Hathaway Place Residents Report Raw Sewage Flooding as Council Honors Longtime Attorney, Swears In New Clerk
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Several Hathaway Place residents told the council their basements had flooded with raw sewage after an incident on January 11, apparently linked to a contractor's work on a sewer line tied to the hospital, during which an open manhole cover was left near the affected homes. Stephen Smith, of 11 Hathaway Place, described finding two to three inches of raw sewage across his finished basement despite 27 years without incident; neighbor George Frost said the contracting company, "Mountain Side," and a related insurer had failed to respond to repeated calls, leaving homeowners to bear the burden of proving liability themselves. Borough Administrator Mike Zakelli's office and Public Works staff (Bill Bartlett and Adam) were praised for a fast response, and the administrator committed to providing written documentation to help residents' insurance claims, though the underlying cause of the sewer failure and the question of who is liable remained unresolved.
The meeting was also a ceremonial one: the council swore in a new municipal clerk, Jen Lee, and presented a formal commendation to longtime Borough Attorney John Malisa, marking decades of service across multiple mayoral administrations, with current and former council members offering lengthy tributes to his work through the Claris litigation, tax appeals and other matters. A delegation from Bogota, New Jersey, including that borough's mayor, attended to show support, noting that both towns currently have women mayors who are environmental attorneys by profession.
On routine business, the council unanimously approved payment of bills (including $560,599 from the current fund), a consent-agenda resolution, its annual resolutions reaffirming commitment to diversity/inclusion and to a civil-rights policy against discrimination and harassment, and a purchase of additional water meters for the Department of Public Works funded through an existing capital ordinance. Councilor Meyer abstained from approving the December 22 minutes because she had been absent that day. Officials also previewed several transit items: a public town hall on alternatives to the Jitney shuttle service later that week, an ongoing survey seeking resident input on expanding New Jersey Transit's weekend service (currently only every two hours), and a service disruption from February 15 to March 15 rerouting the Glen Ridge/Montclair-Boonton Line to Hoboken.
What to watch
- A planning board meeting on January 21, 2026, described as having a full agenda tied to the borough's affordable housing plan.
- A town hall on alternatives to the Jitney shuttle service, announced for later that week with no specific calendar date given.
- The still-unresolved question of what caused the Hathaway Place sewage backup and who is liable for residents' damages.