Board of Commissioners

1 1 CITY OF UNION CITY HUDSON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY 2 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 3 : REGULAR MEETING : TRANSCRIPT OF 4 : --------------------: PROCEEDINGS 5 6 ROBERT WATERS SCHOOL 2800 Summit Avenue 7 Union City, New Jersey 8 Tuesday, April 4, 2023 9 Commencing at 7:00 p.m. 10 11 M E M B E R S P R E S E N T: 12 LUCIO P. FERNANDEZ, COMMISSIONER MARYURY A. MARTINETTI, COMMISSIONER 13 CELIN J. VALDIVIA, COMMISSIONER BRIAN P. STACK, MAYOR 14 15 M E M B E R S A B S E N T: 16 WENDY A. GRULLON, COMMISSIONER 17 A L S O P R E S E N T: 18 SCARINCI HOLLENBECK 19 BY: SAMANTHA BLAKE, ESQ. Corporation Counsel 20 RAMON GONZALEZ, ESQ. 21 Attorney for the Union City Alcohol Beverage Control Commission 22 HILDA ROSARIO, City Clerk 23 24 SUSAN BISCHOFF, CCR, RPR 25 449 Columbia Blvd., Wood-Ridge, NJ 07075 201-933-8220 SBischoffccr@yahoo.com  2 1 A P P E A R A N C E S: 2 ANTHONY GOLOWSKI, ESQ. Attorney for Eduardo Cruz 3 T/a Caguas Bar Cafe 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25  3 1 I N D E X 2 PAGE 3 CALL TO ORDER ^ page SALUTE TO FLAG ^ page 4 ROLL CALL ^ page 5 MINUTES ^ page 6 SPECIAL PRESENTATION ^ page 7 CONSENT AGENDA ^ page 8 ORDINANCE(S) FOR HEARING AND ADOPTION ^ page 9 CITIZENS ADDRESS THE BOARD ^ page 10 LIQUOR LICENSE PUBLIC HEARINGS ^ page 11 Caguas Bar Cafe ^ page 12 ADJOURNMENT ^ page 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25  4 1 (Whereupon, the Pledge of Allegiance was 2 recited.) 3 4 MS. ROSARIO: This is a regular public 5 meeting of the Union City Board of Commissioners 6 being held on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. 7 at the Robert Waters School, 2800 Summit Avenue. 8 This meeting has been called in accordance with 9 the Open Public Meetings Act. Adequate notice was 10 forwarded to The Jersey Journal, The Record, and 11 The Hudson Reporter has been posted on the 12 bulletin board in City Hall and has been made 13 available to the public in the office of the 14 Municipal Clerk. 15 16 ROLL CALL: 17 18 MS. ROSARIO: Commissioner Fernandez. 19 COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ: Here. 20 MS. ROSARIO: Commissioner Valdivia. 21 COMMISSIONER VALDIVIA: Here. 22 MS. ROSARIO: Commissioner Martinetti. 23 COMMISSIONER MARTINETTI: Here. 24 MS. ROSARIO: Mayor Stack. 25 MAYOR STACK: Here.  5 1 APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 2 3 MS. ROSARIO: The first item on the 4 agenda is the approval of minutes of the March 21, 5 2023, Board of Commissioners meeting. May I a 6 motion to approve? 7 COMMISSIONER MARTINETTI: Motion. 8 MAYOR STACK: Second. 9 MS. ROSARIO: Motion by Commissioner 10 Martinetti, second by Mayor Stack. 11 Commissioner Fernandez. 12 COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ: Yes. 13 MS. ROSARIO: Commissioner Valdivia. 14 COMMISSIONER VALDIVIA: Yes. 15 MS. ROSARIO: Commissioner Martinetti. 16 COMMISSIONER MARTINETTI: Yes. 17 MS. ROSARIO: Mayor Stack. 18 MAYOR STACK: Yes. 19 20 SPECIAL PRESENTATION: 21 22 MS. ROSARIO: The next item on the 23 agenda is the presentation to the Union City High 24 School girls swim team. 25 (Special presentation to the Union City  6 1 High School girls swim team.) 2 3 Whereupon, the Board discussed and took 4 action on the following items in total: 5 CONSENT AGENDA: 6 ( 1) Resolution Approving the Payment of Claims. 7 ( 2) Resolution Approving the Payment of 8 Concurring Claims. 9 ( 3) Resolution Approving the Escrow Refunds. 10 ( 4) Resolution Approving the City Payroll 11 February 11, 2023 Through 3-10-2023. 12 ( 5) Resolution Approving the Library Payroll 13 February 11, 2023 Through March 10, 2023. 14 ( 6) Resolution Cancelling Taxes on Property 15 Deemed Exempt For 100 Percent Disabled Veteran. 16 ( 7) Resolution Authorizing the Tax Collector to 17 Hold an Accelerated Tax Sale. 18 ( 8) Resolution Authorizing a Contract With 19 Realauction.Com, LLC, For Electronic Tax Lien 20 Certificate Sale Service. 