Turner considers what’s next for Weehawken

May 13, 2022

Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner recently sailed to victory in the May 10 municipal election, continuing his service to the township than began in 1990.

Entering his ninth term, Turner described upcoming initiatives to the Hudson Reporter. He said it was reaffirming to not face any challengers.

“Who knows what factors go into people not running,” Turner said. “But I think it’s an affirmation that people, or most people at least, believe that the town’s moving in the right direction. We just went through some difficult two years.”

Despite the trials and tribulations of COVID-19, Turner is proud of the township’s response and thinks residents agree.

“I think people are pleased with our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with testing and vaccinations,” Turner said. “We’ve been able to keep our municipal services going like all other towns around us. I think there’s a realization too that it’s not easy and it’s time consuming.”

And while everyone might not agree with the Turner or the township on everything, such as their rejection of the proposed protected bike lane on Boulevard East, Turner said he tries to work with everyone.

“While we run across people that have problems or don’t like something, we try to deal with them,” Turner said. “We can’t always agree with everybody, but we try and deal with it the best way we can. And I think there’s an appreciation for that.”

Early voting

This was the first time early voting was available in a municipal election in Weehawken. However, only 64 early votes were cast.

Turner said it shouldn’t be considered a case study on early voting in the township, considering the nature of the days early voting was available. The poor conditions and holiday weekend may have contributed to the low turnout for early voting.

“It’s not a good test case because it was a lousy weekend,” Turner said. “Friday it was rainy, cold, damp, and windy. Saturday, it was even rainier, damp, and windy. Then Sunday was Mother’s Day. So it’s not a really good test.”

However, Turner expects early voting to be utilized by more residents in future elections.

“I think there will be other opportunities, since early voting is part of the system now, to have a better test of it. But when you’re uncontested and you have really lousy weather, people are not going to come out to vote early. Tuesday was a nice day, so people came out and voted on that day.”

Plans in the pipeline

Turner touted a number of projects the township is going to move forward with in his upcoming term. The first he mentioned was an overhaul of Park Avenue.

“We’ve applied for a federal grant, I don’t know if we’re going to get it or not, to start improvements to Park Avenue,” Turner said. “The first thing we’re going to do is all our traffic lights. They are all antiquated on Park Avneue. There is a joint Union City-Weehawken road. The traffic lights are all antiquated. It’s getting harder and harder to find parts to fix them. So we’ve applied for a grant to start refurbishing Park Avenue with new traffic lights. Then we’ll go from there to sidewalks, curbs, and paving.”

Another thing Turner looks to accomplish in his next term is the completion of the municipal waterfront recreation complex.

“We’re going to have some form of an ice skating rink,” Turner said. “I don’t think it will be as elaborate as we first proposed because that cost much more money than we had available.“

Other aspects of the complex include a bridge connecting the waterfront walkways over a lagoon, among other things.

“Then we have other amenities on the side and a bridge connecting one side of the lagoon to the other,” Turner said. “We have funds for a bridge that’s connected to that.”

He continued: “The ice skating rink is a bit reduced. We have to fix the rip rap around it, so we got a lot of construction work to do around the pool complex, but that’s a major goal.”

Those are the final touches on the complex, otherwise, Turner noted. He touted the project as being a gem on the Hudson River.

“That will complete over 15 acres of contiguous passive and active recreation, which is the biggest waterfront park recreation site in Hudson County other than Liberty State Park,” Turner said. “It’s a mammoth undertaking.”

Electrifying the fleet

One of the other initiatives Turner is eyeing is the adoption of electric vehicle parking spaces to support the electrification of the municipal fleet, including for the Police Department, the Department of Public Works, and other such vehicles.

“One of our big new initiatives is going to be getting electric charging stations where we can, electrifying more of our fleet for municipal vehicles, police, and the DPW,” Turner said. “We’re looking to buy some electric vehicles for the Parking Authority. That’s a major initiative, switching over from the diesel to electric. And it’s expensive, but everything from police cars to traffic enforcement to DPW to garbage trucks, you get everything electric and there’s grants out there to do it, so we’re going to make a major initiative of electrifying our fleet and also providing electric charging stations throughout the township.”

For residents, Turner said that means working with redevelopers to include electric vehicle parking spaces in their new projects.

“As construction takes place, we have a private construction project in front of the Waterfront Park and we’re going to work with the developer to put in place some charging stations down there, which would be a big help,” Turner said.

