The Jersey City Independent "

The following are Mayor Jerramiah Healy’s prepared remarks for his inaugural speech given at New Jersey City University on July 1, 2009. Please note: This is not a transcript.

Good morning ladies, gentlemen, members of the Municipal Council, Reverend clergy, community leaders, elected officials, friends, and others. I am honored and humbled for the opportunity to serve again as Mayor of this great city. I remain committed to making Jersey City the most prosperous city in the region, and to expand upon our distinction as a commercial, residential and cultural center.

But as we grow our city, we must be mindful of the challenging economic times we face in this “New Great Depression.” We still have significant levels of unemployment throughout the nation. The number of people facing home foreclosure still remains unacceptable. In Jersey City, we have not experienced the type of economic hardships that other cities and towns have endured.

But like every household in this city, we are tightening our belts in city government and looking to see how we can do more with less. For the past three years, this administration has produced a stable budget and a stable tax bill. During my first term in office we grew our city ratable base by $500 million and we will continue to build upon that. It is my goal to continue to reduce municipal spending and to find as many outside revenue sources, such as grants and stimulus funds, to assist us on the important projects we envision for our city.

This year, I have asked all Department directors to cut their budgets by 10 percent. We will continue to implement the policy I put in place last year for no overtime, unless absolutely necessary, and to continue the hiring freeze for non-uniform personnel. We are also instituting a voluntary furlough system for city employees. Residents should know that any furloughs will not result in a gap in city services.

One of the greatest new sources of revenue for the city has been grant funding. Last year we hired the consulting firm of Muller Bohlin Associates to work with all of our departments to determine where we can generate additional grant funding. In 2009, the consultants generated $8.25 million in grants for the city. They will continue this important work of locating grants for city projects such as library renovations, parks improvements, and the hiring of more police. Our city has also benefited through the federal economic stimulus program, having received more than $20 million to date for projects such as street paving and energy efficiency. We are continuing to apply for competitive grants under the federal economic stimulus package for shovel-ready projects.

Next year, Jersey City will also have a very important job – working with the federal government to ensure a complete count of our residents for the 2010 Census. We know that during the last Census we were severely undercounted, something we don’t want to happen again as Census demographics are used to determine how much money a city receives for schools, infrastructure and other vital programs. And according to the interim Census report taken in 2007, Jersey City is approximately 24 percent Caucasian, 26 percent African-American, 28 percent Latino and 20 percent Asian. Only five other U.S. cities have a larger Asian population and they are all on the west coast. We believe the 2010 Census will not only show the remarkable growth of our city, making it perhaps the largest city in the state, but will also demonstrate our unique ethnic diversity.

Despite the economic challenges before us, Jersey City still remains a city with continued investment and development. In this second term, we will see our city grow from the center to the west and south, mirroring the successes of our Hudson River waterfront.

In Journal Square, two towers will be built where thousands of people will live and hundreds will work. This $500 million, mixed-use development, which will generate $100 million in payments in lieu of taxes over the next 30 years, will be the beginning of the revitalization of Journal Square. We have already seen the first steps of the project begin with the demolition of the former eyesore, the old Hotel on the Square, and as the construction phase begins, approximately 800 jobs will be generated, including 20 percent for Jersey City residents who are union apprentices.

We have a vision for Journal Square. It is bold. It is green. It is smart-growth and trasit-oriented. And during this term we will see it begin to take shape. We will not embark upon determining the entire future of Journal Square all at once, but will instead work from the core out with the continued input of the residents and business owners in the greater Journal Square area. But one thing is certain, during the next four years we will witness real change in Journal Square.

One of the most exciting redevelopment projects that will get off the ground during this next term is the restoration and transformation of the Powerhouse. The City of Jersey City and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey are investing $3.4 million into the stabilization of the historic Powerhouse, which will be the anchor of the “Powerhouse Arts District.” The Powerhouse is envisioned to be a mixed-use, multi-floor destination for arts, retail, and entertainment and the $90 million rehabilitation will be undertaken by the designated developer, the Cordish Companies of Baltimore.

