WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 2
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=44Sg33fP_XI
Video-2: youtube.com/watch?v=g4JNTqwJzoc

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: 44Sg33fP_XI):
- 00:00:00: Meeting Opening, LGBTQ Commission Appointment of Reginald Weber
- 00:02:45: Tax Abatements: 1080 Bergen Developer and Neymar
- 00:04:08: Question About Tax Abatements From Washington Street
- 00:05:09: Tax Abatement: Spruce Park and Bergen Street Partners
- 00:06:16: Tax Abatements: Neymar South Orange and Marb Holdings
- 00:07:39: Parking Regulations for Construction Vehicles Amendment
- 00:08:26: Concerns About PSEG Gas Line Work and Dust Mitigation
- 00:13:49: Temporary Appropriations for Operating Budget and Youth
- 00:14:05: Budget Delay, County Tax and Potential State Loan
- 00:17:32: Purchasing Resolutions, Bargaining Agreement, Private Redevelopment
- 00:18:28: Private Sale Redevelopment Deferred, Grant Financing Discussion
- 00:21:08: Budget Reviews For SIDs, Reading Budgets and Adopting
- 00:23:09: Grant Funds for Summer Youth, Redevelopment Area Discussion
- 00:24:48: Downtown Connector Project, Green Infrastructure Sewer Approvals
- 00:26:55: Contracts for HIV/AIDS Support Services and Professional Service
- 00:28:03: Street Designations, World Cup Kickoff Event, Mental Health
- 00:29:39: Ironbound Resilience Meeting, Rent Control Corrections
- 00:30:00: Communication Returned, Rent Control Changes Explained
- 00:33:50: Rent Control, Punitive Measures for Non-Registration
- 00:38:28: Certificate of Habitability Inspection Delays Concerns
- 00:41:11: Bulk Waste, Solid Waste Management Collection and Disposal
- 00:49:56: Fine for Excess Bulk, Penalties and Storage Company Issues
- 00:53:11: DPW BulK Commitment Clarification, Commending DPW
- 00:54:35: Acquisition of Property for Water and Sewer Utilities Complex
- 00:56:30: Gas State Contract, Potential Added Starters Discussion
- 00:58:34: Added Starters Explained: Cottage Place, Lionsgate, Nevada
- 01:05:30: Public Comment: Construction Traffic Issues South Ward
- 01:08:27: Public Comment: Sanitation Failures, Illegal Housing
- 01:11:28: Concerns about Construction and Standardized Testing Week
- 01:14:26: Adjournment into Executive Session

Part 2 (Video ID: g4JNTqwJzoc):
- 00:00:12: LGBTQ Advisory Commission Appointment of Reginald Weber Jr.
- 00:02:45: Tax Abatements, Land Sales, and Traffic Amendments
- 00:04:08: Councilman Gonzalez questions tax abatement entity address
- 00:07:39: Commercial vehicle parking and PSEG street repairs
- 00:08:44: PSEG gas line replacement dust and road paving issues
- 00:11:56: Clarification on PSEG paving requirements, dust, and rodent issues
- 00:13:49: Emergency appropriations, budget delays, and aid discussions
- 00:17:28: Purchasing resolutions, collective bargaining, redevelopment sale
- 00:19:10: Grant agreement, SID budgets, redevelopment areas
- 00:24:55: Downtown connector project, green infrastructure sewer project
- 00:27:02: HIV/AIDS contracts, professional services, street designations
- 00:30:07: Rent Control Ordinance Amendments and Commercial Vehicle Ticketing
- 00:31:17: Rent Control Simplification and Certificate of Habitability
- 00:34:15: Rent Control Penalties and Compliance Discussion
- 00:37:32: Considerations for Rent Increases and Habitability Issues
- 00:41:24: Amending solid waste collection and removal ordinance
- 00:42:26: Bulk waste limits and associated penalties explanation
- 00:43:34: Responsibility and Reasonable Expectations For Bulk Pickup
- 00:47:20: DPW's Commitment to Pick-Up and Enforcement Discussions
- 00:53:15: Property Acquisition for Water and Sewer Utilities Complex
- 00:56:30: Added Starters: Gas Contract Extension and Property Projects
- 00:58:34: Added Starters: Cottage Place, Lionsgate, 2 Nevada Projects
- 01:01:57: Hudson Valley Properties discussion for Nevada Project
- 01:03:51: Sponsorships, explanations, and poverty level increase
- 01:05:30: Public Comment: Christina Cherry - School Construction Issues
- 01:08:27: Public Comment: Freeman - Sanitation Failures and Housing
- 01:11:44: Council Comments, Construction Timing, and Student Testing
- 01:14:26: Executive Session Roll Call


Part: 1

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--------- Good morning. Welcome to the premeating of the Newark Municipal Council on Tuesday, May 5th. Council President, council members, we have two appointments this morning on the agenda on page 34.

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These are appointments to the lesbian, gay bisexual transgender and questioning advisory commission. Is Miss Nifa Bernard in the audience? >> Miss Bernarda Bernard. >> All right. Not appearing, but if she

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comes uh later on, we'll uh >> Absolutely. Mr. Reginald Weber Jr., >> please step to the microphone. Good morning. >> Good morning. The the mayor is appointing you to the uh uh lesbian,

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gay bisexual transgender and questioning advisory commission. Do you have any opening statement you'd like to make? >> Uh I would just like to share a little bit about myself. Uh my name is Reginald Weber Jr. I'm from California, but I recently moved to New Jersey about five

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years ago. I live in East Orange, but I own a business that um functions out of Isisle 15, which is across the street, a Caribbean restaurant that just opened last year. And um I'm the new member or the new executive director of YOPAT Youth Outreach for Performing Arts and

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Technology, which is based in Newark. Um I have a long-standing history of working in social justice and for civil rights, particularly with the LGBTQ community. Um, I spent the last two years as the executive assistant of

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Garden State Equality and I've spent so much of my time, energy, and life making sure that um, LGBTQ people within the state of New Jersey and specifically in this area um, have lived equality and I and I uh, hope to continue doing that in

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this role. >> Thank you. >> Thank Thank you. And uh, Councilwoman Scott Brown, >> I would like to sponsor. >> Is there a second? >> Yes. Second >> sponsored by Councilwoman Scott Roundry. Second by Councilwoman Bay. Any anything

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else from the council? >> Well, thank you very much. Appreciate. Thank you for your service. >> Thank you. Thank you so much. >> You're welcome. >> Council members, we are on page three of the agenda. Item five, reports and

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recommendations of city officers, boards, and commissions. Questions from the council hearing. None. Next item. >> Ordinances on first reading. 6FA is an ordinance granting a 25-year tax

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abatement to 1080 Bergen Developer Urban Renewal LLC for a project in the South Ward to construct a new five-story mixeduse building consisting of 53 market rate residential rental units and

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13 affordable housing rental units. >> Any questions from the council? Hearing none. Next item, >> public hearing, second reading and final passage. 6P SFA is an ordinance granting a

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20-year tax abatement to Neymar 763 South Orange Urban Renewal LLC for a project in the West Ward to construct a new five-story mixeduse building with 32 residential rental units consisting of

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25 market rate residential rental units and seven affordable housing rental units. sponsored by Councilman Kelly. Second by Councilwoman Scott Roundtree. >> Any questions from the council? >> Hearing none. Next item.

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>> I'm sorry, Councilman Gonzalez. >> Yeah, I don't have a question regarding the tax ament. My question is if you look at the agenda, all these tax availments are to an entity located at 90 uh Washington Street

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uh sweet 307 in East Orange. All of them. Are they the same company or anybody from the administration? >> Good morning. >> Sandy Daniel, legislative coordinator for economic and housing development. Um, council president, to the

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councilman's question, I can get that information and have it to you by the end of business day. >> Thank you. Appreciate it. >> You're welcome. >> Thank you. All right. >> Next item. >> B is an ordinance that ratifies and authorizes the second amendment to the

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original tax abatement granted to Spruce Park Associates under the limited dividend law extending the term of the financial agreement until March 31st, 2036. Any questions from the council? Hearing none. Next item.

