JACKSON – Township Council meetings sometimes get canceled due to inclement weather conditions but this week’s council meeting was scrubbed due to technical difficulties.
The governing body literally went silent during their latest meeting. Council President Mordechai Burnstein apologized to the public following Tuesday’s aborted session.
“Unfortunately, due to the audio recording system not working properly the township had to adjourn the Council Meeting scheduled for this evening,” Burnstein posted online.
“Since there were public hearings scheduled on two ordinances, upon advice of legal counsel, the township had no choice but to adjourn the rest of the meeting. No township business occurred tonight. A special meeting will be scheduled as soon as possible to deal with township business,” the council president added.
The silent meeting viewed by those online ended 14 minutes into the night’s session. The meeting was to have included a certificate of achievement to the Jackson Youth Football- 11 U Football organization and a proclamation concerning stroke awareness and Jackson being “Stroke Smart.”
Ordinances on second reading on the agenda included Ordinance 2026-04 entitled “Vehicles and Traffic” “Schedules”, Ordinance 2026-05 entitled “Portable Sanitary Facilities” and Ordinance 2026-06 that would repeal and replace township code entitled “Rent Control for Apartments and Manufactured Home Parks.”
The council would have also voted on the introduction of Ordinance 2026-07 authorizing the purchase of property on Patterson Road, Ordinance 2026-08 that would amend township code with respect to dogs and kennels and Ordinance 2026-09 entitled “Land Use and Development Regulations.”
Resolutions on the agenda included R104-2026 which expressed support for The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local law enforcement agencies.
That resolution comes at a time when DHS and ICE have been the center of recent controversy with former DHS Director Kristi Noem testifying before members of Congress in relation to an investigation of mismanagement, misspending of funds and misuse of authority.
Noem was removed from her office and transferred to a different position by President Donald Trump while the hearings were taking place.
ICE protocols including their use of masks during immigration raids remain a point of controversy. Lawmakers in New Jersey are calling for reforms within that agency and questioning the need and added expense for the purchase of warehouses to house undocumented immigrants who are being detained for deportation purposes.
Also on the agenda were the following resolutions, R105-2026 assigning a project to Special Project Engineers French & Parello Associates to perform professional services related to monitoring testing of the former Legler Landfill; R106-2026 authorizing architectural services with Tokarski & Millemann Architects, LLC for an increase of $750 that will include re-design services; and R107-2026 that would authorize T&M Associates for the preparation, advertisement and acceptance of bids for the Project ‘2024 Drainage Improvement Program.’
Other resolutions on the consent agenda included R108-2026 authorizing a Municipal Alliance Strategic Plan, R109-2026 authorizing renewal of a Kennel License to Ain’t Misbehaving’s Canine Sleep Over, R110-2026 authorizing the execution of a shared services agreement with Manchester Township for chief financial officer services.
R111-2026 was also on the agenda calling for council support of 12th District Assemblyman Alex Sauickie’s legislation requiring ownership information when residential rental housing is purchased by limited liability companies (LLCs). Sauickie introduced Assembly Bill A4017/A4377 that aims to increase transparency, allowing municipalities to hold owners accountable for property code violations and illegal conversions.
Other resolutions that were postponed to the next meeting included R115-2026 that would appoint attorney Joseph Champagne, of the law firm Champagne Law Group, LLC as public defender; R118-2026 that sought approval to obtain a leaf composting 2025 grant, to be awarded from the State Of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of New Jersey Pollution Discharge Elimination System Stormwater Permitting; and R119-2026 that would approve participation in New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety Safe and Secure Grant in the amount of $21,676.
R120-2026 seeks to approve an Affirmative Marketing Plan while R121-2026 seeks to approve the Fourth Round Affordable Housing Spending Plan.
The last resolution on the agenda is R122-2026 authorizing execution of an agreement with Pasha Consulting, LLC for the provision of budget preparation consulting services.
