Okay, we're about to get started. If we can find our seats, silence our cell phones. If you can close the back door and the side doors, I greatly appreciate it. Good evening everyone. We are on the
record. Today is Wednesday, the 16th day of July in the year 2025. This is a regular meeting of the Jersey City Municipal Council. We had a scheduled 600 p.m. start. The clock on my cell phone is showing 6:07 p.m. May we have a roll call for
the commencement of this meeting? Council person Ridley here. Council person Julings present. Council person Bajiano. Council person is not here yet. Council person Solomon here. Council person Gilmore is not here yet.
Council person Deise here. Council person Ria here. And council president Waterman here. We have seven council members in attendance at 6:07 p.m. Can we kindly rise for a moment of silence, please?
I'd like to dedicate this moment of silence to Thomas O'Hare, brother of Marlene Sandamp, who works in my office. The flag of the United States of America to the republic for which it stands. One nation
indivisible and justice. Thank you very much. On behalf of council president Waterman and the members of 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 county year 2025 and filed in the office of the city clerk on Friday, November 15th,
2024. In addition, at its time for its preparation, the agenda of this meeting was similarly disseminated on Friday, July 11th, 2025 at 7:10 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. Council members, before we move on to the full agenda, we do have a a couple of items to add to the agenda. on your printed agenda.
Those items are from 10.35 through 10.38. So those items 10.35 resolution 25-491 is a resolution authorizing the award
for pedibly big contract to simple design studio architects to produce a recent survey of eligible historic resources in Wick warehouse neighborhood 10.36 resolution 25-49
492 if we're going to continue to talk Everybody, you can take those conversations outside. Resolution 25-492 is a resolution appointing Robert G. Norcowski as a member of the Jersey City Candidates
Board. 10.37 and resolution 25-493 is a resolution supplementing the manual uh loading zone designations of the city of Jersey City designating the loading zone at various locations in Ward D. And item 10.38 resolution 25-494
is a resolution establishing a committee for the purpose of reviewing traffic enforcement related matters throughout the city of Jersey City. Council members, I need a motion to add items 10.35 through 10.38 into the agenda. Motion second. Motion was made by
council person I'm going to give that to Rever and seconded by council person Sole who I will mark present at 6:11 p.m. Just give me one second to do that.
So, we now have eight council members present. Now, we have nine council members present. Also, at 6:11 p.m., council person Gilmore. So, we have all nine council
members present. So, the motion to add items 10.35 to 10.38 to the agenda was made by council persona, seconded by council person. on the motion to date the items. Council person Ridley. Hi, Council Person.
Hi. Council person Bud. Council Person. Hi. Council person Son. Hi. Council person Gilmore. You're going to have to put your mic on cuz no one heard you. But it's 10.35
through 10.38. I council person I council person reverber and council president Wood I thank you motion carries 90 to add items
10.35 through 10.38 to the agenda. All right, council members. I'm going to go on with the first reading ordinances. Item 3.1, city ordinance 25-078, is an ordinance authorized to the city of Jersey City to renew the lease with
Riverview Community Garden for the use of block 30002 lot 2, more commonly known as 285 OA Avenue for community garden. Item 3.2, 2. City ordinance 257 Avenue
at 2793 140 says with construction often 3.48 428 is an ordinance acquire cir as block 27503
lot 13 on the city's tax map located at the foot of chapvenue from national development corporation LLC for the purpose of ensuring continued fair service to the public. Item 3.5, city ordinance 25-082
is an ordinance of the Jersey City Municipal Council amending chapter 163 firearms and weapons to add article 6 firearm storage requirements. Item 3.6 ordinance 25-083 is an ordinance supplementing chapter
332 vehicles and traffic article 3 parking stand and stopping amending section 332- 24 parking prohibited certain hours at St. Joseph schools 509 pabone and item 3.7 city ordinance 25-084
is an ordinance supplementing chapter 332 be able to traffic off the two traffic regulations section 332-8 prohibiting right turns on red signal to prohibit turns on red at all times various intersections along Summit
Avenue in German Square neighborhood and at street council members going to be taking Introductory vote on items 3.1 through 3.7. Council person Ridley. I for introduction. Council person Willies. I for introduction.
Council person. And I had asked for more information on 3.5. Nobody got back to me. I I couldn't hear that again. Say that again. It's on. Oh, okay. What you want? I had asked for more information on 3.5. Nobody got back to me. Councilman, we
discussed it on agenda at the agenda meeting that we're going to introduce it. We'll have a representative to discuss it further in the next uh calls. He emailed us though. And councilman, we did send you our legal memorandum on it.
He did. Okay. Council person Banna. Hi. Council person. Hi. Council person. Hi. Council person Gilmore. I for introduction. Council person de JC. I for introduction. Council person reverber.
Hi. And council president. I for introduction. Items 3.1 through 3.7 are introduced unanimously. 90. On to our second reading ordinances. Our
first reading ordinance is item 4.1. City Ordinance 25-074 is an ordinance of the Jersey City Municipal Council amending the Jersey City official zoning matter. This is a public hearing on this ordinance. Any
member 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 25-074 was made by council person Rivera, seconded by council person Sole. On the
motion to close the public hearing on city ordinance 25 days 074. Council person Ridley I. Council person I. Council person by Jan I. Council person select. Hi. Council person zone. Hi. Council person Gilmore.
Hi. Council person dei. Hi. Council person. Hi. And council resident board. Motion carries 90 to close the public hearing on city ordinance 25-074 for final consideration and adoption of
city ordinance 25-074. Council person Ridley. Hi. Council person. Hi. Council person B. Hi. Council person. Hi. Council person. Hi. Council person Gilmore. I.
Council person the GC. Council person reverber. Hi. And council president. City ordinance 25-074 is adopted unanimously 90. On to our next second reading ordinance. Item 4.2.
City Ordinance 25-075 is an ordinance amending chapter 160 fees and charges establishing zone 3 permit fee. It's a public hearing on this ordinance and if a 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 25-075 was made by council person Reber, seconded by council person. on the motion to close the public hearing on city ordinance 25-075. Council person Ridley
I. Council person Huings. I. Council person. Hi. Council person. Hi. Council person Solomon. Hi. Council person Gilmore. Hi. Council person. Council person Rivera. Hi. And council president Woodman.
Hi. Motion carries 90 to close a public hearing on city ordinance 25-075 for final consideration and adoption of city ordinance 25-075. Council person Ridley I. Council person Julies I. Council person Bajanna. Hi.
Council person select. Hi. Council person Solomon. Hi. Council person Gilmore. Hi. Council person Deji. Council person Rivera. Hi. And council president Woodman. City Ordinance 25-075 is adopted unanimously. 90.
On to our next second reading ordinance. Item 4.3. City Ordinance 25-076 is an ordinance amending chapter 218 multiple dwelling section 12 parenting algorithmic rent fixing in the rental housing market of the code of ordinance of the city of Jersey 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. Are you are you guys coming up to speak? Okay. Just give me one second so I can put the camera on you.
And the reason why you see two clocks, please pay attention to the clock that has 3 minutes. The other clock is for the budget hearing. Okay? So, just give me one moment so I can put the camera on you. Sorry about that. Just state your name for the record.
My name is Daniel question about this first. This ordinance is making the more strict correct to to prevent algorithmic rent fixing. It's making it
more strict here. Am I correct in in that section? Yes. Okay. Thank you. So then I have two followup questions. One um how will this be enforced and then with that who will be enforcing this?
Please respond in your time. Um, just very briefly, the um, what's on the agenda is just a a move of of words as suggested by a member of the public um, who basically wanted to uh, make sure that there was no ambiguity in the way
that the definition applied. So, the current ordinance is just about a change in the words to eliminate the ambiguity. More broadly, the enforcement of the ordinance as written today has a couple of different options. You have the ability for um any individual tenant to
basically file a private right of action. They have an ability for the city uh prosecutor to uh prosecute ordinance violations as well as the city prosecutor to make a referral to the state attorney general. So those are the three current enforcements, but we are
actively working on stronger enforcement mechanisms. Okay. Um and you said it was the I'm sorry I say that one more time. Who specifically is enforcing this? So the individual tenant can enforce through a private right of action. The municipal prosecutor can enforce and then the
municipal prosecutor can uh make a referral to the state attorney general for investigation. Okay. So the municipal prosecutor would be the one if a landlord were not following this and were violating it. tenant may or may not know. It's the municipal prosecutor who would
ultimately be the one to make sure that the that violations are done appropriately. Yes. Correct. Okay. Um that's all I need. Thank you. Daniel, can I just have your last name again? Yes. Uh F as in Frank. E L D M A N.
Thanks so much. All right. Next speaker. Hello, Kevin Weller. K B I N W L L E R. First, I want to say thank you for making this stronger. We we appreciate it. This is uh very important. Um you
know, it's obviously something that's related to what we've been fighting for for a long time because the price fixing, the algorithmic price fixing is something that's being used at any Jersey City properties, including where we live, has been at least. And the concern after the ban that we're hearing
from Georgia City renters, from Republican renters, from even folks over in California, anywhere where municipality is making the right move in banning this is of course enforcement. Um, so I would ask and I know that there's some work already in in progress
related to this, but I would ask that some transparency be built into this uh this ordinance so that enforcability becomes actually possible. The day after the ban, I heard from some folks over at Hudson Point. It's another equity property. They said, "Before the ban, we
had certain offers from our landlord. After the ban, we had the same offers from our landlord. We have absolutely no reason to believe that they stopped using the software." And so, the way one way to solve that is to is to require transparency by the landlord to affirmatively say that they are not in
violation of this ban. Um this way if the tenants need to take a private right of action and they can go to court and they can say look my landlord signed that they're not using this software and then when you get a deed discovery and it turns out they are using the software because they signed you have easier to
prove uh fraud and you can trigger the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act um as an unlawful or unconscionable uh business practice essentially. So, I would advocate for for that change. Transparency really really transparency
without it. There's no way of actually going to court and making a case related to this. I'm sure that'll happen because I know that the intent is for this to actually do something. And it's um it's it's important and other municipalities are following the lead of um bold
municipalities like Jersey City who are um leading the way. And I appreciate that. Thanks, It is still a public hearing on city ordinance 25-076. Any other member of the public still wishing to be heard? Please come up to the podium and state your name for the record.
Motion. Motion to close the public hearing was made by council on on city ordinance 25-076 was made by council persona. Second, seconded by council person Bajiano.
On the motion to close the public hearing on city ordinance 25-076. Council person Ridley. Hi. Council person. Hi. Council person Bana. Hi. Council person. Hi. Council person Donald. Hi. Council person Gilmore.
Hey Sean. They said um something about the people viewing live saying it sound like two mics are on at the same time or something. I don't know. Okay. I just I just got Okay. Um I
council person deceiver I and council president Orman. Motion carries 90 to close the public hearing on city ordinance 25-076. A final consideration and adoption of city ordinance 25-076.
Council person Ridley. I. Council person Hu. I. Council person Biano. Hi. Council person. Hi. Council person Solomon. I council person Gilmore. Hi, Council Person. Hi, Council Persona. Hi,
and Council President Waterman. I Ordinance 25-076 is adopted unanimously. 90. On to our last second reading. Ordinance, item 4.4, 4 city ordinance 25-077 is an ordinance of the municipal council
for the amendments to chapter 345-31 of the land development ordinance regarding the general development checklist. It's the public hearing on this ordinance and I see Le just give me one second. He's texting me
trying to get some checklist when it comes to developers. Let me see if I can let me see. Let me go. I'll go check with you. Okay. If you have a you have to go to mention we're just uh giving we're making the
ordinance effective so that you can have a digital submission now instead of just paper. So we're updating it so that the application will be available uh that will be digitally on the website. So the application can be rolled digitally. This is allowing it to be digital as well as paper.
Yeah. We're just giving the option now that you can come in or you can do it remotely visually. It's just that checklist just77. Okay, we have a motion to close public hearing on city ordinance 2577 made by council person.
And if you just remind me again first motion to close the public hearing on city first I first I first motion
90 bills public hearing city or 257 for final consideration adoption of city 257. Hi first. Hi first. Hi. Council and
city ordinance 257 is unanimously 9. Um, but we have people standing up. There's some chairs up there. You guys can sit down instead of standing up.
Okay, ladies and gentlemen, we are now going to public hearing on the year 1995 question. Anyone wish to be heard,
please line up in the building. And when you do come on, please your name for allow you to sleep. I'm just going to let you know anyone else on the budget
must stay on the subject of the budget and only the budget. Okay. The judge is about qualifies it does
not develop budget is understand that under the current budget as many as 35 are like dealing with options. Um, and I
think the current benefit greatly from citywide housing over 100 million just hours. So that perspective I'll leave it thereund
plus million fines and I'm sure you have city. Thanks for the question. Speaker Harold. Good evening everyone. In regards to the
2025 year budget and it's 8 months a budget year and we're still trying to budget. However, um some of the concerns that I had regarding the budget was the fact that um right now there are employees in the
city of Jersey City who are being terminated slash let go, laid off, whatever terminologies that are coming forward um that I've been made aware of, then there's plenty of money to make sure
that we don't pay all employees. So my question is, what are you guys doing to make sure that we are making sure that the quality of life of these employees are safe and that they're not being violated in any kind of way. The other
issue with the budget that I have is let's talk about the recreation budget. This has been a very quiet summer. Our children, our young people, they have no jobs. These were the funds that were
being utilized for our students for our that were for our students first jobs for a lot of them. A lot of them it helped bring in money to their families to help with school clothes and all of that has been cut off and it it you all
have to really take some time and figure out a way to help support our young people because they need a fair chance and a fair opportunity. These jobs, these jobs were also opportunities for them to start learning a skill, learning
interviewing um skills so that when they get out into the real world, they would have had some sort of preparation. All of that was taken away from them. I don't even know how many people do you all hire. Maybe 20 people, 25 people. We had hundreds hundreds of residents,
Jersey City residents and children employed in the summertime. I implore you all to look into the budget and see what you can do to bring these opportunities back to our young people. So that our young people have a fair
chance and opportunity in our city to have something to do besides standing around playing video games, whatever it is that they're doing now. because they don't have anything of real substance. And then to our taxpayers who have young children where we used to accommodate
real free recreation programs and camps, we need to look at a way to try to bring that back as well. So I know all of you all are running for reelection. most of you up there and I ask that and I implore that you please take that into
consideration as one of your platforms and one of the issues that you all want to address in the next administration because this administration failed our children Before you start speaking, sir, I I just want
to remind the members of the public, I know everybody's passionate about the subject of the budget and especially recreation. I would just ask the members of the public to let the speakers completely finish their their speech
because when you clap in between, you're taking time away from that public speaker. Just so you know. I'm only trying to help the public speaker, that's all. Go ahead, sir. Yeah, if you can if you could just state your name and spell your name for the record, I greatly appreciate it. I won't
start the time until you do. Samuel Wilkins. S A M U L W I L K I Ns. Sam, you're you're you're way too fast for me. You just spell that last name for me. W I L K I Ns. Thank you, sir. All right, everybody, excuse me. I'm a little nervous. I've never did this
before. ever. But I'm here for one reason and one reason only. I've been a resident in Jersey for 59 years. I worked for the Jersey Recreation Department for 23 years. I worked for the public school system food service
department for 27 years. And for some reason, I was laid off from the city recreation department. And what I want people to know is understand that I lived in Jersey City,
born and raised. I played football for the Jersey City Recreation Department that gave me a chance to be a kid. I played football. I won a championship back in the day with the Westside Bears when we had teams in every part of the
city, which was the Midtown Raiders, the Bergen Colts. We had all of these teams. Now we are one team with four teams with no help. All I'm trying to say is I've been here 23 years. I went to Dickson High School.
