WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 1
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=2SXCPmDbdQg

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: 2SXCPmDbdQg):
- 00:00:00: Meeting Opening, American Legion Announcement, Commander Transition
- 00:04:16: Block Party Permit Fees Discussion, Public Comments Begin
- 00:07:59: Public Comment: Claims, Planning, Budget Concerns Expressed
- 00:11:24: Public Comment: Housing Authority Appointments Criticism
- 00:15:13: Public Comment: Racism Allegations & Housing Authority Concerns
- 00:21:59: Council Clarifications on Agenda Items, Reyes Reappointment
- 00:25:06: Council Explanations Supporting Barbara Reyes' Reappointment
- 00:31:48: Agenda Item Review, Health Benefits and Laptop Bag Discussion
- 00:35:55: Point Of Order: Land Use Element, Zoning Changes
- 00:42:10: Public Comment: Handicap Parking Application Issue
- 00:48:42: Public Comment: Racism Allegations; Movement For Justice
- 00:55:04: Public Comment: Parking Subsidies vs. Education Investment
- 00:57:43: Public Comment: Airbnb Issue, Parking Permit Concerns
- 01:01:27: Public Comment: Kentucky Derby Success, Ukraine Support
- 01:07:34: Public Comment: Patricia Waiters and Housing Authority Support
- 01:11:54: Public Comment: Patricia Waiters for Housing Board Candidacy
- 01:15:22: Budget Resolution Discussion: Affordability and Collaboration


Part: 1

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cleaning act. That notice was published in the city website. Copies provided in the Bergen record also placed on the Bolton board in the lobby of city hall. Written objections, if any, shall be made to the city clerk. Pledge

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>> allegiance. Pledge allegiance to the United States of America to the one nation for all. Mr. Con here,

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>> Mrs. Fisher >> here. >> Here, >> Mrs. Irish >> here. >> Yep. >> Mrs. Le >> here. >> President Zano >> present. >> Mr. Cano, >> present. >> Mr. Russo, >> present. >> President Ramos, >> present.

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>> Mr. Clerk, we're going to spend the agenda very quickly. Mr. Villar has an announcement from the American Legion Post. >> Thank you, Council President. Just to be clear, I wanted to wear my cover so that you know I'm here representing the American Legion, an organization that's

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been in Hoboken for over 104 years serving the veteran and the larger community of this great city. Last Sunday, we had elections for a new board of officers, and I'm here to

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report that both Commander John Kerry and myself have decided to not stand for reelection and to let a new group of veterans. We're John Kerry and I are Vietnam veterans. That generation is starting to give way to the newer,

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younger veterans. And I'm happy to report the following new people will be representing our great institution. Our new commander is Ricardo Munes. I'm happy also to say he's the first

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Latino to lead this organization. >> And my replacement will be Tim Allen. Not a Latino, but he's a general. He's a West Point graduate and will be very capable. The agitant is yet to be decided, but that'll be done fairly soon. This takes

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place July 1 and will represent a pretty significant change because John Kerry has led the post since 2013 and has been responsible for spearheading the resurgence of the post

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under after our destruction by supertorm Sandy and the creation of additional housing. Together with this council and three consecutive mayors, we've been on track to create another 18 units of

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housing, which will total 24 eventually, of people who are currently living in the street that served our nation and deserve to be taken care of. This will be basically all I have to to

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to report, but we are continuing to get through this bureaucratic process of getting the 18 additional units, but that'll be another day when I report that. The other thing I wanted to just mention is that there's a program called

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Hometown Heroes where banners are being put up along River Road to commemorate those Hoboken people with connections to Hoboken who've served in the military. The limit has been reached the number I forget it's 104 or 10 and something. But

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there are other people that want to add to that list with their relatives or their family members. And I don't know if that's a council issue or someone else, but if that can be expanded, I'm sure we can fill another group of people. Thank you so much for your

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support and I hope you have a great meeting tonight. >> Thank Thank you, Mr. Villar. Thank >> Thank you and Mr. Carrie for your service on behalf of the city council. Congratulations and thank you. [applause] >> Okay, we have ordinances [clears throat]

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for A hearing on an ordinance to amend chapter 58-23 permit permits to in introduce block party permit fees. >> We have no one Manny. It doesn't sound

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flee fees. >> What number? >> First one. >> First one fees >> permit fees for block parties. All right. Good evening, Council President. Since there is uh no chance that the meeting will run a day and a half like last one,

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so uh I'm going to take the opportunity and speak on just about everything I can unlike last time. But I just want to say >> one thing one just one. >> Yes, right now it is one thing. So, I'm just going to ask us a brief question because it even though um there was somewhat of a um quick explanation um

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when you were at the C caucus meeting, but I just want to know when you're asking for an increase on rates for uh at this moment for these permits, is that rate going to be reflected in the

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current um budget? Is the uh going to be reflected obviously in next budget? Um, it doesn't say or I didn't quite finish it, but it doesn't say are there other folks that will be getting any type of consideration, whether it be a nonprofit

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um, charitable group in regards to that rate. And uh, if any of those questions could be answered, I didn't hear them in the caucus meeting, but that's it. Council President, I yel back. I told you it was going to be quick. >> Thank you. I believe it's a $250 fee for parties only. Yes.

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Motion second. All in favor? >> I was the council. >> Call a vote. >> Mr. Con? >> Hi. >> Mr. Firestone. >> Yes. >> M. Fisher. >> Yes. >> Mrs. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Le. >> Yes. >> Mr. Presidento. >> No. >> Mr. Canero.

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>> I. >> Mr. Russo. >> No. >> President Ramos. I hearing on an ordinance amending chapter 192 entitled parking for persons with disabilities to replace a reserve space with a general space on Third Street

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between Garden Street and Boomfield Street. >> Motion to close the public hearing. >> Second. All in favor? >> I. >> Questions? Mr. Cler, call vote. >> Mr. Con? >> Hi. >> Mr. Feone? >> Yes. >> Miss Fischer? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Miss. Yes.

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>> Mrs. Le. >> Yes. >> President. >> Hi. >> Mr. Cano. >> Hi. >> Mr. Russo. >> Hi. >> President Ramos. >> Hi. >> Hearing on an ordinance amending chapter 141A entitled parking permits to establish a 50% discount on resident

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permits parking fees for SNAP recipients and the others that we discussed last week. We amended it. >> Motion to close public hearing. >> Motion. >> Second. All in favor? >> I. Members of the council call a vote. >> Mr. Con, >> hi. >> Mr. Ve, >> yes.

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>> Miss Fischer, >> yes. >> Mrs. Yes. >> Mrs. Len, >> yes. >> President, >> I >> Mr. Canero, >> hi. >> Mr. Russo, >> hi. >> President Ramos, >> I [clears throat] agenda item. Anybody

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public portion? We have Pascalina. Agenda items. This agenda item, Jerry. Sorry, wrong one. Possibly the wrong one. I apologize. Wrong one. Jerry, hit it with a stick.

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>> Rose Markle. Sorry. >> Unresolution. >> Wrong time. I'm sorry. I pro I called you the wrong time. >> Yes, please. I'm sorry. I apologize. >> Hello. >> Okay. Not too long today, but I'm not going to be one of your not going to

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enjoy me this evening. Anyway, let's start with the claims. Here's a great opportunity to show the taxpayers that you're tightening your belts. But that's a pipe dream that I have. Here we are again buying laptop bags. Really? Give me a break. Paying for Oprah training for law firms that you hired. Seriously,

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great negotiations from those that claim they care about our city and our taxpayers. A1 and two. Now [snorts] you want the state to step in after your horrible negotiations. You want the state to bail us out. How does that help taxpayers? State money is our tax money as well.

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Oh, so if the state raises our taxes, it's all good. Look, it wasn't us. You should be asking them to come in and take care of the budget. You need to take some hard looks. And I'll give you some examples. We have five planning aids totaling $371,000.

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Two supervising planners over $230,000. Two principal planners over $200,000. Why do we need all these planners? Seriously, I'd love I'd love to see the the um job description. Do they all have professional planner license? We have

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two information officers totaling over $200,000. And none of this includes how much the benefits cost us because I'm not really sure of that total amount. If somebody can lighten me, I would appreciate it. The >> same, >> what do they do all day, the information officers? Maybe once in a while we get a Nixel report from one of them, the other

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one might tell something to a newspaper. Just a few examples of how you can cut the budget. CD3. I don't know why it wasn't listed, but I just want the residents to know that the liaison is Kathleen Wolf, and she is one of the principal planners

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working in the community development department. Lots of planners on the payroll would love the job descriptions. I5, hiring an environmental consultant. Hm. We have an environmental specialist on staff full-time. Can we say redundancy? And if he is just to give us

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the reason to hire someone, we don't need the middleman, just hire the consultant. Oh, that would mean putting taxpayers first. I 8. At the caucus, it was discussed that we are on track with last year's spending. Did the crystal ball tell you that we will spend the same amount this year for plumbing,

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about $300,000? I'd like to borrow that ball. Maybe I could hit the lottery. TX1, refund of taxes. This is always my favorite. Another almost $10,000. I'm sure this money was included in the city budget. What happens when tax money is refunded? It's a trend now. Everybody's

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getting tax money back. T1 is this contract for two or four cameras? Backup says either. Contract doesn't specify. I would like to know if it's just two cameras, four cameras, and how many cars we're putting that in. Um,

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okay, that's it for now. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, man. Rivera. Yeah, >> sorry, Council President. I didn't hear the Soler. Manuel Rivera Soler Hoboken. >> I apologize. >> Thank you. No problem, Council President. I just didn't hear it. Uh,

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Council President, I again I don't want to be redundant, a member of the public that asked um most of my questions, but I am here because I'm once again taking a back on how this

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new administration is taking its queue from the last administration and just appointing people who are in their click. I have great admiration for the mayor, but the truth has to be said.

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>> Why aren't people that are dedicated to that community? And I'm speaking on um the appointments for the Hoboken Housing Authority, Council President. And >> again, offered myself in the best of of uh intentions.

