Good morning. >> Welcome to the premeating of the Newark Municipal Council on Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025. Council President, council members, we have an appointment on the agenda on page 25.
There's an appointment to the Newark Public Library Board as a trustee. Is Miss Kimberly C. Clark in the audience. >> Please step to the podium. [Music] >> Welcome. >> Good morning, Miss Clark.
>> Good morning. >> I You have been uh appointed by the mayor to serve as a trustee for public library. Um do you have any opening statement you'd like to make? >> Good morning. Um I would just like to
thank uh one the mayor for uh consideration of this appointment. Thank the council here uh for considering me as well. Um I just think the library is a a place of lifelong learning. Um as a young kid growing up in the deep south,
it was a safe haven for me. Um, once I transitioned to Newark 20 years ago, it was one of the first places that I found connection and community engagement. And so now, as a mom and a professional in the city of New York, um, I just think it's a natural place for me to be to
continue the the governance, help to assist with the governance of the library, um, to continue the life learning, uh, process that it enables and enriches in the community. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh, Councilwoman Scott Rodri, >> you know, I want to sponsor this, right?
I didn't know, but you say so. Sponsor. >> I'd love to sponsor. >> That's sponsored by Councilwoman Scott Roundry. Is there a second for that sponsor? >> I'll second it. >> Thank you. >> Any anything else from the council? >> Thank you for being able to serve. >> Yes.
>> Yes. Thank you. I know this is a they're in a transitional period right now, so hopefully with your leadership and your experience, it'll help move the library forward. >> Thank you. Thank you so much and congratulations to you. >> Thank you so much.
>> We are on page three of the agenda. Item six is ordinances on first reading. 6FA is an ordinance opting into the Garden State CPACE program. >> Questions from the council.
>> Hearing none. Next item. B is an ordinance authorizing the city to accept the donation of land from the Newark Housing Authority. >> Questions from the council. >> Next item, >> public hearing, second reading and final
passage. 6PFA is an ordinance amending streets and sidewalks to include additional provisions for milling and paving requirements for street surface disturbance and trench restoration. So, madam clerk, since all of these are going to be moved to uh December 17th,
>> yes, all so I don't think unless the council wants to hear about each one of them, we can just forward >> because we can talk about them on the premeating next time. >> Absolutely. >> All right. Thanks. >> B and C are both amending traffic on
Treadwell Avenue. B is for street cleaning to remove Treadwell Street on the north side between Ridge Street and Mount Prospect Avenue and include Treadwell Street on the south side between Ridge Street and Mount Prospect Avenue. And C is parking prohibited at
all times to prohibit parking at all times on Treadwell Street solely on the north side between Ridge Street and Mount Prospect Avenue. D is an ordinance granting a 30-year tax abatement to Crown Village Urban Renewal Incorporated
for a project to to construct two residential affordable housing buildings consisting of 185 residential rental units wherein the first building shall consist of 108 senior affordable housing units and the second building shall
consist of 77 non senior affordable housing units in the west ward sponsored by Councilman Kelly. Second by Councilwoman Scott Roundtree. E is an ordinance granting a 30-year tax abatement to South Orange Avenue 1 urban
renewal, Inc. for a project to construct 144 non senior affordable housing residential rental units. Sponsored by Councilman Kelly. Second by Councilman Gonzalez. >> Next. F is an ordinance granting a
20-year tax abatement to Casameia Apartments Urban Renewal LLC for a project to rehabilitate a six-story elevator 100% affordable senior living residential rental building in the north
ward. Sponsored by Councilman Ramos, second by Councilman Gonzalez. Next >> G is an ordinance granting a 25-year tax abatement to 1213-121 on Broad Urban Renewal LLC for a project
to construct a new five-story building with 60 residential rental units consisting of 48 market rate residential rental units and 12 affordable housing rental units in the east ward. next time
>> and they will all be heard on the 17th. We are on page nine. Resolutions 7R1A through C are budget insertions. A is for the Brick City Peace Collective grant. B is for the 2026 anti-violence
for out of school youth project. And C is for the purpose of enhancing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard corridor through improved urban tree canopy, expanded public green space, public art installations, and litter and
debris removal. >> Any question questions from the council? >> Yeah, Mr. Chair, can can we find out along uh what areas of Martin Luther King Boulevard? You know, Martin Luther King Boulevard extends from uh Clinton
Avenue all the way to uh probably North Ward. So what areas uh will this project the beautifification project extend to? >> Can we get someone from the engineering department >> or
$20,000? >> Uh good morning uh Kenyatta city of North Corporation Council. So, uh, council president, what I'll do is I'll have the director get back to you before the end of the day. >> Okay. Thank you. So, an email to all of us. >> Thank you. >> Certainly. >> Anything else, Councilman Council?
