Pandemonium escalated in the Hoboken City Hall Chambers Monday night during a special meeting to terminate the contract of Hoboken Housing Authority Executive Director Carmelo Garcia.



Nearly two and a half hours after the meeting was supposed to begin, a decision was finally reached: Garcia's contract was terminated.



Richard Fox was named his replacement.

Residents came out in full force to support Garcia, waiting more than 40 minutes prior to the meeting. MANY questioned the location of the meeting at City Hall.



A resident of the HHA for 29 years Sandra Smith expressed concern that the room was not large enough. The meeting was originally supposed to be held at the Hoboken Housing Authority, which had more space.



"We have four community rooms (at the Hoboken Housing Authority)," she said. "Why isn't it being held there?"



At 7:30 p.m., Councilwoman Beth Mason stepped forward and asked for it to be on the record that "this meeting is in violation of the public meetings act because not everyone could participate properly."



Nearly 200 residents were not allowed to enter the meeting bacause of lack of space, which led some of those inside to chant "let them in."



Hoboken Police Chief Edelmiro Garcia interrupted the special meeting and suggested moving it to a larger venue at the Hoboken Housing Authority community room.



By 8 p.m., attendees began chanting "Hell no, we won't go," prompting Chairwoman Dana Wefer to exit the chambers without adjourning the meeting. The rest of the board followed shortly after.



While waiting in the chambers, a man who had been provoking Garcia's wife pushed his phone in her face, said witness Yolanda Johnson.



Garcia aggressively approached the man, and the two needed to be separated, she added.



The Hoboken Police Department then immediately evacuated the chambers.



"If it's a special meeting, the agenda has to be fully disclosed," said Mason. "The public can't be told they have to wait outside."



Because the meeting had not been officially adjourned, the panel could return and re-commence the meeting per the agenda.



"It's about transparency and the public's right to know," Mason concluded. "This is a violation of their civil rights."



Nearly 90 minutes after the HHA meeting was expected to begin, local police re-admitted residents.



Hoboken, Union City, Weehawken, Port Authority and Stevens police, along with City Hall security, helped keep the crowd in check.



Police Chief Garcia addressed the crowd and informed them that anyone who disrupted the meeting would be immediately ejected.



Members of the public still waited outside the chambers, which caused concern for attendees inside.





Garcia, also an assemblyman in the 33rd District, has accused Mayor Dawn Zimmer of policies that amounting to "ethnic cleansing" and pressuring him to hire her political supporters.