The City of Hoboken announces:

Community: Mayor Zimmer Announces Proposed Agreement to Create New Park at Pino Site The City of Hoboken is considering a proposal from Bijou Properties that would donate to the City a 1 acre property, known as the Pino site, for a park in Western Hoboken as part of an agreement to continue the redevelopment of the Monroe Center site. “We have a historic opportunity to preserve one of the last undeveloped parts of Hoboken as open space,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “This new park near the Jubilee Center, Monroe Center for the Arts, and a growing residential neighborhood, would bring much-needed open space to Western Hoboken. I thank Larry Bijou for making this proposal that would transform unused land into a community open space that will benefit the neighborhood and Hoboken for years to come.” Larry Bijou is under contract to purchase property at 700 Monroe Street, which is in a Redevelopment Area, as well as the Pino property, located at 7th Street and Jackson Street. He has proposed donating the Pino site to the City for a park in exchange for an effective transfer of development rights from the Pino site to the adjacent property at 700 Monroe Street, with an additional 14 dwelling units, and 90 automated parking spaces. The result would be the creation of a new 1-acre park and a LEED-Gold Certified building at 700 Monroe Street that would incorporate a green roof, grey-water system, and cogeneration. At the next Council meeting, the City Council will be asked to approve an interim cost agreement. Mayor Zimmer thanks Zoning and Economic Development Chair David Mello for working with her on this proposal. She also discussed the proposal with Third Ward Councilman Michael Russo and appreciates that he expressed his support for moving forward. If approved, Mr. Bijou would pay for the costs for the City to vet the feasibility of his proposal for a new park and transfer of development rights, including a financial, environmental, and planning analysis. All aspects of the proposal would be subject to negotiation for inclusion in the Redevelopment Agreement, which would require City Council approval. Finally, any necessary environmental cleanup would take place and a community process would begin to design the new park. Southwest Park The City is continuing to move forward with negotiations and through the legal process to acquire approximately 1 acre of land in Southwest Hoboken for the beginning of a Southwest Park. Henkel/Cognis/BASF The City has completed an environmental review of the BASF property, a 6 acre site in Western Hoboken, and continues negotiations with BASF to acquire the property. The City Council will be fully briefed on the status of all land acquisition negotiations during closed session on Wednesday, April 20 from 6-7:30pm. The regular Council meeting will begin at 7:30pm.

At a contentious Hoboken Housing Authority meeting, a late agenda item to terminate the contract of Executive Director Carmelo Garcia was introduced but later withdrawn in favor of negotiations to change terms on the completion of the agreement.

Here’s the key portion of the meeting after the recess:

Voice at the two minute mark from the audience is Hoboken resident Perry Belfiore.  Others in attendance: former councilman Chris Campos who hijacked the proceedings numerous times with inappropriate and out or order “point of order” interruptions, Council members Terry Castellano, Ravi Bhalla and Tim Occhipinti (also yelling out of order at the chair). Read More...

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The Hoboken Housing Authority meeting tonight appears to have an additional item added to the agenda – Executive Director Carmelo Garcia has been served a Rice notice.

Rice notices are required by law to be given to public employees prior to any discussion of their job.  Carmelo Garcia is the self-described “sole appointing authority” who guided a severely problematic and legally conflicted six month process to hire counsel for the HHA.  HUD’s response to the numerous procurement problems and possible illegal actions were documented in a letter earlier this month.  (See MSV’s Wednesday exclusive story below.) Read More...

Many people are heading to the Irish cultural festival down at Sinatra Park.  Just a stone’s throw from there is Pier C.  Unfortunately, no one will be enjoying Pier C any time soon.   The Hoboken Sopranos: Michael Russo, Beth Abruzese Mason, Terry Castellano and Timmy Occhipinti voted down the work required to reopen it just last week.  Although the funds are available, they refused to allow the work to proceed and see Pier C reopen. That’s how the Hoboken Sopranos roll!  1st ward Councilwoman Terry Castellano gets a special shout out. =&0=&

A sign hangs outside Pier C showing the fine effort of Terry Castellano to keep it closed. Sign reads bottom:  “Terry voted against repairing damage from Sandy along with Tim Occhipinti, Michael Russo and Beth Mason.”

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In a letter sure to have major repercussions in the Hoboken Housing Authority, the Housing & Urban Development (HUD) agency, a federal department with guiding oversight issued a letter citing major problems within the HHA procurement process calling the repeated efforts since August last year to appoint a legal counsel “legally flawed.”

The letter issued by Director Sonia Burgos advises the governing body, the HHA board of commissioners’ actions must be “properly adopted” if they “can be held to be legally valid.” Read More...

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The City of Hoboken faces potential sequestration type cuts this spring as the gun to its head on passing the budget will likely require at least one emergency appropriation due to the court maneuvering blocking the legal council appointment of Jim Doyle.

The City budget requires five votes for passage.  Last year it passed on a party line 5-4 vote but the swing vote working with the mayor will be unavailable after MORTe’s defeat in Hudson County Superior Court was appealed.

The scheduled hearing with the NJ Appellate Court panel of judges is set for oral argument on May 21st.  Final written argument are due mid-April, meaning an unusual five week period of time separates the two.  The deadline according to sources familiar with the case is firm with no extensions. Read More...

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Not to be outdone by Councilman Michael Russo’s announcement the 2013 budget is Dead-On-Arrival, Tim Occhipinti the occupant of the fourth ward council seat at the end of Saturday’s hearing announced mockingly a similar fate saying, “good luck passing the budget.”

As Public Safety Director Jon Tooke was finishing his presentation, Occhipinti said he had one more question for the Business Administrator Quentin Wiest.  Following an obvious preplanned line during the temporary budget discussion by Michael Russo, the question was asked if the municipal employee contract was complete. Read More...

The first of a series of budget hearings may begin with a subcommittee hearing to kick the sessions off open to the public inside Council Chambers in City Hall at 2:00 today.  As MORTe has made clear at the council meeting last week, their four members have little interest in meaningfully participating in the budget hearings.

If there are not five members present, there is no quorum for the noticed budget hearing.  Councilwoman Jen Giattino will hold the proceedings as the head of the finance subcommittee under that umbrella .  (The council is one member short due to Mason-Russo-Castellano-Occhipinti’s lawsuit. They lost in Hudson County Superior Court but have made another appeal.) Read More...

At the latest farce of a council meeting sans the councilman-in-waiting Doyle, MORTe unleashed its secret weapon with the City’s budget held hostage at the point of a gun.  If you are going to sue Hoboken people for months on end, keep losing and get admonished by a judge for your “gamesmanship,” it doesn’t mean you can’t get paid while the case is out again on appeal.

The man giving the orders, at least in his mind is Councilman Michael Russo or as he would like it, Third Ward Councilman Godfather. Read More...

The mayor issued a tweet earlier today: