More Oversight for JC Division of Animal Control

One month after two Jersey City animal control officers were disciplined for dumping Daisy, an escaped cat, in Lincoln Park instead of taking the pet to a shelter, Councilman Steven Fulop is introducing two ordinances at Wednesday’s City Council meeting that he hopes will help prevent such incidents in the future.

One ordinance would create an 19-member Animal Control Commission, which would oversee the city’s Division of Animal Control including evaluating the job performance of animal control officers, handling complaints against officers, reviewing the city’s animal management contract and making recommendations to the mayor and City Council.

The second ordinance would create an Animal Control ombudsman position within the Mayor’s Action Bureau who would handle Animal Control complaints and other duties of the commission on a day-to-day basis, similar to the way the Historic Preservation Officer acts as the point-person for the Historic Preservation Commission.

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Council moves to defer $14.8 million in pension payments

The Jersey City Council passed a resolution tonight to ask the Local Finance Board to let Jersey City defer $14.8 million in pension payments by a vote of 8-1.

Councilman Steve Fulop cast the dissenting vote, calling the request for the deferral "the height of irresponsibility" and an election-year gimmick that pushes the burden onto future residents.

Resident Yvonne Balcer also spoke against the resolution during the public portion of tonight’s meeting.

"It’s still borrowing and it’s debt piled upon debt," she said. "It’s going to come down and crash on people as it’s crashing down on people in Hoboken in West New York."

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Fulop proposes Animal Control Commission

Jersey City Councilman Steven Fulop plans to introduce a new ordinance at the next City Council meeting that would establish a Jersey City Animal Control Commission, to ensure more accountability in the city’s Animal Control Division.

Fulop also plans to introduce an accompanying ordinance that would create a position of an Animal Control Ombudsman within the Office of the Mayor’s Action Bureau.

“Whether its issues with the local SPCA, allegations of animal cruelty or a general lack of responsiveness, it is clear that something needs to be done with the animal control situation in Jersey City,” Fulop said.

http://bit.ly/2395MJ