SIXTH WARD: Cristin Cricco-Powell / Jen Giattino / Frank Rosner | Hoboken City Council Candidate Questionnaire — VOTE NOV. 5, 2019

Hoboken’s Municipal Election is Tuesday, November 5, 2019.

We asked Hoboken City Council candidates the following questions:

• You’re a candidate for the Hoboken City Council. This particular election has put a lot of focus on the role of a Council and a Councilperson, working in conjunction with the City’s Administration. How do you interpret that role?
• What are the key issues within your ward and how will you plan to address them?
• What are the key issues facing Hoboken on the whole, and how will you plan to address them?
• You are running against someone. In what way(s) do you differ from your opponent(s)?
• Why should residents in your ward give their vote to you?
• What’s your favorite Frank Sinatra song, and why?

Here are their answers, in their own words:

CANDIDATE: Cristin Cricco-Powell

hMAG: You’re a candidate for the Hoboken City Council. This particular election has put a lot of focus on the role of a Council and a Councilperson, working in conjunction with the City’s Administration. How do you interpret that role?
Cristin Cricco-Powell: The role of a councilperson is to be an independent voice for their constituents, and that’s what I will be. When Mayor Bhalla and I first discussed his potential support for my run, I told him very bluntly that while I agree with him on many issues, I also disagree on some, and that my main priority will always be my neighbors in the 6th Ward. He liked that answer. I know from my 20 years in TV production that it is possible to disagree with colleagues without being disagreeable. I’m not the kind of person that will use differences of opinion with the Mayor or fellow council members to grandstand or score political points. That wouldn’t fly in my work, and it shouldn’t fly in city government.

h: What are the key issues within your ward and how will you plan to address them?
CCP: Two key issues in my Ward are historic preservation and the struggle of small business. Historic Preservation is a personal issue for me as a 4th generation Hobokenite. I’ve seen what we have lost (the Maxwell House factory was a rare example of industrial Bauhaus design in the US- it was demolished). My late mother served as vice-chair of the Historic Preservation Commission, and I saw her struggle with these issues. I support expanding our historic districts as recommended in the Master Plan, and will never side with special interests or powerful landowners like Stevens over preserving our shared history. Once these places are gone, they are gone forever. To help our small businesses and end the blight of empty storefronts on Washington, I researched what’s worked in similar communities and have a multi-faceted plan: I want a Small Business Liaison in City Hall whose job it is to lead small business owners through the permitting process. That person would also guide business owners to local, state, and federal programs that help with niche marketing, grants, and loans for business owners. I want to use land use and zoning restrictions to inhibit the proliferation of chain stores, and I want to put more thought into what businesses we allow in our city and what impact they have on existing businesses. I want to start a pop-up store program that allows small businesses to workshop their idea while filling empty storefronts fast. And I want to explore using financial incentive/benefit programs to reward landlords who agree to lower rents and a schedule of modest rent increases to local businesses.

h: What are the key issues facing Hoboken on the whole, and how will you plan to address them?
CCP: The biggest issues facing Hoboken as a whole are affordable housing, development, and climate change. My priority will always be to limit large-scale luxury residential development. I want to focus on commercial development that fits the scale of our city, and I have a plan to use commercial development to fund affordable housing. I want to start a commercial linkage program that charges commercial developers a dollar amount per square foot. That money would go into a Community Land Trust or Affordable Housing Trust and would be used to build mixed-use affordable housing (housing with affordable commercial space at the base) and to buy multi-family houses around Hoboken to be used for affordable housing. I will push for affordable housing around the city, not just concentrated in one area. I will also aggressively push for the completion of the Rebuild By Design project. Rising sea levels pose an existential threat to Hoboken and can’t be ignored. I also support the city’s acquisition of the Union Dry Dock property for both environmental and quality of life reasons.

h: You are running against someone. In what ways do you differ from your opponents?
CCP: One key difference is that I have no ambition to hold any higher office. I will never run for Mayor, will never run for state or county office. I have a very fulfilling career as a television producer and no desire to be a politician. I just want to be a public servant and a voice for my neighbors in city government. I think that the contentious Mayoral election of 2017 caused rifts that haven’t healed, and has led to partisanship and decisions that I disagree with. I want to hit reset on city government and focus purely on constituents and our future instead of relitigating the past.

h: Why should residents in your ward give their vote to you?
CCP: I feel that my unique background helps me to bridge differences in groups that have been at odds in the past. I’m “Old Hoboken” (4th generation) and very much in tune with the concerns of longtime residents, but I’m also a professional, a commuter, a public school parent, and a mother of two young kids (9 and 5), so I understand the concerns and needs of each of those groups. I think that will help me to bring our community together and speak on behalf of everyone in my ward. I also bring a unique skill set to the job. My work as an executive producer of big TV series means I lead large teams, work to build consensus (sometimes with very difficult personalities), come up with creative solutions to insane logistical problems, and do it all while working within a tight budget.

h: What’s your favorite Frank Sinatra song, and why?
CCP: “Be Careful, It’s My Heart“, which is one of his early songs with Tommy Dorsey. One of my favorite memories is of belting it out while dancing with my amazing grandfather, Big Joe Murphy. But I will add that I can slay Frank’s entire repertoire in karaoke. Any time. Any song.

