In a showdown of NJ law versus the Old Guard on an open HHA seat created with the involuntary resignation of former commissioner Marianne Camporeale, every device known to Hoboken’s old, dark ways was used to stave off a vote on a replacement.

Before the eventual vote appointing 2011 3rd ward council candidate Greg Lincoln, Councilman Michael Russo leveled a number of charges in a desperate bid to stop the eventual vote – even going as far as nominating former councilman Michael Lenz who already sits on another board to forestall the inevitable. Marianne Camporeale spoke (video below) joining in leveling personal charges against her fellow HHA commissioner Jake Stuiver.  She said she was being discriminated against by Stuiver and the mayor and the City Council did not have the right to remove her as she was a disabled person.

Councilman David Mello interjected during her remarks he did not appreciate the use of the word mensch directed by Camporeale to commissioner Stuiver.  Her response was a denial the remark was anti-Semitic and told her newest HHA commissioner colleague “shut your damn mouth.” Read More...

According to an earlier story on Grafix Avenger, Tim Occhipinti’s not finished misinforming the public on the true reasons for an open HHA seat, putting out another Facebook post accusing the mayor of being responsible for former HHA commissioner Marianne Camporeale being replaced.

=&0=& =&1=& =&2=&:  Occhipinti who is only occupying a seat on the City Council due to massive election fraud in the HHA has the most reason for bitterness among the Old Guard. After all, it’s the corruption giving him sustenance most at risk. See Grafix Avenger’s article:  https://hobokenhorse.com/2012/06/timmys-latest-facebook-salvo.html

 Time for some sweltering summer heat City Council action.  Old Guard mouthpiece Tim Occhipinti is threatening to throw down on behalf of a booted HHA commissioner who he calls by a name not her own, backing a lawsuit against the mayor who has nothing to do with the State law governing her ejection.

Will the Old Guard pile on and how far will they go to drum up lies calling this an attack on seniors and the disabled?  Hey this is Tim Occhipinti, who says logic has anything to do with it.  He learned all he knows about Al Sharpton style politics from his mentor Michael Russo. Read More...

=&0=& =&1=& =&1=& =&1=& =&1=& =&5=& =&6=& =&6=&

Talking Ed Note

: Well Tim Occhipinti has egg all over his face and the Hudson Reporter needs to repair the damage for calling MSV’s original story “rumors.”

=&8=&

There’s exploitation of the residents of the Hoboken Housing Authority at election time, an Old Guard staple and then there’s exploiting of individual members with no election in sight.  Tim Occhipinti jumps the shark with his latest Facebook entry attacking everyone and anyone he deems suitable to fit his reckless narrative using one “Mary Ann Camporelli” as his foil.

Here’s Timmy:

First, we’d like to throw Timmy a bone and help him out here.  If you are going to use a senior resident at the HHA as a political prop to make a tomfoolery reckless attack on the mayor, at least learn to spell the name of the victim you’re exploiting.  Her name is Marianne Camporeale, not Mary Ann Camparelli. Read More...

The questions swirling on the use of a charity to employ numerous political operatives for political purposes appears to have obtained an answer – just not the one Hoboken is expecting.

In the weekend edition of the Hudson Reporter, the following ad was placed by Beth and Ricky Mason:

Another page three ad by Ricky and Beth Mason for the “Mason Family Civic League.”

The only available legal entity filed is the Mason Civic League which employs multiple political operatives and has another sitting on its three member board, the fishy fella from Weehawken – James Barracato. Read More...

The Office of the Mayor announces:

