Passaic City Council Meeting - May 20, 2026
Passaic City Council Meeting - May 20, 2026
The Passaic City Council held a regular meeting on May 20, 2026, with all members present. The meeting included public comments, discussion and approval of several ordinances, routine consent items, and resolutions. Major topics included a redevelopment plan for 1 Market Street, a pilot program for Spear Village rehabilitation, and various parking and worker protection ordinances.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Carl Singer addressed safety concerns on Howard Avenue, citing speeding, a dangerous crosswalk at Spring and Howard, and requested permanent traffic calming measures (signage, rumble strips, electronic speed signs, and a four-way stop). He also raised noise issues from Route 21 and urged the city to pursue noise barriers. Council noted that new pole-mounted speed signs have been ordered and placed in other areas.
- Young C. Wolf questioned the planning board's approval process for a 22-unit project on Broadway, alleging that the board granted parking variances without adequate scrutiny. He also expressed concerns about the pilot program for Spear Village, arguing that the 3% payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) is too low and that the city is giving away a valuable asset. He asked the council to negotiate a higher rate and shorter term.
Discussion Items
- Ordinance 2523-26 (East Side Redevelopment Plan Amendment) – Second and final reading for the 1 Market Street project (over 6 acres, maximum 490 units). Council members discussed parking ratios (minimum 1.5 per two-bedroom unit), unit mix (80% must be two-bedroom or larger), inclusion of 20% affordable and 20% workforce housing, and the importance of minimum unit sizes. Business Administrator Fernandez explained that the plan uses census data, transit access, and state requirements. The ordinance passed unanimously.
- Ordinance 2529-26 (Spear Village PILOT) – Second and final reading for a 30-year PILOT agreement with Spear Village Preservation Owner LLC to rehabilitate four buildings (256 units, 100% affordable). Developer John Quartel of Quartel Development Group presented the project: $147 million total cost, with $200,000 per unit in hard costs. The PILOT is set at 3% of gross income, required by HMFA financing. Council members questioned the financial structure, relocation plans, and long-term quality assurance. The mayor and administrator emphasized the holistic vision, including future phases with mixed-income and commercial uses. The ordinance passed unanimously.
- Ordinance 2530-26 (Worker Payment Protection) – Amending Chapter 128 to add worker payment protection and anti-coercion provisions. Passed unanimously.
- Ordinance 2528-26 (Restricted Parking for Disabled Persons) – Designation of specific parking spaces. Public comment noted enforcement issues. Passed unanimously.
- Consent Calendar – Items 5-10, 11-21, and 22 (various routine ordinances and resolutions) were approved en bloc without separate discussion.
- Resolutions 24-31 – Approved with a correction to resolution 30 (dates for housing authority agreements).
- Ordinance 32 (Introduction) – Amending restricted parking for disabled persons, set down for second reading on June 4, 2026.
Key Outcomes
- Ordinance 2523-26 passed unanimously (7-0).
- Ordinance 2529-26 passed unanimously (7-0).
- Ordinance 2528-26 passed unanimously (7-0).
- Ordinance 2530-26 passed unanimously (7-0).
- Consent items and resolutions approved as amended.
- Ordinance 32 introduced for first reading.
- Payment of bills approved.
- Meeting adjourned at approximately 9:30 PM (end of transcript).
Note: The transcript identifies the meeting as May 19, 2026, but the provided timestamp is May 20, 2026. The date from the instruction is used for this summary.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. On behalf of the governing body, we welcome you to the May 19th, 2026 City Council meeting. In accordance with chapter 231, public laws of 1975, 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. Excuse notice was published and posted on the city. Please be guided accordingly. Roll call, please. Councilman Monk. Councilman Love. Present. Councilwoman Mello. Present. Councilman Mayor. Present. Councilman Garcia. Councilwoman Colom Montañez. President and Council President Sherry. President, should we up please run? Heavenly Father, we want to thank you, Lord, for allowing us to meet this evening. We ask you to please guide us in the decisions that will take place this evening in your beloved name we pray. Amen. I pledge advanced to the flag of the United States of America. As a note to members of the council, there are uh two pieces of correspondence from citizens that uh have been included in your uh materials for this evening. Uh if you don't have a copy of our agenda, they're available immediately outside uh chambers. Uh also available to you through the website, the city's website, and then the links of all the information council is received for tonight's meeting from the administration. We're up to remember four on our agenda tonight, hearing of citizens in accordance with the open public meetings act in Genesis 104-16. The council is every public meeting for comments from the public. However, in accordance with NJSA 10 COVID 4-12, nothing in this act shall be construed to limit the discretion of a public body to permit, prohibit, or regulate the act of participation at any meeting. Therefore, please be advised that the council will not entertain any comments from persons who communicate obscene material, make statements which are considered bias intimidation, in which a person intends to intimidate any individual or group because of race, color, religion, gender, handicap, sexual orientation, or ethnicity, or Max Comments intending to harass or speak any offensive language. Person who makes the statement will relinquish their allotted five minutes for public discussion. The council looks for us to comments from members of the public. We respectfully remind you that if you would like to speak before the council that you share with us your name, and also recognize that we ask that everyone speak for no more than five minutes. Is there anyone who'd like to adjust the council? Please sir. That would be you, Carl. Thank you. Um I distributed a sheet of paper, basically says what I said about to say. Uh, first of all, I want to thank uh police chief uh losman and his department. So when I spoke here a few weeks ago, the next morning I saw action. Um safety is one of the two major issues I want to talk about. Howard Avenue was a broad street. Uh when I first moved there 30 some years ago, there's a yellow line down the center of the street. It didn't go anywhere. Quite frankly, 21 didn't go anywhere. There wasn't a lot of traffic. I brought in some speed, uh, I have a radar gun. I brought in some speed numbers uh last trip. Cars are flying up and down the street, and worse yet, there's a crosswalk. Allegedly a crosswalk, uh at spring and howard, school children, parents, mothers with strollers, all have to basically wait for cars rather than the other way around. It's dangerous. And uh, I think we need to address that.
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