Retired Public Works Supervisor Hired to Assist Gloucester City Administrator

By Bill Cleary

Gloucester City Mayor and council at their March 18 caucus meeting passed on final reading the ordinance to add the position of assistant confidential aide to the payroll. The hourly wage for the position ranges from a low of $15 to a high of $25. Jim \”Bowie\” Johnson, retired Public Works Supervisor, was hired for the job. Johnson was the former Chairman of the Democrat Club and a staunch opponent of the present administration when they ran for their positions in 2006.

A resolution was passed accepting a $156,390 grant from the Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund Municipal Grant Program through the DEP and the NJ Economic Development Authority for remedial work at the defunct Gloucester City Titanium site property at the foot of Water Street.

A resolution was approved to transfer $10,000 from accounts with a surplus to those with a deficit. Council approved a temporary budget of $1.7 million for the general government; and $229,000 for the water and sewer utility. R.T. Environmental Services was awarded a professional service contract without bids for the investigation and remediation of BP/ARCO, Gloucester Titanium and Gloucester Point.

A resolution authorizing change order to the contract between Charles Marandino and the City of Gloucester City for the Broadway Streetscape Improvements for the additional amount of $195,407 was approved. The first part of the contract was for $229,827.

There were a total of 12 resolutions passed at this meeting. Besides those mentioned some of the other resolutions dealt with making billing adjustments for tenants at Chatham Square, authorizing senior and veteran deductions for some property owners, correct billing charges on utility records, authorizing permit for public fireworks display on July 3.

This year fireworks will be held at the high school because of the remedial work being done at the Johnson Blvd. baseball fields. International Fireworks Mfg. Co was hired to operate the display. Liability insurance was posted in excess of $5 million.

Council approved the submission of the City’s recycling tonnage grant application to the NJDEP and designated James Bowie Johnson to ensure the application is properly filed.

An ordinance setting the time for parking in the 200 block of N. Willow, 200 block of Morris Street and the 500 block of Cumberland Monday through Sunday between the hours of 6 am to 6 pm was passed on final reading. Also a similar ordinance limiting parking on the east side of King Street for a distance of 22 feet at a location between 56 feet and 78 feet southerly of Market Street was approved.

Because of the possible end to the Urban Enterprise Zones council held off adopting the City’s UEZ budget of $186,999 for the upcoming fiscal year. Normally the city would fund the program and be reimbursed by the state said Councilman Nick Marchese. \”We are waiting on a final decision by Trenton on the program before taking any action on this budget.\”