The meeting, which saw the participation of Mayor Dr. Joseph P. Scarpelli, Commissioner Alphonse Petracco, Commissioner Mauro G. Tucci, Commissioner John V. Kelly, III, and Commissioner Thomas J. Evans, addressed several issues. One of the primary topics of concern was the approval of bills for various departments, which totaled a sizable $6,990,431.7.

Commissioner Petracco, in his Public Safety report, emphasized the importance of community vigilance in response to a recent uptick in local crime. He urged residents to lock their doors and expressed concern about the impact of bail reform. Meanwhile, Commissioner Kelly thanked residents for their community spirit, acknowledging their contributions to the holiday Treasure Chest, which aids families in need.

The Council also approved a change to the contract with Millennial Strategies LLC for disaster relief services, increasing the contract by $15,000 to a total of $25,000. This action was necessitated by the recent storm damage, which also led to the urgent need for the purchase of four new vehicles for the Department of Public Safety, as approved by the Council.

Supply chain issues were cited as a challenge in procuring these vehicles, prompting Commissioner Kelly to stress the urgency of the purchase, with his statement, “If you wait till tomorrow they’ll be gone.” The Council approved the purchase of the vehicles from Cox 334 3810 Hect Road East in Pennsylvania for a total of $156,000.

The Nutley Council also authorized several budget transfers for various departments, including the Department of Parks and Public Property and the Department of Water. These transfers were part of a series of resolutions for the transfer of appropriations in the 2023 budget, which included the fire and police departments.

The meeting saw the introduction of several ordinances related to municipal water and sewer utility, a utility fund, traffic regulations, flood plain management, and licensing and business regulations. An amendment to traffic regulations for handicap parking was also introduced by Commissioner Petracco.

Additionally, the Council approved raffle licenses for the Nutley Music Booster Association and the Yantacaw School PTO. They also approved contracts for tree removal services and electrical services with Trees Plus Inc. and Montillo Electric LLC, respectively.

In a move to support local vendors, the Council granted permission for certain plenary retail distribution licenses to open on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. However, it was announced that the next scheduled meeting was canceled due to a lack of business.