planning and execution of the project, with emphasis on the need for better coordination and communication. Concerns about weather delays affecting the project timeline and the management of field use by sports organizations were highlighted. Disagreements surfaced regarding the use of the fields, revealing tensions and differing perspectives on the planning and execution of the project.

The council also discussed the delays in a project at Veterans Field, including the approval process for change orders and project management. Discussions on the allocation of funds for a marina project and the need to plan for field maintenance post-renovations were also contentious. A resident expressed safety concerns about a fence in a specific area, prompting the council to address these in the future.

Note: This meeting summary was generated by AI, which can occasionally misspell names, misattribute actions, and state inaccuracies. This summary is intended to be a starting point and you should review the meeting record linked above before acting on anything you read. If we got something wrong, let us know. We’re working every day to improve our process in pursuit of universal local government transparency.
Mayor:
Robert Colletti
City Council Officials:
Sandra Balistrieri, Tanisha Dennis, Francesco Fasolo, Daniel Golabek, Lorraine Pellegrine, Theresa Sheridan

Receive debriefs about local meetings in your inbox weekly:

Trending meetings
across the country:

Meeting Date
Filter by bodytypes
Agricultural Advisory Committee
Airport Advisory Board
Art and Culture Board
Beach Committee
Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
Board of Elections
Board of Health
Borough Council
Building Committee
Cannabis Control Board
Cemetery Commission
Charter Revision Commission
Child and Family Services Board
City Council
City Identity Committee
Code Enforcement Board
College Board of Trustees
Community Appearance Board
Community Preservation Committee
Community Redevelopment Agency
County Council
Disability Advisory Committee
Economic Development Board
Elderly Affairs Board
Electric Advisory Board
Environmental Commission
Financial Oversight Board
Historic Preservation Commission
Housing Authority
Human Relations Committee
Human Resources Committee
Insurance Fund
Land Use Board
Library Board
Licensing Board
Mental Health Commission
Municipal Alliance
Open Space Commission
Oversight and Review Committee
Parent Advisory Board
Parking Authority
Parks and Gardens Commission
Parks Commission
Pension Board
Planning Board
Police Review Board
Port Authority
Property Assessment Board
Public Safety Committee
Recreation Commission
Redevelopment Agency
Rent Control Board
Rent Leveling Board
School Board
Sewerage Authority
Shade Tree Commission
Special Magistrate
Taxation & Revenue Advisory Committee
Tourism Board
Trails Committee
Transportation Board
Utility Board
Value Adjustment Board
Veterans Committee
Water Control Board
Women's Advisory Committee
Youth Advisory Committee
Zoning Board
Filter by County
FL
Bay County
Bradford County
Brevard County
Broward County
Clay County
Duval County
Escambia County
Gulf County
Hendry County
Highlands County
Hillsborough County
Indian River County
Lake County
Lee County
Leon County
Levy County
Liberty County
Manatee County
Marion County
Martin County
Miami-Dade County
Monroe County
Okaloosa County
Orange County
Osceola County
Palm Beach County
Pasco County
Pinellas County
Polk County
Putnam County
Santa Rosa County
Sarasota County
Seminole County
St. Johns County
Taylor County
Volusia County
Walton County
MA
Barnstable County
Berkshire County
Bristol County
Essex County
Franklin County
Hampden County
Hampshire County
Middlesex County
Norfolk County
Plymouth County
Suffolk County
Worcester County
MN
Anoka County
Becker County
Beltrami County
Benton County
Blue Earth County
Brown County
Carver County
Cass County
Chippewa County
Chisago County
Clay County
Cook County
Crow Wing County
Dakota County
Freeborn County
Goodhue County
Grant County
Hennepin County
Isanti County
Itasca County
Kanabec County
Kandiyohi County
Koochiching County
Lac Qui Parle County
Lyon County
Mcleod County
Morrison County
Mower County
Nicollet County
Olmsted County
Pipestone County
Polk County
Ramsey County
Rice County
Scott County
Sherburne County
Sibley County
St Louis County
Stearns County
Steele County
Waseca County
Washington County
Wright County
NJ
Atlantic County
Bergen County
Burlington County
Camden County
Cape May County
Cumberland County
Essex County
Gloucester County
Hudson County
Hunterdon County
Mercer County
Middlesex County
Monmouth County
Morris County
Ocean County
Passaic County
Somerset County
Sussex County
Union County
Warren County
NY
Bronx County
Kings County
New York County
Queens County
Richmond County
TN
Shelby County
Filter by sourcetypes
Minutes
Recording