Categorized | News

10/26/16 Council Meeting: It’s Déjà vu All Over Again

PERTH AMBOY – Resident and former City Councilman Ken Balut came up to speak about what he calls his favorite subject – the YMCA. He asked the Council if they knew the total amount of damage when the pool leaked recently. “The Y owes us about $1.5 million since it opened up in 2008. Their pensions have gone up between 7% to 8%. Their Director put $10,000 into the pension system, yet the Mayor testifies against employees’ pension benefits. When is the Y going to be put in the City’s budget?”

Balut continued and said, “Kenny Ortiz (Department of Recreation Director) is getting a nice salary. He should run the Y. Did any of the Council Members see any of the damage from the pool leaking? You should ask for the pictures and reports from the damage. If they are hiding information from you, it’s unethical.”

Councilman Joel Pabon wanted to know if the City has paid any monies to the Y related to the damage (pool leaking).

Business Administrator Adam Cruz stated, “We haven’t paid anything to the Y yet related to this damage.”

Councilman Fernando Gonzalez said, “We want to see a full report on the problem, including photos.”

B.A. Cruz responded, “Sure.”

During the Public Portion, Balut came up to speak again about an upcoming promotion of a Sergeant in the Police Department who was skipped over before and now cannot take the Lieutenant exam. “You were lucky you weren’t sued.”

Councilman Bill Petrick corrected Balut and said, “The Council wouldn’t be sued. It would be the Administration that would be sued.”

Balut continued speaking and said, “Under the former Police Chief, we had more police at the meetings than we had on the street.”

Resident Alan Silber came up to speak. He wanted to know when the City hired the first Black Business Administrator (Jillian Barrack). “There was no press release. When Arlene Quinones-Perez was hired, she was paid $25,000 more than Barrack and there were all these different press releases surrounding her.”

Silber also questioned a $150,000 settlement that the Council didn’t want to speak about, but eventually all the details will come out.

Councilman Bill Petrick responded, “That’s how the settlement reads. (it doesn’t go into that much detail).

Mayoral Candidate Sharon Hubberman came up to speak. She wanted to know if there was any progress about what to do about the buses at the Train Station. She also admonished all the candidates who did not show up at the Mayoral Forum (run by the Messengers of Peace) that was held on October 25, 2016. “Shame on all of you candidates. There were many tough questions that I would love of hearing you answered. As elected officials, I thought you would have shown up, especially to support the Messengers of Peace who do so much.”

B.A. Adam Cruz responded to Sharon’s questions about the buses at the Train Station, “Each bus is charged $50 a month to park there.”

Resident Linda Ferreria (who lives in the Budapest section of town) came up to speak about street cleaning. “It’s a waste of money. You get a ticket if your car is on the street at the time their cleaning. If we were given advanced notice of when sweeping will be done on our street, it would at least give us time to move our cars.”

She also wondered if the Department of Public Works started giving out new garbage cans. “Only the stores have them and not the residents.”

She also had concerns about private school buses that are parked on residential streets.

B.A. Adam Cruz said, “The City is looking to buy a new sweeper next year. We have an ordinance of no buses on City streets after 6 p.m.”

Resident Lois Lane came up to speak. She had a question about the renewal of application process for handicapped parking spots. “The application says that doctors have to put down a reason why the applicant has have a handicapped spot and that this request had to be put on the doctor’s letterhead. They’re asking for information that has to be protected under a patient’s rights. What is being asked on the application is illegal. Some of the pages with the application are obsolete. I have to pay $25 for the doctor to fill out the sheet with the certification.”

City Clerk Elaine Jasko explained that, “For mobility disability, the doctor has to certify that. When you brought back the application, it was just with a prescription attached which was not acceptable.”

Ms. Lane was told to see Ms. Jasko at the end of the Meeting    to get more details.

Businesswoman who is running for a seat on the Council came up to speak. She said that she along with her running mates attended the Board of Education Forum which was held on 10/24/16 at Perth Amboy High School, Eagle Avenue. “We told them (The Messengers of Peace) in advance that we will not be attending their Mayoral Debate because no one else (the other Mayoral Candidates) will be there.”

A Resident from Alpine Street, who comes to the Meetings to complain about a judge and a member of the Police Department says that no one ever wants to help him.

At this time Deputy Police Chief Larry Cattano came up to speak to address this Resident. “Any internal affairs matters are confidential and we are forbidden to discuss them. We can discuss your specific incidents in-house only. We set up meetings two times for you to come in to discuss your problems, but you never showed up. You can call me to set up a meeting. We can also give you guidelines for picketing.”

At the end of the Meeting, the Council made comments. Fernando Gonzalez addressed the placement of gas meters in front of people’s houses. “I’m concerned because these meters are protruding too far into the street.”

Business Administrator Adam Cruz spoke next and said, “I reached out to City Engineer Jeff Rauch. The City has no control over where gas meters can be placed. Jeff will set up a meeting with Elizabethtown gas to discuss this problem.”

Cruz also updated the Council about streets that are having problems with bumps after being repaved by utility companies that did work. Blacktop is being replaced with concrete to solve this problem.”

Councilman Joel Pabon who is running for Mayor touched on the problem of the gas meters. “I don’t believe for one minute that the gas company couldn’t find another spot to place these gas meters other than on the front of people’s homes.”

Councilman Bill Petrick agreed and said, “The gas companies would not do this in other towns.” He went on to name some of the more affluent towns.

Councilman Fernando Irizarry was absent due to personal reasons.

Attorney Ronald Gordon of the DeCotiis Law Firm was present in place of Law Director Louis Rainone.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Browse Current Issue - Click Here

Safety Announcement

We are taking safety precautions in the City of Perth Amboy, and emphasize that it is important: IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING!!
Report Suspicious Activity – Be Vigilant – STAY ALERT! Do not think that any call or report is too small. Don’t allow the actions of a few dictate your quality of life.
FOR ALL EMERGENCIES, DIAL: 9-1-1
FOR ALL NON-EMERGENCIES, DIAL: 732-442-4400