Jersey City would like to remind residents that the city’s local Heat Ordinance, which requires that landlords maintain a temperature of at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit between the hours of 6am and 11pm, and at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit between 11pm and 6 am, remains in effect through April 30th.

“Everyone has the right to be warm and safe, especially in their homes and in the workplace,” said Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy in a statement. “Know your rights. I urge anyone who believes their boss or landlord is skimping on the heat to contact the Division of Housing Code Enforcement.“

Despite difficult economic times, landlords should know that penny-pinching on heat is very much illegal. Residents are urged to report a violation of the ordinance:

Weekend heat complaint: 201-547-4821
HUB: 201-200-0677
Telephone: 201-547-4825 / After 4pm: 201-547-4821

“We are always applying for grants from the federal and the state government that can defray the cost of equipment and resources to improve the quality of life for our residents,” said Mayor Healy in a statement. Healy acknowledged Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez, along with Congressmen Albio Sires and Bill Pascrell for their support in receiving the grant. “This type of equipment is vital to the work our firefighters do every day, and with this grant the cost will not fall on the backs of the taxpayers.”

Jersey City received nearly half of the total grant money allocated to New Jersey, and the money comes from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant, a grant conceived in 2001 by Congressman Bill Pascrell.

“When you see firefighters out there in their gear, it has the appearance of being indestructible, but it’s not,” said Fire Director Armando Roman in a statement. “Heat from flames or tears in the material compromises the safety of the gear for our firefighters, so it has to be replaced immediately. Also, pathogens, blood and chemicals often get on the clothing, which then must be immediately replaced. That’s why a grant like this is vital.”

“We are the second largest City in the State of New Jersey and our needs are greater than many other municipalities,” said Director Roman in the statement. “When these suits (turnout) cost more than $1,000 each, it can get very expensive. Thanks to the grant, now it won’t be as costly to the taxpayers in our community.”

“The City Council’s action is illegal and as stated in two opinions rendered by the Corporation Council violates the rights of Council President Brennan,” says Mayor Healy. “This ordinance was arbitrary and capricious, serves no purpose, and was created solely for political motives. It does nothing to better the lives of the residents of Jersey City and only serves to expose the taxpayers to the costs of a lawsuit. For all of those reasons, I will veto this ordinance.”

With the City Council’s 5-4 vote at last night’s council meeting, the new majority faction on the council appears to be one vote short of overriding the mayor and enacting the legislation introduced by Ward C Councilwoman Nidia Lopez. At-Large Councilwoman Viola Richardson, At-Large Councilman Rolando Lavarro, Ward B Councilman David Donnelly, and Ward E Councilman Steve Fulop also voted in favor of the measure.

Following the vote – and ostensibly before he knew of Healy’s intention to veto – Brennan made it clear that he would be following through with his promise to sue the city, saying the law tramples on his Constitutional rights. To allay voter fears that they would be stuck footing the bill, however, Brennan said he would cover his own legal expenses.

The Council President found support from both Ward A Councilman Michael Sottolano and Ward D Councilman Bill Gaughan. More surprising for some was the support he received from newly-appointed Ward F Councilwoman Michele Massey, who said she could not vote for the measure since she had not been provided with “documentation” showing “just cause” for why Brennan should be ousted.

“On behalf of the taxpayers,” said Massey, referring to the potential cost of Brennan’s threatened lawsuit, “and without documentation, I have to vote no.”

Lavarro, on the other hand, did not require similar documentation and said his vote aimed to better reflect the will of the voters. Noting that there are three new council members and Richardson has moved to an at-large post since the organization meeting where Brennan was elected president, “as far as I’m concerned, it’s a new council” and a new president would be appropriate, he said.

“The people of Jersey City spoke on election day, and they made a very loud and clear message that the city should move in another direction,” Lavarro added.

The vote went ahead despite a legal memo written by Corporation Counsel Bill Matsikoudis, which maintained the ordinance would likely be rejected in court as “illegal,” an opinion the unconvinced majority on the council rejected as “convenient.”

