Fulop moves to restart revaluation
Mayor Steven Fulop announced on April 15 that his administration has met with tax experts and will move forward with the required property tax revaluation ordered by the state of New Jersey. Jersey City will begin drafting and commencing the RFP process per the state order. At the same time, the administration will appeal this week’s court decision on the Healy administration’s existing revaluation contract and in addition will seek legislative changes at the state level to the process of revaluation to minimize disruption to long-time residents.
Jersey City is one of 30 municipalities which has not done a revaluation in 25 years and is one of three municipalities that have been ordered by the state to start the process. The process to conduct a new reval will begin with the administration drafting a Request for Proposals (RFP) to seek a vendor, with an award expected in the fall of 2016.
“From the beginning, our position has been the same, which is that we acknowledge the city needs a reval, but the reval process started by the previous administration would have resulted in unfair taxation due to the corrupt procurement process,” said Mayor Fulop. “We attempted to recover dollars that were wrongly procured. However, with the court’s initial decision yesterday, we will respect the comments. And by starting the revaluation process we will eliminate the court’s view that the city’s sole interest is to delay the revaluation which was never the case. However, while moving forward on the RFP, we will also appeal the court’s decision and continue to pursue the dollars that were illegally spent.”
Further, Fulop said, the administration has started a working group to partner with state representatives to amend the state law so that disruption is minimal to long-term residents.
On April 14, the court ruled against Jersey City, ordering the city to pay for the revaluation Fulop ordered halted in 2013. The judge’s decision requires the city to pay Realty Appraisal $984,511 plus interest and attorney’s fees dating to October 2015. Prior to the Fulop administration halting the reval contract in 2013, the firm had already been paid $1.98 million, which the city will also seek to recoup during the appeal process.
The last reval in Jersey City was in 1988.
The timeline for the new reval is issuing an RFP with a contract expected to be awarded in the fall of 2016 with work to commence shortly thereafter.
Jersey City Heights forum on parking
On Thursday, April 21, The Heights Community Coalition will host an interactive discussion on parking challenges and solutions in Jersey City Heights. Political Science Professor James Solomon from NJCU, a parking planner will discuss parking trends, innovative solutions implemented by other cities and what might be done in Jersey City.
There will be a slideshow on parking do’s and don’ts handouts on the regulations that are in place now, as well as representatives from city agencies who will be on hand for an interactive discussion on parking.
The event will be held at the Christa McAuliffe Elementary P.S. 28 School Auditorium, 167 Hancock Ave. starting at 7 p.m.
Art exhibit to pay tribute to Jackie Robinson’s first professional hit in Jersey City
New Jersey-based artist James Fiorentino will showcase a collection of his world-renowned baseball-inspired watercolor paintings and giclees in the Rotunda Gallery of City Hall in Jersey City.
Artwork featured in this exhibition will include players from New York baseball teams in addition to commemorating Jackie Robinson’s legacy. An original artwork piece on display will commemorate the moment at Roosevelt Stadium on April 18, 1946 when Robinson touched home plate after getting his first hit.
The artwork collection will be on display in Jersey City until May 13, with an opening reception scheduled for Wednesday, April 20, 2016 from 5 to 8 p.m. Special guests will include Major Steve Phillips, former Pirates’ pitcher Fred Cambria, and Emmy winning broadcaster and author Ed Lucas.
The “First Hit at Roosevelt Stadium” painting has been made into limited edition giclees that will be signed by the artist. A portion of any art sold at this exhibition will benefit participating Little Leagues of Jersey City.
For more information on the City of Jersey City and exhibition, please contact Luca Cusolito, Program Development, in the Office of Cultural Affairs: lcusolito@jcnj.org.
Jersey City to make $94M in water and sewer improvements
Mayor Steven M. Fulop announced on April 13 that the Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA) will invest $94 million on improvements to city water and sewer utilities in 2016, much of which replaces century-old infrastructure.
For 2016, the MUA has appropriated $45 million in sewer line repairs and improvements. The main project will be to repair deficiencies identified by the MUA’s sewer capacity study, which identified pipes in the greatest need of repair. This work will include repairing or replacing 28,500 feet of sewer pipe throughout Jersey City.
For 2016 and into 2017, the MUA will invest $49 million in water system improvements. These include installing a new 8,600 foot transmission main from the south western section of the city to Newport; cleaning and lining 18,800 feet of water mains just north of Journal Square; the replacement of 30 large valves throughout the city; as well as replacing 20,000 feet of water mains in the downtown area.
