With teary eyes, Terry LaBruno and Ruben Ramos Jr. bade farewell to their seven City Council colleagues on Wednesday. They won’t be sitting at the dais anymore, but both vowed to stay active in the community. Ramos will continue to serve the city as state Assemblyman and LaBruno said she would follow the lead of her uncle, former Mayor Steve Cappiello, lobbying from the other side on the railing.
Numerous congratulations were also bestowed upon Councilman and now Mayor-Elect Peter Cammarano, as well as his opponent in the mayoral election, 4th Ward Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer, who some say is likely to become the new council president when new members are sworn in on July 1.
LaBruno joked at one point, “I think the lovefest has lasted long enough. We’ll be fighting soon.”
Starting a new chapter
The council reorganization meeting will be held at noon on Wednesday, July 1, but has been moved from City Hall to Stevens Institute’s DeBaun Auditorium, on Fifth Street between Hudson and River streets.
Wednesday night, outgoing Mayor David Roberts gave proclamations to LaBruno, Ramos, Cammarano, and Council President Angelo “Nino” Giacchi for their service.
He told the crowd that since the onset of televised council meetings, the government leaders have become recognizable “stars” around town. Roberts said senior citizens especially like to watch the televised council meeting.
He passed along a story from local developer Frank Raia’s annual birthday bash on the waterfront. “One of the seniors stands and goes, ‘Look, there’s Kleinman! Steve Kleinman, there he is,’ ” Roberts said to laughter, as he pointed out the city attorney in the room.
Of Cammarano, Roberts said he is the right person to be leading the city at this time.
“It’s a young city…Hoboken has a mayor who’s more their age,” Roberts conceded. “Hoboken’s finest days are yet before us.”
At 31, Cammarano, an attorney, is officially the youngest mayor in the history of Hoboken.
Police matters
The council pulled some important resolutions from the agenda, including a measure for extra police protection in the projects and a plan to bring in Newark police assistance for the upcoming Fourth of July celebration.
The Hoboken Housing Authority hired off-duty police last year to provide extensive patrols for the 1,373 units they maintain, and the council considered renewing the deal.
But since 16 police officers are slated to be laid off on July 20, some wondered if the $540,000 contract could be better spent.
Ramos said instead of paying overtime to police to patrol the projects, they should apply the contract to keeping the police officers off the layoff list.
Housing Authority board member Perry Belfiore was at the meeting and agreed with Ramos. “Why pay someone overtime when someone [else] is losing their job?” he asked.
Councilman Michael Russo, who also sits on the Housing Authority board, agreed but asked the council to move quickly to resolve the issue, lest the Housing Authority residents be left without the extra public safety protection.
A measure to bring in Newark police officers, equipment, and a horse brigade for the July 4 Macy’s fireworks event was also removed from the agenda. The fireworks ceremony will be held over the Hudson River, rather than the usual spot on the East River, and it is believed that many people will line the Hudson County waterfront.
Council members said that since 16 police layoffs were delayed by Cammarano until after the event, the back-up plan was no longer necessary.
“Everybody is going to be working on July 4,” Cammarano said, noting that the event is at the “forefront of the government agenda” as he takes office.
“The sheer volume of people is daunting,” he said.
Municipal garage update
After a long and convoluted process to sell the Public Works Garage on Observer Highway, the council finally approved the sale to the S. Hekemian Group last year. Unfortunately, the city didn’t yet have an alternative site for the garage, and has been paying roughly $100,000 per month in debt service on the building.
On Wednesday, the council was asked to approve a 50 percent increase for an engineering team that is working to remediate the site before it finally changes hands.
The contract was originally for $65,000, but council approval last week increased it to $98,000. Only 2nd Ward Councilwoman Beth Mason voted against the increase.
Kleinman said the engineering firm has encountered an unforeseen increase in their workload, but gave minimal details.
John Pope, director of Health and Human Services, said the city has a temporary site identified at Sixth and Jackson streets and a list of six potential permanent sites.
The six-site list will most likely be reduced to two or three before a more in-depth analysis for acquisition of a site is concluded, Pope said.
The city is negotiating the lease agreement of the temporary site at this time, he said.
First Ward Councilwoman Theresa Castellano called it “one of the worst debacles of this administration.”
Memories
LaBruno was lauded, even by detractors, for her loyalty and her passion while on the council, and her “fierce” advocacy of public safety, as Roberts put it.
“She fought for what she believed was right,” he said.
Ramos recounted his first election to the council at only 25 years old, and his ensuing battle with Hodgkin’s disease.
“It gave me perspective not to forget who I was and where I came from,” he said. “This town has made me who I am.”
Then he joked to his wife in attendance, “Wednesday nights are free now, babe.”
Cammarano is also leaving the council, but not the building. He said he has been carrying around a poem since he was 14 years old, which has meant different things at different times to him.
He indulged the crowd for a reading of Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken,” adding to the end, “That road has now come to an end.”
Timothy J. Carroll may be reached at tcarroll@hudsonreporter.com.
Other items
In other council news:
• The Clearview Cinema movie theatre being constructed on 14th Street between Grand and Adams streets will be completed in August, according to the city.
• The council received a corrective action plan that outlines the steps being taken by the administration to correct the many negative findings in the city audit last year.
• A contractor was selected for roughly $40,000 in road repairs across the city at the meeting as well, as part of the Roadway Improvement Project.