Union City Commissioners voted a few weeks ago to implement a new emergency management system, following the recommendations of the national 9-11 Commission.
At the Oct. 2 meeting, the Board of Commissioners passed a resolution mandating that the National Incident Management System (NIMS) be used by all incident management agencies in the city.
The NIMS was developed by the Department of Homeland Security in order to provide a consistent nationwide approach for federal, state, and local governments to work together more effectively and efficiently to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size, or complexity.
The system, which will run through state and federal funding, will set standard guidelines for federal, state and local incident management organizations to follow, which include standard terminology, organizational structures, uniform personnel qualification standards, uniform standards for planning, training and exercising, and designated facilities during emergencies or disasters.
Final adoption
The board also passed final adoption for a liquor ordinance regarding the hours of sale in Union City at its bimonthly meeting. The ordinance was a hot topic before the board last month.
An initial typo in the ordinance suggested the hours of sale would be pushed to 3 a.m. instead of the original 2 a.m. time limit, and this had several members of the community concerned.
However, at the Sept.4 meeting, a revised version of the ordinance was presented, that stated establishments cannot sell liquor between the hours of 2 and 7 a.m.
According Christine Vanik, attorney for the Union City Board of Commissioners, the only change made to the liquor ordinance was that bottles had to be cleared off the tables by 2 a.m.
“The only thing that was changed was to require that containers having alcoholic beverages be off the table and cleared by 2 a.m., and that last call be at 1:30 a.m.,” said Vanik, last month. “The whole point is to have every thing closed up by 2 a.m. as far as alcoholic beverages are concerned.”
Also at the Oct. 2 meeting, the board passed an ordinance implementing a no-parking regulation around the new early childhood center on the north side of 22nd St., extending 500 feet from Kennedy Boulevard, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., while school is in session.
The board also passed an ordinance prohibiting parking (except for police vehicles) on both sides of 38th Street from Palisade to New York Avenues, which houses City Hall and the uptown police station.
Ordinances for parking and traffic regulations
Other ordinances approved by the board for final adoption included a bus/commuter vehicle stop along the west side of Park Avenue, from the northwest corner of 43rd Street in a northwest direction extending 100 feet.
The board also implemented a traffic regulation banning right hand turns on red at all times at the following intersections: the southwest and southeast corners of 49 Street and Bergenline Avenue, the northeast and southeast corners of 48th Street and Bergenline Avenue, the northwest corner of 45th Street and Bergenline Avenue, the northwest and southwest corners of 43rd Street and Bergenline Avenue, the southwest corner of 40th Street and Bergenline Avenue, the northwest corner of 39th Street and Bergenline Avenue, the southwest corner of 38th Street and Bergenline Avenue, the northwest corner of 37th Street and Bergenline Avenue, and the northwest corner of 32nd Street and Bergenline Avenue.
There was also a separate ordinance implementing the same traffic regulation at the southeast corners of 22nd Street and Kennedy Boulevard, 24th Street and Kennedy Boulevard, and 22nd Street and Kerrigan Avenue.
The board also adopted an ordinance to install two stop signs on the corner of Central Avenue and 7th Street; one facing north, and the other facing south.
Pending final approval
Ordinances for introduction, which will be read for adoption at the next commissioners meeting, include an ordinance amending the fee for issuances of taxi cab licenses. This was done in response to the increased need of taxi cab licenses. The fee, which earlier did not exceed $100, will now be a maximum fee of $125.
An ordinance to install a stop sign at the corner of 44th Street and New York Avenue facing north was also introduced.
Consent agenda
There were 48 items passed on the regular consent agenda, which included regular city expenses such as payroll and concurring claims for each department. Some of the claims included floral arrangements and food for city events.
In the consent agenda, the board also passed items including the approval of new loading zones, and the rejection of bids for the Central Avenue streetscape project, as well as a rejection of bids for holiday decorations.
There were also further emergency appropriations made for the temporary 2008 municipal budget in the amount of $371,053, which will cover additional expenses such the celebration of public events, recreation, and other police department expenses in the city departments of Public Affairs, Public Safety and Parks and Public Property. The total also included $47,053 to cover expenses for the Justice Assistance Program under the public and private programs offset by revenues.
The official budget will be introduced later this fall.
The board also awarded several contracts for architectural, engineering, accounting and planning and consultant services, including $31,403.70 to Stan’s Sport Center for football equipment, supplies and trophies for 2007. The center was also awarded $10,475.70 for wrestling equipment, supplies and trophies for 2007/2008. To comment on this story, e-mail Jessica Rosero a jrosero@hudsonreporter.com