The vast majority of this work is financed by the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructural Trust (NJEIT) over 20 years at an annual rate of less than one percent interest.
HCCC begins registration for summer youth programs
Hudson County Community College is taking registrations for its summer youth programs. These programs run from June 29 to Aug. 2. Those who register before April 30 will be at a 10 percent discount.
Registration ends three business days before the start of class. Seating is limited. For more information, please call the Department of Community Education at (201) 360-4224, or email communityed@hccc.edu.
Nimbus Dance Works receives $30,000 grant
Nimbus Dance Works recently received a $30,000 grant from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation that supports its efforts bringing high-level dance and innovative community engagement approaches to enrich Jersey City’s blooming arts and culture scene.
The general operating grant to Nimbus supports its professional dance performances, arts education programs, and community engagement. It was among $3.3 million in grants recently awarded by the foundation in the first of three grantmaking rounds supporting arts, education, and environmental nonprofit organizations dedicated to building stronger communities in New Jersey.
Metropolitan Family Health Network to provide free oral cancer screening
Metropolitan Family Health Network will provide free oral cancer screenings April 18 to 22. The screenings will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the network’s Dental Suite at 935 Garfield Ave. in Jersey City. Appointments are recommended and may be scheduled by phoning (201) 478-5875. Walk-ins will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis.
In addition to the oral cancer screenings, Albert Ferrara, Jr., the coordinator of the Bergen-Hudson Coalition for Chronic Disease Tobacco-free Initiative, will be in the MFHN Dental Suite on Thursday, April 21 with information and interactive educational activities on oral cancer risk factors, screening and prevention.
Also on April 21, Metropolitan Family Health Network will hold an Open House from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Garfield Avenue center.
For more information on Metropolitan Family Health Network, please visit www.MetropolitanFHN.com.
Tricky tray at St. John’s Lutheran Church on April 29
A tricky tray sponsored by the St. John’s Women’s Group will be held on Friday, April 29 starting at 6 p.m. St. John’s Lutheran Church gymnasium, 155 North St. in Jersey City. Admission is $5. Parking is available in the lot on Summit Avenue, next to the church. For tickets or more information call (201) 798-0540.
Price, Stricker to be captains of golf tournament
Tournament officials at Liberty National Golf Club, host course of the 2017 Presidents Cup, announced last week Nick Price and Steve Stricker as captains of the International and U.S. Teams, respectively, for the 2017 event in Jersey City.
Price, two-time captain of the International Team and a World Golf Hall of Famer, joined Stricker, a first-time captain who is a five-time U.S. Team member and 2015 captains’ assistant.
Price and Stricker competed against one another in the 1996 edition of the Presidents Cup.
One of the world’s most picturesque golf courses, Liberty National is located along the Hudson River, with striking views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the Manhattan skyline. Liberty National will be just the fourth golf course in the United States to host the prestigious team match-play competition, joining Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Prince William County, Va., (1994, 1996, 2000, 2005), TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, Calif., (2009) and Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio (2013).
The 2017 Presidents Cup will take place Sept. 26 – Oct. 1.
“Steve Stricker and Nick Price are two of the most highly-regarded players by their peers, and bring a wealth of experience to their respective teams for the 2017 Presidents Cup,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. “While this is Stricker’s first year as a captain, he has been invaluable as a team member and has had earned the respect of his contemporaries. His calm and collected personality will help guide his team at an amazing course in the one of the most beloved U.S. cities the competition has visited to date.”
“Nick remains one of the most passionate ambassadors for the International Team and The Presidents Cup. He has been an avid advocate for the Presidents Cup from his playing days through his tenure as the International Team Captain both domestically and abroad,” Finchem said. “We’re thrilled that he’s continued with his role as a captain, and I’m confident that his team would say the same.”
As part of the captain’s announcement, the Presidents Cup also released a new logo for the event moving forward. After 11 playings and nearly a quarter of a century, the redesigned Presidents Cup team logo has four distinct characteristics differentiating itself from the original logo, which launched in 1994. “The” has been officially dropped from the tournament title and logo and the logotype for “Presidents Cup” has been modernized, complemented with a gray palette. The focal point of the logo composition is the iconic gold trophy, the cup, which has been stylized to demonstrate a more 3-D modeling and framed by a series of stars. The 19 stars only have symbolization in the balance they represent.
The new International Team flag joins the U.S. flag as the two diverse, talented, global teams are celebrated on equal footing with equal respect. The original International Team flag colors have been maintained while the introduction of the five stars represent the five continents realistically comprising the International Team: Africa, Asia, Australia, North America and South America.