What a year last week was.
Over the past couple of years, more and more community members have reached out to me expressing concerns about safety and the decline in quality of life in Hoboken. Last week’s tragedy at Maxwell Park only heightened these worries. As of this writing, we’re still awaiting an official statement from the HCPO. Mayor Bhalla followed my last newsletter with a stronger worded message stating there’s no public safety concern, and I agree with this assessment based on the conversations I’ve had with investigators over the past few days. The prevailing view is that this was not a homicide, the victim was not a Hoboken resident, and it specifically was not one of the homeless residents we often see in this area. However, out of an abundance of caution, the HCPO is waiting for the autopsy results before confirming.
I have a zillion more updates, and will keep crafting newsletters, but here are a few for today:
- Upcoming November Election
- Power the Polls – Become a Poll Worker
- 13th Street Updates
- “Skip the Stuff” Ordinance Takes Effect 9/1
- New Jersey Housing & Senior Tax Rebate Programs
- NJ Transit – Upcoming Fare Holiday
- Maxwell Dog Park Repairs
-
City Council Meeting – A Huge Agenda (In August)
- Municipal Budget
-
Parking Rate and Rule Changes
- Addressing the Shipyard Lane Sanitation, Noise, and Tax Issue
- 2nd Ward EV charging stations
- Reducing Park Fees for Non Profits - Overriding the Mayor’s Veto
- Upgrading the City’s Technology
UPCOMING NOVEMBER ELECTION
This is a HUGE election for us in November given we have four federal offices on the ballot – Congress, Senate, Vice President and President. Liz Urtecho (who came close to winning the 5th Ward City Council seat last year) and I recently launched “Uniting for Harris-Walz 2024 – Hoboken, to organize events right here to support the Harris Walz campaign in battleground states - primarily Pennsylvania – including phone banking, text banking, doorknocking road trips and post card writing (we already have 5,000 GOTV post cards to send in October!). We set up a Facebook group (already 46 members!) where we will provide updates. You can also email [email protected] where we will be sending updates as well.
We are hosting a Watch Party event Thursday night at 10th & Willow Bar and Grill to see Kamala Harris officially accept the nomination for president. Please join us! This event is for EVERYONE – does not matter your political affiliation – who is excited to bring fresh leadership to the White House.
I know that not everyone reading this will be voting the same way this November. And that is what makes our Democracy strong. I am happy to share events happening for all candidates to participate in between now and Election hosted by Hoboken residents. Irrespective of how you plan to vote, it’s your opportunity and civic duty to do so. A phrase I heard this week: "Why I vote? Because if you are not at the table, you are on the menu."
POWER THE POLLS – BECOME A POLL WORKER
A great way you can contribute to our democracy is becoming a poll worker. Facilitating fair and accessible elections for all who want to vote is the foundation of our democracy. You get to meet so many of your Hoboken neighbors that day and you get paid $300 on Election Day or $21.43/hr for Early Voting Shifts! If you are interested, you can go to Power the Polls to learn more and for a direct link on how to apply.
13TH STREET UPDATES
WATER MAIN UPGRADES
Unfortunately, the construction neighbors are seeing on 13th street is NOT for repaving and milling. But it is for water main replacements between Bloomfield and Park which is a positive. This work should take approximately 6 weeks to complete.
MILLING AND PAVING PROJECT
The full re-do of 13th street from Hudson to Willow is now not scheduled until Spring 2025. I am as frustrated as you with another 8 months of unsafe road surface like many other blocks in the city. I have already advocated for the City to review the surfaces and do what they can to help between now and this spring.
While I fully support an approach that includes upgrading our roads with proper design and improved drainage – all that is necessary, what Hoboken needs is a routine paving program so blocks like 13th Street between Washington and Bloomfield, Madison between 1st and 2nd, Jefferson between 1st and 2nd and many others never fall into such a state of disrepair that they are dangerous.
13th & PARK INTERSECTION
The city will be facilitating a warrant analysis for a north bound stop sign at this intersection this fall. This is a necessary step to get approval from the NJDOT to install a stop sign. In the interim, I am meeting the city’s transportation planner at the intersection this week to discuss ways we can make that intersection safer before this spring, the earliest a stop sign would be installed.
SKIP THE STUFF” ORDINANCE TAKES EFFECT 9/1
Starting September 1st, Hoboken’s “Skip the Stuff” ordinance will officially go into effect. I sponsored this initiative with co-sponsors CP Jen Giattino and CW Emily Jabbour. The ordinance prohibits restaurants from automatically including single-use plastic utensils and condiments in takeout orders unless specifically requested by customers. This simple change will reduce plastic waste, save businesses money, and further Hoboken’s sustainability efforts.
Back in May, after receiving 7-8 packs of plastic utensils with a takeout order, I realized how wasteful this practice could be. I had seen the “Skip the Stuff” initiative circulating on social media, so I reached out to former NBC reporter and Beyond Plastics board member Brian Thompson to explore whether this approach could work for Hoboken. With his help, and by working closely with the city, the Hoboken Business Alliance, and Clean Water Action, we shaped the ordinance to fit our city’s needs and ensure a smooth rollout that benefits our community while advancing our sustainability goals.