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>> C is an ordinance authorizing the mayor and or his design to enter into and execute an agreement with Bergen Street Partners LLC for the sale of land, the sale and redevelopment of city-owned property. Sponsored by Councilman

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Council. Second by Councilman Kelly. >> Questions from the council. Hearing none. Next item. >> D is an ordinance ratifying and authorizing the mayor of the city and/or his designate to enter into and execute

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a lease agreement with South Orange, New Jersey LLC for office fees. Sponsored by Councilman Kelly, second by Council President Crump. >> Questions from the council. Next item. E is an ordinance granting a

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20-year tax abatement to Neymar South Orange Urban Renewal LLC for a project located in the West Ward to construct a new fivestory mixeduse building with 36 residential dwellings, 28 at market

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rate, and eight affordable units. >> Any questions from the council? Next item. F is an ordinance granting a 20-year tax abatement to Marb Holdings Urban Renewal LLC for a project in the

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West Ward to construct a new fourstory mixeduse building with 11 residential units consisting of eight market rate and three affordable housing rental units. Sponsored by Councilman Kelly,

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second by Councilwoman Scott Roundtree. questions from the council. >> I have a question. >> Councilman Gonzalez, >> even though this that project does not qualify for the let's say for the uh doesn't reach the 15 units, they are

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giving three units to the city. So, it's I believe it's something that we should encourage. >> Thank you. Well said, Councilman. Next item. G is an ordinance amending traffic parking, stopping and standing

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generally to broaden the definition of commercial vehicle and to regulate the parking of construction related vehicles and residential districts. Sponsored by Councilman Silva, second by Councilman Ramos.

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>> Any questions from the council? >> Yeah, Mr. President, >> Council Remos, >> um through through your chair and the clerk and um can we ask the BA if we can get from the police division uh how many summones were issued um year to date for

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commercial vehicles parked in residential areas overnight just to get a sense of how active um you know police division has been and enforcing what's in the books now and hopefully see what kind of potential is there once we're

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able to get this All right. Thank you, Councilman. Madame Clerk. >> Yes, sir. Resolutions. >> Mr. President. >> Councilman Gonzalez. >> Yeah. I I It's unrelated to this, but it's related to traffic. Let's say I see

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that PSEG is let's say breaking all the streets in the city of New York for the gas lines. And uh after we have done let's say repairs and and repaving of those streets hopefully they are going to repave the whole street and not just

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the little bit of street that they are breaking. >> Yeah, Mr. [snorts] President. Yeah. And connected to that there there's a lot of dust in the area as a result of their work. And I know the the vendor that they've hired isn't is charged with the

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task of replacing the the gas lines, but we have dust all over the neighborhood on Lake Street, the the side streets where the work is currently happening. And can we communicate to PSENG the importance of cleanup after they do this kind of work, whether they got to bring

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in additional vendor um to to to clean up their areas, but you know, it's a mess right now. >> They should power wash it. I'm telling you, in front of my house is all white. >> We haven't even started the work. >> The cars go by, all that dust come to my house.

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>> It blows up. >> Yeah. Council Eric Pennington, business administrator. Um, this happens to be one of those areas where I'm personally affected as well. So, it is a nuisance without question. Uh the mayor has already directed us to send the

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ordinance to PSEG that requires them to do curbtocurb paving particularly where there's a five-year moratorum on breaking up the streets that we have paid paved. Many of the streets in the north ward have been paved within the last five years and under the ordinance they're required to do curb to curb

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paving. In some of the other instances, even if there's not the five-year moratorum, they are they've done extensive digging for this gas line replacement because it's not just gas line replacement. They're replacing the meters that are inside someone's home to outside home. So in those cases, they

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have pits, but the pits are successive and there are so many of them and they might not ordinarily trigger a curb to curb paving. Um, but I think in this particular circumstance, we're going to demand that they do curb the curb paving. So I'm going to work with director Dean to make sure that PSEG

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understands what their obligation is and we will follow up on that. Um it has already been discussed with the mayor and he's directed us to do so. >> M Mr. Chair, can you address the issue with the I I I appreciate the the response on the paving, but the dust.

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We're also getting complaints about um increased rodent activity in some of these areas where they're digging up. Are they responsible now to um work with our health department to to help us abate some of the concerns with rodents? Yeah. I I don't know the answer, but

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certainly something that we should uh bring to their attention and address because I've actually seen more possums myself. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> In the area. >> No. And the dust is is way beyond even their their current work area. Like it's it's blown up to like Lake Street areas

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of the park. It's it's really messy in the neighborhood. >> They have they have some dust mitigation machine. It's like a street sweeper. I've seen them using it, but that seems like it's kicking up more dust than than fixing. So So I agree. >> Yeah. Maybe they need to bring in a third party, just a different vendor just to clean up.

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>> Yeah, vacuum. Okay, we'll definitely address that. >> Thank good uh Councilman Kelly, I think. >> Uh how you doing, BA? Just >> I just want to clarify, you know, on South Orange Avenue, they are doing uh PSG is out there working, but they're

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just paving over the the area that they opened up. So, they will be paving the entire South Orange Avenue again. Well, that's the that that is the exact issue. The areas that we're talking about, if you could send that information to me. Um, and I'll bring that to their

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attention. Again, there is there's two they have obligations in two places. One is if it is a patch job, they don't typically are not required to pave the entire street unless of course uh it's within this moratorum period and they do

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have to repave a portion of the street curb to curb though but a portion of the of the street. So if you can give me that particular information uh we can include that in what we're demanding that they repave. >> Right. So far they they've went from Sanford Avenue all the way down. Right

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now they're at Boiling Street. So from Sanford to Boil and they're going to continue to go down. So >> Well, I put some Yeah. >> Oh, right. Count county street. Okay. That's a county street. to their different stipulations, but still same in the information and we will still get

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that to them because even if so the county street is still in the city of Norc and we want to make sure that they uh uh treat us appropriately. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. And if I could ask put put a put some work on the clerk if if I could ask the clerk to

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compile this information and send it to me, I'd appreciate it. >> Great. >> All right. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. B. Next item. Resolutions 7R1A and B are both temporary emergency

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appropriations. A is to provide funds for the operating budget and B is for the summer youth employment program. >> Questions from the council. >> Councilman Gonzalez may send a question to the VA.

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>> Mr. Ba got a question. >> We are here in May. We have you have been promised since since March. [laughter] I don't want you to lie to us. Please. Eric Pennington, business administrator.

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With respect to the budget, um I have a meeting. It's it's not going to be obviously not presented on this uh agenda. Uh I know we have uh promised over and over again to get it to you sooner. There are still challenges. We're working through those

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challenges. I have a meeting on Monday with our budget committee to to address it and hopefully resolve the issues that we have to resolve. >> And as a followup, they say last year we paid, I believe, $20 million to the county and the year before 30 million or vice versa.

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>> Vice versa, >> we let's see. Are we required to pay to the county this this year too? Yeah, we're we're required to every year that 30 million the 20 million you talked about the first time and the 32 million

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last year is related to the the ratio because of the lack of reval. Reval is will be completed this year uh but not in time to uh not have us pay a ratio deficiency to the county and this year it'll be closer to $40 million. So we

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still have that. >> How much you anticipate that this budget will include >> about $40 million extra because of the ratio issue uh to the county >> and we are thinking in terms of getting a loan from the state also or

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>> no no we have to take a different approach. We may have to bond for it. Um we're looking at uh uh discouraging unnecessary properties that we have to generate some of that income. Um, and that's what our meeting meeting I have on Monday is to discuss is exactly how

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much it is that we're going to have to come up with uh to offset what would otherwise be a budget deficiency. >> Okay. Thank you, Mr. President. >> Mr. President, >> uh, Councilman Ramos. >> Yeah. Uh, Eric, and and as a followup to Councilman Gonzalez, I I know the last

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few years as as he mentioned because of the delays in the reval process, you know, the city was on the hook to pay the county additional monies. Um, could we have taken that aid

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with an agreement on oversight and not have had to pay that money back to the state? You know, I had the opportunity to listen to some of the budget hearings that the state had. And I know we're not the only municipality um around the state that received

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additional aid. uh some of these municipalities did so with some oversight agreement and as a result of that from my understanding they did not have to pay that money back. What was that an option offered to NORC? >> That was not an option offered offered

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to NORC and we did agree to have a minimum level of oversight even with the uh the the money that we got. It's not oversight. It's not traditional oversight, but it is a limited level of oversight, and it did not exempt us from having to pay the money back.

