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Daniel Levin

Superintendent Walker Doubts JC Schools Will Reopen Before November

August 31, 2020/in Education, header, Latest News, News /by Daniel Levin

At the Jersey City School Board meeting this past Thursday evening, Superintendent Walker cast doubt that Jersey City’s schools would reopen before November.

“My concerns are that if we are out in September, there is a good chance we will be out in October as well,” the superintendent said. He added that if they do decide in September that the schools will reopen, it will still take weeks to put things in place:

“There is a good chance with us not going back in September it probably means we will not go back until November, if we go back. If we do not go back in November, we could be out till January. Our position is to err on the side of caution when it comes to the safety and welfare of our children.”

Superintendent Walker also spoke about scheduling and other matters.

There will be a “hybrid schedule for staff and possible furlough for others,” he noted, and class schedules would be posted on the district’s website. Teachers will take attendance at the start of each class and, as requested by parents, all schools will have “a nurse and an assistant.” The superintendent also reported that terminal pay for retirees had been approved by the board and would be released.

The meeting also featured remarks by Victor Pennetta, whose company, Pennetta Industrial Automation, has been brought in by the district to address concerns over ventilation in the schools.  Pennetta said that the board had “kept up with code” over bring fresh air into classrooms and other spaces in the schools including the older buildings over the years. He noted that each classroom has ventilation equipment that brings in the legally requisite amount of fresh air and has an exhaust system that pulls the inside air out.

“We are constantly bringing in fresh air, and we are  constantly purging classrooms,” Pannetta said. “The air goes through a filtering system before being distributed. When reducing students in the space, the ventilation will be much better, and there will be additional ventilation and exhaust. They have been going through the buddings with Facilities [the Facilities Department] making sure systems are up to snuff, and so far everything has been pretty good.”

Finally, the meeting featured discussion about when the school board should meet next. Board member Mussab Ali asked whether the next meeting, which is slated for September 24, should be moved up to give parents more notice should the district decide to reopen schools in October. Given the length of time needed to prepare for reopening and the fact that it is already late August, Superintendent said that the next meeting could indeed remain September 24.

The next virtual Jersey City School Board meeting will be held Thursday, September 24, at 6 p.m.

For past coverage of Jersey City School Board meetings, please click here.

 

 

 

Jersey City Times Staff

Murphy to Allow Indoor Restaurant Dining on Friday

August 31, 2020/in Food And Drink, header, Latest News /by Jersey City Times Staff

Make your reservations now! Starting Friday, dining al fresco will be optional in New Jersey.  This morning Governor Phil Murphy tweeted the following:

“Restaurants statewide will be able to open for indoor dining beginning this FRIDAY at 25% capacity and with social distancing between tables. Reopening responsibly will help us restore one of our state’s key industries while continuing to make progress against #COVID19.”

Unsurprisingly, Eric Speck, co-owner of the Downtown hot spot Pet Shop, approves of the move.  “As a restaurant and bar, we are excited to initiate limited indoor dining, especially as our patrons look to move inside during the colder months. We think the guidelines the state put forth seem reasonable and we plan to make the safety of our staff and patrons the utmost priority.”

Bill Gray, co-owner of Light Horse Tavern, reports that  “lots of neighbors are excited that the restaurant can reopen. Everyone misses the Light Horse Tavern Meatloaf.”

It’s been a long time in coming.  It was on March 16th, as the seriousness of the pandemic became clear, that Governor Murphy closed restaurants for eat-in dining.  See video.

 

Jersey City Times Staff

Council Meeting Ends in Defeat for Police De-funders

August 28, 2020/in header, Latest News, News /by Jersey City Times Staff

In a contentious virtual city council meeting on Tuesday that lasted close to nine hours, Jersey City residents sounded off on the administration’s $658 million 2020 municipal budget. And sound off they did, with a majority of speakers criticizing both the scheduling of the meeting and the the fact that the budget would make minimal cuts from the Department of Public Safety while making vastly larger cuts to the Departments of Health and Human Services and Youth Development and Recreation.

Earlier in the month, Mayor Fulop had lauded his proposed budget for “plugging a gaping budget hole” caused by $50 million in revenue losses coupled with $20 million in added expenses related to Covid-19.  In the same press release, the mayor highlighted “approximately $25 million in immediate and long-term savings from voluntary employee buyouts, hiring freezes, restructuring personnel, elimination of overtime costs, reassessment of operational efficiencies, healthcare cost reevaluation, program inventory assessments, reducing and eliminating operating costs and contracts, internal audits, and debt restructuring.” With these cuts, the mayor said, residents would be spared a “tax increase.” Left unsaid, however, was an impending hike in school taxes brought about by cuts in state aid and a drop in revenue from a city payroll tax.

At Tuesday’s meeting, property taxes and the niceties of budget balancing were far from uppermost in speakers’ minds. The perception that the mayor and his council supporters were attempting to ram through a bloated appropriation for the police department at the expense of social justice for Black and brown people in Jersey City raised the ire of many.

