The Borough Council voted 4-2 at its July 13th meeting to create an advisory committee that will reexamine Manville's five-year-old ban on cannabis businesses, over the vocal opposition of Mayor Richard Onderko (R), who interrupted the resolution's reading, to remove the word Mayor from it, and told its sponsor she "should be ashamed," and called the effort "a total waste of time."

The resolution, brought forward by Councilwoman Jade Puia (R) during her Buildings and Grounds committee report, does not change any Borough ordinance. The ban on cannabis establishments, distributors, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and delivery services remains in effect.

The new Cannabis Advisory Committee has no authority to enact regulations, approve applications, or issue licenses. Its sole job is to research whether the prohibition adopted five years ago still serves the Borough and to deliver a written report with recommendations by December 31, 2026. Any change to the ban would require a separate ordinance passed by the council through the normal public process.

"I want to be clear that establishing this committee does not authorize or approve cannabis businesses in Manville," Puia said in introducing the measure. "This committee is simply intended to help ensure that any future discussions are informed by research, community input and thoughtful consideration."

New Jersey voters legalized adult-use cannabis in a 2020 referendum, and in Manville the measure passed with 65.08% in favor. Municipalities were still free to prohibit cannabis businesses locally, and Manville's council opted for a full ban.

Mayor Interrupts, Then Attacks

Mayor Onderko interrupted Councilwoman Puia as she read the resolution into the record, objecting to its references to the mayor. "Jade, I have to interrupt you. Take out mayor. I'm not in favor of this," he said, adding, "If it's a 3-3 vote, I'm voting no." Puia restarted and read the resolution again with the references removed.

When she finished, Onderko asked whether the committee's meetings would be open to the public and subject to the Open Public Meetings Act. Puia said certain meetings would be open for the public to attend.

The mayor then delivered an extended argument against the committee. He cited a New York Times editorial critical of cannabis legalization and said a dispensary "normalizes the use of cannabis, especially in small walkable towns such as Manville" and "increases the risk of youth use." He said Manville, a "small town, two square mile walkable community," is the wrong fit.

He then turned his criticism personal. "And you know, Jade, you put more time into this than trying to fix a leaky roof at our library. You should be ashamed," Onderko said, referring to Puia's role as chair of the Buildings and Grounds committee. "What's taken so long, Jade?"

Puia rejected the comparison. "This is not about the leaking roof in the library," she said. "This is just an advisory committee to see if this is good for our town or not. If we deem that it's not, then it's not."

Puia said her push had no partisan motive. "It has nothing to do with a political party," she said. "I want to do my due diligence as a council member to see if it's right for the Borough of Manville, to see if it's good for small businesses, to see if it could bring in money for the town."

Lukac and Camacho Object

Council President Joe Lukac (R) and Councilwoman Dayna Camacho (R) both spoke against the resolution before voting no.

Councilwoman Camacho questioned why the committee moved faster than her own proposal on rental overcrowding, which she said she presented to the planning board in April and was told by the Borough attorney that she was "breaking the chain of command." "My ordinance was for safety and could potentially save a life," she said. "I heard crickets on it for the last couple of months. But this all of a sudden jumps to the front of the pile. Can somebody tell me why?"

State law sets no committee process for resolutions, which take effect on a single majority vote. Any council member may move one from the floor at a regular meeting, as Puia did Monday, and nothing in the Borough's published code barred Camacho from doing the same with her own proposal. However, Camacho's proposal was an Ordinance. Ordinances, unlike resolutions, follow a statutory process that includes introduction, publication and a public hearing before final adoption.

Council President Lukac said the matter should have come through the council's established committee process, and questioned the burden on police and buffer rules keeping cannabis businesses away from churches and schools. Puia responded that questions like those are "the literal point of the advisory committee," which seats the police chief or a designee and a land use representative among its members.

Puia said she had been open about the plan, raising it in her own committee and making calls before the meeting. "I called the mayor out of respect and transparency. I called you. I called Dayna. I got a call from the Republican state chairwoman," she said. "I was fully transparent on all fronts."

Public Comment

Opening the public comment portion, Mayor Onderko invited residents to speak on what he described as "this advisory committee to bring marijuana to town," a characterization at odds with the resolution's text, which directs the committee to evaluate whether the current prohibition "should remain in effect."

Several residents spoke in favor of the study. One tied the question to the Borough's budget struggles, which had been discussed at length earlier in the meeting.

"If we want to ask the state for more money, we should be doing everything that we can to make an income for Manville on our own. That's our due diligence," the resident said. "Asking for the state to cover the fact that we can't balance the budget is a little absurd. And I think it's worth pursuing."

Another resident thanked Puia and said council's job is "to make informed decisions, to do the due diligence, and to determine whether something could benefit the town or not, not to allow personal feelings to drive legislation," and noted that state law provides for several distinct cannabis license classes beyond retail storefronts, including delivery operations.

During the public portion, when Councilwoman Puia sought to respond to a commenter, Onderko refused: "No, no, Jade, you said enough."

The Vote

Councilman Chris Basista (D), who seconded the motion, voted yes along with Councilwoman Stefanie Sanchez (D), Councilwoman Patricia Zamorski (D) and Puia (R). Lukac (R) and Camacho (R) voted no.

After the roll call, Onderko repeated that he would have broken a 3-3 tie against it. "I think this is a total waste of time and sends the wrong message to our youth," he said. "Maybe the ManvilleToday reporter here could report that. He can quote me."

What Happens Next?

Under Resolution 2026-160 as amended before passage, the committee will be chaired by the Borough Administrator and include three council members recommended by Buildings and Grounds, the police chief or a designee, and one representative from the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Adjustment or Borough land use staff, with authority to invite subject matter experts. The borough attorney will advise the committee rather than serve on it.

Its final report and recommendations are due by December 31, 2026. The cannabis business ban remains in effect unless and until the council adopts a new ordinance.