And according to Turner, the initiative is already somewhat in motion with the acquisition of electric and gasoline hybrid vehicles.

“We’ve purchased our first police vehicles that are hybrid,” Turner said. “At least with the hybrid, you’re getting 40 to 50 miles a gallon, as opposed to a regular police car which probably gets 15 or 18 miles a gallon at best.”

Other upcoming initiatives

“Refurbishing Park Avenue, finishing the recreation complex, and electrifying the fleet and providing charging stations are the larger initiatives,” Turner said. “The smaller ones are our playgrounds need some repairs and revamping, doing some intersection improvements where we can do them. That’s some ongoing stuff that’s been postponed for two years.”

Turner also said he looks to start the refurbishing of a lot of playgrounds, which was not possible over the last two years due to COVID-19. He also noted the township recently renovated Weehawken Stadium, too.

“We just put artificial turf after 12 years,” Turner said. “New artificial turf will be at Weehawken Stadium. So we’re applying for a number of grants for a lot of things.”

The new police annex is another thing stalled by COVID-19 that the township is looking to complete.

“There’s a police annex we’re going to open up and it’s held up because we can’t get the computer chips to make everything work,” Turner said. “So we’re waiting on the computer chips to come in.

Turner said he was excited to get things moving again with the council.

“We’ve made a lot of progress. When most of us first got elected, we had 10 acres of recreation and park space. We now have over 50 acres. We’ve created new parks and playgrounds throughout the township. We mandated the waterfront walkway even before the state mandated it… One of the other things we want to do is continue the cooperative relations with the school system. We have a great school system and we work together on everything. The town complements what the school system does.”

Guiding the township, steadfast and steady

Moving into the future, Turner seeks to keep the progress up in Weehawken as the world continues to navigate through the pandemic. He and his council slate will be sworn in on July 1.

Turner concluded: “It’s all part of the country catching up to everything that was stalled for two years under COVID-19.”

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.

Weehawken enters shared services agreement with library

Hudson Reporter

May 13, 2022

05weecouncil19 — The Weehawken Township Council meets in-person and remotely every other week.

The Township Council has voted unanimously to enter into a shared services agreement with the Weehawken Public Library. Mayor Richard Turner explained that the agreement loaned the library the services of the township’s labor attorney. The idea is to help the library as it overhauls Human Resources.

“The library has to update all their HR materials,” Turner said. “So we’re going to loan them the services without any extra costs of the town labor attorney.”

The rather dry meeting was mostly taken up by a Rent Leveling Board meeting, which is the same as the Township Council. However, of note, the council also approved a resolution to accept a $1,349 in grant funds.

The township council voted to accept the Weehawken Municipal Alliance grant. According to Turner, it’s for the Weehawken’s D.A.R.E. program.

The council voted unanimously to approve both resolutions. The next Weehawken council meeting will be held on May 25 at 7 p.m. both in person and with remote viewing options. For more information, go to weehawken-nj.us.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.

Appointments and other items make up Jersey City Council meeting

Hudson Reporter

May 12, 2022

The Jersey City Council had a grab bag of resolutions at their May 11 meeting. Photo by Mark Koosau.

The Jersey City Council has passed a number of resolutions for various items, including promoting the assistant business administrator to a new role, making appointments for the Women’s Advisory Board, and sponsoring a state bill for a reparations task force.

The first order of the May 11 meeting was the council unanimously appointing Assistant Business Administrator Barkha Patel as the director of the new Department of Infrastructure, which was created at the last city council meeting as part of the reshuffling of departments.

“I feel really honored and excited to take on this new job,” said Patel. “I just want to say that the job has been unbelievably fulfilling, and I’ve enjoyed so many aspects of it. I couldn’t have done it without the support and respect of all of you and everyone in the room here today.”

Mayor Steven Fulop was there to subsequently swear in Patel to her new role. “At the end of the day, it really is the woman’s perspective that drives the day to day operations of Jersey City, and it really is a privilege to be here to swear you in to be part of that group of distinguished women,” he said.

Barkha Patel was appointed as the city’s new director of the Department of Infrastructure. Photo by Mark Koosau.

The council then unanimously voted to appoint 11 women to the newly created Women’s Advisory Board, which was established to “help women improve the status of women in Jersey City and create awareness of women’s issues within the city,” and will advise the mayor and council on women’s issues and recommend policy and guidelines.

