all right we're about to get started So if you can silence your cell phones close the side and back doors I'd greatly appreciate it Thank you Edward for closing the back door All
right Good evening everyone We are on the record Today is Wednesday the 9inth day of April in the year 2025 This is a regular meeting of the Jersey City Municipal Council We had a scheduled 6 pm start Clock on my cell
phone Cell phones The clock on my cell phone is showing 6:02 p.m May we have a roll call for the commencement of this meeting council person Ridley here Council person Prince Ary will be a little late Council person
Bajiano Council person Cle not here yet Council person Solomon here Council Person Gilmore I know he's here but we'll mark him out for the time being Council person Deise here Council Person
Rivera here And council president Waterman here We have six council members in attendance at 6:02 p.m Can we kindly rise for a moment of silence please carmen Medal
Oh allegiance to the flag of Thank you very much on behalf of Council President Waterman and the members of the municipal council in accordance with New Jersey Public Laws of 1975 chapter 231 the Open Public
Meetings Act also known as the Sunshine Law Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by the posting on the bulletin board of the first floor of city hall The annual notice which is the schedule of meetings and caucuses of the municipal council for the calendar year 2025 and filed in the office of the city
clerk on Friday November 15th 2024 In addition at its time of its preparation the agenda of this meeting was similarly disseminated on Friday April 4th 2025 at 5:44 p.m to the mayor municipal council business administrator corporation
council and the newspapers and posted on the city's website so I can certify as to our total compliance with the sunshine law Okay So council members before we move on to the order of agenda or the order
complete order of the agenda can't speak right now Um there are two items that I'm going to need a motion to add First item is 10.41 resolution 25-259 It's a resolution recognizing
education and sharing day in the USA And item 10.42 42 resolution 25-260 which is a resolution authorizing the renewal of an open-ended contract with Challenger Fence Incorporated for the chain link fencing service for the
Department of Recreation Youth Development Division of Parks and Maintenance Council members I need a motion to add items 10.41 and 10.42 to the agenda Motion second Motion made by council
persona seconded by council person On the motion to add items 10.41 and 10.42 to the agenda Council person Ridley Hi Council person Bajiano Council person is not here yet Council person
Solomon Hi Council person Gilmore All right We're just so you know what you're voting on is we're making a motion to add items 10.41 and 42 to the agenda Sir thank you Council person just wanted to
confirm and I'm going to mark council person and Gilmore present at 606 Give them both the same time PM So we now
have eight members I know eight members present So right now council person Sole we are voting on to add items 10.41 and 10.42 to the agenda You want my vote or yes sir Okay
Yes Thank you Council person Deise I Council person Rivera Hi And council president Mortman Motion carries 70 with council members
Princeary Well I'm sorry I messed that up It's 8 with council person Princeary absent I apologize Okay on to our first reading ordinances if you would allow me to read them into
the record Item 3.1 city ordinance 25-045 is an ordinance amending chapter 84 alcoholic beverage and cannabis to amend regulations of cannabis establishments and cannabis distributors
We made all of the necessary changes that we spoke about at the caucus and the ordinance is updated on the website Item 3.2 city ordinance 25-046 is an ordinance of the city of Jersey City designating Jersey the
Jersey City municipal offices located at 394 Central Avenue Jersey City New Jersey 07307 as the Michael Young Municipal Service Center Item 3.3 city ordinance 25-047 is an ordinance dedicating Judge
James McAffreyy's former courtroom number four in Jer in the Jersey City Municipal Court as the James J McAffrey Memorial Courtroom Item 3.4 4 city ordinance 25-048 is an ordinance approving a
30-year tax exemption for 701 Newark Avenue LLC block 7902 lots 25 26 27 28 and 29 to be known as block 7902 lot 25.1 excuse me more commonly known by
the street address of 69371 Newark Avenue Jersey City New Jersey 07306 Pursuant to the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Act of 1983 as amended it's supplemented by NJSA514K-1X and the rules promulgated
under NJAC 580-1X And last but not least item 3.5 city ordinance 25-049 is a franchise ordinance granting permission to St George and St Cenuda Coptic Orthodox Church to encroach onto
the public right of way along the frontage of 395 SIP Avenue block 11801.01 lot one and lot three Council members one could I say something before we take the vote i'd like to read something to the council members Sure
All right I want to say I totally support the creation of union jobs and affordable housing However this ordinance which is 3.4 is an or an imbalance of what the city is getting for what it has already
given This was originally city property that we sold and frankly we should be getting more for it without giving out massive tax breaks We already agreed to the Aspire program for them to get state funding so this project could have
affordable housing Now they are moving the goalpost yet again by telling us that it can't get completed without a pilot and tax exent uh incentives and it's got to stop We need to demand more of these developers
instead of just giving everything away to them Homeowners here don't get breaks on their taxes We need to stop worrying about helping developers and start focusing on the residents who make this city home And if this developer can't
build this project with the And if this developer can't build this project with affordable housing and union labor and the breaks we already gave them well there's a lot more developers out there who can without a tax abatement Just looked at all the
buildings that are going up in Journal Square And I just want to let you know I had an affordable housing with the cooperation of three or four other council people up to here where we already passed an affordable housing ordinance in Jersey City for the Journal
Square area where 10% of the housing being built has to be affordable So here I think we should start worrying about the one to four family and the tenants that live in buildings now and take care of them Hey John Ba
Um I just want to make sure that I'm correct Um with regards to 3.4 So without the abatement this project will essentially be 20% because of the expire program All right So
essentially the abatement at this point will be a 30-year baitman for 5% because it's gone from 20 to 25 Correct Councilman and I believe the petitioner also mentioned union labor Union labor Yes Now um also if we know do we know um
what the purchase price was for these parcels that the JC um we don't know if you could find that out Uh Peter it should be more Was it previously union labor as well or that's a change added
on yeah I think that was okay And it's going from 20 to 25% affordable This is 701 Newark Avenue right That previous So that's the difference in Okay Thank you
All right Okay Go ahead Council President did you want to say something no that's it Okay Great So council members are going to be taking the vote on items 3.1 through 3.5 for introduction Council person Ridley I
for introduction Council person Bajiano abstain on 3.4 and I am on the rest Council person I for introduction Council person Solomon I for
introduction Council person Gilmore Um Peter did you pull that up yet peter Um 701 I don't have my snare drum to do the drum roll Sorry
Sean All right I got it here Oh there's nothing or the crash to do little crash as a joke I mean I'm I'm going to vote I for introduction or all but 3.4 Um like I said previously my whole position as it
relates to to tax abatements I look at several things and the thing that really jumps out to me the most um is the area in which these developments are slated to take place Um for the life of me I
can't think of any reason giving anybody building in General Square an incentive to build there The incentive in the economy is already there to build there They've upzone that area like crazy
already Um this developer is already um come to us to get our I guess support for this expire expire um funds Um so in good conscience just given the amount of taxes of one and two
family homes given the raising tax in my own home um I just can't in good conscious uh vote to give um them uh abatement So I'll vote no on on 3.4 and I hope I'm provided with um some more
information We did ask the attorneys for um some of the financial documents as it relates to the project I have yet to receive those Um we requested that on Monday Um I guess it's only a first reading so we do have some time to get
that in He sent it Who did he send it to councilman while you were speaking I I found that number is approximately 6.8 million That's what they sold it for Yeah that was We don't need to go over it again Chuck We vote We sell it for this first reading We can vote it up or
vote it down We sold it This vote is for introduction That's it Okay So count um Council Person Gilmore you're voting no on 3.4 and I all the rest Yes Thank you sir Council person Deise I for
introduction Council person Rivera I and council president Waterman abstain from 3.1 and I for introduction on all the resty if you would just allow me to recap just give me one moment All righty So item 3.4
4 excuse me Item 3.1 is introduced 701 with council president Waterman abstaining Items 3.2 through 3.3 are introduced 80 with council
person Princeary absent And item 3.4 Four is introduced 61 1 with council person Bajiano abstaining and council person Gilmore
voting no And item 3.5 is introduced 80 with council person prince absent Joan can I say something sure Can we bring Miss Rodriguez up here uh Rich we we doing order We doing that Okay Okay
Okay Just let us do it Okay So as discussed at the caucus council members I need a motion to defer to the following items Items 1030 and 10.41
10.30 We'll go in order Motion to defer Second 10.30 30 is a resolution of the municipal council honoring the life and outstanding service of Lieutenant Alfredo Rodriguez Jr And
1041 is a resolution recognizing education and sharing day USA And sorry clerk can we add 10.39 the deferral i'm sorry And item 10.39 I apologize Council person
motion Just let me add that before we make the motion So 10.39 city resolution 25-257 is a resolution honoring the life and legacy of Maxima Cologne but we'll go in order Okay So on the motion to
defer to items 103039 and 41 was made by council person May I have a second second by council person Rivera On the motion to defer to it items 1030 39 and
41 Council person Ridley Hi Council person Bajiano Hi Council person Sole Hi Council person Solomon Hi Council person Gilmore Hi Council person Deise I Council person Rever I And council
president Waterman I Motion carries 800 with council person Princeary absent to defer to items 1030 39 and 41 So we're going to go with 10.30 And I believe council persona you
have the honor of reading that into the record Yes Um not sure if uh anybody from the Rodriguez family wants to come up to the podium so we can read this if immediate family members want to come up Brothers Mom why don't you come up mom
Rich Rich I know of a person No no no He said she doesn't Okay I know So we're going to read honoring the life and outstanding service of Lieutenant Alfredo Rodriguez
Jr Whereas the city of Jersey City mourns the passing of Lieutenant Alfredo Rodriguez Jr a dedicated public servant who devoted 37 years of his life to protecting and serving the residents of Jersey City as a member of the Jersey
City Police Department And whereas Lieutenant Rodriguez began his esteemed career in law enforcement in 1988 demonstrating unwavering commitment professionalism and integrity throughout his tenure rising through the ranks to
achieve the distinguished position of lieutenant of the Jersey City Police Department And whereas throughout his career Lieutenant Rodriguez served in various units and oversaw the body warn camera program ensuring transparency and
enhancing public trust in law enforcement And whereas beyond his professional accomplishments Lieutenant Rodriguez was a man of deep faith a devoted community member and above all a loving family man
who cherished his wife of 41 years Kathy Rodriguez his son Elijah Rodriguez his mother Rosanne Rodriguez his father Alfredo Rodriguez Senior and his three brothers Kenny Bobby and Michael
Rodriguez who will forever hold his memory in their hearts And whereas Lieutenant Rodriguez's lifelong service to the Jersey City Police Department and his dedication to safeguarding the residents of the city of Jersey City exemplify the highest standards of law
enforcement and community commitment And whereas the municipal council of the city of Jersey City wishes to recognize and honor Lieutenant Rodriguez Jr for his outstanding contributions and
dedication service to the city of Jersey City Now therefore be it resolved that the municipal council of the city of Jersey City does hereby honor and commemorate the life and legacy of Lieutenant
Alfredo Rodriguez expressing its deepest appreciation of his decades of service and extending its heartfelt condolences to his family friends and colleagues Be it further resolved that a copy of
this resolution is presented to the family of Lieutenant Rodriguez as a token of the city's gratitude and respect for his lasting impact on the Jersey City Police Department and the community he so faithfully served
I mean I I'm I want to just share that Freddy was a personal friend of mine just like he was a personal friend brother family member to all He is so missed Thank you so much for sharing
Freddy with us throughout his years living here in Jersey City and the commitment that he gave to the Jersey City Police Department the best police department around I want to thank you for that and I want to share my deepest
conso condolences The entire shares there the entire council shares their deep condolences to your family We love you So before we ask the family if they want to say anything I think we it it'll be in our best interest to vote for the
resolution So council members on resolution 25-248 Council Person Ridley first condolences to the family uh and as Council Member Rivera said thank you for sharing your loved one with us
especially in a position such as uh being an officer with JCPD You know he we really appreciate him putting his life on the front line for our residents here and we appreciate his service to our city So thank you and I vote I
Thank you And with that I see council person prince joining us So we now at 624 So we now have all nine council members present Council person Princeary we're voting on resolution
25-248 which we defer to just to catch you up Okay So to the family and to the friends of the late lieutenant we thank you for sharing him with the city of Jersey City for all these years His service to the city was
exemplary and there should be more like him Um so we are here with you We hold you up in prayer through this very difficult time And with that I vote I Council person Bajiano the in the 36 years I was on the Jersey City Police
Department I had many interactions with the lieutenant and he was a good officer and I had him at the police academy when he came back for retraining a few times and uh Alfredo we will miss you You will you are a great Jersey City police
officer God bless you I vote I council person sole I want to extend my heartfelt and most sincerest condolences for the loss of
Freddy Um we lost a giant in the community and that this loss will not easily be forgotten It is our honor here today on this council to commemorate his 37 years of dedicated service to our
community and his commitment his impact his legacy will never be forgotten Thank you And I proudly vote I Council person Solomon Echoing my colleagues I send my deepest condolences
to Lieutenant Rodriguez's family and speaking to a number of JCPD retired officers and current officers who served with him The only thing you heard was just glowing remarks about his commitment to Jersey City and his commitment to his fellow officers So we thank you so much for sharing him with
our city and I proudly vote I Council person Gilmore Um yes first condolences to the family Um thank you for sharing with us Um it is I mean being a police officer
is is one of the most riskiest jobs I can't do it So to see someone dedicate three decades plus seven years almost four decades um to that line of service um we're extremely thankful for that Um
I know it's it's also hard on the family when individuals have these jobs and certain careers Um so you know my sincere condolences to the family I proudly vote I Thank you Council person Deise I too am
so sorry for your loss He was a pillar in our community and a great example for every member including the police officers He's very happy officer You never heard anyone say anything but him having a smile and him wanting to help That's the family behind him That you'll continue doing that and that we will
continue to remember him Thank you I proudly vote I Council person Rivera I vote I and Council President Orderman my deepest condolences and prayers to you
and your family Um loss is always hard So I I pray that God give you strength and comfort during this time I vote I And before I recap I just want to say my sincere condolences to the family
Um thank you for lending him to us and um heaven has definitely gained an angel With that being said city resolution 25-248 is approved unanimously 90
I'm not going to put any pressure on the family If you don't want to say anything I totally understand But if you do you're more than welcome to come to the podium if somebody wants to come The only thing I ask if you just identify yourself my court reporter for the record You could just bring the mic up
to you I'm sorry It's probably hidden underneath There you go Yeah Lori Lynch Um it's okay I'm Freddy's sister-in-law Okay Good evening On behalf of the Rodriguez
family we extend our deepest and most sincere gratitude to all the members of the Jersey Jersey City Municipal Council The citizens of Jersey City and most especially to the members of the Jersey City Police Department went above and beyond during an unimaginable and
difficult time for our family We are profoundly moved by the meaningful resolution passed by the municipal council honoring the distinguished life and outstanding service of Lieutenant Alfredo Rodriguez Jr His extraordinary 37-year career with the Jersey City
Police Department was a true testament to his unwavering commitment to public service defined by professionalism integrity and a steadfast devotion to the safety and well-being of this community Lieutenant Rodriguez was a highly respected officer
among his fellow brothers and sisters in blue A man of enduring faith a steadfast pillar within his community and above all a devoted husband a loving father a cherished son a loving grandson a proud nephew a caring uncle a valued
brother-in-law and a brother we were proud to call our own Alfredo embodied the very best of us honor compassion and duty And his legacy lives on etched in the lives he protected in the programs he helped lead and in the bonds he built with so many throughout his years of
service He made us proud to call him our brother The joy and pride he brought to his mom and dad every time he walked through the door Those were moments we will never forget Their faces lit up with happiness their hearts full of pride for the man he had become and the life he lived in
service to others We are eternally grateful for this formal recognition and for the overwhelming outpouring of support from every corner of Jersey City from the bottom of our hearts Thank you for honoring not only his memory but the ideals he stood for a life of service of
sacrifice and of love Thank you guys I'm just going to give you the resolution now I'm going to walk it to you guys with uh Councilwoman Mirror Prince You guys if the council wants to come up and you know give him a hug All right council
members On to our next resolution that we defer to which is item10 39 which is resolution 25-257 a resolution honoring the life
and legacy of Maxim Cologne And I believe council person Solomon you have the if Miss Cologne's family would like to come up while we read the resolution Um this is a resolution honoring the life and legacy of Maxima Cologne And
whereas Maxima Cologne was born in the town of Ibonito Puerto Rico where she began her journey of resilience love and unwavering dedication to her family and community And whereas seeking a better future Maxima left her hometown to start a new chapter in life Facing challenges with courage and strength as a single
mother always working tirelessly to provide for her daughter and ensuring her family was well cared for And whereas Maxima made her home for over 40 years at the TJ Stewart Apartments where she was not just a resident but a pillar of the community offering kindness
support friendship to all who knew her And whereas through her selflessness and generosity Maximum became a trusted neighbor always ready to lend a helping hand provide comfort and bring people together making a lasting impact on those around her And whereas faith was central to Maxima's life And as a
devoted Catholic she dedicated her life to serving her church teaching children in Sunday school participating in church events and living as an example of faith love and compassion And whereas Maxima was a woman of great strength and wisdom offering guidance and reassurance to
