JC Parking Authority
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the Talking Politics TV Show which
features the JC Parking Authority
and the JC Municipal Court
Updated 12/2002
In all my readings and research, the 174 Newark Avenue scam slipped by me. I don't remember reading about it but heard rumors now and then. Recently I got a call from someone at City Hall when the JCPA proposed buying the lot. It's a full-time job to keep up with all of Schundler's scams!!!
In 1997, under the Schundler administration, the JCPA under Chair Lonnie Sobel, who is still the Chairman of the Authority, leased a 35 space parking lot from Colin Danzis for $1.6 million over 20 years! Currently, the JCPA is loosing $50,000/ year on the lot and the City's taxpayers lost the $20,000/year of property taxes that Colin Danzis was paying the City prior to the lease to the JCPA in 1997. Then after 20 years the City would own nothing but be out $2 Million+++.
What a sweet deal for Colin at the taxpayers expense.... Typical Bret Schundler... anything for a political contributor at any expense to the taxpayers.
The JCPA recently proposed buying the lot for $1.1 Million but the City Council refused to bond for it. It makes sense to buy now rather than continue leasing and have nothing at the end of the lease but when it comes to City Government, it's never about doing the best thing. The damage is done, the lease continues to October 2117 with additional escalations so the losses will get worse unless the parking fees are raised... the little guy pays...
As for the leasor, Colin Danzis of the Roseland firm of Lum, Danzis, Drasco, Positan & Kleinberg was a major contributor of Schundler's and was rewarded handsomely. He billed Schundler's Golden Door Charter School $109,000 at $380/.hour for start-up fees before the school ever opened their doors!
He also billed the City $790,000 in legal fees in the 1998, 5-year sexual harassment suit against the police department and the City lost.
Colin
Danzis is also a partner in 55LotDev LLC which
5 years ago, 1997 got an easement from the city for landlocked land they bought
off of
See my Talking
Politics show on the JCPA. Copies available at the
main
JC Public Library on Jersey Avenue in Downtown JC.
History.....
September 2001,
Parking agency runs $186G deficit, (Jersey Journal, by Earl Morgan, 9/20/01). "The Jersey City Parking Authority is broke and is in fact running a $186,000 deficit. Authority commissioners learned the news Tuesday during their regular monthly meeting, but officials are hopeful that help is on the way from City Hall: It's believed the deficit stems from the city's failure to transfer money owed the agency from Municipal Court parking ticket collections....... the JCPA is supposed to receive $4 of every parking ticket paid to the Municipal Court. The court sends ticket money to the city, which in turn passes on the fee owed to the JCPA." (See article: Schundler left $54M hole in budget, state says, JJ 10/10/01)
June 2001, "Glenn Cunningham won his first political battle as Jersey City mayor-elect last night when he scuttled a move by outgoing Mayor Bret Schundler to appoint a new Parking Authority director.
The JCPA could not put together a quorum for last night's scheduled 6 p.m. meeting after Cunningham and an entourage of supporters showed up.
According to sources, Schundler personally called a number of JCPA commissioners and asked for their support in naming Tim Sheridan to the director's post. (Tim Sheridan has been a long time Schundler personal friend.) The job has been vacant since the board decided last month not to renew the contract of its last director, Carmine Venezia.
Last week, Cunningham met with Schundler to discuss the transition for his administration. Cunningham reportedly asked the outgoing mayor not to make any new appointments to boards and commissions, though it could not be learned what, if any, agreement the two worked out. " (JJ Cunningham wins first political tussle, 6/20/01 )
Earl Morgan's 2/3/99 column headlined "The $64,000 question is how will the financially strapped JC Parking Authority pay the $64,000 annual salary" .. to hire John Folk who was a "former business partner and roommate of current JCPA commissioner Lonnie Sobel". Sobel in 1999 got a six-month $20,000 consulting contract with EDC, although he requested $100,000. In 1997 Sobel convinced the JCPA to purchase a lot on Newark Avenue owned by his distant cousin for development into a small parking lot. (JJ 2/3/99) The most expensive lot per space ever.....
"On his (Folk) resume', under the heading "ward leader", Folk, who has participated in all of Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler's campaigns.." (JJ 4/24/00) "Two months ago, the JCPA sent Mayor Bret Schundler a letter warning the city if it didn't come up with the $1.5 million it owes the agency, the agency wouldn't be able to continue to pay its parking violations officers." .. "The board admitted Tuesday that it will have to commit a fiscal no-no and dip into its capital budget to sustain itself for several months or possibly the rest of the year…."
