Harrison Public Meetings: Dates, Times and What to Know

Harrison residents will have several opportunities over the coming days to attend public meetings, hear what local government officials are considering, and speak directly during public-comment portions of meetings.

The Town of Harrison's official calendar currently lists meetings of the Harrison Planning Board, Mayor & Council, and Zoning Board of Adjustment during the upcoming week. A Harrison Redevelopment Agency meeting originally scheduled for Monday, September 14, 2026, has been canceled.

The meetings are particularly important for residents who want to follow decisions involving municipal government, redevelopment, construction, and land use. Public meetings also give residents, business owners, and other members of the public an opportunity to comment and, during the appropriate public session, ask questions or raise concerns directly on the public record.

Harrison Redevelopment Agency — September 14 Meeting Canceled

The Harrison Redevelopment Agency had been scheduled to meet on Monday, September 14, 2026, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Harrison Town Hall.

However, the Town's online calendar now lists the meeting as "CANCELLED."

The Redevelopment Agency plays an important role in Harrison because extensive redevelopment has transformed much of the southern portion of the municipality over the past several decades. An interesting fact is that the late Mayor Raymond J. McDonough & Council vision of revitalization, put into action over 26 years ago, has become a reality. The Harrison Redevelopment Zone now raises $ 17 million per year in Payments in Lieu of Property Taxes (PILOTS). To put it in perspective, the area outside the Redevelopment Zone on the other side of Town generated $ 17 million in Harrison Property Taxes. The Town has double the money it used to have each year.

Current Mayor James Fife has admitted that the Town of Harrison has benefited from Mayor McDonough's & Council's vision to redevelop the abandoned industrial part of Harrison into a residential community.  A proposal to put a Toxic Sludge Plant on the PSE&G property in Harrison, NJ, could derail $ 17 million in PILOTS and harm the health of residents and riders of the Harrison PATH, as well as commuters who use South Frank E. Rodgers Blvd.  Mayor James File & Councilman James Doran lied about the EPA's plan and their support for the Toxic Sludge Plant 4 years ago during a mayoral election, and they continue to support the Toxic Sludge Plant to this day despite being called out for lying to the Public. Mayor Fife & Councilman (4th Ward) Doran are running for re-election this year.

As of publication, no Redevelopment Agency meeting is scheduled for September 14.

The Town calendar lists the Agency's next regular meeting for Monday, September 28, 2026, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Town Hall.

No agenda for a September 28 Redevelopment Agency meeting was available in the Town's Agenda Center at the time this article was prepared. Residents interested in that meeting should check again as the date approaches.

Harrison Planning Board — Monday, September 14

The Harrison Planning Board is scheduled to meet on Monday, September 14, 2026, at 6 p.m.

According to the Town's official notice, the meeting is held in the Mayor & Council Chambers on the second floor of Harrison Town Hall, 318 Harrison Avenue, Harrison, NJ. A caucus is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. in the Caucus Room on the third floor.

The Planning Board considers matters involving development, site plans, subdivisions, and other land-use issues that can significantly affect Harrison's neighborhoods and ongoing redevelopment.

At the time this article was prepared, the Town's Agenda Center did not list a September 14 Planning Board agenda. The most recent Planning Board agenda displayed there was for the August 31, 2026 meeting. Accordingly, the specific applications or other matters to be considered on September 14 are not currently available from the Town's Agenda Center. The Agenda for the August 31, 2026 meeting included two new business items, and those items will likely come before the Planning Board again.  Those items were: Case 2026-02 — 105 Harrison Avenue Associates, Inc., 105 Harrison Ave. Case 2026-03 , Astrid Real Estate Development LLC, 304 Frank E. Rodgers Blvd

Residents should check the Town's website before attending because agendas and other meeting information can be added or changed.

Mayor & Council — Tuesday, September 15

2nd Floor Harrison Mayor & Council Chambers, Harrison Town Hall

The Harrison Mayor and Council will hold its regular public meeting on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 6:15 p.m.

The meeting will take place in the Mayor’s Conference Room on the third floor of Harrison Town Hall, 318 Harrison Avenue. The Town's official 2026 meeting notice confirms September 15 as one of the scheduled regular Mayor and Council meetings. Harrison Town Hall has a Mayor & Council Chambers on the second floor, but Mayor Fife has chosen to hold meetings in the Mayor’s Conference Room just outside his office, breaking with the tradition of using the much larger Art Deco room, which is ideal for social distancing with its very high ceilings and length.  The Mayor’s Conference Room was not designed to hold Harrison Mayor & Council meetings.

The Mayor and Council meeting is where many of Harrison's most significant municipal decisions are formally considered and voted upon, including ordinances, resolutions, contracts, appointments, expenditures, and other matters involving Town government.

Residents looking for the agenda should be aware of an important practical issue: the Mayor and Council agenda is usually not published online until after 4 p.m. on the day of the meeting. As a result, residents interested in attending often have only a short period before the 6:15 p.m. meeting to review the matters scheduled for consideration.