The 11 women appointed were Bishnu Maya Pariyar, Alice O’Kane, Sherry Singh, Tami Weaver-Henry, Chelsea Duffy, Ann Andrews, Nokeima Jones, Eiko La Boria, Terri Reynolds Hinton, Xiomara Gonzalez and Neida Rivera.

“This is just a testament, and I’m saying again, to who we are as a city,” said Council President Joyce Watterman, who became the city’s first ever female Black council president back in 2019. “We are diverse, and it’s so important for us to unite and work together to bring diversity closer.”

The council unanimously passed a resolution to authorize the sale of a combined total of $125,870,000 in general improvement bonds. Last month, the council adopted a $131 million bond ordinance for a number of capital projects such as the Loews’ Theatre, building new police precincts, and other infrastructure projects.

They also unanimously passed a resolution to endorse the passage of the New Jersey Reparations Task Force Act, a bill in the State Legislature that would create a committee of experts to review the state’s history of slavery and systemic racism and recommend reparations for Black communities that were affected.

Councilman Frank Gilmore said that the Reparations Task Force Act is “the right thing to do.” Photo by Mark Koosau.

“If you looked at this country in how many families gain wealth, you can clearly see it was on the backs of Black/African American people,” said Councilman Frank Gilmore, who is Black. “In fact, even with reparations, we’re still gonna be at a disadvantage, so this is just something that’s the right thing to do.”

Councilman Yousef Saleh also said that as the new generation, they have to atone for the past, and pointed to past precedence for reparations such as for Japanese Americans after the interment camps during World War II.

“In order for us to not just have equality, but to give Black citizens of this country a opportunity to thrive like any other demographic, it’s incumbent upon us to do what is right, to look back on the past and say we’ve learned as a generation that we’re going to perpetually work towards making this country a more perfect union.”

Jersey City joins other municipalities such as Newark and Montclair that have supported the act.

For updates on this and other stories, check hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Mark Koosau can be reached at mkoosau@hudsonreporter.com or his Twitter @snivyTsutarja.

North Bergen adopts 2022 budget totaling over $106 million

Hudson Reporter

May 12, 2022

05nbBoC19 — The North Bergen Board of Commissioners meet in the council chambers at Town Hall at 4233 Kennedy Boulevard. Photo by Daniel Israel.

North Bergen’s Board of Commissioners has voted unanimously to adopt the 2022 calendar year budget.The budget already had state approval.

At the May 11 meeting, Township Administrator Janet Castro gave a budget presentation. According to Castro, the township is doing “fairly well” all things considered.

“We have a fairly stable budget this year,” Castro said.

The 2022 budget totals $106,036,919. This is a $4,669,007 or 4.6 percent increase from the $101,367,912 budget in 2021, which was the first year the budget topped $100 million.

The tax levy will be raised by $68,659,987, this is just shy of the $70,896,726 maximum that is allowed. In total the tax levy in the 2022 budget is $2,236,739.

The appropriations in the budget total $76,645,570, below the $78,490,239 maximum that is allowed. The remaining $1,844,669 under is available for the 2023 budget appropriations.

The number of township employees has risen to 557. This is an increase from 545 in 2021 and 540 in 2020.

Revenues recovering, but still down due to COVID-19

Revenues have been down the past two years, with a revenue loss of $1,821,100 in 2020 and a much smaller $298,636 loss in 2021. However, actual revenues only dipped from $99,729,655 in 2019, to $97,987,995 in 2020. By 2021, actual revenues were back up to $101,069,276.

“On the revenue side, we are still being impacted by COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021, but less of an impact in 2021,” Castro said. “That was primarily the hotel tax and municipal court losses. Those were big contributors to that revenue loss.”

Mayor Nicholas Sacco noted that nobody was traveling and staying in hotels, and that police weren’t giving as many tickets amid the stay-at-home order. Castro confirmed this, noting: “We were at a standstill.”

North Bergen continues to maintain a “steady and effective” tax collection rate, Castro said. This year, the township hit 98.89 percent of taxes collected, the highest-ever in its history.

“That’s a pretty historic number,” Castro said. “Best-ever in the history of North Bergen.”

