Republican Frances Jodice was named by state Department of Community Affair to replace Frank MacCormack, Sr. on the Secaucus Housing Authority (SHA) at the board’s March 22 meeting. The SHA oversees the town’s three federally-subsidized senior citizen housing complexes.
Jodice, an employee for a data processing company, said she was born and raised in Secaucus, and said she had received an invitation to serve via a letter.
“I received the material in the mail and I said yes,” she said last week.
Jodice has not previously served on any board.
MacCormack, also a Republican, believed the move had political overtones, noting that his appointment in 1995 had come under Gov. Christine Whitman’s administration, while Jodice was appointed by Acting Governor Donald DiFrancesco. “I am an avid support of Bret Schundler for Governor,” MacCormack said. “I think that played a part in the decision to replace me.”
Schundler, currently mayor of Jersey City, is challenging DiFrancesco for governor in the Republican primary in June. MacCormack’s term had expired last August, but had been held over until the change was made on March 22.
“My request for renewal went to Whitman, then she went on to Washington (D.C.),” MacCormack said, making reference to Whitman’s appointment to head the federal Environmental Protection Agency earlier this year. “This is strictly politics. I’m supporting Bret Schundler, and when DiFrancesco came to office, he must have seen some of the appointments and didn’t reappoint me.”
Pleased with his record
MacCormack, despite his sudden departure, had very positive things to say about the people he worked with over the last six years.
“I enjoyed working on the board,” he said. “I didn’t always agree with everyone on every issue, but I think the Housing Authority people are extremely fortunate in having the type of facilities they have, and to have an extremely intelligent director, William Snyder. The positive things that are happening are due to his ability and the funds coming from federal government.”
MacCormack said he is particularly proud of the part he played in helping to maintain and increase the high quality of care to residents in the town’s three senior buildings.
During his term in office, MacCormack said he and the board made significant capital improvements to three buildings that including waterproofing of Impreveduto Towers (an issue that has plagued the building since its construction in the 1980s), installation of new carpeting, automatic doors and elevators, and refurbishing of apartments. He said while he was a board member, the housing authority added new services that included physical therapy and on-site medical services. The board also increased security for the buildings.
Other business
In routine business, the SHA awarded its professional service contract for routine services for the year. The following companies got contracts: William B. O’Neill of Huntington Valley, Pa. for $5,995 for auditing services; Burkes and Macowitz of Hoboken, $15,000 for legal services; and Nick Costantino of Secaucus, $19,200 for accounting. The board also award a $44,451 contract for security service to Explorer Investigation Services of New York City.
The board also approved a medical service contract to Center for Hope Hospice in Linden to bring to the authority nursing and home-making services. The nurse will spend three days a week five hours a day for a yearly fee of $23,500.
The board also moved to approve its yearly budget. This year, the board showed $3,325,660 in expenditures and $3,342,556 in revenues to cover its expenses.