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>> So, my question is, why would that option be offered to other municipalities and not the city of North? >> Uh, I'm not saying that it wasn't available, but it wasn't part of our discussions with the state. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> All right. Thank you. [clears throat]

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Next item. >> C through E are all purchasing resolutions. C is an amending resolution for law enforcement, firearms, and equipment. D is a co-op purchasing agreement for a synthetic turf maintenance for the Bo

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Porter Sports Complex. And E is a bid contract for the family funday. >> Any questions from the council? >> Yeah, Mr. Chair, I want to sponsor D. >> Except D is a boy. B. Council McB is a boy dismant one day.

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>> All right. >> The replacement of the turf. >> There's our second. >> Second by Councilman Scott Moundry. >> Duly noted. >> F is a collective bargaining agreement for the Newark Fire Officers Union.

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>> Questions from the council. Next item. >> 7R2A is a private sale redevelopment. the new construction of two residential homes consisting of one four family home and one three family home both to be sold at market rate in the south and

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west ward >> question councilman council >> Mr. Chair, I'm going to ask for this item to be deferred. >> So, let me ask you a question, council. This is the third time deferment. Do we want to return to administration? >> No, I I'll give you that information

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tomorrow. >> Okay. >> So, would defer as a whole? >> Yes. >> Okay. Next item. B is a grant agreement to provide gap

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financing for the construction of a 24 residential dwelling consisting of three deed restricted affordable housing restrictions for occupancy by qualified lowincome tenants pursuant to the city of Newark affordable housing trust fund

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in the west ward. >> Questions from the council >> Ramos. >> Yeah. So just to be clear, only three out of the 24 are affordable units or they just the three are deeed restricted

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like what percentage is affordable here >> administration. >> Good morning again. Brandy Daniel, legislative coordinator for economic and housing development. Um, Council Member Ramos, could you repeat your question, please? >> What What percentage of these units are affordable? It states that three out of

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the 24 deed restricted as affordable. Is that all out of the 24 or is it compliant with the 20%. >> It's compliant with the 20%. >> It's compliant with the 20%. >> And and the um the subsidy, what what's the rationale behind the subsidy for

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this project as opposed to other projects? like like why is the city um subsidizing this at a greater level than it does other development projects of a similar size? >> I can get you that information >> if we can have that today.

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>> Yes. >> Thank Thank you. Anything else, Councilman? >> All right. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Uh Mr. VA coming up. [snorts] >> Yes. Thank you, Council President. Eric Pennington, business administrator. With respect to the next items on the agenda,

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the budgets for the bids and SIDs. Uh for those, I just want to make sure that the uh the representatives from the SIDS and the bids in the audience understand that we would like to meet with the Westward, the South Ward, and NDD in closed session before we move forward on

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their budgets. >> Which which uh bids? >> ND, the West W, and and the South W. >> Okay. All right. >> Go ahead. Uh, Madam Clerk. Okay. C through I are reading and adopting the

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2026 annual budgets for various SIDS and bids each with a public hearing at tomorrow's meeting. >> It says public hearing on the Okay. 28th. C is Mount Prospect Avenue Neighborhood

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Improvement District Management Corporation. D is the Bloomfield Avenue Lower Broadway Business Improvement District. E is the Ironbound Business Improvement District sponsored by Councilman Silva.

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Second by Councilman Canana. F is the Newark downtown district. G is Newark Alliance. H is partnership westward business improvement district sponsored by Councilman Kelly, second by

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Councilman Gonzalez. And I is the Bergen Lines Clinton Special Improvement District sponsored by Councilman Councel and second by President Cron. >> Mr. President, >> Councilman Ramos. >> Yeah, I'd like to be noted as a sponsor

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for D and C and D. Seconded by Councilman uh Gonzalez said C and D, right? >> Duly noted. >> Okay. Next item. >> Thank you. >> Well, any other questions? I'm sorry.

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Any other questions concerned? >> Next item. >> J is acceptance of grant funds for the summer youth work experience program. >> Questions from the council. Next item. K is declaring an area in

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need of redevelopment in the north ward. >> Any questions from the council? >> Next item. >> L is investigation for an area in need of redevelopment in the north war. >> Any questions [snorts] from the council?

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>> Next item. >> Yeah, m Mr. President, if I can get from economic development the reason why this is being requested on the Hinsdale and Herbert, please. >> We could they could just submit that in writing prior to tomorrow.

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>> Okay. Thank you. And is K and L or just L you're concerned about? >> Just L. >> Just L. Okay. Thank you, Mr. President. M is a need for housing project in the south ward.

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>> Questions from the council. >> Mr. Chair, I'm going to sponsor this item. >> Sponsored by Councilman Council. [clears throat] >> Second. >> Second. >> Second. Councilman Canal. Second. N is a resolution of support to provide

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support for the submission of an application for tax credits sought by developer under the Aspire tax credit program to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority in the Central Ward. >> Any questions from the council, next item

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>> 7R3A is a bid contract for the Newark downtown connector project. >> Questions from the council? So, just for the benefit of of the the public, can can we get an explanation of what this is

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director? What is the project? >> Good morning, James Adams, acting director of engineering for the city of Newark. >> Good morning. Um this downtown connector project um it goes from University Avenue along from Broad Street to

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Central Avenue. It's mostly a bike lane project and the bike lanes will be protected by concrete barrier. Um it also involves, you know, paving, sidewalk, a little bit of drainage and striping work. This is more of a bike

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lane corridor type project. >> Thank you. Any qu any questions from the council? All right. Thank you, director. Next item. [clears throat] >> 7R4A is approving loan and escro agreements for green infrastructure

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sewer project. >> Any questions from the council? Next item. >> 7R5A through I are all contracts with sub. >> Sorry, let's go. Let's go back. Let's go back to uh 74A. We can just get the

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director to come up and give a explanation of that. >> Good morning. Benjamin Guzman, acting finance director. Uh, council president. Uh, this resolution is to authorize the, uh, bond anticipation note escrow and loan agreements for the green infrastructure sewer project through the

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infrastructure bank. Uh, this, uh, project does qualify for 100% principal forgiveness. So, we're looking to act on it now so that we can make this year's uh funding uh cycle. >> Great. Thank Thank you. Uh any any questions from the council? >> Thank you, director.

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>> Welcome. >> Thanks. >> 7R5A through I are all contracts with subreients to provide HIV AIDS related health and support services. A is for St. Michaels. B is Ruckers.

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C is Trinitas. D is Isaiah House, excuse me. E is the Puerto Rican Organization for Community Education. F is Central Jersey Legal Services. G is

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Neighborhood Health Services. H is future legal services. G is neighborhood health services. H is future bridge business solutions. And I is public strategies. Any questions from the council?

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Next item. >> 7R6A through E are professional services contracts. A and B is for labor and employment matters. C, D, and E are all litigation defense matters.

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>> Any questions from the council? >> I hear none. Next item. >> Seven 8A is a ceremonial street designation for Dr. L. Bridgefor sponsored by Councilman Kelly, second by Councilwoman Scott Roundtree.

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>> Next item >> B is a resolution dedicating the Ironbound Bfield in honor of Albert Al Cino sponsored by Councilman Silva. >> I'll second it. I'll jump in.

