[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6104733,"mediaKeyId","2790283-fb5a7e2ef16c71ab4eba206d706dfd3d","parentId",2790283,"title","Jersey City Council approves several ordinances, adds 30-year tax-exemption introduction; cannabis support resolution defeated","audioSeconds",8731,"startMs",222000,"endMs",8953000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2790283-fb5a7e2ef16c71ab4eba206d706dfd3d&start=222&end=8953","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2790283-fb5a7e2ef16c71ab4eba206d706dfd3d/thumbnail_222000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6104733/Jersey-City/Hudson-County/New-Jersey/Jersey-City-Council-approves-several-ordinances-adds-30-year-tax-exemption-introduction-cannabis-support-resolution-defeated","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6104733-5cb19d1468fa9d54796064e5203ce9fc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771201297&Signature=S4ss26mpCqBq8Sl2OJm9TY~syxikP1QzFRP2VZza6dMZWG7pBwEAUHfQe~iHvOHS9u0Rr~09xw2qssGaF-ZXAw1ehPV8jfL3MjcYaIKEgFpwtWha1LzG3U1pCw28TTKFnNqHNfhsEdYHToXP5HiErJDrFFnUq0OFIPz9PS7cEcYhAbmUiHIKb41Mh77EsBjXvZ4YEklWwzY-vm1hXt7a1JYgU6oI6LF8GdE98-RXU6QNYN3D~taQ5nwJM42AZwTogHcYq3Lmc7TDsTYtmUzhTf9GdjClyyxCpb6v2kFBboViv7UxxTjjanDh7UGRlvvIXxrSzpUhKXWpY20e2PrdqA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Jersey City, NJ","date","2025-03-27T05:06:32Z","article","The Jersey City Municipal Council opened its Wednesday meeting with roll call, a moment of silence, and an administrative motion to add a tax-exemption ordinance to the agenda. The council then moved through introductions and second readings, adopting several ordinances and voting on a slate of resolutions.

Key outcomes at a glance:

Votes at a glance

- Addition to the agenda: Motion to add item 3.16 (City Ordinance 25-044, a proposed 30-year tax exemption for JHRC Senior Housing LLC concerning 259 Van Nostrand Avenue) carried. Motion: made by Councilperson Saleh; seconded by Councilperson Ridley. Vote recorded as carried 7-0 with Councilpersons Solomon and Rivera absent.

- Introductions (first reading): Items 3.1–3.16 (with 3.1, 3.3 and 3.8 withdrawn) were introduced on first reading by the council (vote recorded as 8-0, Councilperson Rivera absent for roll call earlier; transcript shows introduction and recorded “aye” votes).

- Second-reading adoptions and procedural votes:
- City Ordinance 25-025 (amendment relating to accepting condominium units at 155 Bay Street): adopted on final reading, vote 8-0.
- City Ordinance 25-026: carried to the April 9 meeting on motion (vote 8-0).
- City Ordinance 25-027 (amend chapter 160 fees and charges to include a fee for use of the city’s de-escalation center): adopted on final reading, vote 8-0.
- City Ordinance 25-028 (amendments regulating mobile food vendors and fees for reserved downtown spaces): adopted on final reading, vote 6-2 (Councilperson Prince and Council President Waterman voted no).
- City Ordinance 25-003 (increase number of part-time municipal judges from 5 to 6): un-tabled and adopted on final reading, vote 8-0.
- Several other ordinances were carried or tabled as noted at caucus (for example, 25-005 carried to April 23; 25-018 tabled prior to public hearing).

- Resolutions: The council voted on multiple resolution blocks. Notable votes included:
- Resolution 25-193 (recognizing Jolie Ariel Morales for passing an Eagle Board of Review): approved, 8-0.
- A resolution in support of a proposed cannabis retailer (resolution 25-216 / item 10.29 for Kind Buds at 545 Newark Ave) was defeated: vote recorded as 1 in favor (Councilperson Ridley), 5 opposed, 2 abstentions (Councilperson Prinzary and Council President Waterman). Other resolutions in blocks 10.1–10.13, 10.14–10.23 (except withdrawn items), and 10.25–10.28 passed as a block by the council (votes recorded in transcript as 8-0 on most blocks).

- Claims: Claims and addendum number 1 were approved 8-0.

