City Council Reorganization Recap
7/2/2009:
While yesterday was a “historic” day in Hoboken (with the Inauguration of the new Mayor & Council members) – there was “regular business” to tend to….
City Council Reorg Recap
Speaker after speaker at the inauguration of the new Mayor and City Council members repeated the same theme: “It’s time to work together to make a better Hoboken.”
Stevens Institute President Hal Raveche said it’s not time to advance the council’s agenda or the Mayor’s agenda, but the Hoboken agenda.
Council members and the Mayor alike echoed this sentiment like a “sandwich special of the day,” but there were still a few pieces of inauguration cake left as the new council majority showed just how unwilling they really were to work with the new Mayor. The honeymoon ended as quickly as it started (if there even was one beyond the post-election rhetoric.)
Here’s a recap of the reorganization meeting:
First order of business: New Council President
As widely expected, losing Mayoral candidate Dawn Zimmer was chosen to replace Nino Giacchi as Council President. The nomination was made by Beth Mason and seconded by Mike Russo, with a unanimous vote.
Peter Cunningham was elected Vice President and newly seated member Dave Mello was chosen to “represent the City Council on the Planning Board.” Most of the resolutions were the usual fiscal year-beginning housekeeping items that every council has to do. State Monitor Judy Tripodi said work was underway on the new budget with details ahead later this summer.
Some of the council meeting dates were moved around as well, with the next meeting finally scheduled for July 22nd.
Public notice posting causes consternation
Cities are legally mandated to post public notices in two daily newspapers. The problem is – very few members of the public actually see them anymore.
Since there is only one in Hudson County (that hardly anyone in Hoboken reads anyway), the council designated the Jersey City tabloid along with one of the other papers published outside the county who only run Hoboken stories involving the old SWAT Team.
Beth Mason recognized that more Hobokenites get their information from the web than they do from NJ newspapers, and made a motion to include Hoboken411 and other websites for legal notice advertising.
The new council majority balked at the move, led by Ravi Bhalla (who used Hoboken411 to advertise his law firm) and Carol Marsh, who is apparently still bitter about the truthful retrospective of her political alliance flip-flopping.
Getting Hoboken’s legal notices delivered directly to the largest readership in Hoboken is apparently not as important to these new council members as buttering up their tender, fragile egos.
Hey guys – what happened to “transparency,” “communication” and “we can’t ignore what has made Hoboken great?” SHAME on all of you!
Three Ordinances on the agenda
The first ordinance was a leftover involving the laws governing Doggy Day Care and Boarding services. It had moved through committee, so it was supported on First Reading, with a Public Hearing scheduled for the next meeting. The second ordinance was the annual housekeeping item regarding the establishment of the salaries of the Mayor, City Council and Department Heads. Zimmer balked at it saying the council “had not been given enough time to review it.” She had it pulled and there was no vote. Good job – “think about it” more, Dawn! (Try some Gingko Biloba – it works wonders!)
The Mayor appoints the directors, and the council has “Advice and Consent” to vote against the appointments. Zimmer suggested an “Ad Hoc” subcommittee be set up to “review” any of Mayor Cammarano’s yet-to-be announced appointments. Others say that is the council’s job as a whole to be done in public session and should not be done in an ad-hoc manner. The point may be moot anyway since Judy Tripodi will have the final say.
So much for “working together!”
The third ordinance placed on the agenda was seen as the new majority’s “declaration of war” on Cammarano, as well as the power of the Mayor’s office itself. What Dawn Zimmer couldn’t accomplish at the ballot box she’s looking to do through constitutional change. The ordinance “Establishing the Hoboken City Council as the appointment authority for the Hoboken Zoning Board and confirming the governing body’s role as the City Redevelopment Agency” (say that three times fast) came up for first reading and divided the council.
Former President Nino Giacchi noted that the ordinance had not gone through committee, and that a change in the law this substantial should receive proper review. Although Zimmer pulled the previous ordinance because she claimed she “did not have time to review it,” she rejected Giacchi’s exact same point on the ordinance sponsored by her buddy Mello. (“Contradiction Panini” must have been the sandwich of the day…)
Mason also spoke up, noting that the ordinance should not include both the Zoning Board and the Redevelopment Authority, which are two separate entities. If the council did nothing they would still be the sole redevelopment agency.
Dividing the government right out of the box
Russo spoke up in agreement that a vote should be put off until committee review, noting this was not in the “spirit of cooperation” with the new Mayor that the new council members had claimed to support.
He said he’d rather see the first meeting of the year continue the spirit of cooperation, not destroy it.
Mello rudely rejected the arguments and refused to table the ordinance, forcing the council members Mason, Giacchi, Russo, and Theresa Castellano to vote no while the Zimmer/Cunningham/Bhalla/Marsh/Mello robot-factory voted yes.