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Presidential privilege. I'm going to second it. Although I think we all would want to second that. Duly noted C is declaring intent the Culinary Cup United at the Table Symposium as the

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official City of North Kickoff event to the World Cup 2026 sponsored by Councilman Silva. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Second. Councilman Canana. >> D is a whole harmless for mental health awareness walk sponsored by Councilman

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Ramos. Second. >> A second. >> She There's a bunch of y'all. I don't even know who came first. Uh, Councilwoman Bay. >> E is recognizing and commending resolutions

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and F is expressing profound sorrow and regret. >> Any questions, concerns from the council? >> Next item. 7R12A [snorts] is a whole harmless for the Ironbound Resilience Hub community meeting

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sponsored by the water department >> questions. >> Next item >> communications is Miss Bernard in the audience now. Miss Nifa Bernard. >> No. >> No. Okay.

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>> Defer that. 8C is an ordinance to amend and supplement rent control by making various corrections and additions. >> Any questions from the council? >> Councilman, I mean not council, Mr. Ba.

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>> Never. Absolutely. Um Eric Pennington BA with respect to a pri the prior uh item for Miss Bernard. Uh she has withdrawn her name from consideration. So you can send that back to administration. Yeah. 8C. >> 8C.

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>> HC. HC. Right. >> Bernard. And >> just the just the one, Miss Bernard. >> Just 8C. >> Communication. >> 8A. >> Oh, 8A. Oh, we're back. Okay. We're going 8A. So, instead of defer, you

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wanted to return to administration. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> That's the one for Bernard. And while I'm up here, if I could, uh, council members, you should have received an email from Captain George about the number of commercial vehicles that were ticketed. Uh, the response is in your email already, so please look at that.

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>> Mr. President, Councilman Ram, >> um, we're just seeing some of the proposed changes to the rent control ordinance. Is is that something that you're liberty to summarize for us or you want to send us something um, prior to tomorrow's meeting? I know it's early

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in the processes on communications. >> Yeah, I'm not qualified to summarize unfortunately. >> Okay, I'll review it. >> I think the deputy mayor may be able to speak on it. Right. >> Yeah. Not I sure I suppose if she's prepared. >> Okay. >> Yeah.

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>> Yeah. I'll look at it. >> You want to look at it and give us a >> Yeah. I don't know if you guys just have like a quick statement on what changes you're looking for us to consider on rent control. >> So let let me suggest right now a highle view of it and then provide us in

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writing the more specifics. >> Yes, council president uh council members Allison Lead, director of economic and housing development. Um this before you uh to answer council member Ramos's question is now uh we're

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trying to make the process simpler. So, you may remember about four years ago, we had an ordinance that required the um registration of landlords for single family properties and it followed the state ordinance because the state has

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one as well. >> So, then a couple years later, the mayor and this council amended rent control so that now one to four units are under rent control. What we found is is that when you have to register under landlord

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registration and rent control, it's duplicative. So, what we're asking to do is combine the work of the landlord registration to the rent control ordinance such that you only have to go to one place. Finally, this will allow

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us to have certificate of habitability for all units governed by rent control, both those exempt and those non-exempt. Is that the only change? >> Thank you. >> That's the That's the only change is And it looks I'm sorry, one last piece. I

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apologize. Is that it looks like there's a lot because it impacts multiple sections of the ordinance, but the intent is the same and it's to streamline the process so you don't have to go to two offices and buildings and permits and other places. So, we're

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trying to make it more simple. And um in closing, I'd say it's also because the rent control office now with the new leadership there for the last couple years has excellent processes and systems so that we keep track of it at a higher level now and we're more

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efficient. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, Mr. Chair, Councilman, it does get into the specivity of of really getting down to the the nuts and bolts of who has to register. doesn't mean if it's the owner, the managing

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agent, whoever's responsible for saying that they're going to monitor this property or this house. And I think that's important because a lot of times we're with we're missing that information. So I don't I don't I don't know if it can reconcile itself around the fact of having some kind of punitive

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piece in it if they don't, you know, register or get that information in because a lot of times folks are not registering so that they can do some things on the back end. And I know we're trying to make sure that we get a centralized location, get all of the information in place, and then try to

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jump off from there. But at some point at at a later date, we probably need to look at an increased punitive measure of individuals who are not registering because it is shaking the the the rent world. And what happens is we get a lot

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of backlash on it. So whereas someone who registers and says the last time that someone was in this two-bedroom or threebedroom, it was a thousand, now when they don't register, it's now 2,000. And so it it sends it off and makes it seem like we're in support of

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bad landlords when we need to make sure that we have something punitive in place to to to deal with those individuals who are not registering. >> Uh yes, Council President, if I could just uh comment on that. Uh to council member council's point, I'd tell you two

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things. One, we agree with the punitive nature. So in the amendment that was done and approved by this council for the last rent control ordinance amendments, there are additional penalties. Um and also the fees were increased to be per unit rather than per

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building. Um so that's one part. Um and then in addition to that, our compliance aspect around that is stronger. So to the second point that the council member mentioned around rent registrations, we have found the same issue whereby um new

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registrations want to use a rent today, not a rent that they last had a lease for. We are telling them that they have to use the rent that they last had a lease for, not the rent that they want to charge today. So, if you should get any questions about that, that is our

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position is is that you have to use the rent as evidenced by your last lease, not by the current um uh pricing. Now, for a a a homeowner or individuals who are

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owning property that are following the proper procedures, right, and doing the things that they're supposed to be doing, being good stewards of the law and the letter of the law, it it sort of feels like on one end that they're being punished, right? uh that

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they can't be able to charge an extra or a little extra as it relates to whatever that rent uh component is. So I don't know where the gray area is in that. So in one end, you know, we want to make sure that those offenders who are not doing what they're supposed to be doing, not registering or waiting to register

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and then doing a lot of things on the back end. And then the individuals who are saying, listen, we want to do the right thing. We want to try to make sure that we are charging fair rent, being accessible. at what point do we get some kind of minimum increase or minimal increase uh as it relates to, you know,

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what it is that they're doing. So, I don't I don't know if that's something that, you know, later on we can we can struggle over and try to see how that works. >> Uh, Council President, if I may, I think it's an excellent policy position for us to be discussing. Um our office as well as the equitable growth advisory

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commission is discussing this exact issue whereby homeowners may be unintentionally negatively um treated because of the fact of one to four units have to now register and their rents are what the lease is not what today's rent

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is. So we are an analyzing it now. We have faced the same uh questions and we do understand that there's a concern around newer homeowners being able to keep their house and not have them in a difficult space whereby they could be

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subject to negative um impacts because they can't raise their rents. So we do agree with the uh sentiment of the council member council and we are looking at that as well. >> Thank you. Thank you council Gonzalez. the certificate of habitability they say

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is is required to to release the the the unit. Who does the inspection and how long does it take to get inspection? Because I have gotten some uh complaints that we're taking months to do the

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inspections and the the person is losing rent for a couple of months. Uh yes uh council president to the question asked by council member Gonzalez um we have uh created a partnership with our engineering

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department around certificate of habitability. When the first law was enacted the one for landlord registration and then it followed on to this rent control ordinance. We actually worked very closely with the engineering

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department to design the certificate of habitability process. Um, so for a good year and a half, we did have one dedicated code enforcement officer who was able to do the review and inspections for certificate of habitability. That person is no longer

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in the city as of the end of last year. And so we have to restart that conversation and get a new person assigned to us. And I know Director Adams is in the room and we'll be happy to work with him on how we get a new person assigned. Uh last I would say

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that it is likely today that it is taking longer because we no longer have that dedicated code inspection um officer. So is there a possibility that say that if you don't get inspected by

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let's say 30 60 days that you are deemed to be let's say inspected because let's say if I have an apartment that I charge $1,500 and you don't inspect it for three months. That's

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$4,500 that I'm losing. Erh, and to recover those $4,500, I will have to rent that apartment for years. >> Council President, to Council Member Gonzalez's question and comment, uh, it is, um, I agree that it is a difficult

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space to be in. Um, and the reason why I say that is because there's two sides of naturally. There's the owner side of it that's talking about not being able to collect their rent and then there's the person who lives there, the tenant side.

