Bloomfield Passes New, Later Hours for Barbershops

Need a trim but you can’t get out of work early? Bloomfield officials have made it easier for you to keep from looking shaggy.

This week, Bloomfield officials changed township law to allow barbershops to keep later hours. Under the new change, barbershops and nail salons can stay open until 8 p.m. on weekdays and 9 p.m. on weekends.

Bloomfield Third-Ward Councilman Carlos Bernard said that his barber told him that he and other hair cutting businesses received a notice this month reminding them that township law requires them to close at 6:30 p.m., a time he felt was prohibitively early.

Bernard subsequently brought the matter to the Township Council and proposed a change in hours.

“These are businesses that are active,” Bernard said. He added: “I didn’t want to see them get a ticket.”

Prior to the vote on the change to the law, one resident spoke out against it under the mistaken impression that the law would restrict and not extend hours of operations for barbershops.

Bloomfield Raymond J. McCarthy voted against the change, indicating that he felt it wasn’t necessary.