River Street in Hoboken to be Resurfaced Starting Monday May 7th

Here is the latest update from the City of Hoboken on street repair of River Street from Hudson Place to 4th Street. This starts Monday May 7th....

MILLING AND RESURFACING OF RIVER STREET – WEEK OF MAY 7

On or about Monday, May 7, 2012, construction is expected to begin on the milling and resurfacing of River Street from Hudson Place to 4^th Street.

Due to the high traffic and pedestrian volume in this area, the work must be performed at night between the hours of 8pm and 6am. Boswell Engineering anticipates the milling and resurfacing work will take place Monday and Tuesday nights, weather permitting. All work is anticipated to be completed by Thursday, May 10.

There will be some inconvenience for access to and from the residences. Every effort will be made to assure that the inconveniences are minimal. All work will be completed as quickly as possible. Please be aware of the “No Parking” signs which will be posted and, for your safety, please be aware of the construction signs. We apologize for any inconvenience you may experience due to the construction activities and appreciate your cooperation. ◦

River Street in Hoboken to be Resurfaced Starting Monday May 7th

Council President Ravi Bhalla Annouces Launch of "Hoboken Votes"

This note is about getting people registered in Hoboken from City Council President Ravi Bhalla.....

Council President Bhalla Announces Launch of 

"Hoboken Votes"

Community Based Civic Initiative Aimed at Increasing Voter Registration and Participation 

  

A group of concerned residents announced today the formation of Hoboken Votes, a community-based initiative aimed at increasing voter registration and voter participation across the City of Hoboken.

"The primary purpose of Hoboken Votes is to ensure that as many Hoboken residents as possible are registered to vote so their voices may be heard in the upcoming Presidential Election and in future election for years to come," said Ravi S. Bhalla, one of the members of the committee in formation of Hoboken Votes.  "As a benchmark, we have set a goal of registering 1,000 new voters between now and the Presidential election," Bhalla said. 

"This is a non-partisan voter registration campaign aimed at encouraging residents to make their voices heard at the federal, state, county and local levels," said Philip Cohen.  "Whether you are an independent, Republican, or Democrat, we encourage all residents to make sure they are registered to vote and familiar with the voting process."

Hoboken Votes will have its first kickoff event this Sunday at the Hoboken Arts & Music Festival, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., where it will have a table to register voters and answer questions about the voting process.

For more information, to register to vote, or to volunteer for this effort, please contact Mr. Bhalla at councilmanbhalla@gmail.com  

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Council President Ravi Bhalla Annouces Launch of "Hoboken Votes"

Update from Jen Giattino on Parks and Quality of Life Issues

An Update From Jen Giattino 6th Ward City Councilwoman on various initiatives in the City of Hoboken:

Parks:

• Sinatra Park is scheduled to be completed on 12/21/12. Although this does not help with field space for this fall, it's looking good for Spring 2013 

 

Sinatra Park Soccer Field Under Repair

1600 Park Master Plan

• The field at 1600 Park is scheduled to open in the Spring of 2013
  
  
• Mama Johnson Field will be turfed by end of summer.  This will enable it to be used more efficiently than the current grass field

Parking:

• Municipal Garages:
  The wait lists have been eliminated!
  
  
• Visitor Parking Permits:
  Many residents are not aware that the Parking Utility sells scratch-off hang tags for individual day use. The scratch-off hang tags cost $5. You can purchase up to 7 hang tags and keep them on hand for when a visitor comes to town.
  
  To purchase daily Visitor parking permits you need need the same proof of residency used for  Residential parking permit. 
  
  Visitors cannot park on the resident only side of the street, but they can park on the other side for over 4 hours.
  
  
• “Extended Parking Zones":
  This permits residents to park 15 feet from crosswalks on “outbound” street segments and 25 feet from crosswalks on “inbound” street segments during certain times.
  
  “Outbound” and “inbound” street segments are the portions of the street that permit a vehicle to drive away from and towards an intersection, respectively.
  
  Parking in “Extended Parking Zones” is not permitted between the hours of 7am and 7pm on days when public schools are in session.
  
  To maintain clearance for emergency response vehicles, any vehicle parked closer than 15 feet from a crosswalk is subject to a summons and towing if it is determined that it could impact emergency response time. Please refer to the diagram below for examples of parking that is permitted versus not permitted.   
  
