Discussions Continue Regarding
Management Salary & Salary Ranges and Opening Up the City for Business
June 10, 2020 Caucus & Council Meetings via Teleconferencing
By: Carolyn Maxwell
PERTH AMBOY – Councilman Joel Pabon opened up a discussion during the Caucus regarding Ordinance No. 2 (no public discussion) – Fixing and establishing a schedule of salaries and salary ranges and increments for officers and employees of the city of Perth Amboy. Re: Management and Non-Union.
Pabon stated, “The council needs to talk more about this ordinance. Something doesn’t make sense.”
Council President William Petrick agreed and asked the council, “When should we meet to discuss this?”
Pabon was adamant when he said, “This should be our (the council’s) discussion. Other employees don’t have to be here.”
Petrick then questioned, “Should we discuss this tonight? At a special meeting? Or at our next regular meeting?”
Pabon continued, “I don’t know. We have to see if the other council members feel the same.”
Petrick stated, “I’m onboard.”
Councilman Fernando Irizarry chimed in, “We should do this at a closed meeting.”
Petrick objected, “There needs to be a public discussion.”
After going back and forth between all the council members, it was decided that the meeting should be held in the council chambers so that the public can speak. It was also decided that instead of being on the phone, all the council members should be in the same room seated 6 feet apart.
After that decision was made, Irizarry questioned if the open positions that were supposed to be eliminated were eliminated. Council President Petrick stated, “All was not done.” He suggested that Irizarry look at the documents before and after to see what was changed.
Ordinance No. 2 was tabled.
Irizarry then questioned Ordinance No. 3 – Establishing protective measures during a local state of emergency. “I need further clarifications in reference to when tickets will be issued, and what hours would this entail regarding a state of emergency.”
OEM Director Larry Cattano responded, “It depends on the type of emergency.” He gave an example such as Superstorm Sandy where power is lost, and you had damage. “That would entail a different type of emergency that we have now.”
Irizarry then asked, “What about people who violated the curfew hours?”
Cattano continued, “This particular ordinance is specifically tailored for Perth Amboy. No other municipalities had this particular ordinance on their books.”
Irizarry then questioned why there was nothing in his packet regarding R-188-6/20 – Amending CY:2020 Municipal Budget. He asked, “What are we doing here?”
City Clerk Victoria Kupsch stated, “Everyone received the packet.”
Business Administrator Frederick Carr answered Irizarry’s concerns, “This is amending the Mayor’s budget, and is a decrease from the introduced budget from $4.8 million down to $4.2 million. Any increases or decreases are noted next to the items on your budget sheet.”
Carr then provided Councilman William Petrick concerns regarding R-193-6/20 – Overhead Door Maintenance and Repair Service in an amount not to exceed $22,500 to NJ Overhead Door.
“This is a yearly contract for the overhead doors at the Fire Department.”
Irizarry then questioned R-196-6/20 – Awarding a 2-year contract for unleaded gasoline to National Fuel Oil using the Somerset County Co-op pricing agreement in an amount not to exceed $350,000 starting July 1, 2020 terminating June 30, 2022.
Carr explained, “This cost is for 2 years. Also, the school uses our pumps.”
There were two late-starters that were added: R-199 and R-200.
Public Portion:
Resident and Businessman Jeremy Baratta spoke. He had concerns regarding Ordinance No. 2 which was tabled. “Where there was a position for a Director of Community Development in the Department of Recreation – Salary of $60,000.” He then questioned the Personnel Report. “A part-time position on the Planning Board? Who is this person?”
Council President Petrick responded, “It is the Secretary on the Planning Board.”
Baratta was not happy and stated, “She’s a contractor.” He then questioned why the Y has any cost at all since they have been closed down. His last question was regarding an insurance policy that has a stop-loss clause. “What type of policy is a Stop-Loss Cause?”
Petrick stated, “It’s a health insurance policy for the employees (of the city).”
Carr then answered a question that Irizarry had regarding the city’s budget referencing the school’s budget. Carr explained, “When the school board certifies their budget, a copy has to be sent to us, then that certified copy goes to the county.”
Council Comments:
Councilman Helmin Caba mentioned the peaceful protest he participated in on Saturday, June 6, 2020 and he wanted to thank all who were involved in the march. “It was peaceful, heartfelt and I was proud to be a part of it.” Caba stated a peaceful message is more powerful than what has been going on (civil unrest) in other places.
