A "Council Minority" appointee is serving on our hospital board?

video credit: yogregory

Once upon a time, a united Reform movement watched in horror as Hoboken Councilwoman Beth Mason and her Council colleagues tried every which-way to sabotage the sale of Hoboken's public asset, the Hoboken University Medical Center (HUMC) to a private buyer, HoldCo.  

Had the hospital sale fallen through, the City would have defaulted on a $52M hospital bond with devastating consequences: Hoboken's credit rating would have sank to junk bond status, 1,100 hospital workers would have been laid off,  draconian cuts would have to be made to city services and/or employees, municipal taxes would have skyrocketed, and Hoboken would have to declare bankruptcy, possibly triggering another state takeover.  Those were the stakes.

And so, on the night of October 30, 2011, Reform activists, concerned residents, Hoboken officials and Hudson County pols swarmed the Hoboken City Council chambers for a Special Meeting. It was the last chance to save the hospital sale. Our 5-member Reform Council needed a 6th vote to approve the final terms of sale, or the deal was off. Tension filled the room.  GA stood in the back with the "Recall Beth Mason" contingent, holding up signs (made by me!)

There we were.

Well, a funny thing happened... 

Before the meeting started, Beth Mason's political operatives handed out copies of something titled "City Council Minority reaches agreement with Buyer to Save Hoboken Hospital." 

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Mason's handout boasted that all-night negotiations between the "Council Minority" and the hospital buyer, Holdco, had saved the hospital sale! It was so ridiculous...

Toni Tomarazzo with the entire Hoboken Municipal Hospital Authority (HMHA), and  Mayor Dawn Zimmer had worked tirelessly to find a buyer and complete the hospital sale, while the "Council Minority" had worked tirelessly to wreck it. Everyone in the room that night knew it, too.

So what was this "Council Minority Saves the Hospital" stunt all about?  

It was Mason's face-saver.

Unbeknownst to the public, Tim Occhipinti had already decided that he'd flip to be that 6th vote needed by Reform. So, rather than let Dawn Zimmer's allies score a political victory, Beth Mason's brain-trust cobbled together this 'agreement' to change the narrative...  Now she and her allies would be the hospital-saving heroes, not Dawn Zimmer, Ravi Bhalla, Jen Giattino, Peter Cunningham,  Dave Mello nor Carol Marsh-- and the HMHA.  

Well, Mason got booed as she read her  "agreement" aloud.  Folks were incredulous as she declared that an entity called "The Council Minority" had negotiated a series of terms on behalf of the City of Hoboken including a hospital board appointee to be made by them.  

Yes! The "Council Minority" gave itself appointment powers for a seat on the new Hospital Board.  

What could be wrong with that?

Everything! The "Council Minority's"  agreement was not and never has been legal and binding.  This is what a municipal  attorney told me back then:

'The Council Minority' is not a legal entity,  is not recognized as such and not empowered to 'make deals' either for the City or on it's own behalf.  Any 'deal' made with the Buyer would need the approval by the bankruptcy court and the creditors to be viable, and put forth by the authorized legal entity to represent the City's interests."

That night, Councilman Mello concurred. In rare form, Mello scorched this "Council Minority" agreement, left it in a smoking pile of ash.

video credit: yogregory

So, why is GA telling you this old story?

Because recently GA heard rumors that there is indeed a "Council Minority" appointee currently serving on our hospital board!  

Huh? I asked a source who'd know, and was told: yes, it's true. Really??? Our legislative body is appointing a Hoboken resident to serve on the board of Hoboken's privately-owned hospital?    

If so...

Who is this appointee? 

Who made the appointment?  When?

Was there a public process?  If not, why not?  Were members of the public invited to apply?

Does the appointee report to a Council subcommittee? Who do they report to?

What do they do?  What is their purpose? What kinds of decisions do they make?

Why doesn't the public know about this appointment? 

This is weird, people. Unless this appointment was made at the City Council in a public process and just flew under the radar.  Did it?