I was a football player. I played basketball and I ran track. I was all state in every one of my sports. Everyone went to New Jersey City University. I had the longest kickoff return in division three history. I'm trying to figure out who do y'all lay
off or who's doing the layoffs because if you go to my department and you ask anybody in Jersey City that knows me, I love these kids. This is all I do. This all I know. I don't know nothing else. So me trying to look for another job is
is is impeccable right now because I love what I do, right? the money that I make from recreation and being honest with you. It's not a lot. Because you know why? Because when we have football games on Saturdays and Sundays, you know where that money goes to a kid that can't afford a hot dog, a hamburger. Yeah.
Pair of sneakers. I go to Marshalls. I go to Marshalls and spend 50 maybe to $200 buying a p a pair of cleats that can't afford them. their mother don't don't have taking kids to the doctor to get a physical
that their parents can't pay for which is $50. Yeah. And we charging our kids to play football, a sport that half these kids love. We have to get back into the community with these kids cuz you know what? We're going to lose kids every day.
Every day. Like I said before, I've never done this before, but now that I'm up here, it makes me so mad because I literally gave my life to Jersey City. Yeah, Jersey City has been there for me, but we got to be there for our kids. I'm good. Yeah,
I'm good. But it's the whole way that we went about laying people off. No 30-day notice, no no type of notices, no type of nothing. Just come in the office say, "Chris, can I speak to you for a minute?" And it's my coworker. Really? HR really.
We talking and I'm thinking he playing. He says, "Chris, I'm sorry, but I don't know how to do this." Like, what you talking about? Hand me a paper. I read the first line. I dropped my hip on on the floor and I walked away. I'm like, Mike, are you really serious? Are you playing with me or what? He
said, "No, I'm sorry that we have to lay you off." I said, "23 years you lay me off. I know how this go." Yeah. Ain't nobody dumb. First in, first out. 23 years. I shouldn't I shouldn't I
should have never been a person on a on a chopping blocks. Chris, ever. Chris. Chris, let me look into exactly what happened cuz Okay, let Wait a minute. Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute. One thing you going to do, you're going to respect in here. I allow
everybody to speak, but you gonna be respectful. Now, when they talk to us as a council, there are certain things we have no idea of. So, we want to hear them. So, now be respectful. All right? Because you don't know exactly what we all do. So, now we don't know about all
of them getting laid off and how they get laid off. So, I would ask that you be respectful and allow us to listen and don't talk out of turn cuz that cuts their time. Let's be respectful in here. Now, Chris, I'll find out. I don't know exactly. They tell me, they tell me it's
budget cuts and my title, but I went to civil service and looked on civil service and it's it's right. It's crazy. Okay. I went to them and and I spoke to them this morning. I was on the phone with them four times because I'm trying to figure this out. Okay. How you tell me I've been here 13 years. I've been here 23 years,
right? I understand it cuz you've been here. And I'm going to be honest with you. I'm tell you, I'm not going to lie to you. This hurts so bad. You you you just just might as well just stab me. Yeah. Because this how how bad it hurts because I love I literally love my kids that I work for. Some of these parents I
don't see decades of kids graduate right and go to college. I get invited to stuff. Thank you. Thank you everybody. I thank you. Appreciate it. Sierra Sierra get his information before before I invite the Chris. Give it to my Samuel Samuel to my
aid. She'll get it. We talking about the budget. All right. Let's stay focused on the budget because there's a lot to cover in this agenda. John, I I do have a few questions with regards to the um layoffs or whatever.
No, we going to get them at the end. Believe me, I'm calling him up. Don't don't worry. I'm calling up that so he can address some of these things that everybody asking. All right. Don't worry. We going to address it. I just want to stay on the budget. At the end, John, get ready to answer
these questions about who's getting laid off. All right. Because we Okay. Our next our next speaker, please come forward. We want to know. We don't know. And before you start speaking, if you can just state your name and spell your name for the record.
Yes. My name is Cameron or C A M E R O N. Last name O R R. Okay. Um yeah, I just wanted to uh speak in support of the previous people who spoke um against but the budget cuts um
protecting people's jobs, city employees and youth and defending their interests. You know, especially with all the cuts that are g going to be coming down from the federal government under the Trump administration, now is the time for state and local governments to um
increase our budgets and social programmings to make up the big gaps that are going to be coming to protect our people. So, um, and I know a lot of times people try to make the excuse that there's no money, but and that, you know, oh, we can't raise taxes on
working people, and it's too true that working people pay too many taxes. But nobody ever talks about making the wealthy pay their fair share. We got plenty of money in this country. If the rich pay pay their fair share, we could pay for everything and more and increase
um, you know, social programming. plenty of other countries do it. Um the US has lots of money and uh it's just a question of making the wealthy pay their fair share. Um and that way we can reduce its tax burden our working people and increase our social programming
which is like I said especially important right now because Trump and them is cutting everything. So that's it. Budget budget keep them focused. Okay. Our next speaker, Danielle D A N I E L L E Damo D's and
David A. D's and David. A M O. Thank you. My name is Danielle Damo and I'm a lifelong resident of WC. I was born and raised right here in Jersey City and I still live and work here today. My mom worked in the Jersey City Public Schools
Food Service Department for 21 years. My dad put in 25 years with the Hudson County Roads Department. Public service runs in my blood and so does this city. So, I'm not speaking to you tonight as an outsider or an armchair critic. I'm
someone who has lived through the promises and failures of this city for decades. And I'm here to say this budget misses the mark in ways that should concern every workingclass resident in W C and beyond. Let's start with
infrastructure. In Journal Square in the Heights, we see the cracks, literally and figuratively. Our sidewalks are crumbling. Our intersections are deadly. Flooding is now a regular event, not a rare emergency. I shouldn't need a kayak
to get down Kennedy Boulevard after a summer storm. And still, year after year, we watch funds get prioritized for luxury development, while the basic infrastructure that keeps our neighborhoods safe is left to rot.
Infrastructure is a foundation of a just and functional city. But too often the Burnham neglect falls hardest on the parts of the city with the least political clout. That's what it feels like to live in W C right now. It feels like we're always asked to wait. Wait
for our streets to be fixed. Wait for traffic calming. Wait for storm drains to be cleared. Wait for action after someone gets hurt or worse. Now let's talk about sustainability. Jersey City loves to brand itself as a
green progressive city, but this budget tells a different story. Where are the investments in renewable energy? Where is a long-term storm water management plan? Where are the green jobs? That brings me to forestry. We are updating
our community forest management plan. And as someone involved in that process, I can tell you this. If the funding isn't there, it's not a plan. It's just paperwork. Trees are not a luxury. They're a public health infrastructure.
They cool our neighborhoods, clear our air, and prevent flooding. And yet, we continue to see mature trees cut down without planting or proper care. And finally, I want to speak about the people who keep this city running, our
workers. I'm deeply concerned about layoffs in this budget. It is unacceptable that we would fundraisers for top administrators while cutting jobs in sanitation, housing, or other critical departments.
These are not just positions on a spreadsheet. These are people. They are our neighbors, our classmates, our family members. They are the people who make sure our trash gets picked up, our streets are get swept, our homes are inspected, and our communities are cared
for. Again, I think about my parents. My mom working in school kitchens, feeding thousands of students with dignity and love. My dad out in the cold and the heat, patching roads, and painting crosswalks, while people like them kept
this city moving. And they didn't do it for glory. They did it for the paycheck, the pension, and the pride of building something that mattered. So when I see budgets balanced on the backs of workers while executive salaries rise and luxury
developments get tax breaks, it doesn't just make me angry. It makes me ashamed. This city was built by people like my parents. It should work for people like them and like me now.
This budget is an opportunity to show that we've learned from past mistakes. That we're not just papering over problems with nice graphics and no tax increase headlines. It's an opportunity to prioritize sustainability, invest in
green infrastructure, fund urban forestry like it matters, and protect the dignity of our workers. I urge this council to revisit this budget with clearer eyes and fuller hearts. The
people of Word C and of all and all of Jersey City deserve better. Thank you. Thank you, Danielle. If you can just spell your name. Say your name and spell your name for me, please. Uh Charles, bring the mic up to you.
C H A R L E S McKenna. M cke and then ey. Uh I am one of the kids that work with uh Tom De and Susan Ki uh with the uh summer program. It was a wonderful experience. So um I just want
to piggy back with what she said. The kids were cut short because one of my go my godson was uh was waiting for a phone call for a summer job and he didn't get it. So the the kids were cut short. That's all I wanted to say. Thank you. Y keep them on a budget.
Next speaker, Daniel Feldman. D an ell. I just wanted to second what my fellow resident Kevin Weller said regarding the the um Jersey City budget. We have hardworking residents here losing their
jobs due to this city's financial issues. Meanwhile, by enforcing violations for landlords who defy the law, such as my landlord, Equity Residential, we could provide this city hundreds of millions
of dollars, more trees, safer roads, fewer people being fired. It's a fantastic opportunity to give back to the city and to hardworking residents, all the folks that we see um here. It's really straightforward. All we need to
do is enforce the law as it is written. Collect daily fines from landlords who violate this city's ordinances again and again. Every single person in this room would benefit from that. It's just so so simple. Getting the municipal prosecutor
to collect these daily fines and bring in again hundreds of millions of dollars for this city and its residents. Simple as that. And I really hope that is actually done. Thank you. You know what? It's a shame before God
almighty. What's going on in this city right now, especially about this budget? On my shirt, I got on. It says Jersey City Lever Web Washington summer camp. For 25 years, I run a free summer camp.
Free. But over the years, that young man that got laid off, Joe Mackey, who retired from recreation, they would give me summer supplies to help my kids. The city used to give me a few kids to work
at my program. I don't get grant money, nobody money. I I'm a I'm a a developer. I hustle my own money from my summer camp. This year I ain't get nothing from recreation cuz that young man told me he said the Vern I got laid off auntie I
said laid off. Usually I get hoops basketball the balls sometime I used to get a few kids to work at the camp. This is a shame before God almighty that we can do budgets and people are
catching holy hell right now. I I I I Oh, God help me. You know, we strive on a lot of things, but the kids of this city is catching
it. I got 40 to 50 kids in my summer camp. My counselors for the past 10 years, Greeny Plumber, has put them on payroll. I used to get some kids from the city.
they would send some to the camp and put them on my payroll. They hadn't did that in about 10 years. So, he picked up and he sponsored six of the kids. But then I would get help from the city with some of the supplies. And when he told me I thought he was he
said, "Auntie, no, I'm laid off." And then it really hit me tonight because my this is only the second week of my camp. I got four more weeks to go. We got to do better. We got to do better. We know better.
Especially when we got a bunch of kids running around this city can't read and write. They doing curly writing in our school. They It It's sad. I got kids in the fifth grade don't know
third grade work. You understand what I'm saying? My cab is free and I I'm finished. The budget. The budget. Good evening. My name is Glendia Cannon.
I couldn't get your first name. Glendia. G L E N D I A. I'm sorry. You got to slow down for me. And there's other people talking, so I'm only hearing the speakers. Okay, let's slow it down.
Thank you. G L E N D I A Canon C A N O N. Got it. I I appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. No problem. I'm the co-pastor of Grace Christian Church. I've been a co-pastor for 38 years of that church
downtown city. And I can say this, I live on Bay View Avenue. I'm 77 years of age and I'm still working. All right. But I want to say I'm very disappointed in Jersey City and the disappointment is
growing worse. I love this city, but what I see going wrong, your budget is not being put in the right places. I went about and I took pictures. I wish you could see this. There's an environmental issue. The people got to
work with the city to keep this city clean. I've never seen anything so filthy. Trees are planted by the city. Look at the garbage. Who want to take a look at this? Anybody want to take a look? You can flick it. Just look at the garbage.
These are where trees was planted by the city. Look at the garbage. I sweep up my block sometimes two and three times a day. If we don't take the money and put it where it needs to be, and others have said so in our youth, we're going to
lose it. And we are losing it. We need to put it in our schools. If we don't do it, we're going to lose it. And we are losing it. Look, sometime the street sweeper comes down my block, I got to go
behind them. Okay. What? What is the matter with us? What has gone wrong with us? What has gone wrong with our leadership here? We need to do something. We need to stand together. I love Jersey City, but we got to pull it together and work together
because if we stand together, we can get things done. Our children don't have summer jobs. They really don't. They're walking the street. I talked to the children. We did a sweepathon in Jersey City. I got 50s something people together on canes
on walkers. Yes. And we the city donated brooms and and sweepers to us. We swept 50 blocks. Yes. Yes, we did. Why do we do this? Because we love this city. And I'm telling you, you take your budget,
our money, and put it in the right place and help us. Is that all right? If I sound like I'm angry, you better believe it. I am angry. And we need to do what's right by Jersey City because I love this
city. That's all I got to say. That's Kelly for the record. So, you know, my auntie that sat here has been doing a free summer camp for pretty much all my life. And to see her break down like this, cuz she usually doesn't. And I must say, her strength
has been 100 since I've been young. But it's very bothersome to see that. That's one. That's one. Two, recreation used to be a safe place for children myself.
And I must say I always I always give you your credit, Frank Hudson Catholic, a hot, sweaty gym, but it had 200 kids there that was going to get paid for a summer. And he started out in recreation.
We do this. And we even have another young man in here and everybody has received an email about it as well as well as all your aids that is donating a thousand backpacks to students out his own pocket, uniforms, supplies.
We don't want to do this alone. We want to do it with y'all. But we need your support. I want you to bring the band, Sean. I want you to bring the band outside and come to an event and support the kids. Pam has even volunteered to maybe
referee a game or two. And I'm pretty sure Mr. Gilmore is going to do one or two cuz he gonna come out. But we expecting everybody else to show up too. We got to do better. And as far as the budget, we haven't included the children
because as I went on Wade and Ocean, a matter of fact, it was waiting Jackson. I just happened to be riding past went into a small store saw like seven teenagers sitting out there and they sitting in a chair like this they neighborhood or like it's okay to do
that. No. Why you on this corner? Why you ain't got somewhere to go? Why you not playing a sport? Why you not tired from doing something? It don't make no sense. So now we got to go back to the schools too and check that out. What's going on? Why y'all don't have nothing for these kids to do
when they leaving out of that school? That don't make sense. So, we definitely got to do something better with the budget. And you know, of course, we're going through audits from people that they made mistakes and all of this other stuff, but y'all come on. Incorporate the kids. That should never go missing.
I'm sorry. You could just state your name and then spell your name for me. And nice and slow. All right. My name is Glenn Bowen. G L E N. B O W E N. C O W B O W E N. Thank you, sir.
Um, I sympathize with all the people that uh been laid off and all that and work a lot, but it's the fathers. I believe it's us as fathers that's falling short, not the council. So all us fathers, a lot of fathers
don't even know none of this going on. So y'all see men out there, boys out there, cuz the men ain't stepping up. We need something for the men that's free to be able to help the kids to get off the corners, to help the kids learn how to read, to help the kids, not the city council, the fathers. We need to get
jobs. Not the people that's getting laid off. They had jobs a long time. I'm talking about the people that ain't had no jobs in 20 years. I'm talking about the people a had no jobs in 30 years. I'm talking about the people a no jobs in 15 years. And all the people with jobs looking at the people with jobs like they less than. Let's talk about
that. Let's get to that. Let's get to that. Let's get to all the people that the fathers can't help the kids with their homework. The mothers can't help the kids with their homework. The mothers on section 8, the father's on section 8, the father get a job and act better than the next brother. So, if
we come together as a people and stop littering, pick up the trash, throw it in the garbage, we won't have to worry about sanitation. We do it ourselves. We need to do more for ourselves. So I'm saying what I'm asking is for the people that never had an opportunity because
they ain't know that they have I don't even know nothing about no budget. What budget is a budget? It's something called budget. It's something called laid off. It's something called five 10 dudes down there with recreation. They never told
me I love to hell and I got 50 guys that love to help but you can't get these jobs. these responsibilities and keep them to yel cuz y'all think you know this guy he walk different or he talk different or
he look different or he never did nothing before. We can't do that and say we Christians and Muslims and all these other good people. We want everything but we don't even help each other. We don't even like each other. So I'm not blaming the council. I'm just
saying for guys that been in trouble, guys that want to be a father, guys that want to be a husband, the guys that just want to a chance to get laid off and get unemployment. So, all I want to say is
I've been here my whole life, too. I got three generations of important people that been here. We not gonna talk about them because that's their life. We gonna talk about me and my life and the people that's in the community that don't say nothing to the boys because if you ain't got no job, they ain't gonna listen to
you. You if you ain't got no job, your your girl ain't going to listen to you. If you ain't got no money, nobody respect you in Jersey City. Either you doing good or you're doing bad. You're either somebody or nobody. But we all somebody, but not around here. All I'm saying is I don't want to blame
everything on the council and I don't know what the budget is cuz if I ain't keep my own budget right. So I I know budgets is hard. I think I think Miss Web should get all the help she need without saying all the help she
did. I think the brother that got fired, you know what I'm saying? He'll find something else, right? I love everybody, but I ain't even get started yet. So, what about me? Y'all don't feel sorry for the number that even got
started. I feel sorry for him, too. I want somebody take my number and take my information because I ain't even got started. Thanks for letting me share, John. This is the budget. This is a budget
hearing. Go ahead. Go ahead, honey. Hi, my name is Janine Blair. I I couldn't hear you. J E N I N E. You got to get a little closer to the mic because I cannot hear you. Janine Blair.
