3/22/20 Caucus & Council Meeting Via Phone Conference
By: Carolyn Maxwell
PERTH AMBOY – During the 3/22/20 Caucus, Councilman Joel Pabon questioned all the different union contracts, “Where are we going with these? If we (the city) go into bankruptcy, are we (the city) held accountable?”
Business Administrator Frederick Carr responded, “These contracts are in the budget. There are some minor changes. We have an obligation to pay those contracts in the budget as it was introduced 2 months ago. There are also $460,000 of COVID-19 related expenses on the agenda. Do we not want to pay or not have people come to work? A referendum of agreement was made. I’ve been in contact with other CFO’s in the state.”
Pabon continued, “I’m asking about contracts going forward. I know we have money already allocated for the present contract. I don’t want to put us in a bind going into the future.”
Carr then explained, “There’s money for 2020 in the budget. 2021 and 2022 are questionable. Don’t vote on it if you are not comfortable. I don’t have an answer right now going into the future.”
Pabon was still concerned, “I’ve been listening to discussions with other mayors and the governor. We are not thinking ahead. We need to be prepared. We have to see how we fall into this.”
Council President Bill Petrick then spoke up, “Our main concern is how much money we will have to operate with.” Petrick also stated that the Teamsters Ordinance (No. 2 – First Reading – No public discussion) will be pulled.
There was a question concerning Ordinance No. 3 – No public discussion RE: An Ordinance amending an ordinance entitled: Wreckers. Law Director Peter King stated he was not at the March Meeting when that ordinance was being discussed.
Petrick stated, “I sent out a summery and CC’D you (King) and Law Director Carr on changes that the council made.”
Councilman Fernando Irizarry then asked King about Resolutions R-144 – A Worker’s Compensation Settlement entitled Joseph Sassine vs. City of Perth Amboy in the amount of $35,919 and R-145 – Settlement of the Workers Compensation Litigation entitled: Angel Velez vs. the City of Perth Amboy in the amount of $138,510.
Irizarry asked, “What departments did they work in?”
King responded “R-144 was in the police department (2018). The officer was injured while making an arrest. R-145 was an employee in the department of public works who was injured during snow removal (2016).”
Carr explained further, “The DPW worker was injured in 3 places.”
Irizarry then questioned, “What kind of training do they have in the DPW?”
There was no response.
Carr then explained R-146 – Authorizing submission of an application to the US Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance for the FY: 2020 Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program. He explained, “This was a $70,751 grant which for reimbursement for money that we spent on overtime, supplies, and managing our workforce.”
Irizarry made a comment regarding R-147 – Accepting a grant for the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs for the Green Infrastructure 2020 Grant in the amount of $250,000. He thanked Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez for helping with this. Irizarry then added up the money from the CDBG grants which included R-148 – and R-149. R-148 – The grant monies were $574,360 + $360,120 + $388,023 (the Coronavirus Funds) and R-149 – the grant monies were $659,638 + $420,621. (Total $2,402,762).
Carr responded regarding R-148. “We have already received some of the funds and some were added. Regarding R-149, this is new money of $1.1 million for year 2021. This shows the importance of the census. There is $2.5 million allocated for HUD through the CDBG, and what is earmarked for COVID-19.”
Irizarry asked, “How are we going to prepare on handling the COVID-19? Do we have any details or an action plans?”
Carr responded, “We will have a report in May.”
Assistant Housing Manager Tashi Vazquez spoke up during the video conferencing. “There will be a public meeting next week (Monday, April 27, 2020 at 2 p.m.) The topic will be funding to help keep people employed. For those who are not able to participate, it will be online on Friday, May 1, 2020.”
B.A. Frederick Carr then responded to a question regarding R-152 – Authorizing a contract for emergency Wet Cleaning and Disinfection of City Hall and the Perth Amboy Municipal Court to Insurance Restoration Specialists Inc. in accordance with the New Jersey State approved co-op in an amount not to exceed $15,600. “This cleaning has already been done.”
R-154 was removed (Teamsters contract).
