Speakers Slam Council For Washington Killing, Closed Satisfying on Bayfront Scheduled

Jersey City legislators at Thursday's conference took heat from residents on the killing of a mentally ill man in Bergen-Lafayette, postponed talking about a proposed tax abatement for the much-heralded Bayfront advancement to a September 11 personal session and held back awarding a private cleaning contract after a city union protested it would prompt layoffs of 13 city janitors.

A number of residents slammed the governing body for failing to put into place a mental health response team in the wake of the August 27 deadly shooting of resident Andrew Washington, 52, at his Randolph Avenue home.

The police action, which has been safeguarded by Mayor Steven Fulop and city public security director James Shea, is being examined by the state Attorney General's Office. Family members and buddies of Washington have actually expressed outrage about the incident, stating that the victim had a history of behavioral issues that could potentially have been dealt with without violence. The city has said Washington was threatening officers with a knife at the time he was shot.

Edward Perkins, among several citizens who spoke throughout the public part of the meeting, said he was "mad, upset" by the incident. "Andrew was killed by the Jersey City Police Department," he said. "This (governing) body chose a crisis intervention system but there's no infrastructure established for it."

Ann Marie Navarro stated in July 2021 she and three other Ward F homeowners joined forces to present a city job force with "the gold standard" of a program they 'd investigated developed to send police officers into the community with a social employee to defuse a potentially threatening circumstance involving somebody of unsteady habits.

The program never came to fruition, Navarro said, "and now our hearts are heavier with the loss of a person," in spite of the reality, she included, that their research study data based on how the program operated somewhere else, "showed opportunities of Andrew surviving" had those approaches been applied in Jersey City.

Carol Harris, "a long time Ward F resident and long-lasting pal of the Washington household," said she constantly stressed that her daddy, who was "institutionalized for dementia," might be "shot dead" by police if he ever acted out.

If the council is unable to offer reassurance to the neighborhood that it can supply better service to those affected with psychological and/or behavioral concerns, "then possibly we require to discover others who will," she said.

Costs Lillis, a member of the advocacy group Jersey City Together and a worshipper at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, prompted the council to make the mental health action system "a top concern" and Colin DeVries called Washington's death an "extra-judicial killing by a heavily-armed SWAT team-- showing an authorities policy of "developing fear and intimidation" amongst the community.

Council members offered no response.

On the labor front, the council consented to delay action-- in the meantime a minimum of-- on a proposed $1.4 million contract with T.U.C.S. Cleaning Service Inc., of Orange, for janitorial services at 22 municipal centers after Elena Lavarreda, deputy political director of Service Employees International Union, Local 32BJ, informed them that based upon the contract work schedule, with 4 less structures to be cleaned up, 13 of the city's 34 union janitors "will be fired."

Kevin Brown, union executive vice president, said that T.U.C.S. honors the union agreement. He stated the city has given no notice to the union about impending layoffs however included that some level of task security is provided under the freshly passed state legislation, known as the Service Worker Retention Law, which works October 21.

On average, he stated, the city's union janitors make an average of $37,800 a year and Lavarreda added that numerous are "immigrant workers."

A number of city legislators said the forecast of layoffs was news to them. Ward E Councilmember James Solomon said: "We asked (administrative staff) if anybody would lose their tasks. The answer was a clear 'no'.".

And Council President Joyce Watterman stated she thought that while the quantity of work hours may be cut, nobody would lose their jobs.

When it comes to Bayfront, the council voted to introduce a regulation calling for a 30-year tax exemption for a mixed-use property project and licensing a monetary arrangement with Bayfront Partners 32 Urban Renewal L.P. but, at the very same time, consented to convene in closed session September 11 at 5 p.m. for more talks about the tax problem and "to talk about investment of public funds ... and contractural negotiations ... in relation to the proposed Bayfront Promenade/Bayfront Partners 32 Urban Renewal L.P. project within the Bayfront Redevelopment Plan Area.".

State law permits closed sessions when handling any matter "including the purchase, lease or acquisition of real property with public funds ...".

The council also authorized letters of support for two marijuana retail stores to be run by Hamm & & Chaz LLC at 747 West Side Ave. and by Legacy to Lifted LLC at 490 West Side Ave. however delayed action on an application by Bud Space LLC for 270 Newark Ave. pending submission of signed memoranda of contract with nonprofits.

The council authorized the use of $11.37 million in excess bond earnings for road improvements; City Hall upgrades, consisting of a brand-new fire suppression system, HVAC repair work, repointing and repair work to exterior walls; energy upgrades at City Hall, City Hall Annex, police and firehouses stations; new play equipment, safety surface area and fencing at various parks; and new park spaces at Fairmount Park, Bergen Square, McGovern Park, 16th Street Park and Reservoir 3.

The council granted a $1,955,250 agreement to Adamo Brothers Construction, of Ridgefield, for long-awaited security improvements to Leonard Gordon Park in the Heights. Adamo will do landscaping and concrete work, excavation for stairs, pathway, stormwater pipelines and utilities, install brand-new walkway, stairs, benches, lights and plant re-sod yards and brand-new trees.

The council agreed to pay $925,000 for a lot at 117 Hutton St. to be used for parking at the planned new North District cops station. Ward C Councilmember Richard Boggiano, who voted versus it, opposes spending for a new center because "the city does not understand to take care of its residential or commercial property," including that the existing station on Central Avenue accommodates only half the workers it started with, to which Ward D member Yousef Saleh responded, "It's outgrown its use because it opened 100 years back.".

Furthermore, the council voted to contract with McCloskey Mechanical Contractors, of Blackwood, for $1,355,000 to set up a brand-new HVAC system at the planned Police Training Facility. And it authorized the use of a $600,000 state Department of Environmental Protection grant to further amaze the fleet of JC Via cars.