Councilman Cohen’s Newsletter: Honoring a Hoboken Hero, A New Law to Keep Outdoor Dining Clean, Standing up to Book Bans, a Major Grant for SW Resiliency Park + More!

Dear Neighbors,

Happy Rosh Hashanah 🍎🍯 to those who celebrate!

Here are your latest Hoboken updates.

Major Federal Grant for SW Resiliency Park

As someone who has worked for years in support of Hoboken’s resiliency efforts, and is a champion of our ongoing Rebuild By Design (RBD) project, I am excited that this week Hoboken secured a substantial $6.24 million Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant to expand the SW Resiliency Park — a project central to Hoboken’s resiliency and flood mitigation plans.

While this park is in Southwest Hoboken, it benefits residents of Northwest Hoboken and the entire city. With a designed capacity to hold hundreds of thousands of gallons of water, the SW Resiliency Park, when complete, will lead to much less stormwater on our streets, complementing our resiliency features city-wide. As your Councilman, I know how vitally important it is to tackle flooding, one of our biggest quality of life issues, and working hand-in-hand with the Administration, we are making major progress.

The SW Resiliency Park expansion features above-ground green infrastructure and an underground detention system capable of holding up to 328,000 gallons of stormwater runoff. The expansion will significantly increase the park's size, offering more community open space for our residents to enjoy including: six permanent pickleball courts; a playground; a splash pad; a basketball court, a picnic area, and native plantings.

Thanks to Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez, and to Mayor Ravi Bhalla for securing this critical federal funding. You can read about the FEMA grant here.

Hoboken’s Hero: Sean O’Callaghan

Hoboken has a new hero!

Last week, 5th Ward resident Sean O’Callaghan received an official proclamation from Mayor Bhalla recognizing his heroism and bravery. On July 8th, Sean and his lifeguard team at Chadwick Beach, NJ sprang into action and saved the lives of 12 young swimmers caught in a deadly riptide. Sean personally saved the life of one swimmer and helped escort two other swimmers in distress back to shore.

Congratulations to Sean, a Senior at High Tech High School and a member of the Hoboken High School swim and track teams, his proud parents Jen and Pat, and to the many members of the justifiably proud O’Callaghan and Perry families who we greeted at City Hall last week. We are all so proud of you, Sean!

You can read all about Sean and his extraordinary heroism here.

Honoring Sean O’Callaghan with His Proud Parents

My Ordinance To Keep Outdoor Dining Clean

I want to share some updates on an ordinance I am sponsoring that tightens regulations on businesses operating outdoor dining establishments which will be voted on for final approval on September 20th. This ordinance lays out a clear program for businesses to be compliant, clean, and rodent-free. Businesses that fail to comply will risk fines of up to $2,000 and the loss of their outdoor dining license.

Key provisions include:

Responsibility for Cleanliness and Rodent Control: Licensees of outdoor dining facilities will bear the responsibility for maintaining cleanliness in the vicinity of their establishments, including adjacent sidewalks and streets.

Compliance Documentation: Licensees must provide evidence of compliance with the following standards, upon the Hoboken Health Officer’s request:

Daily Inspection: Licensees must conduct daily inspections of outdoor dining spaces, planters, and adjacent street tree pits to ensure they are clean and free from food residue or signs of rodent presence.
Cleaning and Washing: Daily broom cleaning and washing of all outdoor dining areas, including sidewalks and curbs, is mandated. (All dining areas should be washed using soap and water or a 10% bleach solution.)
Immediate Cleanup: Any spilled food must be promptly cleaned up and disposed of.
Extermination: Regular extermination inspections and treatments of the dining area and nearby street trees are required. Extermination schedules and service contracts should be made available to the Hoboken Health Officer on request.
Power Washing: Where feasible, sidewalks and areas beneath platforms should be power washed regularly to flush out any food and rodents and discourage rodent nesting. In cases where power washing is not feasible, alternative methods should be employed to discourage rodent nesting and ensure cleanliness, with special attention given to removing any standing water.

Modification Plans: Within 60 days of the ordinance's passage, licensees must provide the Hoboken Health Officer with plans outlining modifications to dining structures aimed at preventing pests. This includes addressing any empty spaces or voids created by the dining structure that could become a harborage for rodents.

I hope and expect this Ordinance will strike the right balance for the many residents and visitors who enjoy dining al fresco, with the need to eliminate rodents from our community.

You can read more about Hoboken’s efforts for rodent mitigation here.

Standing up to Book Bans

Last week, the City Council stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Hoboken Public Library’s Board of Trustees, against book censorship.

As Hoboken’s Library is the first library in New Jersey to declare itself a “book sanctuary” for banned books, I am proud that we set an example for other communities seeking to resist a wave of book bans sweeping the nation. I co-sponsored a resolution with Council President Emily Jabbour that passed unanimously, declaring the City of Hoboken is a Book Sanctuary City, where no book shall be banned, diversity of beliefs and opinions will be protected, and all types of books shall be accessible to all.

You can watch NBC New York’s coverage of the Council vote here and you can watch my Council meeting remarks here.

Mark Your Calendars for the Next Community and Public Safety (CAPS) Forum

You are invited to join public safety officials at the upcoming CAPS forum hosted by the Hoboken Public Safety Department on Thursday, September 28th, at 8 am, at The Pig & Parrot, 77 Hudson St. near the PATH station. Complimentary coffee and light refreshments will be served.

September Office Hours . . . Coffee with Cohen

On Wednesday, I hosted my 86th Coffee with Cohen community event with a special guest Assemblyman Raj Mukherji.

Thanks to Anthony David’s, a great locally-owned and operated 5th Ward business, for hosting my September office hours, and thanks to the many neighbors who stopped by for coffee, croissants, and lively and thoughtful conversations on various issues including: school funding, affordable housing, fighting book bans, rent control legislation, new trash and outdoor dining laws to combat rodents, and cannabis dispensaries.

Staying Up To Date and Seeking My Assistance

I issue this newsletter every other Friday. You can stay up to date by following me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. If you have any questions, or I can be of assistance to you or your family, please do not hesitate to contact me at HobokenPhil@gmail.com.

Phil Cohen

Hoboken City Councilman

Hoboken, New Jersey

HobokenPhil@gmail.com

(862) 234-9053

P.S. You can learn more about me and my ideas for Hoboken (as well as read this newsletter and prior newsletters) on my website philcohen.org.