Irizarry had a question regarding R-156 – Authorizing Preparation and Issuance of estimated third quarter tax bills. “Is our tax rate 3%?”
Carr responded, “There is a 0.00% increase for the municipality and school. There’s a 3% increase for the library and county which will be adjusted for the fourth quarter. The school, county and municipality will be factored in.”
During the public portion, Resident Jeremy Baratta was the only person to speak, “Councilman Pabon was right. The budget, and regarding future payments and regarding the state – it looks like a possibility of going bankrupt. We have to make hard choices. I want to thank Bill Petrick for getting the whole agenda online.” He then remarked about the two resolutions (R-144, R-145) workers compensation that Irizarry talked about, “We are overpaying on these cases and they should be taken to trial. The awards are ridiculous.”
After the close of the public portion, Council President Petrick requested that the Council not make any comments at close of the caucus. Petrick then continued, “I was asked by Bill Schultz (the Riverkeeper) to mention that today is Earth Day.”
The caucus concluded at 5:15 p.m. As per council vote, the regular meeting followed two minutes after the caucus ended.
At the beginning of the regular council meeting, Stephanie Márquez-Villafañe spoke during the phone conference regarding Ordinance No.1 designating restricted parking spaces for use by a handicapped person regarding additions. “Who is making these decisions?”
Councilman Fernando Irizarry, who is on the Handicapped Parking Committee along with Márquez-Villafañe, asked the city clerk to respond.
City Clerk Victoria Kupsch stated, “This was already approved by the Handicapped Parking Committee. The March 25th and 30th meetings already had these applications on their agenda.”
Council President William Petrick answered a question from Resident Jeremy Baratta regarding accepting a contract from January 1, 2018. Baratta questioned, “Can the city afford the backpayment awarded on this contract?”
Petrick answered, “The money was already allocated (for this).”
B.A. Frederick Carr added, “2018 came and went. In 2019, money was transferred to pay members under union contracts. I don’t have the numbers right now.”
Baratta stated, “I can’t believe the council doesn’t have the numbers.”
Councilman Irizarry said, “The council was sent an email stating the cost.”
Carr said, “The 2018 and 2019 sheets were provided to the council in March. The council already passed a memorandum of agreement for one of the union contracts. If the council chooses not to pass the resolution, we have to go back to the union, and it can lead to unfair labor practices.”
Law Director King spoke up, “We can go back to the union, but I can’t tell you what they will do.”
CFO/Comptroller Jill Goldy joined the conversation, “Between 2018 and 2019, $92,000 was budgeted into the 2019 contract for the OPIE Union.”
Baratta then questioned, “Who is in the OPIE?”
Carr explained, “It’s the blue and white collar supervisors in various departments. The overall cost it $20,000. There’s a 1% increase built in.”
After the close of public comments for the ordinances, the Citizen’s Campaign came up to make a presentation. Caesar Romero spoke briefly about the Citizen’s Campaign and their objectives. Founder of the Citizen’s Campaign Harry Pozycki came up to speak. “22% of the COVID-19 cases in the county are in Perth Amboy, yet we are only 6% of the county.” Pozycki wanted to present a resolution to the council for the Citizen’s Campaign, “We’ll be having a Corona Task Force implemented in Perth Amboy.”
Council President Bill Petrick said, “We can’t pass a resolution we don’t have.”
Pozycki continued, “The Citizen’s has implemented a Task Force and we have talked to several agencies in the city such as the Director of Housing, the Superintendent of Schools, and the hospital regarding COVID -19 tracing. I have even spoken to Barry Rosengarten regarding donations of food supplies and also supplying masks. We already have people who are agreed to do so. When I talk to OEM (Office of Emergency Management), they said they can only supply training through Zoom (an App. for phone conferencing).”
Council President Petrick asked who will be supplying gloves (when will your taskforce goes out in the field)?”
Pozycki said, “I hadn’t thought about that, but it’s a good idea. We have teams going out in the field, but citizens have to be a part of it.”
Petrick then questioned the high number of COVID-19 cases in Perth Amboy. “Are they all residents?”