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Uh there is a member of the public, pardon me, a member who is going to be reappointed. No problem with that. But there are other people who would like to have a chance appoint them maybe reappoint this person later again no problem with uh

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Miss Barbar Reyes excellent person but I'm just putting it for the record help other members of the public serve the public and serve the people with the intention that they want to council president and council president on administration just what was asked

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nothing was asked on on A2 2, A1, community development. No questions was asked, just a clarification on D3. So, how about some clarification on CD2? How about some clarification? Again, we

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watched the caucus meeting, but it's another hour invested in really not understanding why we don't get more information, even though I know it's mainly for you, but [snorts] community service CS2,

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CS3, the clerk, again, I already mentioned that, Miss Barbara Reyes. uh infrastructure again eight different opportunities to let members of the public understand why are you putting so many resolutions so

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quickly and at this time I would like to know I1 I2 I5 like was just said but my interest is what is the right of way I6 I7 I8 public safety again public safety

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uh Nobody [snorts] asked the question. That's uh >> I think someone did. I'm sorry. Uh PS1, but um no information pertinent to the locations or anything like that. And then obviously I'm not going to do the

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tax collector, but I'm going to do transportation and parking T1. How many cameras? Is this the best amount we could get? Are the cameras going to be used for any other reason from the one that that is

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in the resolution? Then council president, if you would like to discuss anything on first reading, we would appreciate it as well as CD for it. And with that, council president, again, it's just it's just questions. uh not to grandstand or not to belate the the

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situation but just so that maybe someday we could watch the council meeting, the caucus meeting and maybe we can skip a Wednesday. But until that occurs we could understand and get full uh uh um knowledge in the caucus meeting, then

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we'd have to come back and again perhaps burden you because it seems like it it's it's too much for the people to ask you questions. I hope it's not. That's no offense, but uh thank you, Council President, and I yel back. >> Thank you. Uh Patricia Wait, you signed to speak for resolutions, please?

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>> Yes. I'm speaking on resolutions and other people came in here to meet. >> Thank you for acknowledging me, Council President, and I'm a little shaky because I'm running from Jersey City to here. This is a disgrace. Okay, I cannot and I wish I can. And I'm If you got time when you leave, guys, please review

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this phone. This is the best I ever felt living in Hoboken. I got over 96 texts and emails from the people and we count we the people of Hoboken count. Y'all making this abundantly clear that this

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is racist to the core and shame on you, Miss Tiffany. I'm so upset right now with you because you the last email I read and you're going to tell me about this guy's application and his skills. I told y'all 20 YEARS AGO, STOP TRYING TO

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intimidate me cuz I'm a black female in black skin. And if you seen THIS SOCIETY LATELY, BLACK women rule. Y'all are so intimidated BY A STRONG, POWERFUL BLACK WOMAN. AND THAT'S ME. YOU COME AND BRING ME FOOD from the shelter. YOU KNOW MY

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STRUGGLE IS REAL. BUT Y'ALL SAY, "OH, SHE CAN'T AFFORD A LAWYER." BUT Y'ALL COME STRA DEEP WITH A LAWYER USING TAXPAYER MONEY ON LAWYERS TO DO DISCRIMINATING [ __ ] LIKE THIS. AND EXCUSE MY FRENCH. MARY COULD DO IT AND I

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COULD DO IT. I'M SICK OF YOU doing this to me. NOW FOR DAWN I MEAN FOR Emily Jabbor TO BE THE MAYOR AND GOT UPSET BECAUSE IT LEAKED OUT. WHERE'S THE TRANSPARENCY?

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WHERE IS IT? THEY STOLE THE ELECTION IN THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. THEY USE THE ELECTION IN THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. THEY GIVE THEM FREE TURKEYS, DONATED TURKEYS, AND YOU ACT LIKE IT'S YOURS TO SOLICIT VOTES IN THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. AND THEN TO PUT THE TOPPING ON THE CAKE, GO GET A

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STRANGER TO TALK ABOUT DEVELOPMENT. YOU WHY WOULD YOU EVEN WRITE THAT, TIFFANY? HIS DEVELOPING SKILLS AND HE COULD BRING THIS Y'ALL AT THE DEBATES. Y'ALL DIDN'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT DEVELOPING. >> PAT, address me. NOT THE MEMBERS. I'M ADDRESSING THE BODY. I KNOW >> AND THIS IS HOW Y'ALL SHOULD STICK

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TOGETHER AND QUESTION YOUR MAYOR. ENOUGH FOR RUNNING OUR CITY THE WAY Y'ALL WANT. UNETHICAL AND WITH NO INTEGRITY. >> YOU THINK Y'ALL WOULD HAVE BEEN SMART ENOUGH AFTER THE ELECTION WAS RIGGED AND THEY BLAMING POOR MICHAEL RUSSO? MICHAEL RUSSO VOTED ON MARK BREO'S CONTRACT.

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MIKE RUSSO TOOK A CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION. Y'ALL WENT DOWN THERE AND SOLD ABSENTEE illegal and then she GOING TO PUT A WHITE MAN, A WHITE MAN THAT DON'T GIVE TWO CENTS ABOUT THEM black people in the projects. THEY NEED BLACK REPRESENTATION IN HOBOKEN AND THEY NEED IT NOW. YOU

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TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT THAT JEAN DRAYTON IS SICK AND WE HAVE NO NAACP. BUT GUESS WHAT? TONIGHT, AND I'M TELLING ALL OF Y'ALL THAT WROTE ME, WE GOING TO start a movement and I MEAN IT. WE BETTER not be attacked BY THE POLICE BECAUSE THEY DOING ILLEGAL STUFF AND

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GETTING AWAY WITH IT. COUNCIL PRESIDENT, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, BABY, look at me. I'm serious. I am serious. It got TO STOP HERE. YOU WOULD THINK Y'ALL WOULD DO WHAT'S RIGHT BECAUSE THE RACISM IS ALIVE AND WELL. THIS AIN'T THE 60S, BABY. WE APPROACHING IT A WHOLE NEW WAY.

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I'M NOT TAKING NO NOOSE NO MORE TO THE NECK. Y'ALL HAD THE NOOSE ON MY NECK FOREVER. 27 YEARS I'M SITTING IN THIS COUNCIL AS SMARTER THAN ALL OF Y'ALL. I GOT FULL KNOWLEDGE OF THIS DAMN city and the CITY ALL SCREWED UP. WHO WE going to blame for that? THE BLACK WOMAN THAT

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Y'ALL DON'T PUT ON NONE OF THE BOARDS. MAYBE IF I WAS ON THE DAMN BOARD, THE CITY WOULDN'T BE IN THE race and that maybe if I was on the board and you look past the COLOR OF MY SKIN. RACISM GOT TO BE TOLD. DON'T LET ME WRITE YOU ABOUT RACISM. I SENT THIS TO ALL FIVE OF YOU,

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NINE OF Y'ALL. FIVE PAGES OF PEOPLE WRITING SAYING Y'ALL WAS TREATING PATRICIA WRONG. THEY WROTE THE GOVERNOR. DON'T TELL ME Y'ALL DIDN'T GET THIS AND Y'ALL STILL TOOK A NO WITH DISREGARD AND ALLOWED THE MAYOR ALLOWED the mayor to make an APPOINTMENT WITH A RACIST

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decision like this. >> AM I GETTING ANYBODY'S ATTENTION HERE? COUNCIL PEOPLE THAT RUN FOR OFFICE AND DON'T WANT TO ADDRESS RACISM. WHY ARE Y'ALL TREATING PATRICIA WAITERS RACIST? I NEED SOME ANSWERS. TELL ME NOW. AND I TRY TO WORK WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF

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Y'ALL. THIS IS FOR THE NEW PEOPLE. I'MMA TEST YOUR SKILLS. If you allow her to do this, you allow that mayor to do this with nothing coming from none of you. SHAME ON ALL OF Y'ALL cuz you another puppet and another vote.

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There's no reason I shouldn't be on that. I'M IN EVERY BOARD MEETING, EVERY COURTROOM, EVERY HOSPITAL ROOM DOING EVERYTHING FOR THEM. AND Y'ALL RUN DOWN THERE WITH SOME FREE DONATED GOODS. HERE'S A TURKEY AND $50 AND LOOK DOWN on

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us cuz WE BLACK. I'M TIRED of the attacks. Leave me be and SET ME FREE CUZ I'M COMING. I'M TELLING YOU, HOBOKEN. I'M COMING. I'M NOT GOING TO SPEND ANOTHER DAY IN MY CHILD LIVE DOWN THERE WITH THE

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RATS AND TOWING CARS AND THE DISPARITIES AND MISTREATMENT AND Y'ALL KNOCKING ON PEOPLE DOOR TALKING ABOUT VOTE FOR ME WITH YOUR WHITE PRIVILEGE. >> 15 seconds Pat >> WITH YOUR YES. YES. RUSH ME UP AND PEOPLE STAND UP HERE AND TALK ABOUT WATER ON THE BLOCK AND YOU LET THEM GO

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FOREVER. SEE THE TRUTH HURT. IT DON'T SET YOU FREE. THAT'S WHY THE CONDITION OF HOBOKEN HOUSING IS STILL THE WAY IT IS. AND Y'ALL PUTTING THESE WHITE PEOPLE DOWN THERE LIKE THEY LIKE THEM. THEY DON'T LIVE HERE. THEY DON'T LIVE HERE. PROPERTY TAXES,

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RENT GOING UP. THEY DON'T LIVE HERE. THEY DON'T CARE. THEY DESTROY OUR CITY AND CAN LIVE IN SOUTH JERSEY AND COME AND BE A DIRECTOR HERE MAKING ALMOST SIX FIGURES. WAKE UP, CITY COUNCIL. I'm asking everybody, I'm wrapping it up. Council President, please guys,

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LET'S GET A GOFUNDME legal defense legal defense fund going for Paters. I'm begging on THE MERCY OF THESE 96 PEOPLE TO TEXT ME. LET'S START IT NOW. I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE DID FOR ME, TIFFANY. But you going TO TELL ME HOW WONDERFUL THIS GUY IS. DID YOU

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PUT IN AN APPLICATION? JERRY LAW, JIMMY FINA, HOW MANY YEARS I'VE BEEN APPLYING EVERY YEAR. AND THE CITY CLERK TOLD Y'ALL, "Y'ALL OVERLOOK MY APPLICATION. MAYBE I SHOULD DO AI LIKE THE SUPERINTENDENT of schools to tell you I have a doctorate degree AND LIE.

