Hoboken is set to receive 1,100 first dose Pfizer vaccines to administer to residents the week of March 22, roughly double the amount received in previous weeks.

According to Councilman Phil Cohen, Hoboken received 500 first-dose vaccines per week from the state at the beginning of the vaccination process, but that decreased to about 300 first-dose Moderna vaccines per week more recently, with 500 second doses allocated to seniors.

“This new 1,100 first-dose supply will make a big impact,” he said, thanking Mayor Ravi Bhalla, Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise, and Hudson County Commissioner Anthony Romano.

According to Bhalla, Hoboken’s supply will continue to expand in April as the states receives more shipments of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Two CVS pharmacies at the midtown and uptown locations received an initial set of Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

To check appointment availability, go to https://www.cvs.com/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine.
To preregister for an appointment with the city, go to http://www.hobokennj.gov/vaccinesignup.

According to the state, those eligible include public and local transportation workers, public safety workers, migrant farm workers, members of tribal communities, individuals experiencing homelessness or who live in shelters, seniors over the age of 65, medical professionals, law enforcement, teachers and day care staff, and those with chronic high-risk medical conditions.

Starting March 29, those who work in food production, agriculture and food distribution; eldercare and support; warehousing and logistics; social services support staff; election personnel; hospitality; medical supply chain; postal and shipping services; clergy; and the judicial system will be eligible.

The health department has administered more than 4,135 doses to residents, which includes 2,784 first doses and 1,351 second doses.

Riverside Medical Group is providing appointments and has administered more than 3,800 doses, which includes 3,000 first doses and 800 second doses at their Hoboken location, the majority to Hoboken residents.

Appointments can be made at the Hudson County Vaccine Distribution Center at 110 Hackensack Ave. in Kearny at https://hudsoncovidvax.org/

“The best way we can all get back to normal is to get vaccinated when it’s your turn with the first vaccine available to you,” Bhalla said.  “All three vaccines – Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are safe, effective and are proven to protect us. And until you’re vaccinated, the next couple months are critical in preventing variants from becoming the dominant strain and causing another surge, until vaccines are anticipated to be more widely available to the general public.”

He urged residents to continue to follow CDC guidelines: wear masks, socially distance, and avoid travel.

According to the CDC, those who have received their second doses must wait a full two weeks before they can gather indoors with other fully vaccinated people without wearing masks.

They can gather indoors with unvaccinated people from another household without masks, unless any of those people or anyone they live with has an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

Those who have been vaccinated and are around someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 do not need to stay away from others or get tested unless they have symptoms.

If those who are fully vaccinated live in a group setting and are around someone who has COVID-19, then they are instructed to stay away from others for 14 days and get tested, even if they don’t have symptoms.

Testing still available

According to the latest publicly released figures from the Hoboken Health Department, 3,894 residents have been infected with COVID-19 since the pandemic’s start roughly one year ago. 46 residents have died including a woman in her early 90s, a man in his early 70s, and a woman in her early 50s, which occurred in December and February but were only recently reported to the health department.

To make an appointment for a test with one of the city’s partners, go to https://www.hobokennj.gov/testing.

Restrictions updated

Gov. Phil Murphy has updated indoor capacity restrictions, increasing occupancy to 50 percent for restaurants, cafeterias, and food courts, with or without a liquor license; bars; indoor recreation, amusement, and entertainment businesses, including casinos and gyms; and personal care services like barber shops and nail salons.

These businesses must continue to abide by current health and safety protocols, including face covering and physical distancing requirements.

The governor increased indoor gathering limits from 10 to 25 people and outdoor gathering limits from 25 to 50 people.

Outdoor interstate youth competitions are allowed, but attendees at outdoor sports competitions will be limited to players, coaches, and officials, and up to two parents or guardians per participating athlete. No additional spectators or attendees will be allowed.

“We believe we can confidently take these steps today as our COVID-19 metrics continue to trend in the right direction,” Murphy said. “However, our mask mandate and COVID-19 health and safety protocols remain in effect. I am hopeful that we’ll be able to take further steps in expanding capacity responsibly and incrementally guided by public health data.”

For updates on this and other stories check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Marilyn Baer can be reached at Marilynb@hudsonreporter.com.

Mayor Ravi Bhalla responded late last month to a public censure by the New Jersey Supreme Court of actions he took as a private employer at a law firm years ago.
Members of the Hoboken City Council discussed the matter at the June 20 council meeting. Also at the meeting, the council discussed creating a local Ethics Board after tabling an ordinance to require the mayor to make quarterly reports regarding his second job.
The council may take an initial vote on creating the ethics board as soon as the next council meeting on July 11.
On June 13, the New Jersey Supreme Court censured Bhalla after the state’s Supreme Court Disciplinary Review Board recommended censure for failing to properly fund his former employee’s retirement account in 2008 and 2009.
According to the 16-page Dec. 14, 2017 decision of the board, Attorney Alexander Bentsen worked for Bhalla in 2008 and 2009 (before Bhalla joined the City Council in July 2009). Bentsen, who had a salary of $60,000, asked Bhalla to withhold 10 percent of his gross income to be deposited in an IRA account which Bhalla would match by up to 3 percent. According to the decision, Bhalla did not make the required deposits.
This left Bentsen’s IRA underfunded by $6,208. Bhalla also did not send Bentsen’s 2008 Social Security withholding taxes, totaling an additional $4,000, until 2013 or 2014, the decision alleged.
The mayor told the disciplinary board, according to the document, that he thought the payroll company he had hired took care of the funds for Bensten’s IRA account. According to the decision, after Bhalla was interviewed by the Office of Attorney Ethics seven year later, Bhalla remedied the situation.
“Ravi Bhalla accepts, but respectfully disagrees with the ruling,” said Rob Horowitz, private spokesman for Bhalla, in an email last week. “This was an inadvertent payroll mistake, resulting in the underpayment of an employer match on an IRA retirement program more than 10 years ago when Mr. Bhalla operated his own small law firm. The employee never informed Mr. Bhalla and then waited seven years and filed an ethics complaint. As soon as Mr. Bhalla realized there was an underpayment, he immediately paid the amount due.”
According to the decision, “Bentsen made numerous requests of respondent [Bhalla] to rectify the matter…he did not return ‘the funds’ to Bentsen until 2016 and 2017, only after Bentsen had filed a grievance against him, in August 2015.”
Of this, Horowitz said, “We believe that is overstated. As soon as Bhalla realized he owed the money, he moved to pay it.”
There are five ways attorneys in New Jersey can be disciplined, including admonition, followed by reprimand, censure, suspension, and disbarment.
The board voted 4-3 to recommend censure instead of a three-month suspension of Bhalla’s law license. Three judges out of nine voted for Bhalla to receive a three-month law license suspension, four voted for the censure, and two did not participate.
The disciplinary board said that Bhalla’s actions would have warranted only a reprimand if he had not been admonished once already in 2010 for alleged record-keeping violations and for allegedly paying a client and himself from a check that had not cleared, according to the 16-page Dec. 14 decision.
“In our view, respondent’s nonchalance regarding Bentsen’s missing monies, over the course of six years, including while he was under investigation and then disciplined in another matter, justifies enhancement from a reprimand to a censure,” states the decision.
Bhalla has had brushes with state boards before. He was accused of a state ethics law violation after he voted, on the council in 2010, to award a city contract to the lawyer with whom he shared an office lease. A judge initially ruled against Bhalla, but after another ruling and counter-ruling, the appellate division ruled in Bhalla’s favor in 2016.

