Mayor unveils 90-page plan for Paterson
By Jayed Rahman
Published: September 20, 2018
Mayor Andre Sayegh unveiled a 90-page plan produced by his transition team on Thursday afternoon to tackle some of the city’s most pressing issues.
Some of the key goals outlined in the report include:
- An ethics board to restore confidence in city government
- Equip police officers and patrol cars with cameras
- Raise solid waste host community fee from 50-cent to as much as $3. Five solid waste sites receive 168,480 tons of solid waste
- Hire a municipal engineer to run a new Engineering Division and act as head of the Sewer Division
- Hire 30 seasonal part-time maintenance laborers for public works
- Hire five part-time road inspectors
- Create a new Board of Health
- Resolve ownership of Hinchliffe Stadium with the Board of Education
- Stop all non-essential employees from taking city owned vehicles home
- Create a Paterson Apprenticeship program
- Provide customer service training for court employees
- Expand special improvement districts.
The report contains specific implementation time frame for each recommendation. Sayegh said some of the recommendations have been implemented. He said not all recommendations will be put into effect.
“We want to make sure we manifest what we’ve talked about. It can’t just be campaign rhetoric. It’s got to be results,” said Sayegh. “We’re positioning Paterson for progress.”
The mayor had two dozen of his transition team members at the unveiling on the second floor of City Hall.
“There’s a real guarded optimism,” said Jamie Dykes, president of the Greater Paterson Chamber of Commerce, referring to the sentiment of the business community. He said the new mayor has been accommodating to business.
Dykes served on the mayor’s transition team.
Two members of the City Council – Luis Velez and Lilisa Mimms — attended the unveiling event.
Ruby Cotton appeared after the event.
Some of the suggestions in the report existed before Sayegh took over as mayor. For example, the rent leveling board and a municipal identification card program.
“We have a plan. It’s a plan for progress,” said business administrator Vaughn McKoy. He served as the chairman of the transition team.
The full transition plan can be found here.
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