  

Benches on Washington Street:
I have worked with one of the city's planners to identify certain benches on Washington Street that would better serve residents and visitors by having them face away from the street rather than facing parked cars. The City has begun to turn around benches and the feedback has been positive.

Distribution & Posting of Flyers:
As many of you know, I have been advocating for better enforcement of the distribution and posting of flyers. The current ordinance is being changed to read more clearly. Thank you to all the businesses who have stopped and to all the constituents and other residents for their help with this matter. If you do see a flyer on a car, posted to a tree or on a utility poll, please take it down and notify me with the details.


Thank you for your time.

Please contact me with any thoughts or concerns.

Jen Giattino
6th Ward City Councilwoman

Visit JenForCityCouncil.com

Look for the "Sign up"  link below to receive future 6th Ward News & Info!

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Update from Jen Giattino on Parks and Quality of Life Issues

Fund For a Better Waterfront Update on the Monarch Project

Here is an update from the Fund For a Better Waterfront on the Monarch Project ....

Board hearing for Monarch pier project postponed (yet again)  (May 1, 2012) Originally scheduled for March, then April and most recently May 1, the new hearing date for the high-rise towers proposed for a pier at the Shipyard project is now slated for Tuesday night, June 5. On February 17, 2012, Hoboken's planner Eileen Banyra submitted her report to  the Hoboken Planning Board with a long list of items that needed to be addressed by the developers, including the need to apply for variances. For the past two months, the developers have failed to respond to Banyra's report other than to claim that no variances are required. The Fund for a Better Waterfront (FBW) and the Tea Building Condo Association have retained a planner who will testify on their behalf and their lawyers are gearing up for the June hearing.   Read more: Can the Walkway be a 'street'? and Shipyard's plan to privatize pier.     On May 23, County Board of Freeholders to hear Monarch appeal On February 22, the Hudson County Planning Board stunned the Monarch developers with a 6 to 2 "no" vote, rejecting their application. A long list of speakers, mostly from the adjacent Tea Building, testified in opposition to the project. For the past 20 years, FBW has opposed private development on Hoboken piers due to the fact that it would destroy the City's opportunity to create a continuous public park for the entire length of Hoboken's waterfront.     On March 29, the Barrys filed their appeal of the County Planning Board decision. The Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders will be making a determination as to whether or not to uphold the decision of its Planning Board. This special meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 23 at 6 p.m. at 567 Pavonia Avenue in Jersey City. Also on appeal by the City, FBW and Tea Building, is the State Departmental of Environmental Protection's granting of a waterfront permit for this project. The City has also filed suit against the developers for failing to abide by a developer's agreement from 1997 to create open space and tennis courts on this same pier as per the Hoboken Planning Board approvals and state permit at that time.   Read more: County 'no' vote and FBW challenges state approval. Be Generous | Be in Touch | Be Sociable Go to the footer on our homepage for quick links so you can be involved with Fund for a Better Waterfront, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Please donate, volunteer, subscribe to this newsletter and "like us" on Facebook. Individual donors and volunteers have been our most important and dependable source of support since we began in 1990.

"We believe that successful waterfronts begin with good urban planning, intelligent design and an understanding that the water's edge belongs to the public." Fund for a Better Waterfront  |  P.O. Box 1965  |  Hoboken, NJ  07030 201.217.0500  |  fbw@betterwaterfront.org  |  betterwaterfront.org

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Fund For a Better Waterfront Update on the Monarch Project

HOHA 5 Mile Classic Run May 13th - Get Registered Early and Save

Here is a great event for a good cause, The HOHA 5 Mile Classic Run. Proceeds go to the Jubilee Center:

Hoboken runners, be sure and get registered for the longest running race in Hoboken currently, The HOHA Five Mile Classic...

THE MOTHER OF ALL ROAD RACES RETURNS

Exciting HOHA 5 Mile Classic is back for its 14^th Running

with new kids run and Baby Jogger Jaunt May 13th in Hoboken

The Longest Running Race in Hoboken returns for its 14^th running on May 13, and with it, fun and new features that will have everyone running to Hoboken as their Mother’s Day destination.

Joining the 5 Mile Run will be a newly formatted kids run with prizes and a 1.5 Mile Baby Jogger Jaunt (an event exclusively for runners pushing strollers). Before the events, participants can enjoy a cardio and stretching warm-up session and after, flowers, light snacks and live music. For the first time runners will be able to register as teams.