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MAYBE I SHOULD BE UNETHICAL AND LIE AND I COULD BE ON THE BOARD. THANK YOU, Council President. >> Thank you, Pat. Appreciate it. Oh, >> tell me about something. >> Thank you, Pat. >> Some questions. >> Motion to close the public hearing. >> Motion. >> Second. All in favor?

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>> All right. A A1 is just asking the state to reform their health benefits plan that impacts us a great deal. So, our mir mirrors that plan. Uh A2 like other municipalities, Jersey City, many municipalities across state of New Jersey are asking for an increase in state aid.

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Uh CD3 that's a Hutch regional health commission. That's it's a regional health commission we pay into every year that everyone does for CDY

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15 18 whatever that is. TX1 is regular tax appeals we have every year. Uh T1 is a camera system replace the camera readers for currently that go around read the uh parking permits for the city

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parking out the city. I'm not sure if it's for two vehicles or four vehicles on that number. >> Unfortunately, I don't know, but I will get back. [clears throat] >> It's either two or four, I believe. So, >> I think it's two, but I'll >> Yeah, I think it's two, though. I think it's for two vehicles. >> It's two each vehicle. >> It's two. You're correct. Right. So, it's it's two vehicles, four each on

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both sides. So, thank you, Councilman Russo. Uh, see the other question. PS1 is just putting cameras to read license plates when they're exiting or entering the city of Hobok and that's only for law enforcement use. Nothing else.

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And all the eyes. Director Gonzalez, you can do the eyes. I I >> would you like me to explain each one of them or? >> Uh I I two I six I7. >> Sure. Um I2 is the contract um funded by

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the state of New Jersey for uh the operations and maintenance plan for Rebuild by Design. Um so again, this is contract at no cost to the city and um it is uh allowing us to develop uh really more than an O andM plan. It's a it's a real roadmap for on andm um after

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operations and maintenance after the rebuild by design project is underway and it will provide us with the estimated costs to maintain the system after it is um uh underway. And then you said I6 and I7. >> I6 and I7. >> Yes. Um I6 is just updating um the

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contract um the contract termination date for um the design and construction management Mama Johnson field. So no additional cost to the city. And I7 is um a noise control uh waiver um for the removal of utility vault on Washington

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Street at Fourth Street. Um and that's required because that vault has been um a a noise issue for a long time. Um we've received significant resident concerns over the noise caused by it. It's no longer necessary. Um so we are going to um remove it and res and resolve that that noise concern. Um but

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we'd like to do it overnight because of the traffic impacts. Um residents will be notified when that date is scheduled. Yep. Thank you. And to answer Miss Waiters's question, I believe we as a council, we have Council President Zano, Councilman Russo, Councilman Cohen, myself, uh, nominating Barbara Reyes. We reappointed to the housing authority.

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She's the current chair. We've all had work relationship with her for a number of years now. Uh, she's done a great job with working on the redevelopment plan of the last couple years. I think she's earned the right to re be reappointed and any council want to speak on that yourselves. >> I I would as well.

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>> By all means, go ahead. Okay. You know, [clears throat] uh, yeah, council president asked me how I felt about Barbara Race's reappointment, and immediately I said, "Absolutely." >> Uh, you know, there's been, you know, two speakers have made reference to her appointment. She's extremely deserving.

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She's extremely committed. She's extremely engaged with this council, with the administration before Mayor Jabbor, and with with Mayor Jabor's administration. She's she lives in the housing authority. She's committed to the people of the housing authority. She has a tough job. She does it well. She's

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had difficult commissioners that she's dealt with, one of whom is >> leaving and being replaced. And it's interesting that people are complaining about the replacement because all I heard was complaints about the person who's being replaced. But, uh, you know, >> that person is is is leaving. And I

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thank everyone for their service, but that person was a very difficult member of the housing authority who was not collaborative. And I'm very optimistic about the person who mayor Jabbor appointed in his place. Uh that is not a decision of this council. It's a decision of the mayor. Uh but I'm familiar with that individual as well.

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But uh I would like to be added as a co-sponsor to CL2 and I believe council president would as well. Uh and I want to congratulate uh Miss Reyes. I want to thank her for her service to the housing authority and thank her for willing to serve for another five years. It's it's

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uh it's no small undertaking that she's she's done and I want to thank her on behalf of all the people that I represent and the people of the housing authority who appreciate her leadership. Thank you. >> Thank you, Council President. I'll be real brief. Um, you know, when Barbara

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reached out about her reappoint, you know, I laughed when she asked me because I told her when she was first appointed and when she asked me to actually become the chair of the housing authority when I had the opportunity to serve on the housing authority with her, I said to her then, and I'll say it

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again here publicly, Barbara, you are the right person to lead this housing authority into the future along with Vice Chair Sitesman and the entire board. I meant it then, I mean it now, and I wish her all the best in her reappoint. I I am 100% confident that

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she will continue to do that job. She will push back on director when she needs to. She will be there to fight for the residents because she is a resident and that is really important on that board. We have resident members on the board. We continue to try to keep as many resident members on the board

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because they know the issues that they deal with on a day-to-day basis. It's not only about the redevelopment. It's about making sure that the compactors are working. It's about making sure that the back doors aren't being kicked in. It's about making sure that [clears throat] the windows are are up

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to par so that there's not drafts during the winter. All those little issues that we don't hear about all the time. They're on top of every time and Barbara is on the forefront of all of that. So, I wish her all the best. I hope all my colleagues would support her in her reappoint. And I hope I really hope that

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everything goes well with the uh redevelopment as well. Any other counciloman Fischer? >> Yeah. Um I'll just echo what uh Councilwoman Cohen and Councilwoman Russo both said. I've been a big fan of Barbara for a long time and I think important. She you know she has a good

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sense of you know the community and what the community needs. Um and I support it. I do want to just um if I can just one second on the mayor's appointment because I'm aware of what was involved in that and and I did have a back and

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forth um with Miss Waiters. Um I agree that we have to have as many residents as possible. Um and we also just have to make sure that we're getting certain skills, you know, on the board and and looking for that blend. And the request was made to the mayor if possible in her

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appointment to consider someone with like real estate experience not only for the redevelopment, you know, which is going to be a huge part of the next few years. We all want it to happen quickly, successfully, you know, as best as possible, but also quite frankly on some

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of like the bigger, you know, capital items for the existing campus of properties and someone who's committed to the community and and I know Matt and I think he when I saw that it was him, um, I thought that would be a great, you

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know, a great fit. So, it it rounds out a lot of people that are very committed to um our the housing authority community and its future and uh happy to be supportive of the mayor's choice as well. >> Appreciate council president. >> Yeah, I I just want to

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uh Miss Reyes couldn't Miss Reyes couldn't attend tonight, so she had sent a message. She said, "I truly wanted to I just want to read back so you guys know. Uh I truly wanted to attend this evening. However, I have a commitment at the 10 Reasons Center. We are scheduled to host an artist to paint with the children and I'm therefore unable to be

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present. Please extend my gratitude for the support of the HHA and assure your colleagues on the city council that if I'm reappointed, I will continue to do my very best to represent the residents of the HHA by always prioritizing their needs, concerns, and overall quality of life and looking forward to working with

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the city and the council on the HHA redevelopment. >> Thank you, Councilman and members of the council. I just want to add that you know working with Barbara I said it before is very committed member of the housing authority just our role we have

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no d control of day-to-day operations but many housing authority has always reach out to us and I think many of us myself especially've [snorts] always been committed to the cause of helping the housing authority and seeing the housing authority advance in in a proper way where every single year when we do have things we do have control over like

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community development block grants the housing authority is the largest recipient of CDBG money every single year and a ton of over $1 million every single year for various things whether it's road paving, boiler replacement, roof replacement, see a new fieldhouse

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uh at at Mama Johnson Field right now and and a litany of other things that we all do what we can to support the housing authority residents. So, we want to keep uh keep that going in the right direction. Obviously, like many federal agencies, it has difficulty. Uh we want to see the living conditions improve on

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a on a day-to-day basis. That job is not done and never be done until we see a complete renovation of the entire housing authority, which we're working towards every single day. So, uh, thank you, council members. And now we'll get to items we want to remove from the agenda outside of that one. I guess we've already discussed that.

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>> Didn't we just cover everything? >> Excuse me. >> I said, didn't we just cover everything? >> We did, but you want to call a consent agenda vote? >> Yeah. >> I got I got >> I want to pull claims. I just want to talk about A1 because I I I think there's something that we could do.

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>> Yeah. >> In addition to A1 30 seconds, Council Russo, >> I'm going to go on that right now. >> Right now. >> Just 30 seconds. >> Yes. >> Are you sure? >> Sure. >> Clock on. >> So A1. Um, listen, I'm I'm 100% supportive of this and and I actually

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asked a question in the caucus about, you know, is this really to lower premiums for our employees or is it just in totality to try to lower premiums not only for the employees but the organization, whether that's the city of Hoboken or other cities. Um, [snorts] just a couple things I want to point

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out, right? So, the city of Hoboken doesn't have a premium because we are self-insured. So it for us locally in Hoboken, this is really about our employees because we mimic that state plan. Correct. Right.

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>> But here's the beauty of this. >> We could take this a step a step further. >> We can introduce a resolution at the next meeting and lower our premiums. We have the ability to do that. That is the the power in self-insured

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municipalities. We could actually do that. We don't have to just say to the state, hey, do this for all the employees across the state that fall under your plan. We could also say, watch us. We'll lead by example and we'll reduce those

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premiums for our employees. >> So, that's something that I think we should discuss in in committee. And Councilman F, I would love to have that conversation. um and see if we could actually lead by that example. In addition to saying, "Hey, by the way, we're not just concerned about our our

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employees. We're concerned about all the employees across the state of New Jersey and all those entities across the state of New Jersey, whether it's a county or a city or even an authority somewhere. So, I I'm I'm 100% supportive of this, but I want to take it a step further and and I'd love to continue that conversation."

