Council honors jazz great Kenny Garrett, advances cap bank and parking ordinances

The council opened with a proclamation honoring longtime Glen Ridge resident Kenny Garrett, a saxophonist who has played with Miles Davis, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, and others, on being named a 2023 NEA Jazz Masters Fellow — the highest honor the federal government bestows on jazz artists. Garrett, visibly moved, thanked the council and noted he had lived in town for 21 years.

On legislative business, the council introduced Ordinance 1780 on first reading to establish a "CAP bank" allowing the borough to exceed municipal budget cap limits if needed, which officials stressed was a routine annual precaution rather than a signal of an actual overage; it passed first reading unanimously. The council also introduced Ordinance 1781 on first reading, creating a no-parking zone on the east side of Hillcrest Road between Woodland and Summit Avenues, which likewise passed unanimously and was referred for statutory publication. A raffle license resolution for the Glen Ridge Home & School Association required a brief correction to its resolution number before passing.

In committee reports, Public Works detailed repair of an 8-inch water main break on Windsor Place and storm-drain cleaning ahead of a forecast storm, while Parks and Recreation announced new benches and dog-park improvements at Carteret Park and a new resident-curated art gallery at the Senior Community Center. Councilor Morrow gave an extended update on the Essex Hudson Greenway, describing a recent meeting with state Department of Environmental Protection officials, the NJ Bike and Walk Coalition, and state parks representatives — the first such meeting any municipality along the corridor had initiated. Glen Ridge officials pressed for safety fencing or bollards at the at-grade crossing, given ongoing debris from Norfolk Southern's track removal work, and requested a public information timeline. During public comment, a resident of Hillcrest Road described unsafe conditions for students crossing near his home.

What to watch

• State to select a design consultant and provide a fuller timeline for the Essex Hudson Greenway
• Safety fencing or bollards under discussion for the Greenway's at-grade crossing
• Ordinance 1780 (CAP bank) and Ordinance 1781 (Hillcrest Road parking) due back for second reading/adoption

Watch key moments

• 3:47 — "Kenny Garrett has been named a 2023 NEA Jazz Masters fellow recipient"
• 11:33 — "no parking... for the east side of Hillrest Road from Woodland Avenue to Summit Avenue"
• 14:09 — "new benches have been ordered for Carter Park"
• 15:12 — "the Essex Hudson Greenway"