An ordinance requiring criminal history and background checks on current and future employees for Union City’s Recreation Department and for the city’s boards was introduced at the regularly scheduled Union City Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday.
The city has been fingerprinting volunteers for the soccer program for more than a year.
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Commissioner Christopher Irizarry said that the city has been fingerprinting volunteers for the soccer program for more than a year.
“We just started to implement [the new policy] throughout, unofficially, all of our recreational programs just so we safeguard the kids,” he said.
The ordinance will be up for final vote at the next Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, April 7 at Hudson School, at 167 19th St., at 7 p.m.
Other items at meeting
Also at the meeting, the commissioners passed an ordinance prohibiting autobody shops from operating between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. every day of the week. The law was created in response to residents’ complaints about excessive noise.
An ordinance changing the ownership of the Union City High School property from the city to the Board of Education was also adopted at the meeting.
“We are just transferring the parcel of land that belonged to the city over to the Board of Education for the high school because the high school belongs to the Board of Education and not the city. [Previously], that block of property belonged to the city,” said Irizarry.
An ordinance supporting the city’s participation in the county’s demolition debris recovery plan was tabled for further review with the Hudson County Improvement Authority.
“It requires all applicants for building or demolition permits to submit a plan to the city as to how they are going to recycle 50 percent of the demolition debris,” said Corporation Counsel Christine Vanek when the ordinance was introduced at the last meeting.
Plans must be approved by the Union City construction official and recycling coordinator before any project can begin.
New bus shelters
A resolution authorizing the construction of two new bus shelters, one at 28th Street and Kennedy Boulevard and another at 18th Street and Summit Avenue, was also approved at the meeting.
The commissioners also passed a resolution awarding a contract for the installation of a new roof at 420 15th St. The site is a former library that the city would like to turn into a cultural center and Union City historical museum. The contract for the roof and related repairs went to Gen II Contracting Company, which submitted a $96,630 bid for the project.
“I know we are doing this building in phases with limited money, not taxpayer money,” said Stack. “We are trying to get as much grants and funding as we can.”
The commissioners also approved resolutions authorizing applications for Park and Recreation Improvement Grants from the Hudson County Open Space Trust Fund, asking for $500,000 to expand Doric Park and $564,580 to build a new amphitheater at 3815 Park Ave.
In addition, city officials passed a resolution to apply for a $256,784 county grant to repair the lobby and staircase in Town Hall.
Amanda Staab can be reached at astaab@hudsonreporter.com.