Transparency

Meanwhile, the majority of the council, seven of whom are not allied with Bhalla,
introduced an ordinance last month which would require the mayor to report, each quarter, his income from the job, as well as clients or contracts.
In February, the legal firm of Lavery, Selvaggi, Abromitis & Cohen, P.C. based in Morristown announced that it had hired Bhalla to an “of counsel” position. According to his contract, they will pay him $60,000 annually as well as a commission for generating new clients.
After council members were concerned about potential conflicts of interest and that the job might take time from Bhalla’s full-time, $116,000-per-year office, Bhalla responded that his sole focus was Hoboken.
A second vote on the council’s proposed ordinance was tabled at the June 20 council meeting after the city attorney informed the council that it was unenforceable.
According to a memo from the city’s Legal Department, the proposal is invalid as the ordinance “attempts to pass an ethics requirement … which may only be done if the city establishes a local municipal ethics board.”
It also notes that disclosure of clients may violate attorney client privilege.
In response to the tabled ordinance, Bhalla issued a memo to the city council stating that since joining the firm he has “been as transparent and upfront as possible.” He released his employment agreement with the firm after the council questioned it.
He noted that since submitting his answers to 26 questions the council asked him, he had not received any follow-up questions.
In the memo, he stated that as of June 1 he had generated one client to the firm, the Borough of Englewood Cliffs, a town in Bergen County. He said that he had received no commissions as of June 21.
Asked about this contract and how such referrals occur, city spokesperson Santiago Melli-Huber said Bhalla did not know the exact dollar amount of the contract between the Borough of Englewood Cliffs and the firm, but his understanding “is that it was for a few thousand dollars.”
Mellii-Huber said the referral was “routine.” He explained, “A legal colleague involved in the matter had a conflict of interest and asked Mayor Bhalla if the firm would be able to assist.”

Ethics board

As a result of the council having to table the ordinance asking for quarterly disclosure, Council President Ruben Ramos said the Hoboken City Council may seek to create a Local Ethics Board. He had directed the Law Department to have a draft prepared by the July 11 meeting.
According to state law, each municipality of the state may, by ordinance, establish a municipal ethics board that would have six members appointed by the governing body.
The board can review complaints and hold hearings regarding possible violations of the municipal code of ethics or financial disclosure requirements by officials and city employees.
It can also give opinions to local officials or employees as to whether a given set of facts and circumstances would constitute a violation of any provision of the municipal code regarding ethics or financial disclosure requirements.
According to Melli-Huber, Mayor Bhalla supports the decision of the council to create an Ethics Board “if this would further the public’s interest in more transparency and accountability from our elected officials.”

Marilyn Baer can be reached at marilynb@hudsonreporter.com.

On Wednesday, Oct. 18 the City Council and public discussed the Washington Street Redesign Project and the possibility of extending construction hours. The council approved the installation of a temporary boathouse despite questions from the public about its cost, and also approved a professional service contract for a microgrid feasibility study.
Construction on Washington Street is scheduled to restart work Monday, according to Business Administrator Stephen Marks. The project was temporarily put on hold at the end of September when a woman was hit by a fallen pole in a construction zone. She reportedly suffered no major injuries.
As a result the city and the project manager requested information on the contractor’s safety protocols and an updated health and safety plan. He added that the city received the updates, including updated traffic and pedestrian safety plans, and the contractor was installing signage and temporary striping to direct vehicles and pedestrians.
Patrick Wherry, assistant business administrator, said construction will resume on already open sections, including the intersections of Second, Third, and Fourth Streets.
Council President Jen Giattino asked if the council should consider allowing extended working hours in the evenings to ensure paving can occur before mid December. Marks said that any paving needs to occur before mid December due to the temperature drop.
Police Chief Ken Ferrante said he is in favor of expanded hours as long as it wasn’t after 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights due to the city’s bar scene.
Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher said she has heard business is down “dramatically” and she feels the city needs to be thinking of ways to expedite the construction.
“What can we do for completion?” she said. “If it needs extra hours or expanding construction to three blocks at a time why isn’t that a solution put in front of us? I know it will probably cost extra, but I think we need to know what those costs are and make a decision as to if we need to incur it. We are going into the holiday season. We need to do more.”
Councilman Michael Russo said that he heard the contractor offered to pave the street up to Third Street to make the road smoother. Marks said that before construction ceased the contractor verbally indicated they would pave the road from Observer to Third Street before the end of October but due to the shut down there is a delay in schedule.
Councilman Peter Cunningham wanted to know when paving from Observer Highway to Seventh Street would be completed.
Marks said he believes Observer to Third Street could be “doable” by the end of November.
Cunningham wanted to know if the council was able to modify the plan from Seventh Street north to perhaps reduce the number of bumpouts.
Corporation counsel Brian Aloia said it could be possible but first the council would need to determine what they want changed and get a new estimate from the engineer.
Councilman Ruben Ramos asked why work wasn’t being done two blocks at a time as originally designed by the plan.
Marks said every time the ground was opened there were unforeseen circumstances such as unmapped utilities and unknown oil tanks that need to be removed. The contractor was permitted to move to the next site while the utility conflict was being addressed.
“This led to the proliferation of a lot of work sites,” said Marks.
A resolution drafted by corporation counsel at the meeting was unanimously approved by the council which would allow for the city to explore extended construction hours.