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Unfortunately, I have experienced in the last few months whereby families are being placed in units that are not that didn't receive a cert certificate of habitability and therefore should not be living there and therefore are being displaced. So I

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would be happy to look at it with our director of engineering to see what medium we can come to so that we're somewhere in the middle. Uh but I would uh suggest that I think it's a difficult spot for us all to be in given both sides of the >> No, I I understand that and I don't want

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our residents to be in places that they shouldn't be that I all they say I received the complaint from the from the landlord side, not from the from the tenant side. But I understand your point. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, Mr. Chair. Yep. I would like to uh

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sponsor this item and advance and adopt on first. Sponsored by Councilman Council, second by Councilman Kelly. >> Next item, >> Council President. Before we move on, is this C and D? >> Yes, C and D.

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>> Thank you. E is an ordinance amending solid waste management, collection and disposal by amending collection and removal of bulk waste items when creating hazardous conditions and associated penalties.

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>> Mr. Chair, if we can have uh the director come up and and give some explanation on it. I know that the ordinance now it is speaking to 10 items of bulk that is out. And what it's saying is that now if you put out more than 10 items of bulk that you're going

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to be responsible for those additional items that you put out and you may have to get a private hauler to move them. Uh and there also are some associated fines and fees that go along with it. So uh and and then again before he starts I do

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want to commend uh the rent rent rent control unit for bringing forth both of these ordinances uh in a timely manner especially um 8D260515. Uh that helps to uh uh lift up the range

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and move it from 200% to 300%. It means now that we're able to cover uh more people in the city and be able to help a lot of more uh residents in the city based off of of of the information uh and service more folks. So, we want to be thankful about that. And I know we

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want to wrestle with uh Director Deem a little bit around this. He's going to have some issues around the extra bulk uh that folks uh leave out. >> All right, director. Good morning. >> Good morning, council president, council members. Just to follow up, the councilman did a good job. I don't know

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how much more I could say. This just a companion to the ordinance I think that uh that we did maybe about a month ago. Just a followup uh clarifying first clarifying no more than 10 items and if there was additional 10 items and clarifying the after 10 items, how much you supposed to be fine for each

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additional item. If you see like right now today, the first of the month, we got people put out their whole house on on uh any given garbage day. Not even on bulk day, they'll pull out the the whole house. This is also letting them know that um in the event that we pick it up,

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they're going to be charged too or we're going to first give them an opportunity to uh get a private hauler to remove it. But if not, if it's immediate hazard, we're going to pick it up and they will be charged. Right. the current the current thing on the book we charge them $ 250 and it cost $1,000 for the

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dumpster. So I'm gonna keep putting my stuff out there. >> Mr. President, >> Council [clears throat] Ramos, >> is this the um ordinance that Councilman Silva was working on or this is a separate ordinance? >> This a separate one. [clears throat] Okay. >> Right. This is one just clarifying this

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this was this is clarifying the bulk a little more and what the penalties are. >> So what are the rights of like the property owners? because, you know, I agree with this wholeheartedly as far as accountability and I appreciate the progress you've made at the helm there, but there there have been times in the

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past where our our pickup on the city side is delayed. So, if we're expecting property owners to comply with um you know certain requirements as they legally should, what's the reasonable expectation on behalf of a resident or

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property owner as it relates to bulk pickup? Because we've had instances in the past where the city forgets to pick up bulk on a particular area. The bulk garbage is left out for an extended period of time. So, what's what's the reasonable amount of time that a

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resident can expect to have the city come by and pick up their bulk if not on that same day? So, is it 72 hours? Is it 48 hours? Um, if if there are delays on our side, how long should they leave the bulk out?

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>> Thank you, Coun. Thanks. Good question, Council President. Councilman um Ramos one bulk day is and for Azone is the first Wednesday for Bzone is the second Wednesday um if if we're running by delays we do a mass blast to put that out there right we don't we're not

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coming to write you up delays can be impacted by the dump being backed up bulk day is the heaviest day for our pickup it's the heaviest day but we're looking to pick you up within 24 hours of the bulk >> I think we should publicize a reasonable um amount of time because if not what

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happens in our neighborhood hoods, people will leave it out for a week, for two weeks, for three weeks, and then when you walk through the neighborhood and talk to the property owners and residents, they're like, "Well, they missed the pickup." And then, uh, unfortunately, that stuff could be out

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there for an extended period of time. So, I think if we let them know, look, if if we missed pickup on this day because of whatever delays in the system, you you're supposed you're allowed to keep it out up to 48 hours and then at that point, you got to bring it back in if we miss it, call this

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number. Um because I don't I think you're dealing with backend issues because people will just leave it out until next month and then you're you're dealing with bulk garbage out on the street for an extended period of time. Yeah,

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>> Councilman Gonzalez, >> Council Council, >> I'm coming back. >> Council President, Councilman, first and foremost, I you know, with all due respect, I I I don't like to leave it out. We're going to pick it up within 24 hours. Okay. Right. You got what if you

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can't this administration, right, with with the help of you, we just bought like 20 more trucks, right, that's operable right now. We're going to pick it up. If we when you when we tell people to leave stuff out for 24 hours, we've seen over the last years or two, people put out more stuff on different blocks. The minute you say leave it out

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or we're going to pick it up in 48 hours, the stuff that we picked up, they bring more stuff out. >> Yeah. >> And more stuff out and more stuff out. We're going to pick you up. We if if we got to work all night, we're going to pick you up on the day that you supposed to get picked up. We monitor and track every street we go through, right? We

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have GPS and cameras in every vehicle. forward facing cameras and rearfacing cameras to verify if we came down your block and we didn't pick you up. Our model now is to monitor that equipment. When somebody say we have a missed pickup, the first thing we do is pull the tip, look at the camera, we know

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which truck is on that block to see if we picked you up or not, what was out there, what wasn't out there. And we appreciate your support and, you know, helping us get more equipment and reliable equipment to do that. But I think now we're we we've got over that hump a little bit and we need to keep

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moving it forward. Right. Today just riding around this morning um in the north and in the in the west people put out their entire houses on certain blocks. >> I'm talking about where the truck going to be there for an hour just picking that up. Although we writing them up and

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find them, we can't leave it there. It's they're putting out their whole they're evicting people and put out their whole house. It's not even bulk day today. It's regular garbage day. Director, [clears throat] uh, the fine that we're imposing, is that going to be a lean on the property?

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Who is going who is responsible to pay the the fine? The owner or is it the they say the the tenant? Because they say I'm the owner, absentee owner. I have a tenant and that tenant puts more than 10 items. Who is responsible? >> The owner.

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>> The owner. And then is that going to become a lean on the property? Because how are you going to make sure that that lean that that penalty is paid >> is is payable in court, right? That that's a court ticket that's going straight to the M court.

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>> So I I would love to see it being a a lean on the property so that you you're certain that it's going to be paid either when that property is sold or somewhere is going to be paid. >> We agree. Yeah, absolutely. Councilman Kelly.

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>> Um, that was that was the question I wanted to to ask. You know, in the West, we have building owners who allow their tenants who move out and they just leave all of the furniture on the sidewalk and it stays there for days. Um, we also

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have a problem with storage companies, storage units in the West, uh, specifically on 13th Street. people come gather their storage or or I don't know if they just leave it on the sidewalk and we've been finding the church that's

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next to the storage. Um you came to the meeting with us and heard that story. Are we we should be able to put a lean on can we put the lean on the storage company? >> Well, we we followed up with the storage company and notified them that we're

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going to get illegal dumping tickets. Right. They're responsible for the people that come out there. Their own camera shows the people dumping that stuff and the storage company is responsible to clean up and around there. So, they've been put on notice. We've been monitoring >> and and the same thing with the apartment buildings that

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>> Thank you. >> Yes, we did one 13th Street and I think it's Longfellow or Longworth up in the corner >> in Sanford. >> Councilman Council. >> Yes, sir. So, I want us to be clear because I I heard a lot of conversation

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and I think it needs to be very specific what's happening here so people can know. It's not about how much somebody puts out in terms of leaving it out because even if they leave it out, they're going to be fine. This is what

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the the ordinance is, right? So, if you leave out more than 10 pieces of bulk items and you leave it out, even if you leave it out for a week and they come pick up 10 pieces, the additional pieces, if you don't pick up and remove,

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you're going to be written up by a sanitation inspector. And if it does not move, you're going to be fined. When you fine, the owner is going to have to pay that fine and ultimately have to deal with the resident or whoever put out the

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the extra bulk items. Right. >> That's that's correct. >> And so we want to just be clear about what's happening here for all residents to understand. You need to only put out 10 pieces of bulk items on bulk pickup.

