3/29/17
Mayor Fred Henry
SOUTH AMBOY – The South Amboy State of the City was submitted by Mayor Fred Henry. Here are some of the highlights of his speech.
Mayor Fred Henry began his 2017 STOC by thanking those who participated in the St. Patrick’s Day festivities and what an honor it was to be chosen as the Grand Marshal. He was especially pleased that his mother, Ann was chosen as Irish Woman of the Year. “She basically took over WCTC Radio Station and made her Irish Fashion Statement and rode in the parade with her best friend, Lois Morriss.”
He also thanked Mickey Gross and Cathy Schwartz and the rest of the Parade Committee “…for a truly great parade and the opportunity for Linda (the Mayor’s Wife) and me to ride in a Rolls Royce.”
“We will be joined again by the City of Perth Amboy (on July 3rd) to celebrate our annual fireworks to honor this country in which we live.”
“Our Committee which includes myself, Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz, South Amboy Council President Mickey Gross and Perth Amboy’s Barry Rosengarten held our first meeting. More information about this event will be coming forth soon.”
Henry then lauded the accomplishments of the Historical Society of South Amboy which was reestablished on June 6, 2011. “Some of their events include its Annual Cemetery Tours, Historical Plaques depicting South Amboy’s rich history. They have an open house every year.”
“This year, we will commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the U.S. entry into World War I with special emphasis on Luke Lovely, the first citizen from South Amboy killed in action. Soon we will be taking the next step in making this organization even more dynamic by creating a Historic Commission which will promote, advise, educate and inform the people, the schools, and the governing bodies about historical preservation in this great city of ours.”
Henry thanked Mary Szaro, President of the South Amboy Historical Society and all the Members, “…of which I am proud to include myself for all the hard work they have completed and their plans for the future through the past for South Amboy.”
“May 29th we will be observing Memorial Day to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for this great country of ours. South Amboy’s Army Sergeant First Class Benjamin Sebban was killed in action 10 years ago on March 17, 2007 when he was only 29 years old. He died while treating wounded comrades even though he himself was wounded. He was a hero and heroes like him deserve to be honored. Please come out that day and show our respect for our military, not just in words but in action. Join us that day to pay tribute as the late President Kennedy said, with a little bit of paraphrase, “A Nation reveals itself not only by the men and women it produces, but also by the men and women it remembers.” Let us remember Ben Sebban and all the others who gave their lives so others could live.”
“Potomac Hudson was awarded the job last April to remediate the site of our future ferry. We’re in the final phase of remediation and work was proceeding on schedule when we ran into a minor snag. Federal money was being used for this project and we were subject to follow certain rules which includes a stoppage of work if something of historical significance is found. Well, something was found – the bed of an old railroad line and the remnants of a round table. Work was halted and our Archeological Monitoring Firm, Hunter Research came in and catalogued everything. After this was done, we received confirmation from the State Historical Preservation Office to proceed with the construction remediation.”
“We have begun meetings to discuss the terminal and parking lot locations and amenities. We plan to go out for the RFQ’s for the terminal design this fall. The next step is the bid process for construction and then the construction can commence.”
Henry stated that this process continued to be very long, but it’s still a very exciting time for South Amboy as we proceed in a very positive direction.
“Redevelopment will continue with multimillion dollar projects. Luxury developments such as Woodmont next to the Y, Ryan Homes next to the County Park and Raritan River Landing on lower Main Street as we continue to increase the value of our community. We will continue to look at all types of developments which will bring in what is a good fit for South Amboy and the best tax ratables.”
Henry stated that with this type of smart growth South Amboy’s net worth jumped from $857 million to $882 million in just 2 years. “Our Budgets are producing surpluses including $700,000 this past year. I’d like to thank Camille Tooker, our Business Administrator, Angel Albanese, our CFO and our City Council for constructing such good budgets. I would also like to thank our Redevelopment Agency and its Director Eric Chubenko, a tireless worker for the best interest of South Amboy and our Planning Board and its Chairman Bob Paulukiewicz. This is truly a great team working together through smart growth and smart planning.”
The Planning Board with the help of planning professionals from Heyer & Gruel, recently held an open public session called, “Shaping the City’s Master Plan,” where members of the public were asked for their input and ideas as we prepare the road map for the City’s future through a revised Master Plan. Feedback from the various critical City Agencies and results from this sessions are currently being analyzed and compiled into an initial draft of the new Master Plan which we expect to be completed in the near future.”
Henry congratulated recent City Retirees: Mary Sue Felice, Mary Kate Vacca, Patty Spangenberg, Toni Manion and Terry O’Neil. He described them as the backbone of City Government who worked behind the scenes to get everyday business work done. He wished that they enjoy the fruits of their many hard years of work in the interests of the citizens South Amboy.
Henry continued to talk about those who are important in the everyday operations and infrastructure that is important for the success in the community. “We continue to look for grants to help pave our streets like we did with Barkalow, Pupek and Charmello Drive. We will be paving Bordentown Avenue with the help of a DOT $250,000 grant. Next year, we look to pave Stevens Avenue along with replacing curbs and walkways where needed with the help of another grant of $300,000 from the DOT.”