_____________
“This whole [boathouse] thing is an exercise in ridiculousness.” – Elizabeth Adams
____________

Financial concerns over temporary boathouse

The council approved of a $46,040 contract with T.R. Weniger Inc, for the installation of a temporary boathouse in the Hoboken/Weehawken cove in uptown Hoboken with a 7-2 vote after members of the public spoke out against its cost.
The temporary boathouse is a shipping container fitted with racks to hold 12 kayaks, paddles and life vests. A tilted metal roof will harvest rainwater from into a 500 gallon cistern used to rinse the kayaks. The facade of the boathouse will be fitted with a board to detail the planned permanent boathouse that was approved unanimously in Sept. 2015 by the council for $4.4 million.
Resident Cheryl Fallick said, “I’m not sure we need a permanent new boathouse so I ask you to vote no. It’s a waste of money.” Resident Mary Ondrejka said, “I feel the city isn’t prioritizing things very well. We have a serious situation with Washington Street. If anything that $46,000 could help fill up some of those dangerous potholes.”
Resident Elizabeth Adams said, “In early August,(2015) that time of the year when a lot of folks are away on vacation, you very sleekly decided, without batting an eyelash, to award a contract for $4 million boathouse. Now you’re voting on $46,000 for a temporary boathouse? This whole thing is an exercise in ridiculousness.”
She added that she believes the boathouse will serve a small portion of the population and only be usable a few months out of the year.
“It just amazing to me that this kind of stuff goes on and is just swept under the rug and you people hope no one will notice,” she added.
Resident Hany Ahmed said that the “agendas are very light to say the least,” in respect to this being the biggest issue on the agenda and noted that it is because the municipal election is only a few weeks away in which several members of the council are running.
Councilmen Ruben Ramos and Michael Russo voted against the contract approval.

Microgrid study

The city council unanimously approved a resolution for $157,000 for a microgrid feasibility study.
The funding is provided by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
The study will determine the feasibility of a town center-distributed, energy resource microgird, powered by onsite distributed generation that will provide electric, heat, and cooling to critical facilities.
These smaller grids, operating on their own from the main power grid, can separate and protect themselves from any problems with the main grid and keep vital services in place.
The microgrid would connect multiple critical facilities to power in case of emergencies or disasters.
These critical facilities would include Hoboken Fire Company 3, Police Headquarters, City Hall, the Hoboken Homeless Shelter, St. Matthews Church, as well as St. Peter and Paul Church, Kings Grocery, municipal garages B, D & G, multiple senior housing facilities, the YMCA, two local pharmacies, three Hoboken Housing Authority Properties, Andrew Jackson Gardens, Harrison Gardens, Adams and Monroe Gardens), and pump stations.
Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher wanted to ensure that the project wouldn’t require the city to have to dig up Washington street, currently under construction, if the microgrid is possible.
Business Administrator Stephen Marks said that Washington Street will not need to be dug up as the redesign plan has already included an underground conduit which will run the length of Washington Street from Observer Highway to Fifteenth Street with branches at cross streets to the city’s critical facilities.
He added that the project is complimentary and the Washington Street redesign project was already designed with the conduit below ground.

Marilyn Baer can be reached at marilynb@hudsonreporter.com.

The afternoon of Monday, Jan. 1 will bring the swearing in of new Mayor Ravi Bhalla, followed by a City Council reorganization meeting on Jan. 3. Political observers have been wondering who will be the next council president, and whether Bhalla will have to contend with a divided council during his first year, since some of the nine members were his opponents in last month’s election.
In the past, Mayor Dawn Zimmer was often able to push her agenda through, since most of the council members were her supporters. After a heated election during which three council members ran against each other for mayor on Nov. 7, some residents think Bhalla may have a tougher time.
Bhalla ran against current Council President Jen Giattino, who was backed by Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher and Councilman Peter Cunningham. Giattino has declined to join Bhalla’s transition team, and Fisher and Cunningham have expressed dismay, in separate letters after the election, about the “ugliness” during the campaigns.
The other former mayoral candidates have joined Bhalla on his transition team – business owner Karen Nason, activist Ronald Bautista, Freeholder Anthony Romano, and Councilman Michael DeFusco. But DeFusco has already criticized some of Bhalla’s moves, and issued a press release criticizing Bhalla’s choosing of lawyer John Allen as his chief of staff. Allen ran as a councilman on Bhalla’s ticket, but lost.
“The council dynamic isn’t very good for the mayor-elect,” said former Councilman Tony Soares, who supported DeFusco in the election. “He is going to have to work with them to cooperate on their agenda over the next two to four years. He wasn’t given a majority.”
Bhalla won 32.7 percent of the votes on Nov. 7, with 41.2 percent of registered voters turning out for the mayoral election.
Soares said he thinks the council will have to try to cooperate, and not work against the new mayor, in order to move Hoboken forward.
“I think Ruben [Ramos] and Michael DeFusco work well [with each other] and Jen [Giattino] and Fisher are together,” he said. “Bhalla has allies on the council with [Councilman Jim] Doyle and [Councilwoman-Elect] Emily Jabbour [who will be sworn in on Jan. 3]. But honestly, now the council is divided and they will all have to try and work together.”
One political insider who wished to remain anonymous said he believed either Councilman Ruben Ramos or Councilman Peter Cunningham will be the next council president, depending on who holds a majority on the council. Rumors have swirled that Councilman Ramos may want the position, but some say Cunningham can draw Fisher, Giattino, and others.