Jenny King’s remarks were typical. “The timing of this meeting at 2 p.m., which was called four days ago, is unfair and inconvenient to Jersey City residents who are unable to make the time to speak in the middle of a weekday.” Jena Lichtenstein went further, telling the council, “You should be ashamed of yourselves. I’m deeply disappointed that this vote is taking place at 2 p.m. on a workday at a meeting called as hastily as the council rules of order allow.”

But if the timing of the budget hearing caused consternation amongst administration critics, a proposal by councilmen Rolando Lavarro, Jr. and James Solomon to redirect $5 million in savings away from the Jersey City Public Safety Department and into housing assistance, youth jobs, and community-staffed anti-violence initiatives was enthusiastically supported by those same speakers.

Pamela Johnson, Executive Directory of the Jersey City Anti-Violence Coalition was one.  “The $5 million are pennies in the grand scheme of things … the South Side is already over-policed, and that hasn’t prevented one single act of violence … homicides have taken place while police are sitting in their cars on the corner.” She went on: “Is policing the only answer?  Because if it is, we are truly in trouble. We are in no better position because of more police. Police have not been defunded yet, and yet [violent incidents and drug dealing] are happening and continue to happen.”  But, she added, “defunding doesn’t mean abolishing.” Activist Frank “Educational” Gilmore called the 42% cut to the recreation budget “almost criminal.”

Brian Long argued that “when you cut from youth services and recreation and … bring the total [number of police] to 950, a number which is double the median of cities our size … the answer becomes clear … this budget does not help the people of this city especially its most vulnerable communities … members of this council love to say that we can fund the police and the communities, and yet time after time you defund the communities, you defund education, you defund youth services, but you always seem to fund the police.”

Police union president Carmine Disbrow was having none of it. Claiming that the police had been “outgunned” by terrorists during the kosher market siege in December, he warned  that the budget cuts proposed by Lavarro and Solomon would make it less likely that police protection would be there in the future. He credited the police with keeping protests over the killing of George Floyd peaceful, claiming that it was evidence of the “important bonds” the police have built with “the communities they serve.”

Retired detective Mark Rizzoli held nothing back.  “Councilman Solomon, you’re clearly a socialist.”  Lavarro and Solomon, he said, were “giving in to the mob and the criminal element.”

Speaking as a rookie Jersey City policewoman, Christina Freeman tried to strike a balance. “Am I for defunding the police department?  The answer is no. And it’s not because I’m a police officer. It’s because I grew up in Ward F. We’re already defunded. Our stuff at the academy—we pay for. The equipment we wear—we pay for.  The only thing the city provides for us is the radio, the badge, and the bullet proof vest, which isn’t adequately fit for females. Am I for social services here in Jersey City? Absolutely. We need drug rehab. Do we need recreation for the children? Yes.” Citing the effect of potential cuts on new police officers she added, “I survive on $1,200 every two weeks. I can make more working at McDonald’s. I took an oath. I love my city. As far as people saying that the police don’t live here in the city? It’s a lot of us that do.”

John Boamah, a police officer living in Ward F and a member of Blacks in Law Enforcement Servicing the Community, argued that cuts to the budget would harm minority cops. “We’ve had so many officers come on the job from the community who are making a difference. I understand that we’re not popular, I get it.” But, he continued, “There is so much wasteful spending, these bike lanes. For so long the city has had problems finding funding for kids programs. Give us a Boys and Girls Club in Ward F.”

When the speakers had finished, Councilman Solomon made the argument in favor of his amendment. “At the end of the day this budget only offers one solution to the issue [of violence and disinvestment], and it doesn’t offer anything else.” He cited jobs and mentoring programs from Chicago and Philadelphia that that have caused drops in violence by 30% to 50%. “There is incredible evidence that [these programs] will reduce violence. Investment leads to that safer community we all want.” He cited Newark, which has allocated 5% to anti-violence community groups, as an example to emulate. He then warned that it would be no easier in the future to fund these programs with declining payroll taxes, state budget cuts, tax appeals, and declining PILOT income.

For his part, Councilman Lavarro pushed back against “gaslighting and fear mongering” by the amendment’s critics. He cited a petition signed by 800 people in support. He asserted that the amendment wouldn’t lead to cuts of personnel or the raiding of pensions as some critics had charged. “Why are these investments so important?” he went on. “Police don’t prevent crime.  They react to crime. I’ll be the first to say that it’s a damn shame that we don’t provide funding for uniforms and guns [for the police]. We also need to give people what they need. We need to invest in the community. I will not give up the fight.”

Like his colleagues, Councilman Daniel Rivera commended the amendment’s intent but voted against it. Citing increases in crime in New York City and Chicago, he explained his vote. “I wasn’t a fan of defunding the police department. I’m very passionate about it.” He added, however, that “I wish we could have more solid discussions. Let’s start in November to really engage with these conversations we want to have.”