“We lose focus that for all nine of us sitting up here, it’s not a god-given right, it’s a privilege,” said Fulop. “Policies change, perspectives change.”

Before voting no, Ward A Michael Sottolano said ousting Brennan “is totally without merit and without cause. It reeks of [being] self-serving and of political machinations at their worst.”

The “self-serving” argument resonated with resident Esther Wintner, a council mainstay who frequently criticizes the Healy Administration, but who in this case maintained that politicians who change the law for their own benefit are far more dangerous than “bad decisions” by those in charge.

“If members of the council are frustrated and unhappy with the rules that govern their body, there is an organizational meeting to fix it,” she said of the meeting where a council president is elected at the start of each four-year council cycle. “While I understand this is an extraordinarily unusual [council] term given the change of council members, stepping outside the rules to change the law, either out of frustration, expedience, or personal aggrandizement, sends the message that you think the law should be bent to your will, not you to the law’s.”

Still, the majority of speakers were far more enthusiastic at the prospect of new leadership on the council, such as Police Officer Benevolent Association representative Mark Razzoli, who noted the city’s double standard when it comes to contracts. Razzoli likened changing the council president’s terms of office to the city’s decision to change health benefits of retirees despite the existence of a written contract, a move Brennan had supported.

Perhaps articulating the frustration best, Imtiaz Syed, a Jersey City doctor and one-time At-Large Council candidate, said the need for leadership change was due in large part to what he described as spiraling crime in the city, of which he has been a victim twice. First his office was broken into, he said, and more recently the wheels of his daughter’s car were stolen. The Healy Administration’s response, he says, was pathetic.

“If I knew the state of affairs was going to be like this in Jersey City, would I have asked [my children] to come back to Jersey City?” Syed asked. “What kind of message are we sending to professionals, that they should leave Jersey City?”

Photo of Peter Brennan by Eric Schkrutz

If the word “gala” brings to mind a moneyed crowd in ball gowns and tuxes demurely sipping champagne, “Jersey City gala” might suggest something else: A group diverse in age and occupation wearing Princess Beatrice hats, tutus, soldier suits and other “black-tie creative” outfits, eating, drinking and having a blast. In other words, Snow Ball.

The sixth annual Snow Ball fundraiser for Art House Productions, held Saturday at 1 McWilliams Place, had a ’70s-glam, Studio 54 vibe. Just steps beyond the elevator doors on Floor 6 (which a tuxedoed gentleman graciously held open), was the “Welcome Wall,” the glittery Snow Ball 2012 creation that was a joint effort of Miguel Cardenas and volunteers.

“Our biggest goal is to transform the space,” says Art House Productions’ executive director, Christine Goodman. “We wanted guests to feel like they were walking into a different world coming to the Snow Ball.”

The event was sold out, meeting the nonprofit group’s fundraising goal of $12,000, about a fifth of its operating budget. The night had numerous sponsors and supporters, among them the Jersey City Independent and NEW; Kane Brewing Co., Wine Sisterhood, Chopin Vodka and Fizzy Lizzy, which provided drinks; and Satis Bistro, LITM, the Hamilton Inn, Made With Love and the soon-to-open GP’s Restaurant in Hamilton Square, which provided food. Silverman and Hamilton Square were major sponsors.

Live music was provided by the One & Nines and DJ George “Soul” Fernandez of Global Soul Project played well into the night, offering the crowd a rare big, local live music show and dance party.

The room was full of members of the Jersey City arts scene as well as politicians such as Mayor Healy, Ward E Councilman Steve Fulop, Ward D Councilman Bill Gaughan, At-Large Councilman Rolando Lavarro and Hudson County Freeholder Anthony Romano. Also in attendance was Bill LaRosa, director of the Hudson County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs/Tourism Development, which provides grants and education programs for arts groups across Hudson County.