those in need And her words of encouragement and unwavering support left an indelible mark on her family friends and community And whereas Maxima's legacy of love faith and service will continue to inspire all who had the privilege of knowing her and her passing is a profound loss to her family
friends and her entire community Now therefore be it resolved that the city council of Jersey City hereby honors the life and legacy of Maxima Cologne Okay council members before we ask the family to speak I think it's in
our best interest to take a vote on the resolution So with that being said council members on item 25-257 which is the resolution Council Person Ridley condolences to you and
your family uh you are definitely uh in our thoughts and prayers And you know when you have a a family member that you lose that has such a profound impact it is felt not only in your family but beyond So know that uh your loved one is
remembered and will always be remembered And with that I vote I Council person Prince Ary Sincere condolences Um and with that I vote I I didn't hear your vote Sorry It was on Is this better that's better Okay This
isn't so sorry for your loss I vote I Thank you Council person Bajiano Council person Bajiano No one heard you Gone There you go My condolences and I vote I
Thank you Council Person I extend my deepest condolences and I thank Councilman Solomon for bringing this forward because we should be telling the stories of those people in the community especially the Hispanic
community These stories rarely get ever told you know and Maxima had a amazing impact on our community She touched lives She was a woman of God and she had a mission and she fulfilled it and all
those lives she touched they echo into eternity Okay And that's why we honor here today Honor her here today and I proudly vote I Thank you Council person Solomon Um it was such an honor to get
to know Maxima She was so beloved at TJ Stewart Um and I saw at her funeral the recognition she received from Mayor Cunningham and Mayor Healey that you know for decades she had been just a pillar of the community And I had known Maxima but the first time I really got
to know her was during Hurricane Ida Um you know we had a boil water advisory so we didn't have you know safe drinking water So you know we came to TJ Stewart and you know she volunteered at that point I don't know 89 88 91 and she went up and down the seven flights of stairs
to deliver water to all the seniors with my team And you know we just appreciated how much she cared for everybody We are going to miss her so much when we're at um TJ Stewart and we just thank you guys as the family for sharing her with us for so long So with
that I proudly vote I Council Person Gilmore Um my condolences to the family Um it's always hard to to deal with death but today we just want to honor her life and her legacy and her
contribution Um it takes a special person to really kind of like put the advancement of themsself on hold to help out other people Um I wholeheartedly believe that all of us have obligation to this
earth to leave it better than it was when we encountered it Um and I think Miss Cologne have checked that box Uh so I'll probably vote I and again my condolences Council person de Jason I'm so sorry for your loss I
council persona You guys know that Maxima's legacy is endless you know and she left an amazing blueprint you know behind and um she touched a lot of lives And
uh sometimes when when when when you have when you hear when people with legacies like that with histories like that when they pass it's always a sad thing But the smiles they left behind you know of the people that they helped
is always grateful Uh she will surely be missed Uh and I proudly vote I Council President Waterman my condolences and prayers I proudly vote I Before I recap again my condolences to
you and the family Uh again heaven has gained another angel So with that being said resolution 25-257 is approved unanimously 90 So no pressure on either of you but if
you don't mind just stating your name for the record for my court reporter before you speak and just take your time because I know it's not easy What's your favorite memory of her yeah Or a piece of wisdom that she wanted you to know that you could pass
on to us Well am I okay sorry Hi my name is Patricia Sodto I'm her granddaughter Um my grandmother was such an amazing woman a woman of God a woman of great faith great cooker She was we
just miss her so much and we want to thank you for you know that you did with her as well and always reaching out and she knew where to go as well So I thank you guys as well and it's just been very hard for us It's just how it happened
but we thank you very much for this time for honoring her as well Thank you Thank you The council is going to come down and present you with a resolution and definitely some hugs
Okay it's going All right we have one more resolution to get to before we go on to the rest of our agenda And that is resolution item number 10.41 41 resolution
25-259 is a resolution recognizing education and sharing day in the USA Education and sharing day is observed each year on the reby's birthday in recognition of his outstanding and lasting contributions towards the improvement of education
morality and the acts of charity around the world This is a day to p to pause and reflect on our responsibility to ensure our our youth have the foundation necessary to lead lives rich in purpose
and fulfillment throughout the service and good works So the city city of Jersey City do hereby proclaim April 9th 2025 as education and sharing day USA Is the rabbi
present please come up to the podium And before we ask you to speak Rabbi we're going to take the vote on the resolution So hopefully you'll get a positive vote on that On resolution 25-259 Council Person Ridley
I Council person Princeary I Council person Bajiano Council Person you stepped out Okay Council person Solomon stepped out Stepped out Why am I council members leaving oh
council person you're here We're voting on item 10.41 resolution 25-259 Education Insurance Day USA I vote I Thank you Thank you Council person Gilmore I council person Deise I Council
person Ria I And council president Waterman Hi City resolution 25-259 is approved 80 with council person Solomon absent from the room With that being said Rabbi I'm going to put
the camera on you if you can just identify yourself for the record and for my court reporter My name is Rabbi Mosha Shapiro Kabag Rabbi in Jersey City in Hoboken Can I get permission to come up
and give a little gift to the council people it's a little arc and uh it's not a gift that uh it's a gift that keeps on giving which uh we know the ark saved humanity in the time of the great flood in Genesis This is an ark which uh
stands for acts of random kindness and we asked people to fill it up Uh Mr The Gilmore our Councilman remembers this And uh after the shooting five and a half years ago we gave this out to many many schools asking people
just to do a um fill it up give a make a random gift of a quarter of a nickel whatever is in your pocket and when it's full give it to somebody that needs There's so many homeless shelters there's so many schools there's so many people So I actually have enough for the council
member So can I get permission to hand one guys yes Rabbi thank you Thank you Thank you Rabbi Yeah it's enough for everybody cuz now I get somebody and give it to me A
Yeah Thank you Thank you Oh you started out with some rich started out with something You did
You're the winner You get to leave early So uh with your permission I'm going to start by literally giving a little charity And it's nice if we can all give find ways to give little acts of charity as doing a mitzvah to make the world a better place All right let me just spend
a quick moment in saying what is this proclamation all about So today is education and sharing day and it's commemorated every single year to honor the birthday of the labba rabbi manner It is always four days before the
Jewish holiday of Passover So it comes out sometime in the month of April Now it's very interesting President Trump and every this afternoon in every single president from 1978 declared the great reba's birthday as education and shearing day Every
governor thousands of cities around the country they make this proclamation to share Let's talk about the gift of education and charity So the grand rebashers arrived to the shores of the great country in 1941 after escaping
persecution in wartorn Europe in 1950 exactly 75 years ago just 5 years after the Holocaust He accepted the leadership of the Kabad Lababich movement which has since grown to become one of the largest and fastest growing Jewish organ organizations in the world And the Reb
the labbi taught his followers that after everything we have experienced in the Holocaust we shouldn't hunker down or withdraw Instead he appreciated the freedoms of this great country and encourage his followers to grow in their observance be
prouder of their Judaism and to reach out and to encourage other Jews to do the same But this proclamation that Mayor Fulip joined me today and I'm so grateful for the council here for honoring the Reba is not about the
efforts that of the what the Reba did but rather his efforts to promote access to quality education for all people in all communities Throughout his life the Reba stressed the importance of a moral and ethical education as a bedrock of
humanity and the hallmark of a healthy society He urged that education should be reinforced with strong moral values As stated in this proclamation the Reb believed that such education could bring diverse people together through encouraging acts of goodness and
kindness imbued with the awareness that even a single positive act of an individual can make a major impact on the world So as we mark today 123 years since the birth of the Reba and the 75 years since he assumed the leadership of
the Kabad movement I'm grateful for the mayor and the entire city of Jersey City I really appreciate the council and especially council and council president You've gone way beyond to help us promote this amazing thing So thank you
to recognize the reba's outstanding and lasting contributions throughout towards improving of education morality and acts of charity around the world We get we dedicate this day to reflecting on how each one of us can ensure that future
generations and even this generation receive a quality education rich in purpose and and fulfillment An education that doesn't just teach how to make a living but how to live life One that tells every child they matter that their
actions matter An education that values and cherishes each individual's positive act and good deed One that fosters an environment where we look out for each other care for one another and together make the world a better and brighter
place Thank you so much Thank you Thank you council members Before you go down to join the rabbi can I just get council person Solomon's vote on the resolution 25-259 i proudly vote I Thank you So we make a
unanimous approval of resolution 2525990 Congratulations Thank you Can we get a little picture yeah Can we get a picture i want to get a picture with everyone We're good Yeah of course Let's
get Come on y'all Come down Take a picture There's some people in some trouble Who's rich time you know Rich Yeah Stay rich Oh we got him Okay Okay
Congratulations You're welcome Take good care Be well Best family Thank you Okay council members before I move on to our second reading ordinances Council Person Princeary I'd like to catch you up on the first reading ordinances on
items 3.1 through 3.5 I for introduction All righty Now I just have to recap everything Item 3.1 is now introduced 8
01 with council president Waterman abstaining Items 3.2 and 3.3 are introduced unanimously 90 Item 3.4 Four is introduced
711 with council members what excuse me with council member Bajiano abstaining and council member Gilmore voting no and item 3.5 is introduced unanimously 90 So we're all caught up and on to our second reading ordinances Our first second
reading ordinance item 4.1 city ordinance 25-026 is an ordinance amending chapter 131 uniform construction codes requiring applicants for construction permits to demonstrate prior approvals for from certain city officials and agencies This
is a public hearing on this ordinance Any member of the public wishing to be heard please come up to the podium and state your name for the record Just give me one second Joel Yeah Yeah Just thought that
Joel Rothus R O T H F U S I'm sorry Joel Go right ahead I was just giving her my name I'm sorry Um I am curious about the elimination of the board of appeals in the zoning
area Um I can understand trying to get the the line up of all approvals in order to get a a a building permit but as as we have personally seen in the landlord tenant office the board of
appeals was critical to that process So eliminating the board of appeals here it's not clear to me how it helps and it and it and it concerns me that it can hurt Let me respond The construction board of appeals has already been abolished So
it's just updating it Yep All right Thank you Okay This is still a public hearing on this ordinance Any member wishing to be heard please come up to the podium and state your name for the record and make sure we stay on the subject of the ordinance I go first Oh yeah go ahead John Just
for clarity when we hold on hold on Just for clarity when we did abolish um the local board of appeals that is now being heard at the county level right so there is there is still a board of appeals that will hear all cases It is just no longer the Jersey City Board of Appeals is the Hudson County Board of Appeals To
clarify John's clarification Okay Our next public speaker on this ordinance please come up and identify yourself for the record Yes sir Uh my name is Phil Carrington I need um some clarity on
this ordinance It is say that you have to get prior approvals before you get approval to get a permit Is that clear you see the construction
board has many different um portions or parts Are you saying that we are supposed to get approval from the electrical department plumbing uh water roofing whatever else before you get approval to get a
permit from the construction board see I need clarity on that I I didn't read it and I don't know exactly where to find it However we are voting on it at this time and I need
clarity cuz I'm a a part-time contractor and so it is difficult for me to put in for a permit let's say to do some part of my house or part of my building and then I have to get prior
approvals which is not really necessary If you're doing let's say paving my backyard or the sidewalk there should not be any or there is no other approvals you will need if you're just doing one particular job And so when they see need prior
approvals is that that you were approved prior to this for some other work you have done demonstrating that you have the ability to do construction on anything or every time you're going to get a permit you must have approvals
which really is not necessary And so I need clarity on this And where can I get the clarity before you vote on this britney John give them clarity on this ordinance please Sure Can you hear me yes Uh it is prior
approvals There's the state mandated prior approvals and then the local prior approvals for uh before a construction permit will issue for any such application So it's all listed here in the ordinance if you look at it So prior approvals from where that's what
I'm trying to find What kind of prior approvals it's listed out from zoning MUA health department traffic and engineering fire safety plan review forestry tax assessor They're all listed there Those are the local ones So you're supposed to get them collectively or
singularly I don't understand that question Well again if I'm just doing a particular job on one thing uh I do not need prior approvals for electrical if I'm just doing concrete on the sidewalk And so if it you're saying that I have to get
prior approvals for everything which is not really needed It's anything that's applicable applicable you can go through with the construction code official that will be reviewing the applications and speak to him Okay Thank you Enough said
Thank you I have a question for the law department Okay Okay Um regarding the local prior approvals So if something's already been approved like let's say have permitting um there's an addition of the forestry
and the tax assessor's office At what point would it trigger you know let's say they have to refile a new application to you know like if they're amending a plan is there um a trigger that would send them back and they'd have to go by
the new standards or if they've already been approved right let's say and would there be a point that people would have to go back and go through this again or like not if they've already and approved This is
going forward Okay So like anyone in the pipeline already with the approvals they're they're good to go They Okay Until this goes into effect Yep Any applications after it goes into effect Okay So each ordinance takes 20 days after
the date of adoption to be effective Okay But if they amend a site plan or something then that would trigger this Not sure Okay All right Oh just All right no problem Thank you Okay this is still a public hearing on this ordinance
The next speaker if you can identify yourself for the record Hi I'm Natalie Leone I'm with the Hudson County Tree Allies I I would just really like to urge the council to vote yes on these changes Um particularly because our group has been advocating for a while um
that it's really important that before plans are green lit that to the extent that they might damage city street trees that it's really important that tree experts are called in to be consulted before uh the green light happens Uh it's happened several times but just
recently last week there was a big controversy around 65 tours and a driveway that had been approved Um and then despite the fact that the driveway had already been approved by planning or construction or whatever department that is it's only when they're ready to
remove the trees that they have to get a permit permit from forestry and forestry at that point is saying "No you can't do it because it's going to damage the city trees." Um and a driveway is not a necessary element And then the builder is reasonably upset because they had
previously been given a green light and now they're being told no And so our group has been saying for a while that there's kind of a problem with the order of operations for some of these things We were also sorry we were also um disappointed that you know we had seen a
big loss of trees around a big construction project last year and part of the re rationale for that we had been told was because the plans had been green lit a very long time ago during a period in time in which I don't even think we had a forester but it still
wasn't required at that point in time that the forestry be brought in until the very end when they're really ready to break ground and cut a tree down which kind of makes the forestry the bad guy at the end of the day because they're now saying "No we're going to
put the brakes on this at a very kind of late point in the process." Um so I think it's a really important revision that we have here And so I would really urge you to vote yes because it just makes sense Thank you I'm sorry I I I didn't get
your full name Boy wait I didn't get your full name Natalie Leone I'm the founding member of the Hudson County Tree Allies It's Na I'm sorry Natalie You speak Sorry Sorry Natalie Lemon Like the chips Lemon but with an I Lemon
Thank you This is about trees No this is this construction code is included Because I'm asking you about this because that is on Garfield and Harmon where I live There was a car wash for years after the
house Okay they didn't build apartment building there There was a fruit trees that were older than me and I'm 77 They took them down But you know what they did do for us they planted new trees around the building on Garfield on
Harmon and on Commun So I think we need to watch when we do this stuff and we worry about greenery and not about know where somebody to lay their head It's more than about a driveway We got to be careful what we bring to
this table in here cuz a lot of construction is going on in Jersey City and we a day late and a dollar short with this here ordinance because there's a lot of trees are going up
around development If you see where they start putting new trees up around development that they doing in Jersey City So we need to watch what we bring to the table Thank you This is still a public hearing on this ordinance Any member of the public still
wishing to be heard please come up to the podium and state your name for the record Just give me one second before you do that Okay Uh hi Judith Fury Rogers I just have a general question
Does this does the permit or the construction code check in any way to verify if a construction proposal I don't know if I'm using the right terms is a redo and
this my question is geared toward eliminating abuse of federal funding if something was already accounted for and then put in What go ahead Go ahead Judith Hey
finish your question Judith I'm sorry Repeat it Yeah Does this permit check to verify if a construction proposal is a
redo or to eliminate the abuse of federal funding when construction is done in a high-rise or a multi-family unit who's answering
that they're going to they're going to answer Give me a second If you don't know just tell me you don't know It's not specifically set forth in this He didn't hear you Um no I heard you Oh okay
Okay Thank you That's okay Yeah Thank you motion Do you have any more to say on the no ordinance okay Okay Oh that actually answers my question Okay Thank you Motion second
Still have to ask guys Sorry This is still a public hearing on ordinance 25-026 Any member of the public still wish to be heard please come up to the podium and state your name for the record Motion Now I get the magic motion Motion to close the public hearing on
