The Hoboken City Council pulled their third attempt at making rent control amendments this year at last night’s meeting, which some felt were necessary after Mayor Ravi Bhalla vetoed an iteration that was approved in April.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
The measure was initially on the agenda for first reading, but was pulled early on at the meeting.
“Will you accept this veto? Will you override this veto?” questioned Manuel Rivera Soler. The council has the ability to override a veto with six votes, though is highly unlikely given that the nine-member council has at least four staunch allies of Bhalla.
Rivera Soler continued that if they wouldn’t do that, perhaps they’d consider bringing the second version back for another vote.
“The executive has discretion if he wants a law,” replied 3rd Ward Councilman Mike Russo, the vice president of the governing body, noted.
1st Ward council candidate Paul Presinzano, currently the only candidate in the race after 1st Ward Councilman Mike DeFusco said he would not seek re-election on Tuesday, said that a referendum on rent control could have unintended consequences.
“It’s not exactly a yes or no question: I ask that we get people back to the table so we don’t have a referendum or several referendums,” he exclaimed.
Tenant advocated Cheryl Fallick said that while the Mile Square Taxpayers Association has already announced intentions to to a vacancy decontrol referendum, her group, the Hoboken Fair Share Housing Association, may do one as well.
She indicated that was likely the worst case scenario after Bhalla vetoed a proposal she felt had fair compromises between tenants and landlords.
“There’s absolutely no reason we had to end up with a veto. We’re going to have dueling referendums that will probably be incompatible. There’s no reason this happened,” she said, later being critical of some council members for not listening to her remarks.
“I’m taking notes on your speaking. I suggest we get back to the comments,” declared Council President Emily Jabbour, who considered throwing Fallick out of the chambers last month after she kept speaking out of turn.
“The city council and the mayor brought us to this situation. People can work together. We’ve created this situation that could be not good for Hoboken. More than one person said to me the last thing we want is a referendum,” Fallick continued.
She also claimed the Bhalla administration wants to end rent control, which is why they don’t care if the MSTA do a referendum.
“The strong monied interests who are very angry right now are going up against people who are desperate to stay in their homes,” Fallick added.
Another resident, Teresa Miller, sought clarity on what Bhalla meant in his veto statement, in particular as it related to bank rent increased in rent controlled units.
“What did he veto? He wrote that letter that he felt it was flawed. The property owners could bank rent increases. What did he mean by that?” She asked.
“This isn’t really a Q and A portion of the meeting,” Jabbour replied, noting that this was public portion for agenda items. Miller apologized, though Jabbour said that wasn’t necessary.
The council president emphasized that rent control still exists and that only the changes approved last month were vetoed, but Miller indicated she was still unclear what those changes were.
Councilman-at-Large Jim Doyle said that the rent control ordinance is about 30 pages long and the amendments were about three pages, with the veto covering about five sections.
“Everybody’s under Hoboken rent control, other than the 30-year law that came in in ’87 and it was permanent in ’89 saying that there’s an exemption … This one time exemption, whose been giving out these one time exemptions in town?” Miller pressed.
“The rent control office? Is that why she resigned? Because someone should’ve went to jail a lot of people lost their apartments over this exemption stuff.”
MSTA Executive Director Ron Simoncini said the errors in Bhalla’s veto statement “are crazy” and that “mischief at the rent control board level” should not have colored this discussion.
“This conversation is not being well informed at the council level. Those mistakes are inexcusable … This is just like any other pursuit of people going against the government. It topples, and you can’t stand it,” he exclaimed.
“Rent control does have a place in Hoboken: here should be vacancy de-control here. You have to deal more maturely with what happens when there’s a new tenant.”
Vacancy decontrol means a housing unit would no longer be protected under rent control after a tenant moves out, likely making the rental price shoot up.
During public comment, Fallick asked why the rent control was pulled during the general public comment period and expressed frustration when she couldn’t get a straight answer.
“Why is this so hard to answer?” she asked.
“In general, we try not to engage in a public back and forth,” Jabbour replied.
“Is it being changed. Or is it coming back?” Fallick questioned.
There’s always a chance it’s coming back,” Jabbour answered.
Mary Ondrejka criticized the rent control board and how it handled her building’s issues after she found them unhelpful.
“My landlady calls are not answered,” Ondrejka added.
“All of us care very deeply about the issue. We are each trying to figure out how to best deal with the proposals brought forward,” Jabbour noted.
She explained that the amended rent control ordinance was heard in committee and was prepared for passage. However, some council members asked for it to be tabled so they could give further input.
“We’re going to honor that request. We all listened to the feedback put before us,” Jabbour explained.
Another measure to rescind Hoboken’s pay-to-play rules, often touted as some of the toughest in the state, in light of the Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signing the Elections Transparency Act that increased contribution limits was also pulled.