Okay. I want to speak about the the youth today. Where all where are all the programs? The budget tied into the budget. So nobody could say you ain't for the budget for the recreation department. Where is What is it for our
children to do? There's no programs. There's nothing for them to do after school. Right now the children are out for the summer. I have a young teenager. Where is it for her to go? We when we grew up in Jersey City, we had the CIO. We had the YMCA.
We had the library that took us on trips that did things with us. Where are all these programs at? Right now, there's nothing for the kids to do. Right now, they can't even use the pools in the public schools because the pools are being used for the Bridges swim school. So, our children, our children can't
even use the pools and the public school that they attend. They can't even use the gyms because they're being done for something else. So, what is it for our children here to do? Why is it that the British Swim School could come along and take our pools, but our children can't
use them? There's nothing. There's no program after these kids got out of school in June. What is it for them to do? So, everybody talk about them standing on the corner or being outside getting in trouble. What program can they go to? Where can they go play basketball at
other than Berry Lane Park? Where what is it for them to do? It's nothing. All of the money that's being in the city is put towards something else. But I like to see a rec center for the kids like the CIO when I came up. I like to see the YMCA. I like to see the kids getting some swim lessons like we did when we
came up. But instead, all these things are taken away from the kids. Why can't we use the pools? 15 has a pool. 40 has a pool. 27 have a pool. 22 has a pool. Majority of schools have pools. But why can't our children use them? They're written them out to the British
swim school and our children can't even go there to get lessons to swim. Even during the school year, if they want to use the pools, they have nothing. So, in the budget, instead of putting up all the buildings and putting up things that nobody else could use,
nothing that nobody else could afford to live in. Let's try putting up some buildings for our children have something to do and a place to go after school. Let them be able to have somewhere to go on the weekend. but instead everything is being buildings put around our city.
But nobody's thinking about putting up a building for our children. Thank you. You could just say your name and spell your name for the record. I greatly appreciate it. Sure. My name is Crystal. C R Y S T A L.
last name Thomas. T H O M- A S. Thank you, Crystal. You're welcome. Um, my name is Crystal Thomas and I am the committee person for District 16 in Ward F. Um, I've been living in Jersey City all of my life.
However, I've seen how Jersey City has changed for the worse, not for the better. I have two children. They are 19 years apart. So I've seen some changes from what was to what is. My oldest when
he was younger about 15 16 he used to get in trouble. Till this day there is no programs for young teens who get in trouble and not before they get in trouble. Everything is after they get in trouble.
I'm trying to understand that as a longtime Jersey City resident. I also live um in a district where there are four four schools four three schools in
that district there are now two smoke shops not one but two I'm trying to understand in reference to the budget how these two smoke shops came to be and also how is
it that miners are able to purchase purchase marijuana. I know this for a fact. I know it for a fact. The other thing is is that um our children don't have anything to do. They're hanging out on the corners. And
when it's put in my heart because I know who covers me to talk to them, I do. I've talked to many teenagers who are no longer with us. They've passed on. So, I've done my due diligence by planting a
seed that was given to me at the time to plant. What they did with it, I have nothing to do with that. That's God's job. At the end of the day, what are we doing for our children right now? Uh, you have a landmark on my block. I live
on Brinkerhoff. That's where the old Capitol One Bank used to be. That landmark has been there for quite some time. You You made it a landmark. It's not doing anything but being a dilapitated building. It also is now a uh a bus depot in a residential
neighborhood. Um I've asked about this not just by Councilman Gilmore, but just city hall as a as a whole. I've gotten no response. None. So in reference to our children, what are we doing? They
have nothing to do. Nothing to do. They don't have jobs to go to. They need to learn about finances because as an adult, we're still learning about finances. And I'm sure the finances will be completely different when they become adults. That's something that needs to
be implemented in our city. We need to be taking care of our children. Um, not as individual parents, but as a community because we're always told it takes a community to raise the kids. That's my time. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Are you coming up? Are you speaking on the budget? You speaking on the budget? You speaking on the budget? You I was going to speak on the budget. Yeah. Yeah. I'm all right. Okay. Sorry.
My name is David Wilson. DV. I can't hear you. Oh, hey. Sorry. My name is David Wilson. D- A V I D W I L S O N. And I just want to take stock here
because a lot of people have spoken eloquently and passionately and outlining what the problems are with the budget. And to be honest, I don't think that you disagree with what they're saying. I think you agree that we don't want to lay off city workers. No
who are fulfilling important jobs. and we actually want to provide more programs uh especially for young people. So that's the but there's the problem is there's not enough money. So what if
there was a solution? What if there was a way rather than having to cut this cut one thing versus cutting another thing versus cutting a third thing? What if there was a way to increase revenue instead without raising taxes? I think
that's known as sort of the silver bullet. That's right. In budgeting. And in fact, there is a solution like that. And it has to do with collecting fines based on violations
made by large landlords in the city. I know just in my two my building there's an enormous amount of violations that should result in fines which have not been collected. And I'm sure that
there's a lot there are a lot of other buildings like that across the city. And so there's there's a solution really staring us in the face and and it's to problems they think we all agree we want to solve. This isn't, you know, um it's
not a tough one, you know, that we don't want to lay off city workers and we want to provide opportunities for young people. Um all we need to do is just take advantage of the simple solution that's right in front of us. Thank you. Thank you. About the budget.
Um my name is Corey Edwards. K O R Y last name Edwards E D W A R D S K O R Y K O R Y last name Edwards E D W A R Ds. Thank you. First things first, we're going to talk
about the budget. Um jobs being laid off for the youth. Um growing up about 15 16 years old, I'm 29. We had a program called Stop the Drop that helped clean these streets. these kids my age and my peers, those
were jobs for us to have and we cleaned up those streets. Not a street sweeper, not a a garbage man that leaves the trash. They throw it in the in the back of the trash and then leave it in the middle of the street for us to clean up. So, what happened to that? And the main
reason why we had a budget, the one-way street, if if if that the city is supposed to be funding that I'm sorry, let me slow. That ain't here. That ain't in here. So, the the oneway street, the city is supposed to be funding that. We're
building countless parks for no reason. We have all these empty buildings where these kids can do something. For the last five years, out of my pocket, I've done something for the community. I've did leagues. I did back to school giveaways. I did everything that this
city should have been doing, helping these kids. So, I want to know where is all the money going. You guys build parks, these buildings, what's going on? And I'm up here for everyone that's here
and that can't be here. We need to fix this problem fast. fast. And we got we can speak about it and way before the election. Thank you. We we need to do it. Yes. Thank you.
And we need help for guys my age that's coming out of prison that need jobs. We We need it. And we need something for everybody to do. Whether it's a volunteer work or something, we need
something for everybody in this community to do. We can't just focus on the youth. We need to focus on the community as a whole. Everybody. And that's all I have to say. Thank you. Thank you. Budget.
Anybody else? budget, right? Hi, Michelle Hirs. M I C H E L E H I R S C H. Regarding the budget, for the second
year in a row, the city had its rating downgraded. So, we should really be listening to everybody in this room. And this nice woman who I don't know, but I really was hanging on every word that you were saying about how she cleans the streets
with other people who have a hard time getting around. She said, "It's our money. It is our money." and you're hearing a room full of people talk about how the money isn't
being allocated in a way that's meaningful to them and their life in this city. And you heard questions raised about where is the money going? All kinds of theories about that. So, how were you thinking about the budget
when you walked in this room tonight? How are you thinking about the budget now? Are you swayed by anything anyone said to you tonight? Are you going to consider the voice of
the people or or or are we going to have another Pompy Doo moment? And I really hope not. Thank you. Thank you, Michelle. Thank you, Michelle.
Hi, my name is Spatch TR. Hold on. Uhuh. We can't hear you. Just a minute. Go ahead. Name is Spatch. S P A C H TR. T R A H N. I came tonight to uh talk about
sanitation as it relates to the budget. Um, and because I've emailed Councilman uh Salai about uh the Cold Street underpass in his district and um I think it's something that you know there's filth in under the underpass and there's
a lot of infra infrastructure improvements that have been done in the last year but it's kind of falling to the wayside um of the way it was before you know pigeon feathers dung human feces and it's beyond what regular
people can go and clean up themselves. Um, Healthier JC had a pickup event, you know, with bags and pickers and I got some people to come over and pick up trash in that area, but um, definitely beyond what a normal person can do. And
I don't know why developer money in the Soho West neighborhood can't contribute to not only regular power washing or sanitation of that area. Um, but also pigeon spikes, some sort of water conveyance system because it's
constantly dripping in that area. Um, but I think that kind of reiterates what a lot of people have said tonight about sanitation being a priority in the budget. Um, and as a side note, separately, um, I don't support taxpayer funding of a
playground on Barrow Street. I just I wouldn't bring my kids there. I don't think it's the right location. It's a commuter pass through area, so I don't support that project. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening, Lorenzo Richardson. L O R
E N Z O R I C H A R D S O N. Um, regarding the budget, I just want to know uh if any of the council members have considered any of these things. Uh, and they're just questions.
Okay. first um because I understand that Sacred Heart was purchased recently or is going to be purchased. Why wouldn't the city could have purchased that? You know, there's a gym right on the side there right in the
middle of the heart of the city. I mean, for the little bit of money, from our understanding, maybe a million or less, the city could have maybe purchased that and maybe did something substantial in that spot right in the heart of the city where a lot of kids are,
right? Two, oh, two, um, where is the money promised from the cannabis revenue? Oh, it had to come. I haven't seen
I haven't I haven't seen anything from smoke shops or cannabis allocated anywhere and I haven't seen anything explained from the budget for that. Um,
why can't you find someone, just one person, to calculate the payroll tax correctly to pay the board of education what they're owed? Just one person. And my final question is uh because time
is limited. Is the city councelor itself willing to go back to a part-time salary because we've talking about these summer programs being cut and people being cut. So to fund programs for young people
and also reduce the staff cuz there was one part-time and there was one council person, right? And both of those salaries were part-time. I don't know what the rationale was to make it a full-time salary. I don't know
whether to compete with NORC, but I thought that it kind of did a disservice to the city in terms of money being paid out to so many people and then you add so many titles to other
multiple people and there's still not an increase in the work being done for the people who pay it. Thank you. Thank you.
Good evening. Good evening. Michael Griffin. You know, when I was sitting in the back, I was just looking and I I don't see inspiration. And I think, you know, as as a city council, what you can look to uh your neighboring
cities and other cities and how they invest in their children. You can look at Chicago and see how violence is being driven down by their mayor investing in their youth. Look at Baltimore um you know, they're investing in their youth. For the last past 12 years, this
administration has not invested in their youth. And and it's very important that we do. And not only that, the community, right? We're talking about, you know, a budget that, you know, you you're trying to fill holes, but you're not filling
potholes, right? We're not we're not planting trees, right? We have cracks in our sidewalks. You you you go up on MLK, you can't even read the street signs,
right? We We need to take care of the little things. And when we take care of the little things, the bigger things will be able to be taken care of as well. But we have to use our money wisely and and that's not being done. Instead, you know, we have a mayor who wants to change the traffic pattern in
our community. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening, Keith. Budget. Go ahead, Keith. Keith Keith Howell. Kei T H O W E L L. Thank you, sir. And yes, Madame President, I'm here to
speak on the budget. Keep us focused. I I I come before you tonight as a community leader and a concerned citizen. Uh our city is at a crossroads. Um, and I said I wasn't going to say
anything tonight, but I I guess the others have inspired me to stand here before this board. The decisions that are made in this cham in these chambers have real consequences for the people you serve.
We talk a lot about fiscal responsibility, but fiscal responsibility doesn't just mean passing balanced budgets. It means ensuring financial transparency, practicing integrity, and providing real support to the people who make up the
soul of this city. Let's be honest, we we need to take a better look at the budget. Uh somewhere along the line, our priorities have gotten out of balance. We're handing out raises and left and right and raises out
of the wazoo as folks say on the street while at the same time raising taxes. People in government positions that I I'll change that. People in government positions that have favor from the administration can walk around talking about how much their
salary is and all of the perks that come with being a employee of the city and getting a company car. While we have citizens that are losing their homes, longtime residents and seniors, working
families are being displaced because we're talking about affordable housing and affordable food. And while all this is happening, our our kids are getting left behind. I'm a pastor and we have to go through all of these
hoops and loops just to get a grant to help the children. Grants that are supposed to help families and small businesses are tangled in red tape and bureaucracy. You shouldn't take 10 steps and you have to walk a mile and a stack of paperwork
just to get the grant meant to serve the public good. I have one more question while we take a look at the budget. Where's the community centers? Everybody's walking down the street high
as a Georgia pine, but we got all of these smoke shops and dispensaries in this Jackson Square redevelopment plan or whatever. They done tagged it now. They don't want any more churches
or let me not be biased as a pastor. They don't want any more houses of worship unless they are grandfathered in. But we got dispensaries on every corner
or smoke shops on every corner. So I stand here tonight with a simple call to action. Find the money. If we got to call Elon Musk in here to help us find it. Find the money.
Look deeper. Let's ask the question, where's the money going? the hidden cost, the unnecessary contracts. The people in our community can't even get contracts because we're favoring handing them down to our friend and who
we're buddy buddy with. And you got to be in this circle and that circle. We owe it to the community to make sure every dollar spent represents an investment back into these neighborhoods,
not just a benefit for the few sitting in power. We owe integrity so that no decision is made behind closed doors or at the expense of the public trust. And in my last
minute, as my as I would say in my church, in my pull pit, I'm getting ready to close. I'm not here to point fingers. I'm here to ask all of us to do better, to have the courage to find a better
look at the budget. And if you don't do anything else, find the money. And I say like I know we're talking about the budget, but I'm going to say like Arnold Schwarzenegger said, I'll be back
because there's more to be discussed. Thank you for this time. all the small businesses and engage you. If you could just state your name and spell it for me, I greatly appreciate it. How you doing? My name is Asia Bennett.