Councilwoman Denise Ridley pointed to the need for better relations between the police and the community. “A vote on this budget does not mean we don’t believe that Black lives matter. I’m Black. I would be crazy not to believe that my life matters. I believe that the residents of Ward A support the budget overall and definitely have been calling for more and more and more police in the area.”

Council president Joyce Waterman noted that because of the killing of George Floyd, “people are paying attention and want cuts.” She agreed that there is a need “to expand mental health, recreation and anti-violence … I work with people who are less fortunate. I live with racism, so what makes you think I don’t want to combat it?” But, she added, “I know one thing, you don’t want to demonize all police officers.”

Councilman Jermaine Robinson agreed on the need for more services.  “We need to take care of the kids.” Then, offering a mild critique of some callers, he added, “I’ve heard a lot about the Black and brown communities. I want to know if you’ve gone out and talked to the Black and brown communities. I’m there every single day. They’re all trying to find police officers. We have to sit down, and we have to make this plan.”

Councilwoman Mira Prinz-Arey called the Solomon-Lavarro amendment “well intentioned” and urged the council to begin work on the issues it raised sooner for next year’s budget.

Councilman Yousef Saleh explained that “as well intentioned as it is, it doesn’t really address the pervasive issues in the Heights. The vast majority of residents in the Heights want the police. I personally would like to see more police in the Heights. A lot of calls go unanswered.”

Councilman Boggiano complained that many inaccurate statements were made about policing and offered to meet with police department critics.

In the end, the Solomon-Lavarro amendment was voted down 7-2.  The budget passed 6-2-1, with Councilman Saleh abstaining.

At 10:49 pm, a meeting that started at 2 pm ended.

 

Four protesters with placards at rally to protest police brutality
Jersey City Times Staff

Fulop Supports Civilian Complaint Review Board

August 26, 2020/in header, Latest News, News /by Jersey City Times Staff

In a Facebook post this morning, Mayor Steven Fulop came out in favor of state legislation that would enable the creation of civilian complaint review boards with subpoena power to investigate police misconduct.  Just last week, the New Jersey Supreme Court held that under current law, such boards cannot be invested with subpoena power. Jersey City councilman James Solomon and community groups have called for creation of a civilian complaint review board in the wake of a melee on Bostwick Avenue earlier this year and the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Fulop’s Facebook post reads:

“I do feel there should be a Civilian Review Board of police departments that has subpoena powers and can provide responsible oversight. I’m asking the Governor/State Legislature to amend the state law to allow this. The reality is that if an individual is allowed to have the significant powers of policing that include carrying a gun, sirens on a car, and enforcing the laws – then they should be subject to move accountability and not less. In NJ we have a patch work of laws that hides accountability/visibility in police departments and this needs to change.”
Jersey City Times Staff

New Proposed New Jersey Budget Features Baby Savings Bonds

August 26, 2020/in header, Latest News, News /by Jersey City Times Staff

Governor Phil Murphy today released his revised budget proposal for fiscal year 2021 (FY 2021) including savings bonds for select newborns, cuts across state government, increased taxes, emergency borrowing, and additional plans to invest federal funding received to date to help close a nearly $6 billion budget hole as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Besides setting off an unprecedented public health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic also unleashed an economic crisis that can only be rivaled by two other times in our state’s entire 244-year history: the Great Depression and the Civil War,” said Governor Murphy. “Over the past few months, we have learned hard lessons but also important lessons: that the old answers won’t fix the new problems, and that the old status quo didn’t work for too many New Jerseyans. We must now have the unavoidable conversation about what it means to not only see our state through this emergency but what we will look like when we emerge from it.”

“This budget proposal is not simply about getting New Jersey back to where it used to be but moving forward to where we need to be by building a new economy that grows our middle class and works for every single family while asking the wealthiest among us to pay their fair share in taxes,” said Governor Murphy.

The revised budget was proposed six months to the day after the Governor originally laid out his FY 2021 budget proposal.  Since then, COVID-19 has ravaged New Jersey from both a public health and an economic standpoint, prompting the state to move important April tax filing deadlines to July and extend the fiscal year from the traditional June 30 ending to September 30. As a result, the revised budget unveiled today addresses spending for only the nine-month period from October 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021.

For the traditional 12-month fiscal year, decreased revenue collections left the state facing a $5.7 billion shortfall over what was projected during the Governor’s Budget Message (GBM) in February. The Governor’s proposed budget relies on a series of solutions to help close this gap and protect many shared priorities. As a result, the Governor’s revised budget overwhelmingly preserves many core state programs:

  • It does not cut K-12 aid, post-secondary tuition assistance, or operating aid for senior public colleges and universities;
  • It restores funding for the Homestead Benefit and Senior Freeze property tax relief programs and does not decrease core municipal aid; and
  • It does not impose new burdens on Medicaid recipients or curb the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC).

The Covid-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted low income communities and communities of color. The Governor’s budget recognizes those impacts and protects core programs to aid those communities in their recovery. The revised budget proposal also includes targeted growth to address long-standing disparities and ensure that the recovery includes all New Jerseyans.