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>> Appreciate that, Councilman. Rapid fire. Council President Zano. Uh yeah, I won. I was like, you caught me off guard. Uh claims. Um I have a question on

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Hang on. Hang on. I was out of You caught me completely off >> money. >> Okay. So, I I guess I don't know who I asked. Um, again, it's a question, and I didn't catch this. I I look at claims kind of

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right before the day of the meeting. Uh, commercial interiors direct, administrative office flooring, $8,600. I'm guessing rugs or we redid the floors or I don't >> we Yeah, we fixed damaged flooring. >> Okay. Uh, and then I see So, I have a

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question. I know the easy pass on here is a culmination of our buses if we I mean if there's one >> fleet vehicles. Yes. >> Yeah. Fleet vehicles. >> Um is there a place we can see that somewhere they can we can I get a hold of that? >> Yeah. >> Have a peek.

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>> Those are the two that I have. >> Just the invoices. >> Anything else? >> Is that agenda? Call a vote. Mr. Clerk. >> Mrs. Con. >> Hi. >> Firestone. >> Yes. >> Fisher. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Ius. >> Yes. Mr. Leation. >> Yes. >> President general.

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>> Uh I accept CD4. I I'm just confused on this one. >> CD4. Yes. On the rest. Yes. >> It's just the resolution for the first reading of the ordinance. That's all it is. >> Referring Mr. >> We pass first reading. Pass the

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resolution to send. >> No. On other pay and overtime pay. No on I7 and I8. Yes. On the rest. President Ramos. >> I

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uh introduction. >> Council President. >> Yes. >> Just a point of order on the on the not the first one. I I have a point of order question on the number four. um

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just whether or not it is whether or not it's if if we're proposing something that is not a it's actually contrary to a recommendation in the master plan, do we actually can we

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do this without giving notice to everyone that is affected? Um, we've had this issue before and I and I asked >> I think we can >> our I asked our corporation council and it wasn't a pop quiz but it's something

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to like for example if we changed if we change >> if we changed from an R zone to a C zone and it wasn't in our master plan and it affected we would have to give notice to everyone it affected. So this is a

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fairly not only is it a material change for a lot of people in R1 and R2, but I went and I looked at the master plan and I looked at the land use um element and both the master plan and the land use element are very clear about having

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retail and R1 and R2 only on corners. So this would be making a those are the recommendations. So this would be making a zoning change that is contrary to the recommendation in a master plan and I feel like we should just have that. I

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mean this is something very controversial. So maybe we just delay this one meeting um figure out how to do it. I know you were going to talk about it in committee but maybe talk about it in committee and get the legal um response and then decide how to move forward after that. >> I think it also has to go to planning

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board for review as well. Yeah, it definitely has to go to the planning board no matter what, but the planning board isn't determining whether or not it's legal for us to do it. It would be up to our corporation council to give us advice on that. >> Thank you for your comments, Councilwoman. Uh co vote on number one

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uh >> ordinance for introduction of city of Hoboken and the county of Hudson state of New Jersey authorizing a license agreement between the city of Hobok and gateway development commission for temporary staging of construction

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equipment on portions of West 17th Street necessary for the Hudson River Tunnel project and for the completion of restoration activities on Clinton Street between 16th Street and 17th Street and 17th

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Street between Clinton Street, Willow Avenue and authorizing the limited project specific exemptions of certain chapter 133 noise control construction hours and restrictions vote. >> Mr. Cohen,

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>> I Mr. Firestone, >> yes. >> Miss Fischer, >> yes. >> Mrs. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Leen, >> yes. >> Mr. Presidento, >> hi. >> Mr. Cano. >> Hi, >> Mr. Russo. >> Hi, >> President Ramos. >> I Ordinance for introduction chapter 192

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parking for persons with disability to add reserve ADA parking spaces on Garden Street and Bloomfield Street. >> Call vote. >> Mr. Con. >> I stone. >> Yes. >> Fisher. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Imus. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Leen.

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>> Yes. >> Mr. Presidento. >> Hi. >> Mr. Cano. >> Hi. >> Mr. Russo. >> Hi, >> President Ramos. >> I board introduction amending chapter 192 and title loading zone to add a loading

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zone to Monroe Street between First Street and Second Street. Call vote. >> Mr. Con. >> Hi. >> Fly Stone. >> Yes. >> Mr. Fischer. >> Yes. >> Mrs. >> Yes. >> Mrs. L. >> Yes. >> President Zano. >> Hi. >> Mantero.

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>> Hi. >> Mr. Russo. >> Hi. >> President Ramos. Hi. And before number four, uh I'm okay with allowing a council woman tonight. I think the master plan is just recommendations. I think for far too long, uh we've made it a really difficult for commercial

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businesses to open throughout the city. And I think, uh this is just one step in starting that conversation. And hopefully we could have that conversation over the next couple of weeks to try and move something forward to help uh small businesses open throughout the city. Now, call Mr. Clark. Ordinance for introduction amending the supplemental in chapter

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196-3 uh zoning section 33 retail business and service services and residential districts of the municipal code of the city of hope. >> Mr. Cole >> I stone >> yes

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>> fisher >> no >> Mrs. Imus >> yes >> me said yes >> yes >> Mrs. Yes. >> President Janel. >> Hi, >> Mr. Cano. >> Hi, >> Mr. Russo. >> Hi,

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>> President Ramos. I uh resolution of the city of Hoboken referring to the ordinance amending supplementing chapter 193-33 zoning section 33 rental businesses and services and residential areas and the

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municipal code of the city of Hoboken to the city and planning board for review and report pursuant to the local redevelopment housing law NJA 48 colon 12 A-7

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call vote Mr. Con. >> Hi. >> M Miss Mr. Feststone. >> Yes. >> Miss Fischer. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Zimus. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Le. >> Yes. >> President Xano. >> Didn't I say no already for CD4?

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>> Yeah, it wasn't on consent. So, you got to say no again. >> Yeah, you got to say no. >> No. [laughter] >> Did you say yes before? Odin Russo. >> Hi, >> President Ramos. >> I still have >> public portion. Pascalina

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have a list of public. >> I'm just more confused. That's that's what I'm tell >> this is okay. Anyway, >> I'm sorry. [snorts] I'm sorry. Give me one second. I apologize. Just try to

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>> No wor to put a window up. >> I know she was the first one. >> Thank you. [snorts] I'm sorry. Got to pass. I'm sorry. >> Okay. yard for this most handicap 10

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years 10 I want to know here the paper say in February 11 say in 20 day you got they show the paper right here you said last morning I was here you not

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be approved who's this person man or woman who say not be approved thank god I'm verified and I'm healthy I don't want to get sick but the people pass going to get sick first. Believe me, they're going to get sick. Who said I

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know proof? Men know what the male might be the best [snorts] gene or the other whatever the name of the person. Somebody must talk. Somebody must say no. She not approve. Who's this?

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>> The committee. I'm not sure who's on the committee. No, no, >> you sit down. >> Somebody said must have been on [clears throat] the may or other people. I like to know the name.

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>> I'm wasting my time. I come here all the time. >> Dr. Gonzalez, it's it's not the nine people on this council. I could tell you that. >> Yes. I If I may, uh I understand, Mrs. President Zato that uh our former director of transportation and parking provided you a letter that explains the

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reason why we cannot consider your application. >> She's she's answering your question. >> Yeah. >> So in short um an accessible plate from New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission is required um recognizing your disability

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in order for you to be eligible for an assigned handicap parking spot. So once that plate is obtained from motor vehicle, you can apply through the process. Unfortunately, your application's currently incomplete. >> Yes, >> I went to motor ve.

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They have so many fake plate. They have so many plate handicap of loaded zone. Why they want to treat me for stupid? I did everything I supposed to do. Now I do the very important thing. That's what I going to do. But I wait a few more. The people who said no going to get sick

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fast believe it or not they're going to get sick a bad disease because I'm tired to hear this and this they said the people on the first jealous me you understand jealous invid thank God better be invid

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whatever this person say if the mayor of a gene of another one you tell it fix the paper 10 is on an offer. That's supposed to feel embarrassed. Said I pay tax they steal me. That's why

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I said steal me $250 a years for the flower washing down the street. What I have to do with the Washington FL they steal me 400 $32 a years at the S. I pay what? I pay s another 400 something for

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facility. Then they remember me person they not remember me the gift you have so many handicap closer to me why I want to know the name of the person no matter soon or late I better say the name you

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bet whoever know I suspected that may be because I see you didn't sing to her last time she must you want say something so want to see the pink so what you want I New talk

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is frustrated enough sign if I find a part I not come here you never find a park will never especially where I live across the street the bar across the street the handicap of lo all over all over not

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just will all over that's disgust you treat the people over the white that's all I say the person who say believe in me they're going to get sick first with a better disease because I'm frustrated again I so nobody know the name Gina

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maybe she want to give ordin the may or the other rhino sharp he is still a lot of money >> he's back here I know Mar lawyer started the mafia for years >> he want to steal me money R sharp the

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other brand lawyer the consul whatever lawyer whatever is general cons whatever they all f you understand all of us people and I [snorts] don't like your f people

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anyway I get so mad I like to hear the name don't tell me you don't know what you don't know somebody know who's this person say no might be the may say no because how do you stop everything right away and okay nobody's above a god

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That's all right. >> Apologize. >> Say, you want me to give it to you? And you see, >> give it to the attorney. >> Huh? >> Give it to the city. Our attorney >> here. Show me your placket. That's what she said. You holding you up. Give it to

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her. Give it to her. Oh my. >> Thank you, Pascal. What's up? >> Next week, I got to go. >> You don't understand. ILain. >> I know. >> I know. Pat, I got you. I understand. Pat, but still doesn't license.

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>> All right, Pascalina, we're going to go to the next speaker. Okay. Pat, your turn to speak. Pat, it's your turn. Pat, it's your turn to speak. >> Oh, the public portion. >> Yeah, public portion. >> Pascal, we're going to the next speaker.