A ja last name Bennett B ne. Thank you so much. Thank you. Good evening panel. Um, my name is Asia Bent like I stated earlier and I'm a lifelong resident of Jersey City and I'm talking in relation to the
budget and to education and investing in the youth. It is very pertinent that we take time to invest in our youth and understand that in these times that although like from Jersey City, I'm originally from Duncan projects,
okay? and I moved into the Greenville section and you know I was in a program called collegebound through NJCU you know and we had programs in this school for the youth is very important I am an educator I used to work in
education here in Jersey City I'm a school psychologist okay and I'm from Jersey City from the projects so I know that there is quality in these children if we believe in these children Okay, someone could have looked at me
and said I'm from the project and I can't hold four degrees. One from Satan Hall from Jersey City. I have friends from Jersey City from the same projects that hold doctoral degrees under 30 years old. So if you invest in our future and our children and give them things to do and as I'm sitting here
talking to this council, I'm talking to the parents behind me. Let's start there. These meetings need to take place at the PTA. It starts in the schools. Hello. Thanks. I know I'm not going to get everybody agree with me, but I can't just get down on them because it takes
it's community. It's us and the children. We definitely can't depend on the government to take care of us cuz the government never took care of us. Let's be for real. So, it's time that we start taking care of ourselves. Don't depend on this government to do anything for our community. We have to start taking leadership of our own
children and our own communities. We need to start right there. Okay? Let's be for real. We have to start organizing in ourselves. But as it relates to the city because I pay heavy taxes, okay? They taking half of my check, okay? And I'm in a six-f figure range. I
need y'all to understand that we need to take care of these potholes in these cities. We need to invest in these children, okay? And we need to not look at from where look at the communities and where they're from and their demographics because I live in a downtown area. So I
see the difference. There are events being held downtown weekly. That's true. There are sets up for They're set up every every week. They're set up on Fridays for musicians to be played in a pedestrian park. There's events every week. I can't There's parades. I can't
even I can't even sleep on Saturdays. There's always something going on downtown Jersey City. But Jersey City is Jersey City. And if y'all can find money and funds to have things and events downtown Jersey City, find things to do for the children where
they are in Martin Luther King Drive. Yeah. And on the hill, find the funds for that because you find the funds for what you want to find the funds for. And that's all I'm going to say. Y'all be blessed. And please do better. And give the give the children something to do in events for the children for in this community.
And parents, I need y'all to do better, too. Thank you. Yeah. Still a public hearing on the municipal budget. Any member of the public still wish to be heard? Please come up to the podium and state your name for the record. Second. Oh, sure. Okay. I have a motion to close the
public hearing on the fiscal year 2025 municipal budget made by council person Gilmore, seconded by council person Bajiano. On the motion to close a public hearing on fiscal year 2025 municipal budget. Council person Ridley
I. Council person Huings. I. Council person Bajiano. I. Council person CE. I. Council person Solomon. Hi. Council person Gilmore. I. Council person Deise. Council person Ria.
I. And council president Waterman. I. Motion carries 90 to close the public hearing on the fiscal year 2025 municipal budget. We go on before we vote. I want um the
financial director to come and explain this budget. I know there's concerns about our cannabis funding where that's going. Okay. those who have been laid off, how many people have been laid off? And explain to the public why the process
and also youth. Did we hire any youth? Do we have money for youth? Because we always hire youth. So, we need to know exactly all this that's going on. I'm quite sure you was writing down some of the questions and now the public need to hear the answers.
Council President, may I start? And if we have specific questions for Kyle? Sure. Go ahead, Kyle. However, we all do it. Let the public hear. So, I just want to start off with uh just some public knowledge that the city's uh budget uh roughly $700 million represents approximately 34% of your tax
bill. So, the rest of the tax bill goes to the schools, the counties, open space, and and so the portion that we control is 34% of that of your tax bill. Um with that, just hearing some of the echoes of concerns for recreation recreation budget last year as adopted
was roughly $8 million. This year is $9 million, including $1 million uh in the budget that was in last year's budget for summer youth uh programming, which includes nearly 400 jobs, which is almost equivalent to what we had last year. Um and then we do some
partnerships with the library as well to try to expand that a bit. Um in regards to the layoffs, I'd just like to maybe educate a little bit more in that conversation. So, uh, the city has been dealing with some federal and state grant cuts, uh, mostly federal and then
the state grant cuts would be federal money passed through the state. Um, some of them have been actually cut. You look at some HHS programming, you look at some municipal court programming for um, um, for community court and those types of programming. And then some of the
state funds that are coming from the feds has not been released because they're waiting to hear back from the feds to make sure that the money is eligible to us as a welcoming city. So with that, we have employees that work on those grants and those programs that have civil service protection and union
protection. So those are permanent employees that we can't uh you know let go. So what that what happens with that is as they're permanent we have to shift them into jobs uh with their permanency and that shift then becomes what we are
able to take a look at and what we're able to take a look at to facilitate some of those cuts and not raise taxes would be employees that are non-permanent civil service employees. They're basically uh what what you consider provisional employees and and those employees um have an ability to
gain uh union uh status and civil service status but have not done so either uh due to title discrepancies or their term of employment with the city. Um so that's how we navigate that perspective. Um, just going to the
cannabis uh uh dollar amount that's would be facilitated in the trust fund uh portion of our budget. And at the last council meeting, we actually gave away $500,000 in microrants uh to the community uh facilitating those dollars. And that's all Oh, wait, wait, wait,
wait, wait, wait. Come on. Let him talk. You don't have to agree. All right? You don't have to agree, but let him speak. All right? He's trying to tell you where the money went. You don't have to agree, but let's hear it.
Okay. You don't hear it. You didn't hear them. Okay. Well, talk louder. They didn't hear it. Okay. When it When it comes to the cannabis dollars, we received approximately $600,000 from the cannabis funds, and those were given out at the last council meeting, roughly $500,000 of those
dollars into organizations from the community that had applied for the grant, and then each received $10,000 uh grants. So, that money was already allocated. It's on the claims list for tonight. And the list of those organizations are available on our website,
y'all. Check that out now. Check that out on our website. That's where he said they went, the communities. All right. All right. Okay. Go to the website. All right. Okay.
John. Hey. All right. We don't want people shouting out. Please, please be respectful, but people who are answering questions. Okay. Go ahead, Con. John, I have I do have a few questions.
Go ahead. Um, so with regards to the layoffs, um, and this is just a yes or no question. Um, did the reorganization of the recreation affects anyone's seniority or anything like that? Because
I was under the impression that it was always last one in, first one out. And I know definitively that Chris has been in recreation for probably more than about 75% of the people down there. So did the
reorg have anything to do with seniority or anything? Uh Councilman, I did hear the concern of Chris. I I wasn't aware of his longevity with the city. So we will take a look at his civil service. Okay. Self. All right. Um all I can tell you is that the list we went off of, y'all got to let him talk. We can't hear
them if y'all don't let them talk. The list that we went off of was a list that was provided from the state that they don't uh deem as permanent civil service employees. They're considered provisional. So, if there's an error there, we're happy to look at it. I mean, it's something that we verified,
but it it's it's it wasn't just random. Okay. Um now, also, I would say this with regards to um recreation. Um, I've been I mean at this point I'm sounding like a broken record. I've been advocating constantly
for more money and recreation because I know and understand we have to have the hard conversation. Either you're going to pay for the kids to do something productive on the front end or subsequently you'll pay to house them somewhere in someone's state
institution. Um now this year we hired 400 youth. For comparison alone in the program that I ran when I was in recreation I manage over 200 youth. Right. So with the with the
decrease of available summer programs in each of the schools in certain areas is also going to come with a decrease of employment. Also, we were able to get grants for the stop the drop program. What if anything happened with with that
program and the money for that program? Councilman, so we do receive some of those dollars still. Um, some of it's being utilized for some uh graffiti removal and we're working with some of the SIDS for street. Please people, can we can we just let them talk so we can have this stuff on
record? We may not agree with whatever is being done, but at the very least afford him the opportunity to say what he have to say on record. Please. Another complication with that councilman is some of the some of that those fundings are tied to recycling revenues that are no longer uh
profitable to the city. So, we lost some of those dollars and some of those dollars are being used to offset some of the SID uh work street teams as well as some graffiti removal. As far as the recreation funding with the city, uh the budget as proposed is $9 million. At the
next council meeting in August with the state approval, the council will have an ability to amend that budget. And you have two options. We could reallocate funds into recreation if if we want to expand those services or we could raise taxes to offset some of those uh costs.
So um wait a minute, guys. Let them finish. Let him. He's just telling us our option. Okay. We going to do it. He's just telling us what we can do. All right. Let him talk. He tell us what we can do. An offset would not have an impact on
the tax rate. And then obviously if there's nothing to offset or there's no ability to offset and as an expansion, obviously an added cost would mean a tax increase. It's just an information. I'm not advising the councils on. Right. Just now my last question, John. um as it
relates to the actual activities because for some reason I see that they are charging for some programs and recreations and things like that. What if any way is that money help helping for uh programs and recreation? Like are
we seeing an increase in activities with this extra revenue coming in? Are we seeing an increase of hiring new staff? Like how is that new revenue affecting the department? because we're charging for summer camps. Then there's a fee to there's
registration fees. There's a bunch of different fees. Yeah. So, Councilman, the way that it works is uh the state allows certain trust funds that if you receive uh uh user fees, they could be utilized back into a program. Recreation, they don't. It's not applicable. So, it goes to our
general revenue account. So, the money we raise via programs and recreation goes into a general fund. And just so we clear, there's no definitive answer as it relates to if those funds will then be spent on recreation
programs and or activities. Correct, Councilman? But we we received $300,000 approximately in those funds and the recreation budgets up a million. So directly indirectly from an accounting perspective, it's not that
way, but the increase of of the budget could be offset with those fees. So, so in layman's terms, basically what he's saying that the budget for recreation is $8 whatever it is almost $9 million. Subsequently, recreation
take in funds for all of the fees um associated with the different programs. Now, that money that we take in, it doesn't increase our budget per se, but it comes back to the city. Correct, Kyle?
Yes, Councilman. But the appropriation went up. So, in order to fund the expanded appropriation, the revenue is utilized. All right. All right. Okay, Sean. Okay, so before we move on to the public
speaking portion of our meeting, I know that council person Solomon has to leave a little early. So, I'm going to take his vote on the rest of the items that are outstanding. And we're going to start with claims and addendum number one.
I and on to our resolutions. But before I do that, is there any resolutions that are going to be withdrawn from the administration before we take uh Council Person Solomon's vote?
Uh yes, Sean. One second. Sorry. Sorry to put you on the spot there, John. Uh yes, Sean. So, the administration is going to remove 10.2 to um uh sorry 10:32 from the agenda uh with the expansion of some of the late items. Um
we'll revisit that seat at another time. So we're going to withdraw 10.32. I'm I'm going to I know um he's here, but I have to withdraw 10.3 because culture fear is supposed to have a a meeting tomorrow um concerning the
marathon with uh Father Bryant. So, it would definitely be put back on the August agenda, but they're trying to resolve a situation. So, Council President, you're making a motion to withdraw item 10.3 from the agenda. Correct?
Also, um, wait, Council President, are you making that motion? Has to go. So, may I have a second on that motion? What's Oh, 10.3 is the um Marathon.
Second. Who made the second? I can't. Ridley. Council person Ridley. On the motion to withdraw item 10.3 from the agenda. Council person Ridley. I. Council person Huings. I.
Council person Bajiano. Sorry. Cut your mic on. Rich. I. You said I. Right. Yeah. Council Person CE stepped out. Council Person Solomon. Um just briefly, um I appreciate that we're
trying to work out uh final details with the uh the marathon organizers and the priest. Um I know there's a time sensitivity moving it forward. So I'm going to vote no, but if it comes back, we'll make sure that uh all those issues are worked out. Council person Gilmore, I.
Council person Deise, no. Council person Reer, no. and council president Waterman I withdraw it. Yeah.
Let's have the conversation. So motion to withdraw item 10.3 from the agenda is approved. 53 with council members Solomon Deise and Rivera voting no.
All right. With that being said, Council Person Solomon, we're going to be taking a vote on items 10.1 through 10.10 with the exception of 10.3, which has been withdrawn. Sean, I I wanted to Oh, I'm I'm so sorry. Hold on one
second. Council person, Council Person Reber, lost it. Hold up. 10.23. 23 32 He's drawn it. No, no. I'm talking about Jose. Jose has
to get withdrawn as well. Oh, three 33 32. So 10.33 as well. Withdraw that one as well. So you're going to make a motion. Motion to withdraw. Motion to withdraw.
10.33 there from the agenda made by council person Rivera and seconded by council person Deise or Ridley Deise
on the motion to withdraw item 10.33 from the agenda. Council person Ridley I. Council person Huings. I. Council person Bajiano. Council person Cle. Hi. Council person Solomon. Hi. Council person Gilmore. I.
Council person Deise. Hi. Council person Rivera. Hi. And council president Waterman. Motion carries 90 to withdraw item 10.33 from the agenda. Okay.
So, Council Person Solomon, Yep. your vote on items 10.1 through 10.10 with the exception of 10.3 which has been withdrawn. I for all. Thank you. On items 10.11 through 10.20.
I for all on items 10.21 through 10.31 and 10.32 which has been withdrawn. So no on the abatement that's 1029 and then I on all the rest.
So no on 1029 and I on all the rest. Got it. And for the balance of the resolutions with the exception of 10.33 which has been draw withdrawn items 10.34 through 10.38. I for all.
Thank you so much. Council person Solomon you are free to go. And just a a quick apology to members of the public. I have a parental obligation, but I will you are all taking your time to speak. So, tomorrow morning I will be listening to all of you on the YouTube. So, thank you so much.
Okay, with that being said, please pay attention to your agenda that you have in hand. I'm going to be calling the speaker number and the first name of the speaker. And I would please ask for your cooperation to hold your applause. And I
believe that what we did uh with the council president's approval, Charles Maynor signed up to speak and Leverne has volunteer to switch her spot number one to give Charles Mayor the first speaking spot. So I'm going to call up
Charles Mayor for as the first speaker. Well, no, Sean. and Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, hold on one second. Another list. Mr. May, you have three minutes and just on this clock. All right. When you're
ready. My name is Charles Mayor. C H A R L E S M A I N O R. Good evening. My name is Charles Mayor, as I said, and I am the president of the Jersey City NAACP branch. I come before you today to raise
a concern that could drastically impact our community. A proposal that we understand will be brought to you for a vote sometime this year. We have been informed that there is a discussion underway to convert Ocean Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive into a one-way
street. Let me begin by saying this. We don't know the origin of this proposal. We don't know who brought it forward. We don't know what direction the streets are expected to run in. We don't know whether there will be one side parking. We don't know if there's
plans to include bike lanes, jogging paths, or other adjustments. In fact, what's most alarming is everything we don't know. And that's exactly what the problem is. The one thing we do know is that we are
tired of being disrespected. Disrespected because decisions are being made that will directly affect our daily lives. Yet no one from our community was consulted. No meetings, no conversations, no opportunity to voice
our concerns or offer our input. Ocean Avenue and Martin Luther Green Martin Luther King Drive are more than streets. They are lifelines. They are the homes of multiple schools where parents drop off and pick up their children. They serve seniors who rely on accessible bus
routes for their independence. Turning these streets into one-way roads without proper consult consultation risk isolation to our elders, disrupting families and creating unnecessary hardships for our residents. When you respect a community, you
involve them in the process. when you don't you don't plan for them, you plan with them. So tonight, we are here to say two things loud and clear. We are not in
favor of these proposed changes. Number two, we will not continue to allow you to disrespect us. It is no secret that the black population in Jersey City has declined in in its numbers. But do not mistake that for weakness.
Our commitment our commitment to unity, to organize, and to being heard is stronger than ever. For the first time in a long time, we are mobilizing. We are we are prepared to take our rightful seat at the table. If the seat is not
off it, we will build our own. With this local election on the horizon, understand this. We may not have the numbers to choose the winner, but we are confident that we have enough to decide the loser.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Let me leave you. Nothing about us is without us. Do the right thing. Thank you, sir. We will be back or something like that.
Turn that into what? Yeah, I don't make any errors that be Motion for five minute recess. Motion. We're going to take a 5m minute recess while they exit. Thank you.
resolutions. Why not? Okay, our next public speaker, 5.2, Tina. Tina. Hi guys. Yes, my name is Tina. Yes, I do work for Education Again more, but I'm speaking upon myself. Justice for Drew.