city ordinance 25-day 026 made by council person May I have a second second Uh so I'm going to give that second to council person Ridley on the motion to close the public hearing on city ordinance 25-026 Council
person Ridley I Council person Princeary Hi Council person Bajiano Council person Hi Council person Solomon Hi Council Person Gilmore Council Person Deise Hi Council Person Ria hi And council
president Waterman Hi Motion to carry I'm excuse me Motion to close the public hearing on city ordinance 25-026 is approved unanimously 90 Before we ask for a vote as discussed at the uh
meeting the caucus meeting there is an amendment that needs to be done to the ordinance that is going to be a substantial change to the ordinance which would redirect readvertisement and it's under part D local prior approvals
In number one it's going from Jersey City zoning board to office and they add number eight Jersey City Forestry Division to obtain forestry permits and number nine Jersey City Tax Assessor's Office for payment of any pre and
postdevelopment fees These amendments are in red online and underlined just so we are all aware So council members and before I ask corporation council this is a substantial change Correct Correct
Thank you With that being said council members I need a motion to amend city ordinance 25-026 Motion Motion made by council person Sole May I have a second second Second by council person Solomon On the motion
to amend city ordinance 25-026 Council person Ridley I Council person Princeary I Council person Bajiano Council person Sole Hi Council person Solomon Hi Council person Gilmore Council person
Deise Council person Ria Hi And council president Warman Motion to amend city ordinance 25 day 026 is approved 90 Still council members I just want a motion to revertise city ordinance
25-026 for a public hearing on April 23rd 2025 May I have a motion motion second Motion made by council person Rivera seconded by council person Sole On the motion for myself to readvertise city ordinance 25-026 for a public
hearing on April 23rd 2025 Council person Ridley I Council person Princeary I Council person Bajiano Council person Cle Hi Council person Solomon Hi Council person Gilmore Hi Council person Deise Hi Council person Reber Hi And council
president Waterman Motion to readvertise city ordinance 25-026 for a public hearing on April 23rd 2025 Is approved unanimously 90 On to our next second reading
ordinance Item 4.2 2 City Ordinance 25-030 is a franchise ordinance granting permission to Liberty Harbor North Partners LLC successors and assigns to allow decorative plasters 4ft bay
windows and a 10-ft awning to encroach onto the public right of way at block 15907 lot 3 qualifier C00002 This is a public hearing on this ordinance Any member of the public wishing to be heard please come up to
the podium and state your name for the record Evening Dorian from the Dotas Law Firm I did not get your first name sir I'm sorry Gregory Gregory And last name it's spelled A S A
D U R I A N A I N I A N I A N Sorry Thank you Good evening Um I represent the petitioner in this matter In this matter
we're looking for a franchise ordinance to allow for three things Uh decorative column on the front of a building that's to be built Uh 4ft bay windows and a 10-ft awning to encroach onto the public right away Uh this property is 20 South
Cove It's the property that's vacant that sits next to the Vantage building which this body I'm sure is familiar with Um this pro this property falls under the Liberty Harbor North redevelopment plan and as part of the plan the Liberty Harbor North
Redevelopment Plan states that uh it encourages facade articulation and it actually on page V10 of the redevelopment plan it asks for building attachments and these are the items that it asks for So in order to comply with
the plan we've added these three items to make the building more decorative We appeared before the planning board I believe it was on October 22nd 2024 We received preliminary and final site plan approval um with the condition that we
appear before this board for these three items because only this board has the right to grant the franchise ordinance Uh so with that said I'm here before this board asking for the franchise ordinance Um that's all I have to say I do have my um architect here who Michael
Hickens who if he could just briefly describe it and show it to you so it makes more sense to you No let him go because this we should do this in the um caucus meeting Really i I don't know why you come to our caucus meeting We go over the agenda Everybody presents at
the caucus meeting on the agenda This is the public hearing portion I mean this is the public right now you're trying to go over the whole um process with us That's why I'm saying no That's what caucus meetings are for We really want to hear the public Get to the public That's why we know what a franchise
ordinance is We should have been here explaining it on Monday That is it Bill you got something to say we know what this is This is enough We doing this every week She just know how to do this right Still a public hearing on this ordinance
any member of the public wish to be heard Please come up to the podium Well currently once again this is the same thing I need clarity on this If they're asking for encroachment or to use part of the
public right away how much of the public rightway they want to use for an example you could have a sidewalk that's 15 feet You might need about four feet to walk uh they're going to encroach on up to 10 ft or 12
feet I need clarity on that Secondly how high from the floor or from the ground will that awning be if the awning is 10 ft and you bring a back hole on to fix the sidewalk there's a possibility you can tear the awning and then the
contractor will get a a summons or whatever it is for damaging the awning And so clarity need to be done with this There's no clarity on that Secondly are they the owners of the
building or they're just the contractor that is doing the work here i hope I'm I'm understood Let me try it again They're asking to use part of the right away In other words their awning could go
over 10 feet and here over 15 feet But some sidewalks are smaller Sometimes you have a sidewalk that's only 6 ft to walk So the question is how much of that are they going to take over the whole sidewalk because you're supposed to only have 18 in from
your building Are they going to extend beyond the 18 in and how much more and how high is it if you drive your bus or your van on the sidewalk can you damage that awning clarity needs to be given Thank
you Phil You want to speak to him speak to him The lawyer is right there cuz this makes no sense This is still a public hearing on city ordinance 2530 Any member of the public who wish to be heard please come up to the podium and state your name for the record
Motion Motion to close the public hearing on city ordinance 25-030 was made by council person seconded by council person Bajiano On the motion to close a public hearing on city ordinance 25-day 030 Council
person Ridley I Council person Princeary I Council person Bajiano Council person Cle I Council person Solomon Hi Council person Gilmore Council person Deise Council person Rivera Hi and council president Waterman Motion to car motion
motion to close the public hearing on city ordinance 25- 030 is approved unanimously 90 for final consideration and adoption of city ordinance 25- 030 Council person Ridley I Council person
Princeary I Council person Bajiano Council person I Council person Solomon Hi Council Person Gilmore Council Person Deise Council Person Rivera Hi and Council President Waterman Hi City Ordinance
25-030 is adopted unanimously 90 On to our next second reading ordinance Item 4.3 city ordinance 25-032 is an ordinance amending chapter 296 street sidewalks and public rights
of way article 2 closure of public right of way of the city code requiring council approval of applications for street closures requiring the closing of 10 city blocks for 5 hours or more This is a public hearing on this ordinance
Any member wishing to be heard please come up to the podium and state your name for the record motion fell's coming up Hold on Let it rip Fell in 2020 My name is Phil Krington once again In 2022 I had the same
issue and there was a question but some people do get more time than that Is this saying that you're not allowed to block the streets for more than 5 hours or get approved for more than that james
explain it to him please Sure So Phil what this basically says if there is a a special event that applies for a permit and they're going to close 10 blocks for more than 5 hours the current system is that they
simply get an approval from the um uh cultural affairs office right we're saying that they need to get that permit from the city council moving forward And the purpose of that is on events that have such a large impact on the city that in essence shut down portions of
the city for half a day or more that we want the organizers of those events to basically be able to present their plans to the city explain how they're doing outreach and just make sure that the council has a check including the date of the event to make sure that it's not
scheduled on other important uh days So that that is ultimately what this calls for it would only affect um uh very very large events In this case the only current events that it would be affected are the the two big marathons that happen Uh but obviously another event
could theoretically fit the criteria Okay So you're saying that there's still a possibility that it will be given That's and yes absolutely Yeah Question answered Thank you This is still a public hearing on city ordinance 25-032
Any member of the public still wishing to be heard please come up to the podium and state your name for the record Motion second Motion to close the public hearing on city ordinance 25-032 was made by council persona seconded by council person Sole On the motion to
close a public hearing on city ordinance 25-032 council person Ridley I Council person Princeary I Council person Bajiano Council person So I Council Person Solomon Council Person
Gilmore Council Person Deise Council Person Rever I and Council President Waterman Motion to close a public hearing on city ordinance 25- 032 carries 90 for final consideration and adoption of city ordinance
25-032 Council person Ridley I Council person Princeary I Council person Bajana Council Person I have a few concerns with this um in terms of you know what possible
things can happen in the future you know if uh it was to come before an event would come before the council that would become a flash point in this body um right now it's the marathon right but um
I'm going to vote I I uh I trust Councilman Solomon's judgment his award is being council I vote I I vote There you go Thanks That was totally a joke I'm I'm sorry
I'm sorry That's funny I'm sure now I guess the members of the public want me to time the council members now But I'm bump councilman I'm I'm I'm so sorry I vote I
Council person Gilmore Hi Council person Deise Hi Council person Rivera Hi And council president Waterman City ordinance 25-032 is adopted unanimously
90 On to our next second reading ordinance Item 4.4 city ordinance 25-033 This is an ordinance amending chapter 321 of the municipal code of the city of Jersey City This is the public hearing on this ordinance Any member of
the public wishing to be heard please come up to the podium and state your name for the record Motion Oh no No No motion on me Hi Rebecca Missile M I
Sel Okay Rebecca Thanks Sean Welcome Uh so I just want to encourage the council to vote in favor of this ordinance uh as it states in the municipal code that trees are an incredibly effective and necessary bull work against climate
change against flooding I live in the Vanvor Park neighborhood We were fortunate to have chief forester uh Mike Sansa I'm going to mess up his name Sorry Sean H come to one of our previous meetings and speak about the incredible work that he's doing to improve our
urban forest uh but especially in the context of the federal government rescending funds for uh trees in both urban and rural environments suburban environments it's incredibly important that we have uh protection for our our
urban forest here in Jersey City So encourage you all to vote in favor of this Thank you Thank you Good evening Danielle Damo D- A N I E L L E D as in David A D A M O Good evening I'm here tonight with other tree
advocates namely the Hudson County Tree Allies in strong support of the proposed amendment to chapter 321 of the Jersey Municipal Code These changes aren't just about trees They're about public health equity environmental resilience and our
city's long-term livability These updates bring Jersey City into alignment with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's model ordinance for storm water management They may that may sound technical but what it means in practice is that we're finally treat treating trees like the
essent the essential infrastructure there are Trees absorb storm water reduce flooding clean our air and cool our streets during hotter and hotter summers Crucially these amendments recognize the disproportionate value of
mature trees A single wellestablished tree does exponentially more for storm water retention carbon sequestion and urban cooling than multiple younger ones The inclusion of defined protections such as for root zones and limits on
pruning and removal ensures we don't lose these green assets due to ignorance or shortsighted development That said as a longtime Jersey City resident I respectfully urge the council to consider a future amendment to
establish even more protections for legacy trees those with historic cultural or ethological importance One prime example is the Magnolia tree at Route 139 and Oakland Avenue It's more than a tree It's a neighborhood landmark
that has stood through generation of change Let's ensure that our most iconic trees which have endured so much have a chance to endure even longer We have a real opportunity here not just to maintain but to grow our tree canopy in
a smart equitable and sustainable way These changes are a solid foundation And I'm hopeful that with continued attention and community input we can build on them in the months ahead Thank you for your leadership and for taking this vital step toward a greener Jersey
City You still a public hearing Our next speaker Good evening I Katie Brennan B ren C Thank you I am here tonight speaking in favor of passing the
ordinance Each time we've moved in Jersey City I've requested a tree and which I have received And so I want to say thank you for that and thank you for your continued and growing commitment to urban forestry in Jersey City I love the
quickly go growing tree that I have in front of my home now Almost 5 years ago I moved from the Vanforest neighborhood to Journal Square Mcinley Square where my neighborhood now has less than one iPhone's worth of green space per person
And un short unfortunately shortly after moving in the old growth tree right next to my house came down and I have no idea why And not too long after that we were hit by Hurricane Ida And despite living on a hill the basement flooded and all
the mechanicals were lost We're lucky that that was it And I share this not to suggest that if the tree had been there that we wouldn't have flooded at all I can blame our old combined sewer system and record rainfall from climate change for that But it is to say that old
growth trees are part of our urban infrastructure and it could have dramatically mitigated the damage It's a vital part of our infrastructure that we uniquely can't get back when it's gone We cannot build it back like the new pipes As record rains continue and as
the changing climate affects us in perilous ways we've got to protect our infrastructure resilience from flooding and deadly heat island effect which is the most deadly thing of all in urban areas I echo the concerns of cuts to the federal funding and an uncertain future
at the state level We've got to do our part locally So thank you for your passage tonight and thank you for protecting our city Thank you You This is still a public hearing If we can just have your name and if you could spell it in for the record for me
S H I R I N S H I'm sorry I couldn't hear you S H S H I R I N And then my last name is Shireen McCormack M A C O R M A C K Thank you
I'm here tonight on behalf of the HUD Hako Tree Allies and I'd like to commend the shade tree committee that is chair and councilwoman Meera forestry director Mike Sansia sustainability director Amanda Diamond senior planner Cameron
Black attorney John McKenna as well as Mark Wesson Theodore Tosulus Jason Beagle Matthew Trump and Heather Spornne on almost a year of ongoing diligent work to get our city's tree ordinance ments aligned with the NJD standards and
adding specific language in the interests of our urban treecape I'd like to acknowledge the shade tree committee for receptively working with HUDco Tree allies and even adopting some of the wording verbatim that we suggested Founding member Natalie Leone Robert Fu
Cara McNichol and others have poured passion and knowledge into this It's encouraging to reach this point A permit will now be needed by owners to remove a tree on private property and all trees removed will be replaced with an
equivalent new tree or the equivalent value contributed to the tree fund Adjacent neighbors will receive advanced notification of a removal which supports community awareness transparency and engagement for street trees We are very
pleased with the all other means including possible redesign of plans needing to be considered first so that removal comes as a last resort Sidewalk trees must adhere to the city's lift list of approved species and for those
not on the list like the pear tree that's commonly being planted pretty as they are but not on the approved list they'll have to be replaced or if a tree is planted that won't fit and therefore won't sustainably survive it'll have to be replaced The ordinance has
commendably become more precisely worded in a number of areas such as specifying which materials can and can't be used as fill For example no more sand That sand can stay in our beautiful Jersey Shore beaches but not in our urban tree pits
The value of trees is critical in urban areas and this ordinance offers a great start towards further protecting and enhancing our city's natural environment You next speaker you going to Yeah you have to
lift that mic up for you buddy My name is Ryan Heisinger Rock Ryan Ryan And then Heisinger is H E I S I N G E R S I N G E R Thank you sir Thank you All
right Well I have been a resident of Jersey City and specifically Ward C for 11 years now Um and I'm here to speak in strong support of ordinance 25-003 which updates chapter 321 of the municipal code to better protect uh the
city's trees At a practical level this ordinance is a major step forward for Jersey City It ensures that mature trees on both public and private property uh are more adequately protected which is necessary because those trees protect us
in ways that many most don't realize Um they provide much more shade than newly planted trees and thus help regulate the city's temperature during our hot summer months They reduce flooding by absorbing exponentially more
storm water than their newly planted counterparts And they protect younger trees and other plants and animals This goes without mentioning the beauty they provide us I would be remiss if I didn't mention the magnolia which have been in bloom for the last week or so
This ordinance promotes accountability It makes sure we're not just talking about green space in theory uh but it actually uh but actually valuing green space in practice uh because green space is invaluable to us But I want to take a quick moment to just speak beyond
practicalities Trees are not just infrastructure They are more than the protection and the beauty they provide us Trees are living beings literally They are alive and for that reason alone they deserve respect By passing this
ordinance we are recognizing that the non-human life around us matters that we have a responsibility not only to each other but to the living world we share this city with It is a small but powerful act of reverence So I ask that
you vote yes and I thank you for your time Thank you Next speaker if you can just spell your name for the record for me please Yeah Daniel Santiago Uh D A N I E L S A N T I
A G O Thank you sir All right So today I wanted to show my support for this amendment for this ordinance Uh many trees especially on private property have been here before those living on this land of the Lape people As a city that touts its progressiveness this
ordinance will be a shining beacon for cities across New Jersey showing the respect for life and land As a Filipino resident um I want to highlight a saying that we say back home land is life The land gives us unconditionally And as
stewards on this land of Turtle Island that we call Jersey City we should do all we can to protect all green spaces as well as the trees all around us I've worked with Jersey City youth for a decade now and some of the most lovely moments of wonder have been in
nature Whether it was the wonder uh little kids had from the beauty of the leaves changing color the little critters that keep children in amazement the shade they bring on a hot summer's day and so much more that are invisible to us that they provide I've personally
seen the devastation of uprooting and cutting down trees from Palestine to the Philippines From flooding and mudslides to the destruction of the connection to one's land In Palestine they created structures and walls around trees showing their connection and deep
reverence for the land In the same vein when developers build new structures and housing here we should demand they show the same dignity for our land I urge you all to vote yes for this ordinance as a show of respect for the land and for