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Okay, we're going to the next speaker now. >> Your time is your time is up. We're going to go to the next speaker. You got it. You want another home. >> Thank you, >> Pat. Thank you. >> Hi, Pat. Waiters. I'm sorry. Don't let me lose my focus, but I hate to see people that's vulnerable. See, Tiffany,

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and that's what I do cuz I care and I got a passion for what I do in this city. Okay? So, you could talk about your demographics is 97.2% WHITE. I'M NOT INTIMIDATED >> and you just disrespect me. Again, >> I don't know why Y'ALL WANT TO BRING

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HATRED in this city. We not doing it. >> Calm down. Reuben, please. Reuben, please. MY CIVIL RIGHTS. REUBEN, PLEASE. OKAY, let me say this. I don't want to bring the 70s and 80s back. MIKE, THEY BLAMING YOUR PEOPLE. OKAY. STUFF.

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LISTEN, >> NOW THE Italians did it. >> MIKE, I'MMA GET I'M GOING SHARE A STORY WITH MISS FISHER. WHEN ME AND ROMANO WENT TO HUDSON T and that comment you made, right? Remember that? >> Let me tell you one thing. LOOK, I'M LET ME I don't want to lose focus. Let me read these comments. Let me read these

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comments. But M Ruben, you was here. You was a new councilman. You know, we marched AROUND THIS BUILDING SEVEN TIMES WITH JEAN DRAYTON CUZ THEY WOULD NOT BRING MISS Cummings on board. They had her working in the basement like a black slave and we had TO MARCH. WE HAD to

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march around city hall around city hall. Stop the racism. AND IT SNUCK BACK IN 20 YEARS LATER. WHAT I'M ASKING Y'ALL TO DO IS ADDRESS IT. THAT'S WHY I'M LOUD RUBEN. That's why I'm frustrated. That's why I'm emotional. CUZ Y'ALL SET UP HERE AND PAINTED A REAL PRETTY PICTURE AND

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THOUGHT THAT WAS GOING WELL THIS GUY AND TRYING TO MAKE IT SEEM LIKE ME AND BARBARA FIGHTING. BARBARA, WHEN I LEAVE HERE, I'M STOPPING by your house, sis. They is not going to conquer and divide us. So, it don't work. So, it ain't about Barbara Reyes. Okay? They using Barbara Reyes cuz Mike's decision and

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Paul's decision was Barbara. I'm not fighting in y'all dirty fights no more. I want a movement. I want a peaceful movement to let y'all know BLACK PEOPLE COUNT. BLACK people count. AND ALL OF Y'ALL SITTING IN THOSE CHAIRS CUZ YOU WENT TO THE housing authority and put your

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influence and manipulated especially you and y'all went and manipulated these weak vulnerable people and they put y'all in office only to only turn around and they living the same way. The same way years later rat infested, roach

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infed. Then y'all took the mama Johnson field mentioning the money. And when the mama Johnson field was there, even before the new one, THEM BLACK KIDS HAD TO CALM THE GATE ABOUT TO BREAK THEIR DON. THAT'S HER MOTHER. THAT'S HER MOTHER. She sit here tonight.

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Disgrace. DISGRACEFUL. GO BY THE MAMA Johnson field and tell me who in the field gal. Okay. Stop using the vulnerability of the black people. And I'mma say it again. I'm so upset. I GREW UP LIKE I TOLD YOU IN YOUR TEXT ON

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MY kids grew up. I brought him home in a blanket on Park AVENUE AND THE DISCRIMINATION WE WAS FACED JUST cuz we lived on Park Avenue and I miss Beth Mason because you didn't do half of what she did AND I LIVED IN YOUR WARD 27 years and they told me don't even ask. WE

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LIVED ON PARK AVENUE. MY BABY FOUR YEARS OLD, 5 YEARS OLD COMING from Little League, THEY WOULD DROP him off at THE PROJECTS. HE SAID NO BUT I live in the second ward the third district. WHO'S YOUR MOM? DON'T TELL ME WHY I'M EMOTIONAL BECAUSE I've been enduring this living in Hoboka since the 60s. And

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y'all think y'all gonna get away with it. Y'all think y'all gonna get away with it? Cuz we brought a scholar here. She was in charge of the finance committee when the budget collapsed. HUH? Y'ALL TALK ABOUT Y'ALL DEGREES. LOOK WHERE WE AT. Look where we at. And who going to be man or woman enough to

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change it? That's what I'm saying. Y'all want to make enemies, MAKE ENEMIES. BUT I'MMA STILL GIVE Y'ALL PEACE, LOVE, AND HAPPINESS. That's what Pat going to give y'all. Y'all not moving me out. Y'ALL NOT CHANGING my mentality. Y'all not treat me any kind of way. AND I DARE YOU. I SHOULD READ TONY TAMARAZZI'S name

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in the record WHAT SHE WROTE ME. DON'T EVER THREATEN ME NOT TO GET NO utilize the shelter and the YMCA AIN'T FUN. IF I NEED IT, I need it. I'm not ashamed when I'm facing a hard [ __ ] Okay? So, I'M GOING TO GO IN THERE AND UTILIZE IT. I DON'T NEED YOU DROP ME OFF NOTHING TO MY door like I'm a black runaway slave.

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Okay? The comments is horrible. My heart bleeds tonight cuz we got to do A MOVEMENT AND Y'ALL STILL KEEP COMING. YOU KNOW WHY Y'ALL MOVED HERE FROM BOSTON? BOSTON IS like Mississippi waiting to be burned. >> LITERALLY FEEL >> NOTHING GOOD ABOUT BOSTON MASSACRE. THE

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BOSTON TEA PARTY. EVERYTHING BOSTON FAIL. NOW WE GOT BOSTON RUNNING OVER VOKEN. OKAY, [snorts] who got me some answers, Y'ALL? I'M NOT GOING nowhere this time. I want a strong movement. I DON'T CARE WHAT Y'ALL WRITE ON THE INTERNET. I'M GOING TO PLEAD TO THE SYMPATHY of the internet

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and hope people come in Hoboken and bust between the scenes CUZ RACISM, BIGOTRY, AND HATE IS not allowed in Hoboken. And you hearing it from the only activists. I'm closing saying this. This is a call from the man from the entertainment center. They closed his business.

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WHOEVER DANIEL BAR IS FROM THE ZONING BOARD, THIS IS FOR HIM. HE GOT A discrimination lawyer in this courtroom today. I reached out TO YOU. HE'S SUING THE CITY FOR DISCRIMINATION. HE SAID, "AND PAT, I STILL NEED YOU HERE AND I have a lawyer." This is from today.

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OKAY. SO, PEOPLE WITH money like him that's fortunate to have money and got a lawyer strapped to his side. Kudos. But I'm asking all of y'all don't take advantage of my vulnerability. The people in the projects fed up. And we going to show y'all this time. Okay? If we got to march around Hoboken, WE WANT

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THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION. THE REAL OUTCOME. The real outcome. HOW MANY ABSENTEE BALLOTS WAS BROUGHT, SOLD, PROMISES MADE? HOW MANY TURKEYS WAS AND THEN BOX OF HOW MANY GIFT CARDS WAS issued to buy the election? That's what I ask y'all. Okay? CUZ THAT'S THE ONLY

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TIME WE'RE GOING TO GET PROPER REPRESENTATION. And listen, people that's watching this. Every vote count. I DON'T CARE IF PAUL LIVE IN THE FIRST WAR. WHEN PAUL WIN, HIS VOTE COUNTS. SO DO ME A FAVOR. BE WISE. STOP PUTTING THE SAME peoples in the chair that's scared

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to ATTACK RACISM. LET'S TALK ABOUT IT. It's a discussion that need to be made sooner than later. you take advantage of those poor people. >> Thank you, Pat. >> You're welcome. >> Jim Vance. >> Jim Vance. [snorts] >> Good evening, council members, council

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president. Thank you for letting me um address a an issue that I've uh keep bringing up. Um, last council meeting, Councilman Russo equated, in his words, subsidizing our children's education with

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subsidizing on street parking. I don't think this should stand without some rebuttal. Mr. Russo asked rhetorically, why are all of us required to subsidize public schools, oh, many of us don't have children attending them? He

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answers, that's the system. He goes on to use the same rationale about why the city requires all of us to subsidize on street parking although fewer than half of the hope hoboken households have a car. Again, his answer

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is that's the system. If that's true, the systems broken. What Councilman Russo fails to do is distinguish the level of public good or ill. Everyone in our society benefits

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from our investment in educating our children. It enables them to become productive members of our society. The benefits are many multiples the cost. Conversely, Hoboken sells on street parking permits for less than $2 a week.

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Free for all practical purposes. Maybe not to some people, but by and large free. At that price, we get the madness of 14,000 drivers hunting one of 7,000 parking spaces.

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What benefit does society get? Free parking encourages our encourages car ownership. Free parking exacerbates congestion. Free parking discourages walking and biking. Free parking results in thousands of hours

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circling the block, burning gas, spewing toxic fumes, endangering pedestrians and bicyclists, wasting time otherwise spent with family and friends, or engaging in productive work, the high cost of free parking. fix

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the system, differentiate between investment and subsidies, then make hard decisions about where we best spend our money. Thank you. Thank you, Elizabeth Adams. Good evening. Tonight, I would like to

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offer my thoughts regarding some of the issues that were discussed at the most recent city council meeting of April 22nd, 2026. Much has been made in recent times of the whole issue of affordability in

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Hoboken, particularly as it pertains to housing. I find it astonishing, not at all in a good way, that there happen to exist more than 1,000 Airbnbs

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in what is only after all a mile square city. While there supposedly happens to be laws on the books that are supposed to regulate the situation, what good is it if they are not actively

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enforced? Some years previously, the complaint had been voiced that Hoboken had become a largely transient population, which is the exact opposite of what

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[snorts] it used to be. That is to say, a community that truly cared about one another and also about the well-being of every citizen contained therein.

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The concept of Airbnbs is antithetical to that value. As elected officials, you need to decide what the future of Hoboken will be in that regard going forward.