Justice for Drew. Um, well, I thank you for um, educating our community. This had been going on a minute about the blocks. I guess now people are actually paying attention in the community. We've been knew this for a minute and we were trying to educate
the community, but I thank God they still showed up and to interact and learn more about our community. I want to thank Miss Web for always donate donating to my safe spot with the food because our community need it. I wanted to let y'all know the 547 number no
good. The 211 no good. We need good leaders that can come into our community of what you did to explain to us of what go on in these meeting because a lot of us don't know what go on the meetings and we don't know how to explain it. So
to see you take the time out and give us paper so we are able to bring the flyers out to the community to educate them to let them know I think that's a good thing as a leader. Don't forget guys, we still haven't opened up our mental health. We need our mental health. I
don't understand why the funds is so slow when it comes down to our community. I don't I don't get it yet. Like I was still war f like like they said our guys needed help. I've been talking about this for years. It's like constantly constantly going over the
same thing. Maybe we do need some fresh new people up there that understand of what we need for our community. tomorrow is a good deed for um tomorrow at um Berry Lane. I want to talk about that. We already know what we going in the community. I think we need a list of
finding out who's doctors in our community. Um where we can get food from in the morning and at night, where we can get somebody to talk to because of the stuff that we going going through right now. I believe that we should come together. I believe we should use our voice. I believe we should get out in
there in the community because again we already seeing that our governor is felling us. It take us as a community to work together and find out what we can do for our community. Again guys, justice for our next speaker 5.3. Edward
figured I would use my 3 minutes. I didn't know the budget was going to be up, but I could use that time now. Uh, and I'm so happy that this is the end of the mayor's tenure. It's the worst 12
years of my life. And um you know, tonight's meeting and the show out the turnout tonight was just really indicative of like you know what it's been like under his leadership, you know, and um I think for me in this
budget, we need equitable funding in all our departments. you know, that $1 million raise for recreation, like compared to, and all of you know, the Department of Public Safety, like, are you kidding me? We need
equitable funding. And um I also want to stress that I I I I used to be a youth and I and I love our youth and I will always, but youth are a part of bigger units and greater units. They're a part of families and they're a part of wider communities. You can't invest a billion
dollars in school and afterchool programs and kids have no homes to go to or their streets aren't safe or they or there aren't places where there's affordable food, lack of housing, lack of health care.
Like, you've done a terrible job. And I'm so happy that the vote is up now. We have real people running who look like us, who go through what we go through. and who promised to represent us and you need to feel that
the no confidence vote. Thank you, Councilman Gilmore. In my view, you are you are the best right now that um we have to offer under your leadership. Really, one thing that you do uh for our
community is you educate us. Nobody here goes over every line item agenda to educate the community on what's happening like you do and that's invaluable. No matter what happens, that's invaluable. They all need to follow you
and that standard that you set. You're the standard here and we thank you. I thank you. The no confidence vote and director Shay, I was at the visual for Eli Bender. I was there. It's a shame. And
that was a good question. Gina asks, "How will you vote now if you had the opportunity to vote today?" Four deaths in the past two months. You better not look me in my face and tell me that you would vote the same. The same
and sacrifice. Ain't sacrifice yet. Someone unknown. I can't wait until we have some new faces and some real leadership here. It's what we're demanding. I'll see you all out there.
Thank you. Our next speaker, 5.4, Gina. Good evening, Gina Davidson, Ward B. I work for Councilman Gilmore part-time as an aid, but I'm speaking on my own behalf tonight as a resident of this city.
I want to repeat that. I am speaking as a resident on my own behalf. So, you're more than welcome to continue to call Mr. Gilmore and tattle to him about whatever I say up here, but he will continue to encourage me as a
resident to use my voice. That's why I support him. That's why I support him whether I'm on his staff or not. And I want you to be assured any attempts to split up team Gilmore will
be met with solidarity. I want to talk about these accusations of the vote of no confidence for public safety director Shea being political theater or symbolic. Political theater would imply that this activism was only happening during times
of election. But Mr. Gilmore has been consistent in his support of us over the years. That count of a kind of accountability taking is a regular day for him. The word symbolic describes half of the letters of res and resolutions that get
passed here in these chambers. We have flag raisings. We declare days. We honor people for their contributions to our city. All very important symbolic gestures. So our symbolic vote of no confidence for Director Sheay was the
beginning of us saying this is enough. Director Sheay and Mayor Steven Trump's failure to react properly to Andrew Washington's death. This alone is why I am here. I gave up a career to be here. I've been here for two years on my own
steam, paying my own way with my own savings to confront you all because the state of this city is so important to me that I will stop everything I'm doing. I don't want to be here. I don't want to be yelling at people for
not doing their jobs. I have better things to do. But I have put my life on hold, my family's life on hold because I've seen what y'all have done. And I'm so beyond disappointed,
beyond in some of you. Mr. Boiano, I want to thank you for your comments on Monday because you continue to stand up for the police department. You continue to stand up for the police people. also residents of Jersey City who work for us. So,
thank you. I want to thank you. I want to thank Mr. Solomon and I want to thank Mr. Gilmore. Justice for Drew and thank you for your service. Our next speaker, 5.5, Joseph.
Is Joseph here? No. Here. Okay. Next 5.6, Zara. Oh, no. Next. 5.7, Erica.
Good evening, council, and thank you for allowing me to speak today. Um, I'm here because I'm not sure really what else to do. So, I came here to raise awareness for issues occurring in Ward B, where I'm a resident, homeowner, and business owner. Um the situation in my ward has
become untenable. The issues in my ward are far-ranging. Um this includes drug dealing, drug use, public urination, indecent exposure, trespassing, illegal parking, um decrepit infrastructure,
including streets and sidewalks, and a host of gross city ordinance violations related to trash, noise, and loitering. I've raised these issues more than I can count honestly in various forms in including cclick fix emails to my
alderman Jersey City dispatch police 911 um and now via public comment and most of my if not all of my complaints have either been flatout ignored or just not prioritized. I am confident that were these issues occurring in a more desirable neighborhood of Jersey City,
these issues would not be allowed to persist. I pay entirely too much in property taxes for my complaints to go un ignored. Um, so the situations I mentioned are contributing to a general lack of safety for WB residents, including myself as a single woman. Um, a decrease in property values for
homeowners, a decrease in business traffic, and a general sense of just discontent with the neighborhood. What I'm asking for is for you to send regular police patrols through the ward, which I never thought I would say increase policing, but honestly, it's become to that point that it's that
dangerous um in my neighborhood. And I would say it's for me it's between JFK and Westside. Um I think especially in the evenings and at night um and then have them stationed potentially at various locations. And I think find and continue to find those that commit
ordinance violations. So, including homeowners, um, if they allow their residents to park illegally, loiter, improper trash storage, and noise. A lot of times, especially with the loitering, there are 40, 50 people on my block that you cannot even drive down the street. A
lot of times, the parking is so bad, people are parked on the sidewalk. I have to walk in the street, have been almost hit multiple multiple times. And I think that's just unacceptable. And then also takes take complaints like mine seriously. So when I'm complaining or calling and I know a host of other
people in uh my community complain as well that things are actually done and problems are actually solved and fixed. Um thank you Erica. Erica you said west side and MK. What? Westside and JFK. Okay.
Yes. Okay. Our next speaker 5.8 8 Demetrius Demetriottis Vandenmark for the record. Oh, sorry. Okay. My last appearance here was on June 26 in reference to pedestrian safety and cleaning of parks and particularly Ward
F. As of today, no changes, no resolve. As I was told via email correspondence very dismissively by Councilman Gilmore that I needed to reach out to other city council members for assistance. That is
what I am doing here today. My response to his email is yes, we do need to have our community to clean effortlessly and together, but our tax dollars are to be used to ensure that our neighborhoods are consistently clean
and that there are trash bins in more areas. We live in a city where socioeconomic discrimination or the tale of five different cities in one city is evident.
People are waking up and are no longer living as the philosopher Socrates has stated living a noble lie. people are aware that they live in filth while the 10% and the 1% live in abundant and immaculate areas where you
could almost eat off of the ground. According to the National Institute of Health, lowincome communities have historically faced environmental justice issues. more than half income higher income counterparts have less social
capital and have less available time to advocate for community level environmental improvements. Furthermore, disparities in litter bins availability pose a public health problem and there are numerous and significant neighborhood health issues.
Please note that this was a study in 1980 and nothing has changed for the better. We do deserve better. So I am asking that all city council members and particularly Councilman Gilmore enforce a consistent and
frequent cleanup of the entire Ward F community with a work first that is specifically developed around this initiative with a more abrasive approach. And also let's please address the elephant in the room.
We do understand that there is a contingency on making a one-way streets of MLK and Ocean Avenue. It's truly egregious to deprive residents of the southern wards of valuable information regarding these changes. So, I'm asking
all of the council members, what is your take or what is your input on these changes for MLK and Ocean Avenue? If anybody wants to speak, please. Okay, thank you. That's all. Have a great evening. Okay, our next speaker 5.9 Diego.
Are you going to be interpreting for Diego? Okay, very good. city square. The journalism New Year. department. I see. Right. try to speak as quick as possible.
Michelle. All right. Good evening everyone. My name is Diego. I'm a construction worker. I have worked on some of Jersey City's biggest developments, including most recently The Journal at 10 Journal Square. The Journal is a massive development, two 64 sto 6 64tory towers with over 1,700
luxury apartments. It was built open shop by general contractor AJ, meaning some workers were covered by a collective bargaining agreement, but many others, like myself, were not. I worked at the Journal from December 2023 until June of this year after the Department of Labor, the State
Department of Labor, issued four stop work orders against contractors on the project, including my employer. On average, I worked 55 hours per week, and the most I worked in a single week was 73 hours. I was paid $15 an hour in cash
with no overtime. Based on that, I've calculated I'm owed over $7,000 for the time I worked there, and I know many others who are also owed money. The Department of Labor's inspectors visited the journal twice and supervisors caused widespread panic among workers directing
us to hide and threatening anyone who disobeyed orders. Um, so even though the department is actively investigating wage issues at the journal, a lot of workers are going to be left out because they were too afraid to. Thank you. Okay. Our next speaker 5.10 Chris.
Yes. Good evening everyone. My name is Chris Capers. I'm a member of the Labor's Local 3. I'm here to stand in solidarity with Diego, my non-UN brother. Uh, as you just heard from him, let me start by saying loud and clear
that there is no excuse for billionaires, developers like Kushner Companies, and experienced general contractors like AJ D to allow wage deaths to happen to an individual like that. I have personally worked on AJ
projects in the past as a union laborer on high-rise buildings right here in the city. These projects used to be good, but the for for the community, good health care for families and a pathway to a dignified retirement for
hardworking people. But now AJ is using low road subcontractors who are currently being investigated for violations, including worker mclassification, wage theft, failure to pay overtime,
lack of workers compensation insurance, and hindering the Department of Labor's investigation. As you heard Diego say, many of these workers are being paid cash under the table. This is robbing a city of thousands of dollars that should be
going into public coffers for crucial and critical community resources such as public schools. We applaud you for taking steps to hold contractors accountable for paying a payroll tax by including it in the permit and
certificate of occupancy approval process. I don't know if the Journal Square project has been issued a COO as of yet. And I would highly encourage you guys to verify whether Exxon Development
Corporation, MJQ Drywall Corporation, 506 Painting LLC, and Olivia General Services LLC have paid their fair share. And this isn't one a oneoff with AJ is
using many of these same comp same subcontractors on at least three other active projects right here in Jersey City being developed by more bigname developers like Panipinto and Navmar. We also know AJ has two more projects that
are just getting started all right here in the city. As I stated, we are talking about hundreds of millions of dollars of real estate development. In closing, we at the labor union are fighting back. We are building relationship with workers such as Diego, educating workers about
their rights, helping workers file claims with the Department of Labor and other agencies, rallying in the streets to expose AJ and Kushner companies for their greed and blatant disregard of state and local law. But we can't tackle
this alone. We want to work with the city to fix this because we the people are saying development. Thank you, Chris. Jersey City. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker 5.11 Kevin here.
No. Next speaker 5.12 Danielle. Good evening again. Let's start with a simple question. What are we paying for? Because right now a lot of us are looking around Jersey City and asking exactly that. Dangerous intersections
sit untouched. The chief engineer position has been vacant for over a year and we're told there's no money for fixes while crashes and close calls keep stacking up. On July 5th, a friend rode through the new Journal Square bike lane. Two cars were parked directly in
it under a no standing sign. I tried reporting it using the WhatsApp, which we were told works now, but it didn't. On Marin, a Port Authority Police Department van was parked in the bike lane again unattended.
And while Congo continues to make sweeping statements about the police department, what are we supposed to think when some officers won't even follow the rules themselves? If they can ignore basic safety infrastructure, how can we expect any real enforcement?
But I do want to thank the council for the many street safety resolutions and ordinances now being introduced and voted on. They matter, but only if they're enforced and fully implemented. Paper pl paper plans don't keep people
safe. Enforcement does. And in Bergen, Lafayette, and Ward F, there is still zero protected bike lanes, zero bus lanes, and almost no traffic calming measures. three and a half years into this term. Why is it
only now as the mayor prepares to leave office that we're finally seeing plans for one-way conversions to support bus and bike lanes? Meanwhile, as I just learned that Ocean Avenue and MLK Drive are being converted into oneways during
their entire length with no community meetings, no public outreach, and no clear explanation of how this serves the people who live there. If this city truly wants to address congestion and safety, it should look at where the in where the injuries and bottlenecks
actually are and consider targeting one-way conversions for those specific segments. Blanket changes across full corridors without community input risk creating more problems that they solve.
So, I'll end with this. I'll ask again, what are we paying for? We deserve a city that works not just for ribbon cutings and campaign flyers, but for the people who live here every single day. Thank you.
Our next speaker, 5.13, Michael. Is Michael here? No. Next speaker, 5.14, Steve. Council President, members of the council, I'm here to speak on resolution 10.3 which
was tabled or pulled. Um, so let me begin by saying uh yesterday I received an email at 4:43 p.m. from your assistant Sierra McDonald indicating that um and council people Gilmore,
Ridley, and Solomon were copied on it that members of the clergy, primarily Father Brian Page, had reached out to your office complaining about the marathon and that if I didn't reach out to Father Brian, then uh the resolution
would get pulled. So, I did reach out to him last night immediately after communicating to Sierra and he and I exchanged three emails, all positive. I provided him an updated map, a turnbyterm description of the entire route and the estimated times of
congestion on Grant. And then at 11 uh 38 this morning, I received an email from Sierra saying, "Let's go." Said, "Okay, great." Uh but then at 1:47 I received another email from Sierra saying the council president is um
moving to uh remove the resolution from the agenda. Okay. So let me just give a very brief uh history is that back in February of this year, Father Brian Paige communicated with all of you his displeasure with the marathon. He made
two suggestions primarily. One move the date. We met with director Sheay Dwanda Moody and Christina Goodman who said any other day would be not good for business for the community and so forth. So that perished that thought. Then he said change the route. While Brian Paige is
not a traffic engineer nor is he a race route specialist. This route was created by two United States Association of Track and Field uh authorities and one international gold standard authority who uh certifies races for Olympic trial
qualification, the New York Marathon and the Philly Marathon. So after that, what we did is is we met with Father Brian. We communicated them. We hired extra flaggers. We put four at Jersey. We put four at uh Warren. And we have a
statement from the flagger corporation saying that on Marathon Day this year, 30 parishioners identified themselves as crossing. 21 of them had gone to St. Peter and Paul, who we work very splendidly with Father Solomon. Uh, in
addition, we hired two vans to transport his parishioners from Jersey to LLC and St. Peters and Paul Orthodox Cathedral. 21 people took advantage of that. 17 were from St. Peters and Paul. I received six emails from his
parishioners. One was from out of state, two I persuaded to sign up for the race, and three we provided direction on how to get to church. Long story short is is I hope and pray. Uh lastly, we hired Lee Klein, who many of you know is a traffic engineer. Also, we're working with New
York Waterway to provide ferry service from Port Liberte and Paulook. I hope in uh we get this done. It's the I love you. Thank you. Back over. I'll just have to meet. Okay, our next speaker 5.15 Corey
left 5.16 Essence. Good evening, council. Good evening. So, after hearing some of the numbers that we've discussed tonight, I must say some may say that they're not
a mathematician, but unfortunately I have a great love for numbers. And you know, being the possibly the only black student in a cow class at her senior year of high school, very honored to have a Russian professor that taught me very, very well. Now, you're telling me
that we have a $700 million budget for this city. 34% of that goes comes from taxes. So, that's 238 million. Now, we just figured out that y'all could only allocate $9 million to the whole city that carries over 40,000 students. Well,
possibly, let's do an estimate of 35,000 to be accurate. So, you're telling me out of that 35,000 students, you can only allocate 257 per student for one year. That's $21 a month. What is that going to do for a student in this state?