Revenues from payments-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreements continue to increase, up to a total of $4,557,000 in the 2022 budget from $4,193,630 in 2021. Since 2016, the PILOT revenues have increased by $1,886,000 or 71 percent, from $2,671,000 to the now $4,557,000.

The township is also no longer reliant on debt issuance for tax appeals. The total budget appropriations for tax appeals is down to $290,000, a decrease of $400,000 or 58 percent from $690,000 in 2021. And that is a decrease of $870,000 or 75 percent from $1,160,000 in 2017.

Surplus up, Moody’s rating remains the same, and property taxes down

The year end surplus balance from 2021 was $17,187,945. This is an increase from the $12,866,281 at the end of 2020, which only slightly decreased form the surplus of $13,584,027 in 2019.

The township holds a Moody’s Analytics Rating is at Aa2, the highest possible rating according to Castro. This rating led to a successful bond and note sale even amid inflation rates of 7.5 to 8 percent.

“We had a successful bond and note sale with ten bidders and competitive interest,” Castro said.

The local property tax levy has increased to $71,200,000 for 2022, up from $70,087,260 in 2021.

However, the local tax rate has decreased from 27.31 to 7.28 percent, due to the 2022 property tax revaluation in North Bergen. After the math, that is akin to a 7.43 percent decrease, which translates to the average homeowner seeing a decrease in property taxes by $280.

“With the reval, some will go up though,” Sacco said, noting some residents would see an increase in payment as a result of the revaluation of their property. Castro agreed, noted that the $280 was the average decrease and that some residents would actually receive an increase.

State aid remains flat, according to Castro, which Sacco called “discouraging.” The township hasn’t seen an increase in 16 years. In fact, prior to it remaining the same since 2011, state aid had decreased each year leading up to that since 2006. The decrease in state aid from $13,713,330 in 2006 to $7,185,597 in 2022 is akin to a 47.6 decrease.

Departmental highlights

Castro also highlighted programs across different township departments that were also funded by the budget.

In terms of programs being operated by Public Affairs, COVID-19 testing and vaccination centers are still available.

“The state has renewed their grants to continue with the vaccination center over at 92nd and Kennedy with that medical facility,” Castro said, touting the partnership.

The NB C.A.R.E.S. relief center is complete and in operation. North Bergen’s Senior Program is included as well, this year featuring a bingo luncheon program, free movie program, free medical transportation, mall shopping trips, and Yankee game trips, among others. The Summer Health and Green Fair family festival was also highlighted during the budget presentation.

“The family festival is returning after a three year hiatus,” Castro said. “That’s going to be in June.”

Over at Parks and Recreation, highlights include the new community center and library facility which officials anticipate will be completed this summer, as well as plans to renovate 46th Street Park which are underway.

“We had a whole lot of challenges we’ve endured, like supply chain issues, but we’re expecting August,” Castro said of when construction will complete on the new community center and library.

Other department initiatives

Additionally, the municipal pool is set to open for the summer, adhering to COVID-19 guidelines, as well as the Summer Fun program and drive-in movies, on top of many other events.

In terms of programs operated under Public Works, up to 20 various streets will be paved, the Graffiti Removal Squad is active with full gear and enhanced equipment. Pothole crews have also been back in action since April; to report a pothole, call the hotline at 201-440-7263.

For the Public Safety Department, the budget supports a full complement of 146 sworn officers. In terms of new initiatives, CCTV cameras are going to be installed in various township parks, and the township will also retrofit a U.S. military-donated trailer to become a mobile command center.

The township’s fleet saw upgrades to the tune of a new EMS ambulance, three marked police vehicles, one street sweeper for the DPW, and two pick-up trucks for the maintenance of parks.

“I think we’re doing fairly well,” Castro said.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.

West New York launches Small Business Grant Program

Hudson Reporter

May 12, 2022

05wnygrant19 — West New York is looking to help small businesses with the new program.

West New York has launched a grant program to support small businesses. The town will accept applications through June 3 for their Small Business Grant Program. Awards of up to $5,000 per business may be granted.

Do you qualify?

In order to qualify, businesses must be owned by an individual, partnership, corporation, or limited liability company that is up-to-date with all federal and state payroll, sales, and income taxes; must be located in West New York and registered with NJ Department of Treasury; and have no more than 25 full time employees.

Applicants must also be able to certify that their business was negatively impacted by COVID-19 because of partial closure, full closure, or major disruption to business operations. The business must also be open at the time of application and make a “good faith effort” to remain so for at least 12 months after grant receipt.