>> That's it. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> D through G or applications, acceptance of grant funds. D is to apply for the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Community Energy Planning Grant.
E is the 2026 Brick City Peace Collective Grant. F is the 2026 antiviolence out of school grant. G is the arts and education district 2026 grant.
>> Any questions from the council hearing? None. Next item. >> Seven 2 A through E or private sale redevelopment agreement. A is new construction of a two family home to sell at market rate in the south board.
>> Questions from the council? >> Yeah, I'm going to ask for this to be deferred. >> All right. Uh, we got three deferments. Councilman. >> Yeah. You send them back to the administration. >> Return to administration. >> Absolutely. >> Okay.
Return to administration sponsored by Councilman Counsel. Was there a second on that? >> Second. Second by Councilman Kelly. >> B is to rehabilitate property and sell to an owner occupant homeowner at 80% of area medium income or less in the
central ward. >> Uh any questions? We're good with it. Next, next item. >> C is new construction of a mixeduse building in a new construction of a four family home to sell to a firsttime home
buyer at market rate in the west and central wards. >> Questions, concerns from the council? >> None. >> All right. Next item. D is to provide new construction of a two two family homes, one being sold at market rate and the other at an
affordable rate in the West Ward. >> Mr. President, if I may, >> Councilman Gonzalez. >> Yeah, there's I I would like to know what the affordable rate is. Could be 40%, it could be 50%, 60%, 80%.
So I I want specifics if we can as to affordability. >> Question. >> Uh deputy mayor. >> Good morning, council president. >> Council members, Allison Lad, director of economic and housing development. Uh
this item uh we'll be sure to get you the rate uh before the end of today. Typically though, affordable housing is 80% of AMI and below. Sometimes uh developers will specify lower, but typically when we sell properties, it's 80% of AMI and below. But we'll verify
that in writing. >> Thank you. Anything else, Councilman? I mean, Councilman Gonzalez. >> Thank you. >> Thanks. >> Next item. E is new construction of a two family home to rent at 60 to 80% of AMI and rehabilitate property to create
a new office headquarters in the West and Central Wards. >> Questions or concerns by the council? No. >> All right. Next item. F is a resolution of support for the submission of an application by the developer for funding
from New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, New Jersey affordable housing trust fund for project in the west ward. >> Any questions? All right, I'm move moving that next item. >> 78A is to establish the 2026 premeings,
regular meetings, special meetings, and conference deeds. >> Questions from the council. Next item >> B is establishing the 2026 municipal holiday schedule. >> Questions? Next item. >> C is a whole harmless for the annual
holiday parade of lights sponsored by Councilman Ramos. >> A second. Second by Councilman Kandana. >> D is to provide legal services to the office of the city clerk in connection with election matters. >> Questions the council
hearing? None. The next item >> E is to provide printing and mailing services for the 2026 municipal election. >> I'm sorry, where are we now? >> E. Item E is to provide printing and mailing services for the 2026 municipal
election. >> I'm sorry, my pages got wet, so I'm trying to figure out. >> All right. All right. Thank you. Next item. F is recognizing commending resolutions and G is expressing profound
sorrow and regret. >> Questions from the council. >> Next item. >> Seminar 12A is a bid contract for the Cedar Grove Reservoir storm water improvements.
