Does anyone really care about Hoboken politics at the end of the year? GA's more interested in which Trump hits the catwalk first in a striped jumpsuit and matching handcuffs. But, okay... Hoboken's City Council meets once more time before the new year: tonight.
So you ask, any hot agenda items? There's this:
"RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CANCELLATION OF STALE CHECKS"
That about sums it up. Except for those Ordinances up for Second Reading, which either get voted on or end up like the stale checks.
GA is mildly curious about the two "Eff-YOU, Ravi" ordinances on deck: one places reporting criteria on current/future mayors who have outside employment, the other regulates the mayor's office staffing. Both are legally DOA; the first needs approval by an ethics board (Hoboken doesn't have one) and the next is outside the Council's authority per the Faulkner Act. Corporation Council has produced opinions advising neither ordinance is viable.
Not surprising, both duds are sponsored by the Prince of Petulance, Mike DeFusco.
Anyway, GA is mildly curious if the Council will ignore the City of Hoboken's Legal Department and call a vote. GA says they will. Because they can. Then, most likely, the mayor will use his veto pen. YAWN.
What else? Tonight we'll find out whether any of the Ramosets address Council President Ramos' theft of the HUMC board seat. As reported only here, the Council President seized the seat for his political crony, Eduardo Gonzalez. Newsflash: that seat belongs to a Council member, not a crony... but when did rules ever matter to DeFusco, Ramos and the Ramosets?
My guess is that the Ramosets stay mute. It's up to Doyle and Jabbour to right this wrong.
The fun stuff? As Emily and/or Jim ask about the stolen board seat, watching the Ramosets (1) squirm, (2) cover for Ruben and/or (3) stay mum. In the meantime, there is a meeting of the HUMC Board at 9AM tomorrow morning and no Council Designee seated. Thanks to Ruben Ramos.
Finally, GA hopes that Mike Donnelly and Anthony show up to throw some zingers! Can you imagine the next batch of council conspiracy theories? HO! HO!HO!
Okay people, enjoy the last CC meeting of 2018.
Not surprising, both duds are sponsored by the Prince of Petulance, Mike DeFusco.
Anyway, GA is mildly curious if the Council will ignore the City of Hoboken's Legal Department and call a vote. GA says they will. Because they can. Then, most likely, the mayor will use his veto pen. YAWN.
What else? Tonight we'll find out whether any of the Ramosets address Council President Ramos' theft of the HUMC board seat. As reported only here, the Council President seized the seat for his political crony, Eduardo Gonzalez. Newsflash: that seat belongs to a Council member, not a crony... but when did rules ever matter to DeFusco, Ramos and the Ramosets?
My guess is that the Ramosets stay mute. It's up to Doyle and Jabbour to right this wrong.
The fun stuff? As Emily and/or Jim ask about the stolen board seat, watching the Ramosets (1) squirm, (2) cover for Ruben and/or (3) stay mum. In the meantime, there is a meeting of the HUMC Board at 9AM tomorrow morning and no Council Designee seated. Thanks to Ruben Ramos.
Finally, GA hopes that Mike Donnelly and Anthony show up to throw some zingers! Can you imagine the next batch of council conspiracy theories? HO! HO!HO!
Okay people, enjoy the last CC meeting of 2018.
Hoboken City Council Meetin... by on Scribd
After First Ward Councilman Michael DeFusco recently went out of his way to got to voice his support for a politically connected and wealthy developer friend's massive 13 story residential building on Harrison Street in Jersey City you would think he was being replaced tonight on the Planning Board for cause.
ReplyDeleteNOPE ! It was a planned deal that he would get one term and be replace by Councilwoman Fisher.
Just my opinion but I think because of his questionable actions and a perception of impropriety should now have to recuse himself from any further discussions and deliberations concerning the other development in the 4th Ward. I doubt he will. I doubt his Council majority friends will do anything either.
Yep, word has gotten around about that dirty backdoor power-sharing deal to give Tiffanie Fisher the Planning Board seat in 2019. I hear the Planning Board folks are none too happy about it either. Ramos, Giattino, Fisher, DeFusco and Cunningham have done a great job of grabbing the most desirable subcommittee chairs, board seats and board appointments. Why? Because they're sore losers.
DeleteFisher on the planning board? So we replaced a wholly owned subsidiary of the developer lobby with a know-it-all twit. All around dumb move.
DeleteCouncilbabe Tippy talked to a secret lawyer at a double-secret location and he or she said we could appoint whoever we want, whenever we want, however we want. That's our official legal position.
ReplyDeleteNext!
I've heard rumors that I hope aren't true about a 460 unit building - 50% bigger than the Sky Club on the Academy Bus property in the SW. The up-zone would be worth about $150 million to Academy. This idiotic project would by itself add about 1,000 residents to the already choked SW corner and bring traffic in and out of SW Hoboken to a standstill. It would also require massively up-zoning the entire SW redevelopment zone since all property owners legally must be treated equally, so a low density plan would be transformed into a massive density plan - a throwback to the worst of Hoboken's past. Giattino and others have been showing around a rendering to carefully selected residents, carrying the water for Academy Bus. Given the promises he made to SW residents during the election campaign, I'm sure Mayor Bhalla will put a fork in this really bad idea which is far worse than what Dave Roberts wanted to do the SW neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteRemember how Tiff wanted to bring a development consultant to Hoboken a few months or so back to discuss some sort of development project in another part of town? I'd bet money she is all for this monstrosity you mention in SW Hoboken. She likes big development. Jen too - realtors love those sorts of projects.
DeleteI hope the mayor not only sticks a fork in it but also tells Academy he won't approve anything larger than a Popsicle stand.
numbers, other than rumor and the orchestrated political theater last night, I know nothing about this proposal. So, am trying to get info now. I do know that Giattino has been showing renderings to 4th Ward residents, and trying to blame the administration, and she was the one who raised the subject last night. Which doesn't make her a hero, it makes her part of a political scheme to manipulate public opinion completely out of context and without information about what actually is going on. I would like to know what this is about, so stay tuned.
DeleteThe project from what I've heard if it is a terrible project. A throwback to the Dave Roberts days of shiny object development - i.e. don't look at the value and scale of the upzone being given away, look at the great "givebacks" the developer is "donating.
ReplyDeleteLike I said, wherever this idea is coming from, and this has similarities to a wildly out of scale proposal developed by John Nastase for the SW property owners while Dawn was Mayor, I hope that Ravi puts a fork in it quickly.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating and there could even be a project that makes sense. But giving away a $150 million worth of development rights in exchange for $20 million of "donated givebacks" ain't it.
Is this project the location of the council's proposed relocation of what Applied, now Ironstate planned for the Monarch site?
Delete