North Bergen’s reapplication to the Urban Enterprise Zone Authority for funding paid off after they were awarded $1.07 million, but the township may still consider legal action.
The town was forced to resubmit their application to the Urban Enterprise Zone Authority last month for funding for the police and department of public works employees who patrol the business district. This application was $650,000 less than their previous application.
UEZ’s were urban business districts empowered to collect only 3.5 percent in sales taxes. Those funds were returned by the state to municipalities for beautification projects and salaries for government workers. However, Gov. Christopher Christie’s administration froze the payments to the municipalities earlier this year in response to the state budget deficit.
“I’m very happy we were approved and we should have been approved because it was a no brainer.” – Nicholas Sacco
________
“You can tell from the tone of the agenda that they are starting to get away from [funding] personnel, budget, police, clean sweep, all of the stuff I have a hard time with,” said Pianese.
Pianese said that after North Bergen’s new mall opened on Tonnelle Avenue, the authority required the township to fund more of the police salaries by 45 percent, rather than a 20 percent contribution.
They also forced the township to eliminate three DPW positions, leaving seven jobs remaining. The town also had to put up a 20 percent match, while previously it was 100 percent funded by the UEZ.
Pianese said that the only recourse for the town would be to take legal action, which they were considering, because these policy changes are not supported in the current legislation.
“I’m very happy we were approved and we should have been approved because it was a no brainer, the law allows us to use money in that manner,” said Sacco. “However, I’m concerned we don’t have our own [UEZ] money set aside…it is mixed in with everyone else’s money. It may not be fair in the long run.”
Pianese said he will now have to bridge the funding gap for police and DPW in the municipal budget and is worried about what this may mean for the future.
Resident: car flooded due to municipal work
Lydia Shaw, 44, of North Bergen complained to the commissioners that her car flooded after sewerage didn’t properly subside, causing water to flooded her car Tuesday night.
She said that the township has had sewer work underway in the area for the past two and a half months, and while she hasn’t complained because she realized it was necessary, she believed her car was flooded because it was not being done properly.
After drying out her car, she said her seat belts seized and now do not work.
Chief William Galvin said that he would obtain a police report, while Pianese said that he would look into the matter since it appeared to be “related” with work underway.
Charge for PODS
The commissioners introduced an ordinance that would require residents using PODS, a portable container often used for storage during construction, to pay a $25 per day charge to place them on township streets.
If they do not pay the fee, they could face a $100 penalty each day.
Pianese said that he has seen a lot of PODS lately and that because they take up parking spaces something had to be done. Because they are smaller than dumpsters, they didn’t fit under any current ordinances.
Repaving on 61st Street
Because two other township sewer projects cost less than expected, the balance of two Community Development Block Grants, some $239,868, will be spent on repaving 61st Street from Kennedy Boulevard to Liberty Avenue.
Surveillance hiring to start soon
An ordinance that will allow the township to hire surveillance camera workers for their new CCTV system at an hourly rate from $10 to $15 was approved. Pianese said that over 50 prospective hires had been interviewed thus far and that they hoped to be operational by mid-November.
Tricia Tirella may be reached at TriciaT@hudsonreporter.com.