>> Questions from the council? >> Hearing none. Next item. >> Pending business on the agenda. We discussed 9A already. We're at 9B, an ordinance amending zoning and land use regulations to prohibit any new or
expanded fossil fuel facility, including fossil fuel power generation. >> So, based upon the meeting with the uh business administrator, we're going to defer 9B and C. >> Duly noted. Public comment.
>> I was going to say again, no nothing from the law department. All right, here we go. Anybody from the public would like to speak? Now is the opportunity. >> We are in the 30 minute public comment portion of this meeting where each speaker will have three minutes to speak. Please state your name for the
record. Is there anyone wishing to address the council? >> Good morning. My name is Mildred Ramos. >> Good morning. 38 years ago at the age of 16, I was brutally gang raped. A premeditated multiple perpetrator sexual assault. I
call it by its name because naming the truth is the first act of reclaiming power. To to soften it would be to deny the reality that shattered my sense of safety, trust, and adolescence. That evening, I walked out of a
Washington Heights apartment, bloodied, bruised, and broken, but alive. The next day, I was sent to Puerto Rico with no therapy, no support, no resources, nothing to help me heal from
what had happened. The systems meant to protect children were never designed to fully support a young survivor of such unimaginable violence. Walking out alive that night was
testament to God's protection over me. But surviving was only the beginning. For decades, I carried the weight of fear, shame, pain, and silence because there was no path forward for healing
and no mechanism for justice. Now decades later, I see hope in legislation that finally acknowledges the suffering of suffer of survivors like me. I urge you as my elected representatives to connect me with
legislators that could support and advance HR 2920, the Justice for Survivors Act. This bill incentivizes states to eliminate both civil and criminal statute of
limitations, which means I would be able to see the people that that raped me that evening in court and hold them to the highest extent of the law. Expands access to civil and criminal remedies for survivors. Currently in New
York State, there is another law that speaks on this. Um, but you could only do it until the age of 55. I'm 54, so I do have another year to proceed with that. But HR29 would be national. It's it's it's a nationwide legislation that
that survivors like me are requesting that our legislators um seek to look into and to incentivize and to support children that um are survivors of unimaginable violence.
It ensures protections extend to child trafficking and related crimes. I was trafficked. I am a victim of human trafficking. I was taken off of a street in Washington Heights and brought into a building where I was brutally gay, gang
raped um in two different places. So I was actually trafficked several times that evening. I ask you to stand with survivors. I ask you to use your voice, your vo and your influence to pass HR 2920 so that no
child, no teenager, no survivor has to walk away from violence alone as I did without support, without core, without hope. We are responsible for ensuring the safety and protection of our children. A good place to start is in supporting me in deeper healing that
provides justice against the demonic schemes of 38 years ago. Ramos, I I hate to cut you off, but your time is >> Thank you for listening. >> I'm so sorry for what happened to you, but please stay here for a minute so that somebody can talk to you about how
we can assist in terms of the HR 20. >> Yeah, Mr. Chair, if we can if we can have uh the clerk uh to draw up a motion for tomorrow meeting uh requesting that our Essis County
delegation look into uh HR29. Yes. And and provide us with information and um >> update on the specifics of of the information entailed in that. >> Yeah. Our our federal access county delegation. >> Right.
>> Thank you. >> I could also email you the information. >> That would be great, too. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Ramos. >> Next speaker. >> Good morning. I'm uh John Goldstein, 39 Madison Street.
I'm here today to draw your attention to concerns about the central planning board. While my concerns are of specific relevance to Council Member Scott Roundtree, who serves on the planning board, they're significant for all
Newark residents and for you as their representatives. For many years, I've been concerned about the affordability crisis in Newark, especially the lack of decent housing that most residents can afford. I've often attended planning and zoning
board meetings and participated in the creation of two master plans and several redevelopment plans. I've welcomed the city's desire for meaningful input from residents, and I think that input has made the plans better.
