WOODCLIFF LAKE—The governing body is taking up a required second vote on an ordinance defining what flags may be flown on municipal property. Residents are welcome to weigh in at the hearing, set for Nov. 8 at 7 p.m.
Voting for the ordinance at its introduction, Oct. 18, were Stephen Falanga, Jacqueline Gadaleta, Josephine Higgins, and Richard Schnoll.
Voting against were Council President Angela Hayes and Councilman Craig Marson. Neither commented on the ordinance at the time.
On Oct, 27, Marson told Pascack Press, “I believe that the majority of council is being tone deaf to an issue which has significant public support and is backed by legal precedent. We owe it to our citizens to pass a statute that supports these rights while protecting Woodcliff Lake from future legal action.”
Ordinance 21-15 reads in part, “The Borough Council hereby authorizes the borough administrator to only fly and/or display the Flag of the United States of America, the New Jersey State Flag, the United States Military Flags and Borough Department Flags on public property.”
It notes the borough may fly the U.S. flag at half-staff “upon timely notification and verification of the death of a federal, state or local law enforcement officer, firefighter, ambulance/rescue squad member, emergency medical technician or paramedic who either works or volunteers in the Borough providing such services or is a resident of the Borough of Woodcliff Lake who dies in the line of duty or during the time of active service, or a military veteran who engaged in a combat theater … who either works for the Borough of Woodcliff Lake or resides in the Borough, shall direct that the United States Flag be flown at half-staff at all municipal buildings for a period of three days.”
The ordinance follows years of debate in Pascack and Northern valley towns generated by requests from groups to fly flags representing organizations and causes.
Borough Administrator Tom Padilla said he was only aware of two prior requests to fly specific flags by groups. The requests were to fly the LGBTQ+ Pride Flag and one adopted by the anti-abortion movement.
In June 2020, Mayor Carlos Rendo posted a video on his Facebook page showing the first raising of the LGBTQ+ Pride Flag on a borough flag pole on the Centennial Causeway. It was not clear if the borough also raised the LGBTQ+ flag this year during June’s Pride Month.
“The council was considering what guidelines and parameters to put in place,” said Padilla. “If you pick and choose that could lead to legal issues as to which is or is not acceptable.”
Two years ago, controversy erupted in Teaneck, Montvale and Tenafly over the flying of the LGBTQ+ Pride Flag on public property. The Montvale Borough Council decided not to establish a flag flying policy, agreeing that the U.S. flag is all-inclusive.
Montvale’s mayor and council agreed that in flying one issue flag — such as the Pride Flag — requests to fly advocacy flags the borough did not necessarily support could follow, and that could lead to rejections, complaints, and legal action.