I am also proud to state that actions we took during the first year of our first term to have chromium-contaminated sites in Jersey City remediated are seeing results. In fact, the City Council at their last meeting adopted by an 8-1 vote a settlement agreement with PPG Industries to clean up the Garfield Avenue site and 19 other orphan sites. This settlement, which requires the remediation be to the most stringent standards in the world, stems from a lawsuit the city filed in May of 2005, negotiations with PPG Industries, and numerous public meetings. During this term we will see significant progress as the clean-up begins and the groundwork is laid for construction, development and a new future for the residents in this community, which is part of the 111-acre Canal Crossing Redevelopment area.

The vision for the Canal Crossings calls for the re-planning and re-developing of this former industrial area into a vibrant mixed-use residential neighborhood. The plan is based upon the principles of smart growth, new urbanism and green building. Housing will include market rate, work-force and affordable units. All new buildings will be required to incorporate “green” technologies.

On our West Side, at the former Honeywell site, remediation is ongoing and soon we will see a new community, known as Bayfront, rise. This new development will feature more than 1 million square feet of office and retail space and at least 4,000 new housing units, as well as a Hackensack River walkway. We have also submitted a request for federal funding for the western extension of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail to the future Bayfront community.

The City of Jersey City under my administration has been committed to creating affordable housing. As our city continues to develop and prosper, we must be vigilant in providing affordable units for our lower-income residents as well as our working families.

Last year, 221 units of affordable housing were built in Jersey City. Additionally, there are currently 369 units of affordable housing under construction, and another 350 units in the planning stages. During my first term, nearly 3,000 units of affordable housing have been built and we will continue this effort.

In addition to building affordable housing, we have also sought to provide opportunities for working families to achieve the American Dream of home ownership. Through the city’s “workforce housing” initiative, there are currently eight units completed and another 36 under construction. Jersey City was the second city in the state to sign on to the state’s “Live Where You Work” program, which provides a low-interest mortgage for people who will live and work in our city. Through these two initiatives, we are hopeful that our police officers, firefighters, teachers, nurses, and other city workers, will become home owners in Jersey City.

We have also worked closely with the Jersey City Housing Authority (JCHA), who has taken the bold initiative in redefining public housing. Their philosophy is that public housing no longer needs to be cramped, segregated and low quality. By building mixed-income housing developments, such as Barbara Place Terrace and Gloria Robinson Court, the JCHA and the City are working to revitalize public housing and provide our neediest residents with a safe, quality, and energy-efficient place to live.

During the first term, this administration put forth the state’s first Project Labor Agreement, requiring all projects of $25 million or greater with tax abatements to hire at least 20 percent Jersey City residents as union apprentices. This PLA will grow as more projects come online, providing more of our residents with careers in the building trades.

Construction will soon begin on the AMB Warehouse, which we fought ardently for, bringing 300 to 500 blue-collar jobs for our Jersey City residents. We will also continue to attract companies, both commercial and industrial, to Jersey City. We have seen the Westin Hotel open downtown, bringing jobs for Jersey City residents. Within the coming months, we will see ground break on the Trams Hotel, a Hilton hotel that will bring more jobs to Jersey City.

This year, through the Jersey City Incinerator Authority, more than 20 former Ready, Willing and Able employees were hired with funding from the Urban Enterprise Zone. This type of second chance program is a model. The city has also applied for $375,000 in federal stimulus funds for non-profits like the Urban League, Mothers and Daughters-N-Touch Ministry, C-Line, and Friends of Lifers Youth Community Organization to operate a full-service second chance program in our community.

Later this year, the City will receive the results of the 14-month comprehensive disparity study. We are the first administration to make the required financial commitment to address the issues of level playing fields in our contractual and employment practices. Given the racial and ethnic diversity of our great City, there must be an equitable representation of women and minorities in our workforce and business relationships. I am committed to broadening the economic and employment opportunities for all of our citizens.