As I understand the history, the planning and zoning boards were created to provide a vehicle for the public to participate in land use decisionmaking. In the last few years, the planning board has made an extreme detour from
that goal. The planning board's deliberations on the proposed Iberia redevelopment are case in point. The proposal was originally heard on March 3rd of this year. Documents that were used in the deliberations were not posted long
enough in advance for us to prepare questions of the witnesses. And when we tried to ask questions and express concerns about the project, we were denied the opportunity. Instead, we were allowed a brief time for comments at the end of the hearing.
Our only recourse was to challenge the board's decision in court. And the result of that challenge is that the case was remanded back to the planning board and will be heard on December 8th. We will provide expert testimony at that
time to dispute the developers team. It's fundamentally undemocratic that the only way for residents to effectively participate is by raising significant funds to hire lawyers and experts. As a member of Homes for All
Newark, we're a small group of lowincome residents advocating for affordable housing for all residents. We do not have the financial resources to match developers and debate at every planning board meeting.
We ask that the municipal council provide the necessary oversight to ensure that the planning process is transparent and accessible to all of us as was in intended in the state statute. We hope that we will not have to sue the
city to ensure that this happens. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. Next speaker, >> Deborah Salters. H you know, first of all, let's talk about these elevators that stay broken more than they are fixed. It's been years.
The money that we've spent repairing these things, we could have had brand new elevators already. Like, what's going on? But y'all don't care. So anyway, to what the brother was just talking about as far as the community input,
you all don't want our input because you make the deals based on what benefits you and yours. How many times did we say we did not want uh the project that he's talking about down there in the east uh the Iberia and you want to put this tall
building over here and this like we talked about. You're inundating us. You're overpopulating us. not making a community. You're just you've destroyed the community by allowing these outsiders to come in here. The 360 plan is nothing more than what we told you
all that we needed for we the people, the citizens, the taxpaying citizens of Newark, and you took it and gave it to the outsiders and had the nerve to say it out of your mouths. Why uh you know really why are any of
you who have already started your fundraising parties for reelection why are you even running again why there's no shade there's no sarcasm that's a real question a real question
the three of you that I talk about all the time have a hundred years just about amongst yourselves and how have we the people benefited Our city's in the worst condition it's ever been in. I'm talking to residents uh uh that have
come home who have moved out years ago said, "Oh no, child. I'm I've been left. Packed up my business and left. There's nothing left for me in Newark." Talking to other residents. I had a business here. I shut it down. Now I'm just trying to figure out where I'm going. There's nothing left for me here. You all know this. It's not like I'm telling
you something you don't know. But what you're BUILDING AND DEVELOPING IS NOT FOR we the people. And we keep telling you this. The average salary 16 to 36,000. It's actually around 28 to be honest.
And the things that you are saying yes to THAT YOU DON'T HAVE to say yes to have priced and pushed us out. These taxes are pushing people out of their homes that they've built their families in, raised a community and a
neighborhood. THANKSGIVING COMES, EVERYBODY'S DOING THE PHOTO. WE'RE GIVING AWAY 3,000 TURKEYS. WE'VE GIVEN AWAY 700 TURKEYS. We've done this. Oh, look at us feeding the people. And on a regular day, our people can't live. But you're okay with that with your two
six figure salaries AND STIPENS. WHY ARE YOU RUNNING FOR OFFICE AGAIN? YOU'RE IN THE WAY. Thank you for your comments. Next speaker. >> Is there anyone that wishes to speak? >> If you wish to speak, come to the
podium. All right. I don't see any other. If you're speak If you want to speak, you have to come to the podium right now. Otherwise, we're going to close public hearing. >> She's not coming. Okay. All right. Uh, no other speakers. Public hearing is now closed.