A fashion show commenced after speeches by Goodman, Healy, Gaughan, LaRosa and others, with Bettina Mackley, in a tutu, silver jacket and snowflake crown, winning the prize for best costume in a tight field that included standouts like Rich Kiamco and David Gibson, who wore bright colors and matching hats piled with netting, ribbons and pearls.

“It’s amazing to look around the room and say wow, this really is the face of the city we live in and it’s so wonderful and so colorful,” Goodman says. “Every year the costumes grow more and more creative and every year we’re able to raise more money, which is important because we’re growing as an organization.”

Art House, now in its 11th year, has its Stages! youth theater academy launching Feb. 7; the coming play will be Beauty and the Beast. In addition to a fall production that’s TBD, the organization will host an electronic music festival in the first half of the year.

Goodman said cleanup on Sunday took about eight hours and numerous volunteers — “a lot of very tired faces dragging themselves out of bed to come mop.”

“It’s a great party and everybody has so much fun,” she says, “but it’s also an important night for us as an organization and we’re really proud of how it went.”

Photos by Jennifer Weiss

“We have a window of opportunity with Director Jefferson’s retirement to move past politics and put residents first. Combining the two positions will not only save money for taxpayers but it will streamline operations, it will improve communication between the fire and police department, it will eliminate layers of management and most importantly it will find synergies that can improve public safety,” Councilman Fulop said in a statement.

Fulop’s plan would leave both the Chief of Police and Chief of Fire positions completely intact, as their responsibilities focus on the daily operations of their respective departments rather than budgeting and communicating with the mayor.

“This retirement has given us a chance to make a positive change in the way we structure city leadership so that residents get the most effective protective services possible but also we should be constantly looking for synergies between departments and at the same time providing cost savings,” he added.

But Fulop’s announcement, which he says he first sent to the law department in April, comes shortly before Mayor Jerramiah Healy publicized his own, similar proposal. According to city officials, Healy’s plan is part of an initiative to consolidate services both with other municipalities and internally, an announcement he made early in 2011.

“As of last week, when we were first notified of Director Jefferson’s intent to retire, I directed the Law Department to review the process of eliminating the role of Police Director,” said Mayor Healy. “We are already reviewing the possibility of either not having a police director at all, or folding that role into a Director of Public Safety position whose job it would be to administer the day-to-day operations of both the Police and Fire Departments. This is part of our ongoing effort to streamline government to produce more efficient services for our residents while reducing the cost to our taxpayers.”

The Healy Administration’s plan, which is still being formulated, has looked into various solutions, including incorporating the director’s responsibilities into those of the Chief of Police and Chief of Fire.

More along the lines of Fulop’s plans, the Healy Administration has also found legal precedent for placing the fire and police departments under a Department of Public Safety, a re-structuring that occurred under both the Gerald McCann and Paul Jordan administrations.

Despite the similarities with Fulop’s proposal, the Healy administration says they do not intend to work directly with Fulop on the measure.

“I am glad that Mr. Fulop is thinking along the same lines as the administration on this matter, since previously he has voted against several measures that would save the city millions of dollars,” Mayor Healy said.

Fulop, who says he doesn’t “want to get back and forth with [Mayor Healy]” observes “it is hard to argue that Healy has been about cost cutting when you look at taxes in Jersey City under his administration.”

First, the article is based entirely on statements by individuals who are known to have their own agendas. All three interviewed were members of the unsuccessful recall committee formed last year in an attempt to unseat me – a committee that failed to garner enough signatures. One has also sought elected office. While we respect the concerns of all of our constituents, it is the job of the press to seek out a fair and balanced report on any story. It does not appear that was attempted for this article, and rather than seeking comments from a resident whose opinion is truly unknown, the reporter skewed an article in one particular direction.

On the matter of perception, the fact is, the police cannot be everywhere all the time. Our officers are patrolling the streets in radio cars, in unmarked cars and in special and tactical units every day, 24 hours a day. Our monthly CompStat meetings help the district commanders direct police personnel to areas that are experiencing any increase in activity or calls for service, and the program is working.