Update from Mayor Zimmer on Various Issues

In a memo to the City Council, Mayor Dawn Zimmer provides an update on a variety of important topics including land acquisition for park space, NJ Transit redevelopment, 1600 Park, flooding, and more. Click here to download the full memo. The text of the memo is also included below. June 18, 2012 Dear City Council Members, I am writing to provide updates on a number of very important projects. Please call me or the Business Administrator prior to the Council meeting to discuss any of these issues in further detail and so we can answer any questions you may have. Henkel/Pino Sites for Park Space On the agenda this week is an ordinance that would grant my Administration the authority to negotiate and if necessary, begin eminent domain proceedings to purchase land for new parks at the Henkel and Pino sites. At the last Council meeting, the Council awarded a contract to conduct appraisals on these properties, which as you know are currently vacant lots. We have received excellent proposals for attorneys that specialize in land use, real estate, and environmental law. We are completing the evaluation process today and will be providing the Council with a recommendation for a law firm as soon as possible. Southwest Park & Area in Need of Rehabilitation I am grateful that the Council voted to give my Administration the tools needed to acquire land for a Southwest park. We will continue negotiations with the owners to acquire Block 12, a nearly 1 acre property. Before you is a resolution to declare portions of the Southwest an Area in need of Rehabilitation. Through the Rehabilitation process, we can revitalize the neighborhood through a comprehensive planning process, bring needed amenities to the Southwest including restaurants, and determine how best to create additional park space. I hope you will support this effort. The Southwest Area Redevelopment Study has been previously provided to you and is on the City website:www.hobokennj.org/docs/communitydev/Final-Hoboken-SW-Redevelopment-Study.pdf NJ Transit Redevelopment My Administration has been working with our planner, Wallace Roberts & Todd, the Zoning and Economic Development Subcommittee, and the community, to complete a redevelopment plan for the NJ Transit site. As the attached letters between myself and NJ Transit Executive Director James Weinstein note, we just received some information we have been requesting for more than a year. We are working to evaluate the information provided and finalize a plan for introduction as soon as possible. Union Dry Dock A few residents had suggested to me that they believed NJ Transit and NY Waterway was in negotiations to acquire the Union Dry Dock [UDD] property for use as a ferry maintenance facility. I asked NJ Transit and NY Waterway about this and expressed my concerns about the future of our waterfront in terms of its use for open space and walkway. James Weinstein, the Executive Director of NJ Transit, responded that “NJ TRANSIT has been discussing potential acquisition of the UDD property for use as a ferry maintenance and fueling facility. However, we have had no discussion of which I am aware with the owner of the property. Nonetheless, should this project go forward, NJ TRANSIT recognizes and respects the longstanding community interest in the role the Union Dry Dock property can play in the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, as well as in Hoboken’s open space plans for the City, and would work with you and the City to determine how best to integrate the walkway into plans for the property.” My letter and his response are attached. Waterfront There are a variety of updates to provide regarding various waterfront projects including Sinatra Park, Pier A and the 9/11 Memorial which will be located on Pier A. We will be providing additional information shortly and scheduling a special meeting for next week where our professionals will also be available to provide updates and answer any questions. 1600 Park The consultants from Remington, Vernick & Arango (RVA) and Imbiano Quigley Landscape Architects (IQ) have been working diligently on the details of the project and preparation of the bid specifications for 1600 Park and Hoboken Cove.  As you may recall, in September 2011 the City decided to re-design the field at 1600 Park and integrate the two parks into a more comprehensive, interconnected park. The City undertook a process with the stakeholders for this project and the general public to finalize a conceptual design. This design was presented and discussed at a public hearing on January 23, 2012. Since that time, the City and consultants have coordinated with the County and the stakeholders to determine appropriate phasing for the project and to finalize the bid specifications accordingly. As part of the revised contract with RVA, we brought on board a Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) for the 1600 Park and Hoboken Cove project, as we revised the project to shift soil from the 1600 Park site to the Hoboken Cove site in order to reduce the elevation of the field to make the park more cohesive and to ensure more visibility of activities on the field. The LSRP is responsible for compliance with all applicable NJDEP regulations relative to the remediation of the known contamination at the site, as the State of New Jersey has transitioned away from the oversight internally and put the responsibility on the independent LSRPs.  As such, RVA obtained all of the available historical information from the DEP and spoke to the prior NJDEP Case Manager and the engineer in charge of construction maintenance of the environmental remediation at the sites. In doing so, the LSRP discovered that there are some unresolved issues and likely additional remediation that needs to be done. This additional remediation work will not hold up the first phase of this project — the construction of the field at the 1600 Park site. The engineer and landscape architect are expected to complete the bid specifications for that portion of the work in order to advertise for bid in early August. Barring any issues with permitting or bidding, that will accommodate a September bid award and construction may begin on the construction of the full 1600 Park site as soon as a contract is executed. The expected construction timeframe for the full 1600 Park site is approximately 90 days. That coincides with the County constructing the signal at 16th Street and Park Avenue this fall. The environmental investigation for the Hoboken Cove site is expected to be complete this summer and bid specifications for the construction of the Hoboken Cove site will be finalized thereafter.  Therefore, the second phase to finish remediation and construct the Hoboken Cove improvements will be out to bid this fall for construction in the spring of 2013. The remaining phases include the boathouse design and construction, the beach/water access improvements, and improvements under the two viaducts. These phases will require additional funding. The top priority is to build the boat house, so the City will seek funding for that phase. The improvements under the viaduct cannot be paid for with Green Acres or Open Space funding, as their primary use is for transportation. Therefore, we will need to more creatively seek funding for those improvements and work closely with the County to ensure safe design. EmNet/Flooding My Administration remains committed to comprehensively addressing the flooding issues that remain on the Western side of the City through engineering solutions and green infrastructure. We would like to extend the work EmNet did last year by relocating the sensors to other areas in order to further our understanding of our flooding problem (Attached is the final report produced by EmNet, which provided us with significant, new information about our sewer system). This technology will enable us to gather more data which will be key to informing the work of a professional engineering/green infrastructure team we will be hiring to develop a comprehensive green, storm water management plan. In the past, we have coordinated with the North Hudson Sewerage Authority to coordinate locations for the sensors, and we will be meeting with commissioners this week to explain the program and ask for them to partner with us in this effort both logistically and financially. In order to collect the most useful data possible, it is important that we move ahead with this project before the rain season arrives. Steve Rofsky Steve Rofsky, a board member of the Hoboken Municipal Hospital Authority, was an unsung hero of our City. Sadly, he passed away on Thursday, June 14, 2012. He only lived in Hoboken for a few years, but his service to our community has created a legacy that will benefit the people of Hoboken for years to come. His contributions to the saving of our hospital as a hospital financial expert were absolutely invaluable. I extend my condolences to his wife Toby, his two sons, and all of his family and friends. Thank you for listening, and please do not hesitate to call me or the Business Administrator if you have any questions about any of these issues. Sincerely, Mayor Zimmer ### Get the latest Hoboken news: Email & text updates | Facebook | Twitter | RSS