each other Thank you Thank you Our next speaker if you can just come up to the podium and spell your name for the record Robert Fu Last name is F as in Frank U Thank you Um also with HC
Tree Allies and I would like to urge passage of the amended tree ordinance Um I especially want to say that as a homeowner I'm 100% supportive of the the modest protections for trees on private property that are contained in this bill
Uh mature trees provide very real tangible benefits to homeowners Um besides beautifying the interior of my block um large mature trees special role in helping absorb storm water is well established
medium-sized A medium-sized tree is found to absorb up to 2400 gallons of water per year Um I had to do a little calc to visualize that And that is a a cube of water 7 feet by 7 feet by 7 feet
which is water that's not in not in my or your basement Um trees have even been found to increase property values by up to 15% Um to conclude I'd like to thank Meera and the Shadri Committee for working
with us to reach this point And again I urge you to um to vote to pass Thank you Our next speaker if you can just spell your name for the record I Erica Tubs T R I A I'm sorry Your
first name is Erica and last name Tubs T U BBS BBS Yes Thank you I'd like to express support and thanks to the shade tree committee with the
updated tree ordinance 321.6 that added protections of trees on private and public lands As a daily pedestrian I can attest to the vital importance of trees on private property particularly ones near sidewalks
They immensely affect the physical and psychological well-being of all Jersey City city residents human and non-human Incentives for property owners to preserve trees near sidewalks would make a huge positive
difference I would like to emphasize the urgent need to preserve protect and care for as many mature trees as possible in light of increasingly hot summers As mature trees can lower temperatures by up to 10° with their significantly
larger shade canopies and through evapo transformation The removal of an existing tree is a deficit for everyone and treating our trees as living beings directly affects our ability to enjoy where we live Thank you Thank you
Our next speaker Bill O Day I'm here to speak in favor of the ordinance and just suggest that upon adoption of the ordinance that the city commit the appropriate staff for maintenance of existing trees I've seen
many trees in my neighborhood that I have no idea why those trees have been taken down I see steumps often for eight months nine months a year staying there with no removal of removal of them no planting
of a new tree And ordinances are great This is a great ordinance I'm glad to see that the city council is adopting it But also as part of you you do your census of trees bringing the appropriate staff on board to make sure that the trees that are exist that are mature
trees remain and are not just taken down I think is as critical um as making sure we have new and additional trees as part of our tree inventory Thank you Um next speaker hi Natalie Leone and I'll spell that for
you I didn't realize we all spell our names Um yeah Uh that's L I M as in monkey O N as in Nancy Thank you Um just a couple brief comments Um thank you for having the revisions ready um for Earth month or on an Earth Day month That's a
little ironic because it wasn't planned that way We've been working on this with the Sha Tree Committee for almost a year So I think that was kind of coincidental but very fitting Um I think the people have spoken tonight which is really exciting Um and to the extent that it might not be popular that we're now
going to be regulating trees um on private property and asking people to get permits that's understandable Um but that is something that the NJD is introducing and that we all have to come into compliance with So I urge us not to
delay anymore because we've already delayed a while and um it's important that these changes go into effect now And what's more many prominent cities throughout our country regulate trees on private property to some extent Um so
this isn't you know the most um you know we're not uh reinventing the wheel with this by any means Um and as someone else mentioned there's so many different progressive ideas for Jersey City happening right now Uh the current mayor talks about making us more than just a
commuter city but a destination city And to that extent we should be looking at the ory ordinances of other destination cities And I can tell you from our work on this ordinance and the many different ordinances that I researched and pulled language from to suggest to the
committee there are some pretty cool cities doing some very interesting things Um so to the extent that we're reaching for the stars you know for um international museums and all of these other things I think that we can also stretch to have you know some more
um progressive tree policies as well And so this is a really wonderful start We will be back next year and we thank the Sha Tree Committee for working with us We hope that they continue to give us a seat at the table to contribute and um look forward to more um of us talking in
the future Like I mentioned um and other folks have mentioned we're talking about tax abatements here We're talking about um uh tax abatements and uh variances for various things We would like to see tax abatements and variances to
incentivize developers to We just got to stay on the subject of the ordinance I'm sorry Well we will be suggesting that for the next revision of the ordinance you know um that we also incentivize um provide incentives to avoid
particularly large trees on public property especially where they're near the public rideway But this is a wonderful wonderful start and um I hope you all vote yes Thank you Thank you This is still a public hearing on city ordinance 25-033 Any member of the public should
be heard Please come up to the podium and state your name for the record Motion I heard a motion first by council person Gilmore and I'll second the motion with council person to be fair
This is on the motion to close the public hearing on city ordinance 25-033 Council person Ridley I Council person Princeary I Council person Bajiano Council person I Council person Solomon Hi Council
person Gilmore Hi Council person Deise Hi Council person Rivera Hi And council president Waterman Hi Motion to close a public hearing on city ordinance 25- 033 is approved 90 for final consideration and adoption of city ordinance
25-33 Council person Ridley I Council person Princeary I just want to thank my fellow Shade Tree Committee members for working on our annual review of chapter 321 In particular our forester Mike Dtenia and John McKenna from the law department Thank you to the
Hudson County Tree Allies for working with us this year and we look forward to working with you again next year for the revisions I vote I Thank you Council Person Bariano Council Person Sole I want to thank the shade tree committee and especially councilwoman Princei for
her hard work on this There's a Greek proverb that says a society grows great when old men p plant plant trees in whose shade they'll never sit I'd like to add a correlary to that that an even greater society makes sure that those
trees that get planted don't get cut down With that I vote I Council person Solomon Thank you to uh the Shade Tree Committee Uh Councilman Princeary We're appreciative of this moving forward that
will help improve our tree canopy and uh our our efforts to combat climate change So with that I proudly vote I Council person Gilmore I Council person Deise Thank you to the counciloman and all the advocates that came out I vote I
Council person Rivera Hi And council president Waterman City ordinance 25-033 is adopted unanimously 90 Thank you Thank you very much Um our our next second reading ordinance item
4.5 city ordinance 25-034 is an ordinance supplementing chapter 332 vehicles and traffic article 9 parking for the disabled of the Jersey City code designating reserve parking space at various locations throughout the city This is a public hearing on this ordinance Any member of the public
wishing to be heard please come up to the podium and state your name for the record Motion beckon Motion Motion to close the public hearing on city ordinance 25-034 was made by council person Rivera seconded by council person Third by
council per No I'm kidding On the motion to close a public hearing on city ordinance 25-034 council person Ridley I Council person Prince Ari I Council person Bajiano Council person I Council person Solomon stepped out Council person
Gilmore I Council person Deise Hi Council Person Rivera I and Council President Waterman Motion carries 90 excuse me 80 with Council Persons Council Person Solomon absent on to close the public hearing on city
ordinance 25- 034 for final consideration and adoption of city ordinance 25- 034 Council person Ridley I council person prince Hi Council Person Bajiano Council person Hi
Council person Solomon still absent Council person Okay Council person Deise Council person rea And council president Waterman City ordinance 25-034 is adopted 80 with council person
Solomon absent On to our next second reading ordinance Item 4.5 city or no no Item six Sorry 4.6 Six city ordinance 25-035 Thanks my council You always have
my back An ordinance supplementing chapter 332 vehicles and traffic article 3 parking standing stopping amending section 332-22 parking prohibited at all times on Enos Place This is a public hearing on this ordinance Any member of the public wishing to be heard please come
up to the podium and state your name for the record Motion second Motion to close the public hearing on city ordinance 25-035 was made by council person Ria seconded by council person On the motion to close a public hearing on city ordinance
25-035 council person Ridley I Council person Princeary I Council person Bajiano Council person I Council persons uh Gilmore I Council
person Deise Hi Council person Rivera I And council president Waterman Motion carries 8 Z with council person Solomon absent to close a public hearing on city ordinance 25-035 for final consideration and adoption of city ordinance 25-035
Council person Ridley I Council person Princeary I Council person Vajiano the the conversations guys members of the public conversations have to be down to a minimum or you have to take it outside because it's hard to hear
Council person Cle Council person Gilmore I Council person Deise I Council person Rivera Hi And council president Waterman City ordinance 25-035 is adopted 80 with council person
Solomon absent On to our next second reading ordinance Item 4.7 city ordinance 25-037 is an ordinance authorizing the city of Jersey City to renew the lease with Brunswick Community Gardens also known as Jersey City Community Gardening
Incorporated for the use of block 9905 lots 8 and 9 more commonly known as 174-176 Brunswick Street for a community garden This is a public hearing on this ordinance Any member of the public wish to be heard please come up to the podium and state your name for the record
Motion second Motion to close the public hearing on city ordinance 25-037 was made by council person I didn't hear the second Was that Rivera yes Thank you On the motion to close the public hearing on city ordinance 25day
037 Council person Ridley I Council person Princeeri Stepped out Okay Council person Bajana Council person Hi Council person Gilmore I Council person Deise I Council person
Rever and Council President Waterman Motion to close the public hearing on city ordinance 25-3 037 carries 70 with council members Prince Ary and Solomon absent for final consideration and adoption of city
ordinance 25-037 Council person Ridley I Council person Princeary is absent Council person Bajiano Council person Cle I Council person is absent Council person Gilmore voted I
Council person Deise I Council person Rivera Council person and council president Waterman City ordinance 25-037 is adopted 70 with council members Princeary and Solomon absent On
to our next second reading ordinance Item 4.8 8 City Ordinance 25-038 is an ordinance authorizing the city of Jersey City to enter into a lease with Dwight Street Block Association for the use of block
25604 lot 8 more commonly known as 185 Dwight Street for a community garden This is a public hearing on this ordinance Any member of the public wish to be heard please come up to the podium and state your name for the record Motion Motion to close a public hearing on city ordinance 25-day 038 was made by
council person seconded by council president On the motion to close a public hearing on city ordinance 25-038 council person Ridley I Council person Bajiano I Council person So I
Council Person Gilmore I Council person Deise I sorry about that Council person Rivera stepped out and council president
Waterman City uh to close the public hearing carries on city ordinance 25-038 6 0 with council members Princeary Solomon and Rivera absent for final consideration and adoption of city
ordinance 25-038 Council person Ridley Hi Council person Bajiano Council person Cle I Council person Gilmore I Council person Deise I And council president Waterman
City ordinance 25-038 is adopted 60 with council members Prince Ary Solomon and Rivera absent On to our next second reading ordinance Item 4.9 city ordinance 25-039 is an ordinance authorizing the
city of Jersey City to renew the lease with Greater Neighborhood Alliance for the use of block 30003 lot 45 more commonly known as 81 Garfield Avenue for a community garden This is a public hearing on this ordinance Any member of the public wishes to be heard please come up to the
podium and state your name for the record Motion Motion to close the public hearing on city ordinance 25-039 was made by council person seconded by council president waterman On the motion to close a public
hearing on city ordinance 25-039 council person Ridley I Council person Princeary I Council person Bajiano Council person Cle I Council person Gilmore I Council person Deise I And council president
Waterman Motion to close the public hearing on city ordinance 25-039 carries 70 with council members Solomon Rivera absent for final consideration and adoption of city ordinance 25-039 Council person Ridley I Council
person Princeary Hi Council person Bajiano Council person Hi Council person Gilmore Hi Council person Deise Hi And council president Waterman is here Oh council person Ribera didn't
see him You said I Thank you sir And council president Waterman City ordinance 25-039 is adopted 80 with council person Solomon absent On to our next second
reading ordinance Item 4.10 City Ordinance 25-040 is an ordinance authorizing the city of Jersey City to renew the lease with Mandela Garden sponsored by Greater Neighborhood Alliance for the use of block 19503 lot 36 more commonly known as 447
Martin Luther King Drive for a community garden This is a public hearing on this ordinance And I see Philip Carrington I want to give my total support for this ordinance I am very pleased with Sharon Feldon and her group for uh keeping this
garden up I will be remiss if I didn't speak on this If she was doing something bad you're not going to tell you And it is very very good It brings oxygen into that area that's right next to me There's a whole lot of funky behavior in my neighborhood We need fresh air here I
think Motion Motion This is still Hold on This is still a public hearing on city ordinance 25-040 Any member of the public still wish to be heard please come up to the podium and state your name for the record Oh hold on John is going
Oh I thought Okay I thought John was getting up Council president So I'm going to give the motion to council president Waterman seconded by council person on the motion to close a public hearing on city ordinance 25-040 Council person Ridley Council
person Prince Ari Council Person Bajana Council Person So Cle I Council Person Gilmore I Council Person Deise Council Person Rever I and Council President Waterman Motion carries excuse me to close the public hearing on city
ordinance 25-day 040 carries 800 with council person Solomon absent for final consideration and adoption of city ordinance 25-040 Council person Ridley I Council person Princeary I Council person
Bajiano I Council person I Council person Solomon I Council person Gilmore I Council Person Deise Hi Council person Rivera Hi And council president Waterman City ordinance
25-040 is adopted unanimously 90 On to our next second reading ordinance Item 4.11 city ordinance 25-041 an ordinance authorizing the city of Jersey City to enter into a lease with 167 Madoo Condominium Association
for the use of block 26301 lot 28 more commonly known as 142 Madoo Avenue This is a public hearing on this ordinance Any member of the public wishes to be heard please come up to the podium and state your name for the record Motion second Motion to close the
public hearing on city ordinance 25-041 was made by council person Bajiano Seconded by council person on the motion to close a public hearing on city ord I'm so sorry Jeez You know what it is the mics have to be on It's hard for me
to hear you There you go Much better So the motion was made by council person Rivera seconded by council person On the motion to close a public hearing on city ordinance 25-041 Council person Ridley I Council person Prince Ari
Council person Bajiano Your mic Put your mic Council person Cle I Council person Solomon I Council person Gilmore I Council person Deise Council person
Rever and Council President Mortman Motion carries 90 to close a public hearing on city ordinance 25-041 for final consideration and adoption of city ordinance 25-041 Council person Ridley I Council person
Princeary Hi Council person Bajiano Council person Cle I Council person Solomon Hi Council person Gilmore I Council person Deise Hi Council person Rivera Hi And council president Waterman
City Ordinance 25-041 is adopted unanimously 90 On to our next second reading ordinance Item 4.12 city ordinance 25-042 is an ordinance authorizing the
city of Jersey City to renew the lease with Ogden's End Community Garden sponsored by the Riverview Neighborhood Association for the use of block 5202 lot 28 more commonly known as 100 Ogden Avenue This is a public hearing on
this ordinance Any member of the public wishing to be heard please come up to the podium and state your name for the record Motion Motion to close the public hearing on city ordinance 25-042 was made by council person Seconded by council
president Waterman On the motion to close a public hearing on city ordinance 25-042 Council person Ridley I Council person Prince Ari Hi Council person Bajiano Council person Sole Hi Council person Solomon Hi Council person Gilmore I
Council Person Deise I Council Person Rivera I and Council President Waterman Motion carries 90 to close the public hearing on city ordinance 25-042 for final consideration and adoption of city ordinance
25-042 Council person Ridley Hi Council person Princeary Hi Council person Vajiano Council person Sole I Council person Solomon Hi Council person Gilmore I Council person Deise Thank you to all the organizations that have these
community gardens I vote I Council person Reber I And council president Waterman City ordinance 25-042 is adopted unanimously 90 On to our next second reading ordinance Item
4.13 Uh ordinance 25-043 is an ordinance of the municipal council adopting amendments to the Chapel Avenue industrial park redevelopment plan This is a public hearing on this ordinance Any member of the public wishing to be heard please come up to the podium and state your
name for the record Motion So a motion to close a public hearing was on city ordinance 25-043 was made by council person Ria and is a really close second but I'm going have to give it to council person on the close second to
close the public hearing on city ordinance 25-043 Council person Ridley Hi Council person Princeary Hi Council person Bajiano Council person I Council person Solomon Hi Council person Gilmore I
Council Person Deise I Council Person Reur I And Council President Waterman Motion to close the public hearing on 25 on ordinance 25-043 carries 90 for final consideration and adoption of city ordinance
25-043 Council person Ridley I Council person Princeary I Council person Bajiano Council person Hi Council person Solomon Hi Council person Gilmore I Council person Deise I Council person Reber I And council president Waterman
City ordinance 25-043 is adopted unanimously 90 Onto our last second reading ordinance item 4.14 City Ordinance 25-044 is an ordinance approving a
30-year tax exemption to JHRC Senior Housing LLC concerning 259 Vanostran Avenue block 25402 lot 19 pursuant to New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Act of 1983
as amended and supplemented by NJSA 55:14K-1 Exec and the roofs promulgated under NJAC 5 col 80-1X This is a public hearing on this ordinance and I see Bill O Day Good evening I have several
questions on this Um is this a new 30-year abatement because obviously this building's been up and running for probably more than 30 years or at least that long Britney is an ordinance bill I would defer the attorneys here It's
not our application I I would I would think the government folks would know the answers to the questions right Councilwoman not not the attorney for the developer I I was hoping that those within the government could answer my questions right otherwise you'd be simply deferring to
the developer's attorney to tell you what they're doing as opposed to internally reviewing it So did I ask the corporation council that question is it a new 30 my first questions So it's you need the mic John It's a new
30-year It's a new abatement uh for rehab work that's being done to the property Is it a HUD conversion uh no I don't believe so It's purely HMFA What is the rate of the new pilot
is that in the ordinance rate of your rental should probably be in every ordinance Don't believe it Uh it's 2% 2% of project cost as opposed to a percentage of rental income The revenue