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Is it going to be about optics and lip service when it comes to equity and inclusion? In the late 60s and early 70s, there was a popular saying, if you are not part of the solution,

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you are part of the problem. Unfortunately, it seems that you, Miss Imus, fall into that latter category. You should therefore recuse yourself from any voting

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that has involves the issue of Airbnb. To do otherwise presents a distinct conflict of interest. It is also a disgrace to Hoboken that a

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senior citizen cannot obtain any parking permit other than for a home health care worker. Is it any wonder that many people die of loneliness under these circumstances of isolation

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that are totally unnecessary? It is my sincere hope that you will give serious consideration to these matters and not simply dismiss them. The future of Hoboken depends on your choices.

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Thank you for your time. >> Thank you, Manuel Rivera Solair. Manuel Rivera Hoboken six w council president. Uh I just want to share and I'm sure you perhaps know a bit of good news. Maybe

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we could change uh the tone. Um, I know that you as well as myself um will take it from great pride that the winner of the Kentucky Derby was Jose Ortiz and the second place winner was Irat

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Ortiz. No problem. >> Both gentlemen are descendants of the heritage of Puerto Rico. A great great great achievement to these people. I I am at all and uh

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very very very happy. An equally sad note, we also have a passing of Jose Pikurin Ortiz, a Hall of Famer, basketball player, played in the Olympics and played in um my grandfather's home, Kraas. So, he will

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be missed. He was a person that I met personally, a great great humanitarian. So, Council President, I just want to take a few moments as well. I want to say that um when a person, a member of the public steps forward and expresses their concerns

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in a topic, whether it be consent agenda, ordinances, um amendments, nothing is meant personally, but when their words get a little bit tossed around and misconstrued, I know that that's not the

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correct way to say that word, but nowhere in my expressions did I say anything negative in regards to Barbara Reyes, a great Hobokenite, well respected and loved. So I just want to make that clear that never did I say

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anything against her or her appointment. My issue is always in the process. Now I would also like to take a moment to have a little bit of um uh public notice here. Council President, Jess, so the members of the public, especially

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the sixth ward, especially the sixth ward, sixth district, that our voting location is going to be changed in the primaries January, I mean, pardon me, June 2nd, um to the Hoboken University

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Hospital at the Chapel at um 308 Willow Avenue. This is a public service because uh I just got this and it everybody is going to be asking where >> where are they going to be voting as well as there is a invitation to the community for the HHA phase 2

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redevelopment. Again that's on Wednesday the 13th from 6:00 to 7:30 um at the uh boys and girls club. Um you don't have to register but it is encouraged. And council president, as I always say, I've

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been asked and I still have a few minutes. I've been asked many of times when I come up here, I guess some people either think it's funny or some people don't uh realize um that when again people's expressions, this is how they feel. These are the things that they value. I personally, council president,

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I value democracy. I value freedom. I value the openness of caring for my fellow man wherever he or she may be or live. So when I say Slava Ukraine, it's not because I am Ukrainian. It is not because I have any interest other than

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being a person who loves again as I said democracy. I say it because council president, our nation has decided to abandon its leadership in the world stage. They are great

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people who served in the armed forces that gave all some for freedom. So if we abandon an ally like Ukraine and we in turn >> give favors and return

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Russia and other enemies of America lift their sanctions so they could become rich again and use the very money to attack our allies. the valiant people of Ukraine who struggle every day, who fight arm

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and teeth for their country, >> for liberty >> and dignity and freedom. Something that we, the American people, should be always aspiring, always

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to represent. So, Council President, it is sad day when other nations do horrible things like this. So, I hope our nation changes course. I hope our president decides to do better. And with that, Council President, I also say that

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other nations must do better as well, such as Israel, which is doing horrible things to Ukraine as well, as well as in Lebanon. >> This is not a criticism of the Israeli people, but of the Israeli government. >> 10 seconds. With that, thank you, Council President. It's coming to my

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ending. And with that, Council President, I say, God bless you. God bless you all. God bless the men and women of our armed forces abroad, serving in the conflict zone. May they return home safely.

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And as always, Slava Ukraine. Glory to Ukraine. Heran Slava. Glory to the heroes. Thank you. And I yield back. Council President. Counc, I just want to say to Mr. Solair that the Kentucky Derby was also noticeable because it was the first woman trainer in 152 runs of

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the race >> who'd ever had a winner. So Sher Dvau was also a name to mention for the Kentucky. >> Thank you, council vice president. >> One other big big monumental history making moment for the Kentucky Derby. It's the first year I didn't lose any

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money because I didn't get my bet. >> [laughter] >> I think she I think that went winner went off at 48 to one. I was going to say that about trainer >> female trainer. >> You didn't win three. >> Gail Johnson. >> Oh, >> Gail.

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>> Hello Gail. >> Hello everybody. >> How y'all doing? >> Gail. >> I'm hanging in there too. I want to say thank you Ruben Russo. everybody that I you know I met him

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everybody that I know up here I want to thank y'all for your prayers and everything for me now that I've been out of the mission [snorts] going on 6 months and I thank God for all the prayers

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especially you Ruben because I know [applause] I know you you still going through it but you looking good and you know I love you I I love Russo. I love all y'all. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> And we I've been living hoboken

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for over I don't even want to say the eight, you know, but you know my age. But anyway, the reason why I'm up here, I'm up here for Patricia waiting. I mean, she

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she went and she tried to do everything especially for the whole house and authority. She's the only one that really stands up for us, you know. She come and she represent us. We have nobody to go to to tell them what our

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problem is. We try to go to the um to the director, but he's always on vacation. And sometimes the manager, they be on vacation. So, we really don't have nobody nobody to really go to. So when

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we got a problem and stuff, we go to Pat and we explain to Pat what's going on and stuff. Pat goes up there and she speaks on our um behalf and stuff, you know, to let them know, you know, what we going to do and stuff. I mean, I've

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been living in the project [clears throat] for, like I said, for years. Mama Johnson, that field belongs to Mama Johnson. And my mother, it was nothing but dirt on the floor. We used to um play in there. Dirt and rock. Yes. It looked

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beautiful. It looked beautiful. Thank God for that. Everybody can play in there. We don't tell no you can't play. You can Everybody can play in there. You know, it's no kind of prejudice or behalf around there. When I was growing

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up, it was prejudice. Then we took care of it. The prejudice was out of it. I didn't have no pre prejudice in my mind, no body, my mother, none of us. I said cuz we put in everybody. My mother worked for the whole broken house in authority. We had everybody. We had from

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white, Spanish, Cuban, Dominican, all kinds of colors we had. My mother had them live up in my house. So the prejudice part, I don't like that. You know, if there's any um vitamin, it need to go out. The only

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thing I'm up here to say, can y'all just give Pat a chance to get on some kind of board? >> I ain't giving up. >> Maybe if she could get on, if she get on a board, you know, you might can see a better of her cuz I understand that, you

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know, she been running for everything. She ran for the mayor, she ran for the freeholder, she ran for the count, she ran for the board education, she ran for everything, you know. So, if y'all could just give her a chance, I beg y'all give her a

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chance. Then you'll see the different in her. >> Thank you, Gail. >> Thanks, G. Thank you, Gail. I appreciate it. Glad you're feeling better. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Gail. [clears throat] >> Motion close public portion. >> Second. All in favor? >> I

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have new business. >> I'm up. >> I said new business, >> Councilwoman Fischer. >> Yep. So I'm >> Oh, let me just >> Oh, sorry. >> Pascalina. >> No, he was gonna speak as well. >> Who? Oh, sorry. You didn't sign up, buddy. Come on. My guy. Come on.

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>> I think he did. >> Reopen public portion. Reopen. She was my last. >> All right. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. Good evening, council members. Mr. President, Ruben, thank you for the opportunity. >> Say your name [snorts] for the record for >> Carlos Cruz. >> Cruz, >> maybe. Sorry. >> Thank you.

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>> Yeah. I don't know. >> Okay. Yes. Uh I'm here tonight to speak in strong support for Pat Waiters to for the city on the council of the city of Hobok and housing authoring board for year pat has been one of the most consistent outspoken and community

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rooted advocate for the residents of the city of Hobok and housing author long before the cameras were rolling long before the elections came and went but was already doing the work showing up speaking up and standing for the people who are too often overlooked in this

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city. I [clears throat and snorts] want to highlight a few qualities that make her not just a good candidate, but the right candidate. She [snorts] is deeply connected to the community she seeks to serve. Pat has spent decades listening to residents, walking the blocks,

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attending meetings, and fighting for fairness. She understand the live reality of the Hoboken housing authority family, not from report briefing, but from direct personal engagement. She has proven a record of advocacy. Whether is

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calling out on safe condition, demanding transparency or pushing for accountability, but has been never being afraid to speak the truth to power. She has consistently raised issues that often ignore and many of those issues later prove to be real, urgent, and

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necessary to address. She brings independent and something this board urgently needs but is not tied to political alliances, a special interest or inside a network. Her loyalty is to the residents period. An independent voice is essential on the board of

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overseas housing safety and quality of life for thousands of people. She represents the people who are really rarely represented. Housing authority deserve leadership that reflect its residents, their struggle, their hopes and their history. Pap brings us a

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perspective that is too often missing from decision-m tables in Hoboken. She shows up consistently, relentlessly and with heart. Even when she disagrees, even when she stands alone, P shows up.

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That kind of commitment cannot be taught is earned throughout the years of service and live experience. She will hold the housing authority accountable. The board needs members who will ask the hard questions demanding transparency and ensure that the residents are

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treated with dignity. PAS has already been doing the work from the outside and imagine the impact that could have been from the inside. In closing, appointing Patricia Waiters is not just a gesture. is a statement that Hoboken

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values community voices, independent leadership and a real representation. It is a chance to bring someone onto the board who has already proven her dedication to the people who rely on the housing authority every

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single day. I urge the cousing to recognize her commitment, her courage, and her decades of service and to give her the opportunity to continue the work that members of the housing authority uh board really needs. Thank you. >> Thank you, Carlos. Appreciate you,

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buddy. Thank you. >> Uh Councilman Fischer, >> we have to close public portion again. >> Motion. >> Motion close public portion. All >> in favor? >> I Thank you, Councilman. Thank you, Councilman. >> Where's Matthew to make his pick? He's not going to speak. No, he's not. He's just >> He's not here, right?