21 ( 9) Resolution Authorizing the Tax Collector to 22 Prepare, Complete and Mail As Soon As Practicable 23 Estimated Tax Bills in Accordance With the 24 Procedures Set Forth in N.J.S.A. 54:4-66.2 and 25 Authorizing an Estimated Annual Tax Levy Pursuant  7 1 to N.J.S.A. 54:4-66.2. 2 (10) Resolution Authorizing the City of Union City 3 Police Department to Participate in the "UDRIVE. 4 UTEXT. UPAY" Distracted Driving 2023 Crack Down. 5 (11) Resolution Approving Corrective Action Plan 6 For 2022 Audit Recommendations. 7 (12) Resolution Authorizing Contract With Matera's 8 Nursery For the Purchase of Flowers and Related 9 Items. 10 (13) Resolution Authorizing Conditional 11 Redeveloper - Roosevelt Stadium Redevelopment 12 Area. 13 (14) Resolution Amending Reso Number 09/20/24 14 Authorizing Contract For the Lease Purchase of One 15 2023 Starcraft Allstar '22 Bus, One 2023 Chevy 16 Malibu, and Two Ford Interceptor Vehicles Pursuant 17 to the Houston Galveston Area Council Cooperative. 18 (15) Resolution Authorizing Salvage of Variance 19 Junk Vehicles. 20 (16) Resolution Authorizing the Placement of a 21 Lien on the Property Known As 1005 Bergenline 22 Avenue, Union City Block 47, Lot 20 in the City of 23 Union City For Emergency Repair Costs. 24 (17) Resolution Authorizing the Placement of a 25 Lien on the Property Known As 1013-1015 Bergenline  8 1 Avenue, Union City, Block 47, Lot 15 in the City 2 of Union City For Emergency Repair Costs. 3 (18) Resolution Authorizing the Placement of a 4 Lien on the Property Known As 420 Tournade Place, 5 Union City, Block 61.02, Lot 27 in the City of 6 Union City For Emergency Repair Costs. 7 (19) Resolution of the Board of Commissioners of 8 the Union City Approving 2022-2023 Renewal of 9 Liquor License 0910-33-149-006 Issued to A & 10 C 2004 Corp., Pocket License.) 11 12 MS. ROSARIO: Next item on the agenda is 13 the consent agenda. 14 One, resolution approving the payment of 15 claims. 16 Two, resolution approving the payment of 17 concurring claims. 18 Three, resolution approving the escrow 19 refunds. 20 Four, resolution approving the city 21 payroll February 11, 2023 through 3-10-2023. 22 Five, resolution approving the library 23 payroll February 11, 2023 through March 10, 2023. 24 Six, resolution cancelling taxes on 25 property deemed exempt for 100 percent disabled  9 1 veteran. 2 Seven, resolution authorizing the tax 3 collector to hold an accelerated tax sale. 4 Eight, resolution authorizing a contract 5 with Realauction.com, LLC, for electronic tax lien 6 certificate sale service. 7 Nine, resolution authorizing the tax 8 collector to prepare, complete and mail as soon as 9 practicable estimated tax bills in accordance with 10 the procedures set forth in N.J.S.A. 54:4-66.2 and 11 authorizing an estimated annual tax levy pursuant 12 to N.J.S.A. 54:4-66.2. 13 Ten, resolution authorizing the City of 14 Union City Police Department to participate in the 15 "UDRIVE. UTEXT. UPAY" distracted driving 2023 16 crack down. 17 Eleven, resolution approving corrective 18 action plan for 2022 audit recommendations. 19 Twelve, resolution authorizing contract 20 with Matera's nursery for the purchase of flowers 21 and related items. 22 Thirteen, resolution authorizing 23 conditional redeveloper - Roosevelt Stadium 24 Redevelopment Area. 25 Fourteen, resolution amending Reso  10 1 Number 09/20/24 authorizing contract for the lease 2 purchase of one 2023 Starcraft Allstar '22 bus, 3 one 2023 Chevy Malibu, and two Ford Interceptor 4 vehicles pursuant to the Houston Galveston Area 5 Council Cooperative. 6 Fifteen, resolution authorizing salvage 7 of variance junk vehicles. 8 Sixteen, resolution authorizing the 9 placement of a lien on the property known as 1005 10 Bergenline Avenue, Union City Block 47, Lot 20 in 11 the City of Union City for emergency repair costs. 12 Seventeen, resolution authorizing the 13 placement of a lien on the property known as 14 1013-1015 Bergenline Avenue, Union City, Block 47, 15 Lot 15 in the City of Union City for emergency 16 repair costs. 17 Eighteen, resolution authorizing the 18 placement of a lien on the property known as 420 19 Tournade Place, Union City, Block 61.02, Lot 27 in 20 the City of Union City for emergency repair costs. 