Pozycki answered, “Perth Amboy has very dense housing.”
Petrick wanted to know, “Where is the data coming from regarding the percentage of the cases in Perth Amboy?”
Pozycki said, “The figures are coming from the county, and passed down to the police department.”
Councilman Joel Pabon spoke up, “It’s a great idea that the Citizen’s Campaign are having trackers. We have to start doing things now. We can use all the help that we can get. We are not getting the true numbers. I think the trackers being here will have a huge success. Where are most of the cases coming from in the city?”
Pozycki said, “The idea is to be ready.”
Councilman Irizarry spoke up next. He thanked Pozycki and his committee. He then asked, “Will they be looking at what kind of access to healthcare the residents have when it comes to the Coronavirus? Will you be looking into this? I never thought about gloves and having a facemask. The demand is exceeding the supply and the money to get these items is high. Besides the expense and being hard to get, even when you order these supplies online, it takes time to get them.”
Pozycki responded, “Individualized Shirt Company (in Perth Amboy) is making masks.”
Councilwoman Milady Tejeda wanted to commend the Citizen’s Campaign, “To do tracking, you need information from people who tested positive. The whole country is short on testing supplies.”
Pozycki continued, “The State Health Registry gets people’s names, and the community and that gets sent to the police department so that person can get isolated.”
Council President Bill Petrick then asked, “Will that be a violation of HIPPA Laws?”
Pozycki responded, “We will be working under the existing (local, state, and county) laws. HIPPA will be complied with.”
Councilman Helmin Caba spoke up. He also congratulated Harry Pozycki and his committee. “Caesar Romero is an upcoming star. We need to plan ahead with the pandemic and be ahead of the curve.” Harry Pozycki concluded, “We are always looking for the most up to date procedures.”
The next person who spoke via teleconferencing was Deputy Police Chief and OEM Coordinator Larry Cattano. He addressed Harry Pozycki. “We have an OEM plan that has been in place for 20 years and it is reviewed by the state annually. A pharmaceutical distribution plan also has been in place for years. We have the people in place. We are only one of 4 cities that get federal funding. Regarding protective equipment, people have to learn the proper use of gloves. Someone mentioned that people are not using masks in public. New Jersey does not require that. In food establishments – yes, and in other public buildings, you are required to wear them. As far as the hospitals, they have to report the cases to the state. We would get the locations and addresses sent to us. The county numbers are accurate. We have to vet all the addresses given to us. Contact Tracing is out of hand. You have to get an antibody test. As far as HIPPA laws, there is a special state dispensation. We cannot share information. That is handled through the state department. Regarding masks, and the type of material, cloth masks have minimal face covering.” Cattano indicated that cloth masks are better than nothing.
Pozycki responded to Cattano’s comments. He complimented Cattano and the city. He continued, “The Citizen’s Campaign is looking at different masks to make sure they get the best and the proper use of gloves. It’s not a New Jersey mandate for masks, but eventually masks will be mandatory. I’m glad the council recognizes the importance to be prepared.”
Council President Bill Petrick then mentioned how important it is having gloves, especially when it comes to small cuts on your hands. He then mentioned Anton Massopust (EMT, Fire, First Aid Instructor) who always emphasized this when teaching his classes, “If you think having a small cut on your hand is not important, try putting peroxide or rubbing alcohol on that small cut and see how it affects you.”
Petrick suggested that the Citizen’s Campaign put something together (an Ordinance or Resolution) to be presented to the public.
No one spoke at the public comments on agenda items only.
Ordinance No. 1 – Re: Renewal documentation for handicapped parking – was moved by Irizarry and seconded by Caba. Ordinance No. 2 Re: Teamsters – January 1, 2018 thru December 31, 2022 was pulled. Ordinance No. 3 – Wreckers – was removed.
The public was then invited to make comments on R-122-3/20 – Public Hearing on the introduced CY:2020 Municipal Budget.
The first person to speak on the conferencing was Resident Stephanie Márquez-Villafañe. She asked, “What kind of cuts were there?”
Council President Bill Petrick responded, “There were no cuts per say, and no tax increases.”