Notably, the budget includes a new proposal advanced at the federal level by Senator Cory Booker and prominent economists to launch a statewide “baby bonds” initiative. This program would provide a $1,000 savings bond for the approximately 72,000 infants born in 2021 into families whose income is less than 500 percent of the federal poverty level, or $131,000 for a family of four. When these residents turn 18, they can withdraw these funds to help them pursue higher education, buy a home, start a business, or pursue other wealth-generating activities. This will assist three of four children born in New Jersey.

In addition, the budget calls for an investment of $60 million into the Clean Water and Drinking Water programs to ensure safe and modern water infrastructure statewide and it increases the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to 40 percent while proposing to expand EITC eligibility to assist tens of thousands more young adults.

The budget also includes a nearly $4.9 billion contribution to bolster the state pension system, which equals 80 percent of the Actuarially Determined Contribution (ADC) and represents the largest percentage of the ADC contributed in 25 years.  Additionally, it includes a robust $2.2 billion surplus, which represents 5.59 percent of appropriations over the 12-month period.  The Governor is committed to maintaining this surplus to address the very real possibility of another shutdown due to a resurgence of the novel coronavirus.

The Administration was able to protect these priorities, in part, by tightening state spending while making sure budget cuts were targeted and not draconian in nature in order to avoid the same pitfalls that stymied recovery during the Great Recession. Governor Murphy’s revised budget proposal includes $1.25 billion in spending reductions across all executive state departments including: Medicaid solutions proposed by DHS totaling $336 million; DOC’s inmate population management initiative and other reductions totaling $59 million; and $66 million in solutions proposed by DCF, which will help fund the increased investment in the Children’s System of Care.

In order to curtail painful budget cuts and limit the size of emergency borrowing, the Governor is also proposing a variety of progressive tax policy changes that are estimated to yield just over a billion dollars for the nine-month FY 2021 period including:

  • Imposing the millionaire’s tax on all income above $1 million;
  • Permanently incorporating the 2.5 percent corporation surcharge;
  • Restoring the sales tax on limousines;
  • Removing the tax cap on boats; and
  • Applying a 5 percent surcharge to high-income individuals with federally Qualified Business Income (QBI) who have benefited from a regressive new deduction for pass-through entities created under the 2017 federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

The Governor remains committed to tax fairness and ensuring that most fortunate among us—millionaires and large corporations—pay their fair share.

The proposed budget also includes $4 billion in borrowing to help address the massive economic fallout created by COVID-19 and better position the state to weather future public health and economic uncertainties. The proposed loan amount must first be approved by the legislative Select Commission on Emergency COVID-19 Borrowing.

Additionally, the Governor’s revised budget proposal details the major recovery efforts the Murphy Administration has launched using a combination of federal and state funds.

Additional details on spending plans for the full $2.39 billion in aid from the Coronavirus Relief Fund as well as the other components of the governor’s revised FY 2021 budget proposal may be found online here.For a one-page summary of the governor’s budget proposal, please click here.

For other coverage of the state’s economic recovery from Covid-19, click here.

Ron Leir

Developer Proposes Recreation Center Next to Berry Lane Park

August 26, 2020/in Bergen Lafayette, header, Latest News, News /by Ron Leir

Project Would be Part of 17-Story Residential High-Rise

Jersey City could get its first municipal recreation center within the next couple of years as part of a deal being offered by nearby real estate developers.

The facility, a 22,000-square-foot, two-story structure, will include a gym, a rock climbing wall, a sauna, dance studios, music studios, and a food concession. For the more studious it will also feature computer labs and classrooms for STEM instruction. Adjacent to the center will be a 14,000-square foot structure accommodating eight “incubator” commercial working spaces for minority business enterprises (MBEs) anchored by two private retail businesses. Parts of the project will be 17 stories high.

The public package is part of a giveback pitch offered by a North Bergen-based developer seeking Jersey City’s approvals for construction of “Morris Canal Park Manor,” a 3.3-acre, 361-unit residential high-rise and parking garage that would border Berry Lane Park at Communipaw Avenue and Woodward Street in Ward F.

No tax abatements are being sought by the developer, and the part of the property dedicated to what has been tentatively called the Frederick Douglass STEM Recreation Center, valued at $900,000, will be deeded to the city.

As for the residential part of the project, the developer, Skyline Development Group, anticipates that 18 units will be designated as “affordable” as defined by federal income standards; the balance will be market rate.  Skyline’s most recent project is the Solaia, a 70-unit, 14-story condominium tower off River Road in North Bergen which just “topped off,” real-estate lingo for having had its highest story built.

The proposed Jersey City venture, whose development cost is projected to be $175 million, would displace the sprawling MacElroy Steel Co., a 150-year-old business specializing in fabricating steel parts for marine operations and, according to Skyline CEO Lou Mont, that had made the bolts for the George Washington Bridge.

Part of the business is still functioning, Mont said.

According to Mont, if the project is approved, Skyline would preserve one of the MacElroy structures—a two-story brick building fronting on Communipaw—to use as a temporary construction office and then convert it to a “market retail” business, possibly a bar and eatery.

