Mayor and Council Meeting Canceled

The Mayor and Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday was canceled after none of the six members of the Borough Council showed up.

Mayor Richard LaBarbiera walked into a work session scheduled for 7 p.m. expecting to see four council members after councilmen Alan Brundage and Eric Nazziola called to say they couldn't make the meeting.

But only a smattering of department heads, Borough Clerk Toni Falato, Borough Administrator Joseph D'Arco and the Borough Attorney were downstairs in .

"I'm not saying they all didn't have legitimate excuses, but never in my seven years have I seen six council people not show up to a meeting," LaBarbiera said.

The agenda included final votes on two ordinances, the appointment of seasonal employees for the Recreation Department and stipends for members of the and Fire Department. LaBarbiera said he was hoping the Council would also vote to move forward on a new traffic signal at West Midland Avenue and Country Club Road, a plan that may be in jeopardy without a quick vote.

Unless the Council schedules a special meeting, those votes won't come until after Election Day, when the Mayor and Council are next scheduled to meet.

"It was effectively a shutdown of government in Paramus," LaBarbiera said, "which also cost the taxpayers money and delayed several important appointments and contract awards."

LaBarbiera said Brundage was attending to his sick child, and Nazziola told him that he was ill. When reached by telephone Tuesday night, Councilman Cathy Bentz said she had a personal issue to take care of.

Council President Maureen O'Brien said she was planning to attend the meeting, but received a voicemail from Falato at about 5 p.m. that there wouldn't be a quorum of four council members. She called Councilman Ralph Amato to confirm that he received the message as well.

Councilman Michael Rohdieck didn't answer a call seeking comment Tuesday night.