Councilman Fernando Irizarry echoed Caba’s words. “Some speaker said once the protest is over, we need to implement some of the policies and reforms that were mentioned. Don’t forget what was said.”
Councilman Joel Pabon cautioned residents that opposite side of the street parking will be changing back to the way it was. He then discussed the prospect of outside restaurant dining, “This could be a huge success if done properly. Code Enforcement and policing is necessary. A lot of people will not pay attention to the policy and there has to be a path for people to walk on the sidewalks (for any outdoor seating on public streets).”
Code Enforcement Director Irving Lozada came on the line, “The Zoning Officers will make sure to see if the restaurants are compliant with the regulations that are on the applications when applying for outside dining.”
Irizarry spoke up, “I remember when we (the council) approved an ordinance that applied to outside dining.”
B.A. Carr joined the discussion, “The guidelines for outside dining (for this situation) were discussed 4 weeks ago. People at tables have to be 6 feet apart. The Barge is looking at doing outside dining. We have to follow the governor’s orders.” Carr explained that each restaurant will be dealt with depending on their locations and how much space they have. “We have waived some of the normal fees associated in the past with outside dining.”
OEM Director Cattano joined the discussion, “Code Enforcement, Zoning, Public Works, OEM, and the Police will review all the restaurants who put in applications for outdoor dining.”
Irizarry voiced his concerns, “All these departments need to be on the same page.” He added that businesses don’t need to get conflicting information depending on what city departments they talk to.
Council President Petrick agreed with Irizarry’s statement.
City Clerk Victoria Kupsch spoke up regarding some of the establishments who have a liquor license, especially if they are due for renewal. “This is a temporary fix, but some of these restaurants can apply to the ABC for the extension of their liquor license.” Kupsch stated that any restaurant approved for outdoor dining, the customer must consume the liquor at the table.
Irizarry then questioned, “What about a time limit?”
Petrick also questioned, “What about a curfew? How late can they consume the liquor?”
Cattano answered, “10 p.m. which is on the city’s current existing ordinance. The local ordinance will prevail.”
Councilwoman Milady Tejeda spoke next, “Because I had to work on Saturday, I couldn’t participate with the parade, but I only heard positive things about it. As for opening the city, you are responsible for yourselves, your family and others. Churches are opening, but the governor said it is restricted to 50 people only. We can introduce other things (businesses) to open up, depending on how things develop.”
Council President Petrick said, “Church parking lots can be utilized. I was also working during the parade, but some people even though they were wearing masks, were not wearing them correctly. We will see if they will be coming down with the virus.”
The caucus ended at 5:28 p.m.
The regular meeting started at 5:43 p.m.
Public Comments:
Jeremy Baratta spoke first. He referenced Communication No. 6 – Perth Amboy Board of Education certifying the total amount required for school purposes for the 2020 – 2021 School Year the sum of $26,380,336 is required to be levied. “This is a straightforward answer.” He then questioned R-194 – A contract to Hughes Environmental Engineering for Pool Pak preventive maintenance and repair in an amount not to exceed $27,000. “Why so much on the Y pool? What’s going on in regards to reopening City Hall? We can have mass protests in the city. Put X’s on seats. Have people sign up to come into city hall. There had been no communications from city hall (regarding opening up the building).”
Council President asked B.A. Carr to respond to Baratta’s questions. “We are going by the governor’s directives. We are planning to open after all safety precautions are put in. Some city employees are already working. First of all, the plan is to have all city employees report. Then after that, there will be a date for the public to come in. There are some people who already are coming in because they need to get permits and they make appointments.”
Baratta continued, “The council chambers have enough square footage to allow for the public to come in (for meetings).”
Carr countered, “Social distancing is not based on square footage.”
Baratta continued, “It can be done, and the public can be seated six feet apart. What if the internet gets knocked out and you are not able to access via phone or computer? The council decides if this can be done. If people can get together without masks, this can be done (letting the public attend the meetings in person).”
The next person to speak was Rector Street Resident Jeanette Wilson-Perry. She had concerns about the sidewalk café, “What about people who come in as family’s or groups? What about restaurants with tables on the sidewalks and people waiting for seating? Would the city ordinance stating for an 8 p.m. curfew apply to the sidewalk cafes? Or will the curfew for everyone be raised to 10 p.m.?”