NEW JERSEY HOUSING & SENIOR TAX REBATE PROGRAMS
There are two tax rebate programs in New Jersey that benefit most people. Take a look to see if you qualify as deadlines to participate are fast approaching:
- Anchor Tax Program – this program provides a rebate to qualifying NJ renters making less than $150,000 per year and homeowners making less than $250,000 per year. Rebates range between $450 and $1,750. NJ Division of Taxation - ANCHOR Program (scroll to the bottom to learn more and file on line)
- Senior Freeze Program – this allows seniors who are 65 and over who make less than $163,000 per year (just increased from $150,000 to receive annual payments to offset any annual increases in your base year property taxes (the first year you were eligible). For example, if your base year property taxes were $5,000 the first year you qualified, and your taxes go up 8% or $400, you would receive a check from the State of NJ for $400 to offset your tax increase. You must reapply every year to keep your base year.
NJ TRANSIT – UPCOMING FARE HOLIDAY
Governor Murphy announced last week that NJ Transit will offer free service on all their modes of transportation (bus, train etc.) from August 26th to September 2nd. So if I do the math correctly, in exchange for the 15% increase in fares just passed, riders will get one week free which equates to an ~2% annual savings for those who will be riding during a low ridership week. #everylittlebitcounts
MAXWELL DOG PARK REPAIRS
You asked, we delivered. Last week the city sent Mola Ironworks to repair the broken gate and the dog poop station that had snapped at the base and created a dangerous situation. Thanks to everyone who reached out on this. Another great example of the partnering for progress and #MoreVoicesAreAlwaysBetter
CITY COUNCIL MEETING – A BIG AGENDA (IN AUGUST)
The agenda is pretty full for the upcoming City Council meeting that begins at 7pm on Wednesday, August 21st. With at least one controversial law change slipped in by the administration while no one is around about Parking fees and changes (of course). I hope you can join, or at least watch online at the city’s Facebook Page or YouTube channel. Here are a few notable ones:
MUNICIPAL BUDGET
We still have not approved the 2024 annual budget. There is a placeholder on the agenda to consider an amendment and budget, but no materials yet have been provided. The last City Council amendment that CM Ramos and I sponsored to reduce the tax increase to just 2.9% passed 5-4 on July 24. But the vote on the budget itself with this amendment failed. We seem to be at an impasse and are funding the city through temporary appropriations.
PARKING RATE & RULE CHANGES
This proposed ordinance impacts everyone. If the budget is not passed, the introduction of this ordinance will be carried to a future date.
- Ending Free Sundays in “business areas” clearly (not) defined as “areas of the city that have or are in close proximity to, a high concentration of retail or commercial uses on the ground floor”. I am advocating to either amend this to be very clear on what areas this relates to, or remove this altogether before we vote. If it stays in, I will vote against the rest of the ordinance.
- Most monthly garage and lot rates to be raised $6-9/month for all users (resident and business), and automatic CPI increases going forward.
- Visitor passes are being increased from $4 to $6 for 4 hrs, and from $6/day to $9/day for 24 hours.
- New: Parking permits for those who live here, but their car is not registered here. You can get a street parking permit for $700 / year (previously not allowed at all).
ADDRESSING THE SHIPYARD LANE SANITATION, NOISE, AND TAX ISSUE
Currently, the City allows Shipyard to receive three extra days of free trash removal because the property owner claims all waste must be collected from one location across its 8-building campus. This results in nightly pickups between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., creating significant noise for residents on Shipyard Lane, where sound reverberates like a canyon. Shipyard is willing to switch to private hauling for the three extra days, at earlier hours, benefiting everyone. So why hasn’t this been resolved? That’s unclear, but my resolution aims to bring the needed focus to end this unnecessary expense for taxpayers and let my neighbors finally get some rest.
2ND WARD EV CHARGING STATIONS
Yay! Working with our HPU team for the past year or so, and after a lot of consideration about locations that could work in the 2nd Ward, we finally landed a place for two Volta direct-current, fast charging stations. There is an ordinance on the agenda for first reading that I am sponsoring (as chair of the parking committee, CW Jabbour is my co-sponsor) location will be the west side of Washington, between 14th and 15th, adjacent to what is currently the available store next to Cork. I don’t have specific timing, but this ordinance is a critical first step!
REDUCING PARK FEES FOR NON PROFITS - OVERRIDING THE MAYOR’S VETO.. On July 10th, we passed an ordinance that would reduce fees paid by non-profits to use city park space. The ordinance passed 5-4.
Mayor Bhalla then vetoed the ordinance, expressing concerns about its application to Stevens and Hoboken University Medical Center, both which provide free services to Hoboken residents. We have put an override resolution on the agenda, hoping that just one Team Bhalla council member will put community over politics and give us the 6th vote needed to override the mayor. Feel free to email CW Jabbour, CM Cohen, CM Quintero and CM Doyle to encourage them to support this measure.
UPGRADING THE CITY’S TECHNOLOGY.
This is LONG overdue and will provide better service and access to information for residents on things like 311 logs, OPRA requests, and permits. Additionally it will be a better tool for all employees to more effectively manage the business of the city. This is the link to the Tyler Technologies resolution who are best in their field and serve many agencies across New Jersey at the local, county and state level.
As elected officials, our priority is to ensure that our community is both safe and feels safe—two concepts that are related but not always mutually inclusive. Even though the Maxwell Park tragedy likely doesn’t pose a public safety risk, it understandably left many feeling less secure. I’ve long believed that Hoboken needs to build a comprehensive culture of safety, which we currently do not have. One that extends beyond pedestrian and street safety to include public health, communication, and enforcement and one that has all members of our community embracing and doing their part. We’ve made baby step improvements, but there’s still much more to do, and I’m committed to keep working on it.
I still have other updates to share as well including a July 4th de-brief and survey results but those will be in a future newsletter. As always, please share this with everyone you know who may be interested and reach out any time on any issue important to you: 201-208-1764 or [email protected].
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