At its July 20 meeting the Township of Clark Council introduced five ordinances — including a ban on data centers, vacation of a paper street along Lakeside Boulevard, and an amendment to the affordable housing ordinance — and set public hearings for early August. All introductions passed by roll call; one ordinance was noted as tabled for later consideration.

Jerry Scutoro noted newly released 9/11 air quality records and urged support for those who became sick; he also announced a donation of a plaque listing Port Authority officers who perished and shared memories of Tom Gorman and Ladder 10 firefighters.

As part of routine resolutions, the council moved to accept a Preserve New Jersey grant and awarded a low bid for Robinson Plantation roof restoration; it also approved a change in special litigation counsel for a pending state-level matter, selecting Christopher G. Grammation via RFP review.

Council received the township’s 2025 annual audit, which auditors issued an unmodified (clean) opinion on; the audit included a finding that one procurement instance exceeded bid thresholds without following public-bid procedures and recommended strengthening procurement controls.

Multiple residents questioned the council about large numbers of tax appeals, expenditures and transfers from the sewer fund to the general budget, and an ongoing personnel legal matter; the administration responded that some details are pending further review and that litigation matters are not discussable in public.

Council received the 2025 annual audit, which auditors issued an unmodified (clean) opinion. The report flagged one procurement instance where a purchase exceeded the bid threshold without required public bidding; fund balance and debt figures were reviewed.

Multiple residents questioned tax-appeal exposure, transfers from the sewer fund to the general budget, and the status of police-related litigation. Officials reviewed county allocation mechanics, said an internal investigation addressed an observed fire vehicle use, and indicated a hearing officer is engaged for the litigation.

The board approved a consistency finding for ordinance 26-22, which removes a waiver provision from chapter 66 of the township code to satisfy an agreement with the Fair Share Housing Center and support approval of the township's fourth-round affordable housing plan.

Board members at the June 4 meeting discussed whether Clark should proactively adopt ordinances addressing data centers, with staff advising caution until state approval criteria and utility capacity issues are clarified.