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Whether it's zone A, the first or Wednesday, or zone B, the second Wednesday, any additional items that is out there, you will be charged for it. >> That's correct, C. >> Right. Either way, you're going to be charged for it because you're going to

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have to have a private hauler to pick it up or you're going to have to haul it back in the house as Councilman uh uh Ramos said. uh or you're going to be fine. >> Yes. And councilman, I just want to clarify, it's not only the residents. We keep saying the residents putting it out, but it's it's the owners putting it

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out. >> There's a lot of owners emptying apartments after tenants move and they throwing it out. >> Yeah. >> Mr. President, >> C. Yeah. So, and just to be clear, the DPW's commitment that it's going to even with delays 24 hours is going to be

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picked up. >> That's our intent. And so we we we have that too. >> Okay. >> That's our intent, council, with all due respect. Our intent is to pick it up within 24 hours and if it's a neighborhood that we know, we're going to make sure we know that we're running behind.

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>> Thank you. Anything else? >> I just want to commend the director because they say the recycling is at least in our area is being picked up punchually at 11:00 or before. And you got a new can. [laughter] >> And Mr. President,

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>> the one is broken, >> Mr. President. >> That's right. >> Yeah, I too want to commend Director Adem and to the BA. Just, you know, let him be for a while, please. >> Don't move him. Yeah. >> I I want to commend the council and administration for, you know, just

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letting us get some more equipment and then expedious time to continue doing what we do. >> Mr. Chair, I want to this item. >> Say that again. Council >> sponsor. That's item. I'll second in advance and adopt on first.

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>> All right. Sponsored by uh Councilman uh council, second by Councilman Ramos. Advance and adopt on this one. >> Thank you. Next item. F is an ordinance authorizing the acquisition of property as part of the

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development and operation of a new water and sewer utilities complex. >> Director just come up. I mean I think it's self-explanatory but if you read it >> council president council members I didn't really hear the question. Say

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again. >> I didn't really hear the council. >> No, we're looking at 8F. Yes. An ordinance for the acquisition of the property. >> So, this is this is a a property that's in the back of the water department on Lock Street. Um, if you know, a couple years ago, we secured the old housing

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authority property for some uh back dudes that was due to us. This is additional parking lot that we're looking to put some of our electric vehicles in. We have electric vehicles now. We need to put electric charging stations for the city vehicles. So, we're going to get this land from the uh housing start

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>> for a million dollars, right? The laws, >> council president, >> I'm sorry, council. >> The property that is on Central Avenue and Lock Street across the street that is your property that is looks like a random property. Uh it's like a a center

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block uh building. What What is the let's say what we intend to do with that? We tend to knock it down before June. Before end of June, we tend to raise it before the end of June. >> Okay. Okay. Good. Cuz it's an ice word

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>> future water and sewer DPW some type of site. >> Great. >> Councilwoman Bay. >> I'd like to sponsor. >> Second. >> Sponsored by Councilwoman Bay. Second by Councilwoman Scott Brown. Thank you, director. advance and adopt

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>> July noted. Council President, council members, I I apologize in advance. I've been hearing about added starters, but I don't have legisar numbers, so I have to defer to the administration because I don't know. So, why don't we have them

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come up and and [clears throat] uh [sighs] mention the added starters and see where they go. >> Good morning, uh Kenya store, city of North Corporation Council. So, essentially we have four potential addarters. I have the directors come up and speak to them. Each uh one is from

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DPW director deem can address it. It's a state contract. I want to say the letter shard number is 26-0634 state contract to amend uh for um gas for the DPW folks. It

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would be an extension of their contract. >> Uh legisar numbers >> I have it as 26634 >> 06 >> 34 >> 34 0634 >> Yes. >> Okay. Um, and then you know just to be

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fair to director uh lad I uh I have three uh transactions but I don't have the actual added started numbers but I will tell you what they're in reference to. Uh one is in reference to the line Liongate uh funding she can speak to. Uh the other is in reference to Cottage

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Place. >> I I'm sorry. Uh uh Council, could you hold the mic up or something? I can't really hear you. >> I'm going tell you I was having an issue with Councilman Gonzalez earlier as well. So I know one is in reference to Lionsgate. >> Yeah. >> Um I do not have the actual number. Uh

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the director will come down. The other is in reference to uh Cottage Place. >> Okay. And then the third one is something I'm just going to ask her to come down. What? >> I'm just going to have her to come down. >> All right.

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Start with the deputy mayor. I think you got the most. So, let's go. [snorts] >> Good morning, council president, council members. >> Morning. >> Allison Lad, director of economic and housing development. Uh, the first is 26-660.

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26-660. This is on Cottage Place. It's a request for an assignment, assumption, and extension due to the purchase by WIN companies, and they're going to be renovating the property and going after New Jersey HMFA financing. Um, and that

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is the first for your consideration, and we will send you backup information today. It's also already in legisar. >> So, while the council has any questions? >> All right. So we look forward to getting that information to review.

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>> Uh second is 26-0709. This is authorizing the CPACE legislation for uh Lionsgate. Uh the actual party is greatoint uh Newark Studios. This number again is 26-0709.

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Uh the short version of it is is CPACE as you may remember you authorized a few months ago for the city to participate with CPACE which is a state program. The state program uh was first authorized by the assembly and the governor. It's now

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administered by the New Jersey EDA. Um, this allows developers to get investors to finance part of their project to do green development, green building, resilience, um, treatments to new

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projects or even existing projects. So, this is the first of several that you will hear over the coming year. So in this case, Lionsgate, um they are accessing $104 million from New is their

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investor and they will be using those funds to help again offset the total cost of construction of the Lionsgate studios. The reason for it to be an added starter is that the developer is trying to close on their financing on

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Monday and therefore we um are asking for you to consider it today. I'm sorry, tomorrow. Um, and then in closing, the um EDA and the housing authority and the city have all approved the structure. We have it all done by legal form and

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legalities from all three parties. Uh because there one nuance with this is is that it's tied to the building, not to the land. because this land is housing authority owned and leased by the Great

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Point Studios. But there was a legal way for us to make the debt associated with the building, not the land. And I'm happy to explain it further if it's helpful. >> Is there any financial impact on the city?

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>> No, no liability, no financial impact. Um, so thank you for that question. >> Anything else? All right. Thank you. Next. Oh, yes. You're three, right? >> Third. Yes, we do have a third one which is potential. I will not know if it'll

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be able to be on tomorrow's agenda as requested um until close of business today, but I will explain to you what it is. Um to Nevada is being purchased from [laughter] Hudson Valley property to Fairstead.

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Fairstead, this council and the city knows, worked on Essex um plaza uh around Lincoln Park. Uh they are looking to purchase the property again from Hudson Valley in order to reinvest and also obtain additional tax credits from

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New Jersey HMFA. The reason why it's a potential is because, as you may recall, Hudson Valley Properties is actually on our bad actors list for the worst landlords, as the mayor stated at the state of the

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city. So, there are three other sites that need to be in compliance or closer to compliance before the city is willing to advance this sale and asking for your support. >> Yep. Any questions, council?