Márquez-Villafañe was surprised and questioned the reason there was no increase.
Petrick stated, “We are using surplus money.”
B.A. Frederick Carr spoke up and said, “It’s the council’s budget for 2020: $4,886,000 of surplus money was used.”
Márquez-Villafañe questioned, “How much money will be left?”
B.A. Carr answered, “I am not sure, but maybe between three to five million dollars.”
CFO/Comptroller joined the discussion, “$5 million will be left in the surplus.”
Resident Jeremy Baratta spoke next. He questioned the $790,000 in additional spending. “What are the three top increases?”
Goldy explained that the biggest increase was in salaries. She stated there was also an increase in pension contributions and the city had an offset from a $2 million reimbursement in its insurance plan. The city also has a reduction in some of their required debt services and utility costs.”
Comments were then closed on R-122.
The council proceeded to vote on the consent agenda. R-143 thru R-150 and R-152, R-153, R-155 and R-156 were moved by Councilman Fernando Irizarry and seconded by Councilman Joel Pabon. R-154 was tabled. Councilwoman Milady Tejeda asked for R-151 – (Authorizing the refund of restoration bond to United Dominicans of Perth Amboy in the amount of $6,000 due to the cancellation of the 2020 festival.) to be pulled and voted on separately. R-151 was moved by Irizarry and seconded by Caba. When it came to vote, all voted “yes”, and Councilwoman Tejeda abstained on R-151.
Last Public Portion:
Resident Jeremy Baratta then again questioned since the meetings have been held remotely, “Is City Hall open, and can the public attend the meeting?”
Again, the council answered in unison, “No.”
Baratta again asked if there were any provisions for the homeless or others that do not have phones, computers, or other devices (to participate in the meeting). “Did the city set something up?”
Council President William Petrick responded, “I can’t answer that.”
Baratta then questioned a previous speaker who talked about an upcoming meeting (regarding how to help businesses). “How was this meeting advertised? I have two businesses and I didn’t get anything from the BID about available money (to help businesses).” He then said that he heard there was supposed to be funding of around $370,000. “Can this meeting be put out by the BID?”
Petrick responded, “I believe it was advertised like other meetings.”
Baratta continued, “I saw a listing of the check register. There was an item for a garage door repair and that repair is spelled incorrectly. I also saw an amount of $12,000 for an email service. This company called AVAYA Inc. received a government contract for $3,012.70 for support services for the Perth Amboy Parking Utility, the Library, and SIP Trunking Software. What kind of vetting did they go through? I didn’t see that this company was registered as an LLC.”
CFO Goldy answered that question, “This company is providing a filter for all the city’s email. They are dealing with issues regarding our email spam and they do have an LLC. Not all companies are required to have a business registration number.”
Resident Stephanie Márquez-Villafañe spoke next. She questioned a census contest that the mayor has on her Facebook Page where every two weeks the mayor’s office is giving out $50. “The ages to participate are 12 thru 18. During one of her Wilda Live Facebook broadcasts, there was a mention that the Law Department is looking at some of the Coronavirus cases. Why are they doing that and not the OEM? There is also a decrease of staffing at City Hall. What is the role of the Code Enforcement Director? The mayor also went to two houses to say, “Happy Birthday.” How many officers went with her and how were they paid? What is the city doing for all of the immune compromised citizens?”
B.A. Carr responded, “Director of Human Resources Ken Ortiz talks about this issue (reaching out to all citizens) every day and also talks about all of the outreach programs available.”
Márquez-Villafañe continued, “I reached out to the Human Resources Office and I’m still waiting for a callback.”
Council President William Petrick spoke up, “Our Human Resources Office is stretched to the max. Reach out to the owners of the supermarkets to make accommodations.”
Márquez-Villafañe continued, “I did reach out to them, and they said they are following the Mayor’s directions.”
Petrick then suggested, “Maybe the Mayor can be made aware of this so all citizens can be accommodated. The Mayor is telling people to post comments if they completed their census forms.”
