The Jersey City Redevelopment Agency (JCRA) carried resolutions seeking professional service contracts for economic analysis and advisory services and construction advisory services to identify affordable housing within inclusionary zoning areas.
By Dan Israel/Hudson County View
“We are going to amend the agenda to … carry items one, two, and three to the August regularly scheduled meeting, and we will only be voting on items four and five at this meeting,” General Counsel Shoshana Schiff said at the virtual hearing.
“Thank you everyone and we do appreciate the participation and thoughtful comments from the public.”
The JCRA voted unanimously (6-0) to carry the resolutions at today’s special meeting after a handful of residents dismissed the proposals due to a proposed 15.5 percent tax increase accompanying the approximately $886.5 million municipal budget.
Those outraged residents asked the board to slow down on the resolutions questioning “why the rush?” for the special meeting that day.
They highlighted that there were budget hearings earlier in the day and the first meeting of the Rent Protection Special Investigation Committee after the JCRA meeting.
Concerned residents were particular over how the hired consultants could offer pivotal guidance on tax abatements, payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreements, and other redevelopment incentives are used across Jersey City.
While the resolutions only sought proposals and approved the qualified purchasing agent, residents like Esther Wintner vocalized concerns over the potential influence the hired consultants could have by guiding future redevelopment policies and financial decisions.
According to the first resolution for economic analysis and advisory services within all redevelopment areas, the JCRA sought “the services of a qualified consultant to perform an economic analysis and provide advisory services with the goal of recommending financially viable inclusionary zoning and financial incentives on an area-by-area basis …”
The overall goal listed is to “maximize the construction of new affordable housing units.”
The second resolution similarly states that the JCRA wants a consultant to provide them with construction advisory and project support services for various redevelopment projects and other redevelopment activities in all redevelopment areas
The resolutions authorize the JCRA to utilize competitive contracting to procure the services for a term of five years for each, though a resolution is required to do so through the Local Public Contracts Law in lieu of public bidding.
The third resolution on the board’s agenda was to approve the appointment of Chris Battaglia as the JCRA’s qualified purchasing agent.
Schiff explained to attendees that the first two resolutions were not approving any additional consultants, rather issuing requests for proposals for those aforementioned services.
She added that the third resolution was essentially re-appointing Battaglia, who has been serving as the qualified purchasing agent already.
She said he is approved on a yearly basis and then invoices the JCRA for his services, which last year totaled about $5,900.
After hearing public comment, the JCRA board went into closed session for about 45 minutes pertaining to “matters within the attorney-client privilege, matters of contract negotiation, and matters of pending and threat litigation,” according to Schiff.
She added that no official action was taken at this time, but that could happen at a future meeting.
Then, the JCRA board voted unanimously to carry the items to the August 18th meeting and for the approval of the remaining run-of-the-mill resolutions in tandem, before the board adjourned the meeting.
The five-member JCRA Board of Commissioners consists of: Chair Denise Ridley, also the council president, Vice Chair Douglas Carlucci, Commissioner Mira Prinz-Arey, Commissioner Mary Noonan, Commissioner Victor Negron Jr., and Commissioner Darwin Ona.