Glen Ridge Moves Up Property Revaluation, Approves Lead Inspection Sharing With Bloomfield
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Glen Ridge's Mayor & Council voted to move up the borough's required property revaluation, pushing the date from October 1, 2027 to October 1, 2025, after officials pointed to a wide gap between what properties are currently assessed at and their actual market values. The measure passed unanimously, 5-0.
In other business, the council approved a shared services agreement with Bloomfield under which that town will provide lead inspection services for Glen Ridge rental units, a step needed to comply with a new state law. Related to lead concerns, the borough is rolling out a project to replace every residential water meter in town and to inventory home water lines to check whether they're made of copper, lead, galvanized steel, or plastic; residents will be contacted to schedule appointments. The borough engineer also reminded residents that, under a rule that has been in place for about a year, homes with lead or galvanized water lines cannot be sold or transferred, so sellers should check their lines before putting a property on the market.
The council also unanimously approved payment of the borough's bills, including a large payment to the school district, and unanimously approved a raffle license for the Glen Ridge High School Home & School Association to hold a merchandise raffle and 50/50 raffle at its October 5th event. The Glen Ridge Public Library announced that its community survey for residents age 14 and older, which opened September 19 and runs through October 30, had already drawn about 340 responses; the results will feed into a strategic planning process that will include listening sessions and focus groups early next year.
During public comment, a resident raised concerns that worn-down speed bumps at Hillside and Washington are no longer slowing traffic effectively following a repaving project; officials said they would evaluate the road and suggested the corner could be a candidate for a "bump out," while encouraging the resident to file a formal request through the borough website. Separately, the Public Works councilor said he'd received complaints, including from his own nephew, about excessive grass height on the field used by high school and youth soccer teams, and reported that adjustments have already been made with monitoring to continue.
What to watch
- A public hearing on a proposed ordinance regulating leaf blowers is scheduled for Thursday at 7:00 p.m.
- The borough's reaccreditation process includes a public calling session for comments or compliments on Monday, September 30th from 10:00–11:00 a.m., followed by a hearing on October 10th.