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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Passaic City Council Meeting and MLK Celebration - January 28, 2026

Council Meetings — Wednesday, January 28, 2026

BodyPassaic, New Jersey

SessionCouncil Meetings

DateWednesday, January 28, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 2:46:31

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:00

We welcome you to the January 20th 26th City Council meeting in accordance with chapter 231 public laws of 1955.

0:08

Adequate notice of this meeting was provided by resolution of the municipal council adopted on June 17th, 2025, setting forth the schedule of meetings for the year 2025-2026.

0:19

Send notice was published and posted on the city hall bulletin board by the office of the city clerk.

0:24

Please be further advised.

0:26

This meeting will be conducted in person.

0:28

The Zoom stream provided is for viewing only and is offered to the public as a convenience.

0:32

On January 9th, 2026, public notice and zoom instructions for this meeting were published in the Harold News and posted on the City of Pisake website, www.city of Pisake.com, Council agendas.

0:44

Instructions are also available on the last page of this agenda.

0:47

Please be guided accordingly.

0:50

Vocal, please.

0:51

Councilman Love.

0:53

Present.

0:54

Councilwoman Mello.

0:55

Present.

0:56

Councilman Mayer.

1:02

Councilman Garcia.

1:04

Present.

1:06

Councilman Colon Montañez.

1:08

President.

1:10

Council President Sheer will be here shortly.

1:13

Yes.

1:14

Invocation, please stand.

1:20

Let us bow our heads.

1:22

Blessed are you, O Lord, King of the Universe, creator of heaven and earth.

1:26

First and foremost, we thank you.

1:28

We thank you because each and every one of us woke up this morning.

1:32

And that is reason enough to give you glory and praise.

1:36

Lord, we ask that you would guide us through this meeting as we do.

1:40

The business of the people of Passake, that you allow this council, all those involved to make decisions based on what is in the best interests of all the community, guided by the wisdom that you give and by compassion and care.

1:55

We ask that you bless this ceremony, all the words that are spoken, all the presentations.

2:00

We ask that you watch over our city, always our children, our families, our seniors, all those who serve in uniform and out to make this city better.

2:12

We give you glory and praise in your most holy name.

2:15

Amen.

2:35

All right.

2:36

Well, it is a joyous night as we join together on the celebration of Martin Luther King.

2:43

So I am actually going to hand the mic over to my colleague, Kelsey Man Love, so we can get started with this beautiful presentation.

2:51

And I hope everyone enjoys thank you, uh, Councilwoman.

3:01

Uh, first and foremost, we have a long program.

3:05

Um, it's sometimes I share with the mayor, sometimes you don't have enough, and then you wind up with more than enough.

3:12

Um, but for for Dr.

3:14

King and his celebration, um, I wish that we can be here until midnight.

3:19

I wish.

3:20

Um, because the man of that stature and the man that single-handedly, um, of course, with with a lot of other people, so single-handling might not be the right term, changed the world and made it possible for us to be here.

3:32

So I just want to say welcome to all of our students first.

3:36

I'm sorry, all of our students, please give them a round of applause.

3:44

I also want to say uh welcome to our our seniors, who's a new edition, right?

3:50

We got to give our seniors a round of applause.

3:55

And that's probably one of the rare times I'll say the youth before the seniors, but you guys know why I did that.

4:01

Right.

4:01

Because you're passing the torch.

4:03

And then for all of us, the parents that's here, um, celebrating with us and all the all the rest of the community.

4:09

Uh, we're going to get um right into it.

4:12

First, we're gonna have our uh opening prayer by Reverend Basserville.

4:17

All right, if you can just approach, right?

4:19

Let's give them a hand.

4:26

Let us pray.

4:28

Father God, in your word, you say how pleasant it is for brothers and sisters to dwell together in unity.

4:35

So, Father, we come out tonight in unity as we celebrate.

4:38

The birth and the legacy of the Reverend Dr.

4:40

Mont Luther King and to just assemble with one another, Father.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Procedural███████████████████████23%

Community Engagement███████████████15%

Women's History████████████12%

Short Term Rentals████████████12%

Miscellaneous█████████9%

Racial Equity████████8%

Youth Programs█████5%

Public Engagement███3%

Transportation Safety███3%

Summary of Proceedings

Passaic City Council Meeting and MLK Celebration - January 28, 2026

The Passaic City Council met on January 28, 2026, starting with a celebration honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., featuring student performances, a libation ceremony, musical selections, and a keynote sermon by Reverend Baskerville. Following a brief intermission, the council reconvened for the regular business session, which included approval of minutes, public comments, and consideration of several ordinances and resolutions, including new regulations for short-term rental units.

Consent Calendar

Approved the minutes of the July 15, 2025 City Council meeting (unanimous vote).
Approved communications items 2 through 17 en bloc (unanimous vote).
Approved resolutions 19 through 30 en bloc (unanimous vote).