Applicants must also disclose whether they have previously received COVID-19 relief funds from any other county, state, federal, or private sector program. Non-profit organizations, real estate holding companies, home-based businesses and businesses behind on their federal tax payments are not eligible for this grant.

For more information on the program or to apply, small business can call 201-295-5100

Helping small businesses in wake of COVID-19

The program aims to alleviate the financial hardships placed on many local small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Mayor Gabriel Rodriguez.

“The last couple years have not been easy for our small businesses and this grant program seeks to help ease some of the financial burdens affecting our small business owners.” said Rodriguez. “Small businesses are vital to our community and we want to encourage every eligible business to apply for this grant program.”

The West New York Board of Commissioners first adopted a resolution in March authorizing a contract to use American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to establish the program. However, the commissioners approved another resolution in April rescinding that one and authorizing a contract for “extraordinary unspecifiable services” to establish the Small Business Grant Program using the ARP funds.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.

Jersey City Planning Board approves Exchange Place Plaza redesign

Hudson Reporter

May 11, 2022

05jcexchange19_1 — The board reversed their decision after having previously cited concerns over potential obstruction of the Katyn Memorial. Image via Melillo ▪ Bauer ▪ Carman in planning board application.

In a reversal from two weeks ago, the Jersey City Planning Board has voted to approve the Exchange Place redesign and ruled that the overall plans are consistent with the city’s Master Plan.

The change in the board’s decision comes as the Exchange Place Alliance is looking to redesign the plaza, and after the board unanimously voted not to recommend the designs at their previous meeting on April 26.

The concerns from the board at the time came from the potential obstruction of the Katyn Memorial, where it’s proposed to have a semi-circular bench on the west side of the statue. A number of residents, including those from the Polish American community, had voiced their opposition to it’s obstruction.

The statue commemorates the 1940 massacre of more than 22,000 Polish soldiers and prisoners of war by the Soviet Union, and was planned for relocation four years ago to make way for renovations in the plaza until being called off following a backlash to the plan.

At the board’s meeting last night, Donald Pepe, who spoke on behalf of the Exchange Place Alliance, had filed a motion to reconsider, according to board counsel Santo Alampi, and that Pepe was not asking to present any other evidence or testimony.

“My point was I think that a lot of the vote that took place at the last hearing was related to design elements, specifically related to the Katyn Monument, and didn’t really get to the heart of the issue, which was [if] the plan [was] consistent with the Master Plan for Jersey City,” said Pepe.

Alampi later explained that the plan was under a Section 31 review, meaning that it’s a courtesy review on whether or not the plan was consistent, and that the applicants can go ahead with their plans no matter what the board says.

Chairman Christopher Langston, who had voted for not recommending the redesigns at the previous meeting, said that his comments back then “may be more appropriate for a site plan review rather than a Section 31 review.”

He later said that while he did have some reservations about some of the design elements, he said that the park does comply with the Master Plan. “Maybe I led the board astray with my design element concerns at the last hearing,” he said.

“I hope that your clients will look at the comments that were made by the public and adjust them, but my vote is aye for this project,” added Commissioner Joey Torres.

The board voted 5-0 to recommend the redesigns, with Council President Joyce Watterman recusing herself, as she is the City Council representative on the Exchange Place Alliance.

“We appreciate the Planning Board’s serious consideration and resulting clarification,” said EPA Executive Director Elizabeth Cain in a statement. “We are very excited to move forward with Exchange Place Plaza which will add greater vibrancy to the waterfront and become a community hub.”

Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said that the vote is “great news and will be a much-improved park for all of Jersey City as it will make Exchange Place a more aesthetic and beautiful public space.”

“The plaza will significantly improve residents’ and visitors’ experience along the waterfront while making infrastructure updates and creating public space designed to safely host large community events,” she said.

For updates on this and other stories, check hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Mark Koosau can be reached at mkoosau@hudsonreporter.com or his Twitter @snivyTsutarja.

West New York man sentenced to 71 years in prison for 2019 shooting

Hudson Reporter

May 11, 2022

05nbshooting19 — Jonathan Haughey-Morales, via the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office.

A West New York man has been sentenced to 71 years in New Jersey State Prison for a 2019 shooting that killed one man and injured three others, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez has announced.

