01-30-07 SCU-AHO Complete

Joint Public Hearing before SENATE COMMUNITY AND URBAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AND ASSEMBLY HOUSING AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE “Testimony, public comments, and discussion about the report issued pursuant to the ‘Municipal Rehabilitation and Economic Recovery Act’” LOCATION: Committee Room 4 DATE: January 30, 2007 State House Annex 10:00 a.m. Trenton, New Jersey MEMBERS OF JOINT COMMITTEES PRESENT: Senator Ronald L. Rice, Co-Chair Assemblyman Jerry Green, Co-Chair Senator Fred H. Madden Jr. Assemblywoman Nilsa Cruz-Perez Assemblyman Craig A. Stanley Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose ALSO PRESENT: Robert C. Rothberg Eugene Lepore Nicole DeCostello Joyce W. Murray Senate Majority Senate Republican Office of Legislative Services Kate McDonnell Thea M. Sheridan Committee Aides Assembly Majority Assembly Republican Hearing Recorded and Transcribed by The Office of Legislative Services, Public Information Office, Hearing Unit, State House Annex, PO 068, Trenton, New Jersey TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Gwendolyn A. Faison Mayor City of Camden 3 Melvin R. Primas Jr. Former Chief Operating Officer City of Camden 3 Roger J. Dennis Provost and Professor Rutgers School of Law-Camden 53 Peter J. O’Connor, Esq. Executive Director Fair Share Housing Development, Inc. 61 Louis S. Bezich Chairman Camden Higher Education and Health Care Task Force 72 John P. Sheridan Senior Executive Vice President Cooper University Hospital Camden 80 Raymond Yannuzzi Acting President Camden County College 87 Anthony Perno Vice President Cooper’s Ferry Development Association 94 Liza Nola Executive Director Camden Community Development Association 95 TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Page Howard Gillette, Ph.D. Professor of History Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Camden 99 Morris G. Smith, Esq. Adjunct Professor Political Science Rowan University, and Member Regional Impact Council 113 Sean M. Brown Private Citizen 114 Frank J. Fulbrook Teaching Assistant Urban Studies and Metropolitan Planning Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Camden 131 Mark Lonetto Executive Director Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority 137 Scot N. McCray Private Citizen 138 Ray Jones Private Citizen 142 APPENDIX: Testimony submitted by Gwendolyn A. Faison 1x Testimony submitted by Louis S. Bezich 3x TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) APPENDIX (continued): Page Testimony submitted by John P. Sheridan 7x Testimony, plus “Camden Higher Education and Healthcare Task Force Housing Survey” submitted by Raymond Yannuzzi 12x Testimony submitted by Anthony Perno 27x Testimony submitted by Liza Nolan 30x Testimony submitted by Howard Gillette, Ph.D. 34x Testimony submitted by Morris G. Smith, Esq. 38x Testimony submitted by Scot N. McCray 40x Memorandum submitted by Reverend Willie Anderson Chair, and Msgr. Robert McDermott Vice Chair Camden Churches Organized for People 43x TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) APPENDIX (continued): Page Memorandum, plus attachments submitted by Stephen F. Dragos President Greater Camden Partnership 46x Testimony submitted by James C. Wallace Senior Vice President Advocacy and Institutional Advancement Lourdes Health System 52x Testimony submitted by Derek Ziegler Researcher CAMConnect 54x lmb: 1-153 ASSEMBLYMAN JERRY GREEN (Co-Chair): We’re going to get started. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for coming out this morning, especially my colleague, Senator Ron Rice, Chairman of the Community and Urban Affairs Committee. On behalf of my fellow members, I wish to extend a thanks to the Municipal Rehab and Economic Development (sic) Recovery Act. The act required the Chief Operating Officer of Camden to report, at the end of four years, on the progress made in rehabbing Camden and the issues of economic development in the city. I would also, at this time, like to acknowledge-- UNIDENTIFIED PERSON FROM AUDIENCE: (can’t hear) ASSEMBLYMAN GREEN: Can you hear me now? Is that better? Yes, I’m sorry. (referring to PA microphone) At this time, I would like to acknowledge Mr. Randy Primas, and also -- who is the Chief Operating Officer for the past four years; and the Mayor from the City of Camden. (applause) Thank you. What we’re going to do before I ask my colleague, Senator Rice, to have some remarks, we’re going to somewhat set the structure of how we want to work this morning, so everyone can work within a structure -- that we all can be satisfied. What we’re going to ask -- Mr. Primas, as well as the Mayor -- out of respect, to give them more time than we’re going to give everyone else. But we’re hoping that we can keep your comments within five minutes. We’re going to try to stick to what we consider -- what we’re here today to talk about: Camden’s future. We don’t want to get into the 1 personal issues. We don’t get into any issues that I feel -- that might put us in a gray area. And I’m going to ask everyone to cooperate with this. I like to feel that we should be here for one concern -- and that’s the City of Camden, and making sure we can make sure that that city is working, moving in the right direction with the support of the State of New Jersey. So at this time now, I would like to have my colleague from the Senate, Senator Ron Rice, to have a few remarks. Thank you. SENATOR RONALD L. RICE (Co-Chair): Thank you very much, Chairman Green. Good morning. Let me concur with the remarks of the Chair from the Assembly. Let me also indicate that we passed this act in 2002 for the revitalization of Camden. We put $175 million worth of State aid -- at least that’s what we directed there. And as was said earlier, the act does require, as a means -- to determine whether the term of a chief officer should be extended, and to consider what aspects of laws actually should be revised. It is -- those are the issues that need to be addressed this morning, and that’s why we’re here, under the statute itself. We will do a roll call, and then we will commence on the hearing process. So with that, I’m going to ask staff to do a roll call. There may be other members coming in, because we had to put this hearing together very quickly, under statute, and so we’re here to take testimony. And let me also indicate to you that all the comments are being recorded. I will caution you on what you say, and I would hope that everybody stays with the issue of the agenda as to why we are here. 2 With that, Mr. Chairman, we’re going to ask for a roll call. ASSEMBLYMAN GREEN: Staff, would you ask for a roll call, please? MR. ROTHBERG (OLS Committee Aide): Senator Madden. SENATOR MADDEN: Here. MR. ROTHBERG: Chairman Rice. SENATOR RICE: Here. MR. ROTHBERG: Chairman Green. ASSEMBLYMAN GREEN: Here. MR. ROTHBERG: Assemblywoman Cruz-Perez. ASSEMBLYWOMAN CRUZ-PEREZ: Present. MR. ROTHBERG: Assemblyman Stanley. ASSEMBLYMAN STANLEY: Present. ASSEMBLYMAN GREEN: At this time, I’m going to ask Mr. Randy Primas, would you like to come up to the mike, and speak into the mike? Like the Senator said, we’re recording this whole process today. Mayor, would you like to come at the same time with him, or -- in case he needs your help? M A Y O R G W E N D O L Y N A. F A I S O N: Oh, absolutely. M E L V I N R. P R I M A S JR.: I can always use that. (laughter) ASSEMBLYMAN GREEN: Like I said earlier, I want to thank the both of you. I like to feel that we’re here on behalf of the City of Camden this morning, and we would like to be able to, I would say, extend our hands in terms of working with you. So whatever is being said today and the direction we’re going, all of us want it to be positive, because we like to feel the Mayor -- you have done a great job, and the State is here to 3 work with you. So again, I want to welcome you this morning and look forward to hearing your testimony. MR. PRIMAS: Thank you very much. In deference to the Mayor, would it be appropriate if the Mayor opened, or would you want me to open? Either way you want. But I have a great deal of respect for my colleague, and she is the sitting Mayor of the City. ASSEMBLYMAN GREEN: Well, Mayor, would you care to open up with your remarks? If that’s all right with you, it’s okay with me. MAYOR FAISON: Well, it’s fine. I thank you and appreciate it. You may have to change some of my verbs -- have or had or has. But anyway, thank you so much for the opportunity. I have been here before, and I want to thank you for all your help. However, I would just like to remind you, just -- I want to set the picture. In December 22, 2000, sitting in my living room, 7:00, and I’m called to come to Camden City Hall to be sworn in as a mayor. I took the position under very unusual circumstances, that we will not go into details. I mentioned that incident-- As a mayor, how would you feel walking into an office that was topsy-turvy, everything turned out on the floor with FBI investigations? Maybe we’re not where we should be now, but, baby, we’ve come a long way. And I just wanted to remind you that maybe I still have 48 problems, but when I started I had 148. And I might as well just give you the rest of my remarks.

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