“Whether you’re a mom or if you want to run for your mom, this year’s 5 Mile Classic is the perfect day and way to celebrate Mother’s Day,” says HOHA president, Mona Lopez. “The race course winds along the scenic Hoboken waterfront and provides tons of dining opportunities for families and extended families to spend the rest of the day dining or exploring Hoboken.”

The Race Day schedule includes:

• 8:30 AM Cardio kickoff
• 9 AM 1.5 Mile Baby Jogger Jaunt
• 9:30 AM Kids Fun Run
• 10 AM 5 Mile Race

Post Race events include flowers for finishers, live music and light snacks on the waterfront on Pier A at the Finish Festival area. Out of town runners can sign up for access to showers at Club H Fitness to make the most of their day in Hoboken.

To celebrate the day, participants can share “Why Moms Rock” at www.facebook/hoha.com.

Proceeds from the race benefit the Jubilee Center, a non-denominational community center in Hoboken that provides after school youth programs.

Register today at www.hoha.net. Advance on-line registrations accepted through May 9. Single registration for the 5 Mile Race is $22 in advance, $25 on race day. Advance registration for combo run of 5 Mile Race and Baby Jogger Jaunt Run is $30. Fun Run race registration is $5 in advance and on race day.

Advance online registration and applications will be available until May 9^th. Mail-in pdf of applications for each of the Baby-jogger jaunt and the 5 Mile and Fun Run are available at the HOHA website, and they need to be postmarked by May 5. Applications are also available now at local Hoboken stores - Fleet Feet Running Store, located at 604 Washington Street, or Hoboken Golf, 125 Grand Street – where they will be accepted (cash or check only please – no credit cards).

T-shirts will be provided to runners while supplies last. Runners who pre-register are guaranteed a shirt. In the 5 Mile Classic, awards will be given to the overall top male and female finishers and the top three male and female finishers across 10-year age group categories. For more information, see www.hoha.net. El Bambi Baby will award a gift to the top finisher in the Baby Jogger Jaunt.

About HOHA

The Hoboken Harriers Running Club, founded in 1988, is a diverse group of runners and joggers from in and around Hoboken, New Jersey. The Club, known as the HOHAs, provides runners with camaraderie and support as well as a social component through sponsoring various social and charitable events annually.

The Hoboken Harriers running club conducts runs six days a week, with the most popular runs on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights. Runners of all abilities are welcome - please contact us if you have an interest in running. We do recommend that you attend a Tuesday night run for your first run with the Club.

Consult the HOHA run schedule on our web site, and feel free to come and run with us. Visit www.hoha.net for more information. ◦

HOHA 5 Mile Classic Run May 13th - Get Registered Early and Save

Another Sentencing Over the Case of the Missing Million Dollar Quarters

Toms River Man Whose Company Collected Coins From Hoboken Parking Meters entenced To Prison For Stealing Over $1 Million

Former city parking utility director [John Corea] previously sentenced to prison in theft case

TRENTON – Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa announced that a Toms River contractor whose company was hired by the City of Hoboken to collect coins from city parking meters was sentenced to state prison today for stealing over $1 million in parking revenues.

Brian A. Petaccio, 52, of Toms River, the owner of United Textile Fabricators LLC, was sentenced to five years in state prison by Superior Court Judge Francis R. Hodgson Jr. in Ocean County. Petaccio pleaded guilty on Sept. 30, 2009 to an accusation charging him with second-degree theft by unlawful taking for stealing approximately $1,175,000 in coins from Hoboken’s parking meters between June 2005 and April 2008. After an audit in 2007 uncovered parking revenue shortfalls, Petaccio and his company returned approximately $575,000 to the city. However, Petaccio admitted, in pleading guilty, that he diverted an additional $600,000 that was not reported to the city.

On April 2, 2012, John P. Corea, 48, former director of the Hoboken Parking Utility, was sentenced to seven years in state prison, including three years of parole ineligibility, by Judge Hodgson. Corea pleaded guilty to second-degree official misconduct, admitting that he became aware that Petaccio and United Textile had stolen a large amount of the city’s parking revenues, but did not take any steps to stop the thefts or notify the city. Corea also admitted that he steered three separate no-bid contracts to United Textile to collect, count and manage the coins from the city’s parking meters, and made false statements to the city council about the qualifications and experience of the company, which is a coin-operated arcade game manufacturer.