This administration has made public safety priority number one since taking office. We created a gang unit, we hired hundreds of police officers, instituted CompStat, organized a successful Gun Buyback program in 2005 and 2010, instituted powerful gun legislation that has been a model at the state level, and our Police Department has worked closely with law enforcement agencies at the county, state and federal level to rid our streets of the most notorious of criminals. We are reaping the results.

You cannot dismiss out of hand the facts that crime continues to trend downward in Jersey City. The FBI’s Uniform Crime Report has crime dropping in most categories for the past several years, and in 2009, we saw crime, particularly robberies, at a 30 year low in Jersey City. Last year, in 2011, homicides dropped from 25 to 19, as reported by the Star-Ledger on Jan. 1, 2012. By comparison, there were 91 homicides in Newark, which also laid off 167 police officers last year.

In Jersey City, we negotiated for several months with our police unions to avoid laying off a single officer. Faced with severe cuts in state aid and a decline in revenue due to the new Great Depression, Jersey City faced an $80 million deficit last year. I made it my priority to not lay off police officers and to also not raise taxes. We succeeded on both matters, which is something our political adversaries do not like. Believe me, if crime and/or taxes were on the increase, the statistics would be heralded as fact written in stone. For the past two years taxes have remained stable, a goal we have set for 2012 as well.

Mr. Fulop, the Downtown Councilman, is also quoted in the article, citing the quote made famous by British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, though he cites Mark Twain’s version. Our response is the remarks of Leonard H. Courtney:

“After all, facts are facts, and although we may quote one to another with a chuckle the words of the Wise Statesman (Disraeli), ‘Lies – damn lies – and statistics,’ still there are some easy figures the simplest must understand, and the astutest cannot wriggle out of.”

– Jerramiah T. Healy
Mayor of Jersey City

For Jersey City residents, controversial pipelines seen as problems for the environment may sound somewhat familiar– perhaps to a natural gas pipeline proposed by Spectra Energy that would run through 16 miles of the city, a path city officials and residents say is a disaster waiting to happen. The parallel between the two pipelines did not pass by Mayor Jerramiah Healy who, seeking to get more national attention for the city’s cause, wrote a letter to the White House requesting similar intervening action be taken on behalf of Jersey City.

In the letter, Healy writes the delay of the Keystone XL project was done “for good reason,” but added that Jersey City is fighting a “far more insidious [pipeline] than even a 17-hundred-mile oil conduit that would cross the Midwest.”

Environmentalists have applauded the Obama administration for the move, with Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, calling the decision a “great victory for the environment because had this pipeline gone through it would have been game over for climate change.”

“This will not only help protect our environment, but will help to usher in a new cleaner green energy economy,” said Jeff Tittel in the statement. “We thank President Obama for standing up for our environment and against special interest.”

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently delayed the Spectra pipeline following environmental concerns with the proposed construction– good news for residents who are hoping the protest of the pipeline here will get the same attention as the 1,700 mile oil pipeline that became a rallying cause for environmentalists.

TransCanada intends to re-submit the application for the Keystone XL following a review of the environmental issues highlighted by the Obama administration.

FERC’s request for more information resulted from a lack of information– some substantial, others procedural– and can be read in detail here.

The decision to postpone comes 10 weeks after the commission issued their draft EIS, which looked favorably upon Spectra’s plans but that Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy had said relied too heavily on Spectra’s assessment and “lacked any independent analysis or verification.”

Initially FERC had expected to complete the study by January 27, 2012, but following the additional reroutes filed back in November, and coupled with new information provided by the energy company in regards to a data request back in December, the commission has stated they need more time to determine the soundness of the reroutes. FERC now expects the new issuance date for the EIS to be March 16, 2012 and for the 90-day Federal Authorization Decision Deadline to be pushed back to June 14, 2012.

According to NoGasPipeline.org, the group of community activists who contend the pipeline will be disastrous for Jersey City, the delay is welcome news.

