Carmelo Garcia is the first Hispanic director of Hoboken’s Department of Human Services, and also the youngest. In his initial 100 days in office, he has had to develop a new and determined agenda for the branch of municipal government that oversees health services, cultural affairs, senior citizen issues, tenant/landlord advocacy and recreation.
Before the administration of David Roberts took over on July 1, the Human Services department also handled property development issues. However, a new position was created to deal with those issues, and it’s under the guidance of former county planner Fred Bado.
Garcia, 26, a graduate of Seton Hall University and lifelong Hoboken resident, earns $70,000 per year in the job. He comes to the job Hoboken with experience as a licensed professional mortgage banker who has worked for both PNC Bank and Countrywide Lenders.
Garcia was also one of the founders of the Team 4 Civic Association, a charitable organization that provides mentoring and activities in the Hoboken Housing Authority. Team 4 Civic Association has assisted the Housing Authority with job placement services and has participated in Toy for Tots drives, and has taken neighborhood kids on field trips to events such as the Newark Bears’ minor league baseball games.
Garcia has been president of the Puerto Rican Cultural Committee since 1997, which for the past five years has given four $1,000 scholarships per year to Hoboken high school seniors and helps to organize an annual cultural festival. He is also the treasurer of Hopes Head Start, a program geared to gives children of low-income families pre-kindergarten educational options.
The only municipal experience that Garcia has was a stint as a clerk at the Hoboken municipal court from 1995-1997. But on a countywide political level, Garcia served as the chief of staff for County Freeholder Maurice Fitzgibbons in 1997, receiving a small stipend. He helped supervise nine legislative aides and coordinated minority outreach.
The human services agenda
In his first 100 days in office, Garcia has taken the opportunity to analyze the condition of the department and determine the best course of action for the future.
"When I came in here, I made an assessment of each division," Garcia said. "I wanted to learn where they are and where I want them to be. Then, as you would in a corporation, I wanted to create an action plan detailing exactly how were can get there. Our goal is to provide the public with professional and efficient services."
In the division of health services, Garcia’s first order of action was to begin a public safety and health code compliance campaign. "We feel that it is imperative that for the safety of everyone in our community that we enforce the health codes that we have on the books," he said. "[These codes] have not been fully enforced in the past but we will make every effort to make sure violations in the future will not be tolerated."
For example, the department of Human Services put out a notice to all construction sites and construction managers outlining the minimum requirements for sanitation, safety and pest control. Some of the requirements that will be enforced by city Health Officer Frank Sasso include temporary fencing at a minimum of six feet around all construction sites.
Every site must be baited for pest control. All standing water on the sites should be removed within a reasonable time. All holes or openings in the wall and floors should be effectively sealed against the entrance of rodents. All weeds and grass over six inches high shall be removed. The campaign to enforce and start ticketing for violations began on August 20.
When it comes to senior citizens, Garcia said that he has many innovative ideas.
"Immediately, we lobbied to get a new vehicle for transporting seniors to medical facilities for appointments," Garcia said. The bus is free for all seniors, and any interested senior may call 420-5614 for more information.
Garcia added the he was successful in acquiring one of the cars that one the directors of the previous administration used to drive around. The car will now be used to transport senior citizens.
Garcia also has created a calendar of events that is available of all of the city’s seniors. Some of the programs offered on the monthly calendar are "Internet for seniors" at the public library, art programs, bingo, and movies at Hudson Street cinemas.
The division of senior citizens is also continuing the Shop-Rite senior shuttle started during the previous administration, which runs Tuesdays and Fridays, and it is adding a Newport Mall service on Saturday. That shuttle is free for seniors.
In the Department of Cultural Affairs, run by Geri Fallo, Garcia said the city plans to continue the very successful Spring and Fall Art and Music Festivals while looking to expand the city’s Art in the Park program for kids and holding a spring children’s festival as early as next year. "When it come to cultural affairs, we really want to focus on families," he said. "Nothing is more important to a community than its families, and we want to invite families to participate in city activities as mush as possible."