This year we will be host to the Barclay’s PGA at Liberty National Golf Course. Our local charities will benefit from hundreds of thousands of dollars on donated ticket sales. It is estimated that area hotels, restaurants, and businesses will see a dramatic increase in business during the last week of August with projected revenues estimated to be $30 million. Jersey City will be broadcast in more than 240 countries throughout the world.

We are already at work on the $5 million restoration of Hamilton Park, which is one of the major renovations taking place during Year One of our 10-year Parks & Open Space Master Plan. In accordance with the plan, we will renovate parks in each ward and create new open space for our residents to enjoy. During this term, we will see multi-million dollar renovations in Pershing Field and at Leonard Gordon Park. We can also look forward to nearly $2 million renovations of Muhammed Ali Park that will include a new playground, skate park, and spray pool, and at Mary Benson Park, where we will install a new soccer and softball field. There will also be upgrades at Arlington Park, Pavonia Marion Park, Van Vorst Park and at Sgt. Anthony Park, as well as at various pocket parks throughout the city.

Focusing on the needs of our youth has always been a top priority for this administration, and that is why we have seen our Police Activity League (PAL) grow from 50 to 1,000 youngsters. This is something I pledge to continue to support and our Recreation Department is developing new programs and activities for our youth enrolled in the PAL. Beginning this summer, our Recreation Department is also offering programs and activities within the Jersey City Housing Authority in an effort to get even more of our youth active during the summer months.

During this term, we will also see our soccer program continue to grow and the creation of our first boxing program run by the Department of Recreation in a boxing facility to be built at the Jersey City Armory. Renovations for the boxing facility will begin this month. The first citywide NFL Youth Flag Football Co-ed Program will begin this fall.

In addition to providing more recreational outlets for our youth, I have pledged to work closely with the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Charles Epps, and the Board of Education. Our future is too important to have such a high number of students functioning below grade level on the state assessment tests. That is why I am encouraging the Board of Education members to call for a curriculum audit to determine if the current curriculum is meeting the needs of our students.

During this term, I will work with the Board of Education and the Superintendent of Schools to find ways of better fiscal management that would ensure that student programs are intact while administrative costs are kept down.

I am also committed to working with the Archdioceses of Newark to use the vacant Catholic School buildings for public schools in need of space and want to work with our charter school community to help them continue to excel.

One of the greatest accomplishments of this administration is making Jersey City, already designated the second most sustainable city in the nation after New York City, even more sustainable. This year, my office introduced and the City Council adopted, four green ordinances. The ordinances call for the city to purchase green, to use energy-efficient vehicles, to build green municipal buildings and to offer incentives to developers who build green. Soon, the city will constitute a green committee to oversee the implementation of these ordinances and to study ways the city can further reduce our carbon footprint.

And the two sites I mentioned earlier, the former PPG site and the Honeywell site, are examples of brownfields that will be converted into green fields. The Bayfront plan calls for 20 acres of new open space, including a waterfront park, and bike paths. Near the Garfield Avenue site the city will build Berry Lane Park – the first new municipal park to be constructed in the past 100 years. This 13.5 acre park will provide football, baseball, and soccer fields and will be a gem in Ward F.

We recently announced the future site of the Marion Greenway, which will be a 32-acre park on the former PJP landfill that will include two soccer fields, an extension of the Hackensack River Walkway, a great open lawn to be available as fair grounds, and a mile walking path that will surround passive space. Remediation of the site will commence next spring and is expected to be completed by the fall.

During my first term, we have paved more streets than any administration in decades, paving a total of 40 miles. In 2010, we will spend nearly $12 million on road reconstruction. Our streets are being resurfaced using the latest asphalt technology for stronger and more durable pavements. By next year, Christopher Columbus Drive will be completely reconstructed from the Turnpike to Warren Street, and Garfield Avenue will be completed from Cator to the Bayonne City Line. Portions of West Side Avenue and Danforth Avenue will also be reconstructed.

