Pompton Lakes council approves consent agenda, awards habitat-restoration and engineering contracts, appoints humane officers, introduces tree-protection and 3+

At its April meeting the Pompton Lakes Borough Council approved its consent agenda (Resolutions 176–194) and moved forward on several contracts and appointments.

Contract awards and appointments: The council reviewed a resolution to award the Harrelson Place Habitat Restoration Project to Poulter Landscaping, funded in part through a Sustainable Jersey grant to remove invasive species and restore native plantings along the Ramapo River. The council also approved a resolution appointing Sergeant Jonathan Williams and Sergeant Brian Zimmerman as municipal humane law enforcement officers, which Administrator Michael Kerr noted is a statutory designation for officers who handle lost, injured or otherwise involved animals. The council addressed engineering and surveying services for the Dawes Highway and Maple Avenue improvement project and awarded a contract to DMC Associates; Kerr said the project is tied to a 2022 NJDOT grant and that the borough adopted a bond ordinance at the prior meeting to fund construction, with an estimate to advertise the work for bid this summer.

Ordinances and finance items: Council members moved to introduce several ordinances for future adoption, including Ordinance 24-18 (a bond ordinance for borough improvements), Ordinance 24-19 (amendments to fee schedules), Ordinance 24-20 (an ordinance implementing NJDEP-mandated tree-protection rules that regulate removal and replacement on private property), and Ordinance 24-21 (stormwater control updates to comply with NJDEP rules). The mayor and members said the tree ordinance is required by NJDEP and acknowledged community concerns about private-property impacts; the Shade Tree Commission asked staff for additional review of fees and specifics.

Minutes, bills and consent: The council approved the March 27 regular and closed-session minutes. A motion to approve the borough bill list was carried; the amount read aloud in the meeting transcript appears to be a transcription error (the record stated '3,802,008,997 dollars and 42¢') and was not clarified at the meeting.

DPW facility concerns and funding context: During public comment and council discussion, resident Mr. Hinton urged the borough to consider including DPW facility repairs or replacement in bonding priorities, saying the DPW garage is deteriorated and should be addressed; the mayor said the borough is in a challenging budget situation and that immediate facility replacement is not planned, though future options will be discussed.

Why it matters: The actions advance habitat restoration, animal control capacity, and a major road-improvement project supported by state grant funding. The tree ordinance and bond ordinance have wider implications for private-property regulation and municipal capital planning; residents raised concerns about notice and the implications of rules that affect private trees.

Next steps: Ordinances were introduced for future adoption (final readings scheduled on the published dates), staff to proceed with engineering and bidding for the Dawes Highway project this summer, and administration to follow up on grant-funded restoration work and DPW facility planning.