Glen Ridge Council Adopts Leaf Blower Rules and Water Main Funding as Residents Protest Country Club Tree Removal
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At the November 25, 2024 Mayor & Council meeting, the most heated discussion came from Forest Avenue residents Pona Gupta, Rajka Baric, and Eric Mof, who objected to a permit allowing the Glen Ridge Country Club to remove marked trees, including 24 assessed as healthy and five between 140 and 200 years old. The residents asked the club to hold off on removal until revised construction plans are approved, and they questioned whether the club is meeting a required 100-foot buffer from the road, alleging the actual distance is only 75 to 80 feet. They also asked whether replacement trees would be planted in Glen Ridge, as required under a borough tree ordinance, rather than in another town.
The council also gave final approval to a $2.2 million bond ordinance funding replacement of the water main around Carteret Street; the vote was unanimous and drew no public comment. Also adopted on final reading, unanimously, was a new ordinance restricting leaf blower use, which takes effect January 1, 2025. Complaints will be handled through the Glen Ridge Police Department's non-emergency line, and violators can pay fines without appearing in court. Separately, the police department was recognized for earning re-accreditation from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, a distinction reached by only about 32% of eligible agencies statewide in a second cycle.
On first reading, the council unanimously advanced three additional measures: a new rule restricting access to municipal building areas where personal records are handled, a salary ordinance setting 2025 pay ranges for non-union borough employees, and a policy setting rates for police officers who take on off-duty outside work such as construction or roadway projects. Resident Eric Mof also raised a previously discussed idea of adding a stop sign and possibly speed bumps at Sunset and Forest Avenue, citing safety concerns for children. At a public hearing on Community Development Block Grant funding, which typically brings Glen Ridge about $40,000, no project applications were presented. The mayor noted the borough has renewed its AAA bond rating for a second consecutive year. The council also unanimously approved a raffle license for the Glen Ridge PBA's December 15 event, and the clerk reported that resident volunteers are rebuilding a Santa display for the December 20 parade after the previous one was destroyed in a storm. The council also unanimously adopted a routine resolution authorizing payment of bimonthly bills, including pass-through payments to the Board of Education and Essex County.
What to watch
- The borough's formal presentation on Community Development Block Grant funding is scheduled for the December 9th council meeting.
- A new Santa parade display is being built for the December 20th parade.