Come, come on up. Come on. Hello. Good morning, city council. My name is Noel Hardy. Um, >> what's your I'm sorry. Could you say >> Noel Hardy? >> Okay. >> Yes. And I just recently took an oath at the public service and I have been inspired by everybody's conviction in
the room to speak. Um I can't really speak on the ghost in his home or in his home or developers, but what I can do is speak on the ghost that did push me out of my home. And I want to speak on that ghost because that ghost is here. And I
find that the reason why these people can't get their complaints across is because they do not know their ghost. However, I do know the ghost. What I am asking is that until all DOJ investigations involving Pinnacle um
Pinnacle Corporation, Kushman of Wakefield and five other subsidiary companies are completed. I ask that all construction be put on hold down here as well as construction with Pinnacle Construction. Um as well as construction
involving Pinnacle Construction. The reason why I'm asking this is because in the year of 2018, Pinnacle Construction was involved in a wrongful death lawsuit against Mr. Donero. The lawsuit itself was worth 7 to9 million. Yet, the lawsuit itself was not granted because
Pinnacle Construction ran the clock in the applied courts. So, by the time it got to the appropriate judge, the judge had no time as he could not violate the law. The woman to this day has not received any compensation whatsoever for her or her children based off the fact
that paperwork itself. So her injustice has gone down the window. The reason why I speak on asking that Pinnacle Corporation, Kushman and Wakefield, Willowbridge, Blackstone, Camden Properties ask that they are not welcomed to this community is because I
was pushed out. And what they use is a system called Real Pages, which is an algorithm that's designed to maximize landlord's pricing. So, as the man was saying here before, he literally cannot fight that. He has no money. He has no control over that algorithm. But that is
what is pushing these people out. And I know that it sounds crazy, but I am asking that if I have the opportunity to present the hardcore case evidence, that all construction involving Pinnacle Construction be placed on hold until the Department of Justice finishes their investigation. and that all properties
involving Pinnacle Corporation, Kushman and Wakefield, Blackstone, Camden, and the other three who I forgot, but they are be placed on hold indefinitely until the Department of Justice can do their job to prevent displacement of Thank
you. >> Thank you for your comments. Uh any additional speakers hearing? None. Public speaking is closed. Anything from the council first?
Anything from the administration? >> Good morning, Council President, council members. Allison Lead, director of economic and housing development. Um, thank you for the opportunity. Um, first I wanted to start with that Mayor Baraka and through much of the support of this
council has been focused on affordability and affordable housing. Just in the last half a dozen years, um the mayor and this council have not only increased and um improved in the last uh couple years through two
major amendments whereby now one we require on-site affordable housing or the developer pays $180,000 per unit. This is an incredible change and I think the members of the tax abatement committee would see that now
we are getting more uh developments that are compliant with on-site affordable. Now they may have always been compliant with but now we have on-site affordable housing. Second, with your support, the
mayor was able to introduce something called first dibs that gives Newark workers the right to those affordable housing units. Now, we have seen about 16 to 17 projects over the last year and a half actually help 82%
of New Yorkers get those units. In the past, that wasn't the number. It wasn't 82%. It was much lower. Today, 82% of those units go to Newark residents. Those two are major changes that the administration, the mayor, and this
council have effectuated just in the last few years. Second, I wanted to say that rents, we are not we know rents rise. We know that is part of market conditions and our economy both locally and nationally. But
I would tell you that I think the um the amendment to the rent control ordinance that was just done in the last couple years again with the mayor and this council, we were able to include one to four unit buildings now under rent control. Before they weren't. Some of
those one to four units had residents that were getting exorbitant increases in rent. Today you can't do that. Today you have to register. You have to be have a habit habitability inspection. You have to ensure that that resident
can be able to stay in the unit longer because sometimes market conditions are not supportive of what local policies are. But that's market conditions. So I think that's another major aspect. The
third one is is that we have been working significantly on ensuring that include um sorry the master plan is implemented. I think many of you remember that when we did the master plan and then we did the revision to the
New York zone land use ordinance that we were actually lauded for our public participation. We received a wonderful award from the national APA because we were able to touch so many people in New York and during a worldwide pandemic and