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CANDIDATE: Jen Giattino

hMAG: You’re a candidate for the Hoboken City Council. This particular election has put a lot of focus on the role of a Council and a Councilperson, working in conjunction with the City’s Administration. How do you interpret that role?
Jen Giattino: I first ran for Council because my neighbors in the 6th Ward were already coming to me, to help navigate bureaucracy with regards to quality of life issues. And, as their Councilwoman, I have made it a priority to promote transparency, as well as proactively share important information for residents with frequent emails. I have also served as City Council President, and worked often with the Zimmer and Bhalla administrations. I have opposed them when I’ve felt their agendas conflicted with those of my constituents. Mayor Bhalla invited me to run on his ticket, but I opposed, because— while I often collaborate with the Mayor, and vote with him on a majority of issues—I don’t want to be beholden to anyone but my constituents. I have built a great relationship with many department heads and municipal employees, in service of figuring out how to better assist my constituents. If elected to serve another term, I will continue to serve with that goal in mind.

h: What are the key issues within your ward and how will you plan to address them?
JG: Storm resiliency, quality of life, and tenant rights are key issues in my ward. I have already worked with multiple city administrations and state and federal agencies to work on making our parks more resilient, creating better drainage systems to prevent floods from being catastrophic, but there is still more work to be done. I will fight to make sure that our historic waterfront is preserved and made available to members of the community, for community events. I have secured grant funding for important park improvements to Church Sq. and Stevens parks, and fought for responsible zoning so homeowners who love their brownstones don’t see their neighborhoods dramatically changed by giant new developments.

h: What are the key issues facing Hoboken on the whole, and how will you plan to
address them?
JG: In addition to the issues I’ve outlined above, we need to make sure we are working on issues such as safety and homelessness. I was proud to work with veterans and government officials to rebuild the American Legion Post after superstorm Sandy, and add six housing units for homeless veterans. But, again, there is much more work to be done there, and I look forward to meeting with constituents to address these issues, together. Additionally, we need to make sure all of our e-scooter providers are giving riders proper safety trainings.

h: You are running against someone. In what ways do you differ from your opponents?
JG: My opponent has spent a lot of time and money attacking me. I am not running a negative campaign, because I am proud of my record. I try to speak for my entire community, and be accessible to residents. I give out my cell phone number on social media and in all of my campaign materials. I also know there may be new residents or residents who I’ve never had a chance to hear from about important issues, which is why I keep an open door policy, and always try to attend community meetings. I recently attended the Hudson Media Group’s debate forum to talk about the issues facing the 6th Ward. My opponent chose not to attend, unfortunately, but I still was glad address the moderator’s questions, and questions from the online audience.

h: Why should residents in your ward give their vote to you?
JG: Residents will vote to re-elect me because they know what they can expect: attention to detail, responsible government, and an advocate on all constituents’ concerns. That is why I first ran for office, and it remains the case today, as I seek my third term.

h: What’s your favorite Frank Sinatra song, and why?
JG: I did it “My Way“. We all have to to wake up everyday and look in the mirror. I can live with that person because i have always done what I thought was best for the betterment of all.

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CANDIDATE: Frank Rosner

hMAG: You’re a candidate for the Hoboken City Council. This particular election has put a lot of focus on the role of a Council and a Councilperson, working in conjunction with the City’s Administration. How do you interpret that role?
Frank Rosner: I am willing to listen and work with any individual that would make the quality of life in this City better on an ongoing basis. I have lived here for 40 years and IT IS ALWAYS ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE!!!!! There is so much to be done. Infrastructure, Development, Sustainability, Business, especially the empty storefronts on Washington Street. My intention is to listen and work for the residents of the 6^th Ward and for the entire City! And I want to further the viability of Hoboken’s new SID project.

h:What are the key issues within your ward and how will you plan to address them?
FR:

• Pedestrian Safety ( WITHOUT GETTING RID OF CARS ). I am all for Bike Lanes, In appropriate Locations!
• Traffic
• Potholes ( Pave the Damn Streets and Infrastructure) My commute is a Roller Coaster Ride.
• Parking
• Enforce local ordinances to regulate traffic and scooters AND any form of transport for the city. (I floated an idea 6 weeks about e scooter enforcement officers and now we have 2, paid for by revenue from E Lime. Nice to see someone is paying attention.)
• Street Lights, Never Mind Vision Zero….. Put up new street lights at a major savings to the city…. SO PEOPLE CAN SEE!!!!!!!!!
• Density of Development. IT MUST BE HALTED. There is no INFRASTRUCTURE TO HANDLE THE DENSITY!

 

h: What are the key issues facing Hoboken on the whole, and how will you plan to
address them?
FR:

• Business incentives and Tax Revenue without having the residents bare the Tax Burden
• INFRASTRUCTURE to coincide with acceptable development
• A contiguous waterfront. This is a legacy issue. It must be made so!
• QUALITY OF LIFE. As long as I have lived here, it has always been about quality of life!
• Fair Housing

h: You are running against someone. In what ways do you differ from your opponents?
FR: I am running against the sitting Council President and the current Mayor’s pick on his slate for the 6^th Ward.

A slate is slate. No need for further comment!

I will, however, give Kudos to anyone willing to put themselves out there for public service and experience the wrath of the public.  I am an independent Democrat and will listen and work with anyone who would further the best interests of the 6^th Ward and the entire city.

I am an underdog in this race. I am not asking or taking from Developer Money or PAC’s. I will answer to the residents of the 6^th Ward, as well ass the entire city!

h: Why should residents in your ward give their vote to you?
FR: SEE QUESTION 4! And my philosophy…. Life is easy, people make it hard! Let’s listen to the citizens of this “BIG” little city and do the right thing!

h: What’s your favorite Frank Sinatra song, and why?
FR: There are so many. My current favorite is SUMMER WIND. I have at least 100 Sinatra songs on my USB stick. I would let you know I am a huge WHO fan, along with Zeppelin, Floyd and various artists, including the classics…Mozart, Beethoven, Operas and Broadway Musicals. I am an ardent consumer of all musical styles and genres. And let’s not forget TAKE FIVE, by Dave Brubeck.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH
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