WESTWOOD—The borough’s governing body will convene for a work meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 1 at Borough Hall, at 101 Washington Ave. The meeting will begin with a closed session at 7 p.m., followed by a public session starting at 7:30.
The agenda includes employee reviews, administrative staff discussions, litigation matters, and a Zoning Board application during the executive session. After reopening the public meeting, the council will review minutes from the Sept. 17 meeting and hear an engineering report.
According to the agenda, key discussion topics include a composting pilot program, parking issues, and an update on the naming of the elevated walkway. Ordinances for introduction and adoption will address handicapped parking, historic preservation, and the prohibition of retail sales of certain dogs and cats within the borough.
Additional matters include the presentation of financial reports, bills, and resolutions on various topics, including opioid settlement funds, senior life skills programs, and emergency work on Westwood Boulevard and 5th Avenue.
Residents are encouraged to attend and participate during the public forum. The meeting agenda is subject to change.
On Sept. 4, Mayor Ray Arroyo posted that the Borough Council unanimously authorized the borough attorney to review an ordinance prohibiting the sale of puppy mill dogs, “for the council’s consideration, introduction and adoption.”
He said the governing body had recently heard speakers outline the deplorable conditions at “puppy mills.”
“The breeding process is mechanistic, [with] females confined in crates, producing litter after litter with no respite. Many of the puppies sold to retailers have undisclosed genetic [and] health problems that are not revealed until after the dog is in the home and its new family falls in love with it.”
Arroyo said, “These dogs don’t get returned. They get cared for by their new owners to the tune of thousands of dollars in unanticipated health care costs.”
He quoted Westwood councilman Anthony Greco: “If a retailer continually sold defective merchandise, they’d be out of business.”
Arroyo said, “Fortunately we currently do not have a business in town that sells puppies. We have residents and a business, Westwood Pets Unlimited, that vigorously promote shelter adoptions.”