As of this article's preparation, the Town's online Agenda Center did not list the September 15 agenda. The most recent Town Council agenda currently displayed there is from August 18, 2026.

The Town's official meeting notice states that agendas will be made available before meetings through the Town's Agenda Center or can be requested from the Harrison Town Clerk, Paul Zarbetski.

The Public Can Speak at Mayor and Council Meetings

The Mayor and Council meeting includes a public-comment portion, giving members of the public an opportunity to address Harrison's elected officials.

The Town's official notice states that anyone making public comment must provide their name and municipality of residence for the record, but you can give your business address. Public comments are generally limited to five minutes, although the chairperson may extend the time when appropriate.

The public session is not limited only to Harrison homeowners. Residents, tenants, business owners, members of the business community and non-residents may attend public meetings and use the appropriate public-comment session to address the governing body.

Members of the public can make statements, raise concerns, and ask questions during the public session. However, the opportunity to ask a question should not necessarily be interpreted as requiring the Mayor, Council members, board members, professionals, or municipal employees to provide an immediate answer during the meeting.

For residents who have questions about parking, redevelopment, taxes, municipal spending, public safety, traffic, development projects, environmental issues, or other matters affecting Harrison, the public session provides an opportunity to place those concerns directly on the public record.

Unfortunately, the Mayor & Council meetings are not recorded as other municipalities throughout New Jersey do.  There is no live stream, video, or sound recording.  The written summary of the Mayor & Council meeting contains the names of the members of the Public who speak at the meetings but only by name.  The summary does not include what the member of the public asked or commented on.

Zoning Board of Adjustment — Wednesday, September 16

The Harrison Zoning Board of Adjustment is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at 6 p.m.

The meeting will be held in the Mayor & Council Chambers on the second floor of Harrison Town Hall, 318 Harrison Avenue. A caucus is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. in the third-floor Caucus Room. Members of the Public can attend the Caucus.

The Town's published 2026 Zoning Board schedule specifically lists September 16 as a regular meeting date. The notice also states that the Board reserves the right to cancel meetings when no applications or other business are pending.

As of publication, the Town's online Agenda Center did not list a September 16 Zoning Board agenda. In fact, the most recent 2026 Zoning Board agenda presently displayed in the Agenda Center is dated June 22, 2026.

That means the applications, variance requests, or other matters that may be heard on September 16 cannot currently be identified in the Town's online Agenda Center.

Land-use meetings can be particularly important to residents living near a proposed project. Depending upon the matter being heard and the stage of the proceeding, members of the public may have opportunities to comment and ask questions in accordance with the Board's procedures. Just step up and ask when you can speak on a particular application.

What About the Harrison Board of Education?

A review of the Harrison Public Schools website did not reveal a Harrison Board of Education meeting scheduled during the upcoming two-week period covered by this article.

The district's publicly available Board Minutes page currently lists 2026 meeting minutes through June 25, 2026, while the district's current Upcoming Events section does not display a September Board of Education meeting.

Accordingly, Your Harrison could not confirm from the Board of Education's currently published online information that a Board meeting will occur during the next two weeks.

If a meeting notice is subsequently posted, residents should rely upon the Board of Education's official notice for the meeting date, time, location, and agenda.

The Board's website states that prior meeting minutes are available for public inspection through the Board Secretary's office at 517 Hamilton Street. Why the Harrison Board of Education would not post its meeting minutes online is a question appropriate to ask at the next Harrison Board of Education meeting, if they let us know when it will be held.

No Other Harrison Government Meetings Currently Listed

As of publication, the Town's public calendar does not identify another municipal board or commission meeting for the next two weeks, beyond the Planning Board, Mayor and Council, and Zoning Board meetings discussed above. The September 14 Redevelopment Agency meeting has been canceled.

That does not rule out the possibility that a special meeting could subsequently be called or that an additional public notice could be posted. Residents interested in local government should therefore continue checking the Town's calendar and legal-notices pages for changes.

Public Meetings Give Residents a Voice

Public meetings are one of the most direct ways community members can see local government in action.

Residents do not have to wait until Election Day to make their voices heard. Public comment sessions give individuals opportunities to speak about issues affecting their neighborhoods, ask questions, express support or opposition to government actions, and put their concerns into the public record.

The meetings are also open to people who do not live in Harrison. Residents, tenants, property owners, business owners, employees, and other interested members of the public can attend.

If you have never attended a public meeting, you are not required to speak. Members of the public may simply attend and listen.

If you do want to speak, it can help to arrive early, review the agenda when it becomes available, and prepare a concise statement or question. You can also try to retrieve the Agenda online from the Agenda Center.

For the September 15 Mayor and Council meeting in particular, residents should check the Town website later in the afternoon because the agenda is usually not posted until after 4 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Sign up for our Free Membership to receive an email when the Agenda is published, along with a link to the Agenda.

With the Planning Board meeting Monday evening, Mayor and Council Tuesday evening, and Zoning Board Wednesday evening, Harrison residents will have three consecutive days of opportunities to see local government at work and, if they choose, to make their own voices part of the public record. Our Democracy only functions properly if you participate.

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