21 Nineteen, resolution of the Board of 22 Commissioners of the Union City approving 23 2022-2023 renewal of liquor license 24 0910-33-149-006 issued to A & C 2004 Corp., pocket 25 license.  11 1 Mayor abstains to payments to Chasan 2 Lamparello and Mallon. 3 Mayor, would you like to take public 4 comment on the consent agenda? 5 MAYOR STACK: Yes. Anyone wishing to 6 comment on the consent agenda, please step 7 forward, state your name and address for the 8 record. Seeing no one wishing to comment, I'll 9 make a motion to close the public hearing. 10 COMMISSIONER MARTINETTI: Second. 11 MS. ROSARIO: Motion made by Mayor 12 Stack, second by Commissioner Martinetti. 13 Commissioner Fernandez. 14 COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ: Yes. 15 MS. ROSARIO: Commissioner Valdivia. 16 COMMISSIONER VALDIVIA: Yes. 17 MS. ROSARIO: Commissioner Martinetti. 18 COMMISSIONER MARTINETTI: Yes. 19 MS. ROSARIO: Mayor Stack. 20 MAYOR STACK: Yes. 21 MS. ROSARIO: May I have a motion to 22 approve? 23 MAYOR STACK: Motion. 24 COMMISSIONER VALDIVIA: Second. 25 MS. ROSARIO: Motion by Mayor Stack,  12 1 second by Commissioner Valdivia. 2 Commissioner Fernandez. 3 COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ: Yes. 4 MS. ROSARIO: Commissioner Valdivia. 5 COMMISSIONER VALDIVIA: Yes. 6 MS. ROSARIO: Commissioner Martinetti. 7 COMMISSIONER MARTINETTI: Yes. 8 MS. ROSARIO: Mayor Stack. 9 MAYOR STACK: Yes. 10 11 (Whereupon, the Board discussed and took 12 action on the following: 13 ORDINANCE(S) FOR HEARING AND ADOPTION 14 CONSIDERATION: 15 1. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF UNION 16 CITY, COUNTY OF HUDSON, NEW JERSEY, APPROPRIATING 17 THE SUM OF $300,000 IN FUNDING FROM THE CAPITAL 18 IMPROVEMENT FUND FOR THE COMPLETION OF VARIOUS 19 ROAD IMPROVEMENTS.) 20 21 MS. ROSARIO: The next item is an 22 ordinance for hearing and adoption consideration. 23 An ordinance of the City of Union City, County of 24 Hudson, New Jersey, appropriating the sum of 25 $300,000 in funding from capital improvement funds  13 1 for the completion of various road improvements. 2 Mayor, would you like to take public 3 comment on this ordinance? 4 MAYOR STACK: Sure. Anyone wishing to 5 comment on the ordinance for the sum of $300,000 6 in funding from the capital improvement for 7 completion of various road improvements, please 8 step forward, state your anatomy and address for 9 the record. Seeing none, motion to close. 10 COMMISSIONER MARTINETTI: Second. 11 MS. ROSARIO: Motion by Mayor Stack, 12 second by Commissioner Martinetti. 13 Commissioner Fernandez. 14 COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ: Yes. 15 MS. ROSARIO: Commissioner Valdivia. 16 COMMISSIONER VALDIVIA: Yes. 17 MS. ROSARIO: Commissioner Martinetti. 18 COMMISSIONER MARTINETTI: Yes. 19 MS. ROSARIO: Mayor Stack. 20 MAYOR STACK: Yes. 21 MS. ROSARIO: I may have a motion to 22 adopt? 23 COMMISSIONER VALDIVIA: Motion. 24 COMMISSIONER MARTINETTI: Second. 25 MS. ROSARIO: Motion by Commissioner  14 1 Valdivia. Second by Commissioner Martinetti. 2 Commissioner Fernandez. 3 COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ: Yes. 4 MS. ROSARIO: Commissioner Valdivia. 5 COMMISSIONER VALDIVIA: Yes. 6 MS. ROSARIO: Commissioner Martinetti. 7 COMMISSIONER MARTINETTI: Yes. 8 MS. ROSARIO: Mayor Stack. 9 MAYOR STACK: Yes. 10 11 OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZENS TO ADDRESS THE BOARD: 12 13 MS. ROSARIO: Mayor, at this time, would 14 you like to take public comment on any portion of 15 this meeting? 16 MAYOR STACK: Sure. Anyone wishing to 17 comment on any matter concerning municipal 18 government in the City of Union City, please step 19 forward, state your name and address for the 20 record. Seeing none, I make a motion to close. 21 COMMISSIONER MARTINETTI: Second. 22 MS. ROSARIO: Motion by Mayor Stack, 23 second by Commissioner Martinetti. 24 Commissioner Fernandez. 25 COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ: Yes.  15 1 MS. ROSARIO: Commissioner Valdivia. 