Corea and Petaccio were each ordered to pay $300,000 to the City of Hoboken in restitution for the $600,000 in revenue that was stolen from the city by Petaccio and not previously repaid.

Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey J. Manis prosecuted the case and handled the sentencing for the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau. The charges resulted from an investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice and the New Jersey State Police. The investigation was conducted by Detective Sgt. Peter Layng of the State Police Official Corruption Bureau North Unit, and Sgt. Lisa Shea, Deputy Attorney General Manis, Deputy Attorney General Perry Primavera, and Administrative Analyst Kathleen Ratliff of the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau.

Link to Release: http://www.nj.gov/oag/newsreleases12/pr20120427b.html

Editor's Comment: To some this might be the conclusion of the case of the missing quarters at Hoboken HPU, but to this editor questions still remain is to who knew what and when. When Terry Castellano boldly stated at a City Council meeting, "It's all cleared up" , we should have known then to smell a rat and fast forward to 2011-2012, we know now that rat was indeed there and it has been sentenced. Its kind of a fat rat who was living off the fat of Hoboken for quite some time. Interestingly, under Ian Sacs , the new HPU Director parking revenues are way up so I think its quite possible we are talking about more than a million dollars in revenue that was missing. Quite possible. No wonder why the Russos are so upset with Ian Sacs. He was upsetting a potential revenue stream. Key word is potential.

The question is how many more rats were at this "Quarter Party", and what was their knowledge and involvement? If "Quarter- Gate" has the potential to teach us anything, its not just the crime, its the coverup. ◦

Another Sentencing Over the Case of the Missing Million Dollar Quarters

Space Shuttle Flyby Hoboken this Morning- One Word Spectacular!

This morning, the Space Shuttle Enterprise flew by Hoboken on its way to JFK airport. It will become part of the Intrepid Museum's displays later this Summer. Below are a few photos of the flyby in Hoboken and a video.

Video- Space Shuttle Enterprise Flyby Hoboken 4-27-2012:



More coverage is on my other website: www.theboken.com.

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Space Shuttle Flyby Hoboken this Morning- One Word Spectacular!

Great News from City Councilman Ravi Bhalla! Hoboken 2012 Budget Adopted!

Ravi sent the constituents of Hoboken this note about the passage of the budget...

 

Dear Friends,

I hope 2012 has been treating you and your family very well. I write to share some exciting news regarding our City's financial condition and recent progress in delivering more parks and open space in Hoboken.

2012 Budget Passed

For the fourth consecutive time, under the steady leadership of our Mayor Dawn Zimmer, Hoboken taxpayers have benefited from a tax decrease in the municipal portion of our tax bill. In this rough economic climate, this accomplishment is virtually unprecedented in the State of New Jersey. And we did it without having to lay off a single police or fire officer. The New Jersey Star Ledger has recognized Hoboken as standing out among all other towns in Hudson County in achieving a double digit decrease in municipal taxes from prior years.

We were able to achieve substantial tax relief despite the best efforts of some members of the City Council to obstruct Hoboken's progress towards fiscal honesty and responsibility. Over the last few Council meetings, some of my colleagues have been kicking and screaming in protest. But what constructive ideas have they put on the table? None. All I have heard from them is that we need to hire more police officers and other vague platitudes. But I ask you: how will increasing the size of our police department reduce the size of the budget and offer tax relief? It will only obstruct, not advance, this objective with no guarantees of enhanced public safety. The hypocrisy of those who want smaller government but a larger police and fire department is nothing less than astounding.

So how has Mayor Zimmer achieved this success? I quote my esteemed colleague, Vice President Peter Cunningham, who recently stated, "We are proud of the way we did it. Honestly. Sustainably. No tricks or gimmicks. We cut taxes while preserving needed services and reserving 3.6% of the budget for unexpected costs."

My friends, this is honest and effective government at work, and we should all commend Mayor Zimmer for the stellar results she has produced so far. I also wish to commend her entire financial and legal team, Vice President Cunningham, and my council colleagues David Mello, Carol Marsh and Jennifer Giattino for working together to move Hoboken forward.

