Jersey City Council Caucus Meeting - August 18, 2025

The Jersey City Municipal Council held a caucus meeting on Monday, August 18, 2025, starting at 10:06 AM and adjourning at 12:17 PM. Six council members were initially present; the number rose to eight by 10:21 AM. The meeting covered routine resolutions, a heated discussion about a community meeting on street redesign proposals, budget amendments, and various departmental items.

Consent Calendar

• Resolutions authorizing the sale of 100 motor vehicles via public auction (resolution 25-537).
• Emergency contract with AME Incorporated for $79,046 to replace a failed building management system at the 911 communication center (75 Bishop Street).
• Renewal of an open-end contract with City Electric Supply LLC for $56,526.04 for electrical supplies.
• HVAC services contract with McCluskey Mechanical Contractors for $750,000 (temporary encumbrance of $5,000).
• Life insurance contracts with MetLife for non-management employees ($298,300/year) and management employees ($209,467/year), each with two one-year renewal options.
• Payment of claims: Murphy & Orlando ($81,732.20) for litigation services including the ward map case; Aprazazi, McDermott, Magistro, & Murphy ($184,248.32) for labor negotiations and other legal services.
• Acceptance of the 2026 WIC grant ($1,940,692) from the NJ Department of Health.
• Veterans’ tax exemptions (totaling $18,552.03) for three properties.
• Property tax abatement cancellation ($772.91) for 153 Danford Avenue.
• Tax appeal refund ($4,585) for 122 New York Avenue.
• Various other resolutions including grants, insurance certificates, fire apparatus replacement (tiller truck, overdue), SAFER grant, and multiple land use and traffic ordinances.

Discussion Items

• Street Redesign Proposal and Community Meeting: Infrastructure Director Barker reported that at a community meeting organized by Councilman Gilmore, the administration presented a concept to convert MLK and Bergen Avenues into one-way streets with dedicated bus lanes (no bike lanes). The meeting drew hundreds of attendees. Director Barker stated that staff were subjected to insults, profanity, and a threat referencing "messengers getting shot." She emphasized that threats of violence are unacceptable and that staff must work in a safe environment.

• Council Reaction: Multiple council members condemned the threats and personal attacks. Council President Waterman noted that rhetoric can go too far, referencing a past incident where a speaker mentioned his daughter by name. Councilman Gilmore apologized for not maintaining better control of the meeting but pointed out that the mayor's tweet announcing the proposal without context caused the uproar. Councilwoman Denise Ridley demanded clarity on whether the proposal will appear on the September agenda. The administration stated the plan is not finalized and no formal item has been submitted to the council. Council President Waterman clarified that the council has not received any proposal and will vote on it when or if it is presented.

• Budget and Amendments: Finance Director Kyle discussed the 2025 budget amendment (resolution 25-496), which is delayed pending state review of land sale revenues. The introduced budget is $744 million; $462 million has been spent year-to-date. Councilman Solomon proposed shifting approximately $1 million from the council’s budget to the infrastructure department to fund engineering positions (chief engineer and three others) that have been vacant for over a year. He argued this would enable traffic safety studies for unsafe intersections (e.g., Marin & Grand, Columbus & Marin). Council President Waterman questioned whether the infrastructure department already has sufficient funds, noting hiring freezes. The finance director stated that the engineering contract should fill gaps and that the city uses a professional services contract. Councilman Gilmore pointed out that the city has not been able to hire a chief engineer for over a year. The amendment will be considered when the budget is formally adopted.

• Hiring Process: Council President Waterman expressed frustration with a central committee that blocks directors from hiring despite available budget funds. The finance director explained that the committee reviews salary conditions and applicant qualifications, which can delay hiring.

• Financial Health: Councilman Gilmore questioned why the city appears financially strained despite massive development. Finance Director Kyle responded that the city is not bankrupt; tax increases have been controlled (only one year above 2% in nine years), but health care costs and tax appeals (over $20 million in county board judgments last year) strain the budget. He noted that ratables increased by $1.6 billion this year, but the city must balance tax rates with services.

• Planning and Redevelopment: Planning Director Matt presented amendments to the Journal Square 2060 and St. John’s redevelopment plans (ordinance 25-086). Councilman Gilmore requested the item be pulled until September, citing lack of community engagement, especially regarding the 3,000 Kennedy Boulevard property. He also asked to pull ordinance 25-087 (related to Lipske/Manzo development) until a community meeting is held. Both items will be discussed in a scheduled meeting with stakeholders.

• Fairmount Hotel Loan Forgiveness: Community Development Director Deja Anderson presented a resolution to forgive a $2.27 million repayment from the Fairmount Hotel (senior affordable housing) to allow the property owner to apply for state rehabilitation funds and extend affordability restrictions for 30–45 years. Council members asked about relocation of seniors during repairs; Anderson stated the state will oversee that process.

• Fire Apparatus: Fire Chief requested replacement of an aging tiller truck (one from 1992, one from 1996). The finance director noted that apparatus build times are now 3–4 years, so advanced ordering is critical.

Key Outcomes

• Several items were pulled for further discussion: the budget amendment (resolution 25-496) may be withdrawn and brought back later; planning ordinances 25-086 and 25-087 were pulled to allow additional community meetings before the September 10th meeting.
• The council will receive a list of awardees for cannabis fund grants (item 10.9).
• The mortgage assumption for 362 Hoboken Avenue (item 10.29) was added to the agenda for September 10th to avoid delaying the buyer’s closing.
• The council affirmed that no formal proposal for the MLK/Bergen one-way street plan has been submitted; any future proposal will be voted on by the council.
• The administration committed to providing details on the budget amendment timeline and the status of the SAFER grant language updates by Wednesday.
• A meeting between Councilman Gilmore and Planning Director Matt was scheduled for the next day to address community concerns on redevelopment plans.