it's point number two I'm sorry what two in the ordinance i don't have the ordinance in front of me Just a poor member of the public saw this document and decided to ask you
a few questions Very basic questions right is it 10% is it 12% it's it's% 11 It's 11 It's No no it's 11% The 2% is the Oh the administrative Yes Sorry So it's 11% of
your gross rentals or of your rentals What was the prior what was the abatement on the prior to that i don't have the answer to that question Wow I'm curious Did you increase the percentage from where the
prior pilot was i just have a question When I was a councilman which was a while ago there used to be a tax abatement committee Correct Is there still a tax abatement committee not at this time Bill It used to be So
there is no tax payment committee What how much rehabilitation work is going to be done on the building what's the what's the project cost or the cost to be spent on the rehabilitation of the building you know what Bill i'm not going to waste your time What we'll do we should
this table this We should have a committee get answers to those questions Let's let's just get through this We should table this because they can't answer and this is their time to answer I understand I appreciate that Just like he he has a valid point Yeah Just like
he said our corporate council supposed to represent us as a city So while we reviewing these contracts they should have certain answers So all the information is in the ordinance I can read the ordinance into the record if uh if that would uh all the all the questions that he is asking is in there
So the amount of rehabilitation cost to be done on the building and again I'm not saying I'm against this I understand if you're preserving affordable senior housing for 30 years that's a good thing Okay Gets the best deal Time is up Your time
is up You're timed on second reading Well as an elected official who represents this area I would ask to be extended a courtesy um to complete my either answers or if you're going to defer it I gladly be happy if you're going to table the ordinance to get
additional answers What we will do Bill we will table the ordinance because all these questions have not been answered and I know some of the council have the same concerns That's why we will just table this for now Thank you very much Okay Speak to the government How you do
that not even going through this I'm not even going through this Right We'll finish the public hearing and then after that we table That's it Cuz come on up Danielle Demo D I E L L E D is in
David A D is in David A M O I urge the council to reconsider the 30-year tax exemptment for 259 Fan Austrian Avenue While affordable senior housing is important we must ask at what cost to
our community A three decade tax break means Jersey City residents many already burdened with rising property taxes will carry the financial weight We're being asked to subsidize a private developer yet again without transparency on
affordability public benefits or long-term accountability How many seniors will this truly serve and will they even be local residents let's not give away 30 years of revenue without a clear commitment to community needs local hiring and true affordability
Jersey City deserves smarter fairer development Thank you Good evening council members Tom Lean I'm here of the mic Tom we can't hear you Sorry Uh Tom Lean from Connell Foley here on behalf of the applicant I just wanted to answer some of the questions
which were all spelled out in the application and spelled out in the ordinance Uh I just want to make it clear that this is a continued commitment to provide 100% affordable housing for 67 senior units all making under less than 60% of AMI The cost that
is going into this building is slightly under $25 million It is to modernize the building and provide uh a continuing uh a continuing good product for the seniors who currently live there We have designed a logistics plan that will make sure that they are their lives are not
impacted that they will not have to move out of the building during the construction And I would urge the uh the council to please reconsider tableabling this because we did provide all of this information within our application and it is vital for this project to move forward that this abatement be adopted
Thank you Thank you Here we go again This is a very good project and people need to spell stuff out I did a building on MLK 30-year tax evapor This is a good building They got
to upgrade it and it cost money It's not that the developer is making a lot of money but you got to think about the seniors that don't get a lot of money that need to live in this building and live in a decent housing This what tax
abatement is about when it helps people under a certain income level You got some seniors could live in Society Hill wherever but you got some seniors making $1,000 a month 2,000 Everybody don't
have a retirement with their senior money We don't get a lot of money and they and they're trying to take that away from us right now So think about what you're talking about and seeing about Thank you Motion Now what I'm going to do second this is still a
public hearing on city ordinance 25-044 Any member of the public still wishing to be heard please come up to the podium and state your name for the record because I want the law department to give us a briefing on it And then councilwoman W A will give us some information cuz it is her ward too Can
we motion a second i have a motion to close a public hearing on city ordinance 25-044 made by council person Gilmore Seconded by council person On the motion to close a public hearing on city ordinance
25-044 Council person Ridley I Council person Prince Eric Council person Bajana Council person Cle Hi Council person Solomon Hi Council person Gilmore Hi Council person Dejis Council person
Rivera Hi And council president Waterman Motion carries 90 to close a public hearing on city ordinance 25-044 Before we take a vote on the ordinance I'm going to turn it over to
council person Ridley Yeah Yeah So I want to say that these are my seniors and I'm very familiar with this building Um I was just there a few weeks ago Um as he said all the answers are in the ordinance but we have to uh make sure
that we're prepared to answer those questions because the questions that were brought up were good questions Um so I understand wanting the table for not uh having those answers ready at the um once they were asked but I think they have been addressed at this point But um
I want to kind of echo the sentiment of Miss Lever This is a senior building This is an existing senior building because I know someone said that people from outside of Jersey City are going to live here No this is an existing senior building with seniors already there So this isn't a brand new project They're
just looking to and this previously I believe had a pilot and they're looking to uh get a new one and make some repairs When I was there a couple weeks ago this is one of the senior buildings that is usually very wellkept and when I was there a few weeks ago I was surprised to see some of the repairs
that needed to be done Um so I think it is important that we move this forward especially if it might affect any timing uh with the developer But uh this is an existed building there are repairs that are needed and this is um all affordable
We just did something similar uh with the houses down on um Montgomery So this is nothing different than the affordability project that we just approved there the pilot for this is existing and I think we should take care of our seniors also Um oh yeah I mean I
think I mean this we've had extensive conversations on this Um while I mean I I also understand legal's perspective too Um not saying that they don't know it It's just that he didn't know exactly where in the legislation it was but the
information is clearly laid out Um and I think also the onus on us also as a community to is to read don't rely on what people tell us anyway to read and see what's actually in the legislation in the um in the first place Um but this
is a senior building This senior building have been having so many issues that they called they council person and subsequently the council person in the next ward to try to um get things done I know they had an issue with the elevator Some seniors weren't able to go to
dialysis Some seniors wasn't able to go out to food So in light of all that I think we should um we should vote on it You know if you don't agree huh yeah I mean some I'm not anti your tax debate I'm just saying when it makes sense it
makes sense Wait you don't need a motion Um Okay So yeah it makes sense I was going to move to previous question So are you making a motion to table no it's it's to get to the vote Okay Yeah To go vote
Sean All right So for final consideration and adoption of city ordinance 25-044 council person Ridley I Council person Princeary Council person Bajiano I couldn't hear you
Abstain Council person I not my ward But if you look on the application itself this project was completed in 1995 with lowincome housing
income tax credits and also a pilot and within the last 5 years um the it's basically losing its pilot status is going to pay full taxes It's a fourstory building with 67 senior units It's a
senior building with all the residents at or below 60% area median income So we're not talking about like rich people here Um this building has actually had a significant amount of issues with the
elevator And if you look at what they're trying to do they're doing a significant amount of work They're making it ADA accessible Um this is a big big project to revamp this building And I just urge the public to read through this because
not all pilots are created equal This one is actually going to help long-standing residents in the community Bill Bill You're going to let him shout out too right come on Bill Bill Bill Do you do that do you do that at a
commissioner's meeting bill I don't know why you're shouting out You're disrupting the meeting You're not coming up to the mic This is not your time to speak It's not Bill again I had questions This is and I deferred asking any additional questions because I was
told it was going to be table Is the woman a woman it's muted No the questions you The questions you asked were answered You just asked additional questions You didn't previously
I I am uh in the middle of a vote here All right All right Bill would you respect We're we're in the middle of taking a vote right so Bill Bill All right I respect you They're going to take the vote The council personnel that ward spoke You could
disagree That is your right All right Listen Bill That is your right I'm not disputing You're listed as a public speaker You can come up and talk that You could disagree All right But we going to vote All right Councilwoman spoke She made her case
And so therefore we're moving forward with the vote You can disagree That's your right But one thing I'm going ask you do Bill is just to respect when you come in the chambers Like if we go to the county we I I wouldn't I wouldn't shout out If you was having a meeting I would respect that Okay You are right
Please council woman I'm still talking Council person Sole Okay Again the these are seniors at or below 60% AMI and there is a table of a municipal revenue attached Um so I'm going to vote
I We're helping the people that need the help Council person Solomon Thank you Um it's a 100% affordable project Those are very very important for us to maintain in Jersey City Um and
Councilwoman Ridley this is her ward and she has taken lead on moving this forward So I vote I Council person Gilmore Oh man I mean for me I'm always torn in between the babies but when you talking
about 100% and you're talking about seniors in Jersey City and you're talking about the average medium income with those individuals uh make up man for me I mean for me it it checks the necessary boxes man Um again this is a
second reading people right it was a first reading No one came no one said nothing no one set up any meeting no one did any of your interactions If you're really concerned about the issues that residents are facing address them on the front end and don't wait so long to come
if you have an issue with it Tina Tina calm down He got it I mean it's is it's really not that hard You know everybody can have concerns We're not saying you can't have concerns right everybody always saying is that hold the meeting
Everybody else doing all these walking tours and hold the meeting If you're that concerned about what's going on in this establishment talk to those residents Those residents have reached out to my office definitively I've been to the building I see that the building is in need of repair For God's sake the
last time they did some was 1995 So at the end Bill please don't yell out Bill please don't yell out Please don't yell out I can't believe how disrespectful you're being Bill I don't understand that We don't do this
on Thursdays You're an elected official sir Please have the respect They are talking You had your chance to talk and you're going to have another chance to talk when cuz you listed as a public speaker Bill come on
Okay Well let's just call for the vote Keep on with the vote Well what time y'all mean i'm coming to the county too What this is 1:30 4:30 a.m or PM
Okay All right Well in light of all of that um for all the records all the um everything laid on the record I vote I Council person Deise I Council person Rivera So this this is like pretty
embarrassing right so this this is what this is what happens when uh we don't answer questions and we really don't pay attention to what's going on Um you know there there was a question that was asked by by u by a
resident of the city of J city to be a commissioner and the question weren't answered You know that's where everything unraveled But uh with respect to this project you know I'm I'm not a fan of saying no to uh to the seniors
You know we actually were in agreement to you know vote on this project I didn't see any hiccups from the council where we were going to vote no on it You know um like like Bill said he wasn't against the project He just wanted to ask have
questions answered and that didn't happen you know But uh we kind of um have been digging into the project into this ordinance and you know it was explained pretty well Uh it was uh it's
a shame that we have to go through this and and and and have this type of uh of showing here you know in front of everybody live stream but we need to kind of like do better than that Uh but with that I vote I
Council President Waterman Well I want to um first of all I'm I'm losing my voice in and out so that's what you're hearing Um first of all um I would like to say um you know Commissioner OD I do respect you I respect everybody on this
council When you have your meetings over there what we don't try to do is interrupt And everyone who comes here regularly know that I always try to be respectful and let people have their say but it doesn't look good when you see elected officials really going back and forth We could disagree and that's all
good but it really don't look good when we really go back and forth Now what triggered it was when he asked the question and our corporate council could not answer it Okay that was a legitimate act to be perfectly honest Now I did what I did I prefer to the council
person of that ward because she's really in it she knows what her um constituents needs and so based on what she's saying that they really need these repairs in that building If you ever been in that building you'll know that I was in that building a month ago when I did an event with the seniors there They do really
need that pair um the repairs So what we do as a council we refer to the council person of that ward That's what we do because they really have their hands on it and she feel like this need to go forth because she knows what they need So we are simply supporting what she
said The attorney is here to ask answer all the question that you need to be act answered and we have our corporate counsel who could not answer them right away So that's how all this mixup happened But let this be a lesson to all of us to be perfectly honest is that
when we deal with tax abatements make sure we have these answers because what we doing now we bring them back forth and so people going to have a lot of questions concerning them and we just really need to be ready and that's just the truth The seniors need it They need the repairs there And so this is what
happened And and one thing we got to be conscious of too though and I'm gonna say it this is an election year And all crazy stuff happened in election year It don't need to you know because we've been working together all this time Now we're acting like you know there's so
much animosity with us but we should never because we still are working for the public So with that in mind I vote I City Ordinance 25-044 is adopted
801 with council person Bajiano abstaining Before we move on to the public speaking portion of our meeting council members I just want to catch certain council members up on their vote on ordinances Council person Solomon you are absent for the final vote on
ordinance 25-034 Would you like to cast your vote i you city ordinance 0 25-034 is now adopted unanimously 90 Sean did I miss any in the beginning i'm
going to go through them Oh okay City ordinance 25-035 Council person Solomon you were absent for the final vote Would you like to cast your vote i thank you City Ordinance 25-035 is now finally adopted
unanimously 90 Next city ordinance 25-037 Council person Princeary you are absent for this vote Would you like to cast your vote i Thank you Council person Solomon
I City Ordinance 25-037 is now adopted unanimously 90 Next city ordinance 25-038 Council person Princeary I
Council person Solomon Hi And council person rever I City Ordinance 25-038 is now adopted unanimously
90 On to our next resol uh excuse me ordinance City ordinance 25- 039 Council person Solomon Hi City Ordinance 25-039 is now adopted unanimously
90 And you didn't miss anything Council Person Gilmore on I did I thought I missed like 41 or 42 or something No double check that but I don't Are you good all right You might have missed the motion but I
don't think you missed the actual vote Can I vote on the motion you don't vote on the motion Okay You got to be here for the motion So no Is it okay You're all good All right We're all caught up So with that being said we are now going to
the public speaking portion of the meeting Please play pay close attention to your agenda I'll be calling the number and the name of the individual With that being said I'm
calling number one 5.1 Leurn You want everybody here when you talk yeah I want everybody here Y'all stand up Y'all men stand up I'm here representing them tonight I'm representing them These are my These are my babies and they going six years
without a without a contract They they had no contract and these are good people in this city broken around here And it's not fair what they going through They got families to feed They keep our community
in good shape When you call them they're there Right Councilman Filmore no I'm I'm that serious This ain't no joke These people around here have been in this city some 15 years Some just started but they working without a
contract And this is not fair This is not right I know we got election going on but these people got to feed They want to make sure they got a job that they in a union This you know what are we
doing what are we doing i know it's election year but what that got to do with these beautiful people in this city working 10 16 years or better now six years they ain't got no union Am I right
guys no contract None Over six years Is that how we run this city now and they and they in all different departments When you call them they come I have they help
recreation you name it different department they there and what else you told me brother DPW park forest we wor about green trees all nine council president you get on this please honestly you're a good person they they shouldn't go six years
without without a contract they've been at the table a couple of times Lever Huh baby was at the table a couple of times so I can't get them forward They was at the table a couple of times So okay It's more to it than this Okay Right Yes ma'am I respect that
All right But I But we need to work on stuff like this Yeah we working We working You working yeah we working Believe me Bill You working i wouldn't have six years without no contract I ain't going to hear Solomon Well I know I know they were I know they were at the
table I don't like we're not involved in like the the actual dayto-day but I will say that I mean I I think they definitely need a contract They do They really do and I appreciate your time and effort God bless you Thank you
Can we don't start it tonight yeah Sean next on it right i I'll do it later Okay Next speaker 5.2 too Gina where Gina go gina's gone Go to the next Oh Gina's right Oh
my outfit Hi Gina Davidson Ward F Speaking on behalf of myself tonight I'm going off book tonight because there's so much going on I want to first thank Mr day for trying to hold some due diligence against all the
abatements that we uh see you all have to vote on I know you all get involved in understanding exactly to President Waterman's point Thank you so much Miss Ridley for making it clear to us that there's actually a need and for all of your activity there and your um
participation So I really appreciate that Um but I I do want to say that we continue to struggle in this city and I know now that I've been working in this office I want to thank all of you for being so welcoming for being willing to
have conversations That said I'm having a really hard time every time I see one of you unquestioningly support Mr Fulip