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>> Wasn't going to vote for him. So, >> he's not here, right? >> Pat, we're gonna No, he's not. >> He's not here. >> Pat. Pat, >> back to Pat. Counciloman Fischer. >> So, uh we have a resolution on new business. Um when we originally put this

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up, it's about the budget. Um, I can tell you uh that pretty much everyone on the city council and the administration have been working non-stop to figure out what we can do to potentially bring our

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tax increase down. Um, we had submitted a proposal with um a framework and some very specific targeted um ideas on how to do that uh last week to the administration. We wanted it on the agenda so we could drive a conversation

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and go in a direction um to just a achieve a budget that is more sensitive to affordability issues um for Hoboken residents while still um trying to kind of thread the needle around some

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of the in in particular the ratings um outlook concern that we all share. So, um, what this basically does, and we won't go I won't even go through all the detail, and I've I've taken the resolution and I've I've pulled some of

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the detail out. Um, and the reason for that is because we've had constructive conversations. Um, we had a meeting yesterday. Diane and I are the co-sponsors along with Reuben. And, um, Diane and I had a a conversation yesterday or the day before. Yesterday,

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every day feels long at this point. uh with uh Councilman uh Fire Steve and and Caitlyn and then with Phil and um we've gotten input uh a lot of information, you know, from the city um along the

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way. We're this this is like, you know, this is surgical at this point. So really the reason for this resolution is to just give the message to our residents that we are focused on trying to bring this rate down. Um, I would say

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that we have more, we haven't landed on enough common ground yet, but there's common elements. Um, there's some that really just want to take a hacksaw to expenses. Um there's, you know, others that are very

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protective and and don't want us to take a hacksaw to um our reserves and we're just trying to figure out if there's something that can get us to the five votes we need to have stability going forward. So anyway, I would love to have the support of everyone um because this

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is really just about a message and some ideas on how to achieve that. Um and that's it. But we are going to continue. We have a public hearing on the current budget um ne or on the 22nd at our next meeting. We had originally submitted

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this in the hopes that we wouldn't delay um the process any longer. I'm expecting whether it's any of the amendments that we're all talking about is going to be material enough that we're going to have to delay it um an extra 10 days. So, uh

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I don't think we'll um approve. My guess is we're not approving uh the 19% budget. There's no votes. There's not enough votes for it on the 22nd. Um so therefore, we'll have some amendment hopefully that has five votes that night and then we start what I believe is a

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10-day process. So it's that first week of June, we should, you know, be done with it. Anyway, that's it. >> Councelor Buso. >> Yeah. Thank you, Council President. [clears throat] You know, I I first I have to say a huge thank you to

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um to Director Gonzalez. Uh she's been trying to get me as much information as as she possibly can over the last two days. Uh Paul and I have been working really hard to try to figure out some different amendments and um Paul kind of tapped out at about two o'clock last

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night when I sent my last email. Um but we're still waiting for some some more information, right? Um, but there's some big things that I think we could really address and and one of them you've all heard me harp on is our health insurance. Um, the way I look at it and

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digging into literally claim by claim across the city of Hobok and by CPT code, looking at that and seeing exactly what we could do to try to save millions of dollars. And I think we can. I think those are the types of conversations

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that I want to continue to have. I reached out to council president earlier today to let him know where we kind of landed on some of this stuff. He of course encouraged me to reach out to uh chairman Firestone and I'm I'm going to be calling you tomorrow. Um but I I

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think that's what we need to do, right? Um and Councilwoman Fischer knows this, right? 15% for me is just still too much, right? I want to try to bring that down more. Um, I'm hoping that we find that common ground, whether that's the

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health insurance, reducing the costs there, whether that's changing some of the salaries in the city of Hoboken, um, you know, just in all of that research, there's some salaries that were actually paying above and beyond our salary ordinance. There's not many, but there's

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some like that has to be addressed immediately. We shouldn't be doing that, right? There there are things that we need to change. So, those are the simple conversations. Uh, I I can't thank Paul enough for for his input. I mean, he's kind of guided me along the way as to the things that he'd like to see cut.

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Where could we cut some expenses? How do we actually decrease that spending without really hurting any of the services in the city without really hurting any of the employees in the city? Right? So, instead of layoffs, well, maybe there's a couple of

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decreases in salary. And unfortunately for the directors, it's the easiest place to start, right? But those are the types of conversations that I want to have. Um, and I'm really looking forward to that. So, I appreciate everybody trying to help along the way. Director, thank you again. I know I was annoying

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all day asking you to try to get things over to me. Um, and and I'll continue to do that, but uh, we'll keep working and we'll keep talking. So, thanks, >> Council Caner. [clears throat] >> Uh, thank you, Council President. Um I I I noticed a second iteration of this

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resolution that went around and I'm I'm grateful that that it did because uh we talk about you know the the challenge in front of us and and you know working with all the levers that we have to get the rate down and do pass a budget that responsible and I think the resolution

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as it stands now does talk about the spirit of of that and and and that we're all willing to look at are different options for adjustment. Um the earlier version I think was a little too specific for me. I didn't want it. It's

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a spirit resolution, but I didn't want to be perceived that yes, I'm locked into kind of this exact view. So I appreciate uh pulling out some of that nuance and just leaving it with the broad strokes that we're willing to look at all these different areas including cuts. Right. So, uh, I'll be supporting

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this today because of, uh, because of to support the spirit that, you know, we're all in this together and we're trying to find a responsible path forward. I look forward [clears throat] to seeing whatever proposals, uh, Councilman Russo and Councilman President Zano put forward uh, as well.

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>> Council Firestone. Yeah, I just wanted to start off by thanking uh not only Mayor Jabbor for her leadership and setting the right tone for these kinds of discussions, but the incredible work of business administrator Gonzalez and her team uh to try to get everyone as

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much information as possible so that they can make informed decision. Um the process this year has I mean I I heard from a lot of people last year that the process was not what they wanted it to be and I take that to heart and throughout this we've been trying to be

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collaborative on everything we can. Um we're trying to find common ground on things. We're as I think council member Fischer who's been a terrific leader on this has shown we're not quite there yet. Um but at least people are talking and people are willing to have

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conversations about things. Um, you know, I've told people uh privately, I will listen to any idea anybody's got and I will do my best to evaluate it. And that's one of the things that um I think we're doing differently as a council and it's really appreciated all

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around the table because it is more of a civil and engaged dialogue than some of the council meetings I used to tune into in past years. Um so I appreciate the leadership that uh you know Mike and Paul are showing on the expense side, the leadership that uh council member

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Fischer and Imus are showing uh particularly in looking at different ideas around surplus and other uh potential ways for savings and I just want to keep the dialogue going. So I will be supporting this resolution. >> Councilman Cohen, >> thank you council president. Uh I want

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to echo my council colleagues. Uh first I do think this one important difference in this budget process is that it is collaborative in nature. I think in the other years it had been like one or two council people kind of going through it together and I think that there's a lot

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more collaboration going on here which I think is a positive thing even between Monday and today I think a lot of the changes that I saw that got passed around the table tonight with respect to this resolution we're talking about is significantly different in tone uh and

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in specificity which I think is a reaction to the comments that I and my other council colleagues had with councilwoman Fischer and councilwoman Immus. Uh so I want to thank them for reaching out and for listening and for hearing us. Uh you know I I do have one

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potential amendment which I think is a friendly one to the language. uh which would be to the references to surplus reduction that it should be responsible surplus reduction the word responsible wherever that appears >> because I I think that the thing that

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has been uh that we've articulated in our conversations and and in the response that we got from director Gonzalez today that it's one thing to try and reduce surplus it's another thing to reduce it in a way that

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jeopardizes our ability to have a regenerating surplus and to have one that's adequate and consistent with best practices and we are on a negative ratings wash from standard and poor specifically on this topic and and in their outlook that they published on February 18 2026

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I'm just going to read the downside scenario uh it's it's called downside scenario the city's growing budget and reduced flexibility following the use of fund balance could lead to rating pressure in the near term if the city is unable to replenish cash reserves

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through budgetary action or tax measures, we could take a negative rating action. So when we look at these issues, we're looking at them to do it responsibly so that we're not facing a ratings downgrade and that we're not going to have it be much more expensive

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uh for our taxpayers to do future bonding. uh none of us want to do future bonding, but I got an email from Councilwoman just today about uh an issue in her backyard on Castle Point that if we're going to address it, we're going to have to do it through bonding. And and and there's there's many other

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issues that I'm sure are on our wish list that we feel like [clears throat] are significant capital investments that we want to make for the future of our constituents. And if we don't have the flexibility of having a solid AA plus rating, that's going to be an expensive

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neverending additional expense that we will have no control over. We will not be So when we talk So what I do appreciate in the tone of this resolution is that we're all trying to arrive at a solution that will be in the best interest of our constituents. And

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if we have to take some medicine this year so that we don't have to go through this again next year, that's a good thing. Uh I don't think any of the options that we're talking about is a best case scenario. I don't think any of these uh increases are things, you know, no one ran for mayor and and quite a few

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people on this day ran for mayor on a on a platform that they were going to raise your taxes by more than 10%. Uh it's not a winning campaign message. But I can tell you that I sat here on this day as when we were having this conversation saying I'm not running for mayor. I can tell you the truth. I don't think that we've adequately funded our budget this

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year and we've been warned that if we we we we that if we continue down the path of raiding the surplus that this is where we were headed and now we've heard from standard importers that this was not a chicken little. This was a real concern. So I'm hoping we can break the

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cycle. I'm hoping that we can stop it because if we don't adequately fund the surplus this year, it's going to come back and bite us even harder next year and it's going to be an even bigger problem. And and we're not going to be able to say, well, we tried to fix it.