What the ordinances cover

The ordinances taken up Wednesday covered a mix of planning, public-right-of-way rules, community-garden leases, parking and traffic changes, fees for city services and procedural changes. Staff noted the following specific items in either first or final reading:
- A franchise ordinance for Liberty Harbor North Partners LLC to allow bay windows and an awning to encroach on the public right-of-way at Block 15907 Lot 3 (introductory notice).
- Multiple community garden lease renewals and new leases (Brunswick Community Gardens, Dwight Street Block Association, Greater Neighborhood Alliance sponsored gardens, Mandela Gardens, Ogden’s End Community Gardens) were introduced for first reading.
- An ordinance adopting amendments to the Chapel Avenue Industrial Park redevelopment plan (item 3.15) was introduced for first reading.
- Ordinance 25-044 (item 3.16) was added to the agenda; that item requests a 30-year tax exemption under the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Act and NJSA 55:14K-1 et seq.; council members voted to introduce the item for first reading but asked for additional information during subsequent debate.

Council comments and follow up

Council members repeatedly said they would seek clarifications or additional documentation on some items (for example, Councilperson Gilmore requested more detail on the 30-year tax exemption item 3.16). Staff and the business-administration team confirmed that several items had been revised after caucus and that withdrawn items would not be read into the record.

Legal citations and process

The chair opened the meeting by certifying compliance with the New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act (NJ public laws 1975, chapter 231) and noting the agenda was posted and distributed in advance. When the council acted on ordinances and resolutions, votes were recorded verbally in the transcript; staff clarified procedural votes like carriage to future meetings, tabling prior to a public hearing, and withdrawals.

Ending: The council completed votes on the major blocks of resolutions, approved claims, and adjourned at 8:30 p.m. Staff said they would correct a clerical math error on one resolution (a per-evaluation cost discrepancy) and circulate the change.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Jersey City Municipal Council Meeting March 26, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Jersey City Municipal Council voted to introduce and adopt multiple ordinances Wednesday, added a 30-year tax-exemption ordinance to the agenda for first reading, approved a de-escalation-center fee and mobile-vendor rules, and defeated a resolution supporting a proposed cannabis retailer on Newark Avenue.","taxTitle","Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey","taxId",2747,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6104738,"Portside tenants press council for enforcement after emergency call and ongoing code complaints",3772,2701000,6473000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2790283-fb5a7e2ef16c71ab4eba206d706dfd3d&start=2701&end=6473","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2790283-fb5a7e2ef16c71ab4eba206d706dfd3d/thumbnail_2701000.jpg","/articles/6104738/Jersey-City/Hudson-County/New-Jersey/Portside-tenants-press-council-for-enforcement-after-emergency-call-and-ongoing-code-complaints","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6104738-71ca81fc8260149fe07229656ddaffe0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771201297&Signature=f-ErDp6G84kQVVrkbZGx09uV~-wpApfppWGcX-sx-~5SRp46lSnUuhiAndpeEztQEwmdS6MPsc1ojKvlCujbp5VeB2146sYjvopRZ0p1sVCZthJa~L8FtKvwgkmEs8HB9vx4wOgYYPxLkh6qZGcr7mYn7PUMpxpDx1KxcjRIGz5Cs1XtFRjYP9fnWfDxIMCT1zOQl0JKpWgBIRptgnfZj~3SZhxjz2m7cOpqw5QL58XJ4MQf-6osJS3MlQqU1qWe7sgs3t3Ii8GjN-LLAXdWrih2nyrfsjqF466LV4lPMoJ6ckGEaHZdSXZom5T-oPR85sIM2kXSY8MExF0lxU1bLg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of Portside Towers tenants used Wednesday’s Jersey City Municipal Council public-comment period to demand the city enforce existing codes after repeated safety failures in their building, including the absence of a resident superintendent and uniform security.

Speakers said the building’s emergency systems sometimes activate without an on-site staff response. One tenant played an audio recording of an emergency call in which a customer-service representative said the building has no on-site superintendent and the caller was routed to an overseas call center. “This was not an isolated incident,” a tenant said during public comment, calling the recording “not merely unsettling” but a “blatant violation of the law.”

The speakers tied the operational failures to statutory requirements under state and local law, including a reference to NJSA 46:8-23 and Jersey City code requirements for landlord identity and emergency contacts. Tenants and tenant advocates said the landlord, identified in the meeting as Equity Residential, has not filed required paperwork (including the 2025 rent roll) and that, under the city ordinance cited in remarks, daily fines of $2,000 per tenant are a possible enforcement tool.

“The recording you just heard was not merely unsettling. It was a blatant violation of the law,” a tenant who identified herself as a tenant-association representative told the council. Another tenant said the building’s management has provided no reliable emergency contact and that calls for help instead reached an offshore call center.

