F ifty thousand dollars isn't enough to deal with the problems that a controversial Hoboken development project named Gateway I can potentially pose to Jersey City, Mayor Glenn D. Cunningham said in a release last week.

Attorneys representing the site's owners, Gateway I LLC and Harrison Street Apartments, offered that amount to Jersey City in hopes that it would pull out of a multi-plaintiff lawsuit against construction of the two 17-story towers rising at 101 Marshall St. in Hoboken, near the Jersey City border.

The buildings - which will feature 326 rental units, two restaurants, a health club, retail space and an enclosed seven-story garage - are nearly complete. The suit filed against the two aforementioned property owners also names the Hoboken Zoning Board and the North Hudson Sewerage Authority as defendants. The Hoboken City Council and a community group named Hudson County Alliance are co-plaintiffs along with Jersey City.

Members of the Hudson County Alliance have stated in previous reports that the organization's resistance to the project is due to both improprieties in securing variances and permits and also the traffic and flooding problems the complex may cause. Jersey City officials say their issue with the project is that the city wasn't given notice about the development, which is a requirement because it lies within 200 feet of the Jersey City-Hoboken border.

Property values are also at stake, as the 158-foot towers would obscure sight lines to Manhattan and New York Harbor from the Heights neighborhood at the edge of the Palisades.

"With the number of apparent shortcuts that were taken in the project, and the impact the project will have, I believe a settlement offer to the city has to be more realistic and capable of having a like impact upon our residents," Cunningham said.

Hudson County Alliance vice-president Becky Hoffman said a financial settlement doesn't address the concerns of the residents of Jersey City and Hoboken.

"We would love the buildings to be brought down to the current zoning laws for that area, which is four-stories," Hoffman said Friday. "Clearly, we want the court to order that some adjustments be made to the project."

T he city has moved one step closer to legalizing the art of tattooing in Jersey City with the introduction of an amending ordinance that not only permits tattooing but will also impose a $250 licensing fee for tattoo artists wishing to operate in Jersey City.

Denise de la Cerda, owner and operator of the embattled Modern Electric tattoo shop on Grove Street, said she was glad to hear the city was finally considering the legalization of tattooing. She also said the fee was reasonable in comparison to what other municipalities charge.

De la Cerda received two summonses earlier this year for unlawfully operating a tattoo shop in Jersey City. She has since shut down her parlor. But she said the new law might entice her to reopen her business.

"I had to close [the parlor]," De La Cerda said Tuesday. "I got two separate summonses. One I got when I was sitting there doing nothing and the other after I moved out of there. After I got the second one, I thought, 'My lease doesn't expire until the end of August but I can't even take the risk being here.' I had to leave."

"But what do you know?" De La Cerda added. "I might not leave then."

Tattooing will be permitted in Jersey City if the City Council approves the ordinance next month.

T o offset rising costs associated with the issuance of police records, the police department has petitioned the City Council to authorize the raising of certain charges for materials distributed to the public.

"We feel the current fees are no longer feasible," Lt. William Stetson said Monday. "Especially with this new public records law, it puts a strain on our equipment and personnel."

Under the new proposal, the cost of photographs will raise from $10 to $20 each up to five photos. Additional photos in excess of five will be distributed at a cost of $10 instead of $5. Clearance visas and letters of good conduct for individuals not affiliated with religious or non-profit groups will be $25 instead of $5. Fingerprints for bartender permits or other permits requiring fingerprints will be $20 instead of $10.

Also increased is the price of copies. One to 10 pages will be raised a quarter to 75 cents each, 11 to 20 pages will be raised to 50 cents a page and all pages over 20 will be brought up to 25 cents a page.

Citing the fact that police department fees haven't increased in 20 years, council members conceded that the new fee schedule was well within the bounds of reason.

"Considering we're the largest city in the county, the increase in fees is in line," Council President L. Harvey Smith said.

The new prices will take effect when the City Council passes the ordinance at next month's regular meeting.

T he city has agreed to settle a discrimination lawsuit filed by retired police officer Paul Rubino in 2001 for $15,000. Rubino was seeking both compensatory and punitive damages for what he alleged was ethnic discrimination in not having been promoted to the rank of captain.

According to a resolution passed Wednesday by the City Council, Rubino will be awarded his settlement in the form of a retroactive promotion to Police Captain from July 1, 1999 to the date of his retirement on July 1, 2001. Both Rubino and the city also agreed to pay the respective difference in their shares of contributions to Rubino's pension plan.