And doesn't nobody have an answer that I just I don't understand that. That's crazy. $21. I'm just saying y'all do the math. Our next speaker 5.17 John.
Thank you. Next speaker 5.18 Dorene. You left two. Okay. 5.19. Cynthia, it's gone. 5.20 20 is a duplicate of 18
5.21 Sean. Hello everybody. Hello. My name is Sean Mre. I'm one of the chefs at Lady G's. Um, I'm using my voice today to express the importance of maintaining the operations at Lady G's, which continues to play a vital role in
our community, culture, and local economy. Since its inception, Lady G's has continuously provided high quality, diverse food options, and entertainment that meets the evolving presence of our valued customers. Our commitment to
exceptional service, health conscience offerings, and community engagement has made us a trusted and beloved establishment. Although we have only been open for a few months, Lady G's has been impacting the community since 2016. Moreover, Lady G significantly contributed to the local economy by
creating jobs, supporting local supplies, and fostering a vibrant dining culture. Closing our doors to when it comes to our entertainment um license will not only impact our dedicated employees, but also diminish
the unique culinary landscape we help sustain. At Lady G's, we are committed to adapting to changing circumstances and continually enhancing our offerings to meet customers needs. Your support and allowing Lady G's to continue to operate while ensure we maintain our
positive impact on the community. Here at Lady G's, there is no high-end team. It is we. We are the soul food of Jersey City. Stopping us from not having our entertainment license is not what should be done. We allow our community to come and enjoy themselves here at Lady G's.
It's a soul entertainment vibration that brings our community together. And by you guys taking that away from Lady G's isn't just hurting the establishment. It's hurting our community to where our children, our future children can go. Our community won't have a place to call
home. Not to mention a place to eat and bob. So before you guys make that decision, just put all of that into consideration. Thank you, Lady G. they are we we are not understanding exactly what's going on. So often when
people come speak to the council, they think that we know everything that's happening throughout the city, but we are listening to find out exactly and um based on just some of the things we heard. What is going on? Something with your license, your entertainment. We don't have that information. We don't
know. That's why I try to explain to the public, y'all think we know everything, but we are listening to understand exactly what's going on. So could you elaborate so we can have a clear understanding? I can. I am Gig Terry aka Lady G. Um, and
we had some problems with the city, not the city, ABC. Um, they said that we couldn't play music without entertainment license. Nobody told us that when they handed us our liquor license. They actually handed out in the
same building. They didn't give us a guideline. We had a lot of issues to get the liquor license. It took me over a year and a half to get the license. You know, the troubles that we had. Um, and after getting it, we never got details
of what we could and cannot do. We found out 4 months into business that we couldn't have a DJ. Although it was previously a lounge that played music, had comedy and all sorts of things. We assumed, assuming the same building,
that we could do the same. We found out different. So we applied for entertainment license after they told us we had to have one and then they denied us. Did they give you guys any reason for the denial? Well, they said that it was because
there was some um conditions from ABC. The entertainment license comes from commerce, not ABC. So we don't understand why ABC has a decision making
on entertainment. Okay. What were the what were the conditions that they they said that we were playing music without a license? So they they're just they just go they're giving you prior stuff. You got it. Okay. They said that we were playing music
without a license. we were being a nuisance because the police had to come to the building over 70 times when they gave us the paperwork for these calls. There's a tenant on the second floor and the third floor that had medical issues
and they call a lot. So, what we're going to do, I mean, from my office, I'm sure, you know, other council members will probably reach out based on the fact that you didn't know, you know, what was the the outline of of all of this because it's true. can't have it if you don't have that
information and you know they're not allowed. So it's unfortunate that you know you went through this without knowing anything, right? Knowing anything about that, right? So we'll we'll my office will call you know we'll you know we'll speak to commerce and we'll see if we can iron
out and you know just to get you back on track you know and just you know but then I'm sure they're going to give you the the pamphlet of rules and regulations that you will know now. Yes. Okay. Thank thank you Lady G. Thank you.
Appreciate you. Dessa and and Lady G. Lady G. Hello. Let me just let me let me just tell you something from the day. I don't usually do this, but you guys have some serious amazing empanadas, man.
Thank you. Thank you. I guess now I know where I got to go for lunch. Uh, next speaker, 5.22, Rochelle. Yeah, she left too. Left. Thank you. Next speaker. 5.23. Jeff.
Jeff left. Oh, he's right there. My name is Jeffrey. Last name Du B as in boy L I N. Um, good evening council people. I'm here to talk about the MLK in Ocean Avenue. I think this is a
disservice to the community when they propose something and you don't sit down with the body of that community and have conversation for it. And not knowing that a a two a one-way street is going to inconvenience a lot of people. It's
going to increase our kids who take buses to school one way and then have to walk down the block to go back home another way. Then how about the police, fire, and ambulance? It's a matter of second on on people lives. So, I just
think that we shouldn't um be talking about making um Martin Luther King Ocean um a oneway, but we should see how we can improve um that avenue. It needs to be paved. Streets need to be much
smoother. And I just think that the community should have some type of, you know, input into that. And Jen, I want to talk about just Lady G's because it's not too far from my house and they do have great food. And sometimes when you
open a business, you don't give a person a a handbook or you can't do this, you can't do that. But in other communities when people make mistakes with their ownership, whether it's the bar, anything, there's always somebody there to smack them on the hand, make sure you don't do it again, and and and they can
um establish theelves and keep their business going on. They wonder, they do a wonderful business. They're right next to PS20 school. So, they interact with a lot of of our um young people in that community. And I go by there, you know, every day on my way home. And you're right, Danny, they do make some great
empanadas. And and but we just want to make sure that they get a fair share and a fair shot to keeping their business, you know, open. So, um, and I know I know I know any body of government, anything, you're going to
look into it and you're going to, um, find the answers, but they shouldn't be penalized for something that they didn't know and they're looking to willing to correct it right away by getting a entertainment license. So, that should be in their favor. Thank you.
Don't go there every day. need to be gone. Our our our next speaker 5.24 Robin. Hi, I'm Robin Mun. I have been a small business owner in the community in Jersey City for 26 years. I too want to
talk about Lady G. I've seen her grow from a homebased business to uh a food truck and now she has a brick and mortar store. Just help us find out what she needs to do to keep her establishment
running in our community. Small businesses are the life of the community and I've been one for 26 years on the junction. Okay. So, help us to keep our small business here. Thank you. Thank you. Our
next speaker 5.25 Brenda. Next 5.26 26 Pam. You know, as I get older and come glasses come in handy. Tell me about it. It look great, right? Look good. Uh Pam Johnson, Pam Mns O N. Uh good afternoon, council. Uh,
you know, obviously I come standing here with Lady G's and standing in support. Uh, I want to discuss the unjust targeting because that's what I'm going to call it of minorityowned businesses on the south side that have been hit with numerous citations that have negatively affected their revenue. I do
not understand how we expect Lady G's and other businesses to survive when the sabotage seems to be coming from within. Why it is not that businesses are not receiving the proper direction. Why is it that businesses are not receiving the proper direction upon the filing of
paperwork to open said business and the completion of inspections of said business? How is it that we made departments and created divisions to help small businesses and specifically minority businesses, but they are not receiving the information that they need to successfully continue that business
and thrive successfully. This is not the first business that has been going through this and I need you to look into this further so you can properly support businesses like we promote that we do in this city. Now I'll pivot again and discuss the friendly the frenzy that was stirred up in the community with the
talk of changing Dr. Martin Luther King Drive to an Ocean Avenue into one ways. I'll say three things. The community doesn't want it. And I know because we've been meeting, organizing, and strategizing just in case this ever makes it to the agenda since this is the
third time it's being whispered. Where is the traffic study? We haven't seen it. And where are the community meetings? Cuz we haven't had any. And we'll be at the one that Frank is hosting next month though, but that's the only one we know of. We won't be left out of the conversation. and you
can take tonight as the crowd that was here as you all being put on notice. Thank you. Our next speaker 5.27 Britney. Good evening, council. I'm here to voice my concerns about the proposal to convert MLK Drive and Ocean
Avenue into one ways. I think it's very irresponsible to spread this message without a plan and without engaging with the residents. Um, it will impact the most. This outside is really tired of being left out of the conversation.
Residents are frustrated and they're tired of being ignored and consistently disrespected. I know that this one is not the council's fault, but I urge you to ask the administration for a traffic study and multiple community meetings to be held before any ordinance touches the
agenda to be voted on. I also stand with Lady G's and ask the council to help them get what they need to keep their business running. Thank you. Our next speaker, 5.28, Danielle Good evening. I'm here tonight to express my strong opposition to
resolution 10.7 for the Westside Partnership Budget. At first glance, this 400 545,000 budget may appear comprehensive, but a closer look relieves a serious lack of clarity and accountability. There are line items labeled maintenance and
sanitation and public activations, yet no breakdown of what these actually mean for residents. What exactly are we getting for $125,000 in sanitation or $45,000 in quality of life supervision? What neighborhoods with these benefits? And what are the
benchmarks for success? The west side has long struggled with real quality of life issues, neglected lots, inadequate lighting, broken sidewalks, and dangerous intersections. None of that is addressed in any meaningful or transparent way in this budget. This
plan seems heavy on vague administration costs and beautifification efforts like banners and signs. While the real concerns of residents go unressed, there's also $73,000 allocated for h holiday decorations. Yet nothing here to show how we're investing
in actual long-term infrastructure or safety. We deserve more than smoke and mirrors. We deserve answers, specifics, and measurable outcomes. Our community is not a line item. It's a leaving living breathing part of Jersey City. And right now, it's being shortchanged.
I urge the council to reject this in its current form and demand a version that includes clearer details, measurable goals, and above all, real investment in the residents of the west side. And if you're wondering if anything has changed since the last time I was here, it hasn't. I've done walkthrough with the
SIDS. I've had community meetings with my neighbors. I've done my part. We need change. I am so tired of telling my daughter that it's not safe to just run to the store when she wants chocolate milk. I have to be concerned to go to
the store to get basic things. And for once, I'm ashamed to say that I live on the west side when everyone knows how proud I am to say I've been there for 34 years on the same block. It's embarrassing what is happening.
And we go after businesses like Lady G's, but I can point out five businesses on West Side who don't care about permits that should be shut down. It's ridiculous. I hate to be the angry person, but at the end of the day, I'm a mother.
Where is the mayor with this? We appoint people like it's nothing, but there's no care. And I'm tired of it. I know a lot of us are leaving in a couple of months, but guess what? I'm not leaving. I'm going to be living here as long as I can afford to. And it's truly a shame. Enough with the meet and greets for
campaigns on the west side. Start caring about the west side. Our next speaker 5.29 GT. You got to come up. If you hear you here, you have to come up. No, I'm only got
Listen, Councilman Gilmore likes to fool around a lot. So, you know, he says people are not here even though they're here. You know, you got to get his humor. Okay. But thank you. Sorry, Councilman Gilmore. Uh, next
speaker 530. Kevin. Kevin left, right? Attorney is here. He's not a lawyer. Good evening, council. The third time tonight. This is my 59th time speaking
before you, our group's 61st appearance. When I started in November 2022, I was just Kevin, a renter. Since then, the titles have really stacked up. President of the Portide Towers East Tenant Association, chartered member of the New
Jersey Tenant Organization, elected Jersey City Democratic Committee member, director of this of the Office of Tenant Landlord Relations, representative plaintiff in the largest antitrust class action in American history. Named plaintiff in the largest rent control
class action ever filed. Maltto still not a lawyer. A title I needed because apparently I was advocating too hard for the truth last week. Sorry. Yeah, two weeks ago. Another title. Michelle Hirs and I are
now appointed co-chairs of the Jersey City Democratic Committees Subcommittee on Civic Engagement. Kind of like uh civic engagement at large for the whole city. We're building a wardbyward accountability machine. Every
neighborhood, every district, everyone seeking election will face organized constituents who know exactly how you voted when it mattered. Whether you voted the will of the people or for the pompadoo. This Sunday, we're being honored again, advocates of the year. I appreciate it.
I do. But I also find it deeply troubling. More awards for work the city refuses to act on. Not one fine collected. Not one problem actually solved. So, let's talk money. Section 260-17
says, "Violations affecting multiple tenants are separate violations as to each tenant." Chapter 260 covers more than just rents. It covers harassment, that's 260-7. Lack of security, 260-7A,
and any withholding of legally required services, 267 2614. Every violation demands a per tenant per day fine. No superintendent for 86 days. That's 527. Well, that's just units. It's actually a per tenant fine. But
let's say 527 units times 86 days. That's 45,322 violations at $2,000 each would be $90 million. No security guard. Well, if it affects every tenant. And if it's legally required, another $90 million.
Illegal rent, $90 million. hidden code violations, $90 million. We're talking, well, get rid of six out of seven of those violations. $100 million from one landlord. While you debate laying off employees when you consider whether or not to
charge for public pools, whether mental health service should be funded, take 50 million and fund the right to council. Take 10 million, build affordable housing, give us a 50 a $5 million grant to run an office of tenant landlord relations. Thank you.
Thank you. Our next speaker, 5.31, Daniel. This is my 28th time giving a speech in front of you all. My first speech was in February of 2024. and in 11 of my last 12 speeches. So my speech on December
11th of 2024, January 15th of this year, February 13th, March 12th, March 26th, April 9th, April 23rd, May 7th, May 21st, June 11th, June 26th. On each of those occasions, I discussed the fact that we still don't have 247 uniform security in Portide Towers, despite the
fact that chapter 218, article one of the Jersey City Code of Ordinances, states very clearly that every owner or agent of an owner of a multiple dwelling of 100 or more units shall furnish a minimum of one uniform security guard for each residential building. on December 9 on December 11th of 2024,
January 15th of this year, February 13th, March 12th, March 26th, April 9th, April 23rd, May 7th, May 21st, June 11th, and June 26th. I pleaded with all of you to do something about the fact that my landlord, Portsight Towers Equity Residential, is blatantly
violating Jersey City law at the at the expense of the safety of myself and my neighbors. On January 15th of this year, council member Daniel Rivera told us, quote, "That security stuff is very, very important and we want to make sure
that you know that we're hearing you." At the council meeting on June 11th, 35 days ago, council member Richard Bajiano stated that someone in the city should be fired. This came after corporation council Brittany Murray noted that Equity Residential has over 100 violations that had not been adjocated
due to issues such as failing to appear in court. Council member Cle 35 days ago. You also said, quote, "I hope everyone on this council reaches out to the municipal prosecutor's office after today and pushes to have these violations prosecuted." That was 35 days
ago. We still don't have 24/7 uniform security at Portside Towers. Now, I'm not a lawyer, but for my limited understanding, laws work only when they are enforced. and there has been no enforcement on my landlord which continues to completely ignore this city's laws. This council's apathy is
essentially letting llords in this city know that the law doesn't apply to them. As I mentioned to you all back in March discussing the same issue. If Equity Residential were a person, they could stand right here at the corner of Grove Street in Montgomery and shoot someone
and no one would be held accountable. I can't really express how disappointed I am in each and every one of you for letting this happen. I don't know if it's corruption, incompetence, or cowardice, maybe a combination of all of them. You heard from all of these
residents of Jersey City tonight who are struggling because of all of these money issues. And we have such a simple opportunity. All we have to do is enforce these city's laws, collect these fines. It's so simple. And I don't understand why you all can't just make
that happen. Do better. Our next speaker, 5.32, Aaron. Good evening, council members. Good to see you all. It's been a while. Uh I think it's been about 8 months or so since I've stood at this podium. Life happened and for personal reasons, I had to take a step back. But I assumed or at
least hoped that some progress would be happening in my absence. Imagine my disappointment to return and find a time loop. Different month, different calendar year, and still the same problems. Let's start with chapter 218. We're still without 24/7 uniform
security. That's not a suggestion. It's a legal requirement. And yet, silence, no visibility, no plan, no follow through. Chapter 254 says we're entitled to know who our superintendent is, their apartment number, their contact info, you know, so we can actually reach them
when our AC dies in the middle of July or when a washer and dryer unit catch on fire and cause an entire building to flood. As we know, I'm not hyperbolizing because Portide West Tower experienced this exact type of catastrophe last August, almost a whole year ago. And
still we waiting inside our homes. Mold, pests, appliances that are on the verge of breaking or sit there non-functional waiting for repair. The rest of the building's shared amenities are dilapitated. I'm not exaggerating when I say the handle on the door leading to our laundry and trash room is hanging by
a thread. Like the handle is like hanging off the door. Um, there's something about that door handle that really bothers me and I think it's because it's completely representative of the lack of care for the building and respect for his residents, which seems to be at an
all-time low. So, here I am months later still asking where is the accountability. We are not being unreasonable. We're not asking for goldplated door handles, just a door handle that works. We're asking for the basics, safety, health, communication, and dignity. And that's all I have to
say because it's the same stuff over and over again. So, thank you. Our next speaker, 5.33, Brendan. So, months back, I I asked you if you want I asked the esteemed city council if you want to do a fun bike ride with me through our favorite city together.