Councilmembers weigh in

In separate interviews, Councilmen Ruben Ramos, Jim Doyle, Michael Russo, and Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher commented on the council dynamic in the new year.
DeFusco, Cunningham, and Giattino did not answer two phone calls for comment by press time.
“Everyone tries to do what’s best for Hoboken at the end of the day,” said Fisher, speaking about the council dynamic come January. “People on the council work well together. In the past we have had 7-2 or 9-0 on most votes, and my guess is that will continue.”
When it came to who might be president Fisher said that it’s a bit early to tell.
“It’s definitely a topic on people’s minds right now,” said Fisher. “But my understanding is it is a bit early.”
Doyle said, “Typically there is a majority and a minority. It is not typically divided into three poles.”
However, he noted, reformers on the council might be fractured after the election.
“While I see disagreements going forward as to approaches, as long as everyone genuinely has Hoboken’s best interests as the overall objective, I am confident we will all work together and be fine,” said Doyle. “I know we are genuinely people who put Hoboken above personal aspirations.”
Councilman Michael Russo said no discussions have started amongst himself and other council members as to who might fill the position of council president during the Jan. 3 reorganization meeting
“There is no real faction in the city that has a majority of the council,” said Russo. “I think Mayor-Elect Bhalla will have to work with individual council members to move the city forward. “
“It’s an interesting time,” said Russo. “I think the truest leaders will emerge among the members of the council by being able to put differences aside and work for the betterment of the city…Right now people are a little upset about the heated election on all sides, but I think eventually when we get down to brass tacks, we will see who gets it done.”
He said he would like to see a president who is fair, rational, and understands that there will be difficult decisions. He added that he would like a president “who won’t bow to political pressure.”
Who fits the bill? He believes all of his council colleagues share those qualities. “I think one more than others, but until I find out if that person it interested, I won’t comment,” he said.
Russo said he believes Bhalla will have some difficulty, “but every mayor does, even when they have a base of support in the majority.”
He said, “Dawn got a lot of things passed, but there were a lot of backroom conversations or off-record conversations with council members [about agenda items] that were just as difficult, whether those people supported her or not.”
Ramos said, “We need to look at every agenda item as 0-0 and work on building a consensus if it’s a good idea. We need to move away from the idea of a council majority or minority.”
“If Mayor-Elect Bhalla has a good idea that I agree with, I’ll try and make it happen. If Councilwoman Fisher has a good idea or I have a good idea, I’ll try and make it happen,” said Ramos. “I work with everyone on issues and that’s what the public expects from us. None of this is personal. There was a lot of negativity during the campaign from different directions, but I don’t anticipate anyone putting hurt feelings or anything else before moving a good idea for Hoboken forward.”
He said he wants the next council president to be an individual who brings people together, who hears ideas, and acts as a conduit between the mayor and the council.
When asked if he wants to be the next council president, he said, “I never count my chickens before they hatch.”
One future agenda item that may prove divisive is the city’s negotiations and proposed agreement with Suez over managing the city’s water and aging infrastructure. The agreement proposed by Zimmer’s administration and backed by Bhalla, caused a lot of debate during the mayoral election, as some council members wanted to try and pursue other providers and questioned an unpaid debt.

Will work with everyone

Bhalla said he will work with everyone on the council for the betterment of Hoboken.
When asked who he thought might be the next council president, he said, “Your guess is as good as mine at this point. “
He said he believes a council president needs to “be diligent with respect to his or her duties and cooperative with the administration to identify opportunities for legislation to move Hoboken forward.”
He said he envisions the role of the council president with not only “running a tight ship” but working with the business administrator, council colleagues, the mayor, and department directors to “identify legislation that’s ripe or ready to be brought before the council as a whole.”
When asked if he believes if the council is divided more than before, he said, “I know the council members are first and foremost committed to advancing the interests of the city of Hoboken. As far as majorities on the council, it’s my hope we can move past divisiveness to see where we can work together on a governmental level. I know each councilmember has their own issues that are important to them so I would like to identify what those priorities are and be helpful in advancing their priorities. I don’t see it as having a majority or control of the council. My concern is about understanding priorities and having a constructive working relationship with the council.”
He said that if a time comes in which one of his priorities is not supported by an individual on the council or a majority, “Then it’s incumbent on me to generate support on the council for that priority to be successful.”
Bhalla said that he thinks that he and the council are united in that they all share a common love for Hoboken.
“In regard to repairing relationships or getting over raw feelings, I think its important to realize it’s in the best interest of the community at large for us to turn the page and look toward the future,” said Bhalla.
Bhalla’s swearing in ceremony will be held on Jan. 1 at 2 p.m. The location has yet to be announced. The council reorganization meeting will take place Jan. 3 at City Hall at 7 p.m., according to Deputy City Clerk Jerry Lore.
Officials would not confirm which high-level politicians may be attending the swearing ins, although rumors have swirled about Gov. Elect Phil Murphy attending the Jan. 1 event. Murphy is set to be sworn in on Jan. 16.

Marilyn Baer can be reached at marilynb@hudsonreporter.com.

