The Jersey City Council got roiled over the discourse surrounding the Hamilton Park food trucks during their caucus meeting yesterday.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
Health Officer Paul Bellan-Boyer noted that the Hamilton Park food truck ordinance is on the agenda for second and final reading Wednesday.
“We only learned about this ordinance after it passed for first reading. We think there are a number of issues you should consider,” he noted.
“We think it would properly belong with parking enforcement. But we also think it’s a practically unenforceable … It dedicates 3 slots at Hamilton Park in a complicated rotation scheme which has proved to be very difficult … We would respectfully recommend tabling it.”
Ward E Councilman James Solomon, a mayoral candidate who represents Hamilton Park, wasn’t happy with what he heard.
“You have overstepped the appropriate role of the administration versus the legislative body here …The intent is clearly to issue one license, and had the ordinance been read, you would have known that,” he exclaimed.
Bellan-Boyer tried to interject, but Solomon pressed forward.
“Let me finish my comments … We’re happy to make technical changes …. We have worked with the community, had community meetings, developed actual consensus on an issue that had extraordinary disagreements, and then to come at this meeting and improperly discuss the purpose of the ordinance right before second reading is inappropriate,” the downtown councilman asserted.
“This is a parking issue, not HHS: This is inappropriate, you didn’t get the facts right.”
Bellan-Boyer apologized for any perceived slight or miscommunication on the matter.
“… We are constrained by how we are asked to communicate. We communicated with the Law Department, and I don’t believe any of these issues were raised … I apologize for overstepping in any way. The Law Department is still looking at it.”
Nonetheless, Solomon was still clearly displeased.
“You saw this. You had concerns. You know how to reach us … Instead, you came here and gave the council incorrect information,” he stated.
At that point, Ward D Councilman Yousef Saleh sought to quell the situation.
“I feel there’s a breakdown in communication here, and I should just, like, ya know, lower the temperature. Can we just take this offline?” he asked.
“This is going to be postponed. You didn’t do what any responsible person would do, which is pick up the phone,” Solomon said.
“John, just give us an update on the Law Department part,” Council President Joyce Watterman said.
Assistant Corporation Counsel John McKinney said he did not have any new information to provide at the moment and would follow up today.
“I want to see the email chain now before I vote. I just don’t like the tenor of this conversation,” Saleh.
“Everybody has the right to be upset, especially if they felt like they did their due diligence … There is a breakdown in the communication …We can vote on it, or we can pretty much just table it. On Wednesday, we’ll see what happens,” Watterman added.
Saleh said he wasn’t trying to place blame on anyone, to which Watterman snapped at him.
“I just want to know because I have to vote on this,” Saleh replied.
