Wyckoff's Township Committee opened its first regular meeting of the new year Tuesday facing two financial pressures at once: the looming deadline to complete its fourth-round affordable housing compliance, and a projected 37 percent spike in health insurance costs for the school district — a number that will ripple through the municipal budget.

The committee introduced an ordinance tied to the township's affordable housing obligation under New Jersey's Fair Housing Act, rezoning the Abundant Life Reformed Church property.[1] The measures are part of a broader push to meet a March 15th state deadline for municipalities[2] to adopt compliant housing plans or risk losing immunity from 'builder's remedy' litigation, under which developers can seek court approval to build larger-than-zoned projects in towns deemed non-compliant.

Also before the committee was an appropriation of approximately $160,000 for an updated tax map of the township — a required infrastructure investment that officials said was long overdue and would support both municipal planning and development review going forward.

In the evening's awards segment, the committee recognized the Ramapo High School boys soccer team as New Jersey state champions, presenting the players and coaches with a proclamation acknowledging their championship season.

Committeeman Jim Schappert, in his Board of Education liaison report, relayed that the K-8 school system faces a 37 percent increase in health benefit costs in the coming year.[3]

The committee also heard that Wyckoff's volunteer fire department responded to 727 calls for service in 2025, totaling 23,421 man hours — a workload that underscored the department's operational scale despite its all-volunteer roster.

On the public health front, officials reported that the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission, which currently runs the township's well-baby clinic, is discontinuing service to non-member towns. A proposed shared-services agreement with the Mid-Bergen Regional Health Commission to take over the program is set to go before the Board of Health in February before the committee authorizes a resolution.

The Office of Natural Resources is scheduled to conduct tree trimming work along township rights-of-way in the coming weeks.

The committee meets again February 3rd.