On June 13, 2018, the City Council of Jersey City will decide whether the Katyn Monument will remain in its current location on Exchange Place or whether it will be relocated to a less prominent new location on York Street. During its meeting on May 23, 2018, the Council approved the first reading of the City Ordinance 18-057 that deals with the relocation of the Katyn Monument. The City Council will take a final vote on Ordinance 10-057 approving the relocation on June 13, 2018. Thus, the status of this important Katyn Memorial as of now is still undecided. The new location is by far less prominent as the present one. If moved, the Katyn Monument will be located among sewerage channels, at the end of the street, which is frequented by delivery trucks and refuses lorries. The terms of the new agreement with Jersey City have not been even negotiated and are not known. The City wants to enter into a 99-year agreement with the Katyn Forest Massacre Memorial Committee, allowing the Committee to manage the Katyn Memorial but subject to the terms of the agreement which has yet to be negotiated. It has been reported in the Polish press that the City Jersey demands an annual leasing fee for this new space in the range of $150,000. Unfortunately, the Polish Americans do not speak with one voice on this important issue and it makes the future of the Katyn Monument even more uncertain. The Katyn Monument Committee, which has been taking care of the Katyn Monument since the beginning argues that the move will bring advantages like the possibility to lease the place at the end of York Street and create a park around the relocated Monument. There is, however, not even a memorandum of understanding to set ramifications for a future agreement between the Jersey City and the Committee, and in fact, there is no deal but only empty promises made by Mayor Fulop, Polish Consul Golubiewski and Mr. Lubaczewski, head of the Polish-American Chamber of Commerce. Golubiewski and Lubaczewski represent the Polish government which, in our opinion, lacks assertiveness and only wants to get rid of the problem, notwithstanding the price of it. The Polish people living in New Jersey for many years have been urging the Polish government to buy these few square meters on which the Katyn Monument is currently located. To no avail, the government has ignored warnings of Polish Americans. Several weeks ago the problem suddenly exploded when Mayor Fulop single-handedly decided to remove the Katyn Statue from Exchange Place. Since then, Mayor Fulop accompanied by Golubiewski and Lubaczewski have been promising a pie in the sky. A large group of Polish Americans from New Jersey and New York City argues that moving the Katyn Monument will constitute a desecration of this important Statue, cause unbearably high leasing costs while the present arrangement assures that a communal property stands free of charge, and will place the Katyn Monument in proximity of a sewer, which symbolizes disrespect and gravely downgrades its importance. The Polish Americans and non-Polish as well as many people from across the country clearly demand that the Katyn Monument be left where it is. It has been standing there from its inception and must remain there! The will of its founders and the memory of the dead must be respected. We strongly oppose backroom deals between Mayor Fulop and real estate moguls at the cost of important Polish symbols of the universal history of mankind. Only great determination, assertiveness, devotion, and commitment of Polish Americans and 2 councilmen caused Mayor Fulop to change his mind and allow a public hearing on this subject on May 23, 2018. Over 60 people appeared before the City Council and all of them demanded that the Katyn Monument remain in its current location. Only 2 people spoke with approval for the relocation of the Katyn Monument to the York Street. Unfortunately, they represented the Katyn Memorial Monument Committee. We are very grateful that you signed the petition and supported the Polish-American community in the efforts to save the Katyn Monument in its current location. As the status of the Katyn Monument is not yet clear, we urge you to contact the Jersey City councilmen directly (via email, Tweeter or phone given below) and ask them to leave the Statue in its present location and withdraw from the very dangerous plan to remove the Katyn Monument from public eye, and hide it at the end of York Street. The Katyn Monument must stay where it is! This monument calls upon all people of good will to stand up against grave crime, grave lie and suppression of truth! We must not suppress the truth about Katyn AGAIN by removing the Katyn Monument! === Please see the contact details for all the City Council members below: Councilwoman at Large Joyce E. Watterman: Email: jwatterman@jcnj.org Phone: (201) 547-5134/5108 Twitter: @Pastorjoice - Councilman at Large Daniel Rivera Email: DRivera@jcnj.org Phone: (201) 547-5319/5363 Twitter: @danielrivera918 - Ward A Councilwoman Denise Ridley Email: DRidley@jcnj.org Phone: (201) 547-5098/5060 Twitter: @DeniseRidleyJC - Ward B Councilwoman Mira Prinz-Arey Email: MPrinz-Arey@jcnj.org Phone: (201) 547-5092/5101 Twitter: @miramira4 - Ward C Councilman Richard Boggiano Email: RBoggiano@jcnj.org Phone: (201) 547-5159/5172 Twitter: @RichBoggiano Ward D Councilman Michael Yun Email: MYun@jcnj.org Phone: (201) 547-6817 Twitter: @CouncilmanYun - Ward E Councilman James Solomon Email: JSolomon@jcnj.org Phone: (201) 547-5315 Twitter: @SolomonforJC - Ward F Councilman Jermaine Robinson Email: JDRobinson@jcnj.org Phone: (201) 547-5338/5361 Twitter: @Jermaine4WardF We would appreciate very much your help. === See Ordinance 18-057 http://www.cityofjerseycity.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_6189660/File/Agendas,%20Mins,%20Res%20&%20Ord/2018%20Ordinances/OR1%202018%2005%2023.pdf