The afternoon of Monday, Jan. 1 will bring the swearing in of new Mayor Ravi Bhalla, followed by a City Council reorganization meeting on Jan. 3. Political observers have been wondering who will be the next council president, and whether Bhalla will have to contend with a divided council during his first year, since some of the nine members were his opponents in last month’s election.
In the past, Mayor Dawn Zimmer was often able to push her agenda through, since most of the council members were her supporters. After a heated election during which three council members ran against each other for mayor on Nov. 7, some residents think Bhalla may have a tougher time.
Bhalla ran against current Council President Jen Giattino, who was backed by Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher and Councilman Peter Cunningham. Giattino has declined to join Bhalla’s transition team, and Fisher and Cunningham have expressed dismay, in separate letters after the election, about the “ugliness” during the campaigns.
The other former mayoral candidates have joined Bhalla on his transition team – business owner Karen Nason, activist Ronald Bautista, Freeholder Anthony Romano, and Councilman Michael DeFusco. But DeFusco has already criticized some of Bhalla’s moves, and issued a press release criticizing Bhalla’s choosing of lawyer John Allen as his chief of staff. Allen ran as a councilman on Bhalla’s ticket, but lost.
“The council dynamic isn’t very good for the mayor-elect,” said former Councilman Tony Soares, who supported DeFusco in the election. “He is going to have to work with them to cooperate on their agenda over the next two to four years. He wasn’t given a majority.”
Bhalla won 32.7 percent of the votes on Nov. 7, with 41.2 percent of registered voters turning out for the mayoral election.
Soares said he thinks the council will have to try to cooperate, and not work against the new mayor, in order to move Hoboken forward.
“I think Ruben [Ramos] and Michael DeFusco work well [with each other] and Jen [Giattino] and Fisher are together,” he said. “Bhalla has allies on the council with [Councilman Jim] Doyle and [Councilwoman-Elect] Emily Jabbour [who will be sworn in on Jan. 3]. But honestly, now the council is divided and they will all have to try and work together.”
One political insider who wished to remain anonymous said he believed either Councilman Ruben Ramos or Councilman Peter Cunningham will be the next council president, depending on who holds a majority on the council. Rumors have swirled that Councilman Ramos may want the position, but some say Cunningham can draw Fisher, Giattino, and others.

Councilmembers weigh in

In separate interviews, Councilmen Ruben Ramos, Jim Doyle, Michael Russo, and Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher commented on the council dynamic in the new year.
DeFusco, Cunningham, and Giattino did not answer two phone calls for comment by press time.
“Everyone tries to do what’s best for Hoboken at the end of the day,” said Fisher, speaking about the council dynamic come January. “People on the council work well together. In the past we have had 7-2 or 9-0 on most votes, and my guess is that will continue.”
When it came to who might be president Fisher said that it’s a bit early to tell.
“It’s definitely a topic on people’s minds right now,” said Fisher. “But my understanding is it is a bit early.”
Doyle said, “Typically there is a majority and a minority. It is not typically divided into three poles.”
However, he noted, reformers on the council might be fractured after the election.
“While I see disagreements going forward as to approaches, as long as everyone genuinely has Hoboken’s best interests as the overall objective, I am confident we will all work together and be fine,” said Doyle. “I know we are genuinely people who put Hoboken above personal aspirations.”
Councilman Michael Russo said no discussions have started amongst himself and other council members as to who might fill the position of council president during the Jan. 3 reorganization meeting
“There is no real faction in the city that has a majority of the council,” said Russo. “I think Mayor-Elect Bhalla will have to work with individual council members to move the city forward. “
“It’s an interesting time,” said Russo. “I think the truest leaders will emerge among the members of the council by being able to put differences aside and work for the betterment of the city…Right now people are a little upset about the heated election on all sides, but I think eventually when we get down to brass tacks, we will see who gets it done.”
He said he would like to see a president who is fair, rational, and understands that there will be difficult decisions. He added that he would like a president “who won’t bow to political pressure.”
Who fits the bill? He believes all of his council colleagues share those qualities. “I think one more than others, but until I find out if that person it interested, I won’t comment,” he said.
Russo said he believes Bhalla will have some difficulty, “but every mayor does, even when they have a base of support in the majority.”
He said, “Dawn got a lot of things passed, but there were a lot of backroom conversations or off-record conversations with council members [about agenda items] that were just as difficult, whether those people supported her or not.”
Ramos said, “We need to look at every agenda item as 0-0 and work on building a consensus if it’s a good idea. We need to move away from the idea of a council majority or minority.”
“If Mayor-Elect Bhalla has a good idea that I agree with, I’ll try and make it happen. If Councilwoman Fisher has a good idea or I have a good idea, I’ll try and make it happen,” said Ramos. “I work with everyone on issues and that’s what the public expects from us. None of this is personal. There was a lot of negativity during the campaign from different directions, but I don’t anticipate anyone putting hurt feelings or anything else before moving a good idea for Hoboken forward.”
He said he wants the next council president to be an individual who brings people together, who hears ideas, and acts as a conduit between the mayor and the council.
When asked if he wants to be the next council president, he said, “I never count my chickens before they hatch.”
One future agenda item that may prove divisive is the city’s negotiations and proposed agreement with Suez over managing the city’s water and aging infrastructure. The agreement proposed by Zimmer’s administration and backed by Bhalla, caused a lot of debate during the mayoral election, as some council members wanted to try and pursue other providers and questioned an unpaid debt.