“This postponement gives NO Gas Pipeline more time to gather members throughout Jersey City and the US since this is a federal case of interstate oversight, just like Exxon’s Keystone XL pipeline,” the group writes on their website.

According to Marylee Hanley, a spokeswoman for Spectra, the changes are minor and will not represent a serious hurdle for the pipeline to move forward.

“To clarify, the 27 minor route variations that were referenced in the notification are very minor (ex: moving the pipeline a few feet) and should not have any material impact,” says Hanley in a statement. “In fact, these minor changes were made to accommodate landowner requests, to avoid sensitive environmental areas, utilities and future development and to minimize overall construction impacts to traffic.”

Jersey City, meanwhile, continues to fight the pipeline, taking numerous steps including filing as an intervenor to prevent the construction. Healy has also sent a letter to President Obama requesting his help rerouting the pipeline.

Hudson County Declares Cold-Weather Emergency: As temperatures plunged into the mid-teens Sunday night, Hudson County Office of Emergency Management declared a cold weather emergency and opened a shelter in Union City to take in homeless persons who can’t get into the county’s two main shelters.

Reval Underway; Homeowners on Edge: The city’s long-feared revaluation of privately-owned, taxable properties is now in full swing, with 22 inspectors canvassing neighborhoods in the Jersey City Heights and Greenville.

Controversial Former Jersey City School Administrator Headed Back to the District as a State Monitor: Cathy Coyle, a controversial former Jersey City Public Schools administrator is headed back to the district to serve as a state-appointed monitor, according to local school officials.

More Businesses Landing and Growing in Jersey City: Last week Mayor Jeremiah Healy recognized the accomplishments of three firms that have moved here from New York and are now considered among the state’s 50 fastest growing companies by NJBiz, a business news publication.

Jersey City Woman Sentenced to Six Years in Jail for Hiring Hitman to Kill Romantic Rival: A Jersey City woman, who used stolen credit cards to buy a hitman online to kill her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend, was sentenced to six years in jail and $2,300 in fines and fees yesterday, according to a news release from the office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Former New Jersey Attorney General Condemns Religious Attacks, Praises “Dream” of Martin Luther King Jr. in Jersey City: Former state Attorney General Paula T. Dow was the featured speaker Saturday as Temple Beth-El in Jersey City celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in an interfaith service honoring the civil rights leader.

A Great-Great-Grandmother Turns 100 in the Jersey City Church Where She’s Worshipped Since 1932: Susie Mumford-Pierce, a great-great-grandmother who has devoted her life to caring for needy children, celebrated her 100th birthday yesterday at the Jersey City church she’s been a member of for eight decades.

Hoboken St. Patrick’s Day Parade is Canceled Due to ‘Inability to Protect Spectators’: The Hoboken St. Patrick’s Day Parade has been canceled by the parade committee, the committee announced on its website.

Today’s Best Bets:

Jersey Cares hosts an arts and crafts event at Snyder High School to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Sign up to volunteer at the school and paint inspiring murals or help kids create crafts promoting values that Dr. Martin Luther King fought for (9 – 12 am, Free).

If you want to get on stage, Just Add Laughs returns to Made With Love. This open mic is open to comedy, spoken word, music and all other arts. Hosted by comedian Rich Kiamco (7 pm, Free). If you want to dance and drink, WFMU’s DJ Meghan McKee spins ’80′s music and it’s Happy Hour all night at Detention Night at LITM (7 pm).

In Statewide News:

New Jersey Launches Drug Abuse Database: More than five years after New Jersey passed a law to start tracking prescription drug use, the state is launching a long-awaited database monitoring use of dangerous drugs with the intent of helping doctors spot abusers more quickly and authorities stop drug dealers.

Two Years After Being Approved, New Jersey Medical Marijuana Program Still at Seedling Stage: As Wednesday’s two-year anniversary of Gov. Jon Corzine signing New Jersey’s medical marijuana act approaches, one thing is clear: The health department isn’t close to opening the first dispensary.

