Mayor reports water-main fix, rubberized track at Third Ward Memorial Park and new cleanup program for Route 21 litter

Mayor Hector C. Laura used his remarks at the March city council meeting to report on recent infrastructure repairs and public-works initiatives and to outline a new accountability approach for street litter and graffiti.

The mayor said a water-main break on Eighth Street was repaired by the Passaic Valley Water Commission. He also announced that construction of a rubberized walking and running track at Third Ward Memorial Park will begin this spring; the baseball field there will be closed for the summer and the city will provide alternate fields, including Number 11 School, Craig Iron Head Haywood Field and Pulaski Park, for scheduled little-league play.

Mayor Laura said work on the downtown parking deck is progressing and that the city will create more public parking through striping and conversion of small open spaces. He told the council the administration has added roughly 700 parking spaces over the past four years through parking lots, a parking deck and more-efficient striping, and said the new deck will add about 300 public spaces. The mayor said the deck could open earlier than its projected October completion because of favorable weather.

On the city’s sports facilities, the mayor reported that the turf replacement at Bovarini Stadium is underway and is expected to be completed within months. He said the turf and other renovations aim to broaden recreational use and invite regional sporting activities.

The mayor raised a recurring sanitation concern along Route 21, which he described as state property within the city’s jurisdiction. He said repeated requests to state agencies to clear litter there have not always been answered and that the city has told the state it will clean the corridor if necessary and “send you the bill.” He asked council staff to contact state legislative representatives and confirmed the city has increased cameras and license-plate readers to identify illegal dumping and issue tickets.

To reduce graffiti and litter, the mayor described a plan — called the Pasei Community Accountability Program (PCAP) — he said he discussed with the municipal court’s chief judge, Judge Bautista. Under the program as described by the mayor, individuals who are subject to court-ordered community service for littering or graffiti would be assigned to clean the affected areas; the mayor said Judge Bautista “is on board” with the approach.

The mayor also highlighted a water-rescue training initiative for the fire department using the boys & girls club pool to prepare firefighters for flood rescues, calling it “innovative and remarkable.” He thanked Fire Chief Patrick Chernikos and deputy fire staff for the training program.

Why it matters: The updates affect city parks, recreation, parking availability and street cleanliness. The PCAP program, if implemented, would rely on coordination with the municipal court and is intended to use court-ordered community service to address public-space maintenance. The mayor did not present ordinances or request immediate council votes on these specific projects during his report.