Will work with everyone

Bhalla said he will work with everyone on the council for the betterment of Hoboken.
When asked who he thought might be the next council president, he said, “Your guess is as good as mine at this point. “
He said he believes a council president needs to “be diligent with respect to his or her duties and cooperative with the administration to identify opportunities for legislation to move Hoboken forward.”
He said he envisions the role of the council president with not only “running a tight ship” but working with the business administrator, council colleagues, the mayor, and department directors to “identify legislation that’s ripe or ready to be brought before the council as a whole.”
When asked if he believes if the council is divided more than before, he said, “I know the council members are first and foremost committed to advancing the interests of the city of Hoboken. As far as majorities on the council, it’s my hope we can move past divisiveness to see where we can work together on a governmental level. I know each councilmember has their own issues that are important to them so I would like to identify what those priorities are and be helpful in advancing their priorities. I don’t see it as having a majority or control of the council. My concern is about understanding priorities and having a constructive working relationship with the council.”
He said that if a time comes in which one of his priorities is not supported by an individual on the council or a majority, “Then it’s incumbent on me to generate support on the council for that priority to be successful.”
Bhalla said that he thinks that he and the council are united in that they all share a common love for Hoboken.
“In regard to repairing relationships or getting over raw feelings, I think its important to realize it’s in the best interest of the community at large for us to turn the page and look toward the future,” said Bhalla.
Bhalla’s swearing in ceremony will be held on Jan. 1 at 2 p.m. The location has yet to be announced. The council reorganization meeting will take place Jan. 3 at City Hall at 7 p.m., according to Deputy City Clerk Jerry Lore.
Officials would not confirm which high-level politicians may be attending the swearing ins, although rumors have swirled about Gov. Elect Phil Murphy attending the Jan. 1 event. Murphy is set to be sworn in on Jan. 16.

Marilyn Baer can be reached at marilynb@hudsonreporter.com.

Hoboken received long-awaited aid to help the area protect itself from hurricanes and flooding in the form of $230 million in “Rebuild by Design” funds from the federal government, released last week.
The funds will spur barriers and structures in Hoboken and parts of Weehawken and Jersey City.
This is just one way the city has been trying to protect itself after Hurricane Sandy caused over $1 billion in damage flooding residents’ homes five years ago, an event that trapped many in their homes and caused more than a week of power outages.
Rebuild By Design
The cost of Rebuild by Design is estimated between $230 million to $274 million and has an estimated annual maintenance cost of $1.4 million to $2.4 million. The four-pronged plan is set to begin construction in 2019 and be completed by 2022. The state Department of Environmental Protection will choose the builders and other developers.
The program was started in 2013 by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to protect coastal cities from storms, the effects of global warming, and rising sea levels.
Builders will erect a flood-resistance structure stretching from 19th Street in Weehawken into northern Hoboken, slightly inland from the river. An additional flood resistance structure will be constructed along the south end of town into Jersey City.
Zimmer said in an interview last week that she has already began asking the state to find funding to pay for maintenance costs.
The project will protect 85 percent of Hoboken’s residents in the floodplain. The city has hosted a workshop for residents who won’t be protected by the plan to discuss other ways to protect themselves, including deployable systems such as temporary barricades and moving utilities to higher ground.
“The threat is real,” said Zimmer. “We could be hit by another superstorm like Sandy and it could be in two weeks, it could be in a year, or it could be in six months. It’s important we continue to move forward and get this project done.”
Hoboken is also alleviating flooding through new resiliency parks, which will retain over a million gallons of water.
This includes the newly opened Southwest Park, and the yet to be constructed Northwest Park and Seventh and Jackson Street Park.
The city also has two flood pumps, H-1 and H-5, that discharge water into the Hudson River to help keep city streets dry and basements from flooding.
The city has also established more green space through rain gardens, and encourages green roofs on new developments.

Building guidelines

The city also implemented “resilient building design guidelines” in Oct. 2015, in a 53-page document that outlines the city and state laws governing construction in Hoboken’s flood prone areas. It also details the approval process for repairs, improvements, and new construction.
Under the resilient building design guidelines, there are three categories of construction, two of which require a floodplain permits from the city.
Major repairs and renovations to a building – those costing more than 50 percent of assessed value — are considered substantial improvements and will need a floodplain permit. Many of the requirements that make a building flood resistant occur below a building’s Design Flood Elevation (DFE), usually found by adding the first one to three feet above the base flood elevation (BFE). BFE is determined by which flood zone the building is in, according to 2013 Advisory Base Flood Elevation maps.
As of 2013, no new residential units are allowed below whatever the DFE is in their zone, with some exceptions. Existing units can remain, but if substantial improvements are made, the property owner must adhere to the Resilient Building Design Guidelines.
So for example, if someone substantially rehabilitates a building with a basement level apartment, they can add an additional floor to their home to compensate for that no longer viable apartment.
Residences on lower floors such as garden or basement apartments may be insured under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) with some exceptions.
New commercial spaces below DFE must be dry flood proofed, and obtain a flood proofing certificate.
There are various zone restrictions on what kinds of construction and flood proofing methods people can use. For instance, water resistant and mold resistant materials are recommended.

Backup power

The city will also undertake a microgrid feasibility study, which was approved by the Hoboken City Council this month. The study will determine if a micro grid in the center of town, which will distribute power and heat to critical facilities, is a feasible option. These smaller grids operate on their own from the main power grid and will provide power to these facilities in case of power outages during emergencies or disasters.
The microgrid would service “critical facilities” such as Hoboken Fire Company 3, Police Headquarters, City Hall, the Hoboken Homeless Shelter, St. Matthews Church, as well as St. Peter and Paul Church, Kings Grocery, municipal garages B, D & G, multiple senior housing facilities, the YMCA, two local pharmacies, three Hoboken Housing Authority Properties, Andrew Jackson Gardens, Harrison Gardens, Adams and Monroe Gardens, and pump stations.
The city has also worked with PSE&G on a new substation that will help keep power on during severe storms.
The power outages in 2012 were largely caused by power that got flooded and soaked.

Insurance

Zimmer said she believes the Rebuild by Design project will help reduce the costs of flood insurance in the city. Flood insurance rates are based upon how well a structure complies with the regulations of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
In 2012, Congress passed the Biggert Waters Flood Insurance Reform act, which required the NFIP to raise its rates to more accurately reflect flood risks. According to NFIP statistics, as of June 30, 2015, the city of Hoboken had 9,269 NFIP policies in place with premiums of $6,734,044, the fifth highest in all of New Jersey.
The overall liability to the NFIP from property owners in Hoboken was over $2 billion (third highest in New Jersey) with an average claim amount of $26,243.”
“The National Flood Insurance Program is beyond broke,” said Zimmer. “ Billions in the hole. There was a big study done over the last decade which shows there has been almost 300 billion dollars spent in dealing with disaster relief, and there is the potential that the federal government may make the decision to take on more of that cost, which means flood insurance premiums could go through the roof.”

