Morris Township committee adopts a slate of capital and utility ordinances; sets June 17 hearing for firefighters’ pay ordinance

The Morris Township Committee on May 20 adopted a group of ordinances to fund capital and utility improvements and handled routine municipal business, voting unanimously in roll calls to approve each ordinance and the consent calendar.

Key ordinances adopted

- Ordinance 17-26: Appropriates $2,993,000 for various capital improvements; the ordinance record cites an expected $200,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation and authorizes issuance of $2,609,000 in bonds or notes. The committee adopted the ordinance by roll-call vote.

- Ordinance 18-26: Appropriates $641,000 from the general capital fund for assorted capital improvements; adopted by roll-call vote.

- Ordinance 19-26: Read as appropriating $320.00 (as transcribed in the record). The committee opened, closed and adopted the ordinance by roll call; the transcript amount appears anomalous and is noted as stated in the record.

- Ordinance 20-26: Appropriates $278,500 from the Open Space Trust Fund for open-space improvements. A resident questioned why an allocation for stairs/retaining walls at Core 9 Field appeared again; staff said those items were not completed in prior reconstruction. The ordinance was adopted by roll-call vote.

- Ordinance 21-26: Appropriates $1,250,000 from the Sewer Utility Capital Improvement Fund for sewer projects; adopted.

- Ordinance 22-26: Appropriates $50,000 from the Parking Enterprise capital fund; adopted.

- Ordinance 23-26: Appropriates $75,500 from the Swimming Pool Utility capital fund; adopted.

- Ordinance 24-26: Appropriates $437,000 (record) from a sewer utility capital fund balance; adopted.

- Ordinance 25-26: Authorizes a special emergency appropriation not to exceed $250,000 to retain a consultant to prepare the township master plan; adopted.

Introductions and future hearings

Ordinance 26-26, an ordinance establishing salaries and compensation for Firemen’s Mutual Benevolent Association Local 70, was introduced and a public hearing was scheduled for June 17, 2026.

Other business

The committee approved resolutions (numbers 108–119-26) and consent-calendar items by single motion and accepted monthly reports on file. The committee approved claims and vouchers in the meeting; the total amount of bills and vouchers presented for payment was stated in the record as $14,579,524.13. The committee also received the resignation of Melanie Barry (Ethics Board) effective 04/28/2026 and a 'taxes not collectible' report filed pursuant to NJSA 54:4-91.1.

Votes: The record shows roll-call adoption for each ordinance. The transcript indicates that one member (Mister Graysell) was absent for the meeting; the mayor directed the township clerk to publish notices of ordinance adoptions as required by law.

What happens next: Ordinance 26-26 (firefighters’ compensation) will return for public hearing on June 17; the master-plan consultant appropriation proceeds and the township clerk will publish adoption notices and other legal postings as required.