Fulop backs off Greenville trash deal
Mayor Steven Fulop will not pursue a deal that would allow New York City to ship its trash through Greenville Yards.
Fulop emailed a statement on Thursday to members of the South Greenville Neighborhood Association, a group that publically opposed the project saying the transfer station would have a negative impact on the area.
The deal could have netted the city more than $10 million and helped fund the construction of a park at Reservoir No. 3 in Jersey City Heights.
“I have listened to many residents from the community over the last few days individually and have decided that we won’t be moving forward with the waste transfer station,” Fulop said in his statement. “Part of leadership is recognizing when you are wrong and this is such an instance. What’s more, in meetings with Council President (Rolando) Lavarro and Councilmen (Daniel) Rivera and (Frank) Gajewski, they provided perspective that I value and I think this is best before considering moving forward.”
At this point, the fate of the park project is uncertain.
Akil resigns as Fulop’s chief of staff, Albiez to take over
Faced with a backlash of disapproval from a speech he made as a college student, Muhammed Akil has announced his resignation as chief of staff for Mayor Steven Fulop
“Effective immediately, I am resigning as Chief of Staff of the City of Jersey City,” he said in his letter of Oct. 16
Mark Albiez will serve as chief of staff effective Friday, Oct. 17, the mayor’s office confirmed.
Akil went on to say, “Comments I made as a college student twenty years ago were recently reported in the media as if they reflect my current thinking. This is simply untrue. Throughout my personal life and professional career, I have worked on behalf of individuals from all beliefs and backgrounds. However, these comments made two decades ago have become a distraction to the administration and all the important work that city employees undertake daily.”
He thanked Fulop for giving him the chance to serve as chief of staff.
“As a dedicated public servant, I will continue to work in all communities to improve the quality of life for Jersey City residents,” he said.
Albiez, who recently joined Fulop’s team, has a public service career that has spanned more than a decade and covered numerous municipal operations.
Beginning in 2003 as a program coordinator with the Jersey City Department of Recreation, Albiez later assumed the role of chief of staff to Assemblyman Ruben Ramos, Jr. in 2008. He worked for State Sen. Brian P. Stack as chief of staff, focusing on constituent services, drafting of legislation, legislative processes, and interaction with government offices, public agencies and members of the media.
Albiez was later employed as deputy director of the Union City Department of Recreation, Parks and Public Property, advancing the creation and refurbishment of parks and recreational facilities and securing funding streams for respective projects.
Since July 2014, Albiez has served as the deputy chief of staff for Fulop.
Lincoln Park nominated for historical distinction
The West Bergen-East Lincoln Park Historic District has been nominated by the New Jersey State Review Board for Historic Sites for inclusion on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places.
This is the process that protected the historical character of many of the city’s neighborhoods downtown, including Paulus Hook, Van Vorst Park and Hamilton Park. This is the first historic district outside of downtown that the city is nominating for inclusion on the Municipal, State and National Registers of Historic Places, which is a huge step in recognizing additional historic districts in Jersey City.
Listing under the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places would not only provide recognition to the historical importance of our community, but would help to preserve the historic character of such property in terms of public rehabilitation projects.”
The approximate boundaries for the district include Lincoln Park and West Side Avenue to the west, Harrison Avenue to the south, Bergen Avenue to the east, and Fairmount Avenue to the north, along Kennedy Boulevard to Jewett Avenue and back to West Side Avenue.
A community meeting for private property owners interested in registering with the New Jersey and National Registers will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16 at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church, 38 Duncan Ave.
Beating stress author to appear at Miller Branch
Jean Ricks, author of “The Biology of Beating Stress,” will appear at the Miller Branch Library on Tuesday, Oct. 21 at 7p.m. The library is located at 489 Bergen Ave. For more information call (201) 547-6907 or email gsmith@jclibrary.org. An adult or guardian must accompany children.