At the City Council Meeting, residents discussed there opposition to designating lots on the waterfront as municipal lots, with the intent to turn those lots into metered parking.

Residents said that there is a current parking crisis on the waterfront. The parking crisis has been presented at council meetings many times over the years, with the city not addressing the problems. Residents asked for an impact study to be done to assess what would be the impact of metered parking on residents,- on the current parking crisis they experience, on their quality of life and their finances. Residents also suggested resident parking permits, to help address the parking crisis.

Council President Petrick said not everyone lives at the waterfront, so it will impact Perth Amboy residents having to pay for parking. Increasing expenses to residents during the time of hardship during the pandemic isn’t a good choice.

Councilman Pabon said, we have to do this, we need money to invest in the maintaining the lots.

Councilman Torres suggested that the city could be making plans to make money and finance infrastructure improvements by embracing cannabis businesses, which would bring in money to the city instead of increasing costs to residents. Woodbridge, New Brunswick, Carteret, Edison, Highland Park and South River all have plans to make money for their cities with legal cannabis. In addition, Perth Amboy would get more money from the state for improvements through the social justice provisions that provide a portion of the state sales tax revenue to cities that were the most impacted by the war on drugs.

Towns across the US are holding public hearings on how they will spend the American Rescue Plan Funds. Perth Amboy was given $16,443,343.42 in American Rescue Plan Assistance. The Waterfront Neighborhood Association asked the City at the last council meeting how they are planning to use these funds, and if there will be any public hearings.

American Rescue Plan funds, part of $360 billion in state and local aid, are intended to “help keep essential workers on the job, assist struggling families and small businesses and make investments in infrastructure.”

Questions about how the funds will be spent came as a result of the Caba Administration asking the City Council to approve about $16 million in bonds for city improvements, like water meters and other infrastructure projects. The administrator Michael Green was asked, why are we bonding for infrastructure when we have been allocated this relief money for infrastructure? What are the plans for the use of the funds?

To date, there has been no information provided to the public about how the funds will be used, therefore we asked for public hearings on the use of the funds. Hopefully the result will be more transparency.

There were 27 homes sold in Perth Amboy in September 2021. It was reported by Redfin, in September, Perth Amboy home prices were up 29.1% compared to last year, selling for a median price of $398K. This increase is higher than the statewide increase of 12%. There were 66.7% of homes sold over list price, and the housing market is viewed as competitive, with homes receiving multiple offers. The NJ residential real estate market has benefitted from low interest rates brought on by the pandemic economy. Buyers are motivated by the low rates on mortgages, but face a low housing inventory, with high demand that have driven up prices.