thereafter and I think that's a powerful statement for Newark's community is that we had so much participation even despite something as terrible as a worldwide pandemic. Um, in addition, that ordinance also allows for the
production of more affordable housing. And that was a critical component of what we wanted to see in our city was more affordable housing. And we did that partly through the creation of accessory dwelling units. And that is now allowable with central planning board
approval in our city. And that is another exciting aspect because sometimes we may want to care for our um family member who may not be able to afford to stay in their house. So you need two units for the family. One for maybe the children or a caregiver and
one for the parents. On the other side, we know that it's very difficult sometimes for our recent graduates or those coming out of high school to be able to afford to live in Newark. So how do we do that? We have to make room for them. And one way is through the accessible dwelling units that is now
allowable through the Nuzler. The final thing I wanted to say though is is that I I hear the concerns about the central planning board. Um and I just wanted to share and I believe I know this council knows but for the public that there has
been a change at the central planning board. Um, most recently, um, the mayor has appointed a new member to the central planning board named Alana Miles, and she will be serving as the chair of that board. So, we're going to look to her leadership to help us ensure
that the community has more voice in this process. Thank you. >> Thank you, deputy mayor. Any questions from the council? All right. Thank you. Thanks, Good morning, Council President. Good morning, members. My name is Nicole
Huitt Cabraw. I'm the chief sustainability officer for the city of Newark, and I'm here to talk about resolution number 251541 for a budget insertion for the keep America Beautiful grant to enhance Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
corridors around the country. So, we received 20 thou $20,000 to beautify Bart Martin Luther and Junior Boulevard. We're focusing on the areas between Clinton Avenue and Court Street. It's a three-phased approach.
The first phase was actually four phases. The first phase was uh to do intense community engagement. Our staff walked the streets several times speaking with residents, property owners, um anybody in the area around
this project to better understand what they wanted to do. Um we did subsequently two virtual um meetings with residents, property owners as well to vet the projects. Phase one was to plant 30 trees. We focused on the areas
between Clinton Avenue and Spruce Street. Um there were sections of the blocks where there are no trees and now they are trees. We had residents um lauding the efforts because they remember when the trees were cut and are really excited that the city of Newark is planting trees. Um we did this
through a volunteer effort where we partnered with a number of groups including office of homeless services and we had several folks that were unhoused also join us provided free food uh beverages and had a really fun day with a total of over 40 volunteers in
addition to my staff. Uh phase two is a beautifification project. We were able to move planters from a business owner on Broad Street that one of those planters removed and move them to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. We're going to be working with um several partners
to plant um beautiful pollinating flowers and other beautiful flowers in those planters. We're also partnering with some of the high schools to as well as arts organizations to beautify the planters. We're speaking with St. James Social Services about possibly doing a
community garden at their request and we're also because we spent so much time at Clinton Hill Clinton Avenue Park really saw the need for beautifying that park. So we're speaking with um Joe Montto from the parks department. Uh phase three is a placemaking aspect
where we're looking at ways of incorporating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as he was in um Newark on March 27th, 1968 to see if there's ways that we can commemorate um his presence and legacy in Newark. Um we
will be reaching out to a number of groups including Clinton Hill Community Action, NAACP, uh Newark Public Library, Newark Museum, and others to complete this project. Um, I did also fail to mention when we planted those 30 trees, we also planted them on Court Street, 10 fruit trees in
an area where a number of New Yorkers um received um different resources. Um, so in the coming years, they'll actually be able to to um eat the fruit from the trees. Do you have any questions? >> Thank you. Uh, any questions from the council? I I will say thank you so much
for what you do. I think the your your office has done so much uh in the last few years than may have been done in a lot way before that. So, thank you for for all that you do and continue to do for the sustainability of of our city. I
will ask that um and I do appreciate the fact that you we normally get emails about and invitations to different events and uh tree plantings, etc. Um, and I and if I missed it, I apologize. But when you do have community meetings,
if we can also be included on those because, >> you know, I say we we >> it's important where we know what the community is thinking and what want. So, we'd like to be a part of those meetings, not to run it, not to be push in it, but just to know what the community is thinking.
