Passaic County Town Hall: Hawthorne Names a Police Chief, Passaic Takes Up Encampments, Prospect Park Paves Wagaraw

Good morning, Passaic County. Hawthorne has a new police chief, Passaic City took up an ordinance on camping and encampments on public property, and Prospect Park awarded a contract to repave part of Wagaraw Boulevard. It is a light week for posted agendas, so most of what follows looks back at last week's meetings. Recaps are drawn from posted agendas and packets; check the linked meeting pages for the official record.

Meetings ahead

• Passaic City Alcoholic Beverage Control Board — Thursday, Oct. 15. Notice of the regular meeting was included in the City Council's Oct. 6 packet. Council packet
• Passaic City Council — Tuesday, Oct. 20, 7:00 PM, Council Chambers, 330 Passaic St. The public can watch on Zoom; written statements for the record are due by email by 3:00 PM that day. Agenda
• Bloomingdale Mayor & Council — Tuesday, Oct. 20, 7:00 PM, regular meeting, then Nov. 10 and Nov. 24. Bloomingdale meetings
• Little Falls Township Council — Monday, Oct. 26: public hearings on Ordinance No. 1552 and Ordinance No. 1553, which changes recreation department fees. Oct. 5 recap
• West Milford Planning Board — the November meeting is canceled; the next one is Dec. 17. Oct. 8 agenda

Decisions behind

Hawthorne

At the Oct. 7 Borough Council meeting, Mayor Lane appointed Joseph C. Carr as Hawthorne's new chief of police. The agenda also listed adoption of Ordinance No. 2397-26, which repeals and replaces Chapter 25 of the borough code covering the Fire Prevention Bureau, and introduced three more:

• No. 2398-26 amends traffic regulations.
• No. 2399-26 sets new expiration and renewal dates for dog licenses.
• No. 2400-26 bans motorized bicycles, scooters and skateboards on certain streets.

The consent agenda included tax exemptions and resolutions on cannabis delivery services. Hawthorne Oct. 7 recap

Passaic City

The City Council's Oct. 6 agenda carried Ordinance No. 2537-26, which amends the city code on camping and encampments on public property, along with a change to the clergy parking schedule. Contracts on the agenda:

• Emergency medical services and basic life support ambulance service, including a lease of the city's EMS facility.
• DC fast-charging (Level 3) electric vehicle chargers on a revenue-share basis, awarded to NewTech Energy Inc. of Brooklyn.
• Auditing services, Lerch, Vinci & Bliss LLP, $95,000.
• ABC prosecutor, Law Office of Rajeh Saadeh, not to exceed $30,000.
• Easement agreements with Riverview Realty Associates of Passaic for the Pulaski Park extension and Transformative Railroad project.

The council also had tax appeal settlements with Passaic Properties I and Aycrigg Manor, and an application from the United Passaic Organization for an Empowerment Brunch on Oct. 17. Passaic Oct. 6 recap

Prospect Park

At an Oct. 5 special meeting, the Mayor and Council awarded the Wagaraw Boulevard roadway preservation project to Frank Macchione Construction Inc. for $249,957.38, accepted a proposal to investigate the municipal parking lot, and ratified an agreement with PBA Local 114. Emine Hani was appointed part-time technical assistant to the construction official, and Odessa Donzella interim municipal court administrator. Prospect Park Oct. 5 recap

Little Falls

The Township Council introduced Ordinance No. 1553 on recreation department fees at its Oct. 5 workshop, and approved an affordability assistance grant for a renter in an affordable housing unit and a tax cancellation for a disabled veteran. On Sept. 28 it held the public hearing on Ordinance No. 1551, amending on-street regulations in Chapter 7, introduced Ordinance No. 1552, and awarded a tree inventory contract. Sept. 28 recap

Bloomingdale

The Mayor and Council recognized Mary Mazzola on Oct. 6. The consent agenda covered a pedestrian safety enforcement grant, renewal of a shared service agreement with Pompton Lakes for emergency use of a municipal courtroom, the purchase of security cameras, and cancellation of a capital ordinance. Bloomingdale Oct. 6 recap

West Milford

At a Sept. 30 special meeting, the Township Council awarded 2026-27 snow plowing contracts (Resolution No. 2026-343), hired Boswell to prepare permit plans for Wallisch Homestead Phase 2 (No. 2026-344), approved a change order with Cifelli & Son for more curb work (No. 2026-345), and approved planting a Norway spruce at the Wallisch Homestead with open space trust funds (No. 2026-346). Sept. 30 recap

The Planning Board's Oct. 8 agenda listed a pole barn site plan from TA Realty Group, a site plan for improvements to Veolia Water New Jersey's water treatment facility, and a memorializing resolution for Twins Realty Group. Results are not posted yet. Oct. 8 agenda

North Haledon

At a brief Oct. 1 special meeting, the Mayor and Council approved Resolution No. 169-2026, a contract with Revireo for commercial energy modeling at 535 High Mountain Road. North Haledon Oct. 1 recap

Paterson

The City Council held a special meeting and a workshop on Oct. 6, after its Sept. 29 regular meeting. Written recaps are not available yet, but the official videos are. Paterson meetings and videos

Also this week

Passaic County's emergency culvert work keeps Diamond Bridge Avenue in Hawthorne closed between Royal Avenue and Forest Avenue through Monday, Oct. 19, with alternating traffic or detours. TAPinto Hawthorne

Find every town's agendas and recaps on the Passaic County government page.