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>> Thank you, Deputy Mayor. >> Uh, thank you, council president. >> And, um, for all three of them, just, you know, if we can get a explanation, something in writing for all three. >> Uh, yes, sir, we'd be happy to. Um, and I know the director Adem is going to

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come, but I did want to mention one item that I may have neglected to when we were talking about rent control. I just wanted you to know that um item 8D other communications is actually around the office of tenant legal services. What

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we're doing there is we're actually increasing the federal poverty level from 200 to 300 so that we can assist more people in the city. Um and we know that um it's needed given the numbers we've seen especially over the last few months.

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>> Uh Councilman Kelly, >> how you doing? Deputy Mayor, do we know the number for uh the two Nevada? >> Yes, sir. I apologize. 26-0635. 26-0635. >> Thank you. >> Anything, Councilman? Council?

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>> Yeah. Uh wanted to sponsor 26079. >> Second sponsor. >> Yes. >> I'll second that. Anything else from the council? All right, we're ready for you,

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director. >> Council President, council members, the potential added start is just extending the um the use of the state contract for gasoline, right? And increasing the dollar amount

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until November of 2026. and and with al with this also get a explanation emailed to all the council members please. >> Sure. It's is about to expire or it already. >> How how much do we pay for the gas? Because

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there has been a substantial increase due to somebody's actions in Iran. So how much is a difference between what we used to pay and what we're paying now? I can't tell you that right this second,

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but I'll get back to >> Thank you. >> All right. Thank you. Anything else? >> Thank you. >> We are now in the 30 minute public comment portion of this meeting where each speaker will have three minutes to speak. Please state your name for our

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records. Is there anyone wishing to address the council? Good morning. >> You can pull the mic down. Okay. >> All right. Thank you. Good morning, council. Uh my name is Christina Cherry. I am a district leader from the southward, uh a mother and a stakeholder here in Newark. Um I'm really happy and

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excited to see all the development that's happening, but I want to talk to you guys about what we're dealing with right now in the school areas. Uh Roman Construction has closed down South Alexander Street on the week of school mandates. This is the week that we have been waiting for our children all year

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long to take the state testing. We just failed the third and eighth grade practice test mandates. It's important that we can get our children to school in a timely manner without fighting construction. I'm happy about the development. This is great. The city is moving forward, but we're not taking into consideration the parents who have

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to get the children to school. The fact that they have to get to work in a timely manner. We now take 40 minutes for me to get to Clinton Avenue on my block, South 17th Street from uh Clinton Avenue. 40 minutes just to get to my house because of the school traffic, the gridlock, Great Oak Lakes, and the

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construction that's happening. I don't know who's approving these construction permits, but they should take into consideration the schools that are around there. It should not start till 9 in the morning, not at 7:00 a.m. I was told that construction starts at 7 in the morning in the residential area by

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schools. Are we taking the children's cons uh mindsets into consideration when we're approving these permits? I don't think so. I was told straight up by the foreman, "No, ma'am. We start at 7:00 in the morning." I took the time to get there earlier today. I wanted to thank

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Councilman Council for calling them, but they did not listen to you. What did they do? They started earlier today. I got to the school at 7 this morning and they already closed down Alexander Street after they promised they would start after 9:00 a.m. I go back home this morning. Took me 40 minutes. You

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know why? There's construction happening on Madison and 18th Avenue and there's a school on 17th and Madison. There is a terrible gridlock, double parking, dropping off of lumber and materials for the construction to happen while we're just trying to get home or our children to school. I don't know who's approving

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this, the UCCC, the building permits. This needs to be taken into consideration. This is the week of state mandates for our children. They should not be concerned with getting to school on time or the parents getting to work on time. My name is Christina Cherry running for city council 11B. Thank you guys for your time. I have nothing else

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at this m Thank you. >> Thank you. Next speaker. >> When I become mayor, we become mayor Freeman. um to this is a letter that serves as a formal demand for immediate and

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corrective action regarding ongoing conditions in the city of Newark that have largely degraded the quality of life for residents and now present a clear public health and safety risk. For nearly 12 years, I have submitted written complaints, emails, and calls to the mayor's office, council,

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administrative staff regarding chronic sanitation failures, illegal housing conditions, and systemic breakdown in enforcement. These communications have gone largely unanswered. In the absence of these responses, I have been forced repeated in-person attempts to seek

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accountability. On May 4th, while attending the mayor's mayoral event, I again attempted to raise these concerns directly. Instead of receiving acknowledgement, I was subjected to dismissive and inappropriate conduct

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while which further reflects on a pattern of disregard for residents complaints. I was pushed down the steps in front of Patrick Council, South Ward council person and then gas lit about the incident which I recorded. Uh the

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conditions at issue are not minor inconveniences. They are systemic failures uh that uh have escalated into a public health concern. Specifically, chronic sanitation f failures, including broken or insufficient street cleaning

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equipment, garbage collection services that result in persistent accumulation of waste. Rodent activity has increased significantly creating conditions historically associated with serious public health risk. Uh bubanic plague

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for one example. Uh flooding conditions in residential areas have emerged exacerbated by poor sanitation infrastructure and lack of m maintenance, illegal conversion of one and two family homes into overcrowded multicap dwellings that are generating

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excessive waste, unsafe living conditions and increased strain on already failing uh infrastructure. These illegal and uh substandard housing practices have enabled uh by inadequate and ineffective policy. Uh properties

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operating in violation of occupancy and safety codes produced significant more waste and contribute to neighborhood deterioration and created environmental u issues. Uh uh this I demand a formal

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investigation, immediate inspection of enforcement actions, immediate um implementation of enforcable penalties including fines, corrective orders, repeated for repeated code violations, written response by the mayor's office

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and the city council to this complaint, which I'm going to submit to the law department, the city clerk, and then I will take corrective actions afterwards. >> Thank you for your comments. Any additional speakers? Seeing none, the public speaking is now

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closed. Before we wrap up, we have to go. We need to go in executive session. By the way, quick. >> I just want to um council. >> First of all, thank uh Miss Cherry for coming uh and providing that information. Uh secondly, I'm glad that uh you know, director Adams had an opportunity to talk to her in the back.

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But when we talk about the influence of power and things that uh we have as a city, uh this is the intentionality of what we should be doing to respect the community in that way and not allow vendors that we control to dictate and

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determine what needs to happen in neighborhoods uh that are happening and going on when we're providing construction and maintenance uh to different areas. And it is important to recognize and realize this just some of the information that you brought about that uh young people are testing this

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week and we should be mindful about that. We should be respectful about that because in other communities and other areas they're mindful about it. They're respectful about it and so we should show the same kind of credence to it. So again, I'm going to ask uh if the administration can reach back out to

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them uh and ask them again if they can start uh after 9:00 a.m. to allow parents to drop their children off to school, get them there on time so they can eat breakfast and test. That is very important uh not to have these backups

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or or or incidents that is occurring. Thank you. >> Thank you. Absolutely. Uh, anything from the administration? >> Very briefly, Eric Pennington, business administrator. Miss Cher's point is well taken and I support Councilman Council's

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contention that we should certainly make sure that the students are allowed to test. The law on the books in the city of Norc is that construction can't start residential areas until 8 am, not 7 am. And it's the responsibility, I'm pointing to Captain George, that have

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outside employment is required for any street closure and outside employment has to be uh advised not to allow these crews to start prior to 8:00. Not only that can't start before 8:00, they cannot shut down the street prior to 8:00. I've had these discussions over

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the last several years. I do understand that they want to get started as early as possible, but it is an inconvenience uh for others. Uh and we should not allow that to happen. In these special circumstances, uh our engineering department is responsible for street closure permits.

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They have to take into consideration that they probably don't know that there's this testing going on, but as soon as it's brought to their attention, I agree. We can adjust that to a 9:00 start time uh for these street closures. Now we have to bear in mind that may be

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if it's a city project increased cost for the city but under those circumstances that is a cost that we should bear. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> All right. We got to go. We have a quick executive session we need to go to get into.