The proposed garage would have a capacity for 284 spaces, including 40 reserved for members of the public using the center.

Mont said that test samples taken at the site showed no evidence of dangerous toxins but that there had been evidence of “some petroleum hot spots.” For this reason, some soil from the site has been removed and “a number of test wells” are being regularly monitored, Mont said.

“The only remaining issue,” according to Mont, “is that there is a minor amount of asbestos in three of the plant’s contiguous buildings that run along Woodward” that will need to be removed.

Also, to comply with environmental standards, Mont said Skyline will arrange for the project’s site to be capped with two feet of clean fill. With these measures, he added, the project “will easily meet the standards for residential development.”

The Church of God in Christ Temple, at the corner of Communipaw and Woodward, and two adjacent residential buildings would be spared from the wrecking ball if the project goes forward, Mont said.

Skyline’s plans call for a pathway through the middle of the Manor complex, leading from Communipaw to Berry Lane Park, along with a one-acre open space off of Woodward that could support such city-organized activities as  farmers’ markets or open-air concerts.

The site is a “federal opportunity zone but is currently zoned for industrial use. Mont said Skyline will ask the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency to consider amending the city’s redevelopment plan for the site to allow for residential and retail use. If the JCRA obliges, the proposed zoning change would go to the city council for ratification, and then the city planning board would be asked to schedule a site plan hearing, Mont said.

“We’re looking to spring or summer of 2021 to secure all our approvals,” he said. “We project this will be a two-year project, so summer 2023 would be the finish date. However, Mont added, once the project starts, “we anticipate the STEM/rec center to be completed ahead of the residential tower and MBE retail center.”

The residential tower features what Mont calls a “step down-tiered” design, calling for portions of the building to rise to varying elevations, from eight to 11 to 17 stories, as a means of being less intrusive on the surrounding neighborhood.

Ward F Councilman Jermaine Robinson said he welcomed the prospect of the city’s getting its first municipal rec complex. “I’ve always said children are our future, and while kids don’t vote, I feel I’m elected to be the voice of the voiceless. The big question is, ‘how do we fund this for the future?’ and the answer is probably going to be grants.”

Robinson said he’s already met with the city’s newly reorganized recreation division, representatives of the JCRA, and the city’s business administrator “to start the ball in motion” identifying grant programs that may be tapped.

As for the types of programs the city will be offering at the center, Robinson said: “The community is going to dictate what goes in there. I’m putting all hands on deck to get input on that.”

For more Ward F news, click here.

Jersey City Times Staff

400 Space Parking Deck Coming to Central Avenue

August 24, 2020/in header, Heights, Latest News, News /by Jersey City Times Staff

With support from The Heights community and the Central Avenue Special Improvement District (SID), the city announced today that it  is moving forward on the Request for Proposal (RFP) for a 7-story, mixed-use commercial and residential building to be constructed between Central and Cambridge Avenues. The plans include a multi-level public parking deck with 400 spaces to replace the existing surface lot.  The project was championed  by the late Ward D Councilman, Michael Yun, prior to his passing and is the first city project to create a parking facility since the turn of the century.  It is being built in a public/private partnership.

“The dream of having additional parking for the Central Avenue Business Community is getting closer to being a reality. This project has been over 20 years in the making,” said Gary Solomon, owner of Hauptman Floor Covering and founding member of the Central Avenue SID. “The Central Avenue merchants thank Mayor Fulop and the Planning Department for all of their hard work, ideas, and progress on this greatly needed improvement to our area.”

Incorporating the community’s feedback, in order to maximize foot traffic and minimize conflicts with traffic circulation on Central Avenue, vehicular access to the proposed parking deck will be facilitated from Cambridge Avenue. The site plans also include a 10,000 square foot pedestrian plaza – as originally proposed by the late Councilman, Michael Yun – to allow space for community events in the heart of The Heights.

The new structure will also be required to incorporate green infrastructure as part of the administration’s Resiliency Master Plan. The developer will incorporate innovative, cost-effective flood reduction and pollution solutions while promoting sustainable development through features such as a sustainable rooftop, solar panels, or an on-site common rooftop recreation space.

The Jersey City Planning Board will take up the parking deck proposal at the next meeting scheduled for August 25, 2020. From there, it requires City Council approval.

City Hall of Jersey City
Ron Leir

Councilmen Propose Cuts to Public Safety Budget

August 24, 2020/in header, Latest News, News /by Ron Leir

In what amounts to an 11th hour maneuver, two Jersey City councilmen are urging their colleagues to consider amending the 2020 municipal budget by diverting $5 million earmarked for public safety to “youth enrichment, housing and anti-violence initiatives.”

But the proposal is getting a chilly reception from Mayor Steve Fulop, and it’s unclear whether the council members will get enough support from their colleagues to push it through.

The city administration has scheduled a special city council meeting for Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 2 p.m., to adopt the budget. The entire budget is approximately $600 million, of which about $270 million would be raised through local taxation, with the balance coming from state and federal aid, grants, and other revenue sources.