Reflection

The city of Hoboken and the Hoboken Historical Museum invite residents and visitors to an open house event to in connection with the fifth anniversary of Sandy. The event will take place on Sunday, Oct. 29 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Museum, 1301 Hudson St.
Residents and visitors are invited to view Sandy-related materials, sign the museum’s five-year anniversary reflection book, and enjoy hot beverages and desserts.
Coincidentally, Accuweather predicts heavy rains and potential flooding that afternoon.
For more information on Sandy and personal accounts from Hoboken residents, also see our story at: https://tinyurl.com/ycxkgaz3.

Life during the storm

The category 1 hurricane made a direct hit on the Jersey Shore, landing two days before Halloween on Oct. 29, 2012 and trapping people in their homes with high floodwaters south of Sixth Street.
Some neighbors kayaked down city streets while others wore trash bags on their feet as protection from sewage infested water.
Governor Chris Christie declared a state of emergency and the National Guard was in town to assist residents.
Much of the town was without heat or electricity. Those with power on certain blocks threaded extension cords through their windows to outside, so neighbors could charge their phones and laptops.
Some local restaurants without power gave away food to those who needed it and others worked on the honor system, as no power meant no ATM for cash or working credit card machines.
The Hoboken University Medical Center was evacuated and patients were sent to other facilities for care.
The Hudson Reporter, whose offices lost power for a week, published that weekend after the staff worked in a conference room in the maternity ward of Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen.
“My most vivid memory of Sandy is walking down Hudson Street and seeing so many extension cords trailing out the front doors and windows of residents who were lucky enough to keep power,” said Alison Singer in a past article. “Some provided WiFi passwords, others provided coffee and snacks, still others just provided encouraging words and a place to sit. It was the most amazing show of community I have ever seen. It made me proud to live in Hoboken.”
After the storm departed, an army of volunteers including students and residents came to City Hall to assist officials and the CERT (Citizen Emergency Response Team) in finding needy seniors and others who were trapped. The mayor called in the National Guard and began having daily briefings outside City Hall.
The city wrote information in a few locations around town, including on the window of Starbucks on 12th Street, about where to get water and other necessities.

Marilyn Baer can be reached at marilynb@hudsonreporter.com.

After a teenager was shot to death in his family’s apartment in the Hoboken Housing Authority projects last month, the City Council approved funding for new doors following much debate.
The resolution follows the death of Housing Authority resident Adrian Rivera, 18, who was shot and killed in his home last month. Police said that large quantities of marijuana were found in the apartment and that he had known the alleged attackers from childhood. Two young Jersey City men and a teen have been arrested.
Two weeks ago, officials held a community meeting in which several residents discussed their safety concerns including open, outdated doors.
While all members of the council agreed at their meeting on Wednesday night that the doors needed to be replaced because they pose a safety risk for residents, some council members wanted to table the resolution to determine if they were authorizing the correct source of funding.
The HHA is run by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, and overseen by a seven-member volunteer Board of Commissioners and a paid director and staff. But it has grappled on and off with facilities problems for years.
The amount “up to $360,000” would come from the City Capital Fund. The fund was established from a settlement of litigation and can be spent on projects, according to the resolution, “consistent with the Housing element of the Master Plan, and the replacement of doors… is consistent with the Master Plan.”
According to Community Development Director Brandy Forbes, the fund was set up for affordable housing purposes and was funded by a settlement through the bankruptcy of the Tarragon Corporation in 2009.
The HHA is funded by rents and federal money and is autonomous from the city, which is funded by property taxes. The city did not discuss whether it will ask for federal reimbursement.

A delay to recheck funding

Council President Jennifer Giattino originally suggested pulling the resolution, which also provides over $200,000 to American Legion Post 107. The vets are planning to reconstruct their building to provide apartments for six homeless veterans.
“I’m saying wait two weeks,” said Giattino. “Let’s make sure that this is the proper source of funding. That funding is coming from the best source and the right source.”
Councilman and HHA Commissioner David Mello disagreed. “It is important for us to hear this tonight. There is a lot of concern and the doors are an issue we had already identified as a top issue that would bring higher safety to the Housing Authority.”
“The thing that resonates with me most is we have a community that is socioeconomically and racially segregated from the rest of the community and they spoke loud and clear,” said Councilman Ravi Bhalla. “They need our help now. They said we need help and it’s our job as a council to help them. We can take action now or we can take action in two weeks, but I think tabling this resolution sends the wrong message to the public.”

Council: Mayor slow with info

Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher said everyone was alarmed and saddened by the death of Rivera and by residents’ safety concerns but her reservation was that there was not enough backup information for the resolution.
“My concern is we don’t have enough information around the total cost of the project,” said Fisher
She added that she had asked the mayor for two more weeks but “the mayor didn’t listen. It’s so frustrating. This was given to us last Friday as a two-page resolution with no backup information. We didn’t get back up until early this week. I just want to make sure all of us are operating off of the right information. I want to ensure we give the right amount of funding to both of these projects, and our opinion and views were not respected.”

