Vineland City Council Meeting – October 27, 2026

The Vineland City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at 5:30 PM. The meeting included a Pledge of Allegiance led by Winslow Elementary School safety patrol students, approval of previous meeting minutes, public hearings on several ordinances, first readings of new ordinances, and a consent agenda of resolutions. The most significant discussion centered on Ordinance No. 2026-70, which would amend Chapter 425 on recycling operations and junkyards. Public testimony highlighted procedural and substantive objections, while police supported certain provisions. The public hearing on this ordinance was continued to November 10, 2026.

Consent Calendar

• Approved minutes of the Pre-Meeting Conference and Regular Meeting of October 13, 2026, and the Work Session of October 20, 2026. (Unanimous vote)
• Adopted Resolution No. 2026-533 authorizing a closed executive session on litigation matters. (Unanimous)
• All items on the consent agenda (Resolutions 2026-517 through 2026-532 and 2026-534, plus communications from the Mayor regarding appointments) were approved by a single motion. (Unanimous)

Public Comments & Testimony

• Jeffrey Kantowitz (attorney for Honest Lookup LLC, a property owner affected by the proposed ordinance) argued that the entire process for Ordinance 2026-70 was legally flawed. He claimed the planning board’s consistency review failed to identify inconsistencies with the master plan (e.g., a three-acre minimum lot size in the I-4 district vs. the proposed 10-acre requirement) and that the re-examination report cannot serve as the basis for consistency. He also noted that limiting licenses from eight to five and increasing lot sizes would hinder economic development. He urged the council to vote down the ordinance and restart the process.
• Craig Rancap (professional planner working with Mr. Kantowitz) raised three substantive issues: (1) increasing lot sizes to 10 acres would make at least three of five existing licenses non-conforming, (2) there was no analysis justifying the reduction of licenses from eight to five, and (3) the auto salvage business (his client’s) would be effectively banned because none of the five outstanding licenses are held by auto salvage operators. He also reiterated that the consistency review was flawed, citing court cases that require direct comparison to master plan elements, not re-examination reports.
• Ryan Madden (detective with Vineland Police Department) spoke in favor of the police-related provisions in the ordinance, which would require scrap metal and car part sellers to provide identification and track transactions (similar to pawn shop requirements). He noted that such a system would aid investigations into thefts, including over $200,000 worth of stolen Verizon wires this year and catalytic converter thefts. He urged the council to approve that portion of the ordinance.
• Chris Stockney (professional planner with Artheon, who prepared the planning board report) defended the planning board’s finding that the ordinance is substantially consistent with the master plan. He stated that the council has authority to regulate land uses and that the planning board’s resolution was properly adopted. He did not address the specific planning objections raised by the prior speakers.
• The council’s engineer, Ryan Hadley, was scheduled to testify but had a family emergency. The public hearing was continued to allow his testimony at a later date.

Discussion Items

• Ordinance No. 2026-70 (Recycling Operations and Junkyards): Public hearing opened, extensive testimony heard. No council discussion recorded during the meeting beyond the motion to continue the hearing.
• Ordinance No. 2026-71 (Classification and Compensation Plans – various titles): Public hearing closed and adopted unanimously.
• Ordinance No. 2026-72 (Water tank maintenance and logo placement agreement with Utility Services Company): Public hearing closed and adopted unanimously.
• Ordinance No. 2026-73 (Legal representation for armed security officers): Public hearing closed and adopted unanimously.
• Ordinance No. 2026-74 (Bond ordinance for Howard Pagliughi Park improvements, $1,180,000): Public hearing closed and adopted unanimously.
• Ordinance No. 2026-75 (Bond ordinance for Joseph E. Romano Sports Complex improvements, $716,000): Public hearing closed and adopted unanimously.
• First Readings: Ordinance Nos. 2026-76 (Purchasing Agent titles), 2026-77 (Purchase of joint interest in land from Vineland Development Corporation), 2026-78 (Municipal Parks Superintendent titles), 2026-79 (Vineyards Redevelopment Plan), and 2026-80 (Vineland Municipal Animal Services) were each introduced and passed for first reading with public hearings scheduled for November 10, 2026.

Key Outcomes

• Public Hearing Continued: Ordinance No. 2026-70 was continued to Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at 5:30 PM, to allow additional testimony from the city engineer.
• Six Ordinances Adopted on Final Reading: Ordinances 2026-71 through 2026-75 were all adopted unanimously (5-0) after public hearings.
• Five Ordinances Introduced on First Reading: Ordinances 2026-76 through 2026-80 passed their first readings unanimously; public hearings set for November 10, 2026.
• Consent Agenda Approved: All listed resolutions (including several change orders, contracts, tax cancellations, budget insertions, and appointments) were approved en bloc without separate discussion.