>> Absolutely. We'll do a better job of sharing that with you all. >> I appreciate that. Uh, Councilman Kelly. Um, thank you, Council President. I I just wanted to say, director, you are doing a great job. >> Keep me informed or I bug you enough
that you keep me informed. Um, I know that this this grant is specifically for the Martin Luther King Boulevards all around, which I think is is an amazing thing. Um, I thank you for the the work that you've done up in the West Ward. um
just planting those trees and and even when some people didn't want it in front of their homes, you were super kind to them and um I appreciate that. Uh I would love to see I know this is for Martin Luther King, but I would love to see something like that hap happen along
the corridor of South Orange Avenue. >> Um >> and and we do a number of meetings that you always invited invite us to. So, I'm sure that that's probably in the plans and if it is, please keep our office, you know, um, aware of what's going on.
And thank you once again. >> Absolutely. If I can just, uh, respond, um, we are planting over 500 trees, uh, right now. We will be sending you additional westward sites. In fact, um, the tree superintendent, myself, just uh, spoke about that. We're looking at
additional sites in South Orange A and Central Avenue. We planted those in the spring, but we'll be adding additional sites. So, you'll receive that very soon. >> And and the last thing, um, because I know the residents would kill me if I if I had you in front of me and didn't ask this. I know we've been working. I know
I spoke to the BA as well. You know, the stumps in the West Ward. You know, the residents, they call up my office like crazy. I know we said we're going to work towards that, and I just wanted to please keep me aware of what's going on with that process so I can alert the residents.
>> Yep. and I can respond to that. We just spoke about Midland Avenue, so we're going back to remove the stump. Actually, we'll be speaking to you to get that resident's exact name and and contact information. So, we're already working on that. I'm also working with the BA and the assistant BA on a
strategy to address the stumps. to just ask that if you all have a stump list, please uh refer to myself or the BA's office or the clerk's office and we're going to um really um accelerate a strategy to address the stumps because we have a policy to replace where we're
removing tree where removing dead trees and stumps. So, we'll be able to remove those and add them to the replanting list immediately. >> Council Gonzalez, it's two two uh questions. Well, not questions, but I
just want to to know what kind of fruit trees are being planted. And the other one is you can leverage the $20,000 with the New Jersey Tree Foundation and have more trees planted throughout, let's say, the city.
>> Oh, you mean with the Keep America Beautiful grant? the $20,000 that grant, you can leverage it with the the New Jersey Tree Foundation because they give trees to be planted throughout the city. >> Yeah, absolutely. Thank you for that.
And we as well, we gave um several hundred fruit trees away last year and we're continuing to partner with some other organizations to expand that effort. Um the trees that we the fruit trees that we planted included apples, pears, apricots, nectarines. I think
those were we planted 10. I think those are the varieties. >> Some oranges, but I would love that. Wrong climate. >> It's a little too cold up here. >> Vitamin C. >> All right. Anything else? >> Yeah, council council.
