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Commissioners introduce ordinance to finance Liberty Science Center High School project, $73 million cap proposed
Summary
The Board introduced an ordinance to enter a lease-and-development agreement with the Hudson County Improvement Authority to finance a Liberty Science Center High School project with estimated costs not to exceed $73 million and to lease space to the Hudson County Schools of Technology for STEM programming.
The Hudson County Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 23 introduced an ordinance authorizing a lease and development agreement with the Hudson County Improvement Authority (HCIA) to finance a proposed Liberty Science Center High School project, with an estimated total project cost not to exceed $73,000,000.
The ordinance authorizes the county to participate in financing through the issuance of HCIA secured lease revenue bonds and to enter a lease with the Hudson County Schools of Technology so the school can provide Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programming at the facility.
Commissioner William O’Dea used the meeting’s public remarks to put the Board on notice that, between introduction and second reading, he will press for stronger, documented LMWBE (local minority, women and veteran business enterprise) commitments and for verified contracting plans that demonstrate how the county’s stated participation goals will be met. "We now have a diversity study... we've got a lot more ammunition from my perspective to be able to put the teeth in it," he said.
O’Dea also said an earlier cited agreement with the city that referenced an annual $2 million payment should not be pursued because, in his view, a payment tied to the allocation of seats is unlawful under state rules; he described that allocation as "illegal" in the meeting record. County staff did not adopt or rebut that legal characterization during the meeting; commissioners requested further review ahead of second reading. The ordinance was introduced on unanimous roll call; final adoption will be taken at a later meeting.