New Cancer Therapy Center to Open in New Jersey: Beginning this spring, the ProCure Proton Therapy Center will become one of 10 proton therapy facilities in the country, and the only in New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area.

Gov. Christie Tells Oprah He’ll be “Much More Ready” in 2016: Gov. Chris Christie told Oprah Winfrey in an interview broadcast Sunday night on OWN that a lot depends on whether he’ll run for president in 2016, but one thing’s for sure: “In terms of me, I’ll be much more ready four years from now,” he said.

A new majority faction on the City Council emerged at Wednesday night’s meeting when an ordinance was introduced to cut short Council President Peter Brennan’s term as president at a vote of 5-3-1. The law would also change the length of future terms from four years to two years going forward, but the crux of the issue is the direction of current Council leadership, which Ward C Councilwoman Nidia Lopez, the bill’s sponsor, had described as “lacking vision.” Along with the votes came sharp rebuke of Corporation Counsel Bill Matsikoudis’s memo questioning the legality of the ordinance, a legal opinion most of the Council said failed to address the question put before him.

Along with Lopez, the affirmative votes came from Ward B Councilman David Donnelly, Ward E Councilman Steve Fulop, At-Large Councilman Rolando Lavarro, and At-Large Councilwoman Viola Richardson, the councilwoman expected to replace Brennan should the ordinance pass its second reading. Newly elected Ward F Councilwoman Michele Massey, though recommended to the Council by Richardson, chose to abstain, saying she wasn’t privy to the reason for Brennan’s potential ouster and did not want to vote prematurely on the measure.

Despite Matsikoudis’s 10-page memo that called into question the legality of the ordinance, the majority of Council members said the memo was too vague.

“There were a lot of “ifs,” “mays,” “it’s possibles,” but not an affirmative yes or no,” said Lopez. “There was a lot of information on the memo that did not apply to the ordinance.”

Added Lopez, “It’s a new era and 33% of the council are holding new positions.”

The three no votes– which included a vote by Council President Brennan, who had opted to abstain from voting on the amended Entertainment Ordinance because of a perceived conflict of interest– described the ordinance as unjust. He said the law would result in uncertain leadership on the council because any five council members could could call for a change at any time.

“If the Council wants two-year terms for the Council President, I have no problem with that starting in 2013,” said an emotional Brennan, “but interrupting the current term [of a president] that six people on the current council voted on isn’t right. I feel that my rights are being violated.”

Brennan, who noted he “made every agenda meeting and every council meeting,” said he doesn’t see why his “name should be tampered with. I believe I have done a good job as Council President.”

Ward A Councilman Michael Sottolano agreed, adding, the bill “is not a prudent course of action for the Council to take.”

“There’s no just cause for removing him,” continued Sottolano. “In essence what we’re saying [with this ordinance] is that any particular time or at the will or whim of the Council we can change the terms of office when we have five votes.”

As the Hudson Reporter noted earlier in the week, Jersey City’s revision of the municipal code is similar to a move Hoboken made last year. At the time, Hoboken’s City Council changed the city’s laws to allow a change in its leadership following an election that saw Hoboken’s mayor lose allies on the Council.

Should the vote pass at the following City Council meeting on January 25th, Brennan reiterated that he would sue over the decision, echoing the memo’s concerns that his vested rights were being trampled on, a decision Fulop slammed as a “threat” and scare tactic.

“You should acknowledge voters want to go in a different direction,” said Fulop before reminding the Council that he is often on the losing side of a Council’s vote and there is a proper way to handle it. “Leave with dignity, not with lawsuits.”

“Elections do have consequences,” he added, referring to the recent special election in which the two former At-Large Council seats, often supporters of Mayor Jerramiah Healy’s agenda, were defeated.

“None of these seats are a birth right or god given,” he said. “If the majority of the Council wants to explore a different option here we should be able to.”

File photo: Steve Gold