January 31, 2025

This is the final Friday edition of the Roundup. Beginning next week on February 5, the League will send the Weekly Roundup on Wednesday. Important information that affects municipalities will continue to be sent as a Daily Update as necessary.

State Issues

Senate Approves Bill Subjecting PILOTs to Payroll Reporting

At its January 30 voting session, the Senate approved S-1403, which requires employers and contractors engaged in work for public bodies to submit payroll records to the Department of Labor.

Contact: Lori Buckelew, Deputy Executive Director, lbuckelew@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x112.

Bill To Preempt Municipal Zoning Pulled from Committee Agenda

S-1408, which authorizes the conversion of certain office parks and retail centers to mixed-use developments, was pulled from the January 30 Senate Community and Urban Affairs agenda.

Contact: Mike Cerra, Executive Director, mcerra@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x120.

Petition Signature Total Bill Passes Both Chambers

Legislation increasing the number of signatures for municipal election nominating petitions passes both chambers for the 2025 election and beyond.

Contact: Paul Penna, Director of Government Affairs, ppenna@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x110.

Attorney General Announces Creation of TRUST Commission

Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced the creation of the TRUST Commission and tasked it with recommending ways to eliminate corruption, promote transparency, and strengthen the public’s trust in government.

Contact: Paul Penna, Director of Government Affairs, ppenna@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x110.

Federal

OMB Rescinds Pause of Federal Funding

After a court ruling last night, where a federal judge temporarily blocked the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) attempt to pause federal funds, the OMB rescinded that directive.

Contact: Paul Penna, Director of Government Affairs, ppenna@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x110.

Also of Interest

Show Off Your City 2025: Apply Today

The February 7 deadline for the annual photo competition is quickly approaching. Municipalities are invited to send the League photos of their tourist attractions, downtown areas, economic development initiatives, parks, city halls, community groups, and new projects for the 2025 Show Off Your City Photo Contest!

The winning photo will be featured on the cover of the April issue of NJ Municipalities and the winner will also receive a free League publication of their choice. Entries will be posted on the League’s Facebook page, and some featured in the April issue of NJ Municipalities, and possibly other issues. 

Photos should be high-resolution JPEG, at least 3MB in size. Please provide photo credit if necessary. Unfortunately, stock photos and images that are too low in resolution will not be considered. By submitting a photo, you are agreeing that you own the rights to the photo and that NJLM has permission to use the photo in NJ Municipalities, on NJLM’s social media and website, and on other printed materials. Note that photos displayed in a portrait orientation work better on the magazine cover than a landscape orientation. The due date to submit entries is February 7 

Submit photos using the Show Off Your City submission form or mail a flash drive to 222 West State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608.

Registration Open for 8th Annual NJ Watershed Conference

The 8^th Annual NJ Watershed Conference is set to take place at The College of New Jersey on February 20 and 21.

The conference looks to provide municipal officials, municipal professionals, as well as environmental professionals with technical expertise from a broad range of experts.

This year the agenda includes speakers from FEMA, US Fish and Wildlife, NOAA, NJDEP, Rutgers, Bergen County Director of Land Management, Sustainable Jersey, and Woodbridge's floodplain manager, among others. CEUs are available for engineers, planners, certified floodplain managers, and attorneys for some of the sessions.

Topics range from funding opportunities, an example of wetlands restoration, best practices on maintaining green infrastructure, creating flood resilient landscapes, and more. 

Registration is open and the cost varies whether registration is for one day or two days. For more information, email Pri Oliveira at poliveira@thewatershed.org.

2025 AARP Community Challenge Grant

The deadline to apply for the 2025 AARP Community Challenge grant is 5:00 p.m. March 5, 2025.

Nominations for Emergency Manager of the Year & NJEPA Scholarship

The New Jersey Emergency Preparedness Association (NJEPA) is seeking nominations for the Emergency Manager of the Year, student scholarships, and scholarships for emergency managers working on their NJ Certified Emergency Manager certification.

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