Belleville Planning Board Adjourns After Vice Chair’s Allegations

BELLEVILLE, NJ — The Belleville Planning Board voted to adjourn their Thursday meeting in the wake of accusations from its vice chair.

During Thursday’s public meeting, vice chair Andrew Conte alleged that the board’s Class IV members – who are appointed at the mayor’s discretion – have been “illegitimately” occupying their seats since July 2019.

According to Conte, the issue could ultimately result in the revocation of every single planning board decision made since July 2019.

Conte added that he plans to file complaints with the state attorney general’s office and division of community affairs.

After his presentation, the board voted to adjourn on the advice of counsel, with the intent to address the concerns before their next meeting on March 10.

“These questions have been raised before, and answered by both the planning board attorney and the township attorney,” Belleville Mayor Michael Melham said when asked to comment on the allegations.

“Sadly, there are those interested in stunting our progress and are attempting the use the planning board as their political platform,” Melham added.

According to the municipal website, the planning board is composed of nine members, made up of four “classes.”

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Sign up for Patch email newsletters. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Belleville-Nutley Facebook page.