=&0=& =&1=& =&1=&

Several applications for the open HHA commissioner position are available for the City Council Wednesday but only two are likely seeking consideration.

Local business owner Joseph Branco who lobbied council members for weeks prior to the last HHA vote eventually lost out to at-large City Councilman David Mello who took over the expired seat of Councilman Michael Russo.  His recent application remains active and he noted via email he views it similarly.

Joseph Branco (r) speaking with Councilman Peter Cunningham at a local restaurant.

Branco had been a supporter of former mayor Peter Cammarano until his surprise arrest and resignation and has actively supported Mayor Zimmer since along with neighbor and colleague Carmelo Garcia at the BoE.  He’s recently attended BoE meetings and voiced complaint about access to the Hoboken High School pool for a weekend family event along with opposing the Kids First majority.  In recent months Branco has actively backed local charity efforts hosting fundraisers for Hoboken fire victims at Room 84. Read More...

On the City Council agenda Wednesday night is an important nomination and vote for a new HHA commissioner.  The position formerly held by Marianne Camporeale became available at the last Hoboken Housing Authority meeting when it was confirmed the commissioner had failed to satisfy course requirements within a required 18 month timeframe.

While the Hudson Reporter claimed Friday it was “a rumor,” the law and past history in Hoboken suggests the exact opposite.  Assemblyman Ruben Ramos found himself in a similar predicament in 2003 when then Executive Troy Washington announced at a HHA meeting,

“The DCA has indicated to me that Commissioner Ramos has not completed two courses that are required.  Therefore, as of today, Ramos is considered to have resigned his position.” Read More...

An angry political operative posted false allegations about MSV in the comments section of the Hudson Reporter including the false claim this website does not seek interview/comment from those in opposition to the mayor’s administration.

MSV has often noted invitations to speak on questions in its reports when replies to inquiries have not been made and will continue to do so.  To publicly encourage transparent public discourse, MSV extends a public invitation to Councilwoman Beth Mason to sit down with the financial records of her family charity, the Mason Civic League and provide the income/expense information required by law. Read More...