Dear Editor:
Over the last five years I’ve worked vigorously to achieve many of my original campaign goals I made when I was first elected in November 2010 to represent Hoboken’s 4th Ward. That evening I stated the 4th Ward had been forgotten and it was now time to fight to make our ward a place where we are proud to raise a family, work or run a business.
So I rolled up my sleeves and set an overall goal for our neighborhood – to greatly improve the 4th Ward’s quality of life. Some issues were easy to resolve. We fixed street lights, filled potholes, added new public trash cans and improved pedestrian safety with proactive measures such as a stop sign, daylight poles and yield to pedestrian signs.
Other initiatives would take a bit longer, but proved worth the effort. Upgraded pocket parks on Jefferson and Jackson Streets added new play equipment and safety surfaces for resident use. And I am particularly proud of the revitalization of Mama Johnson Field, which added proper drainage, new athletic turf, and dugouts.
As a neighborhood we worked together during Super Storm Sandy, providing communication, electricity and a warm meal to those in need. Unfortunately, the storm devastated our community garden on 3rd and Jackson Street. However, the following year we came together as a community and rebuilt and improved the garden.
I remember at my very first council meeting advocating and arguing for improved road conditions for our neighborhood. After several years of lobbying the administration, we finally passed a bond ordinance to resurface our roads through the greatest paving project in the history of the ward.
All the while, we added new police officer positions, Class II officers and firefighters to keep our streets safe. Every year, I advocated for municipal budgets that would yield a flat or reduced municipal tax levy and only voted for those I felt would help move our city forward.
The biggest goal for the ward was creating a Southwest Park. I’m proud to have advocated and won support to reprogram $3 million in Hudson County Open Space Funding for our new park. Through community meetings and feedback from residents we’ve created a quality product that will include an underground rainwater retention system, dog run, amphitheater, rain gardens and children’s play area. We are excited to break ground this fall on the park and finish construction this spring.
This park is our greatest achievement and taken together with our other neighborhood improvements, you can see that we have done so much to improve the quality of life for all residents. For all that we’ve accomplished, there is still much more work to be done.
I would like the opportunity to finish what I have started. Hoboken is my home, and all of my neighbors in the 4th Ward are my family. I respectfully ask for your continued support and that you vote on Tuesday, Nov. 3 to re-elect Tim Occhipinti as your 4th Ward council representative.
Tim Occhipinti