In the division of recreation, in addition to already providing Police Athletic League Football and youth soccer, the city will now provide bowling and table tennis and will co-sponsor the Hoboken Chess club.
Dealing with Tragedy
Less than a 100 days into his new job, Garcia was faced with the biggest crisis in Hoboken’s history. The Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center and the aftermath brought formidable tasks to the Human Services director that none before him had had to deal with.
"The challenges since Sept. 11 have been immense," Garcia said last week. "Our response was really on two levels. The first was to work with coordinator of emergency management to provide immediate relief, and to maintain control and furnish health and transportation services. But there is more to it. The healing process will go on well into the future, and we realize that we must do our part in dealing with it."
The immediate response of the Department of Human Services was to coordinate with the Hoboken Board of Education and the city to establish and staff emergency shelter sites at the Wallace School, Hoboken High School and the multi-service center. Garcia supervised in the purchase of supplies such as toiletries, bath towels and pillows for the shelters.
Then there was the assignment of staff and volunteers to various sites throughout the city to perform emergency management functions, as directed by the city’s OEM coordinator Lt. James Fitzsimmons.
During the first day of the emergency, Garcia and the employees of the Human Services department were used in a support role for the OEM. As subsequent days have passed, the human services director took the helm of coordinating long-term recovery and counseling efforts.
Garcia has had to help develop and disseminate informational flyers providing details of available transportation, shelters, and emergency contact numbers. He also had to help solicit local restaurants for food to feed stranded PATH passengers as well as emergency staff.
The long-term plan is to balance efforts between providing counseling and setting up fundraising functions.
The counseling efforts have included group and family counseling sessions at St. Mary’s Community Mental Health Center. Also, in association with the Department of Human Services, local psychotherapists Judith Adkins and Jane Kober have given free counseling since the attacks.
On the fundraising side, the city was scheduled to hold a gate sale on Saturday and has worked with several local restaurants and bars to set up fundraising events to benefit the local Red Cross.
"In times of crisis, people are going to look to the city for leadership," Garcia said. "That’s why we have worked hard to put together a long-term plan that will provide for the needs of all those affected by tragedy."
Two sides
Critics of Garcia and of the Roberts administration say that because of Garcia’s relative lack of government experience, he is not qualified for the new $70,000 per year position. But Garcia said that the relishes the challenge. He said he can bring an energy and vitality that the position lacked before.
"Nothing great has ever been achieved without enthusiasm, and that’s what I bring to the table," said Garcia. "As a young professional, I have always had the will and drive to succeed. That’s why the mayor trusted that I would be the best person for the job. The mayor has demonstrated great leadership as the CEO of this government."
Other critics charge that Garcia’s hiring was an effort by Mayor David Roberts’ administration to appease local developer Joe Barry, who supported Roberts’ candidates on election day. Garcia is the president of the Tenants Association for Barry’s Applied Companies, an association that was formed last year in response to a lawsuit filed by outside tenant groups against Applied, so Garcia has helped Barry fight the suit. Garcia denied that Barry’s influence was why he was hired.
"These folks are crying over spilled milk because they have not been catered to by this administration," said Garcia about the naysayers. "[In this administration] there is no room for quid pro quo or those types of negotiations."
While Garcia said he did not get his job because of Barry, he was emphatic in his support of the Applied Companies and Barry. "[The Applied Companies] has preserved a generation of minority low and moderate-income homes," he said. "As a tenant advocate, my role was to represent those thousands of families that feared losing their subsidized homes in the near future. You can’t contest Mr. Barry’s commitment to low and moderate housing."
Garcia is confident that he is going to prove the naysayers wrong and will effectively serve the residents of Hoboken.
"While I realize that I’m young," he said, "I’m going to bring energy and dedication to this position. I promise that whatever challenge presents itself, we will find a solution that not only is professional but innovative."