A public hearing will be held at the next meeting. Instead of a month of cooperation, 5 members of the council decided go with confrontation right out of the gate, appealing to their angriest (and loudest) supporters/groupies.
And away we go… comment below and strap in for a bumpy ride ahead.
Hoboken NJ
54 Responses to ** City Council Reorganization Recap **
July 4th, 2009 |
the zimmeristas muscle flexxing was evident throughout the meeting but boy do they hate 411. obviously 411 reaches more than the other sites do followed by nj.com/hobokennow but since some of dawn’s more rabid supporters were not allowed to libel anyone they disagreed with on 411 it is now time to slap 411’s wrist. nice try on ravi’s part to appear socratic on this but truth be told castellano’s point on common sense was great but the zimmeristas have always lacked common sense. how many citizens actually cannot get on 411? zimmer supporters seem to think it is an immense number.
the best part for me was dawn asking for resumes from potential appointees – i guess it is more important for mayoral appointees to be qualified than for mayoral candidates. more thatn slightly hypocritical if you ask me but that’s how zimmer and her apologists have rolled for the last two years.
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July 4th, 2009 |
You’re correct about Cunningham he is extremely responsive. I’m in the 3rd ward and he responds to any emails I send to council addressing city wide issues. Mason, too. And not to leave out Russo- but I expect that response from my city councilor.
In response to matt_72 who said:
Cunningham not responsive? I get forwarded emails from the guy from a co-worker who lives in the 5th. He constantly keeps people up to date on issues and ASKS for feedback. He even holds meetings to discuss issues on occasion. Who else on the CC sends out mass emails asking for feedback? And when you give it to him, he generally responds to emails w/in 24 hours. From my experience, he is the most responsive one on the city council. The only other person who even came close to him was Cammarano and he takes 3-5 days. If the residents in his ward feel neglected, maybe they shoud just send him an email, get on his distribution list and give him their 2 cents when he asks for feedback. He seems pretty receptive to it.
And Red, instead of getting your panties in a bunch about who did what, when, where and how, why don’t you focus on results for a change. You keep talking about “who started reform, yada, yada, yada”. I don’t care who started it, I care about results and so far the only thing I see getting done when it comes to “reform” is people like you bickering about it. Right now the folks in power and trying to reform things are the kids first slate on the BOE & the city council (Mason included). If you have ideas, bring it to their attention and see if they do something.
And JC – we are talking about monumental differences of opinion. Cammarano wants to use tax dollars & PILOTs to develop ourselves out of this fiscal mess and pay for his tax cuts. He wants to keep everything else as close to the same as possible (payroll, bennies, CT Pilot, etc….) which is why he never would commit to any specific level of cuts. I am pretty sure the city council majority was looking more towards just cutting wasteful spending & wringing concessions from the workers to pay for a tax cut and keeping the development more in check. So it is a question of “big development to pay for big government” or “the efficient use of tax dollars” from my perspective. That is why most of the developer dollars & money from the construction unions went to Petey. They don’t give money to people who want to build parks.
I agree saying no to everything is a bad idea, the CC just needs to say no to the developers & the bloat. The question is will Petey be saying no to those very same developers & bloat that put him in office……..and somehow I doubt it. I think that is why the city council decided to take back their power over the zoning board (I thought I read somewhere that Russo took this power over – and used it to greatly benefit himself). They want to make sure the zoning board isn’t used to just rubberstamp a bunch of high rises. And considering that since the last 2 mayors pretty much abused this authority, maybe it is time it was returned to the city council.
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July 4th, 2009 |
Jeez Louise, and thar it blows… another Red Haven post peppered w/the pejorative “elitist” to describe with a very broad brush all the people you presume to know and dislike, based upon their political loyalties. And, a roomful of these “elitists” are a “cult” who are also “cultists”. On another thread you’ve labeled me both: a “cultist” and an “elitist snob” (my response is in moderation).
Tell me, does an “elitist” belong to any particular gender, racial, age, hair color or income demographic? Or is it determined by where you live? Who you voted for? The things you read, or the things you think about? By your own definition, are YOU one?
Why do you lower civil discourse on 411 by labeling entire groups of people (like those in living in particular wards) whom you’ve never met? Why do you advocate banning people here who simply think differently (or as you would say are “elitist snob- cultist- cult-members-of-snobby, elitist-cults”) Doesn’t cherry-picking people to participate in discussions (which YOU, Red Haven, seem to advocate) based on personality or politics strike YOU as “elitist”? Are you just an “elitist” pot calling the black kettle “elitist”?
