Passaic City Council adopts rules for public encampments
Ordinance 2537-26 requires permission for tents on city property and sets different removal procedures for emergencies and other situations.
Two hosts walk through the week’s edition in conversation — second and final reading, mayor’s report, and what’s coming next. Generated by Aware, from this week’s verified summaries.
Councilman Mayor said the rules are meant to keep pedestrian and emergency access clear while allowing tents for events with permission.
A tent on a sidewalk now falls under new city rules. The Passaic City Council unanimously adopted Ordinance 2537-26 after a required public hearing at which no one spoke. The measure adds camping and encampment rules to the city code and aligns enforcement provisions for littering, parks, streets and sidewalks. Councilman Mayor said anyone seeking to put up a tent on city property would need a permit, though tents for events could still be allowed with permission.
Councilman Mayor said tents can obstruct pedestrian and emergency access. He raised concerns about fires lit for warmth and about encampments near rivers or in less visible places. He also pointed to the city’s homeless resource center, Dignity House and Human Services programs as sources of shelter and other assistance.
Councilman O’Neill asked how the ordinance’s notice requirement fits with the authority to remove shelters. In the Passaic City Council’s discussion, the response was that non-emergency removals require 24-hour notice, while emergencies allow immediate action. A tent blocking a sidewalk could be removed the same day; a larger encampment near a river might require posted notice. The discussion covered notice in English and Spanish and procedures for photographing and itemizing personal property where possible, with an opportunity to retrieve it during the notice period.
Mayor’s Report: City Programs, Events, and Community Updates
Councilman Mayor gave the Passaic City Council an update on autism advocacy and employment efforts. He said businesses, including Netflix and the Perez Group, had agreed to consider adults with autism for work. At a job fair, he said, 200 people attended and businesses collected resumes for positions ranging from maintenance and greeting to accounting. He also described possible election work and said he would speak about the city’s initiatives at an autism conference in Atlantic City.
His report covered community events, including a Sukkot gathering, an upcoming Italian flag raising and a fire safety open house. He said the Business Administrator was recovering from surgery and expected back by the November meeting. He also mentioned senior center programming, passport clinics and breast cancer awareness activities.
Councilman Mayor described a voter registration effort with small businesses in Passaic, Paterson and Clifton. He reported that Councilwoman Maritza Colon Montanez and Councilwoman Tonia Melo had led a Medicare information event. He also discussed a Facebook Live conversation with Ms. McCarthy from JBWS about domestic violence warning signs and seeking professional help.
Passaic City Council advances disabled-parking change
The Passaic City Council unanimously advanced a proposed change to a restricted-parking designation for a person with a disability. The designation is tied to a New Jersey license plate number, which was not stated in the meeting record. The proposal was scheduled for second and final reading on October 20.
The designation determines which vehicle may use a specific restricted parking space if the ordinance passes.
Passaic City Council advances clergy-parking proposal
The Passaic City Council unanimously advanced a proposed change to the city’s clergy-parking schedule. The ordinance would amend Chapter 295, which governs vehicles and traffic. The proposal was scheduled for second and final reading on October 20; the meeting record did not specify which spaces would change.
Residents who use or park near clergy-designated spaces can follow the proposal at its final reading.
Passaic City Council approves four agenda items
The Passaic City Council unanimously approved agenda items 2 through 5 in a single vote. Council members raised no questions about the items during the meeting. The available summary does not describe what each item covered.
The vote completed action on four items without a separate discussion of their contents at the meeting.
Passaic City Council approves bill payments
The Passaic City Council unanimously approved its bill list for payment by roll call. The vote came after Councilman Mayor’s report. The available summary gives no total for the bills or breakdown of what the payments cover.
The vote authorizes payment of the listed bills, though the available summary gives residents no spending breakdown.
What we didn’t fit in this Sundays edition
Passaic had 3 more items this week. Here are sixfour — the rest are on Aware.
- GOVERNANCEAuthorization for Closed Executive Session (Pending Litigation, Contract Negotiations, Personnel Matters). Council introduced a resolution authorizing a closed executive session to discuss pending litigation, contract negotiations, and personnel matters. No vote was recorded in the transcript on entering executive session.
- GOVERNANCEApproval of Communications/Agenda Items 7–9 (Block Vote). Council voted to approve agenda items 7 through 9 as a block. No questions were raised and the motion passed unanimously.
- GOVERNANCECouncil Remarks: Birthday Recognition for Councilman Garcia. Council members made brief remarks about diversity across age and recognized Councilman Joe Garcia’s birthday. Multiple members offered birthday wishes and light comments before returning to business.
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