Just today I was watching the caucus meeting from Monday and I was on YouTube and I saw another one of his egregious ads And for this man to first of all show off his $4.2 million home
repeatedly to us in his ads is disgusting There are people in this city who continue to live in their cars These are the people that my friends and I are helping every day
These are the people that some of you have helped Some of you have helped right so why not take Mr Fulip to task because the the Steven Fulip we are dealing with now is not first term Fullup I supported firstterm Fulip
I supported him when people used to qu started questioning him already and they saw the issues and I said "Oh no This guy is a real one." Well I made a mistake because third term Fullip is a
disaster And I'm asking all of you now that it is his hopefully last term in government in this state I'm asking all of you to please continue to hold him accountable and step it up Step it up
because these abatements given to the Kushner family and then he turns around and puts out a campaign ad saying I don't I don't support billionaires he's lying He does support billionaires That's a problem for me And
if I am not understanding the issues correctly I welcome you to continue the dialogue with me Tell me where I'm wrong Tell me why I'm wrong about Philip Please explain it to me because I am sick and tired of his
disingenuous greedy attitude Thank you Our next speaker 5.3 Tina Justice for Drew Justice for Drew Well I'm up here for Justice for
Drew nonprofit and community I have been coming to these meetings for a couple of years now on Wednesday and it had been new faces been coming But I want y'all to let y'all know I'm going to rephrase that I'm going to
put it in a better way We have so much stuff that been going on in our community We just had a couple of shooting going on in our community I thank you education gear more for coming out and talking to us and letting us know what's going on But you would think again as Gina said that our mayor should
have been out there letting us know what's going on in our community But again I got to realize I'm from Alabama I just went and visit my town and to come back and see I see what Jersey City is about It's about the friends and who like each other It's not about the
community It's not about coming together and helping each other It's about who we can be friends with and how we can come up No we need to make sure all of us grow When I go out there in the morning I don't worry about just Tina No and her family I worry about the community I
worry about homeless I worry about some of my young guys on my corner If you look on our block thank you education of Gilmore and Jerry Walker You'll see now that some of the guys have apartment some of the guys have jobs and training because I was out there in the field doing the work Now we got the new
peoples who's out there in the field cuz we hear them now talking But that's not going to stop me I will continue to be out here fighting for my community I will continue to use my voice because some of them can't come here Some of them are working Some of them are doing part time I definitely understand my
phone ring constantly about our community I guess they only want the ones who they can trust and the ones who would be able to help And I thank you for that Elwood for continue to help me with that domestic violence cuz a lot of people call me about that in our community and antiviolence I thank y'all
for that But what it is we need more people that's walking around in the community to help out and bring a message Not the ones that sit in the office We already been doing that Now now it's time to remove y'all and let the good people come and sit up there like me I see y'all guys Thank you I'm
talking for myself not for Education of Gilmore I work for Education of Gilmore but I'm talking for Tina Michelle No Our next speaker 5.4 Edward Justice for Drew Justice for Drew Justice for Drew
It's been about at the end of this month it would be 20 months since the Jersey City Police Department murdered Drew And since then the family hasn't had any justice You know we've been fighting at the state level and at the local level
and so far at the local level nothing Absolutely nothing I noticed that uh Director Sheay was here on Monday asking for $172,000 for tomahawk training And this
has nothing to do with deescalation This has nothing to do with the new vision for community policing that we need for our city It's really just focused on like massive threats tactical training for terrorist attack
nothing closely or even related to mental health crisis deescalation or how the police will begin to respond to these type of events Just nothing from you Just continue garbage It really does
hurt It's empowering too though because many of you are undeserving of your seats right now And believe you me we do not support you We do not support you Thank you so much Council Councilman Gilmore for going over the agenda before
the agenda And as far as abatements go you've turned your back on us So stepping into an abatement conversation you're you don't have the trust First of all you don't have the trust first of all When I saw a 30-year abatement I
thought okay will Jersey City residents get the work you know what what what's really happening now with this abatement you know so rightfully so Um you know we agree with Bill O Day like his questions should have been answered It's
unfortunate that they couldn't just you know be answered but they they should have been answered And we need more people like him coming in here standing up and questioning you all about what the heck is going on with you and why you continually vote for abatements that
harm us Anyhow we had two recent shootings Nothing from the mayor I've been trying to question his new uh running mate for lieutenant governor Ma'am what have you been missing why would you connect yourself with this man he's failed us in
Jersey City and you commit to this and ask for support to run our state heck no Come to Jersey City and find out what's really been going on heck no Justice for Drew
Next speaker 5.5 Danielle Good evening again I'm here tonight to say what so many of my neighbors are feeling W C is being forgotten Unless you're a developer We keep seeing new community centers
gardens and tree plantings go up in other parts of the city But in Journal Square in the lower Heights where I live we're watching our blocks get bulldozed for yet another luxury high-rise I'm tired of it I'm tired of watching my neighborhood get demolished again and
again just to make room for towers that don't serve the people who already live here Why can't we renovate what we have why can't we refurbish our historic buildings and housing stock for modern use instead of tearing everything down
why do developers keep getting tax breaks to profit off our land while residents get nothing but rising rents and more traffic take 701 Newark Avenue as just one example The city first read a 30-year tax abatement another
long-term pilot deal for a project that doesn't reflect the community's real needs This isn't just happening once it's becoming the norm Meanwhile W C still lacks basic investment We don't have treeline streets to fight heat and
pollution We don't have a single cityrun community center We have to fight for every garden bed every safe crosswalk every inch of green space And our streets still dangerous Summit Avenue is one of the busiest corridors in Jersey
City full of speeding cars broken sidewalks and intersections that feel like obstacle courses I work in a public school on the west side and I've seen the difference it makes when leadership listens Over there we've got daylighting
curb cuts high visibility crosswalks all because a community asked and the council member delivered But here in Ward C when offered funding to improve safety our councilman and he's not even here to defend this we don't need money
for that Well I'm here to say we do We need investments in public safety not just private towers We need tree plantings to cool and beautify our blocks community centers for youth and elders gardens where neighbors can grow
together and safer streets that don't favor cars over people We need equity We need vision And we need city leaders who seem more than just profit potential in W C So if this city can keep handing out
tax breaks to developers it can start investing in the people who already call this place home Thank you Our next speaker 5.6 Anthony Is Anthony M here no Next 5.7 Bill
Good evening So first and foremost I'm here to support local 245 6 years without a contract is a disgrace 2022 the governing body voted
themsself 40% raise I think these guys would take 40% If you're willing to give them that today and I want to commend those council members who voted against it and I assume never took the raise after it was voted on It's time for you to get involved in
the process After 6 years you can't say it's not our problem You can't say we're waiting for the administration to come let us know It's time to sit and get a seat at the table You vote on budgets You voted on budgets for the last six
years Do any of you know how much is in each and every one of those budgets as it relates to funding to pay the retro pay to them i don't know You can answer that question after my time is up Because if there is no money in there then where the heck are you going to get
the money to pay when that six-year contract finally gets settled and if you failed in each year of your budget process to make sure there was reserve dollars for those contracts next not yet settled then you failed in your duties and responsibilities as an elected
official because you created a fiscally distressed situation These are men and women who live in our city These are men and women who had to work during the height of CO to put their lives on the line during
the height of CO Yet they never got a dime They never got a dollar They never were given two cents while putting those lives on the line They had to work and got paid the same way to date as everyone who got to sit home in their house and do absolutely nothing And that
also is not fair and somehow you've got to find a way to come up with a solution to give them some form of um compensation in recognition of what they did during that period of time It's time for the city to get involved on the
council level to help get this contract settled and resolved Don't continue to sit back Don't let it be the problem of whoever the next mayor of the city is Get involved now That's part of your obligation As for earlier I apologize
for being a little bit upset but I had questions and nobody had answers And any member of this public who walks into this meeting at 6:00 and sees an ordinance and has a question and didn't happen Councilman Gilmore to be able to
read an ordinance should be able to ask that question and have it answered They shouldn't be told "Get the ordinance two weeks ago because someone could just walk in here one day see an item have a question let those questions be answered If you come to our meeting I'll answer
any question you ever have Thank you very much Just for the record we done been at the table with this union." Just for the record we done been at the table with this union I don't know all that happened
They were there at the table Don't Don't You're not coming up here talking You're not doing it We've been at the table We've been at the table Santos Okay Santos That's it We've been there at the table Now based on the agreement whatever I don't know if all y'all men
know what the agreement was Y'all went back and forth with it So don't act like we have not done anything That's what I want to make clear cuz they are they've been at the table That's why boys always think like we not do You've been at the table
Okay our next speaker 5.8 Phillip been at the table [Laughter] Good evening Once again it's Phil Carrington So looking back in retrospect to the last two weeks I made a threat that I was going to bring charge against
you all for taxation without representation and the purpose for that of course is that I had an issue issues and I brought the issue here and I wanted to get an answer and if the answer could not have been given here I
should have been referred to the right governing body I put that on hold primarily because when I got back home the night I opened the mayor from the Supreme Court listen carefully And the Supreme Court say that they're going to hear my
matter 95% of the kids that go before the Supreme Court even by attorneys don't get heard That means that 95% of the things that I've said is true And when the decision is
done I mean only 5% is left So they have 5% to prove me wrong Well what a case really was is a question of law No one answered But also part of that is that the law say that you must
have two doors There's two doors There's two forms of egress Right The inspectors admit yes that I have two forms of egress I am in compliance No you can't have a answer yes and no to the same question And I brought that here time and time again That matter should have
gone to the state at all It could have been answered here So I really hope not that the mayor should not run for any office until the Supreme Court matter is heard or nobody else I mean if you can't address simple issues locally that you should have
addressed you can address it on the statewide but while you should have heard that matter individually if you are representative and it happened to me then it happened to many of people I'm going to speak
that speak directly to Gilmore and to Joam primarily because I know you have property but decade center was closed and that's where we at the Supreme court When a building is closed you're supposed to get a rims form from the fire department When you're ready to
reopen they're supposed to come out check it and give you requirements not violations There were not violations I keep telling you all the DCA said they were not violations They were requirements You're going to meet that requirement to get your certification
And when the fire department issued a viol I said they're not violations I'm not quite sure where y'all coming from according to the law and they ignoring And so everybody now who's involved with that have the answer especially the attorneys because you cannot continue to
write false certification and know it was false And so look carefully there means which means that there are hundreds of black people who got violations that was not violations over the years There were requirements Thank you Phil Important that you check that
Thank you Our next speaker 5.9 Ryan Ryan S Okay Thank you Next speaker 5.10 Kevin as we're here Thank you
I am fully committed to seeing this fight through for the enforcement of the city's laws But if this is a contest of commitment and sacrifice our mayor Steven Fulip takes the prize
And it's not even close for his unmatched obsession with non- enforcement He's willing to burn his entire political future to ensure Jersey City voters continue to go without
resident supers required security transparency about legal rents or even transparency about their landlord's identity as mandated by New Jersey law And now he's trying to rewrite the story because apparently he's starting to
panic This panic might be new for him but we've prepared for over two years while we've been fighting for him to care about the laws of Jersey City The ordinance is strong He has $2,000 per day per tenant fines at his disposal
tenants in Hoboken who have had our exact same problems for less than six months Mayor Bala issued $600,000 fine $800,000 fine $2,000 per day per tenant adds up very quickly I don't think our
landlord has been fined $6 or $8 let alone $6 or $800,000 The mayor could do something He's just not To an out of town reporter last week Philip said and I'm going to quote from
the transcript regarding his inaction related to what we bring to this hall every other week He said there's a stay in federal court and this is a long quote He said Dina Henden he brought that up last week
and she's a real lawyer He said that three times She's a lawyer She's a real lawyer not a political person She's a lawyer She actually I'm still quoting Fullip which I was surprised at She sided with the landlord which is a crazy
thing for me He said this not Bala Fulip last week Yes we're at the point in this story where Philip throws Dina Henden under the bus to distance himself further He added she he was talking about Dina Henden was picked by the
activists Let's correct the record There is no federal stay nor any stay from any court None whatsoever Dina Henden told us in writing that rent control applies Then she flipped just before she flipped or Philipped Philip told me personally
Philip told me personally I put her in that position to take care of problems like this Now he's surprised she sided with the landlord He called that crazy Thank you Thank you
Our next speaker 5.11 Suzanne Good evening council Let me tell you a quick story about Corey Booker Back in 2013 when he was mayor of Newark a tweet went out Someone spotted a dog shivering in the cold left outside
overnight And what did Corey do he showed up Not a press secretary not a statement He personally rescued that dog Picked it up took it to safety called the owner It made national headlines A
mayor didn't just care He acted I was thinking about that this week because a while back one of our neighbors stood here and told a different story A cat stuck in a tree An evil person sets the tree on fire A good
person says kind words maybe even loves cats but doesn't act A hero climbs the tree and rescues the cat He said "We are the cat." And we still are because that tree is now tall with rot No uniform
security no resident super no functioning emergency systems no enforcement We have stood here week after week asking someone anyone to climb So maybe now it's Corey Booker's turn He rescued a dog in Newark Maybe
he'll rescue a few thousand cats in Jersey City But if he does let's be clear he's going to have to climb past the people who let us stay stuck in that tree for three years That means people in the room this
room And if he really wants to be president someday he's going to have to prove that he cannot just act when the cameras are rolling but when the violations are buried in court filings when the suffering is quiet when the injustice is being done by people wearing his party's
colors Booker showed up for one freezing dog We're asking him and all of you to show up for us Climb the tree Thank you I'd also like to say I'm also very sick of the ads by Fullip on TV I frankly
just laugh I don't find any of them are convincing whatsoever to give him a vote He talks about wanting to provide education educational programs for his kids I'm pretty sure his kids are all set I'm also sick of seeing his house I'm sick of him saying he stands up to
billionaires and landlords Hello What has been done nothing has been done negative Thank you Our next speaker 5.12 Daniel At last city council meeting corporate council Brittany Murray informed us and
the council that Portide Towers is seeking an exemption from the 247 uniform security requirement that was adopted unanimously by this council on June 26th 2024 Now the ordinance has language about a security exemption The
ordinance states that to seek an exemption an official must quote "Inspect the dwelling to determine if the security if the existing security arrangements are adequate to protect the safety and property of its residents The inspection shall include the evaluation of residents security concerns and
complaints when issuing or continuing an exemption." End quote And we've discussed at great lengths here why we need 24/7 uniform security at port side towers Beside the fact that it's the law we need that layer of safety which we
still do not have As we told you all on numerous occasions here On November 22nd 2024 an attacker entered our building chasing a woman who he was attacking And as we've also told you all on numerous occasions a bullet pierced a child's
window in our building last year In fact that child's mother has been in front of you all multiple times standing right where I am crying and pleading for your help Now what I don't understand is that the ordinance was signed into law in June of last year and Portide filed for
an exemption over 6 months after that So why wasn't port side hit with daily fines for that entire 6 plusmonth period before they filed for an exemption we've brought our security concerns in front of you all repeatedly during that time
before port side filed for an exemption So why wasn't the law enforced last year after that ordinance was adopted now let me be clear There are no grounds for an exemption from uniform security for our building And my concern is that Port Side will either get the exemption which
to me would be a clear sign of either incompetence or corruption on the part of the city or if they don't get the exemption what will stop Port Side from bringing the 247 security issue to the courts just like they've done with the rent control status of our buildings to
delay and delay and delay and delay The ordinance for 24/7 uniform security was signed into law 10 months ago and we still do not have uniformed security Why is it that corporate landlords can skirt
the laws of this city at the expense of the safety and well-being of Jersey City residents and if anyone here can answer my question as to why Portide Towers was able to ignore the ordinance requiring 24/7 uniform security for over 6 months before filing an exemption please let me
know Thank you Our next speaker 5.13 Brendan Good evening council members Imagine waking up in the dead of night startled by flashing nights roaring fans with no alarm sounding Imagine the fear the confusion wondering if your home is safe if you need to evacuate you need to run
you need to gather up your kids or abandon them This isn't hypothetical This happened to residents at Portside Towers as reported in today's New Jersey Time New Jersey.com article A recording of a recent call to Portide Towers emergency line was paid for played for
