Raymond Grabowski

The regular meeting addressed several new hearings and continued hearings requiring variance relief. For a property on Huron Avenue, approval was granted to shift the driveway to the front of the house, subject to installing Belgian Blocks as a condition. For a property on Crooks Avenue, the Board approved consolidating lots and placing a parking lot with reduced stall/aisle dimensions, contingent upon installing a solid enclosure for the trash container and maintaining the outdoor seating area without enclosing it. In continued hearings, the proposal for 1610 Main Avenue & 80 West 2nd Street involved demolishing a house to create additional parking and removing a canopy, which eliminated one variance requirement. Conditions of approval for this project included limiting customer area square footage and ensuring no sign illumination. Public input raised concerns regarding traffic congestion and neighborhood character for both new and continued applications. The Board also adopted memorializing resolutions for the appointments of Counsel/Secretary, Planner, Engineer/Landscape Architect/Traffic Consultant, and Certified Shorthand Reporter for calendar year 2026, and approved the minutes of the December 17, 2025, Regular Meeting.

The meeting involved introducing several ordinances for first reading and subsequent consideration, primarily amending Chapters 349 and 439 regarding permit parking and handicapped parking spaces, as well as amendments related to salaries and compensation for Special Police Officers and the Director of Public Works. The council also introduced ordinances related to Lead-Based Paint Hazard Inspection Requirements, Hazardous Materials Control Board fees, and regulations for cosmetologists and barbershops. Key resolutions included accepting grants from Passaic County for senior services and transportation for the elderly/disabled, authorizing the 2026 Temporary Budget for the City and the Sewer Utility, and authorizing the Qualified Purchasing Agent to use State-approved cooperative contracts. Furthermore, the council authorized the award of a contract renewal for custodial cleaning services to North Jersey Friendship House, awarded professional services contracts to CME Associates, Inc. for engineering management and THA for parking consulting services, and passed a resolution condemning anti-Muslim bias and discrimination. Preliminary and final approvals for several new and continuing food establishment licenses were also addressed, and the council held an executive session to discuss personnel matters, contract negotiations, potential litigation, and a liquor license application.

The agenda for the meeting includes a New Entertainment License Hearing for Bogey's Latin & American Restaurant & Bar. Action items cover authorizations for tax cancellations and refunds for disabled veterans, approving a bond ordinance for police department vehicles, finalizing contracts for NJDOT sidewalk improvements with Granada Construction Corp., awarding a contract to Environmental Resolutions, Inc. for site remediation services, approving a Federal Aid Funding Agreement with NJDOT for Main Avenue Streetscape design, purchasing Situation Awareness Equipment with License Plate Reader, awarding contracts related to the 2025 Housing Plan, solid waste collection, vegetative waste disposal, and veterinary services. The Council will also vote on resolutions regarding City Hall illumination, flag raising, and appointments to various committees, as well as ordinances concerning E-Bikes/Electric Scooters and Short Term Rentals. Discussions are planned for a Cost Share Sidewalk Repair Program, Capital Bonding Projects, and a Towing Committee Update.

The agenda for the Regular Meeting included numerous action items requiring authorization. These actions covered budget transfers, final payment and change order approval for the Plog Brook Culvert Rehabilitation, addition of a new bus stop on Clifton Avenue, ratification of emergency services for DPW Garage roof truss shoring by Dajon Associates Inc., contract approvals for Police Officer Scheduling System maintenance, purchases of traffic control signs and AVAYA servers, award of a contract for Fire Department training, lease purchase of a Canon Photocopier, amendment to an engineering contract for Surgent Park, and approval of a Short Term Rental Ordinance. Further action items included ordinances related to Civil Service salary reconciliation and a Sidewalk Cost Share Program, reappointment of Zoning Board of Adjustment alternates, permission for the Clifton Little Free Pantry Program to collect food in City Hall, and approval of procession and 5K run requests. Discussion items included police recommendations on amendments to Chapter 425 regarding Official Towers and a Public Hearing regarding Green Acres Program improvements at Surgent Park. The Council Mail section included several memos on topics such as 2026 SID Accounts, the 2020 Transportation Alternatives Set Aside Grant, remediation status of five sites, Police Department fleet status, and the Allwood Road Project.

The meeting included continued hearings and new hearings concerning various property applications requiring variance relief. A continued hearing for Hookah Paradise USA LLC involved requests for preliminary and final site plan approval, use variance, height variance, front yard setback adjustments, and parking configuration issues related to adding a two-story addition to a commercial building. New hearings addressed bulk variances for a proposed addition at 146 Patricia Place, including setbacks and lot coverage, and bulk variances for an addition at 120 Highview Drive, concerning lot area and setbacks. Additionally, resolutions were adopted memorializing previous approvals, including site plan and use variance approvals for converting a vacant bank into a restaurant, constructing an outdoor seating area, and approving a driveway with reduced buffer requirements.