Hudson County Superior Court Judge Patrick Arre has sentenced Jonathan Haughey-Morales, a 30-year-old of West New York, for the 2019 mass shooting in North Bergen that killed Carlos Garcia and seriously injured three others.

According to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, Haughey-Morales was sentenced to 50 years in New Jersey State Prison for Murder and three consecutive seven year sentences for Aggravated Assault as to the surviving victims, which is subject to the No Early Release Act. An additional five year sentence will run concurrent for Unlawful Possession of a Weapon.

Sentenced for shooting three years ago

On Sunday, May 5, 2019, at approximately 3:30 a.m., the North Bergen Police Department responded to a report of shots fired at 2033 46th Street in North Bergen.

Responding officers found four individuals, including an unresponsive male with an apparent gunshot wound to his torso, shot in the home. The male was later identified as 40-year-old Carlos Garcia.

Garcia and the additional victims two males and one female were all transported by Emergency Medical Services to Jersey City Medical Center. Garcia was pronounced dead at approximately 4:25 a.m.

Haughey-Morales was identified as the suspect wanted in connection with the shooting and apprehended in South Whitehall Township, Pa., the following day. Haughey-Morales was convicted on all charges by a jury on Wednesday, March 2, following a two week trial.

The State was represented in this case by Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Najma Rana.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.

Secaucus woman allegedly received unemployment benefits while working for district attorney

Hudson Reporter

May 10, 2022

05secindictment19 — NJ Acting Attorney General Matthew Platkin. Photo courtesy of AG's Office.

Indictments have been made in two cases of alleged state employment benefits, New Jersey Acting Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced on May 9. The indictments are the result of a joint investigation with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL).

Brianna Larkins, a 34-year-old of Secaucus, was indicted on a charge of third-degree theft by deception for allegedly stealing $19,659 in Unemployment Insurance benefits. She allegedly filed an unemployment claim in the State of New Jersey while being employed full time by the Kings County District Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn.

According to the allegations against Larkins, she illegally collected unemployment benefits in New Jersey while being employed full time in New York. Had the New Jersey Department of Labor been aware of Larkins’ full-time employment, which she allegedly intentionally failed to disclose, she would have been ineligible for unemployment benefits. Larkins collected benefits for the claim period beginning on March 20, 2020 through December 5, 2020. Subpoenaed records confirm that throughout the claim period, Larkins was employed full- time in New York.

The other indictment was against Richard Hockenberry, a 71-year-old from Hawthorne, on a charge of fourth-degree failure to provide Workers’ Compensation coverage for an employee injured on the job. As a result, the New Jersey Uninsured Employer’s Fund was made responsible for payment of Temporary Disability benefits, medical benefits, counsel, and other fees totaling $194,582.

Third-degree crimes carry a sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000. Fourth-degree crimes carry a sentence of up to 18 months in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

The charges are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Protecting taxpayer-funded employment benefits

The cases stem from an ongoing initiative in which the AG’s Office and NJDOL are aggressively investigating crimes that siphon money from taxpayer-funded employment benefit funds. The state grand jury indictments were secured by the Division of Criminal Justice Specialized Crimes Bureau as a result of joint investigations with NJDOL.

“We’re working hard to stop criminals from illegally siphoning money from New Jersey’s employment insurance benefits,” said Acting Attorney General Platkin.“These are crimes against the taxpayers who fund the benefits, and against honest New Jersey workers who count on these benefits to sustain them financially when their jobs are lost through no fault of their own or when they suffer injuries at work.”

“These critical funds are available to help the workers of our state in their time of need,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “These indictments should serve as a reminder that we, along with our partners in the Attorney General’s Office, will work together to ensure that unemployment benefits are available to those entitled to them, and those employers who fail to procure Workers’ Compensation coverage to protect workers injured on the job will be held accountable.”

“The defendants in these cases allegedly stole thousands of dollars in benefits from the funds that serve as a vital financial safety net for New Jersey workers and their families,” said Director Lyndsay V. Ruotolo of the Division of Criminal Justice. “We are putting offenders on notice that this type of unlawful conduct will be criminally prosecuted through our strong partnership with the New Jersey Department of Labor.”

Platkin and Asaro-Angelo urged members of the public and employers to report cases of suspected fraud by visiting the NJDOL online portal or calling the NJDOL fraud hotline at (609) 777-4304.

