Hoboken City Futbol Club “operations will cease in their current form” after this season, HCFC President Leo Pellegrini said in an email blast just two days after Mayor Ravi Bhalla claimed the club owed the city $76,000 for reserved field space.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Many are aware of the recent issues the Club is having in regard to field space in Hoboken with further access in the fall being questionable. Due to this impasse coupled with travel League deadlines approaching, we cannot move the 2023/24 Program forward with this uncertainty,” Pellegrini began.
“While we had planned on sending out Team Invites this week, unfortunately, we are writing to inform you that at the conclusion of the 2022/23 Season our HCFC operations will cease in their current form. We suggest players seek out other alternatives for future travel play.”
He continued that pre-travel tuition for the 2023-2024 season for players born in 2016 and 2017 will be fully refunded and any June 1st installments will be cancelled, with credits expected to be initiated in the next 24 to 48 hours due to the volume of pre-travel players (over 150).
According to the HCFB website, their primary training locations are 1600 Park Ave. and Sinatra Turf Fields, with uniforms about $200 person and team fees ranging from $975 to $1,400 annually.
On Monday, Bhalla wrote a letter to HCFC parents indicating that the city would allow the spring season to continue uninterrupted, despite municipal code indicating that organizations with outstanding balances can no longer reserve field space, as HCV first reported.
He also indicated that the city will be seeking a vendor to operate a travel soccer program.
Pellegrini was the Hoboken Health and Human Services Director for 14 years until he resigned abruptly earlier this month and it now appears obvious that he and the city did not split on amicable terms.
Following an inquiry from HCV, a city spokeswoman indicated that the non-profit Hoboken Lacrosse group had “paid their invoice based on the rate for a non-profit organization, and usage of the field” while the HCFB had not, though she did not get into the particulars.
This reporter filed an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request today seeking clarity on fees charged to third-party sports clubs in the city, including the rates charges for field fees for both for-profit and non-profit entities.
A lot of angry parents will vote against Bhalla’s City Council candidates
I hope so. This mess has been building across many parts of the city for quite some time, and the only way to fix it is to vote them out. Team Bhalla will not reflect on, let alone admit, their mistakes, raise their hands and say — this is what we will do differently going forward. They are simply not built that way; Team Arrogance.
The blame cannot be on just one person as these issues have gone in for a long time, but I guess if it wasn’t your kid you looked the other way. Finally maybe parents will wake up and stop defending the many recreation dept failures instead of blaming those who smartly pointed them out. People have complained about a lack of new summer programs and Nothing for teens to do in summer from recreation for years, as well as botched recreation issues like this. Jessica was hired a while ago to create new programs and maybe let’s hear what they are. Its a reasonable question: can we have a list of what new?
Don’t hold your breath waking for anything from Jessica.
Don’t tell anyone but word is she very quietly working in the shadows on a under the radar deal giving away millions in taxpayer dollars to her friends. It is difficult question a ghost That is one of the reasons she never shows up to the City Council meetings like the other Directors
Does this mean Ravi will have to raise our taxes even more for his complete mismanagement of city finances?
The Right WIng Racist Horse and his Giant Racist sidekick need to stop.
You are not a reformer BIG GUY…
Hoboken has no more reformers. The guard rails are off. It is a corrupt cesspool run by folks whose only compass is”can I get away with it.”
Get another clot shot and a bong hit at Ravi’s new weed shop opening soon. Reform is dead in Hoboken and you’re brain dead. Ravi and his paid bots like Stinkus killed it. Everyone with a clue are not the people living rent free in your head!
Didn’t get the joke. Now I looked it up and it makes sense.
What are the odds both the Edison and Hoboken flier ops were not inside jobs? Hat tip to “Satish.” You hit the bulls eye. Good to see people using satire to raise accountability and transparency.
https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/on-tape-edison-councilman-fingers-democratic-chair-top-lawyer-as-masterminds-of-racist-flyer/
Ravi Bhalla us the city’s “ Chief Executive” so to speak- he’s not just responsible for the fun things like painting sidewalks, bike lanes and bullshit CAPS meetings with the 300,000 useful idiot political wannabe who has a mess on his hands in Public Safety staff recruitment and low morale
What is the over/under on this new vendor making contributions to Ravi?
Ravi “selected” 5 parents to have a closed door meeting on Thursday. These “selected” parents are part of his inside group and meant to help with damage control. They will miraculously come with some plant to sell to parents, saying that it is the best they can do, and hope everyone forgets by November.
What happened to the cute little food cart Tasty Taco? They ended up having to move indoors… Not nearly as fun or cool as the cart
Ravi Bhalla says. More carefully chosen voices by me are better
Don’t worry the fake independent Rafi of Puppetonia USA will save us, he will be Bhalla’s biggest critic since he’s a self motivated, self funded candidate who never met in Ms. Terry’s Living room to be convinced to run…
What was the puppet promised?
Way to go, keep on voting 90% for a party that stands for nothing but enriching its leaders.
Give it up – you anti science idiots in your Red Golf hats and too tight white polo shirts and shorts….