News

Mayor Zimmer addresses infrastructure pointing to contract sale disaster in 1990s

by SmartyJones5 Min Reading
=&0=& =&1=& During the last week as we’ve had a series of water main breaks, lots of questions have been raised. Members of the public and the press are rightly asking why we have so many water main breaks. Where are the investments in our infrastructure? What’s the plan moving forward? I want to talk about all of those things, but first I want to address some of the immediate issues I just discussed this morning with United Water. Last week’s 30 inch main break was caused by a contractor at a construction site who hit a main that was not marked properly. The Board of Public Utilities is conducting a markout investigation to understand what happened. Any resident or business who suffered a loss as a result of the 30 inch break on Thursday, March 28th can submit a claim directly to United Water. They can call Debra Hummel at 201-750-3408. The City will also be submitting a claim for our expenses on that day. Going forward, we also want residents to know that if they see water in the street, the quickest way to get it repaired is to call United Water directly at 201-487-0011. That will immediately begin the process of getting an inspector sent to the location. Now I want to talk about why we have this situation. The fact is that today we are paying the price for investments that should have been made long ago. My Administration has done some research to understand why we’re in the situation we’re in, and I first want to provide some of that background information that sets the context to plan for moving forward. Parts of our water system are cast iron pipes that are more than 100 years old. In the 1990’s, Hoboken faced budget deficits. Rather than balance the budget by cutting costs or raising revenues, Mayor Anthony Russo sold the future profits to our water system and used those one-time payments to plug budget holes instead of fixing our infrastructure. Through a series of agreements, the city sold the rights to our water system in 1994 until 2024. There are 11 years left in that agreement. =&2=& July 1994 – $5,500,000 June 1996 – $3,000,000 June 1997 – $2,000,000 June 2001 – $2,700,000 Total – $13,200,000 Mayor Russo sold a 30 year revenue stream of $240 million and estimated $100 million in profit for $13.2 million in one-time payments. Let me say that again. We sold $240 million in revenue and $100 million in profit for $13.2 million. But it gets worse. That money, as little as it was, should have been invested in our infrastructure. Instead, it was used for the general budget. Our agreements with United Water do require that they spend a small amount annually in capital expenditures or repairs — $350,000 per year. About 80% of that is spent just repairing our broken mains, and there is little left over for infrastructure improvements. What’s important to understand is that our problem stems from a past Administration entering into unbelievably short-sighted agreements, not United Water’s failure to live up to those agreements. This is important because we can’t move forward if we don’t understand where we are and how we got here. So I want to talk about how we move forward from here. Earlier today, I met with United Water to discuss our serious challenges and how we can solve them. Most importantly, just as we are developing a stormwater master plan to address our flooding, the city needs to have a 10 or 20 year master plan for upgrading our water distribution system and meeting the future needs of our city. And I thank United Water for agreeing to share information that will help us develop that plan. We will also look to establish an infrastructure trust fund to ensure that revenue that should be dedicated to infrastructure investments, like the funds received in the 1990’s from our agreements with United Water, are not diverted to operating expenses or other purposes. Finally, the contracts we signed with United Water do have a termination cost. Earlier today I informed United Water that I am evaluating all options, including paying the buyout cost, terminating the contract, and renegotiating a new agreement that provides for extensive investment in infrastructure. We will be pursuing a process to evaluate all our options to determine which makes the most sense, but one thing is for sure: we cannot be stuck with the current system through 2024.
Former Mayor Anthony Russo sold Hoboken’s water contract for a pittance putting Hoboken’s infrastructure
into a precarious position according to data provided at a City Hall press conference Wednesday afternoon.
The ex-felon Anthony Russo himself owes Hoboken over $300,000 for his criminal extortion while mayor.



Talking Ed Note: Michael Russo complains that when the past is illuminated and the truth comes out it “looks bad” for Hoboken.  This has been a familiar refrain by Russo whenever the truth in Hoboken comes to light, whether it’s Cammarano caught taking bribes or his father once again doing Hoboken so wrong, it’s costing the town to this day – whether it’s Sinatra Park and the pain felt there or the Union Water contract.

When Sinatra Park fell apart, Michael Russo tried to pin or “finger point” at the mayor.  “What did the mayor know and when did she know it,” were his exact words in a council meeting.  Then when the truth came out engineers had advised against using timber pilings as his father Anthony Russo decided, he doesn’t want to talk about it anymore.  Then it “looks bad” and finger pointing re: accountability needs to stop. Read More...

News

Mayor begins re-election battle against incompetence, corruption and the Hoboken Sopranos

by SmartyJones2 Min Reading

Dear Friends,

Great things are happening in Hoboken thanks to

your tremendous support! 
From restructuring the City to lower taxes …
to saving Hoboken University Medical Center,
to renovating nearly every park,
to being on the cusp of acquiring land for new park space,
to surviving and rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy,
We have much to celebrate! 

Please join me for a Re-election Fundraising Gathering:

Where: City Bistro, 56 14th Street

When:  5:30 – 7:30, Thursday, April 4th

Why:    Your support helps keep the positive direction for Hoboken

            going for the next four years!