Yet, every one of you declined. Even with this, even with the promise of ebikes, you all declined. Some of you even said it was unsafe. And a month ago, Eli Bender, a six-year-old child, was killed by our esteemed city council, aka the people
who declined. Oh, and of course, the driver who was driving the vehicle. Yeah. While the driver did the act, you guys are the ones who killed the kid. You don't actually, you have not made this vision zero a reality. It was passed and it is
not becoming a reality. Now that the roost of chickens come home to roost, instead of enforcing anything, you're trying to force these changes about actually doing community support and advocation. So you will know the fact that the community will rally against doing anything that would actually change our
city and improve it. Instead, you're trying to force it through so it will die in council to public pressure so you can get reelected without actually doing anything or accomplishing anything. Let's move on. If I set a trap, if you set a trap, you walk on the trap, it's
your fault for walking on the trap. You set the things the city up to kill a kid, the kid dies, it's your fault the kid died. And this is and this is how it goes. The city council will set things up so people will suffer, claim to fix it, and then never enforce it. If I put the
elected or electorate in a maze where if you got if you made the wrong turn, you got shocked so you can make a different turn. You'd repeatedly go make the right turn into the electric wall until you had a heart attack instead of turning left repeatedly as seen by the fact that
our bond rate the city's bond rating has been downgraded again and again. You have multiple ways to get revenue from people who are being bad actors in your city and you are doing nothing. You aren't pressuring city. You aren't prefacing corporate counsel. You aren't
pressuring our prosecution department. You are doing nothing but saying empty platitudes and trying to turn trying to focus everybody on turning a two-way street into a one-way street. Frankly, I believe it should be a one-way street, but the way you're going about it is only happening so you can avoid doing
anything and changing it. You're trying to force it through, making sure the electorate stays unengaged or is happy that you stopped your own decision to get reelected because you're cynical and don't understand how to actually govern
a city. Thank you. Goodbye. Our next speaker, 5.34, John. I am It's been a while. Um, what I'd like to talk about is something that um, our friend Gina has brought up uh, on a few occasions in the past. Um, in spite of everything you've heard from us and
other residents over the last 3 years, the vast majority of this council still demonstrates unwavering support for the mayor. At least you remain silent, which amounts to tacet approval. A couple of years ago, you heard how with evidence available, official forms in the
landlord tenants office were docked by city staff in facilitating corporate landlords to bypass due protocol. The mayor continues to censor his social media to silence critics and sanitizers actions. Regarding the rent leveling board's unanimous decision that Portide
is not exempt from rent control, Philip told the local press, there is a stay in court on this decision. You know that that was a lie. He told the press that we the tenants delayed the illegal rent petitions process despite our following the protocol to the letter. You all know
we followed that protocol to the letter. So you know that that was a lie. The slew of tax abatements rushed through this so Philip's mates can get their money in order for him to get his is now all too commonplace. There was a pompadoo moment. Um one of you I won't
name you said in your summation look this thing is going to go ahead with or without a tax abatement. admitting that money didn't need to be diverted from potential community projects and straight into the pockets of the developers and the mayor. Yet, you still went ahead and voted to approve the abatement.
Only Councilman Gilmore has made statements and gestures of any substance in calling out the mayor. A couple of months ago, he even stood with us down here and held up one of these signs. You're all in such a good position to do so much good for this city. Two of you are running for mayor. The rest of the
council seats are up for grabs this year. And given Hudson County's resounding rejection of Philip in the recent governor primaries, maybe you should reconsider your public stance regarding him. What a message you could send to the people whose votes you depend on if you to follow Frank's example. If more of you were to stand down here with us or publicly voice your
disapproval of the harm the mayor has allowed bad actors to inflict on the city's residents, that message you would be sending to the electorate is that you genuinely represent their interest in welfare. Until that happens, the message you're sending your voters is you're content to prop up an administration who's whose interests are purely self-
serving. Thanks. Our next speaker, 5.35, Drew. Good evening, council members. I saw a headline the other day that read, "We're not living in normal times." The article articulates how we've normalized the political climate we're in under the current federal
administration. And I can draw a strikingly similar parallel about the administration here in Jersey City. Are we just going to pretend that no that not following the law is common practice? Nobody stands above the law and nobody should try to evade it. Not
the president, not me, not other constituents, and certainly not you. You're our beacon. No, we come to you when things go ary. If you can't follow the law, how do you expect anyone to? How do we know what's fair game in the city code and what's not? We can't
simply cherrypick these laws we follow, or can we? That's what seems to be happening. 20 years ago, Census Track 75 and downtown Jersey City was home to a vibrant working-class community, black, Hispanic, immigrant, low-income families who built their lives here, who raised
children here, who held the city together through hard times. Today, that same track tells a different story. From 2000 to 2020, median household income in Track 75 tripled from 45K a year to over $140,000 a year. The poverty rate
dropped from nearly 20% to just 4%. But don't be fooled. This wasn't upward mobility. This was displacement. And all in the span of a single generation, black and Hispanic families were not lifted out of poverty. They were priced out of their homes, replaced by higher income residents, mostly white and
Asian, as new luxury housing replaced affordability. and as landlords raised rents well beyond what the law allows. This didn't happen by accident. It happened because this council and the administration failed to enforce rent control ordinance 260. Again and again, tenants brought evidence, illegal
increases, unregistered units, non-compliant landlords, and were met with silence or delay. The result, a textbook case of gentrification, housing tenure shifted. Renters who once made up the backbone of the neighborhood were replaced by wealthier newcomers.
Community bonds were severed, generations uprooted. And through it all, the city had a tool, ordinance 260, a clear, enforceable law. But a law uninforced is no law at all. So I ask you, who is the city for? If it's only for those who can afford $4,000 a month,
onebedrooms, say so. But if you believe in equality for all, if you believe the city is for everyone, then you must act. Start enforcing Ordinance 260. Conduct buildingwide audits. Penalize non-compliant landlords. Publicly post enforcement action so tenants know the law protects them. If you don't take
action the next census will show the same story unless you change course now. Every day of delay is another family displaced another piece of our community lost. You weren't elected to manage decline. You were elected to govern. So govern enforce the law. Protect the people who are still here and honor the
ones you've already lost. Thank you. Our next speaker 5.36 David. Good evening again. Um I I see there six council members are
currently here. I appreciate you. Um I have been a tenant at Portside Towers from 2005 to 2007 and then again from 2021 to the present. During that time uh the owner Equity
Residential, they have uh both done those things that they should not have done. They have also left undone things that they should have done. In that second category, things they haven't done is they have not provided us with the name, apartment number, and phone
number of a superintendent for each building. In fact, not any of those three things for any building. So that's six things. Um instead, what they do have is they have an emergency voicemail system. So if there's an
emergency, you can call up and you know if your building is on fire, press two. If your building is flooded, press three. That sort of thing. Um, interestingly enough, this was recently
discussed um in an episode of the television show Rick and Morty. And if you're not familiar with the show, it's it's a wacky sci-fi comedy where every premise is outlandish and crazy and could never happen in real life. So,
what happens is one character reprograms someone's phone so that when they call an emergency number, it goes to an answering machine. And at the end of the episode, you're hearing we hear back, you know, this sort of increasingly frantic messages that the person has
been leaving as they're trying to reach an emergency number. And at the very end, they say, you know, I'm starting to think that 911 shouldn't go to an answering machine. And I agree with that. And so I would ask you to perform your oversight
function and require you know our landlord Equity Residential to follow the same laws that everyone in the city has to follow. That's all we're asking for. Thank you. The next speaker 5.37 Joel
Good evening, council members. Let me take you back to June 1998, the beginning of one of the longest running housing frauds in Jersey City history. From the moment Equity Residential took control of Portside Towers, they
operated under a false claim of exemption from rent control. For nearly 30 years, they collected rent increases without ever registering with the Bureau of Rent Leveling as required by section 260-3H.
They ignored Chapter 260's requirements completely. The scope of the fraud was systematic. every rent increase every year for nearly three decades. Echorie simply decided they were above the law and
collected money. Accordingly, the rent leveling board's decision makes this clear. There to quote there was no valid exemption from the beginning of the occupancy of the units. Throughout this period, equities
management knew what they were doing. They had lawyers, many of them. They had property managers. They had corporate executives. They had accountants. Year after year, they collected illegal rent increases from working families while never once
complying with the basic registration requirements. The evidence shows a distinct and deliberate pattern. Equity avoided respon equity avoided registration because they knew they had no legal right to increase rents.
They operated a corporate shell game, taking money under false pretenses while claiming legitimacy. When tenants finally challenged them in 2022, Equity's response was not to admit their decadesl long fraud, but to double down.
Their lawyers claimed the systematic theft was somehow legal. Despite clear evidence to the contrary, the rent leveling board's own precedent addresses exactly this situation. When landlords completely fail to register their rent,
it it their rent when landlords completely fail to register, their rent cannot be sustained and shall revert to the initial rent. But equity received different treatment for a far worse crime. This is not a housing dispute.
It's a corporate crime. Document and and proven, Equity Residential has stolen millions from Jersey City families through deliberate, calculated fraud spanning almost three decades. And think about this,
the grift continues on your watch. Thank you. Our next speaker 5.38 Suvie. Thank you. Our next speaker 5.39 Michelle.
Good evening. My name is Michelle Stenmark and I live at Portsight Towers West. I am a flight attendant. Welcome aboard tonight's investigation into Equity's residential flight 1998 destination justice.
Please direct your attention to the safety information regarding corporate fraud. Your attention please. Chapter 260, section 260-3H clearly states that the landlords shall
register the rent role with the rent leveling bureau in order to qualify for any rental increase. Please familiarize yourself with this regulation. Now,
for your safety, please note that the rent leveling board anonymously determined that neither port side buildings buildings has ever been exempt from rent control. In case of emergency, please know that
the rent leveling board has set precedents that when landlords fail to submit their annual landlord registration statements, their rent cannot be sustained and it shall revert to the initial rent.
This is your standard procedure for all non-compliance of 260. Seatbacks and tray tables up as we review equity's failure to follow notification requirements.
State law state law mandates landlords to inform tenants about these exemptions in every lease. Since Equity never had valid exemptions, these notifications were fraudulent.
Electronic devices such as a 30-year fraud schemes must now be turned off as they interfere with Jersey City's rent control system. Flight attendants, please prepare your for departure. Council members, we are
ready for takeoff toward equal justice. Please keep your seat belts fastened as we may experience turbulence from corporate resistance. From all of us at Portside Towers, thank
you for flying with tenants rights. We know you have a choice when enforcing housing law and we appreciate your choice in justice. Our flight time to accountability is 30 years overdue, but
we could reach our destination actually tonight. Thanks you for your attention and we'll be taking off shortly. Our next speaker 5.40 Danilla and Sonia is not here either. Okay, that's 40 and 41.
Next 5.42, Shannon. Okay, thank you. How about 5.43, Tara? Okay. Good evening. When you drop a stone in water, the ripples spread far beyond the point of
impact. The same thing happens when you let one landlord violate the law without consequence. Right now, 527 families at Portside Towers pay illegal rent. But the ripple effect touches thousands more. Every
building near Portide uses those illegal rents to justify their own increases. Market rate, they say, pointing to Port Side. But it's not market rate, it's fraud rate, and you're letting it spread. The ripple keeps going. Young
families look at Jersey City rents and move elsewhere. Teachers, firefighters, nurses, the people who make our city work. They can't afford to live here because you've let illegal rents become the benchmark. The very people we need
are priced out by fraud. You refuse to stop. But the ripples don't stop there. Small businesses suffer when their customers pay inflated rent. Every dollar stolen in illegal rent is a dollar not spent at local shops, restaurants, or services. You're not
just allowing theft from tenants. You're allowing the slow strangulation of Jersey City's economy. And here's the darkest ripple, despair. When people follow every rule, file every complaint, attend every meeting, and nothing changes, they stop
believing. I did. They stop participating. I want to. They stop voting. I consider it. They stop caring. But this group behind me convinces me to keep going. Some of you worry about precedent. You
should, but not the precedent of enforcing the law. The precedent of not enforcing it. Every day you let this continue, you make it harder to enforce any law against any corporation. You normalize lawlessness. You institutionalize inequality.
The stone has been dropped. The ripples are spreading. Illegal rents becoming market rate. Working families fleeing the city. Small businesses closing. Citizens losing faith. But you can stop this. You can enforce your ordinance,
collect the fines, send a different ripple through this city. One that says laws matter. One that says you are in charge. that says Jersey City protects its residents, that says we're a city of justice, not just for some, but for all.
The choice is yours. But remember, once ripples start, they're very hard to stop. And right now, the ripples you're creating are drowning the very people you swore to protect. Thank you. Our next speaker, 5.44, Michelle
Good evening. I'm going to teach you about the psychology of deception. When Assemblywoman Stamato appointed Kevin and me as co-chairs of the JCDC uh civic engagement subcommittee, she recognized that we've mastered something dark,
seeing through institutional gaslighting. Today, I'll show you exactly what that looks like. Chapter 260, Section 17 couldn't be clearer. A violation affecting more than
one tenant shall be considered a separate violation as to each tenant. Yet, the assistant corporation council suggested that many violations of 260 that we've brought forward should only count per building. This is linguistic
manipulation, taking crystalclear language and pretending it's ambiguous. Also watch for death by a thousand qualifications where each qualifier creates doubt where none exists. The ta
the statute doesn't say maybe. It says shall be considered. When 527 families lack a superintendent, that's 527 violations every single day.
The most insiduous insiduous the reasonleness trap. They frame collecting $100 million in lawful fines as unreasonable while ignoring systematic lawbreaking for decades seems reasonable. They've
moved your window so far that enforcing your own ordinances seems extreme. Let me reset that window. What's reasonable? A billiondoll corporation that breaks 527 laws daily pays 527
fines daily. That's reasonable. What else is unreasonable? A city crying poverty while leaving $100 million uncollected. What's extreme? Laying off workers and cutting services while refusing to
collect from corporate lawb breakakers. By the way, you all ignored the violations we brought up during the budget discussion when you asked John Metro about explaining himself. That was very convenient. This isn't interpretation. This is about whether you've been
psychologically conditioned to accept lawlessness, whether you've been gaslighted believing your ordinance doesn't mean what it says. As co-chairs of civic engagement, we're not just organizing voters. We're going to train them to re to recognize these
manipulation tactics. And you can contact us, anyone in this room who wants to change the city and reclaim the city for the people. Three years ago, we were tenants asking for help. And today, we're deconstructing the psychology of this
city's failure. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker, 5.45. 45 Christian. Good evening, everyone. I just have a few follow-up things from last meeting. First, I want to thank Councilwoman um Amy Deise for following up on some
things and giving me some information about questions I previously had. Um, concerning the Martineiac Enright Park, there was a participatory budget that was posted in March of 20122.