Ward E Councilman James Solomon and Councilman At Large Rolando Lavarro issued a joint statement today proposing that the council redirect $5 million in projected savings from public safety “retirements and other employment separations” into alternate programs as follows:

  • $1.5 million to help fund city schools, replacing lost payroll tax revenue
  • $1 million to hire social workers and mental health professionals to work with local police officers
  • $1 million to restore cuts made to the city’s youth enrichment program for a fall youth jobs program
  • $1 million to the city’s Department of Housing, Economic Development & Commerce to fund the creation of a Right to Counsel program to help tenants avoid displacement and to bolster the Affordable Housing Trust Fund
  • $500,000 to fund “community-based violence prevention strategies”

Solomon said no layoffs of police or firefighters would result if the proposed amendment were adopted.

A review of municipal financial records showed, Solomon said, that the city could tap the money it would save from no longer having to pay 52 members of the police department and 25 members of the fire department who have either recently retired or left the city’s employ.

The proposed municipal budget, which was introduced in June, lists approximately $102 million in salaries for city cops in 2020, down from the roughly $106 million appropriated in 2019. The city anticipates spending $70.3 million in firefighter pay in 2020 up from the approximately $66.8 million budgeted last year.

Solomon said that in prior years Fulop used public safety employee retirement savings to fund massive amounts of police overtime and “patronage promotions.” Instead, he said, that money should be used to foster “police, community, and social service professionals all working together to build a safer city.”

Lavarro and Solomon griped that Mayor Steven Fulop gave council members little time to meet with city department heads and fiscal officers to conduct a thorough review of the city’s proposed spending plan, choosing instead to “rushing a last-minute August 25 daytime special meeting vote on his own amended municipal budget, which would slash youth services and provide no funding to community-based violence prevention strategies.”

Lavarro said: “Our country’s moral reckoning demands bold leadership to create a more equitable Jersey City. Mayor Fulop’s proposed budget fails to meet this moral moment. It fails to invest in Jersey City’s south side. It fails to invest in Jersey City’s black and brown communities.”

Lavarro termed the lawmakers’ proposal “a down payment on an equitable future for Jersey City.”

Asked for comment, mayoral spokesperson Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione issued this statement: “The mayor presented a balanced budget with no tax increase for residents while investing more in affordable housing and public safety. Inversely, there is no question that Councilmen Solomon and Lavarro’s proposal is exactly what they recommended before, which would result in police officer layoffs. It’s time for these two council people to stop playing politics with people’s safety.”

 

 

 

Tris McCall

Thank Trenton, Keep NJ Arts Alive

August 20, 2020/in Eye Level, header, Latest News, Performing Arts, Visual Arts /by Tris McCall

If you know an artist, chances are you know a person who is hurting.

Theaters have been closed. Live music has been sporadic. Some galleries have opened for limited hours; others have kept their doors shut. Artists have scrambled to adapt to the new exigencies of life during the pandemic, but every shift online has been painful to those accustomed to congregation. Those who rely on the enthusiasm of crowds have been left out in the cold.

Arts organizations aren’t simply worried about funding. They’re worried about survival.

“In a crisis like this, the arts are the first thing to shut down,” says Ann Marie Miller of ArtPride New Jersey, “and the last to reopen.”

The particular vulnerability of the arts isn’t merely an aesthetic problem for a state that, famously, loves its music, its theater, its movies, and its art shows. As Miller points out, it’s an economic issue, too. Arts businesses and arts organizations contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to the state economy, employ thousands of people, and keep downtowns thriving. There’s no Jersey recovery without a revival of Jersey public culture.

And if you doubt that, on the ArtPride New Jersey website Miller’s got the numbers and the citations to back them up. While you’re there, Miller and ArtPride (which is an organization that promotes and advocates for the arts in New Jersey) ask for your participation in an online campaign meant to raise awareness about the necessity of the arts. Keep Jersey Arts Alive, an initiative launched by the Burlington-based ArtPride in conjunction with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, doesn’t ask visitors for a financial contribution. Instead the group simply wants you to thank state policymakers for their prior support of arts organizations — and let them know that their continued advocacy is indispensable to New Jersey’s cultural and financial health.

The goal of the project isn’t necessarily to spur legislators to provide additional funding for arts organizations or bail out organizations that are suffering. While any public assistance would be welcome, what ArtPride and Keep Jersey Arts Alive really want to do is protect the funding that’s already in place.

“We do need to remind them that this is important,” says Miller. “We’re not in New York City where there are many major foundations contributing to arts organizations. In New Jersey, we’re lucky to have the Dodge Foundation, but the truth is that we have limited large foundation support.”