Crime necessitates action now

Councilman Michael Russo said he’d heard recently of an attempted sexual assault of a young woman in an authority building in the 3rd Ward.
“That’s a situation I don’t think you wait two minutes on, let alone two weeks,” said Russo.
Councilman Ruben Ramos said, “I think it is an appropriate time and an appropriate amount of money. Although the entire thing costs $1.3 million including doors, lights, security camera upgrades, the doors itself for all of the housing authority is the $360,000 amount.”
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“Let’s show there is no difference between Housing Authority residents and residents on 12th and Hudson.” – Michael Russo
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Councilman Peter Cunningham said, “We are all saying the same thing…There is no question about it. We all support it, and think this is important, but the Hoboken Housing Authority has already had the support of grant funding we’ve been able to achieve to replace elevators. I think it’s sad in a way we put elevators, which really do need to be replaced, ahead of the doors and safety measures.”
He added, “I honestly think CBGB grants are the way to go for this.”
“There are many things being said I disagree with,” said Councilman Jim Doyle. “I think it is unfortunate this is being portrayed as a political decision. The council president requested two weeks, and from what I understand it won’t stall the door installation.”
Councilman Michael DeFusco said, “We are considering a pop up park for half a million dollars with a water feature and sail [shade structure] but can’t provide doors, a basic necessity?”
Councilman Russo asked: “Is there any downside through trying to fund this in a different way if we fund it this way tonight? In the meantime, we find a secondary funding source and switch it two weeks from now or whenever it may be?”
“It is about optics in a sense,” added Russo. “Let’s show there is no difference between Housing Authority residents and residents on 12th and Hudson. I hear about the back of town frequently and I am sick of it.”
“Let’s all leave our doors unlocked for the next two weeks and live like they do in the Hoboken Housing Authority and see how we like it,” said Ramos.

Luxury vs. necessity

Hoboken resident Cheryl Fallick addressed the council on their behavior.
“That was quite a display,” said Fallick. “I for one want to thank the council president for at least trying to create some sort of a process. I appreciate anybody who wants to think things through and not throw things on a wall and see what sticks.”
“As Councilman Ramos said, there are optics in voting against the Hoboken Housing Authority or veterans,” added Falick. “It’s almost cruel to put it on the agenda before there could be some discussion on this.”
Resident Elizabeth Adams said, “I find it interesting to hear much discoursing and back and forthing and heated debate over finding funding for doors for $360,000 plus $206,000 for the American Legion. There is a lot of debate over the funding source for these doors which have been expressed as a critical and crucial need. But back in the beginning of August, when lots of folks were away on vacation, a resolution passed, unanimously I think, authorizing over $4 million for a second boat house that only a small fraction of the population of this city are going to utilize a few months out of the year.”
She added, “I find it mind blowing.”
Marilyn Baer can be reached at marilynb@hudsonreporter.com.

SIDEBAR

Council approves pop up park design and public discusses Washington Street

The City Council approved an updated design for the pop-up park on land acquired by the city from chemical company BASF in December. Ultimately, the land will be a 6-acre resiliency park and parking garage.
Ideas for the park’s design stemmed from online surveys completed by residents and from a public meeting in January. The project designers, KimleyHorn, changed the design to reflect the concerns and comments made during the public meeting.
In the southwest corner of the temporary park, there will be mural space, a bocce ball court, a seating area, child’s play equipment and surface games such as life-size chess and hopscotch. In the northwest corner will be an open programmable space in which yoga classes or performances could take place.
In the center is a spray feature and shaded community space, including BBQ and picnic tables, storage containers, and a seating area. In the northeast, the park will have mini golf, a bouldering and climbing wall, and above ground community garden plots.
In the southeast the park will have three multi sport courts, a seating area, and additional shade structures. The park will be surrounded by a running path with fitness stations. The park will be encircled by a fence with six gated entrances.
Councilman DeFusco said the park will be in an industrial zone where trucks make frequent deliveries and where a new storage facility is being built. He asked how the designers are addressing safety.
Adam Gibson, the project manager, said they have included a fence surrounding the park and increased the access points to be conducive with existing crosswalks which will help prevent families from trying to cross midblock to get into the park.
Gibson also said the city is looking to see where enhanced crosswalk painting and signs need to be placed.
DeFusco said he is in firm support of the interim use, but asked the city keep an eye on the area as traffic patterns and construction may change and affect the safety of pedestrians.
Councilman Ramos said he was concerned with puddling and lighting in the park.
Gibson said the park has existing drainage and that they can do patching of identified low points to help with drainage. Gibson said light will be on the existing surrounding utility posts and in the interior of the site.
Councilman Cunningham said that with the addition of Trader Joe’s to the neighborhood in May the city should evaluate traffic flow, as it could be an issue.
The temporary park will open in May.

Sidebar 2

Washington Street redesign ongoing

At Wednesday’s council meeting, Hoboken resident Mary Ondrejka said she was concerned with the curb extensions at intersections along Washington Street that will be implemented during the Washington Street Redesign.
“There are supposed to be four curb extensions per intersection right now and I think there should be two,” said Ondrejka, who said she was concerned about traffic backup caused by turning vehicles, buses using the extensions to let out passengers instead of pulling into bus stops, and the ability of fire trucks to make turns.
“My main concern is buses,” said Ondrejka. “I’ve seen curb extensions where buses use them as arrival and departure places.”
Business Administrator Stephen Marks said the four way curb extensions were approved by the council a year ago and would make street crossings safer for pedestrians as they will spend less time in the road.
Councilman Mello said he is concerned about traffic back up caused by turning vehicles. He believes cars won’t be able to maneuver around turning vehicles.
“I can see a scenario in which a car heading north on Washington Street and wants to make a left hand turn, and now there is not enough width for other cars to move around them,” said Mello.
Councilwoman Fisher said she believes the extensions will be the same width as the parallel parked cars and won’t cut into the flow of traffic.
Resident Haney Ahmed said he was “disappointed” the city hadn’t tested the curb extensions to see how it would impact traffic flow.
He said, “I called Observer Highway from the start and we are stuck with it until we admit the failure and undo it. This is the same thing, but on Washington Street, which is worse… If you want to try it out, try it out with cones, and if it is a disaster, better to fix it now then to have to rip it up later.”
“This is our main avenue,” added Ahmed. “You kill this and you kill the city.”