council members The article explains when a resident called the emergency number they were rooted to an overseas call center with no response and no superintendent on site Weeks later tenants said the landlord had not addressed the situation Council members this is not an inconvenience This is
dangerous ne negligence This incident shows the reality behind the words of uniform security and resident superintendent These aren't bureaucratic requirements These are lifelines ensuring our safety security and peace of mind And yet the dangers extend
beyond safety The article continues to state "Meanwhile residents are also dealing with illegal rent hikes Illegal increases mean more financial strain more families displaced more of your constituents falling behind economically and struggling unnecessarily Your oversight can can
shine a spotlight to these urgent issues Your investigations can provide transparency and force accountability Your votes of no confidence can send the strongest possible message that neglect is unacceptable in Jersey City Tonight we urge you to recognize these incidents
not as isolated complaints but as symptoms of a systematic crisis a crisis that demands your immediate action and rentless and relentless oversight Let's continue The they our landlord is filing for an exemption to the to this ordinance when they aren't even
complying with the current ordinances in the city We do not have a resident supervisor as clearly stated So why the heck should they be allowed to ignore the security ordinance at this point i would not be surprised if I come home one night my windows missing in my apartment and fell off and they said
"We're not required to provide you a window." It really would not surprise me or half the people in my building if this happened given our landlord's ability at coming up with things they're not responsible for providing Who knows maybe they'll take a step out of Europe
and get rid of my floors next Thank you Our next speaker 5.14 Eve I don't live at Portide Towers I observe council meetings for a year and I see blatantly hostile council persons not listening President Waterman Bill O Day saved my life twice when you left me for
dead So stop snapping at him It's council job number one to be present listen look and then respond with action My landlord has still received no punishment from municipal court for putting me in the hospital Now the landlord is obstructing the rental assistance program I need and the rent
prices at the landlord tenant office are all out of whack because that department has been deliberately under staff for more than 5 years Before I go further let's talk about who the good leaders are here Councilman Bajiano Gilmore and Solomon They are the leadership we need
James Solomon you have done a fantastic job You're my councilman I voted for you because you earn it every day The other six of you I would love to give you the benefit of the doubt and hope you've done work that I just haven't seen yet Mayor Steven Fulip abandoned his job years ago and the entire city machine
has been re-engineered to funnel donations to his governor campaign and money to his big developer related donors I told you I've delivered solid rocksolid evidence proving same to the DOJ and others What do those of you who still allow that wrongful cost shifting
think you're going to get by riding the team fullup train blatantly obvious publicly available records show deliberate failure to enforce housing laws as well as rampant accounting audit violations The financial law enforcement of this city was and is your jurisdiction President Waterman that is
written into the city municipal code How much of that missing $26 million fine revenue have you recovered because I see zero I'm a deliberate forensic investigator and I don't speak for nothing One element of proving a criminal statute violation and this is important is proving the perpetrator
knew they're doing it So now I'm on record six times politely informing city council Now you know statute violation statute violation applies to you if you simply don't act What I'm doing by speaking here I am busy busy observing and proving out all the federal
indictments that need to happen Let me tell you there are not going to be nine of nine counsel up there on the outside of the prison if every person cannot show to the DOJ what you did to get new auditors fire the lawyer campaign donors fire the ticket fixing court staff hold the mayor to account recover the money and enforce the housing laws We clearly
need different leadership So I'd like to finish by nominating James Solomon to take over as acting city council president going forward We need state controller auditors here immediately and he would have this straightened out with the rest of you start cooperating And
God bless Bill O Day God bless Bill O Day Next speaker 5.15 David Good evening council Uh I'm a resident uh a tenant at Portsight Towers and as you know we've been coming here for a long time and saying very similar things
a lot of the time Um and this week I was reminded of uh a parable in the Gospel of Luke Uh and it's the the parable of the persistent widow So I'm going to talk about this in a secular way Very briefly though There's an unjust judge
and then there's a widow who comes to that judge and says over and over again says grant me justice against my adversary So keeps coming back keeps saying the same thing And now this is an unjust judge and this is someone who
doesn't care what anybody thinks and is unassalable you know and but the judge thinks to himself she's just going to keep coming she's going to keep coming back and saying the same thing and it's going to wear me out So he gives the widow what
she's asking for So I thought okay maybe I can put myself in this position of the persistent widow maybe by coming down here all the time and continuing to say the same thing maybe I can you know wear
these people down Um but then as I kept thought thinking about it I thought you know the parable doesn't say that the widow's actually in the right here It just says she's a widow Okay And widows can be wrong like anyone else And uh you
know the judge is unjust and we know what she's asking for something but so what right it doesn't necessarily mean she's in the right So what if the landlord is the persistent widow and so the landlord I know is continuously
lobbying the city at all levels Um and landlords you know mostly don't have jobs Owning something is not a job So they have tons of free time And so that's what they're doing all the time is talking and uh talking of their side
So I have to come down here whether I want to or not I we have to keep showing up here and pleading our case and presenting our side because we know that they're continually presenting their side I want to say very quickly
that there are things happening on a national level with the current administration that are really uh blatant and uh just continual and extreme violations of of the rule of law And it can seem
like inside or outside of government it can feel like what can we do about this and I want to say that anytime anyone at any level of government stands up for what's right stands up to enforce a law a a just law that you're taking a stand
and you're resisting what is happening more broadly And so I ask you to please do that Thank you Next speaker 5.16 Jessica Good evening city council I think you know my name is Jessica Um I'm a resident of Portide Towers Um tonight I
want to talk to you about setting the record straight because there have been some things in the news um and in the media and the advertisement from the fullup campaign that are just not accurate Um he has stated that let me be clear Mayor Steven Fulip has claimed
that tenants cause delays in enforcing Ordinance 260 That is false and the timeline proves it In May of 2022 when Dina Henden the city's own rent control officer confirmed that Portide Towers is subject to rent control in writing to us
Within weeks we tenants at that time without legal teams and without funding filed illegal rent petitions We followed the rules We are all working people As David just said we have jobs We work to pay for the roofs over our heads We care
for our families We are not corporate landlords with lawyers on speed dial In this process we met every city request and deadline Meanwhile the landlord submitted rent roles late incomplete and inconsistently violating
the annual daily annual reporting requirements We really need the city to issue the daily fines so that the teeth built into the ordinance on purpose can actually bite We're asking for accountability
here So I want to say this directly to Mayor Fulip You are Where's the camera is it above that flag right there you are running for governor But let me be clear We will not let your record in
Jersey City go unnoticed in your state campaign You have failed to enforce tenant protections You have allowed corporate landlords to violate the law while blaming the people who fought for their rights You're hoping we will just
go away But guess what you do not get to abandon enforcement gaslight the public and climb the political ladder untouched We tenants are organized We have been and continue to build strength We are speaking out and we will continue to
tell our story to anyone who will hear us And we will continue to put the message out online in the media in the eyes of the voters of the state of New Jersey in Jersey City in Trenton and everywhere in between
Mayor Fulip your pattern of self-promotion while tenants suffer is not leadership It's opportunism Shame on you and we've had enough You are not fit to hold future office Council
members the choice is clear Side with the tenants the constituents you represent Do not enable this failure To the city's lawyers we really thank you for defending the ordinance in court You're doing the right thing Thank you
Our next speaker 5.17 Judith Judith Fury Rogers former tenant of PH Residential and victim victim of housing discrimination Please don't leave while I'm
I 100 Montgomery refused an active DCA program which covered a portion of my rent for apartment 3A This happens because I am one person
standing in front of you publicly complaining about corruption of construction management and federal funding misuse 100 Montgomery aka PH Residential aka Paulace Hook Towers aka the Montgomery
aka the Montgomery Paul Hook What's with all the names on a funding question on March 21st 2025 the Montgomery Paulless Hook was awarded 53
million and federal funding to renovate update units HUD 223F program was designed for refinancing market rate affordable housing subsidized multifamily
properties 100 Montgomery designated half of the units as affordable That's 154 66 section 8 That's a total of 220 affordable units There's 88 left And
they have renovated and charged high renter units in 2020 88 units We said all empty apartments unless they rent to high renters Did they receive funding for the lower
renters and use it to renovate the higher renters and how about this new money that's in here now where is that going in 2023 funding was provided for AC and air condition AC and heating
units They're still in the process of finishing that today Over a 100 units have been renovated What are they doing with this new money the tenants who live in the renovated units pay the higher
price AfricanAmerican and Puerto Ricans in the there are none in the new units What is happening why are all the ads for the higher renters what are they hiding how are they segregating all the people
deciding who is getting the new units thank you Our next speaker 5.18 Joel Hey Joel Hey I'm here Good evening council Last Saturday I attended Senator Corey
Booker's first town hall since his 25-hour Senate marathon when Kevin Kevin Weller asked a question The question concerned rent control enforcement and what the federal leaders can do when local governments like we're experiencing here in Jersey City refuse
to act Senator Booker gave a thoughtful lengthy response but what stood out most was what he said directly to Kevin You should reach out to my office We want to
help Forbes picked up Kevin's question and Senator Booker's answer specifically That moment has now been viewed over 1 half million times via the AP MSNBC Fox and Forbes to name several
outlets After the event I watched Booker staff surround Kevin assuring him and us that they're ready to dig in We hope that they do and we and the press will keep that commitment honest because here
in Jersey City we've already given over 1,000 speeches in this room That's more than 50 hours 3 minutes at a time And not to challenge some opposing party but to ask our own government to enforce its
own laws And it hasn't been just us residents at portside towers Renters from every ward of this city have stood at this mic speaking the same issues We will win the federal court case The city's current legal team is
helping to make sure of that and we're proud to stand beside them So the real question is why is this still a fight why not start enforcing the laws right now pick something
anything Start with uniform security Start with a resident supervisor Neither one has anything to do with rent control or the litigation Just enforce something Because here's the truth A mayor Steven Fulip who won't
enforce the law won't become governor And a council member who stood by and let this happen for years won't become mayor Why would we replace one mayor who failed to act arrogantly with someone who allowed it for three years we've
done our part 50 hours worth Now we're watching to see who here is finally really ready to do their part Thank you Thank you Next speaker 5.19 Shannon Good evening council I'm so happy to
stand here tonight before you Um a little story Early in my nursing career I faced a challenging situation I had a patient who was struggling to choose between two medical options One was relatively new with
limited research um but the existing evidence suggests that it was the more effective choice The other was a traditional wellestablished treatment but less likely to achieve her desired outcome After thoroughly reviewing the options with her she looked at me and asked a
question I really remember and that I've heard many times since She simply said "If I were your sister what would you advise me to do?" So that personal connection that act of truly putting myself in her shoes
that meant everything to her It highlighted the profound impact of empathy I've carried that lesson with me applying it wherever appropriate For instance when a patient expresses concerns about the safety of a procedure we're proposing I'll often reassure her
if I agree with it um by saying "If you were my sister I would recommend this." For months we've come before this council pleading for the enforcement of ordinance 260 We haven't asked for special favors nor
have we requested anything illegal or unsafe We want uniform security on the premises We're asking for a posting of our on-site super or at least a phone number allowing us to communicate with our building management a real
person in case of emergency We ask for rent roles We ask for in adherence as all buildings must to the rules that make renting fair in New Jersey In Jersey City we simply seek the enforcement of the city's existing laws
ensuring our landlord adheres to them So I urge you please to just take a moment consider this If you've got a sister can you put her in your mind right now and if your sister were living in our building facing our circumstances what
would you want for her would you act with diligence and commitment enforcing the law with the power that you have please think about that for us Thank you for your time Our next speaker 5.20
Sylvia not here Thank you Next speaker 5.21 Sonia Good evening Two years and two months This is how long I've been coming here A good time to pause and take stock Take stock Sorry Probably not a good term to
use these days I didn't want to scare you Well actually let's start there Where it hurts People in your community are hurting They have been for way over two years Three years ago our group
discovered the wrongdoings we've brought in front of you countless times These kinds of practices have affected us and over 70% of the residents who rent in Jersey City much longer than just for three years It's been going on on
throughout Steven Phop's three terms Why is that possible let's go back to the word stock the capital raised by a business or corporation through the issue and subscription of shares or shall I say the capital raised by a
politician through betrayal and corruption That's where we are stock that's what we are stockpiling here in Jersey City Not shares but shame Two years and two months This is this is a third of the age of my own
company which turned six a few days ago I'm a female immigrant entrepreneur who has been paying taxes for her business from the first year on I thought that was the American dream And of course doing good by others Paying your share
in form of taxes in the city state and country that that has set you up for success by providing infrastructure education and opportunities This is normal to me as a business owner I'm proud that my company was profitable from day one on and I'm proudly paying
back to my community for that Not so my landlord Last year Equity Residential reported total revenues of almost 3 billion a 3.69% increase from the previous year So you would assume assume lots and lots of
taxes have been paid here in Jersey City right nope The residential portion of ports had a 30-year tax abatement also known as a pilot agreement until August 2022 That's an advantage given to billionaire landlord entrepreneurs can
only dream of Maybe that's the American dream I'm thinking two years and two months and two very sad examples of how the shares are distributed in our community Now look into your own investment accounts And I don't mean the
ones in your bank They came back already today as a politician backed down What I mean is the investment in your people Portsiders are making up 50% of the speakers here tonight That's almost like that every for for the last three years
70% of renters is even more Demand and supply regulate the market We demand you supply now Thank you Next speaker 5.22 Michelle Good evening As Mayor Fulip campaigns for governor portraying himself as a
champion of affordable housing I feel compelled to set the record straight about the portside tower struggle For nearly three years hundreds of tenants have fought to enforce Jersey City rent control laws in our buildings Throughout
this battle we haven't seen Fulip once not at a single tenant meeting not at a single council or board hearing not when his support might have made a difference What's particularly troubling is his
mischaracterization of our efforts Just days ago in an interview he claimed that portside tenants didn't want to go down that route of filing appeals and that after a year and a half they decided to do it Most concerning he explicitly
stated he doesn't feel like all those people are reasonable directly impugning the character of tenants who are simply fighting for their legal rights This characterization is demonstrably false
The official record tells the truth Our petitions and evidence were submitted meticulously Every extension was formally requested and officially granted by his own administration The rent leveling board's
unanimous 6 vote in our favor speaks volumes about who was reasonable After our victory instead of acknowledging we were right the mayor's spokeswoman claimed we had tried to circumvent the appeals process continuing the outrageous false
narrative that tenants were gaming the system Meanwhile his gubanatorial campaign materials proudly showcase Jersey City housing policies as a model for New Jersey while his administration ignores basic tenant protections at port
side regarding legally required landlord identity disclosures live-in superintendence and 247 uniform security This is the stark reality We have had to do this work ourselves
without your support We've won victories not because of his administration but despite it Fulip you can't claim credit for tenant protections while failing to enforce them You can't portray yourself as a housing champion while ignoring
those fighting on the front lines If Jersey City is truly your model for New Jerseyy's housing future perhaps you should start by acknowledging the truth rather than pedalling revisionist history that erases the struggle of the
very tenants whose victories you're now shamelessly exploiting for political gain Thank you Our next speaker 5.23 Gracie Good evening council members I'm Gracie Jolly a portside towers tenant since
1997 It's been 28 years I stand before you concerned about the troubling reality regarding security at our port side home Despite clear legal requirements for
24/7 uniformed security and living superintendence these basic safety protections are absent the documented gunshot through a 19th floor window a fire and subsequent flooding and a
bleeding woman whose abuser entered our building without issue all in less than a year's time should alarm us all As Kevin Michelle and others have notified
you malfunctioning locks doors kept open parking garage issues and unmonitori unmonitored lobbies have become commonplace These are only some of our
concerns Given equity residentials known inadequate safety conditions here in Jersey City and elsewhere any Portite Towers security exemption would be
foolish Why should corporate landlords be allowed to ignore the laws designed to protect your constituents please ensure that Equity Residential
will have no choice but to lawfully protect its tenants Thank you for your time Thank you Our next speaker 5.24 Jennifer So I feel like you all wanted to be on
this board to help make the community better And I bet you all have stories on how you got here So I'm sure the red tape of bureaucracy has been a a wall for some of you trying to get things
