Hudson County commissioners adopt park rules, parking restriction and staff-salary ordinance; all measures pass

The Hudson County Board of County Commissioners unanimously introduced two ordinances March 27 to amend park rules and update the county Administrative Code, and later adopted three separate ordinances — including a measure formalizing the Division of Planning’s role in assisting the Department of Parks as the Shade Tree Commission, a restricted-parking space on John F. Kennedy Boulevard in Bayonne for Claire B. Konopka, and a multi-year salary ordinance for certain county offices and staff.

County Administrator Abraham Antun told the Board the Administration was asking it to amend a previously adopted February resolution to include the State’s grant model, which was approved by roll call. The Board also approved a $250 contribution to El Sufrio Hispano Americana Sojolde.

“The State requested that we amend the resolution to include the grant model,” Antun said when the Board took up the late amendment request; Commissioners moved and seconded the measure and recorded their votes by roll call.

The Board conducted required public hearings before adopting the Shade Tree Commission and parking ordinances. No members of the public spoke on those ordinances; the clerk closed the hearings and the measures were adopted on unanimous roll-call votes.

Commissioners also adopted an ordinance setting salary increases for certain county positions, including staff of the Commissioners. Commissioner William O’Dea registered a vocal objection on the record, saying that adopting multi-year salary increases while other union contracts remained unresolved departed from prior practice. O’Dea said he would vote no on some elements and pressed the Administration to brief the Board on the status of related negotiations and litigation.

“I don’t think this is. This is voting on salary increases for those individuals for the next, I believe, three years,” O’Dea said in objection to the multi-year approach. “I think it’s wrong. It’s bad government.” He nonetheless recorded a vote on the final adoption; the ordinance passed by roll call.

Votes at a glance

- Amendment to February grant resolution (late item): adopted by roll call (all recorded yes). - $250 contribution to El Sufrio Hispano Americana Sojolde: adopted by roll call (all recorded yes). - Ordinance (park rules) — introduced: roll-call introduction recorded as aye by all present. - Ordinance (Administrative Code updates) — introduced: roll-call introduction recorded as aye by all present. - Ordinance establishing Division of Planning role / Shade Tree Commission — public hearing closed; final adoption: unanimous roll call. - Ordinance establishing restricted parking (John F. Kennedy Blvd. for Claire B. Konopka) — public hearing closed; adopted by unanimous roll call. - Ordinance authorizing salary increases for certain county offices/staff — public hearing closed; final adoption passed by roll call with Commissioner O’Dea objecting publicly to multi-year adoption practice.

What happens next

Commissioners will incorporate the adopted ordinances into the county code and administrative practice. Commissioner O’Dea requested that the Administration provide the Board with a fuller update on contract negotiations and the legal status of outstanding disputes related to compensation, a point the Board later discussed in closed session.

Votes and formal motions referenced above were recorded on the public roll calls during the March 27 meeting and will appear in the Board’s official minutes.