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You know, we we we made a compromise. It saved us a few percent, but we're just kicking the can down into 2027, and it's going to be worse in 2027. So if we can address the issue and we can solve for [clears throat] our underfunded

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surpluses and have it done in a way that is consistent with best practices and business [clears throat] administrator specifically talked about what is the recommended level of our parking utility surplus, what's the recommended uh level of our water utility surplus. Uh and and

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and again, I really appreciate the flexibility of Councilwoman Fischer and Councilwoman to hear us, to listen to us, and to continue the conversation, and I know and I believe that they're committed to continuing that conversation. And so am I. So, you know, I look forward to doing that and to see

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if we can test drive a new set of numbers uh with the administration and get their feedback and see if it is indeed a responsible reduction of surplus, not just a commitment to any reduction of surplus. With that, you know, I look forward to continuing the work and I really appreciate all the input of my council colleagues.

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>> Council, >> I just have one quick thing to add and and and it's basically to reiterate that our residents deserve the absolute lowest tax increase that we can squeeze out of this this this scenario that

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we've been handed. Um, and I just think whatever that tax increase is, we have to remember that's the starting point for next year, right? So, you're going to be taxing on top of a higher rate again. And so I just feel like that

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should be the first thing we are thinking is how do we keep that increase as low as humanly possible because that is a high increase we're talking about whether it's 12 13 14%.

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Every percent every dollar counts and um I feel like there's there's more work to be done and we have to do better. So, uh, that that's where I'm approaching this from, and I know we can, and I am very happy that we're all up here

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speaking about it and talking about it and, uh, really working together because this is not the council that I have ever witnessed, >> um, in the in in my many years of of paying attention. So, thank you, >> President Zano.

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I, you know, in the deep discussions, uh, my wife yelling at me for talking, uh, to Councilman Russo late night and making too much noise in the back room and waking her up. [clears throat] Uh, and it has me up at night thinking about this. I think the one key thing is

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that I haven't heard from many of my colleagues is structural changes. We've all said we can't raid the surpluses. So what's left is structural changes. And those are things that are difficult decisions to make.

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Yet we sit up here and I've heard I spoke at the Hoboken board of ed last night because I got tons of emails and tons of phone calls from first word residents. They said, "What the you know what?" And I expressed that and the one thing they said is the residents are

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sick of hearing it's out of our control because they elect us to give solutions. And so it was really powerful when you heard that recurring theme from your residents and that you know many of us

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don't interact with the HBOE because they're a separate entity. But I think sometimes we needed to let them know that there's a struggle on that side and there's a struggle on this side. It's the same thing they're facing the same thing we're facing. So the the process forward is from the

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amendments that were put forth that I think we were scribbled out a lot of tonight. Uh rated some surpluses. So, if we're all working together up here, and again, I I want guys, you know, I'm always doom and gloom on the on looking for financial stuff, and I've

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I've been like that because it's finally here, that you're going to have to make difficult decisions. So if we can't agree on the borrowing of this or doing of that, the structural cuts have to happen because if the structural cuts happen today, I think Councilman Cohen said it best.

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We're going to have to take some pain today, but that means pain of structural cuts. that next year when things are even worse, we've all said it up here, it's going to be worse next year, we're just going to be we might just be in reach of that can we kicked down the road or the past 8 years that kicked

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down the road and we're not going to get that can. So, there is going to have to be some structural uh changes. And I think what Councilman Roose and I will put forward will be something along those lines. And you may not want to read it and you may be like,

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you're out of your minds. But unfortunately, uh, if we want to write the ship, we have to do it. So ultimately, when we finally get our numbers and stuff together, because we want to make it clear for everybody what we're doing, um,

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we want to we will have cuts, >> spending cuts. We're not looking to raid reserves in our in our idea of what we want to do. things now. They're here and there might be a little bit because if we do have all these surpluses or all these reser

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real reserves that sit in these other utilities, that means I hate to use the words that uh Councilman Russo might say, but we've overtaxed our residents. Um we definitely in the water utility, we raised 11.1%

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or whatever that is. Um so, you know, some of that will be replaced. However, [snorts] I don't want to use those reserves, but I just it's very difficult for me to sit here and as Councilman again, Councilman Cohen, I'm giving you

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credit again for pointing out there was several of us that went detailed in the budget and I did it for the past two years very detailed on that. Um, and it was ignored. However, I think that's a past administration. This is a new new one. But

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every year except Councilman Co uh Councilman Cano who voted no cuz he wanted to save the reserves. Everybody up here voted that voted yes raided the

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reserves. So now all of a sudden we want to flip around and say no, we don't want to raid the reserves. I it it puts me in a really tough bind because during the time when those that happened you could have also cut expenses

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and I think a lot of this around the state this problem started when the co money came in and if you look at the co money how we spent it it's a little disheartening and there could have been more money towards uh revenue regeneration which it should have went for it might have put

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us in a different footing um however I think ultimately We're 6 months into the year and we've spent half the money. I mean, it's kind of tough because everything we do it's a cut and a half. So, I think Councilman

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Ramos had mentioned and I think even, God rest her soul, uh, Councilwoman Gotino had said that we start in September of the year kind of like the state does, right? They start in October and deliver it in the 31st, I think 31st of January. we have to have it in by I

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believe March 31st and then we see it. However, if we make drastic changes, we have to send it back to the state for 10% and they have to approve it. Now, I don't know if it takes a very long time because >> from speaking with Caleb, he said it was pretty quick last year. It was, you

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know, phone call. Yeah. Um but unfortunately, if we come to an agreement on the amendments, we're going to need the state to come back and say, uh we need it done. Um, so I it's it's somewhat disappointing as well and I I got to put a little bit on the onus of

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my residents. I know they call us, they talk to us, and I know it's tough to get to the meeting, but your voices can be powerful when you're up at this microphone in front of us. I've watched groups of 15 people in here sway a vote. Literally sway a vote. 15 people.

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So, I I I encourage you for those that are here to let your residents know that coming here, your voice is heard and you're looking at your elected leaders in the face and saying, "We're not happy." And I've been trying to tell people to get here. It's very difficult.

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However, emails and phone calls do work, but it's very different when it comes from the mouth of the residents. So, at the next meeting, I do hope that we see a good turnout from from our uh residents to let us know what they think other than just us saying it that people

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have contacted us. So, I need I need the community to motivate if you're not happy with this, come to the meeting, speak up because otherwise if your voice your voice may not be heard. Uh, and on like I think everybody said up here,

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once they attain five votes, it's over. It's whatever the tax rate's going to be. I am I will say it right now. If it's anything double digits, you will get a no vote out of the first word. Councilman Paul President, I want to

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make that very clear cuz if you do anything with structural cuts, you will get that sub 10%. you will get that sub 10% with structural cuts. And hopefully that my colleagues can work with us on what we put forth. And

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again, we're not expecting you to do back flips and say, "Oh my god, you guys, you know, you you brought the holy grail in here." But I'm asking that when we put this forward, give it a thought process because it's going to leave. We're not getting away from this next year. It's going to be the same conversation.

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>> So take a peek at it. Listen, if you think it's we say it's five and something and you think two and a half is attainable, I that's a great start because in the old days it was no to the five and take a hike. But there may be something then that you could say, well,

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what about over here? And so I think when you see it from us, you're going to see something a little bit different, a little more black and I don't want to say not that it wasn't black and white when you did, but I'm saying like >> we're going to try to rip the budget apart. And actually, you can look on the 91 pages and we're going to cross out

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things and say, "No, here this is this and you're going to have all the information on the page hopefully uh to do that." But again, please keep your mind open as we're saying we're all collaborative on this. Um it will be some difficult difficult decisions that

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we're going to put forth uh to protect residents from a uh double digit tax hike. Thank you, Council President. >> Thank you, Councilman. Any any other house? Yeah, I just one [clears throat] thing that is allowing us to have this conversation like this tonight is the

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fact that we switched we flipped the budget workshops to before the introduction as opposed to after the introduction because if a budget was introduced two weeks ago as it was, we would have been scheduling budget workshops and who knows when those dates would have happened and we would have

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had this conversation in late June and that leads us to adop adoptions that we've seen in the past in August >> and September and that helped No one. So, having these conversations now with hopeful adoption in June, uh, you know, that we're in a much better position

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with these conversations and after we get past this budget, we'll start immediately tacking to next year's budget in the fall. When we come back from summer, we'll have those conversations conversations again. But I've I've had conversations with all of you now at this point uh with where we

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are in the budget, where we want to go with the budget. I think we want to have realistic conversations of what we're looking for to because we all one thing I've all I've heard from every council member uh and members of the public was our goal is to maintain services right and the and the best we could do to

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maintain these services with limiting our tax exposure for the tax or the exposure of taxes for the taxpayer has to be our number one goal and however we make the sausage we make the sausage right it the sausage tastes good no matter what right just want to get there and get to a better place as we make

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uh you know so let's get to a better place where we're working in the right direction as we move this forward so I appreciate all the my colleagues council fisher and IUS stepping up first with these amendments council fire for reaching out to everyone and having these conversations uh and council Russo reaching out to me today and council

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president Zanna last week uh as we move this forward in a good direction you guys too glac and cohen as well everyone has had conversations to move this city in the right direction because everyone cares There's not one person on this deis that does not care, right? And that and that

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and that's important for everyone to understand. Everyone, we're all taxpayers. We all feel it. Whether we're renters, we're taxpayers, too, right? Because you you you it comes down to you as well. So, we'll all feel it and we're going to do our best we can to deliver a good product for everyone and we'll work

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again on next year. Councilman, Mr. Cler, call the vote. >> This is on CL3. Mr. Con. >> Hi. >> Firestone. >> Yes. >> M. Fisher. Yes, >> Mrs. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Le. >> Yes, >> President Dano. >> Hi, >> Mr. Cano.

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>> Hi, >> Mr. Russo. >> Hi, >> President Ramos. >> I motion close. >> Second, >> I. >> Let's go next. >> Wait, I thought we had I thought >> Saber down 6162. >> Let's go next.

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>> Talk about halftime corner and talk about your feelings. He said if we're not out of here by nine >> I was going to try to keep us here another 20 just to bless the chops. >> Yeah. >> What the hell's going on here?

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Uh,