accomplished for the community And I'm sure we are not the only ones who get frustrated You're probably frustrated as well Times are changing and our community is changing And I feel like
it's changing for the better I am not sure what specifically stops the board from implementing the laws for rent control but I think it's time Last time I was here I asked you all to be the
heroes of this story And I ask you again don't you want to be the heroes of the community i think you all would enjoy your job a lot more if you accomplished things and felt
successful We are here to help you do that Tell us what you need to help you implement the law While some aspects of what we have brought forward are still being decided in federal court we and
fellow renters from other wards have been asking for enforcement of ordinances that have nothing to do with our case You unanimously approved approved improvements to the uniform security ordinance to remove
exemption loopholes And now the city is spending weeks evaluating if an exemption is in order When you unanimously approve other ordinances we don't see committees
invest in investigating whether those ordinances should have meaningful weight Yet in those other cases there weren't over a hundred speeches begging for help Success feels good And I think it would
be wonderful if we could all make this successful together where you are successful as advocates for the community instead of a wall of adversaries Can you imagine if we were
all coming up here to thank you and give you stories of like how you helped us how wonderful would that feel so I think you have the power to make that a reality So I look forward to
seeing that happen and coming up here and saying thank you It's about time Our next speaker 5.25 Ryan Think Ryan left Next speaker 5.26 Craig won't put me on the list
Ready ready Good evening council and thank you for your time My name is Craig Howard and I'm on the executive team for Union Local 245 a union that does not have a contract I'm here to ask the city
council to use its powers of governance to just assist us in putting this travesty of a non-contract behind us for six years without success We are
currently working without a contract in the city that prices housing prices reach upward to $850,000 or more Um the uh uh housing
expenses are like 71% higher than the national average All right You got utility prices 8% higher than the national average Grocery prices 5% higher than the national average All
right This has substantially impacted the way we live and increased unaffordability for not just us but many other residents especially for those that toil daily like us to beautify this
city and make it shiny for its residents So with this said we ask that you use your powers delay some of these budgets um and get this until the city renegotiates with us once again to get
our contract Um continuing uh we want to continue to work with you in solidarity We appreciate your time A lot of you have stood with us in solidarity
and that was a big deal to us and now we just want to end this if we can Thank you Thank you Our next speaker 5.27 Santo I have to say my name or everybody knows who I am You know who you are
Um Craig put it nicely Um we've been called to service during the pandemic to set up CO sites throughout the city We had our members got CO and passed away
Still no contract That goes back to 2020 The actual contract yes they did come to the table uh President Waterman but if they don't say anything at that table we can't agree Our members
suffered over six years The city got cobbit money $150 million dollars still were out of contract When Sandy hit we bring the city back to life with the trees the water We left our families in the dark
Every time we're called upon floods 245 has been there Disasters 245 has been there I didn't ask for the state of emergency money It was put in the contract I accepted it Now every time we
come across our contract the city is violating it We came here not to argue with you We came here to ask you for help Come down and put the city together Let's get to the table Let's finish this
contract Um I watch these Mayor Phillips uh commercials on TV He talks about he's union friendly Let me see it Six years without a contract We're a union We're your union You got eight unions that
work for Steve Phillip Not one of them endorsing them for mayor The rest of the unions throughout the state is watching this They're watching me now speaking to you I'm asking this administration to help us I'm asking the BA to get the
team back into negotiations Let's let's get it done Let's finish it Let's put this behind us Don't leave here when your term is up leaving us without a contract Do we have to go to the seventh year you're going to see the mayor
candidates came down They they're supporting 245 to get a contract Some of them said it would never happen on their watch Fine Come to the table Give us something that we could discuss with We're not asking you to be a dictator but if you
keep coming to the table and keep saying the same thing over and over again that we disagreeing then we ain't getting nowhere So please talk to the administration Please business administrator get your team back in I'm acting nicely I'm not going to attack
the mayor Let him become governor But those other unions out there are going to see what's happening here The unions built this New Jersey They built the United States You can't treat us like this We're the smallest Please help us
get a contract Thank you for your time Thank you Our next speaker 5.28 Daryl His Good evening city council Hope all is well with y'all My name is Daryl Roberts I've been a worker of the city
of Jersey City almost 10 years now Let's get straight to the point My fellow members of local union 245 and I haven't had a contract in six years in counting I feel that's utterly ridiculous and unacceptable Also in these current times
we live in it's a struggle to maintain a respectable living with prices skyrocketing rapidly Last week March 31st excuse me March 31st we was out in front of city hallformational pricking not to protest
but to bring awareness to our current situation because it's bring major awareness awareness We haven't had a contract in six years All we need is a fair and reasonable contract All the workers in different divisions and departments of the city do
their job to the best of their ability to make the city look presentable We just want to be able to have high quality pay so we can afford this current lifestyle we're in Yesterday's history tomorrow's a mystery but today is a gift So let's enjoy the present But
how can we enjoy the present when we six years without a contract put yourself in our shoes How would you feel let's get this done Teamwork makes the dream work and we all win Thank you for listening and have a great
night Our next speaker 5.29 Michael here Oh thanks Sorry I didn't see you coming up Good evening council president and members of the council My name is Michael Daniel and I'm here to
respectfully ask for your support for a resolution that would allow Kind Buds JC a class 5 cannabis retail application to be fairly heard again before this council This resolution came before you on March 26 but I was unable to attend
due to a medical emergency Unfortunately it was voted down in my absence and much of what was shared about my application that night simply wasn't accurate I appreciate the opportunity tonight to share the truth and to explain why I believe this application deserves a second
look When I first went before the cannabis board on August 14th 2023 I was told I needed to engage the local community I took that advice seriously I reached out to the Hilltop Neighborhood Association and met with them on October 30th 2023 I gave a presentation broke
down the application process discussed other cannabis approvals in the area and answered every question they had I was told I was the only applicant who made the effort to show up and speak with them directly Following that meeting Miss Laura Moss and Miss Katrina Bojano sent
an email to the cannabis board confirming my engagement As a result my application was approved at the next Cannabis Board meeting on November 13 2023 But more than just checking these boxes I'm here because this is my community I
didn't move here to Jersey City when cannabis became legal I grew up right near the location of my proposed site I'm a proud graduate of PS number six Dickson High School and Monontlair State University This city raised me and I've been investing right back into it I
already own two businesses in Jersey City A third is on the way and Kind Buds would be my fourth Every one of them represents not just a financial investment but a commitment to building something meaningful and lasting in my hometown As part of my community impact
plan I partner with the Coalition for Health and Social Equity and Girls Love Tech Two organizations doing critical work to expand opportunity and education right here in Jersey City Through these partnerships we're creating spaces for young people and underserved communities
to grow learn and thrive I also want to address the opposition raised by another applicant during the last meeting The young lady and her partner who spoke against my resolution are currently approved at 535 North A
But in a meeting I had with them this past February they acknowledged their building has major foundation issues and opening would cost them north of $300,000 something they told me they can't move forward with In fact she's reached out numerous times to discuss a
possible partnership because the likelihood of them opening at that location is slim I'm not here for special treatment I'm asking for fairness I did the work I met with the community I followed the process I
stayed rooted in the city and built every step of my business with your time is up Thank you for your time your service and your consideration Our next speaker 530 Christian I don't see her Next speaker 5.31 Chris Capers
Hey my name is Chris Capers Um I'm here as a 30-year resident of Jersey City Uh born and raised at the Old Medical Center I'm a member of local three laborers union and I'm a Jersey City brigade captain I definitely stand in solidarity with these workers Let's get
them a contract Um yes Clap it up Without the union I'm not sure where I would be The community needs good paying jobs As you heard from them in Jersey City everything is just getting ridiculous The pricing the housing
market If you try to bid on the house you get out bid If you go for a twobedroom it's like $2,500 I'm looking at apartments that I've been as a elementary school These apartments
haven't changed and they asking for ridiculous amount of money But I'm not here to bash you guys I'm actually here to thank the city council members that vote and support ordinance that hold contractors accountable in the city of
Jersey City So I want to thank you guys Also I'm here to stand Also I just want to um know what are we going to do about the contractor is not doing the right thing in Jersey City Um I know a few of you have sat down and spoken with us but
it's just getting out of hand right now So in closing I just want to say that I don't want to leave Jersey City Like I said I was born in the old medical center that is now uh condos by a billionaire And um like these brothers said that we all need good paying jobs
just to live here I work hard I'm trying to provide for my family So if we could do something I appreciate it But thank you for your time Thank you Our next speaker 5.32 Katie I believe she left And our last speaker 5.33
Kevin not here All right That will conclude our public speaking portion of the meeting Hold on I just have a few questions Hey um John is there any way those guys could get back to the table to just hash out uh council thank you
for the time Um yeah the city's been acting as a good faith negotiator Um I just want to kind of go through some uh data points here I can't talk much about the specifics of the contract but we do have a close session uh two weeks uh to to discuss the local 246 uh settlement
and we could answer specific questions here But um since the local 245 contract expired the city settled two contracts with JCSA and 641 settled the contract with 246 and presenting another 246 contract next week settled the contract
with local 68 and second round of local 68 will be coming within the next month and settled all four public safety um unit contracts and are now currently negotiating those four um contracts again So I think the city has proof that since this had expired we've done
several rounds with other um negotiations and uh we we weren't always uh together at the table but we worked out those and and brought those to the memberships and got them codified So um it's an ongoing process as far as the state of the uh state of the emergency
pay and and some of that language Um you know that's been in the courts Uh there's some been some recently some rulings on that and we'll get back to the table and discuss that along with what we've already presented John you said you're having a meeting with them next week No close session We have a close we have a closed session if
there's any specific questions about the details of the negotiations But I just wanted to provide an outline that we have been uh good faith representatives uh as an administration We've settled several contracts that weren't always aligned but we figured it out and we're going to continue to work on this one Do
we know where the where we at are at with the police contracts as well can't discuss it publicly uh Councilman but we do have continuous conversations Um we we've received some feedback from their last round uh which was on Friday on what could be amendable and we're going
to get back to the table with them as well Thank you Britney Um can you give us an update as it relates to the um file for exemption uh where are we at as it relates to
the oh my god the no not the appeal the actual investigation portion sure Um we spoke to the director conducting the investigation The entire investigation is complete He's mess he's met with everyone He's gathered all the documents
He's just finalizing his report I don't want to say a time because that normally gets us in trouble but it should be very soon So we're just finishing um the report So all the investigation is complete Okay Now once that report is complete
um whatever the decision is then I guess they would the next appealed or whatever that would be in court right it would we don't there's nothing else locally we will be able to
address once we make our decision there correct y okay okay now I guess my last question if it should go to the courts What if anything happens in the meantime
if the exemption is not provided they'll can be issued violations There's already two violations that are outstanding and making their way through the municipal court If the exemption is not given somebody goes out and inspects and there's not a security officer there they can issue a violation Obviously if
somebody files a lawsuit um you know the court can direct us and tell us what to do but up until that time violations can issue if somebody's in in a violation of the code And regarding enforcement I'm sorry can you mind if I jump no Go ahead
Regarding enforcement um it can't be targeted right it has to be um part of a broader enforcement mechanism Correct Like if if hypothetically the city was to do it every day would that be
considered like targeted enforcement or would that get thrown out i don't know Like tell Yeah If we um receive a complaint we can send somebody out Somebody calls every day If somebody calls every second day if somebody's available and somebody
goes out they can issue a violation It's not targeted in that regard if we're receiving complaints and responding to So the city could do that Sure Okay So I I just want I'm sorry Okay I just want to be clear then
So if if if port side calls every single day that we don't have a security officer we can have somebody go there daily and give them fines No Is there a time period between because I remember before with the
senior building y'all told me that Right From the Just trying to make this clear because Yeah Right there was an initial violation issued You normally get 30 days to cure So um there was an initial violation issued I believe it's being rescheduled um the hearing but after
that point in time if we still find that there's no cure you can go out and issue the violations Shouldn't a violation be issued every day i mean it can be Well it should be I mean it's going on for two years Good council
Why not okay Nothing to do with port side Um council I just wanted to give you an update Um I know at the caucus meeting we discussed compiling the protocols for uh when there's an incident at a city building or surrounding it So um I talked to director Kierus and the insurance fund and we'll have that over to you guys by
Friday Just wanted to give an update All right On to our petitions and communications Any questions or comments on items 6.1 through 630 hearing none There are no officer communications Any questions or comments
on reported directors 8.1 through 8.2 Hearing none On to our claims and addendums number one and number two Council members are going to be taking a vote on claims and addendums number one and number two Council person Ridley I Council person Princeary Hi Council
person Bajana I Council person Sole I Council person Solomon Hi Council person Gilman Hi Council person Deise I Council person Rivera I And council president Waterman Claims and addendums number one and number two are approved unanimously
90 On to our resolutions Council members going to be taking a vote on items 10.1 through 10.11 Again that's 10.1 through 10.11 Council person Ridley I Council person
Prince Ary I for all Council person Bajiano Hi Council person Sele I just want to um say I for all and also congratulate the conservation committee on the Ken memorial and historic objects
for uh getting the plaque that will be down at Exchange Place I know they've been doing a lot of hard work I'd also be remiss if I didn't uh honor the legacy and life of the late councilman Michael Yun who was a huge proponent of
the conservation committee on Kton memorial and historic objects He stood side by side with them to make sure that this memorial would be there in perpetuity and without him it would not be there Him and Bojana work very hard
on it So I just want to honor him cuz it's been 5 years since his passing um as of April 6th And um yeah thank you to the family of the late council Mike Leon and uh I for all Thank you Council Person Solomon
I for all Council person Gilmore I Council person Deise I Council person Rivera I And council president Waterman Items 10.1 through 10.11 are approved unanimously 90 On
to items 10.12 through 10.22 10.12 through 10.22 Council person Ridley I Council person Princeary Hi For all Council person Bajiano Hi Council
person I for all Council person Solomon Hi for all Council person Gilmore Um I'm abstaining on 1017 I go I on arrest Thank you Council person Deise I Council
person Rivera I And council president Waterman Items 10.12 through 10.6 are approved unanimously 90 Item 10.17 is approved 8 01 with council
person Gilmore abstaining and items 1018 through 10:22 are approved unanimously 90 On to our next set of resolutions Items 10.23 through 10.32 with the exception
of 1030 which has been approved earlier Council person Ridley I Council person Princeary I for all Council person Bajiano I Council person I for all Council person Solomon hi Council person Gilmore
you said to 10 10:23 to 10:32 We already approved 10:30 Okay I thank you Council Person Deise I Council Persona I And Council President Waterman items 10.23 23 through
10.32 are approved unanimously 90 for the balance of our resolutions items 10.33 to 10.42 42 with the exception of 39 and 41 which have been approved earlier Council person Ridley I Council
person Prince area Hi for all Council person Bajiano I just have a question on John Metro John I just have a question on number 38 It says the Pacific and Hosimus branch Where is that the bridge
That's on Baldwin I never heard that I live right around the corner I've never ever heard that We're on Baldwin It's not the bridge that the railroad train hit is it that's the name of the branch of the railroad Councilman So it's it's identifying that it's the Baldwin over
that section of the branch of the railroad Wow I'm living there for 40 some odd years I never heard that before You stayed off the train tracks You did a good job All right You want to pull it Rich until you found out that's the right name Wow
No And John I've been hearing now for almost two years They're going to do this work We had a meeting two months ago with everybody The railroad didn't show up and the state didn't show up and uh the port authority didn't show up Councilman we heard your concerns Uh I
spoke to Director Cooney He's going to reach out to the NJ again and we're going to try to get back on the table Yeah I'll give you an update next week getting to be a little annoying and nobody from the city has showed up to show their support over there All right that is okay Council person Biano
your vote on items 10.33 to 10.42 Your vote I Thank you Council person I for all Council person Solomon Hi for all Council person Gilmore I Council person
Deise council person reur And council president Waterman sir Items 10.33 through 10.42 are approved unanimously 90 May I ask for a motion to adjourn at
9:58 p.m Motion motion I believe was originally made by council person Rivera I'll give the second to So on the motion to So it is So yes it's not like the Jets uh coach former coach
on the motion to adjourn at 9:58 p.m All council members present by acclamation please say I I We are out of here at 9:58 p.m Thank you so much everyone who was in attendance and everyone watching at home remember teamwork makes the
dream work Have a great night Stay safe They spell it the same way but he doesn't pronounce it the same way