Support for the New Jersey Council for the Arts, which, helps finance dozens of the Garden State’s best-known arts institutions, flows from the state’s hotel/motel occupancy fee. A little more than twenty per cent of the money raised by the hospitality levy is dedicated to the council, and that’s been true since the program began in 2003. Even in a poor year for traveling, like the one we’re living through, the council can count on a minimum appropriation of $16 million dollars. That sounds like a lot of money, but it’s a fairly small slice of a massive state budget. Nevertheless, it’s been a boon for museums and theaters, many of which operate on terrifyingly thin margins and need every dollar they can get.

In tight times, would the state raid and reapportion that money?  Legislators would need to change the rules in order to do it, but it’s not inconceivable that they might. These are desperate hours, and as we’ve learned from past fiscal crises, arts financing is frequently sacrificed.

ArtPride has experience fighting to protect the small amount of money that’s been apportioned to support public culture. It’s no secret that the federal government would like to scrap the current National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities. As part of Americans for the Arts, a coalition of advocacy organizations from across the country, ArtPride has been part of a pushback effort that has been successful so far. The current government in Trenton is certainly friendlier to the arts than the White House is, but our state legislatures are likely to face an unprecedented shortfall. There’s reason to worry that the ground has shifted and that it won’t be shifting back any time soon.

Miller encourages artists in Jersey City to continue to organize and speak out. The arts, she believes, make an inestimable contribution to quality of life and mental health. She’s in favor of the proposed municipal arts trust fund, which would slightly increase Jersey City property taxes in order to create a dedicated source of financing for local arts organizations. A similar program, she points out, has worked well in Middlesex County.

“There are always caveats,” says Miller, “but if there’s buy-in from the community, it absolutely can work. They’ve raised a considerable amount of money, and it’s going strong after five years.”

“There’s a great pool of talent in Jersey City as there is throughout New Jersey. But artists are often solitary people and don’t always realize the power they have when they act together. Connecting on the local level, that’s the first step.”

For other entries in Tris McCall’s Eye Level column, click here.

Image courtesy of artist Kayla Colon and ArtPride New Jersey

Melissa Surach

Brew Nerds Win Big At Departed Soles

August 20, 2020/in Food And Drink, header, In Our Midst, News, Other Fun Stuff /by Melissa Surach

This year’s Jersey City Brew Club Homebrew Competition was smaller than usual, thanks to Covid-19. But it was special: The winner got to brew a batch at Departed Soles brewery and tap room located at 150 Bay Street .

Kendall Alvarez, founding brew club member and event chair said “Getting to brew your beer on the Departed Soles system and working with them on naming and designing any labels that go along with the beer, it’s a cool and fun way to show off your skills.”

The competition was open to all dues paying members of the Jersey City Brew Club, one entry per member. “A couple of the [Brew Club] officers did enter (including myself) but didn’t win,” Alvarez said.

Because this year’s winning beers were selected by Departed Soles rather than by certified judges as in the past, there was no people’s choice award. However as a consolation, Alvarez said, they might be able to down the road “when this is all over and we can have a big beer festival!”

According to Alvarez, an award-winning home brewer himself and owner of The Thirsty Quaker home-brew supply shop in Harsimus Cove, there are 30 dues-paying members and a bunch of other folks on Facebook and Slack that come to meetings and events. “Not everyone is a brewer either,” Alvarez said, “Some just come along to try homemade brews or to hear the guest speakers we have at meetings.”

The Jersey City Brew Club started in 2010 with four members at the first meeting and has “grown into a great club since then. Several of our past members are now professional brewers,” said Alvarez.

When asked if the pandemic posed any problems organizing the competition, Alvarez said, “It was a little harder to wrangle entrants and get the word out without having our monthly meeting. We’ve been doing some Zoom calls to chat beer and keep people involved, but it’s just not the same. We just had our first in-person meeting since February at the newly opened 902 Brewing. It was outdoors and everyone stayed socially distant and wore masks when we weren’t drinking. So that was really nice!”

As for pandemic-related brewing supply shortages, Alvarez said, “I think most brewers haven’t noticed many issues, since hop and malt harvests happen at the end of the year anyway. From the retail side though, I can tell you that there was a huge shortage of dry yeast for a while that is still in place for some champagne yeasts. And there have been delays on shipments. But apart from some specific items coming from Italy and other overseas places, home brewing goods are still readily available.”

A small competition, there were a meager 14 entries. The beer was judged by Brian Kulbacki, Departed Soles owner and head brewer, and Brian Schweinsberg, brewer and “tasting room sensei,” who previously worked as a beer buyer in the restaurant industry.

“We invited members to submit their best recipes that they thought could work on our system and that are seasonally appropriate,” Schweinsberg said.

“We used official BJCP [Beer Judge Certification Program] score sheets and style guides to assess the quality and accuracy of each beer to style. We scored the beers separately so there was no influence on each other, and save for a couple entries, were incredibly close in our scoring of each beer.”

“The only ‘voting’ that took place was when there was a three-way tie for first, and we had to determine the best possible way to proceed.” Said Kulbacki.

When asked if Departed Soles was considering commercial viability in its judging, Kulbacki said, “We had to factor in the commercial viability of the beer at the end of the day in the tie-breaking round and [we had to factor in] seasonality so that we could, hopefully, brew this beer up quickly and do it all over again soon.”

