Council Meeting –
Tuesday, April 2, 2024, brought only one in-meeting addition (a resolution to request state help and funding for costs associated with recent protest management). The walked-in resolution passed with two abstentions.
The Council’s unanimous approval of the Town’s support of the Bergen County Complete Streets initiative was supported by several G&W speakers as issues of pedestrian safety remain a major resident concern.
Council continues to be divided about how expansive Good & Welfare should be. Several on Council want to limit this public input time to either 60 or 90 minutes; others want all who seek to speak to be allowed to do so. In fact, there were 45 participants in Tuesday’s G&W session – although 23 others waiting on Zoom were not given the opportunity to speak when Council member Schwartz moved to end the session. One question raised is whether the Town’s Zoom line should accommodate more participants since the Zoom line itself was cut off 15 minutes before the 8:00 pm public session and an untold number of residents seeking to participate were informed they could not have access.
The sole new ordinance introduced (6-2024) despite its arcane language (“ACCEPTING THE DEDICATION OF A PORTION OF THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT BLOCK 3003, LOTS 2 AND 3 ON THE OFFICIAL TAX MAP, MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS CHADWICK ROAD FOR THE PURPOSES OF DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING A PUBLIC RIGHT- OF-WAY CUL-DE-SAC”) will if passed complete the agreed steps to allow Holy Name Medical Center to implement the new hospital zone agreement completed in 2023. Council’s open hearing and vote on ordinance 6-2024 is scheduled for May 7.
Parks Playgrounds and Recreation Advisory Board –
Wednesday night's meeting conducted in person only in the midst of that night’s raging storm brought little in the way of new information. The Board’s leadership will continue to work with the Clerk to ensure either audio or video recording of the Board’s future meetings is available. The Board liaison’s report indicated that the Town is hopeful that its latest submission to Green Acres will result in the State’s concurrence in its new listings of the Recreation Open Space Inventory (ROSI). Teaneck Voices has subsequently independently learned that this long-contested Town/DEP ROSI agreement is imminent. The Board was also provided a report of copies of Town documents that describe the status and process through which a majority of the Town’s voters vote every four years to either approve/turn down a Council-authored referendum for a voluntary 4-year extension of the Municipal Open Space Trust Fund. Town voters have consistently approved these referenda since 2004.
Board of Adjustment –
Thursday’s B of A meeting lasted just one hour as the Board rapidly worked its way through applications and interpretations of residents' and institutions' requests seeking zoning variance or extension approvals.
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