The agency went from 35 to 110 employees by August 1999 under the reign of Executive Director Carmine Venezia (ended 5/01). In August 1999 Director of Parking Enforcement Tom Corcoran, a Republican candidate for State Assembly in the 32nd District was suspended for harassing employees to buy tickets to political dinners. He filed a complaint that Executive Director Carmine Venezia used his computer to display and distribute pornography. (JJ 8/23/99). Corcoran who hadn't been to work for months but was being paid prior to the suspension, was reassigned to another city position even though Schundler was laying off employees. When asked how Corcoran could be paid while not on suspension, not on sick leave, vacation or while using compensatory time, JCPA Chairman Paul Kadri, who is also the spokesperson for Schundler's charter school, said he would not discuss the matter. Eventually he said Corcoran was on assignment but refused to divulge what it is. Maureen Corcoran, Tom's wife, is running for the Council seat for Ward D, the Heights section, on the Louis Manzo ticket.
Note: Carmine Venezia's contract was not renewed in May 2001 due to questionable vacation and expense payments he had authorized for himself..... must have been the final straw...
In December 1994, the JCPA gave Harwood Corp., owned by Lowell Harwood, a MAJOR Schundler contributor, (See Contributors and Empower the People section) a no-bid 30-year lease. The lease was $120,000 annually for an 850-CAR FOUR-STORY GARAGE in the heart of Journal Square. Harwood's original lease was to expire in 2001 so why negotiate 6 years early? This was less than the Parking Authority was getting for a smaller lot operated by Kinney Corp at Enos Place & Jones Street. Then in May 1996, less than 2 years later, the JCPA sold the lot to Square Industries/ Harwood Corp. for $1,275,000, $1500 per space. The tax assessment, which dated back to the late 1980s', was $ 2.4 million. Spaces there now lease for $140/ month! Great investment for Square Industries, and a major Schundler contributor, bad for the taxpayers.
In November 1996, Obed Colon, JC Parking Authority Inspector and son of former Councilman Rev. Fernando Colon (see JCIA, POLICE), was arrested for drug dealing and fired. His previous conviction was in 1994 for two counts of burglary and he served some time. Upon his release from jail, the Parking Authority hired him. State law forbids anyone convicted of a felony to hold any type of law enforcement position, which an Inspector is. Less than 15 months later, Obed Colon was rehired to the JCPA as a maintenance worker (JJ, 2/21/98, "A "lot" of mystery at JCPA" by Earl Morgan). Councilman Rev Colon is a stalwart Schundler supporter and ran on former Council President's Tom DeGise's unsuccessful mayoral ticket! Good riddance to both of them...!
"Then there is the case of Melissa Gomez, step daughter of Deputy Mayor Eliu Rivera. As the head of PACO, he receives many contracts for Weatherization. Gomez was a former Jersey City Parking Authority enforcement officer who was arrested for writing phony tickets. The Hudson County Grand Jury indicted her on eight counts of falsifying or tampering with public records, and two counts of official misconduct on August 18, 1999.
The charges are fourth-degree offenses and the two counts of misconduct are second-degree crimes which could lead to jail terms if convicted. So what does City Hall do? They gave her a buy-out. Parking Authority Director Venezia said, "We offered her a buy out in late July, along with a few others employees. I had no idea she was going to be indicted. I thought it went away. No one from the Prosecutor's Office ever told me what the charges were. It was always sketchy."
Gomez was allowed to keep working for the Parking Authority, despite her arrest and pending indictment. She was punished by being taken off the streets and allowed to work in the authority's new office site on Central Avenue.
Investigators said she handed out 400 phony summonses. It must be nice to have friends in high places." From Yvonne Balcer's web site LINK
The frenzy of the JCPA in issuing summons, over-zealous booting of cars and making people's lives miserable has been a constant criticism of the agency. In a 4/19/00, JC Reporter's Letter to the Editor, "Ticket and boot from W Hamilton Place/Ninth Avenue" the author had visited her sister, who lives in downtown Hamilton Park, so as to accompany her to St Vincent's Comprehensive Cancer Center in NYC. She parked her car on Ninth Street and when she returned 5 hours later not only did she get ticketed but also booted. She had exceeded the 4 hour max for the "permitted parking" area but the booting??
"…my sister and her husband have decided to sell their beautiful brownstone over-looking Hamilton Park and move out of Jersey City, since they cannot rationalize living in and supporting a city that treats its visitors in such a way. The $79 price tag ($50 boot + $29 ticket) was a small price to pay for such a valuable lesson, the most costly expense incurred being that of the residents and taxpayers of Jersey City."
In 1996, Parking Enforcement Officer Robert Canover was suspended for issuing dozens of fraudulent parking tickets to at least six individuals. The court eventually dismissed the tickets but they never notified the Parking Authority. The victimized fired off letters of complaint to Governor Whitman to get some relief.
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