Parks & Open Space

Mayor Zimmer has called 2012 "The Year of Parks" in Hoboken, and we are making substantial progress in delivering more open space and park space for both children and adults. The Sinatra Soccer Field construction has begun and is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2012. The City of Hoboken recently filed a lawsuit to stop the Monarch project, an offensive development initiative to build 12 story residential towers on a crumbling pier in the northeast part of Hoboken. Just last week two new parks, Legion Park and a pocket park on Jefferson Street were renovated and opened to the public. The Jackson Street Park was also recently re-opened for use. Finally, we are also moving forward on developing 1600 Park and the Hoboken Cove in the northern end of town. There is much more that is being done, but I can assure you that we are doing everything we can to preserve and develop more open space in Hoboken for the use and enjoyment of all of our residents.

Personal Notes

You probably have not heard from me for several months because of some significant personal changes in my life. My wife and I recently moved from the Shipyard community, where I enjoyed living for about 12 years, to a home on Garden Street near the Brandt School. Most significantly, earlier this year we had our second child, a beautiful baby boy named Shabegh Singh Bhalla. It is truly a joy to have a new little addition to our family.

As always, if you have any concerns, questions, or require assistance, I am only a phone call or email away. You can reach me at 201-647-6090 or rbhalla@hobokennj.org I hope to hear from you soon!

All the best,

Ravi S. Bhalla

City Council President

City of Hoboken

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Great News from City Councilman Ravi Bhalla! Hoboken 2012 Budget Adopted!

Hoboken Parking Utility Eliminates Wait List at Municipal Garages

Here is another accomplishment coming out of City Hall that should benefit some motorists in Hoboken...

HOBOKEN PARKING UTILITY (HPU) ELIMINATES WAIT LIST AT MUNICIPAL GARAGES

Residents can now enjoy instant access to garage parking

The Hoboken Parking Utility (HPU) announced today that the well-known waiting lists for parking in municipal garages that have forced Hoboken residents to wait for years at a time to get in have finally been eliminated. The successful sale of Hoboken University Medical Center cleared the way for residents to find relief from the most notorious waiting list of all at Midtown garage.

"When I took this job, I was handed a wait list for garages that in some cases was over 200 people and nearly three years long,” said Transportation and Parking Director Ian Sacs “After two years of careful management, organizational changes, and creative thinking from my staff, we can proudly say there is no longer a wait for anyone who wants to park in a municipal garage!”

The HPU manages five municipal parking structures. In 2009, four of five parking facilities had extremely long waiting lists while one was “under-parked.” While some garages have availability limited to certain options, everyone who wishes to park in a municipal garage may now do so.

Corrective actions to eliminate the wait lists included eliminating unauthorized/undocumented parking accounts in an early audit of all facilities, standardizing application and wait list procedures, rigorous tracking of occupancy statistics, creation of new options that better meet the needs of customers, clearer documentation about availability, and re-balancing parking to better match supply and demand throughout all facilities.

One of the most important changes to address the mismatch between supply and demand at municipal garages has been the introduction of the “Monthly Limited” parking option for Hoboken residents. This option is designed for residents who commute with their cars to work each day; they enjoy a 30% discount on the standard rate in return for committing to be out of the garage between 10am and 4pm on weekdays. As of March 2012, about 140 residents are signed up for that option.

This year, the HPU plans to upgrade the elevators and stairwells in all garages and address needed structural improvements, pending City Council approval of a bond ordinance. ◦

Hoboken Parking Utility Eliminates Wait List at Municipal Garages

Reminder: Southwest Redevelopment Hearing Tonight - Please Attend

Below is a reminder form City Councilman Dave Mello on tonight's important SW Development hearing starting at 7pm....

Southwest Redevelopment Hearing Tonight - Please Attend

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

If you are at all interested in providing a smart growth future of our Southwest neighborhood, please attend our next Southwest Redevelopment Planning Board hearing TONIGHT at 7:00 PM at our Multi Service Center.  The bulk of tonight's meeting will center upon questioning by the legal representation of various property owners in the Southwest study area of our Planning Board professionals who wrote the study being considered.

The Multi Service Center is located at the SW corner of 2nd and Grand Streets.

Just showing your face for a few minutes will send a strong message to our planning officials and representatives that you take the responsible planning of our Southwest neighborhood very seriously, and expect that our Planning Board will do likewise.

I hope to see you there,

David Mello
Hoboken City Councilman at Large

The City of Hoboken, NJ 07030
cell: 917-699-1312
web: MelloForHoboken.com
twitter: @djmello




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Reminder: Southwest Redevelopment Hearing Tonight - Please Attend