Let me be clear:  This election will determine whether Hoboken

continues on its current path toward a positive future with leaders
who are focused on improving quality of life while maintaining fiscal
responsibility, or returns to the old ways which led to an 80% municipal
tax increase, overdevelopment, virtually no investment in our aging
infrastructure, and a reputation as one of the most
corrupt cities in the country.

As always, my opponents will likely be well funded by the special
interests that will benefit financially by turning back the clock and by the
wealthy individuals who have repeatedly attempted to buy their way
into public office.   

Please come celebrate and join with me to ensure that our

City continues on a positive direction for the future.

Best,

Dawn
News

Council restaurant zoning showdown and meth action @ 7:00

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

Well the exciting developments today will likely be largely ignored unless residents show up and join in at around 7:30 to sign up and speak on the uncanny links of Tim Occhipinti’s campaign worker being snared by police for hosting a meth lab in her HHA apartment.

There’s also the restaurant on lower Jackson across the street from the parking lot the City is looking to turn into a park.
Expect lots of hot air, rationalization, obstruction and well the usual from the Hoboken Sopranos. Read More...

News

Tim Occhipinti campaign worker arrested for alleged meth lab in HHA apartment

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading
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According to news reports a methamphetamine lab was discovered by Hoboken Police inside a fifth floor apartment at 501 Marshall Drive. Both the Jersey Journal and Hoboken Patch featured the story with three arrests but Grafix Avenger uncovered the political connection revealing the HHA resident of the alleged methamphetamine lab, Cynthia Rivera is shown on Timmy Occhipinti ELEC reports as a campaign worker in his 2010 and 2011 campaigns.

MSV can confirm both the apartment building and floor location are also one and the same of Councilwoman Beth Mason’s political operative and fourth ward Democratic Committeeman Matt Calicchio. Read More...

News

City Council: squatter restaurant finally on tap and Beth Mason’s back after Brian Stack’s ‘million dollar’ rejection

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

The City Council meeting tonight is primed to decide about the zoning violation riddled restaurant on lower Jackson Street after a number of fits and starts.  The wannabe pub/restaurant took great advantage of Hoboken’s zoning rules and committed numerous violations along the way but the biggest among them may be the 390 square feet of space it stole quite literally from the City of Hoboken.

On background, a senior official familiar with some of the affair said the building was set up to have an elevator.  Puzzled as to why a small two story building would be installing an elevator the answer came back it wasn’t for a bomb shelter below but with the idea to expand up to five stories above. Read More...

News

MSV announces 2013 subscription drive

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

From the first interview with the late fiscal state monitor Judy Tripodi, what senior City officials called decisive to the 2009 mayoral election to unveiling the previously unknown Solomon Dwek bribe meeting with Councilman Michael Russo shaping the upcoming 2013 mayoral race, this website’s impacted Hoboken in a major way.

There’s been scores of exclusives, political operations revealed, growth beyond tens of thousands of visitors a month, but those two stories show how an online reform david came out of nowhere, took on Goliath and won. Read More...

News

Western Hoboken Parks Acquisition Meeting set for April 8th at Connors

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading
Agency Logo
Tuesday April 2, 2013, 10:07 AM

City of Hoboken
   

Community: Community Invited to Meeting on Western Hoboken Parks Acquisition

All members of the community are invited to attend a meeting on Monday, April 8th from 7pm to 9pm at the Connors School (201 Monroe St) on parks acquisition in Western Hoboken.

Mayor Zimmer will answer questions and provide updates on the status of acquiring land for parks envisioned in the City’s Open Space Plan: a Southwest Park at Jackson Street and Newark Street, a park at 7th Street and Jackson Street (known as the Pino site), and a park at the 6-acre BASF site at 11th Street and Madison Street (formerly known as the Henkel/Cognis site).

The meeting previously scheduled for April 2nd on the Southwest Park is being combined with the meeting scheduled for April 8th.For full details, view this message on the web.
News

Scott Siegel: Personal reflections on the 9-11 Memorial blocked by MORTe

by SmartyJones2 Min Reading
A new low was reached at the last council meeting when appropriating money for the proposed 9-11 Memorial was voted down by the council minority. This day holds a special meaning for me and most other Hobokenites. In August 2001 I was asked to join friends from Cantor Fitzgerald for drinks and dinner at the World Financial Center. Attending were two friends that I had known for decade among others who I had done business.
Scott Siegel is upset with MORTe politics over the 9-11 Memorial but there’s no prison time for that.
Or at least Beth Mason, Michael Russo, Terry Castellano and Timmy Occhipinti hope not.

When I was out of work in 1993 a friend at Cantor invited me to come in and make phone calls. They also provided me with advice and allowed me to eat the food the company provided. I never forgot their generosity.  We had a great time going over the past and present. There was also a young lady from Hoboken who worked there. She mentioned that she was having trouble with her landlord. I asked if she had her lease with her and she did. I pointed out an area of emphasis and said I would find a lawyer and get back to her. She was going on vacation and I was going to Puerto Rico the following week so I promised to get in touch with her the week of 9/11. Read More...