Deputy Attorney General Danielle Scarduzio is prosecuting the cases and Detective Brianna Perea investigated the cases for the Division of Criminal Justice Specialized Crimes Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Jacqueline D. Smith and Bureau Chief Erik Daab.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.

Union City Police Department offers free gun locks

Hudson Reporter

May 6, 2022

05ucpd12 — A member of the Union City Police Department hands out a gun lock and educational pamphlet to a resident. Photo courtesy of the UCPD.

Free guns locks are available in Union City, according to the local police.

The Union City Police Department has partnered with The New Jersey Department of Veterans Affairs to offer free gun locks to residents who need one.

Creating a safe home environment for those experiencing suicidal thoughts can significantly reduce the likelihood of death by suicide.

Even if there is no one at risk for suicide, homes are safer when firearms are stored safely.

Residents do not need to be a veteran to receive a gun lock.

Through this initiative, anyone who receives a gun lock will also receive an educational brochure that provides information about firearm safety and reducing access to other household risks.

The goal is to help ensure everyone is safe at home, according to the Union City Police Department.

Mental health referral information is available for both veterans and civilians.

“You are not alone!” the department said in a statement.

The locks are available 24/7 at the Union City Police Headquarters at 3715 Palisade Avenue.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.

Secaucus Town Council now uses tablets to save paper

Hudson Reporter

May 4, 2022

05seccouncil12 — Councilman Costantino holds up his tablet, explaining their purpose at the April 26 meeting of the Secaucus Town Council.

The Secaucus Town Council now uses electronic tablets for its agenda packets, saving paper and money in the process.

The council first appeared with the tablets at its April 26 meeting. First Ward Councilman Robert Costantino explained the reason behind the move.

“We have these tablets in front of us now,” Costantino “We’re not Googling. We’re not not paying attention.”

The agendas are now sent to the council online and are viewable during the meetings on the tablets. It was a environmentally-conscious maneuver, according to Costantino.

“The agendas are now scanned in and sent to us online,” Costantino said. “It should save us thousands and thousands of pieces of paper, a few trees a year hopefully… It’s pretty cool.”

After the meeting, Jeffas told the Hudson Reporter it was somewhat of a modernization of the council, essentially bringing them up to speed with the other modern systems and technology present in Town Hall.

“We were always using paper packets,” Jeffas said. “So I’ve been try to migrate over to something digital so we’re not wasting so much paper.”

Another aspect of introducing the tablets means easy corrections or changes to any items to the agenda, which also in turn also saves more paper.

“If there are corrections, it’s much easier to transfer those changes and get them over to the council members. So we upgraded and everybody got a tablet,” Jeffas said. “The council can work off of their tablets now on all the council agendas, all the updates. Everything can now kind of flow at a moment’s notice. If I’m making changes to agenda items and stuff like that, I can just input the changes in my computer in a common drive and then everybody would sync up.”

Jeffas said that the shift was not only an environmentally friendly decision that would save thousands of sheets of paper, but also one that will save the town money in the long run.

“It’s much more environmentally friendly,” Jeffas said. “In terms of overall costs, we are saving there. And it’s also good for a more efficient running of the meeting.”

And the council did not have any issues with the new tech, despite some of their ages.

“We brought all our council members’ technology up to the 20th Century,” Jeffas said. “I was afraid some would be a little reluctant because they’re used to that paper. But everybody was good with the tablets.”

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.

1...727374...105 Page 73 of 105

Turner considers what’s next for Weehawken

Weehawken enters shared services agreement with library

Appointments and other items make up Jersey City Council meeting

North Bergen adopts 2022 budget totaling over $106 million

West New York launches Small Business Grant Program

Jersey City Planning Board approves Exchange Place Plaza redesign

West New York man sentenced to 71 years in prison for 2019 shooting

Secaucus woman allegedly received unemployment benefits while working for district attorney

Union City Police Department offers free gun locks

Secaucus Town Council now uses tablets to save paper

Latest News

Jersey City Approves 1-Year Extension for 5-Story MLK Drive Project

Remembering Jen Giattino: A Leader Who Touched Hoboken’s Heart

Comprehensive Updates from the Union City School Board’s November 14 Meeting

Rob Menendez Announces $286.4 Million Approved for Rail Upgrades in NJ’s...

Top-Ranked 25+ Best Elementary Schools in Bergen County for 2025