City wants to buy land for park

Also at meeting, commissioners honor Anne Frank, karate kids

At Tuesday night’s Union City Board of Commissioners meeting, the commissioners approved the town’s application to the state for a Green Acres grant of $930,000 to purchase properties on Kerrigan Avenue, between 16th and 17th Streets.

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A public hearing on the budget will be held on Friday, May 15 at 6 p.m. in the Municipal Court Chambers.
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“We are possibly looking at making another field at that location, having some free, open space in the city, or possibly another park,” said Mayor Brian Stack. “If … we don’t secure the Green Acres funding, we’re also looking at trying to do affordable housing or a senior building at that location, but our primary focus right now is open space.”

Hearing coming up on $97M budget

Also at the meeting, Stack said that taxes will not increase as a result of the recently introduced $97 million town budget. The budget was amended and voted on at a previous meeting on Thursday, April 16.
A public hearing on the budget will be held on Friday, May 15 at 6 p.m. in the Municipal Court Chambers, and then the council can vote on its final approval.
The budget covers spending from last July through this coming June.

Holocaust remembrance

Anne Frank was named an honorary citizen of Union City at the meeting, in commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day, which was April 21.
Anne Frank was a Jewish girl who lived most of her life in the Netherlands until the Nazis captured her family and forced them into concentration camps. While her family had been in hiding during the German occupation, she kept a diary. It brought her international fame after her death.
At the meeting, Commissioner Lucio Fernandez read a short biography of Frank, and Union City historian Gerard Karabin accepted the proclamation.

Medal winners honored

Also at the meeting, the commissioners gave proclamations to the 11 young martial artists of the Union City Karate Recreation Program who brought home 18 gold, 11 silver, and nine bronze medals from the New Jersey State Amateur Athletic Union Karate Championships last month.
“We are extremely proud of the kids,” said Commissioner Christopher Irizarry. “They went into competition and did very well this year, their first year. [Coach] Sergio [Dato] has really taken a program that never even existed and made it one of our best programs in the Recreation Department.”
Stack said that the town is looking to expand the program.

Bids announced for new sidewalks

Town officials also passed a resolution to begin accepting bids for new sidewalks on 36th Street.
“The commissioners and I felt that that was important,” said Stack. “United Water will be repaving that street due to about five water main breaks on that block, and the City of Union City thought it would be a good idea to help the residents out, that we would put new sidewalks in on the block.”

Town joins recovery plan

The commissioners also approved the town’s participation in the county’s demolition debris recovery plan. The new law requires applicants for building and demolition permits to submit a plan outlining how they will recycle at least 50 percent of the waste generated by their projects. Plans must be approved by the town recycling coordinator and construction official before construction or demolition can begin.
The commissioners also passed an ordinance increasing the fee for companies that hire Union City police officers for traffic or security duties. The fee is now $60 per hour, increased from $50 per hour. Police Chief Charles Everett said that a portion of that fee goes to the local police union and the town.
Amanda Staab can be reached at astaab@hudsonreporter.com.

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