I submitted Martiniac Enright Park for um renovations in Ward A. It was accepted, but nothing's been done since 2022. That was 3 years ago. Is that funding encumbered in any account where the park will
eventually get done with it or is that money just gone? Country Village Park, 25% of the park has been done, which is great. Can we get an estimate on the time when the rest of the 75% of the park will get done? It's extremely dangerous. It's wasted space that the
the children in the area need desperately need. Um, in speaking with residents regarding the new 16th Street park, there is a concern about the lack of protective netting between the pickle ball court and the public seating area.
Currently, there is about a 4ft high fence that can protect a little bit of it, but I don't know if you've seen pickle ball lately. People come from Hoboken. It's extremely competitive. It's not just in a senior residential area where they're like hitting the
pickle ball gently back and forth. It's dangerous and anyone sitting in the tables or playing in the playground right there are subject to getting um hurt. I don't want to see anyone get injured. Persingfield pool is currently closing at 6:00 p.m. It's always been open since
8:00 p.m. Is there a reason why it's closing uh 2 hours earlier a day? Residents are complaining by the time they get home from work, they can't take their children to to um play at the pool. Students who are working summer jobs by the time they get home and then
they can't get to the pool, so they cannot use the pool anymore. Finally, please do anything you can to assist Lady G with this issue. I'm the athletic director at McNair Academic High School for our end of the year athletics lunchon. Lady G provided us
with 800 empanadas to feed our student athletes. She is an amazing attribute to our community and anything that can be done to help her, please do. Thank you. Our next speaker 5.46 Susan. She leave.
Yeah. Next speaker 5.47 47 Elanor. Good evening everybody. My name is Eleanor Mixon and I'm the president of Barry Gardens Tennis Association. I'm here on reference to the MLK
and Ocean Avenue, the street that wants to be changed to a one-way street. And it it would be very inconvenient for all of our senior citizens that live there. We have what, five, six senior
buildings on Ocean Avenue that where would these seniors go if the street is closed one way? They would have to walk two blocks over, three blocks over where the convenience
is right there for them. Nobody took in consideration that these are seniors that are you talking about. Nobody thought about inconveniencing them. They should be. We should have more meetings where anything
that's going on in our neighborhood, please bring it to the seniors so that they can see and be able to talk about things that's going on in our neighborhood.
And you're talking about the about the streets. Why don't y'all fix the streets correctly when you're fixing them streets? You dig up the streets. The streets are horrible. When you put them back
together, all the the damages you do to people's cars is horrible. They need to do more for our seniors. Think about when you
took the Capital One Bank away from us. You took the bus company that can ride to take the seniors to Bergen Avenue and back. All we have is a transit. Transit.
Transit. Transit. We need to know what's going on in our neighborhood before y'all start deciding to change things. Thank you. Our next speaker 5.48 Charlie.
Charlie's not here. Next speaker 5.49 Deborah. No. Next speaker 550 spot. Yes. Spoken left. Okay. 5.41. Keith left.
5.52 Cameron left. 5.53. Jack. Good evening. Jack McKe. J A C M C K E. and uh I'm here to speak about the
one-way change for Ocean and MLK and I feel like I feel like a meeting functioned as it should because I heard the other side of the argument and and I want to have that conversation. I came here as a guy that rides a bike and I have gone down those roads and I've
decided not to go there, not to visit those businesses because I sold my car when I came to Jersey City. I took advantage of public transportation. I ride a bike, but those road roads aren't safe for a cyclist. Um, so I don't go there, but I don't want to I don't want
to jam my opinion down another community's throat because that's not what this is about. Um, and I feel that this that idea of I don't want to jam my opinion or I don't want to have your opinion jammed down my throat. I feel like there's a whole lot of that going
on in so many different topics. Um, and I kind of see it as all the same problem that, oh, you know, we all know what happened. A six-year-old child lost his life and it's horrible. And I understand that the mayor jumped to and it seems like he thought he had an opportunity to
get something done that I support, but doing the right thing and doing the right thing in the proper way are two entirely different things. And I heard I heard the community green bill on Ocean MLK and uh I agree with them. Even though
even though I want a thing that they don't want, I agree with what they said here that the community should have been consulted. And it's inappropriate and disrespectful to say in a tweet, if I'm understanding it correctly, that like, hey, I've got some news folks. Your
community is changing. when I heard them speak, I left the meeting because I had, you know, I wrote something and I just threw it the heck out because, you know, because I wasn't listening either. Um, I'm listening now and I hope the mayor is and it seems like the council is. I
can see a couple of you nodding. Um, and I think those that aren't here will also be nodding along because uh we can reach a consensus when we talk, but we can't do so when it is um it's jammed down someone's throat. So, I
hope that um I hope for the bike lanes. As a cyclist and as someone that is, you know, in my neighborhood and other places I've lived, one-way streets limit the number of interactions, the number of decisions I have to predict. Pedestrians, cyclists, motorists. It
limits it tremendously. It makes it so I can predict what's going to happen. And I do go home and I said to my partner the other day, I'm going to die on these streets riding the bike. I've said it a couple times. I've almost been doored on JFK and I know you know all this. I'm not telling you guys
anything that you haven't heard probably a thousand times before, but uh I want to revisit that in a respectful way and I hope that we can reach a consensus uh everyone in the whole darn city. So, thanks for hearing me out. All right, next speaker 5.54 Sabrina. I
believe she left too. Next speaker 5.55 Colin. Good evening, council. I'm Colin Deice, a resident of Ward B and advocate for safe streets.
When I got here tonight, I saw several women from Greenville passing around a petition against the one-way conversions. I asked them if they used the bus. They said yes. I asked them if they knew this
plan was meant to improve bus service, but they did not. The roll out of this one-way plan has been a failure in communication, a failure in collaboration.
To everyone here tonight, I urge more consideration of the one-way conversions for Summit, Baldwin, MLK, and Ocean. These are actually plans to build lowcost mass transit lines in
neighborhoods underserved by transit. Now, while other parts of the city have prospered thanks to transit access, this is an opportunity to get closer to a level playing field. This plan is about the future of these neighborhoods and
the economic opportunity available to their children. But this plan is also an opportunity to better engage with residents who feel disrespected. There's a lot about this plan that hasn't yet been worked out.
So be a champion of these ideas and make them your own. It's an opportunity to provide access to economic mobility for the future and the now. It's an opportunity to reduce traffic. It's an opportunity to improve
air quality. It's an opportunity to reduce chronic asthma and disease. It's an opportunity to build healthier, more vibrant communities. When express bus service was introduced along form road in the Bronx, small
business revenue increased by 71% in three years. Oneway conversions reduce crashes and save lives. This would make cor these corridors safer and friendlier to pedestrians and cyclists who might solicit local shops
in the area. It would elim eliminate left turn conflict with oncoming traffic and make it easier for drivers to focus on the most vulnerable road users on foot or bike. By creating dedicated bus lanes in these corridors, emergency response times would improve since first
responders could use those car-free lanes. This plan reduces traffic. Traffic is a result of more cars. There are new buildings going up in every ward. If these if those moving in don't have a good transit option, they're going to
get a car or two or three. When new when two duplexes are converted into 16 units, there's a dozen more cars added to traffic congestion. Consider the cars coming in with every new building going up. Thank you. Sorry, I don't have more time. Thank you.
Our next speaker, 5.56, Lorenzo. Good evening again. Um, does anybody realize that Oceaning MLK if you try to walk cuz it's not like all the other blocks, it's like extremely
long walk from one end to the other. Uh, did anybody think about the seniors that are going to have to, you know, catch the bus one way and then when they're coming back have to go back the other way and if they going back the other way further from where they live, they got a long walk.
Um, this type of plan did not also work in the Heights. I believe it was when it was done. Um, did anybody think about how school buses are going to be affected? Um, the snow removal issues even now with those, you
know, those things you put on the side, you know, when it pushes the snow, it gets in the bike lane. So now the people in the bike lane can't go in the bike lane when the snow diverting traffic to other blocks. Where's the study on that? um cuz that's
only going to add to the congestion. And where's the data from the traffic study that was mentioned earlier? Uh you know, but that was on my mind the whole night and I was waiting to stay to discuss that uh or hear about it. Um and what's
being done because supposedly they're saying this came from the Sixth Street incident, but what's being done about what happened at Sixth Street? We're talking about Ocean. We're talking about MLK. What about Sixth Street? Is anybody thinking about that family?
And maybe hopefully that don't happen to another family. I'm just saying. Um, finally, I got a minute. Good. I came to this very same council. I want to say it was two years ago. Mr. Weller
and his for you know his colleagues his residents in his building. I specifically asked this council to use the Faulner Act, its investigative powers to deal with that developer and
nothing has been done. Why? You have the power to address this issue but you're not taking action on it. I don't understand that. It's a simple thing to do. You're within your right to
do it, but it's not being done. Now, I know sometimes some people get a little text from Philip and, you know, things change, votes change, all kinds of stuff happens, right? You know, we got a history of that. But you got to
think about the people who live here and who pay the taxes. That boy was never thinking about this place. Thank you. Our next speaker 5.57 James.
He's not here. And Leurn has left. So we are done with the public speaking portion of our meeting. Nope. You didn't sign up. You can't speak.
Again, you have to sign up in order to speak. And if you didn't sign up and if you didn't check with me before the meeting started, you're not on the list. You have a copy of the agenda you're holding in your hand. And if you didn't see your name on the agenda, this is not the time
or the place to do it now. So, if you didn't see your name, you should have came up to me as before the meeting started. I'm not going to go back and forth with you, ma'am. We have business to conduct. Petitions and communications. Any questions or comments on items 6.1
through 6 39? Hearing none. Any office any questions or comments on officer communications 7.1 through 7.8? Hearing none. Any questions or comments
on reported directors 8.1 through 8.3? On to our claims and addendum number one. Council members are going to be taking a vote on claims and addendum number one. Council person Ridley I. Council person Huings I.
Council person Bajiano. Council person I. Council person Solomon voted earlier. Council person Gilmore. Council person Deise. Hi. Council person Ribera. Hi. And council president Waterman.
Claims and addendums number one are approved unanimously. 90 on to our resolutions. Can I just ask a question to the business administrator? Just we've been discussing tonight some of the communication between like the
MLK the layoffs and stuff. So there's one thing that came my way about resolution 10.4. there is funding attached to it based on the city surplus to fund some of the things that would be voted on. Is there any truth to that? And I'm I apologize.
I missed the caucus and I meant to ask the councilman uh but he had a leader earlier. Sure. I'll just reiterate uh what was said at caucus. So um the proposal that the councilman that's not present so I don't want to speak on his behalf but uh had proposed was some for some hard
infrastructure and some professional services and potentially some employee uh growth and employment. So the hard cost the engineering studies and the actual outside professionals the engineers that would design this we have capital dollars that we're going to
present to the you have capital dollars. Thank you. No. Uh we have capital dollars that we're going to um present to the council to cover that and that would cover everything except internal employees. If we want to consider expanding internal employees, um that would have to go
through the council uh appropriation resolution amendment. Um, but we feel confident that most of the stuff we accomplished could be done through the capital plan because the capital plan does allow for professional services and studies to be done through the capital funding. Okay.
It was a concern that we heard like 52 layoffs recently. So, putting money towards this is extremely important and should be a priority, but if it would result in the layoffs of more people or not the rehiring of some of the workers that were laid off, I think that that has to be a bigger discussion here.
Yeah. So, so mostly everything could be addressed outside of the idea of uh expanding uh the workforce. Okay. Thank you. So, 104 is not allocating any funding. I No, it's a it's a uh I don't want but
it's symbolic. Yes. Go on. Okay. One, we have to introduce the resolution on traffic enforcement. I can't hear you, C. We have to introduce the resolution on traffic enforcement. Mr. Richard, we we we
added it to the agenda in the beginning of the meeting. Council, we didn't vote it down yet. All right, council members going to be taking a vote on items 10.1 through 10.10 with the exception of 10.3 which has been
withdrawn. Council person Ridley I. Council person Huings. I. Council person Bajanna. Hi. Council person Cle. I. Person Solomon voted in the affirmative earlier. Council person Gilmore. I. Council person Deise.
I on all except 10.7. How are you voting on 10.7? Voting no on 10.7. And I and all the rest. Yes. Okay. Council person rea same I on all except 10.7 no
okay and council president waterman items 10.1 and 2 are approved unanimously 90 10.3 was withdrawn items 10.4 through 10.6 Six were approved unanimously. 90 item 10.7 is approved.
72 with council members Dejis and Rivera voting no. And items 10.8 through 10.10 are approved unanimously. 90. On to our items, excuse me, on to items 10.11
through 10.20. Council person Ridley. I am going to abstain on 1016 and vote I for all the rest. Stain on 1016 and I on all the rest. Correct. Right.
Thank you. Council person Huings. I on all council person Bajiano stayain on 10.20 I on the rest. Did you say abstain on 10.20? Yes. And I on all the rest. Okay.
Council person. I for all. Council person Solomon voted in the affirmative for all earlier. Council person Gilmore. I. Council person de Jace. Hi, Council Person Rea. Hi, and Council President Waterman.
Okay. Items 10.11 through 10.15 are approved unanimously. 90 1016 is approved. 8001 with council person Ridley abstaining.
Items 10.17 through 10.19 are approved unanimously. 90. Item 10.20 20 is approved 8001 with council person Bajiano abstaining to our next set of resolutions items
10.21 through 10.31 10.32 was withdrawn council person Ridley no on 10.29 29 and we're going to 31. You said uh well 32 was withdrawn. Yes.
I on all arrests. Thank you. Council person Huings. I on all. Council person Bajiano. I. Council person. Vote. I for all. And um regarding 10:30,
you know, this is going to be a long haul to get it done, but we want to make sure that the state gives municipalities of our size the ability to do automated traffic enforcement. Whether it's us putting in a bus lane in the future that
you'd have a camera on the front of the bus in the back of the bus, or you have a speed camera in a school zone, we're trying to use a scalpel, you know, instead of a hammer. um as opposed to the last time this came around with the automated enforcement when it was just everywhere. We want to use it in high
crash corridors. So I for all you council person Solomon voted no on 1029 and I and all the rest. Council person Gilmore I all and no on 1029. Got it. Council Person Deise,
Council Person Rivera, I and Council President Waterman. Items 10.21 through 10.28 are approved unanimously. 90. Item 10.29 is approved. 63
with council members Ridley, Solomon, and Gilmore voting no. Uh Sean, can I change my vote on 29? I vote no. Let me recap. 10.29. 10.29 is now approved. 54 with council members
Ridley, Bajaniano, Solomon, and Gilmore voting no. You you if you're going to vote for yet, you're going to vote in affirmative. abstain. Well, it's up to you if you want me. No, I'm It's up to you. I think we're getting delirious now. Um,
item 1030 is and 10.31 are approved uh unanimously 90 and 10.32 was withdrawn. For the balance of our resolutions, 10.33 was withdrawn earlier. So, we're going to be taking a vote on items 10.34
through 10.38. Council person Ridley I. Council person Healings I. Council person Bajaniano I. Council person. Just want to vote I for all. And thank
you to my council colleagues for putting in the loading zones. Thank you. Council person Solomon voted in the affirmative earlier. Council person Gilmore. I. Council Person Deise, Council Person Rivera, I, and Council President Waterman. Items
10.34 through 10.38 are approved unanimously. 90. Item 10.33 has been withdrawn. May I ask the magical question of the night? May I have a motion to adjourn at 9:58 p.m.?
Motion. Motion was made first by council president Waterman, seconded by council person. All in favor of 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 present and everyone watching at home. Remember teamwork makes the dream work. Have a great rest of the night and please stay safe.