Tenants repeatedly described the problem as systemic: missing rent rolls, expired or incorrect landlord identity certificates, missing resident superintendents, and the absence of uniform security in a 527-unit complex. Speakers said these gaps have persisted while tenants face daily safety risks and that the city has not yet used the ordinance’s enforcement mechanisms.

City staff and council members responded during the meeting with two consistent factual points: the city has issued at least one violation for lack of required security that is pending in municipal court, and an inspection process and meetings with the landlord were underway. A city official said an exemption application from the landlord for the uniform security requirement is under review and that an on-site walkthrough with the landlord was scheduled.

Tenants urged the council to impose fines or other immediate penalties rather than waiting for protracted court processes. Several speakers asked for a formal vote of no confidence in department leadership; at the meeting the council did not take a formal vote on that request but officials said they would provide follow-up information and that code inspectors were engaged.

What the council said it would do: officials reported an active investigation, an issued violation in municipal court for lack of security, and a scheduled inspection/walkthrough to evaluate an exemption application. Tenants said the city’s next steps must include timely enforcement of existing violations and better emergency response protocols for large residential properties.

The public comments on Portside occupied a large portion of the meeting’s public-comment period and were accompanied by multiple requests for city transparency about inspection results and timelines for enforcement.

The council did not adopt new enforcement legislation at the meeting; instead staff described ongoing administrative investigations and existing court cases tied to the building.

Ending: Tenants said they will continue to press the city for enforcement and public updates. City staff said they will circulate inspection findings and follow up with tenants and council members about the ongoing review and any municipal-court activity tied to violations.","Dozens of Portside Towers tenants used the council’s public-comment period to demand enforcement, citing missing resident staff, absent uniform security and an emergency call routed to an overseas call center.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6104728,"Council recognizes Jolie Ariel Morales for Eagle Scout rank",375,771000,1146000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2790283-fb5a7e2ef16c71ab4eba206d706dfd3d&start=771&end=1146","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2790283-fb5a7e2ef16c71ab4eba206d706dfd3d/thumbnail_771000.jpg","/articles/6104728/Jersey-City/Hudson-County/New-Jersey/Council-recognizes-Jolie-Ariel-Morales-for-Eagle-Scout-rank","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6104728-6cf2b23f3038978ef2cf6e61b521dc8a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771201297&Signature=Doj7Mt5hRr1buBNY2FLmzGRYjXFnaNjUjD2bNFJ-MX37lfQrPzYk4v-PnOOWKHZqO7IlUHUP9mPm5mFu0INQxw~8aCZaWqFOWEpjfGpDzh0dcD1ulXHiy0oSxvwTDj8mvKZdi-WgIexBGHPuCs29H-yzSmzyzA-hgDIlCfnjIkTz6CEVGUfWJfzN5gMVyogaBePuefsjbWBg8V8qGaS5bTRQByuVIMf5OKOAP4eiMFqKSMDNxVpBGxbeQjM4eibhVBdv8jUjDdNGh6RJKeWNrDX-ODHM7bxTtOCgyrRrPlaw-VJCniZMuaqDBn55-jHmzUQg1Lr04FyegmSAx9a7Xg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Jersey City Municipal Council approved a resolution honoring Jolie Ariel Morales for passing her Eagle Board of Review and achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. Council members read the resolution into the record and offered congratulatory remarks.

The resolution (25-193) described Morales’s background — noting she attended Learning Community Charter School and County Prep High School, that she is enrolled at Fairleigh Dickinson University, and that her Eagle project involved building a free little library placed outside Joseph H. Brezinger Elementary School. The text stated she earned 31 merit badges and passed her Eagle Board of Review on Aug. 20, 2024; the resolution described the Eagle rank as the highest rank in Scouts and congratulated Morales on her leadership and civic engagement.

The council voted to adopt the resolution 8-0 (Councilperson Rivera absent). After adoption, the council invited Morales to speak briefly; she described the project as work she chose because of a love of reading and to give back to the community.

Ending: The council posed for a photo with the honoree and distributed the resolution.","The Jersey City Municipal Council approved Resolution 25-193 commending Jolie Ariel Morales for achieving the Eagle Scout rank and presenting a resolution; council members praised her community project and civic leadership.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Jersey City Council approves several ordinances, adds 30-year tax-exemption introduction; cannabis support resolution defeated

Portside tenants press council for enforcement after emergency call and ongoing code complaints

Council recognizes Jolie Ariel Morales for Eagle Scout rank