B.A. Frederick Carr then responded to some of Márquez-Villafañe’s questions. “Regarding the contest open to youth from ages 12-18 regarding the census. It is an opportunity to show people that they complied with the census and they encourage others to do so. The Mayor is paying the $50 out of her own pocket and we are not violating the census rules. Code Enforcement Director Irving Lozada is changing his title. Sometimes people have to do things that are normally not in their job title. For instance, I am doing things in the mailroom because of the present circumstances. The Mayor is reaching out to our youth. People have been homebound for months.”
Law Director Peter King spoke up, “I’m helping out and reviewing some of the COVID-19 cases.”
Council Comments:
Councilman Helmin Caba thanked OEM Director and Deputy Police Chief Larry Cattano about the information he provided regarding the rules and regulations during the Coronavirus Crisis. He extended his congratulations to the entire OEM team. He then expressed thanks to Mr. Carr and Council President Petrick talking about the importance of doing the census. “So far, only 42% of the people who were sent out the information have responded. It can be done online, by phone, or mail. Please do this so we can do our proper funding. I want to thank all who work and give to the community. Kenny Ortiz is doing an excellent job. Please practice social distancing and my condolences to all who have lost a loved one.”
Councilman Fernando Irizarry wanted to thank all who meet the needs of others. He mentioned those who worked for the food pantries, the Board of Education, the Jewish Renaissance, the OEM, and Kenny Oritz. “The COVID-19 cases are increasing in Perth Amboy and the curve is not flattening. Please take the restrictions seriously.”
Councilman Joel Pabon also thanked OEM Director and Police Chief Larry Cattano. “He is always working behind the scenes and for also correcting me regarding wearing a mask in public. It was scary to see a negative trend of COVID-19 cases in Perth Amboy. We are right behind Woodbridge in cases which is much bigger population than we do. Kenny Oritz and his staff (some whom we never see) work long hours. Thank you a million times. I have called Kenny Ortiz a number of times for people who need help. We as a community have to come together to do our part. God bless everybody and stay safe.”
Councilman Helmin Caba then spoke up again and stated, “We are now number one surpassing Woodbridge Township in COVID-19 cases (as of 4/22/20).”
OEM Director Larry Cattano also spoke up to make additional comments. He wanted to clarify how COVID-19 cases are counted. “People are being retested. The tests are counted – not the people. The Jewish Renaissance is doing 150 tests a day. People should wear masks or other face coverings, even if it is not required when walking outside. We will be getting a test center on State Street soon.”
Councilwoman Milady Tejeda spoke next, “Who can go through the drive-in testing centers?”
Cattano answered, “Only people with symptoms those who are asymptomatic can be tested by appointment only.”
Council President Petrick questioned, “What kind of tests are being administered?”
Cattano responded, “Oral swabs.”
Councilman Irizarry asked the numbers of deaths. Cattano answered as of 4/22/20 it was 53.
Law Director King spoke up to let everyone know why he was reviewing some of the COVID-19 cases. “We wanted to make sure there was no spike in certain areas in the city.”
Tejeda continued speaking. She thanked Police Chief Cattano, Kenny Ortiz and his staff, and the citizens who stay home. “This is very serious. Make sure the elders are taken care of and do shopping for them. I want to commend our community leaders who look out for their friends and neighbors.” She also wanted to thank one of the High School teachers who is also a businessowner who is helping the community. “Make calls to your friends to make sure they do the census and help them if they need your guidance. Call people to make sure they are okay, and let them know you care. Thanks to all who work to keep the city going.”
Council President Bill Petrick thanked everyone including Chief Cattano and all the unsung heroes, the DPW workers, emergency services, Kenny Ortiz, Iriving Lozada, B.A. Carr, City Clerk Victoria Kupsch, DPW Director Frank Hoffman, and all who participated in the meeting. “Be safe and wear protective equipment.”
Councilwoman Tejeda spoke up again, “I want to wish everyone a happy Laboratory Week. We are here for the community.”
Petrick responded, “Lab technicians are handling dangerous samples. I hear it’s also Administrative Assistants Day. Good night and everyone stay safe.”
The meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.