So, so ultimately we we have to do a better job at connecting uh with the residents who uh are having issues with their insurance companies and these trees that are lifting up the sidewalks in front of their house. We we are doing
a a poor job at corresponding with them and reaching out to them and um putting them in jeopardy of losing uh their insurance on their homes. And there has to be some kind of mechanisms that that are put in place uh some kind of letter
or retrieval or some kind of inventory process uh that they can be able to deliver to their insurance companies uh about the situations concerning uh these trees that are lifting up uh the sidewalks in front of their house. And I know we have to go out and inspect and then bait and figure out if we can cut
down or uh if the tree is if if it's not egregious, if it is egregious, if we can cut the root. But and all of that. Uh there are time restraints as it relates to uh individual insurance companies uh which is putting a strain uh on a lot of our residents and particularly seniors
uh who don't have the capacity or wherewithal uh to try to figure out what is happening in in front of their homes. And so, uh, it is important, uh, for us to try to work and figure out those kind of processes. Uh, and if we do, um, I would just, you know, love to make sure
that we hear or get some information about how we can do that and expand it, uh, so that, uh, these residents can feel a little more confident uh, in what's going on. And so when there's a tree that's going to be replanted in front of their homes, uh, they're not fighting against it, uh, because they
understand that the city cared about it. >> Yeah, that's great. Thank you for that. I'll definitely work with the administration on that. >> All right. Thank Thank you. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Anything else from the council before we >> Mr. President,
>> Councilman uh Ramos? >> Yeah. Um going back to the uh central planning board, I mean what one of my concerns in um reason why I didn't support the new uh zoning ordinance was that essentially it it created an
environment where a lot of development projects that used to go to uh board of adjustments which uh provides the community with a lot more I I I I think authority in the approval of um some of
these projects are now being heard by the central planning board because they're as of right as opposed to um in the past where they had to um enact certain variances in order to get approved. So, so my question would be through your chair and the clerk um to
see if economic development can do some kind of analysis to see how many more applications uh are being heard by the central planning board because of the change in the city's zoning ordinance. And and we know that the planning boards don't have the same kind of
authority to re uh uh reject projects because again a lot of projects that go to the central planning board are almost as of right because they meet all the conditions um according to the city's uh ordinance. So I'm just curious to see how many more applications are now being
heard by central planning because of the change in the city's uh zoning ordinance. >> All right. Thank you. go through. Madam clerk. All right. Thank you. Uh, Councilwoman Scott. >> Actually, Councilman Ramos um asked the question that I was going to ask.
>> Right. >> I do want to address um Nicole uh on what she stated and what Councilman Council mentioned about the residents of the city of Newark. I have several cases and I know he has a couple
of seniors whose sidewalks are lifted. And the issue with that is our legislation because once we do communicate with the residents, however we communicate with them, they have to pay for that sidewalk. Uh once that tree
has actually damaged or lifted the sidewalk, they are residents are responsible for fixing a sidewalk that a tree replanted actually damaged. And so I I believe that maybe and I know that this is not
something that's going to be popular, but we might want to revisit that legislation because we have individuals whose insurance has actually been cancelled because if someone trips on that sidewalk and they haven't fixed it, the landlord gets sued, not the city,
but it's our tree that did it. So, I just wanted to put that on record that you might want to revisit that legislation that's written that holds our residents responsible for the sidewalk that our tree actually did damage to because 100 years from now or
50 years from now, whoever lives in that house is going to have the same issue. So, I'm not sure. I'm going to pull up again the legislation for our residents that are responsible, see what year it was written and actually who put that
through because we're in another era now. So, I just wanted to address that and put that on record. So, madam clerk, I want to pull up the legislation on that and the residents being responsible because there are people that land that's insurance have been cancelled on
multiple properties. Thank you. Thank you, council president. Thank you very much, Councilwoman. Anything else from the council? >> Yeah, Mr. President, I'm sorry, but the the issue with the stumps and I'm glad Councilman Kelly brought it up and and we've submitted multiple lists over the
years. Um I don't know the administration still has that information, but but I would imagine that with the exception of, you know, weather emergencies that may knock a tree down, but the the city does issue a permit,
right? or have some kind of record of trees that they've cut down through the public works department. So maybe they can go back to that list to to see um how many stumps cuz they're everywhere. I mean the the stumps are all over the
city and and I'm sure a lot of them were trees that the city cut through one of its private contractors but the stump wasn't included as part of the contract and now we got to catch up with all those stumps. But but it is a growing problem in our in our city and I'm hopeful that um we finally get a vendor
in to to address the stump situation in all the wards. >> Great. Thank you, Councilman. Anything else from the council? All right. Well, thank you everyone. We'll see you tomorrow.
Well, afternoon. Thanks. >> Corrected, don't go. I got to talk to you about something. Okay.