“Middlesex Water concluded another section in its RE-New Project which will help to keep our water safe and will also be paving those streets which were dug up. The gas company will be planning to upgrade their lines in the near future. Our City Engineer Mark Rasimowicz secured grants which allow us to upgrade our pumping station on Feltus and Raritan Streets. This saved the taxpayers thousands of dollars and we will still be installing emergency generators at these sites. This building (Senior Center on Stevens Avenue) is an emergency center. We have added a backup generator here. Our Public Works Department provides the City with excellent performances, but they need updated equipment to do their jobs. We are in the process of purchasing a new streets sweeper, a Bobcat and garbage truck.”
“The new signs around town look great and our sign program will continue. All parks will receive upgrades and our Allie Clark Sports Complex is undergoing major improvements.”
He thanked DPW Superintendent Len Moffa for a great job overseeing the Department and always on the lookout for ways to improve and make South Amboy look even better than it already is.
“We purchased updated vehicles for our Police Department. (4 new SUV’s) We will be opening up receptacles (located in the Police Department in City Hall) to drop off outdated drugs or prescriptions you may have in your home.”
Henry highlighted how it is important to make your home a safer place to live. “Too many times children and young adults get their hands on these items which can harm them. They can be taking drugs for years before you even notice something is different and sometimes it maybe too late. Just like in any other place in America it has happened here in South Amboy. It is an epidemic nationwide. The stigma needs to be removed and we need to reach out and help those in need – the addict and their families. My Administration, the City Council, Police, Fire, First Aid Departments and Citizens are there to do our part to help bring this under control.”
He thanked Kim Seber and her Fed Up organization who allow people to share their stories on how drug addiction affected them. “Through the coordination of my office and Kim’s organization meetings are held on the last Wednesday the month at our Senior Center.”
“We’re looking into a peer recovery program in a shared services initiative with Woodbridge.”
Mayor Henry then talked about the more efficiently run Emergency Services Department. “After spending over $1 million for new radios for our First Responders, we have now contracted with Middlesex County to be on their radio system. The County will also be doing our fire inspections and by working with them, it will enable us to be partners in grants they receive for new and updated equipment such as the new Water Rescue Apparatus.”
“I want to thank Freeholder Director Ron Rios and the Middlesex County Freeholders for this equipment. Our recreation programs have shown improvement with the resurfacing of the Sixth Street Tennis Courts. The free programs for our youth during the summer will continue and we have new yoga classes for seniors. The Sadie Pope Dowdell Library continues to have its various programs for young and old alike such as the “Just Soup Competition” and a guitar performance next month. With their 3-D Printer, you can let your creative imagination go wild. I would like to thank Elaine Gaber, the Library Board, and the great staff for all they do.”
“Last year, I announced we were working on creating an Arts District in South Amboy. This has been done through resolutions from the Redevelopment Agency and the City Council. The Arts District Office is across the street from City Hall under the direction of Diana St. John and Susan Pelligrini. They have produced a short film show and an exhibit called: “On Track,”and just recently an Irish Concert. Upcoming Concerts include: The Deprees, Tributes to Frankie Valli, Dion and to the Great Girl Groups of the ’50’s and ’60’s. The Espresso Cafe is a place to relax while experiencing artist installations and listen to music. On display right now is the works of Victor W. Turban. Please check out their website for future programs. With the Arts District, Historical Society Programs, Our Waterfront Park and walkway, we are attracting more and more people from outside of South Amboy who want to come here to enjoy everything we have to offer.”
Henry then acknowledged all the good people from the City Council, Police Department, Fire Department, Public Works and the Government Offices who make everything run smoothly in the City through their cooperation with each other. He called out the names of Police Chief Darren LaVigne, Fire Chief Steve Szatkowski (Outgoing Chief John Kelly) our OEM Coordinator Mark Herdman, and Volunteer First Aid President Gene Cox and President Christine Walzack. We support our City Workers and our many Volunteers who help to make South Amboy the great little City that it is and will continue to be.”
He then quoted President Franklin D. Roosevelt, “I’m not the smartest fellow in the world, but I can sure pick smart colleagues.”
“Two of the most important are Stacey Kennedy, my Secretary and Camille Tooker, my Business Administrator. Stacey keeps me on schedule and has adjusted quite in this role. Her capabilities seem endless as she has taken on the additional roles of Secretary for the Redevelopment Agency and the Planning Board. What can I say about Camille Tooker who came into the position of Business Administrator a number of years ago to much criticism. To me, she has overwhelmingly silenced those critics by her steadfast determination in getting the job done which is second to none. She was sick at home during Super Storm Sandy, but continued to do what was necessary. Her loyalty to South Amboy and to me, especially during some very trying times and Camille, you know what I mean, will stay in my heart forever. Camille will be retiring at the end of May and she will be missed. On behalf of the City of South Amboy and myself, I want to thank you for all that you have done. You certainly have left your mark on all of us. Thank you.”
“Our goal is Smart Growth, Smart Spending, and Smart Government. I believe under my leadership that we have achieved that goal. We have produced sound budgets which in turn have produced surpluses, increased our City’s worth, improved our Bond Rating, spent your tax dollars wisely, and continued to create avenues to make South Amboy an even better place to live and raise a family. Our job is never ending and we must continue to be conscientious in what we do and make sure we continue to do what is right for South Amboy.”
“In conclusion, I wish to thank the Citizens of South Amboy for granting me the honor of being able to serve you as your Mayor. I wish to thank my family and friends for their support. And I wish to thank my wife, Linda for being there for me and with me. Thank you Mrs. Mayor and for this year Mrs. Grand Marshal. May God Bless our Troops all over the world and May He continue to Bless this Great Nation of Ours, the United States of America. Thank you.”