Anyway, I wanted to add to your comment about Cunningham prefaced by “Word is…” (a nice preamble for any unsubstantiated smear) re: lack of responsiveness, which doesn’t jibe w/a recent experience (and I am not a constituent):
After notifying City Council members (and members-to-be) that the artists, Victoria and Richard Mackenzie-Childs, living/working aboard the Yankee Ferry were in talks w/Jersey City officials about docking their boat there, Peter Cunningham responded immediately, within hours, agreeing he would like them to stay in Hoboken and would reach out to them. Ravi Bhalla responded as well.
Now, I expect you have some REALLY harsh assessment brewing, but why stew constantly in slights and grievances against others? Why so bitter? And angry? Do any flowers grow in your garden, or just crab grass?
In response to Red Haven who said:
Colin my friend, while there are surely elitists in the Second Ward, I would not say they make up Mason’s base. Quite the contrary, actually. I also would certainly not include you, sir, in that category. Matt on the other hand is clearly elitist. I would respond to his rambling drivel but I started to get a headache after the first line and could read no more.
On the other hand, Peter Cunningham’s base is made up purely of elitists. These are the people who actually believe that “Reform” in Hoboken started with them. All Cunningham did was drive an electoral trail that had already been blazed by the much more substantial contributions of Manogue, Branciforte and Garcia-Keim. They tenderized the steak for Cunningham and he ate it. He probably would have lost if Mike Cricco had decided to run again.
Beyond the elitists, Cunningham’s tenure is marked by a marked drop in constituent service. Word is you aren’t likely to get a prompt call back unless you’ve been identified by his wife as owning a brownstone she might like to list someday. The residents of Fox Hill and Applied Housing do not feel represented by him.
A growing number of newcomers are also unhappy with Cunningham. If Mayor Cammarano does a good job and his popularity grows in his home ward, Councilman Tattered Turtleneck might just have a fight on his hands in 2011.
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July 4th, 2009 |
If Cammarano is truly on a new path away from nepotism and payback appointees he will be scrutinizing resumes too and looking for new blood. I’m concerned if the rumours are true about the Labruno and Alicea appointments. It would appear to be business as usual. Maybe I’ll be surprised.
In response to professor pinetop who said:
the zimmeristas muscle flexxing was evident throughout the meeting but boy do they hate 411. obviously 411 reaches more than the other sites do followed by nj.com/hobokennow but since some of dawn’s more rabid supporters were not allowed to libel anyone they disagreed with on 411 it is now time to slap 411’s wrist. nice try on ravi’s part to appear socratic on this but truth be told castellano’s point on common sense was great but the zimmeristas have always lacked common sense. how many citizens actually cannot get on 411? zimmer supporters seem to think it is an immense number.
the best part for me was dawn asking for resumes from potential appointees – i guess it is more important for mayoral appointees to be qualified than for mayoral candidates. more thatn slightly hypocritical if you ask me but that’s how zimmer and her apologists have rolled for the last two years.
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July 4th, 2009 |
Matt- I think we need to give the mayor more than 1 hour after his swearing in to conclude that he is trying to keep everything the same. If you saw that meeting, you have no choice but to conclude that it is actually Zimmer who is trying to keep things the same. This is a power grab to control everything. The same way Roberts did.
I was very optimistic about these elected officials working together for our city after the inauguration, but I felt like somebody who bought a new house only to see it ransacked upon entering.
It was sour grapes. Zimmer said she didn’t have time to sit with the Mayor, yet she and her newly elected yes men and woman go right in to attack mode? I have no problem with trying to get back zoning appointments, but have the courtesy to sit with the mayor to discuss appointments before you get one of your pawns to do your dirty work. I’m sure losing pubicly in a close election is a bitter pill to take, but that does not give her the right to take it out on the voters and turn the first meeting into an embarrassing joke. We had a new council pres trying to continue her run for mayor, a newly elected member completely disregarding the old council pres and Russo, and a new member going after Mason for pushing a smart idea. The meeting was in complete disarray. How many times did Russo give Mello the opportunity to do the right thing. He actually put forth eloquent and moving reasons why it should be tabled, and his main point was procedural.
I hope she gets over her bitterness soon, because we are the ones who lose. The only way we get the same old, same old is if this council continues with the Dawn’s Pawns Show.
In response to matt_72 who said:
Cunningham not responsive? I get forwarded emails from the guy from a co-worker who lives in the 5th. He constantly keeps people up to date on issues and ASKS for feedback. He even holds meetings to discuss issues on occasion. Who else on the CC sends out mass emails asking for feedback? And when you give it to him, he generally responds to emails w/in 24 hours. From my experience, he is the most responsive one on the city council. The only other person who even came close to him was Cammarano and he takes 3-5 days. If the residents in his ward feel neglected, maybe they shoud just send him an email, get on his distribution list and give him their 2 cents when he asks for feedback. He seems pretty receptive to it.
