Heading into tonight’s Hoboken Council meeting, here’s 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher’s latest newsletter:
March 9, 2022
Dear friends and neighbors,
Just a couple of important updates, action items and reminders for you – merging local issues with the bigger ones:
TONIGHT…MARCH 9TH
City Council Meeting, 7pm via ZOOM
Please join the City Council meeting to share your views important legislation. Just because they are on the agenda, doesn’t mean they get passed. Community input is critical as the City Council considers voting on the following pieces of legislation (and others) to:
- Cap total number of Cannabis Dispensaries at 6 city wide and add common sense restrictions for recreational dispensaries specifically including: 600’ buffer zone from schools, adjacent to preschools, max # of 6, removing Neighborhood Commercial zones (introduction/1st reading).
- Add further common-sense restrictions for Recreational Cannabis Dispensaries: expanding buffer zone for early learning facilities, carving out Marine View and giving residential condo owners approval rights for their buildings (introduction/1st reading)
- Prohibit cannabis smoking in parks, expanding current laws which already prohibits smoking tobacco in parks (introduction/1st reading).
- Use Eminent Domain to Acquire the Poggi site for $19M owned by the Poggi family uptown for city to then build a new the public works garage and public safety headquarters. (final/2nd reading) I voted no on first reading. The city needs much more transparency and public input on this giant project. What did we just learn from the BOE referendum?
- Make outdoor parklets and streateries permanent in Hoboken. (final/2nd reading) I voted no on first reading, not because I think we shouldn’t have parklets, I just don’t think we need to make them permanent now without a process that includes robust public input.
- Resolution to update the appraisal for the former Union Dry Dock site as part of the cities process to acquire that site. Latest update was last summer when Mayor Bhalla announced an agreement where Hoboken acquires the site. The last appraisal was from 2017.
Otto Strada Ukraine fundraising event, 5PM – 7PM at 8th & Park.
Stop by Otto Strada and pick up a sandwich & dessert combo. Take out only on 3/9/2022 (chicken or fish option + dessert). 100% of ALL proceeds will go to PROJECT HOPE Ukraine Crisis . $30 minimum donation per combo order and if you can’t make it, you can donate directly.
TOMORROW NIGHT… THURSDAY MARCH 10th
Ukrainian Flag Raising, 5PM City Hall.
The City of Hoboken is hosting a Ukrainian Flag Raising. Please come and join your neighbors to #StandByUkraine during this senseless invasion of Ukraine.
SATURDAY … MARCH 12th
Drive to Benefit Ukraine, 10AM-2PM 123 Jefferson St.
HoLa Dual Language Charter School has joined with Hoboken’s Alpha Minds Academy and the Boys and Girls Club of Hudson County to collect donations to benefit Ukraine. TapInto’s story provides good information on the event and what materials are specifically needed: HoLa, AlphaMinds, Boys & Girls Club Sponsoring Drive To Benefit Ukraine | Hoboken, NJ News TAPinto
Clean Green Jersey Community Cleanup, 10AM – 1PM 1st & Washington.
First in what will be four organized cleanups in Hoboken: 3/20 – Mamma Johnson Field, 3/26 Stevens Park, and 4/2 Maxwell Park / Hoboken Beach. You can learn more about Clean Green Jersey in this Hoboken Girl article: Clean Green Jersey: A Mission to Clean Up the Community – Hoboken Girl
Last night we spoke with a Ukrainian community leader from Jersey City who is helping to organize awareness and connect NJ residents state wide with ways to help stop the war on Ukraine. To say she was a wealth of information is an understatement. She pointed us to the organizations International Rescue Committee and Razom, which means “together” in Ukrainian, as ways to give support during this crisis. The IRC has been around for 90 years providing global crisis support. The supply drive mentioned above is being coordinated with Razom. And Razom is a 501C originally started by Ukrainian Americans in NY in 2014 in response to Ukrainian government’s sudden decision not to join the EU and the annexing by Russia of Crimea. Their main focus since then has been continuous advocacy and programming for a more prosperous and democratic Ukraine. And they have already delivered 38 tons of critical supplies to Ukraine. Check out their websites which have a lot of helpufl information.
Additionally, she is working with NJ statewide officials to prepare for Ukrainian refugees who are expected to come to our state, the first of which will be those with family and friends in NJ. Notwithstanding these first refugees will have immediate housing, think about the infrastructure needed to help these people, many as non-English speakers and with school aged children and having suffered such trauma, in acclimating, finding schools and healthcare.
Much more to come on all of this…
Please forward to everyone you know who may be interested in this newsletter. Feel free to email me at councilwomanfisher2@gmail.com or call me at 201-208-1674 to discuss what you have read or anything else that is important to you.
TiffanieFisher
Hoboken City Council, 2nd Ward
Engage. Inform. Advocate.
“More Voices are Better”