Petrick answered, “The 8 p.m. curfew will supersede other curfews. As far as the outside seating for the restaurants, everything will have to be 6 feet apart. When placing these tables on sidewalks, they have to take into consideration that the tables have to be spaced so that they do not to impede people walking by.”
Perry then asked the number of COVID-19 cases in the city. “Have they risen since more businesses opened up?”
Petrick replied, “We are still in the top three in the county. The administration will ask people to be cautious, wear masks, and be sure to social distance.”
Councilman Helmin Caba spoke up, “Governor Murphy lifted the stay-at-home order and we should clarify the curfews now.”
OEM Director Cattano spoke up, “I have contacted the Department of Deputy Attorney General regarding non-essential travel ban. I’m still waiting for the callback. Because of Saturday’s march, there was a 7 p.m. curfew.”
Resident Justin Ross spoke next, “Did Perth Amboy flatten the COVID-19 curve?” Ross stated that the residents of Perth Amboy are not staying home, “Are we ready to open businesses? People are congregating on parks, on the street, and have large house parties. We need to have clarifications on the curfews, and any repercussions regarding opening up. The protest march on Saturday was very peaceful. I’m proud of our police department. Blacks are more likely to die at the hands of police.”
Cattano responded, “The cases are flattening. A lot of the labs are not sending reports to the city on weekends (any cases). Presently, there were 2,195 cases in Perth Amboy and 121 deaths. We are testing a lot more and have more test sites than other towns. All the tests are sent to the state, then they report back to us (the results). Test reports are not always sent right away.”
Councilman Irizarry then questioned, “As far as opening up, do we have to go by what the state says?”
Petrick responded, “We can set our own policies if the number of our cases are high (number of infections and deaths). We can also set our own policy when businesses can open.”
B.A. Carr then added, “The curve is flattening in the city, and the governor has set guidelines for the type of businesses that can open (such as hair salons). Some restaurants won’t meet guidelines for outdoor seating.” Carr then responded to Ross’s concerns regarding large gatherings, “We have cited 3 residents (who have violated this order).”
Councilman Joel Pabon added some comments, “One of the guidelines (established by the state) was to have 15 consecutive days of declining cases of COVID-19. We have been really good at doing this. The bottom line is we have to open up and people have to live. Some people don’t get paid if they don’t work. If we don’t try (opening up), we won’t know.”
When it came time to voting on the agenda, Ordinance No. 1 regarding engineering was moved by Irizarry and seconded by Pabon. Ordinance No. 2 regarding management and non-union salary and salary ranges was tabled. Ordinance No. 3 establishing protective measures during a local state of emergency was moved by Irizarry and seconded by Pabon. For the consent agenda resolutions, R-188-6/20 – Amending CY:2020 municipal budget was asked to be pulled to be voted on separately by Irizarry. Consent Agenda R-187, R-189 thru R-200 was moved Irizarry and seconded by Caba. R-188 was moved by Irizarry and seconded by Pabon. When it came time to vote separately, everyone voted “yes” except Councilman Irizarry who voted “no.”
Public Portion:
Resident Jeremy Baratta was the only person who spoke at the last public portion, “I cannot believe that you didn’t discuss the $27,000 regarding the resolution for the YMCA. That amount could be a salary for a police officer. I appreciate when Larry Cattano gives updates on the COVID-19 situation. We are a preemption state meaning the state overrides the local laws. On Snapchat, people are not wearing masks, and they are having parties. It’s time to open the city back up. We need to get businesses back to normal.” Baratta then asked, “Are there any salary reductions being voted on?”
No one answered.
Council Comments:
Councilman Helmin Caba asked, “Are the parking meters going to be operational on 6/22/20?”
B.A. Carr responded, “No decisions have been made regarding enforcing meter parking. This is to encourage people to shop downtown.”
Both Councilmen Irizarry and Pabon had no comments.
Councilwoman Milady Tejeda urged everyone to be safe and exercise caution. “We are still #1 regarding COVID-19 cases, and we are still waiting for the state results.”
B.A. Carr spoke up briefly and addressed Councilman Irizarry, “Since you (Irizarry) are retired, you can come to my office, and I’ll go over the budget with you.”
Council President Bill Petrick wished everyone a safe night. The meeting adjourned 6:32 p.m.
