Cammarano’s pay in question
Former Mayor Peter Cammarano came under fire last week when some officials said he should reimburse the city for 12 vacation days he was paid for his 22 days in office, totaling over $4,000.
Both Gov. Jon Corzine and Acting Mayor Dawn Zimmer called for Cammarano to return the pay.
“We’re looking at all of our options,” Zimmer said about recouping some of the money.
The city paid out the full year’s worth of vacation days based on “past practices,” but she said there isn’t a “clear policy” on the issuance of vacation days.
Zimmer said the City Council may also consider legislative changes.
Openings for city positions; administration will review rent control
Acting Mayor Dawn Zimmer is still accepting resumes for the Rent Control Board, Municipal Hospital Authority, and Library Board. She also announced a new opening on the Hudson County Open Space Board.
Interested parties should e-mail their resumes to jbuonarota@hobokennj.org along with a cover letter. Resumes will be accepted until the end of the business day this Monday, Aug. 31.
For the Rent Control Board, the city said, applicants should have an eagerness to become fully versed in the rent control ordinance and be prepared to participate in public review processes to address potential legal issues with the ordinance. The ordinance keeps the rent increases on older homes to a specific limit each year. However, some people say parts of the law are antiquated and would like it to be reviewed.
For the Municipal Hospital Authority Board, applicants should have some degree of experience with health care and/or administration.
For the Library Board, the city said they are seeking applicants supportive of the continuing and expanded success of the library as an integral part of Hoboken’s community.
As far as the Hudson County Open Space Board, the deadline for the new opening is Friday, Sept. 11. The open seat is for an Environmental Protectionist board member. The city is seeking applicants with interest in environmental issues and concern for creating open space in Hudson County.
The city is also still accepting applications for several paid City Hall positions including corporation counsel, four directorial positions (one is for a new director of the Hoboken Parking Utility), an assistant public information officer, and a deputy city clerk.
Labor Day ad, editorial deadlines
Labor Day is a weekend away, with the actual holiday falling on Monday, Sept. 7. Deadlines for the Midweek Reporter (Wednesday, Sept. 9) and the Bayonne Community News (Thursday, Sept. 10) are as follows: display advertising deadline on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 5 p.m.; classified deadline on Friday, Sept. 4 at noon; and editorial deadline on Friday, Sept. 4 at 2 p.m.
Please call (201) 798-7800 if you need further help.
City creates swine flu task force
Acting Mayor Dawn Zimmer is coordinating efforts among the city, Board of Education, police and fire, Hoboken University Medical Center, and Stevens Institute of Technology to be prepared should the dreaded H1N1 “swine” flu reappear when the weather turns colder this year.
She has also appointed Dr. Jonathan Metsch, the former president of Jersey City Medical Center (JCMC), to the Novel H1N1 (Swine Flu) Surge Task Force. Metsch appears as a “community representative,” according to a press release.
Zimmer charged the Task Force to “Identify and use ‘Best Practices’ to develop and implement a Novel H1N1 (Swine Flu) Surge contingency plan for Hoboken.”
Health Officer Frank Sasso and Director of Human Services Terry LaBruno will head the Task Force.
“We are assuming there may be a flu surge soon after schools reopen and we already know that a Novel H1N1 (Swine Flu) vaccine will not be available until mid-October and may be too late to provide effective immunity,” Zimmer said. “Hoboken will continue to strengthen its existing preparedness plans, specifically its pandemic plan, as we strive to protect the health of those that live and work in Hoboken.”
Assemblyman Chiappone and wife indicted
Attorney General Anne Milgram announced that New Jersey Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone (D-31st Dist.) and his wife were indicted Wednesday on charges that they allegedly conspired to funnel more than $8,000 in state-issued paychecks for a legislative aide and a purported aide into their own personal bank accounts and into Chiappone’s 2005 Assembly campaign funds.
Chiappone represents the 31st District, which includes Bayonne and some of Jersey City.
The couple allegedly had $7,532 in paychecks issued to one legislative aide, who donated all of his checks to the campaign. The defendants allegedly diverted $4,299 in checks into their bank accounts for personal use, as well as a $629 paycheck issued to a woman they claimed was another legislative aide.
When the remaining checks from the male aide did get deposited into the campaign’s bank account, the defendants allegedly failed to include those contributions in reports filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC).
Chiappone, who was first elected to the Assembly in 2003, lost the Democratic primary in June 2005. But he was elected to the Assembly again in November 2007. He is running for re-election in November.
Chiappone said last week he does not intend to resign his post, and will fight the charges in court.
Memorial showing of ‘On the Waterfront’
On Tuesday, Sept. 1, the city is organizing a tribute to recently-deceased screenwriter Budd Schulberg, who penned the Academy Award-winning film “On the Waterfront.”
The screening will be in Pier A Park at 7:30 p.m. and is free to all.
Schulberg died in early August, a week after visiting Hoboken to view a waterfront reading of his acclaimed screenplay.