A strange mood prevailed over the City Council’s first meeting since the May 10 municipal elections, and it had nothing to do with the results.
The City Council immediately entered an executive session on Wednesday evening stemming from “personnel matters” and “potential litigation,” according to Corporation Counsel Mark Tabakin.
Earlier in the week, the third floor Information Technology office was padlocked, and sources in the city’s political realm said that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had visited City Hall.
First Assistant Corporation Counsel Melissa Longo said on Thursday morning that outside agencies are engaged in a criminal investigation into some aspect of Hoboken city government. Longo would not comment on any specific details, and would not comment when asked if the IT department is involved in the investigation.
The regular videographers were not present at Wednesday night’s council meeting, but a city official said, when asked on Thursday, that they are still employees of the city. The city would not comment about whether they are suspended, citing it as a “personnel matter.”
Longo also said the outside investigation is not related to City Council President Beth Mason’s call for the release of emails sent and received by City Communications Director Juan Melli and Mayor Dawn Zimmer’s Confidential Aide Dan Bryan to bloggers and the local press. Mason had sponsored a resolution asking to see all of those e-mails, an attempt to find out whether Mayor Dawn Zimmer’s aides were politicking on city time. Longo called another website’s speculation that the issues were related “false and irresponsible.”
City almost shuts down
Also at the meeting, the council voted 7-1 to pass $14.3 million in temporary budget appropriations, with Mason voting no. Councilwoman Theresa Castellano was absent. The council had introduced Zimmer’s proposed $101 million budget in early April, but the council has yet to amend and pass it. The main issue in contention, according to many sources, is how much of a surplus should be left in the budget.
Zimmer’s supporters proposed keeping a 5 percent cash surplus to increase the city’s bond rating, while Mason has campaigned on and advocated returning the surplus to the taxpayers.
Since the budget has not been approved, the council has to pass temporary appropriations. But Mason didn’t want to do so.
“We should not approve this [resolution] until we have a budget discussion,” Mason said.
Business Administrator Arch Liston said that if the council did not approve the budget appropriations, “Some of the city’s operations would cease to exist.”
The appropriations will carry the city financially through July.
“If you don’t pass it you’re essentially shutting down the city,” Tabakin said.
The council members entered a heated discussion about passing the budget, but Councilman Nino Giacchi, who leaves office after June, said the council should let “cooler heads prevail” and discuss the issue at the next Revenue and Finance Committee meeting on Wednesday.
Asking for e-mails
Mason’s resolution asking two of Zimmer’s aides to release their emails to media outlets and bloggers was carried to the next meeting by Mason.
Mason has said the intent of the resolution is to see if city time and taxpayer money is being spent to promote a political purpose. Mason, as well as other critics of Zimmer, believes the city website has been used for political purposes, including the posting of a letter from Zimmer criticizing Councilman Michael Russo after tapes were released of his 2009 lunch with FBI informant Solomon Dwek.
Opponents of Mason have called her measure a “fishing expedition.”
Mason originally called for all e-mails to and from Bryan and Melli to be made public, but Tabakin said that could cost the city $200,000. Mason amended the resolution to include e-mails to and from 12 people, including local reporters, bloggers, and campaign officials. The Reporter’s Hoboken beat reporter, editor, and political columnist are among those included.
Roman Brice, a pro-Zimmer blogger who often takes aim at Mason, is one person listed on the resolution.
He asked at the meeting that Mason reveal emails between her and a local website that is often anti-Zimmer, accusing the council president of leaking information about a recent police settlement to that site. The information was only made available to council members.
Mason said after the meeting that she did not leak the information.
The settlement between five Hispanic police officers involved in a discrimination suit was also approved unanimously by the council. The case was settled in January, but the settlement needed to be approved by the council. The lawsuit stemmed from the infamous SWAT team trip to New Orleans in 2008. The leaked information on a local website said the settlement was for $2 million to be split among the five officers, but city officials have been quiet on the details.
Hoboken Housing Authority member re-appointed
Robert Davis III, a member of the Hoboken Housing Authority, was re-appointed unanimously by the council to a five-year term.
The HHA board is made up of seven residents. Five members are designated by the City Council, one is appointed by the governor, and another is chosen by the mayor. Davis is a council appointee.
Davis thanked the council for his reappointment after Councilman Tim Occhipinti, Councilman David Mello, and Councilman Michael Russo all spoke in favor of the job Davis has done on the Authority’s board.
Russo is also a member of the HHA board.
Contract for Liberty Humane Society approved
The Liberty Humane Society of Jersey City will continue to be the city’s provider of animal control services after the council voted unanimously to approve a one-year, $65,000 contract.
Health and Human Services Director Leo Pellegrini said at the meeting that the new contract will save the city approximately $30,000, compared to the previous $96,000 contracts the city had entered into with the same vendor.
Resident Scott Siegel spoke out in favor of working with the Humane Society, saying he adopted his late cat, Raleigh, from the Jersey City based shelter.
Pellegrini also noted that the city’s dog runs were being revamped, and hoped that by the end of last week all of the areas would be refurbished.
Everyone into the pool
Pellegrini added that the city’s pool will open after school is closed, beginning on June 27.
The council also voted to approve a shared services agreement with Secaucus for the use of the Secaucus town pool.
Politics
The meeting was the first gathering of the council since Councilman Nino Giacchi lost on Election Day to challenger Jen Giattino, who was not in attendance at the meeting. The council majority will switch from 5-4 against Zimmer to 5-4 in favor of Zimmer beginning on July 1, when Giattino is sworn-in.
The council presidency will also likely be up for grabs at that time, as a council president can be sworn in with a simple majority vote due to rule changes made earlier this year.
The council’s next meeting is on June 1, at 7 p.m.
Ray Smith may be reached at RSmith@hudsonreporter.com
SIDEBAR
A rumble over rumble strips
Councilwoman Beth Mason said after Wednesday’s council meeting that rumble strips will be installed on Hudson Street near 13th Street after two pedestrian accidents uptown.
The work is expected to be done this week, according to Mason, but dry weather is necessary. Hudson Street is a county road.
“[It’s] not a decision that came from me and I had no part of it.” – Ian Sacs
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Mason said the solution may not be permanent. Rumble strips are meant to make noise to alert a driver of changing road conditions. Mason said she has talked to people that live in the area, and recognizes the concern about noise.
“But more people are concerned about safety,” Mason said.
Parking and Transportation Director Ian Sacs opposed the move. He has proposed putting in a bicycle lane, which he says has shown to result in a decrease of speed.
He is at odds with Mason on this issue, and said he has recommended bike lanes for Hudson Street.
“To ignore those recommendations and to implement a device that has absolutely nothing to do with traffic calming is not a decision that came from me and I had no part of it,” Sacs said in a phone interview on Thursday. “Moreover, I want no part in the repercussions of residents complaining about the loud noise created from the rumble strips.”