Public Comments & Testimony

Evelyn T. Robinson (222 6th Street) praised the MLK program, thanked the council for the free city shuttle (the "Laura Bus"), and noted that the bus stop on Sixth Street and Passaic Street was changed following a request from her.
Minnie Austin (368 Highland Avenue) introduced Reverend Joshua Corbin as the new pastor of Williams Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church (133 Myrtle Avenue) and mentioned the church's plans to restart a food pantry serving over 200 residents, disrupted by COVID-19.
Sherry Greer (77 Brook Avenue, C7) asked about the status of a flyer stating that Access Link transportation for students with disabilities would be free until June 2026. The mayor clarified that the flyer may have been erroneous and that the city would contact the county to resolve the issue; he also noted the shuttle service is free and runs near schools.
Parker Brown Jr. (letter read into the record) expressed concerns that density bonuses in redevelopment ordinances primarily benefit developers and do not immediately lower rents or prevent displacement, urging clearer communication on how affordable units are allocated and whether current residents receive priority. Council President responded that the ordinance in question specifically promoted affordable housing and was based on federal data.

Discussion Items

Short-Term Rental Ordinances (34, 35, 36): The council discussed three proposed ordinances to regulate short-term rentals (e.g., Airbnb) in Passaic. Ordinance 34 permits temporary rentals for up to 90 days per year, but only in the owner’s primary residence. Ordinance 35 requires registration with the city, inspection, and a certificate. Ordinance 36 imposes a 3% occupancy tax on such rentals. Key points included: protection for renters and homeowners, preventing conversion of affordable housing, and preparation for events like the FIFA World Cup. Councilmembers asked about occupancy limits, revenue projections, and enforcement. The ordinances were set down for second reading at the February 3, 2026 meeting (see Key Outcomes).
Rent Leveling Board Attorney Costs: Mr. Fernandez explained that the original contract cost increased from $10,000 to $160,000 because the board became active during 2025 and required additional legal work. He stated that the attorney voluntarily reduced the billing significantly from the original invoice. Council President asked about the board eventually paying for itself through penalties on landlords.

Key Outcomes

Approvals: Minutes of July 15, 2025; communications items 2–17; resolutions 19–30; and reappointment of Harold Hess and Dinay Rhodes to the Board of Zoning Adjustment (resolution 31) were all approved unanimously.
Ordinances Set Down for Second Reading:
- Resolution 32 (disabled parking) – second reading set for February 3, 2026.
- Ordinance 33 (redevelopment plan for 185 Lexington Avenue) – second reading set for February 17, 2026.
- Ordinance 34 (short-term rental zoning) – second reading set for February 17, 2026.
- Ordinance 35 (short-term rental registration) – second reading set for February 3, 2026.
- Ordinance 36 (occupancy tax on short-term rentals) – second reading set for February 3, 2026.
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned unanimously after the business portion.

Meeting Transcript

We welcome you to the January 20th 26th City Council meeting in accordance with chapter 231 public laws of 1955. Adequate notice of this meeting was provided by resolution of the municipal council adopted on June 17th, 2025, setting forth the schedule of meetings for the year 2025-2026. Send notice was published and posted on the city hall bulletin board by the office of the city clerk. Please be further advised. This meeting will be conducted in person. The Zoom stream provided is for viewing only and is offered to the public as a convenience. On January 9th, 2026, public notice and zoom instructions for this meeting were published in the Harold News and posted on the City of Pisake website, www.city of Pisake.com, Council agendas. Instructions are also available on the last page of this agenda. Please be guided accordingly. Vocal, please. Councilman Love. Present. Councilwoman Mello. Present. Councilman Mayer. Councilman Garcia. Present. Councilman Colon Montañez. President. Council President Sheer will be here shortly. Yes. Invocation, please stand. Let us bow our heads. Blessed are you, O Lord, King of the Universe, creator of heaven and earth. First and foremost, we thank you. We thank you because each and every one of us woke up this morning. And that is reason enough to give you glory and praise. Lord, we ask that you would guide us through this meeting as we do. The business of the people of Passake, that you allow this council, all those involved to make decisions based on what is in the best interests of all the community, guided by the wisdom that you give and by compassion and care. We ask that you bless this ceremony, all the words that are spoken, all the presentations. We ask that you watch over our city, always our children, our families, our seniors, all those who serve in uniform and out to make this city better. We give you glory and praise in your most holy name. Amen. All right. Well, it is a joyous night as we join together on the celebration of Martin Luther King. So I am actually going to hand the mic over to my colleague, Kelsey Man Love, so we can get started with this beautiful presentation. And I hope everyone enjoys thank you, uh, Councilwoman. Uh, first and foremost, we have a long program. Um, it's sometimes I share with the mayor, sometimes you don't have enough, and then you wind up with more than enough. Um, but for for Dr. King and his celebration, um, I wish that we can be here until midnight. I wish. Um, because the man of that stature and the man that single-handedly, um, of course, with with a lot of other people, so single-handling might not be the right term, changed the world and made it possible for us to be here. So I just want to say welcome to all of our students first. I'm sorry, all of our students, please give them a round of applause. I also want to say uh welcome to our our seniors, who's a new edition, right? We got to give our seniors a round of applause. And that's probably one of the rare times I'll say the youth before the seniors, but you guys know why I did that. Right. Because you're passing the torch.

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