And Red, instead of getting your panties in a bunch about who did what, when, where and how, why don’t you focus on results for a change. You keep talking about “who started reform, yada, yada, yada”. I don’t care who started it, I care about results and so far the only thing I see getting done when it comes to “reform” is people like you bickering about it. Right now the folks in power and trying to reform things are the kids first slate on the BOE & the city council (Mason included). If you have ideas, bring it to their attention and see if they do something.
And JC – we are talking about monumental differences of opinion. Cammarano wants to use tax dollars & PILOTs to develop ourselves out of this fiscal mess and pay for his tax cuts. He wants to keep everything else as close to the same as possible (payroll, bennies, CT Pilot, etc….) which is why he never would commit to any specific level of cuts. I am pretty sure the city council majority was looking more towards just cutting wasteful spending & wringing concessions from the workers to pay for a tax cut and keeping the development more in check. So it is a question of “big development to pay for big government” or “the efficient use of tax dollars” from my perspective. That is why most of the developer dollars & money from the construction unions went to Petey. They don’t give money to people who want to build parks.
I agree saying no to everything is a bad idea, the CC just needs to say no to the developers & the bloat. The question is will Petey be saying no to those very same developers & bloat that put him in office……..and somehow I doubt it. I think that is why the city council decided to take back their power over the zoning board (I thought I read somewhere that Russo took this power over – and used it to greatly benefit himself). They want to make sure the zoning board isn’t used to just rubberstamp a bunch of high rises. And considering that since the last 2 mayors pretty much abused this authority, maybe it is time it was returned to the city council.
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July 4th, 2009 |
Cunningham didn’t use the Bible while swearing in for VP. Was there any reason for that? Zimmer used it while swearing in, so I was just wondering.
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July 5th, 2009 |
hey determined, that may be the case with yourself and e-mails, however, i live in the 2nd ward and have never once had a phone call returned to me from beth. i have confronted her on this and she claims that she never got the messages… i called her on four separate occasions. either her high priced assistants should be fired, or she is lying through her teeth. i lean towards the latter. anyway, in two years, she has no shot of winning re-election. i can run my shoe against her and beat her. if you don’t believe me, start polling residents in the ward.
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July 5th, 2009 |
is there any video of this last council meeting posted anywhere?
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July 5th, 2009 |
what the big deal? I would think 9 votes are better than one in our society…..
In response to jc5201 who said:
Don’t Zimmer and Cunningham realize they are up for election soon? I never thought I would agree with Russo, but this attitude of confrontation before cooperation turns people off.
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July 6th, 2009 |
Interesting. The Mason enigma. I was impressed with her before the campaign (she even called me to address my concerns after St.P Day) but she lost me during her campaign when she seemed to water down her opinions to the point where I couldn’t recognize her. I understand seeking the middle ground to appeal to a broader electorate but I think she may have taken that strategy too far.
In response to mickey finn who said:
hey determined, that may be the case with yourself and e-mails, however, i live in the 2nd ward and have never once had a phone call returned to me from beth. i have confronted her on this and she claims that she never got the messages… i called her on four separate occasions. either her high priced assistants should be fired, or she is lying through her teeth. i lean towards the latter. anyway, in two years, she has no shot of winning re-election. i can run my shoe against her and beat her. if you don’t believe me, start polling residents in the ward.
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July 6th, 2009 |
Incredible, right? You’d think that after the debacle that was Roberts’ reign (or, for that matter, Russo), people would realize the damage that one mayor can inflict upon our town.
In response to timetes who said:
what the big deal? I would think 9 votes are better than one in our society…..
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July 6th, 2009 |
Well, if you support the budget and don’t want to see cuts to it, but want cuts to your tax bill then you need a zoning board supportive of outsized development to bring in more tax revenues. That sort of zoning board will never make it past the city council w/ its current majority.
What I find pretty funny is that a couple months ago everyone who disliked Zimmer talked about her lack of experience, lack of will and incompetence. Now they are afraid that she is so competent & strong willed that she can strong arm the entire city council into doing what she wants them to do. Which is it? If she can actually get the city council to dance to her tune and Petey can’t get them on board w/ him then maybe it is he who is the inexperienced & weak one. Whatever the case, she is one vote amongst 9. She can’t get anything approved w/o getting 4 other people to vote with her.
In response to emarche who said:
Incredible, right? You’d think that after the debacle that was Roberts’ reign (or, for that matter, Russo), people would realize the damage that one mayor can inflict upon our town.
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July 6th, 2009 |
what will be interesting is to see where Mason comes down on the ordinance vote to put zoning board appointments under the purview of the council after Petey Boy vetos it (so much for his spirit of coorperation.) Once that happens, the ordinance will require a super majority or 6 votes.
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July 6th, 2009 |
Can someone please get Dawn Zimmer a posture coach???
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