Hoboken May Collect $250K Due To Water Main Break; Watch Meeting Live

HOBOKEN, NJ — A water main break on Feb. 27 canceled schools in Hoboken for a day and closed businesses for several days. It also forced a partial evacuation of the city's hospital. Mayor Ravi Bhalla pledged at the time to investigate.

Now, the city may get a legal settlement of at least $250,000 from PSEG, whose contractor struck the main near the city's border.

The resolution on the City Council agenda is one of many to be discussed and voted on Wednesday at 7 p.m. (See page 272 for the item in question.)

At the meeting, the city will vote on two new municipal judges and discuss matters related to development, bike share locations, and more.

If the city votes in favor of the mayor's appointments, Benjamin Choi will be the city's next chief municipal judge and Scott Pennington will be the city's new municipal court judge starting this September.

The two appointments would mark the first time in the city's history that an Asian American and African American individual held either position.

Mayor Ravi Bhalla's office issued a press release late Wednesday saying, "Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla today announced Benjamin Choi will be the City's next Chief Municipal Judge and Scott Pennington will be the City's new Municipal Court Judge starting this September."

People wishing to speak at the meeting must come to City Hall, 94 Washington St. But they can also watch on YouTube or Facebook (just click the links below).

Here are some of the other matters to be voted on, and Patch stories on the subjects:

• What should be built at 9 Paterson Ave.?

• Should tattoo parlors be legalized in the mile-square city?

Read about the water main break and crisis here.

Agenda, Packet, How To Watch

You can see the agenda packet for the July 12 council meeting here.

Want to watch? You can head to City Hall, 94 Washington St., at 7 p.m., or watch on the city's Facebook page, or watch on YouTube. To speak at the meeting, you must attend in person.