The City Council discussed ‘green’ vehicles, litigation issues, and the late $93.7 million city budget at last Wednesday’s meeting, but the closing of the city’s soccer field at Sinatra Park due to lead contamination was front and center.
Mayor David Roberts brought two state Department of Health officials, as well as the city’s heath officer, to the meeting to explain the situation with Sinatra Park.
“I have also been in touch with the parents of our youth soccer league,” Roberts said. “We want those parents to be in the forefront as we proceed.”
“It was a precautionary and proactive approach by Hoboken,” Leo Pellegrini, soccer league director, said of the field closing, “and I commend you on it.”
Pelligrini asked the parents, council, and Roberts to work to bypass the usual bidding process to speed up the process of replacing the field.
Corporation Counsel Steven Kleinman said that there are emergency exceptions to the bidding process, but that he wasn’t sure whether this situation would warrant an exception.
“I have every intention of asking the City Council to assign parts of an existing bond issue,” Roberts said, “so that that field can be put back into use as soon as possible.”
Councilman-at-Large Peter Cammarano asked Kleinman to draft a demand letter for the manufacturer of the turf. “Tell them in this demand letter,” said Cammarano, “that based on tests that have been done by the state on New Jersey, you apparently have sold us a defective product.”
He said that the letter should also ask for reimbursement and liability should anyone get sick from the lead. It was later mentioned that the manufacturer of the field went out of business in 2004.
Paying the bills
Councilmembers have taken a hard stand about passing the late city budget, which was supposed to be approved last fall. In March, they put a freeze on any further city spending.
Last week, they decided not to pay the bills this month. Then they changed their mind.
A vote on city claims initially did not pass, meaning that the city would not pay regular bills for the two-week period that the claims covered. Third Ward Councilman Michael Russo voted down the claims, along with 5th Ward Councilman Peter Cunningham, 2nd Ward Councilwoman Beth Mason, and 1st Ward Councilwoman Theresa Castellano, who is council president.
After realizing that the claims did not pass, the council reconsidered their actions and Russo recast his vote in favor of paying the bills.
“The council as a whole wanted to hold the line on spending,” Russo said in an interview. “That was almost like a protest vote.”
Going green, and 1600 Park Ave.
The council passed a resolution requiring the city to purchase environmentally-friendly and fuel-efficient vehicles when old vehicles need to be replaced. The resolution, introduced by Councilman-at-Large and Assemblyman Ruben Ramos, also calls for the city to conduct research into getting greener vehicles.
The city also received permits to have ball fields opened at 1600 Park Ave. by the end of the summer, prompting cheering from the crowd.
Litigation and proclamations
The council went into closed session for over an hour to discuss multiple lawsuits. The lawsuits included a People for Open Government case regarding city records, a case involving police Lt. Mark Competello, and a number of litigation cases against the Rent Control Board. No information is given by the board about the cases, but Kleinman did say afterward that no formal action was taken.
Roberts also issued a couple of proclamations while he was there. The first designated the corner of Seventh Street and Willow Avenue to be named “Bobby ‘The Peddler’ Ferrante Corner,” in honor of the long-time fruit and produce salesman who occupied that corner.
The second proclamation designated the month of May as the American Cancer Society’s “May for Relay.” Relay For Life is an overnight ACS fundraiser in New York and New Jersey where teams raise money in support of cancer survivors.
Timothy J. Carroll can be reached at editorial@hudsonreporter.com.