2 COMMISSIONER VALDIVIA: Yes. 3 MS. ROSARIO: Commissioner Martinetti. 4 COMMISSIONER MARTINETTI: Yes. 5 MS. ROSARIO: Mayor Stack. 6 MAYOR STACK: Yes. 7 * * * * 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25  16 1 LIQUOR LICENSE HEARINGS: 2 1. Eduardo Cruz 3 T/a Caguas Bar Cafe 4 1709 Bergenline Avenue 5 0910-33-106-006 6 (ANTHONY GOLOWSKI, ESQ.) 7 8 MS. ROSARIO: Now, we have the liquor 9 license hearings. Mr. Gonzalez. 10 MR. GONZALEZ: Good evening. For the 11 record, Ramon Gonzalez, G-O-N-Z-A-L-E-Z, behalf of 12 the Union City ABC. 13 Mayor, Commissioner, we have one matter, 14 Eduardo Cruz, that's on. He retained an attorney, 15 I did speak to the attorney, he is present. The 16 violations have to do with paper and the amount of 17 recording time on the cameras. What we're 18 respectfully asking at this time is that we just 19 adjourn it so we can have Sergeant Zeron or 20 Lieutenant Dunlay to do an inspection to see if 21 they've corrected the situation. Then we can 22 propose a resolution to the Board, if it's 23 acceptable. 24 MAYOR STACK: If you could enter your 25 appearance for the record.  17 1 MR. GOLOWSKI: Anthony Golowski, 2 Goldberg Segalla on behalf of Eduardo Cruz. 3 MAYOR STACK: I would ask that -- I know 4 we're going to put this off until the next 5 meeting. Just explain, if you can please impress 6 upon your client, I've known Eduardo a long time, 7 I know he's a decent guy. Just to make sure -- we 8 have a lot of reservations about giving this 9 license out, the Commissioners and myself. Just 10 to make sure not to embarrass us and make sure 11 he's running that establishment and somebody is 12 managing that establishment. That was one of the 13 biggest concerns I had when he first wanted to 14 move it there, who would be managing the 15 day-to-day operations. I would appreciate it if 16 you could impress that upon him. 17 MR. GOLOWSKI: I will and thank you, Mr. 18 Mayor. I appeared before you when we transferred 19 the license, if you recall. Mr. Cruz brought of a 20 lot of paperwork with him today, I think part of 21 it was a misunderstanding about what he had to 22 keep on the premise. He has it, it just wasn't on 23 the premises. I'll explain it to him again that 24 it needs to be on premises. 25 I've spoken to Counsel, two of the  18 1 evaluations were just not having the paperwork on 2 premises. And the camera he has repaired. But 3 again we appreciate your patience and 4 consideration. 5 MAYOR STACK: No problem whatsoever. 6 Thank you very much. Thank you. 7 MS. ROSARIO: May I have a motion to 8 adjourn -- 9 MAYOR STACK: Motion to move to the next 10 meeting. 11 COMMISSIONER MARTINETTI: Second. 12 MS. ROSARIO: Motion made by Mayor 13 Stack, second by Commissioner Martinetti. 14 Commissioner Fernandez. 15 COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ: Yes. 16 MS. ROSARIO: Commissioner Valdivia. 17 COMMISSIONER VALDIVIA: Yes. 18 MS. ROSARIO: Commissioner Martinetti. 19 COMMISSIONER MARTINETTI: Yes. 20 MS. ROSARIO: Mayor Stack. 21 MAYOR STACK: Yes. 22 * * * * 23 24 25  19 1 ADJOURNMENT: 2 3 MS. ROSARIO: There being no other 4 items, may I have a motion to adjourn? 5 COMMISSIONER MARTINETTI: Motion. 6 MAYOR STACK: Second. 7 MS. ROSARIO: All in favor? 8 (Whereupon, all Commissioners indicated 9 in the affirmative.) 10 11 (Whereupon the meeting was adjourned at 12 7:24 p.m.) 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25  20 1 Brian P. Stack 2 Lucio P. Fernandez 3 Maryury A. Martinetti 4 Celin J. Valdivia 5 6 Board of Commissioners 7 8 9 Attest: 10 Samantha Blake, Esq., 11 Corporation Counsel 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25  21 1 C E R T I F I C A T E 2 3 4 5 6 I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing is a 7 true and accurate transcript of the testimony and 8 proceedings as taken stenographically by me at the 9 time, place, and on the date hereinbefore set 10 forth. 11 12 13 14 SUSAN BISCHOFF, CCR, RPR LICENSE NO. 30XI00233700 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25