Council introduces affordable-housing zoning measures and adopts fee and salary ordinances

At its Feb. 17 meeting, the Somerville Borough Council introduced several ordinances related to the 2026 municipal budget and affordable housing and moved to adopt additional administrative measures.

The council introduced Ordinance 2785, which would allow the borough to exceed 2026 municipal budget appropriation limits to establish a cap bank of previously banked levy capacity; council members moved to introduce the ordinance and recorded roll-call introductions.

The governing body also introduced Ordinance 2786 to add an affordable-housing subsection to the zoning code and Ordinance 2787 to create an Affordable Housing Overlay zone on Block 127 Lot 4 (Bell Avenue), a property that has been the subject of multiple lawsuits challenging the borough’s affordable housing plan. The mayor said the zoning change is intended to provide development regulations to support affordable housing on the site.

The council opened and closed public hearings on three other ordinances and adopted them by roll call vote: Ordinance 2781 (amending chapter 75 to add a special service charge schedule for burdensome OPRA requests and video redaction), Ordinance 2782 (establishing salary ranges for borough titles), and Ordinance 2783 (clarifying inspection fee payment under union agreements). Clerk-recorded roll calls were recorded as unanimous yes on the recorded votes.

In consent business, the council authorized applications for funding through the Governor’s Council on Substance Use Disorder and accepted a grant of up to $40,500 from the Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund (NJEDA/NJDEP) for remediation work. The council also approved permits for community events and the Spartan Spirit 5K contingent on departmental approvals.

All introductions and adoptions were recorded by roll call; no public speakers addressed the ordinances during open hearings.