We are also making our streets and sidewalks safer. Our city engineers are also studying the use of advanced wireless communications to provide better traffic coordination. Our goal is to move vehicles across and through our city with the fewest delays and stops. We will continue to work with NJ Transit to preserve and improve bus service throughout the city.

In this next term, the city will continue to improve municipal facilities like the new police and fire communications center on Bishop Street, a green building that will be completed in the next several weeks. Construction is about to begin on the new West District Police station, which will also be built to green standards.

The Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority is completing construction on $24 million sewer and water improvement projects, and will soon begin construction on $27 million in additional sewer and water projects to be paid in part by federal stimulus funds. This kind of investment in our sewer and water systems has not happened in 25 years. Additionally, in 2010, we will be looking to invest even more in our sewer system to reduce flooding, provide better service, and to keep up with increasing DEP and EPA wastewater regulations.

My top priority as Mayor has always been the safety of the people who live and work in our city. This is the chief concern of any government, at any level, whether local, county, state, or federal. In this second term, we will build upon the successes of the last, in which we saw violent crime drop 24 percent. Even though that is a significant gain, we are not satisfied.

Over the past five years we have hired police officers to bring staffing levels to where they need to be to face the challenges ahead. To that end we will be training an additional 20 recruits in July, who will be on the beat in the late fall.

In the past we initiated CompStat, which has resulted in better utilization of resources and a reduction in violent crime. We will now embark upon the next level of CompStat where we will be utilizing technology to make our streets safer. The Police Department will be initiating a comprehensive crime analysis program that will interface with databases throughout the state.

Just last week, the State Senate passed an important piece of common-sense gun legislation, that I know Governor Corzine is eager to sign into law. This bill, restricting handgun purchases to one per month per purchaser, is modeled after Jersey City’s own ordinance and will be the second state gun law to come out of Jersey City.

We have had great success partnering with our counterparts in Law Enforcement at all levels in the Violent Enterprise Source Targeting, or VEST, program. To date VEST has been the catalyst in numerous seizures of weapons, drugs, and the arrest of over 100 individuals in our city.

We have fought for an increase in federal funding to help us with these endeavors. In 2008, we received $247,000.00 in federal grant money. In 2009, we have already been awarded over $2.2 million by the Obama Administration. This is an increase by almost 10 times the previous amount and we are only halfway through the year.

And we will continue to expand our CCTV camera program. We currently have 68 CCTV cameras, funded by Urban Enterprise Zone revenues, located throughout the city. We have applied for funding for an additional 53 cameras that will be installed this year. In 2010, we plan to install 40 more cameras using UEZ funds. With these additions, approximately two-thirds of the city will be covered by CCTV cameras, including all main avenues, shopping districts and light rail stations.

Our Jersey City Fire Department is the greatest in the state, and our firefighters deserve the most state-of-the-art equipment to save lives and fight fires safely. That is why over the next year and a half, the city will purchase five new fire trucks. Construction is also slated to begin within the next six months on the $1.2 million restoration of a new firehouse on Sip Avenue and another firehouse will be built on Communipaw Avenue in approximately two years.

Our Office of Emergency Management is currently in the process of implementing a $300,000 city-wide alert system, funded through a grant, to provide instantaneous alert messages to our residents and businesses

Later this month, the city will receive a state-of-the-art Police Patrol Boat, funded through a $350,000 federal Homeland Security grant, which will greatly enhance our capabilities to protect assets along the Hudson and Hackensack Rivers.

In closing, my pledge to you is that the best is yet to come. Our determination and passion is as strong as ever. Not only do we have partners on the City Council, we have friends in County government, in the halls of Trenton and D.C., and now at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Together, we will continue to make Jersey City prosper and lead New Jersey as the premier city. Thank you and God Bless you all.

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