Schweinsberg said, “If we are happy with the beer brewed on our pilot system, it will get scaled up to the big system.”

The big system is 15 barrels. That’s over 300 12-ounce bottles.

As far as noticeable trends in the entries, there were more IPAs submitted than any other style, according to Schweinsberg. In addition, Kulbacki added, “There was definitely a good amount of fruited beers, and of course, hazies. “I was impressed by the quality of each entry, and often times the aroma and appearance of each beer were pretty spot on. Overall, it was a great batch of homebrew. It always just comes down to what the style guidelines tell us to look for, and assessing that. There’s no bias in it.” Kulbacki said, “I think with some more water treatment work, a lot of these beers would get big bumps in scoring and be winners.”

Kulbacki offered general advice for future contestants: Always call the beer what it tastes like.

“One of the toughest things about home brew contests is that delicious beer often gets entered in to a category it doesn’t fit,” he said. “For instance, your recipe may be for an IPA, but the beer came out more like a blonde.  Don’t force it, own it, and enter it as a tasty whatever it ended up as! There were beers we liked, but maybe didn’t fit the style it was entered in, so those took a scoring hit, unfortunately. We did factor in timelines to our tie-breaking round, but we made sure that anyone that was hurt by that was given another opportunity to do something cool.”

Schweinsberg said, “The most common mistake was under-carbonated beers. Almost all the beers were cleanly made and very well done overall.”

Kulbacki said, “If someone used something like an extract or treatment we don’t typically use, the entry was not thrown out. We’ll happily work with the brewers to convert it!” While commercial brewing is typically all-grain, home brewed beers can be made with malt extract usually in addition to grains. In fact, an extract recipe did win the competition.

“Personally, I’m surprised that an extract recipe won the competition, but it goes to show you don’t need fancy equipment or complicated processes to make good beer,” said Alvarez.

The three winners were officially announced on August 3 on the Jersey City Brew Club Facebook page. The first-place winner was Jason Willard, with “Midnight Oil,” an Imperial Stout aged on American oak cubes. If Willard cannot replicate the beer with an all grain recipe on the pilot system, the opportunity will go to the runner up, Michael Schruefer, for “Wee Wee” Scottish Ale.

A third entry that had been tied for first place was ultimately eliminated because that brewer wound up getting hired by Departed Soles.

Finally, a “bonus” winner was Corey Thomas, who brewed “Gos’ito,” a Gose with lime and mint. Departed Soles invited him to contribute to its next hard seltzer recipe.

The next brew club meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 26, on the rooftop deck at 902 Brewing. “All are welcome,” said Alvarez, “But you’ll need to check JCBC.beer or the Facebook group a couple weeks ahead to RSVP.

Page 1 of 3123

News Briefs

Assemblyman Nicholas A. Chiaravalloti (D-Hudson) is joining Governor Phil Murphy at Hudson County Community College in Jersey City for the signing of Bill A4410 / S2743, which will permanently codify the Community College Opportunity Grant Program into law. Students enrolled in any of the state’s 18 community colleges may be able to have their tuition waived. Students must be enrolled in at least six credits per semester and have an adjusted gross income of $0 -$65,000 in order to be considered. 

Jersey City Library Director Jeffrey Trzeciak is leaving to take a job in his hometown, Dayton, Ohio after serving for just 15 months.

An ordinance creating a Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) scheduled for introduction this week has been pulled, pending further discussions.

Ahmad Broadway, age 26, of Jersey City, pleaded guilty to charges related to his involvement in the January 11, 2019 shooting inside the Newport Centre Mall in Jersey City that injured two people. 

The Hudson County Regional Arson Task Force and the Jersey City Fire Department are investigating a two-alarm fire that killed an 84-year-old woman Thursday morning at 270 Clerk Street in Jersey City. 

Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez has announced the indictment of three people in connection with the July 6, 2020 fatal shooting of 17-year-old Tyeah Garner on Rutgers Avenue in Jersey City. Heavenley Cherry, 19, and Jahquell Carter, 25, both of Jersey City, were charged with Murder and other related crimes. Izmae Tinker-Trent, 19, of Jersey City, was charged with Hindering a Murder Investigation.  

The Jersey City Education Association has started a GoFundMe campaign to support the family of 11-year-old Desire Reid and eight-month old Kenyon Robinson who died in a house fire on Martin Luther King Drive on Wednesday night. Here is the link.

Vaccine-eligible individuals can make an appointment online by visiting hudsoncovidvax.org.

The 2021 tree planting applications are available. If you have an empty tree pit on your block or a street you can fill out the form and the city’s arborists will handle it.  bit.ly/adoptatreespri…

Keep abreast of Jersey City Covid-19 statistics here.

Governor Murphy has launched a “Covid Transparency Website” where New Jerseyans can track state expenditures related to Covid.  Go here.

For info on vaccinations, call Vaccination Call Center and our operators will assist you with scheduling one: 855-568-0545

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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