Hoboken City Council voted 7-1  during a special meeting Wednesday night to approve borrowing a maximum of 12 million dollars in bonds to repair Sinatra Park and Castle Point Park.

The repairs are needed to fix a portion of the pier that is sinking into the river.  The Sinatra Park soccer field has been closed since damage was first reported on September 21, 2009. In an October press release, Mayor Dawn Zimmer said the collapse was caused by seaworms—parasites eating away at the wooden piles that support the piers.

Three engineering companies have investigated the damage, including a team of underwater divers who created the $12 million estimate for repairs.

Bob DiBartolo of Maser Consulting assured the council that engineering estimates are "accurate, if done correctly." He said more inspection and analysis is needed to come up with an exact cost estimate, which his firm – and others – will determine in the coming weeks, before presenting bids to the council.

The 12-million dollars includes legal fees, operating costs, repairs and all other foreseen fees. It does not all have to be borrowed at once; rather, over 15 years, the city can choose to borrow percentages each year.

"It is a waste of time to go out for bids without a funding source," Councilman Michael Lenz said. "By passing tonight, the actual amount borrowed by passage is zero dollars and zero cents. There is no money borrowed by passing and it will not be able to be borrowed without authorization."

Passing the motion Wednesday night did not actually authorize a dollar amount to be borrowed. It was an act to agree to borrow a maximum of $12 million.

Lenox Consulting will help the town seek out grants from every possible avenue, be it U.S. Soccer non-profits or national grant programs.

Several applications are already in progress, including one for a one-million dollar grant from the Hudson County Open Space Fund.

The council members came out in favor of the repairs. Councilman Nino Giacchi called them "absolutely necessary." Mirroring the fears of many residents, Councilman-at-large David Mello said, "I support this, I just hope it doesn't become a money pit."

In the lone dissenting opinion, Councilwoman Beth Mason said, "I feel very strongly that this is premature. In terms of funding, I have grave concerns, I cannot support $12 million until we have a budget."

Hoboken residents asked if there are safeguards to ensure the project does not exceed the allotted $12 million, a question which was never clearly answered over the course of the meeting. Other questions revolved around the longevity of the proposed solutions and the need to repair the field at all.

While a couple of residents argued over the mounting costs of the waterfront, the majority expressed support for repairing the damage as quickly as possible.

Kiera Barry, in charge of scheduling for the town soccer leagues, discussed the dire need to fix the field. "Timing is of the essence," she said, adding that the loss of the field has been "a nightmare."

Barry said there are 800 children and teenagers in the Hoboken recreation league; 210 in the travel program. The adult league has been completely canceled pending the re-opening of the field.

Fellow soccer mom Laurie Peterson said, "The waterfront is the only thing that keeps be here. It's not just about the soccer players. The waterfront is the heart of the city.'

Jim Vance, of the Fund for a Better Waterfront, urged the Council to repair the existing damage, but also consider the big picture. He suggested surveying the entire waterfront for structural issues that may arise in the future, and work to prevent potential costly problems.

The erosion is a problem that could have been avoided by using different building materials, such as the concrete piles used on other Hoboken piers, or by coating the wooden piles. But at the time of construction, the sea worms were not as prevalent in the Hudson.

 "It is a very common problem along the Hudson," said DiBartolo. The problem has grown more common in recent years due to the reduction on pollution in the river, he added.

Other issues discussed include the option of legal recourse against the construction company that built the pier. DirBartolo said that based on initial analysis of the contracts he believes the statute of limitations has passed, and no one can be held accountable.

If the repairs continue to move forward, DiBartolo said they will likely take "one year, maybe 14 months," but soccer players might be back in action a bit sooner.

"They might be able to address the field at a quicker rate," DiBartolo said. In clarifying, he said they portion of the pier that supports the field could be the first area fixed.