Jersey City Municipal Council Caucus Meeting – May 19, 2026

This caucus meeting of the Jersey City Municipal Council convened at 4:09 PM on May 19, 2026 (the transcript notes Monday, May 18, 2026, but the official timestamp provided is May 19). Eight council members were present; Councilman Lavarro was absent. The meeting covered a wide range of routine approvals, major policy discussions, and several first‑ and second‑reading ordinances. Key topics included a cannabis dispensary tax dispute, a settlement with Liberty Humane Society, a redevelopment study with condemnation authority, multiple grant applications for parks and infrastructure, an ordinance extending event hours during the 2026 World Cup, a change to council agenda deadlines, and the renewal of the city’s ambulance contract.

Consent Calendar

• Resolution 26‑284 (emergency temporary appropriations for grants and insurance settlement)
• Resolution 26‑285 (cancellation of duplicate grant receivable balances; no financial impact)
• Resolution 26‑298 (Memorandum of Understanding for Flag Cities event, fully reimbursed by grant)
• Resolution 26‑286 (honoring Coptic Orthodox Church Robotics team)
• Resolutions 26‑287 through 26‑290 (donations for senior Rock the Block events)
• Resolution 26‑293 (recognizing St. Mary’s Parish celebration)
• Resolution 26‑294 (authorizing membership in cooperative purchasing system)
• Resolution 26‑295 (Central Avenue SID budget approval)
• Resolution 26‑299 (software subscription renewal for IT and Health & Human Services)
• Resolution 26‑305 (fire apparatus parts/repairs contract)
• Resolution 26‑306 (authorizing closed session on pending litigation)
• Resolution 26‑307 (settlement with Liberty Humane Society for unpaid invoices from 2023; arbitrator determined city owed; reduction of approximately $10,000)
• Resolution 26‑310 (codification services contract with Municode)
• Resolutions 26‑311, 26‑312, 26‑313 (appointments to Insurance Fund Commission: Ruby Choi, reappointment of Peter Horton, appointment of William Vicura)

Discussion Items

Cannabis Dispensary Resolution (10.17) – Director Woodson presented a resolution of local support for The Other Side Dispensary LLC to operate a consumption area. Council members raised concerns that the business is closed, has not paid cannabis taxes for three quarters, and is seeking investors. The administration confirmed these facts. Council discussed enforcement mechanisms: the current ordinance allows property liens only if the business owns the property, and annual license renewal could be withheld. The resolution was allowed to proceed to vote with noted reservations.

Easement for 95 Morgan Street Park (3.2) – An ordinance authorizing an easement with the Exchange Place Alliance to install playground equipment. Councilwoman Little asked about community outreach; the law department noted the ordinance covers only the easement, not the design, and outreach could follow.

CCTV System Maintenance (10.8) – Director Baker presented a contract for CCTV maintenance. Councilman Brooks asked about cameras in Berry Lane Park that are frequently vandalized; Baker suggested forwarding specific concerns. Councilman Gilmore inquired about data storage, encryption, and ownership. Baker confirmed the city owns all stored video, data is encrypted per FBI standards, and there have been no leaks. There are approximately 1,100 cameras.

Redevelopment Study with Condemnation (10.31) – Matt Ward (Planning) presented a resolution authorizing a study of seven properties (reduced from nine) for possible designation as an area in need of redevelopment with condemnation power. Properties were removed from the APRA list. Ward explained the process: after the study, the Planning Board makes a recommendation, then a subsequent resolution to declare the area and adopt a redevelopment plan. Councilman Brooks emphasized that any future development should prioritize affordability. Councilwoman Little asked for criteria used to select properties from the APRA list; Ward said field work checked blight criteria.

McGovern Park Resilience Project (10.19) – Amanda Diamond (Sustainability) presented a resolution to apply for FEMA BRIC grant funds for stormwater capture tanks under McGovern Park. The total project cost is estimated at $5 million, with a 25% non‑federal match ($300,000–$600,000). The city plans to use open space grants and capital funds for the match. Councilman Gilmore asked about timeline: grant award likely mid‑2027, with acceptance by late 2027 or 2028. Councilman Brooks requested updates on the Montgomery Street senior building bike lane; Director Kaplan said the city lacks a traffic engineer but is hiring.

Franklin Street/Madison Avenue Bikeways (10.21) – Lindsay Schofields (Infrastructure) requested a six‑month extension from NJDOT to award the construction contract. The project was redesigned after a one‑way ordinance was passed; design revisions are expected next week. The project now focuses on Franklin Street east of Central Avenue; work west of Central has been eliminated. Construction may begin this year but completion is unlikely due to school calendars and weather. Councilman Brooks asked about fire response times; Schofields noted that changes include a fire access lane and curb extensions.

Vision Zero Grant Application (10.26) – Schofields presented a resolution to apply for a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant for supplemental planning and demonstration projects. The grant would fund post‑crash response analysis, pilot safety improvements at schools in each ward, and a public education campaign. A 20% local match is required, to be offset by existing city contracts. Councilwoman Little suggested using farmers markets for outreach and involving council social media. Councilman Brooks stressed the need for education on the South Side.

World Cup Event Hours Extension (3.4) – Crystal (Mayor’s Office) presented an ordinance amending Chapter 122‑2 to extend permitted hours for special events from 10 p.m. to midnight during the 2026 World Cup (June 11–July 10). Council members expressed concern about noise in residential areas; staff said permits would be evaluated on a case‑by‑case basis. A resolution to waive the 20‑day waiting period for final adoption will appear at the next meeting.

Council Agenda Deadline Ordinance (3.3) – Kristen, aide to Councilman Lavarro, introduced an ordinance amending the Rules of Order to establish a hard deadline for agenda submission: 14 days before each council meeting (currently 7 days), codify an agenda meeting on the Thursday after the deadline, and require agenda distribution by 10 a.m. the Tuesday before caucus. Councilwoman Little proposed changing the submission deadline to 12 days instead of 14 to allow buffer time after the previous council meeting. Council President Ridley supported the discussion. The ordinance will be introduced on first reading with possible amendments.

Ambulance Contract Renewal (10.25) – Peter (administration) presented the first of three one‑year renewal options for RWJ Barnabas to provide ambulance service at no cost to the city. The contract was awarded via RFP in 2024, with RWJ the sole respondent. RWJ transports over 140,000 patients annually. Council members asked about response times, coverage across the city, staging locations, and the financial burden on patients. Staff noted response times are below national average. Councilwoman Little requested data on uninsured patients and potential city coverage of ambulance costs for future consideration.

Key Outcomes

• All consent calendar items will be voted as a block at the regular meeting unless removed.
• The cannabis dispensary resolution, the redevelopment study resolution, the BRIC grant application, the bikeways extension, the Vision Zero grant application, and the ambulance contract renewal are expected to pass at the Wednesday meeting.
• The agenda deadline ordinance (3.3) will be introduced on first reading with a proposed amendment to change the submission deadline from 14 days to 12 days. Further edits may be made before the vote.
• The World Cup hours ordinance (3.4) was introduced on first reading; a separate resolution to waive the 20‑day waiting period will be presented at the next meeting for final adoption.
• Council members requested follow‑up information on: enforcement mechanisms for cannabis tax collection, criteria for selecting APRA properties for redevelopment studies, cost estimates for the McGovern Park grant match, data on ambulance patient insurance and ride costs, and a traffic engineer report for Montgomery Street.
• The meeting adjourned at 5:56 PM.