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>> We roll call for executive session. >> There was no response to my complaint. >> There's no calling. There's no calling out right now. Please. Executive uh motion for executive session. >> Council members Bay, >> yes. >> Council,

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>> yes. >> Gonzalez, >> yes. >> Kelly, >> yes. >> Kana Ramos, absent. Scott Roundtree, >> yes. >> Silva, absent. President CL, >> yes. >> Will be honest.

Part: 2

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Good morning. Welcome to the premeating of the Newark Municipal Council on Tuesday, May 5th. Council President, council members, we have two appointments this morning on the agenda on page 34.

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These are appointments to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning advisory commission. Is Miss Nifa Bernard in the audience? >> Miss Bernarda Bernard. >> All right. Not appearing, but if she

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comes uh later on, we'll uh >> Absolutely. Mr. Reginald Weber Jr., >> please step to the microphone. Good morning. >> Good morning. The the mayor is appointing you to the uh uh lesbian,

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gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning advisory commission. Do you have any opening statement you'd like to make? >> Uh I would just like to share a little bit about myself. Uh my name is Reginald Weber Jr. I'm from California, but I recently moved to New Jersey about five

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years ago. I live in East Orange, but I own a business that um functions out of Isisle 15, which is across the street, a Caribbean restaurant that just opened last year. And um I'm the new member or the new executive director of YOPAT Youth Outreach for Performing Arts and

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Technology, which is based in Newark. Um I have a long-standing history of working in social justice and for civil rights, particularly with the LGBTQ community. Um, I spent the last two years as the executive assistant of

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Garden State Equality and I've spent so much of my time, energy, and life making sure that um, LGBTQ people within the state of New Jersey and specifically in this area um, have lived equality and I and I uh, hope to continue doing that in

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this role. >> Thank you. >> Thank Thank you. And uh, Councilwoman Scott Brown, >> I would like to sponsor. >> Is there a second? >> Yes. Second >> sponsored by Councilwoman Scott Roundry. Second by Councilwoman Bay. Any anything

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else from the council? >> Well, thank you very much. Appreciate. Thank you for your service. >> Thank you. Thank you so much. >> You're welcome. >> Council members, we are on page three of the agenda. Item five, reports and

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recommendations of city officers, boards, and commissions. Questions from the council hearing. None. Next item. >> Ordinances on first reading. 6FA is an ordinance granting a 25-year tax

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abatement to 1080 Bergen Developer Urban Renewal LLC for a project in the South Ward to construct a new five-story mixeduse building consisting of 53 market rate residential rental units and

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13 affordable housing rental units. >> Any questions from the council? Hearing none. Next item, >> public hearing, second reading and final passage. 6P SFA is an ordinance granting a

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20-year tax abatement to Neymar 763 South Orange Urban Renewal LLC for a project in the West Ward to construct a new five-story mixeduse building with 32 residential rental units consisting of

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25 market rate residential rental units and seven affordable housing rental units. sponsored by Councilman Kelly. Second by Councilwoman Scott Roundtree. >> Any questions from the council? >> Hearing none. Next item.

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>> I'm sorry, Councilman Gonzalez. >> Yeah, I don't have a question regarding the tax ament. My question is if you look at the agenda, all these tax availments are to an entity located at 90 uh Washington Street

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uh sweet 307 in East Orange. All of them. Are they the same company or anybody from the administration? >> Good morning. >> Sandy Daniel, legislative coordinator for economic and housing development. Um, council president, to the

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councilman's question, I can get that information and have it to you by the end of business day. >> Thank you. Appreciate it. >> You're welcome. >> Thank you. All right. >> Next item. >> B is an ordinance that ratifies and authorizes the second amendment to the

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original tax abatement granted to Spruce Park Associates under the limited dividend law extending the term of the financial agreement until March 31st, 2036. Any questions from the council? Hearing none. Next item.

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>> C is an ordinance authorizing the mayor and or his design to enter into and execute an agreement with Bergen Street Partners LLC for the sale of land, the sale and redevelopment of city-owned property. Sponsored by Councilman

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Council. Second by Councilman Kelly. >> Questions from the council. Hearing none. Next item. >> D is an ordinance ratifying and authorizing the mayor of the city and/or his designate to enter into and execute

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a lease agreement with South Orange, New Jersey LLC for office fees. Sponsored by Councilman Kelly, second by Council President Crump. >> Questions from the council. Next item. E is an ordinance granting a

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20-year tax abatement to Neymar South Orange Urban Renewal LLC for a project located in the West Ward to construct a new fivestory mixeduse building with 36 residential dwellings, 28 at market

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rate, and eight affordable units. >> Any questions from the council? Next item. F is an ordinance granting a 20-year tax abatement to Marb Holdings Urban Renewal LLC for a project in the

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West Ward to construct a new fourstory mixeduse building with 11 residential units consisting of eight market rate and three affordable housing rental units. Sponsored by Councilman Kelly,

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second by Councilwoman Scott Roundtree. questions from the council. >> I have a question. >> Councilman Gonzalez, >> even though this that project does not qualify for the let's say for the uh doesn't reach the 15 units, they are

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giving three units to the city. So, it's I believe it's something that we should encourage. >> Thank you. Well said, Councilman. Next item. G is an ordinance amending traffic parking, stopping and standing

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generally to broaden the definition of commercial vehicle and to regulate the parking of construction related vehicles and residential districts. Sponsored by Councilman Silva, second by Councilman Ramos.

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>> Any questions from the council? >> Yeah, Mr. President, >> Council Remos, >> um through through your chair and the clerk and um can we ask the BA if we can get from the police division uh how many summones were issued um year to date for

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commercial vehicles parked in residential areas overnight just to get a sense of how active um you know police division has been and enforcing what's in the books now and hopefully see what kind of potential is there once we're

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able to get this All right. Thank you, Councilman. Madame Clerk. >> Yes, sir. Resolutions. >> Mr. President. >> Councilman Gonzalez. >> Yeah. I I It's unrelated to this, but it's related to traffic. Let's say I see

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that PSEG is let's say breaking all the streets in the city of New York for the gas lines. And uh after we have done let's say repairs and and repaving of those streets hopefully they are going to repave the whole street and not just

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the little bit of street that they are breaking. >> Yeah, Mr. President. Yeah. And connected to that there there's a lot of dust in the area as a result of their work. And I know the the vendor that they've hired isn't is charged with the task of

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replacing the the gas lines, but we have dust all over the neighborhood on Lake Street, the the side streets where the work is currently happening. And can we communicate to PSENG the importance of cleanup after they do this kind of work, whether they got to bring in additional

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vendor um to to to clean up their areas, but you know, it's a mess right now. >> They should power wash it. I'm telling you, in front of my house is all white. >> We haven't even started the work. >> The cars go by, all that dust come to my house.

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>> It blows up. >> Yeah. Council Eric Pennington, business administrator. Um, this happens to be one of those areas where I'm personally affected as well. So, it is a nuisance without question. Uh the mayor has already directed us to send the

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ordinance to PSEG that requires them to do curbtocurb paving particularly where there's a five-year moratorum on breaking up the streets that we have paid paved. Many of the streets in the north ward have been paved within the last five years and under the ordinance they're required to do curb to curb

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paving. In some of the other instances, even if there's not the five-year moratorum, they are they've done extensive digging for this gas line replacement because it's not just gas line replacement. They're replacing the meters that are inside someone's home to outside home. So in those cases, they

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have pits, but the pits are successive and there are so many of them and they might not ordinarily trigger a curb to curb paving. Um, but I think in this particular circumstance, we're going to demand that they do curb the curb paving. So I'm going to work with director Dean to make sure that PSEG

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understands what their obligation is and we will follow up on that. Um it has already been discussed with the mayor and he's directed us to do so. >> M Mr. Chair, can you address the issue with the I I I appreciate the the response on the paving, but the dust.

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We're also getting complaints about um increased rodent activity in some of these areas where they're digging up. Are they responsible now to um work with our health department to to help us abate some of the concerns with rodents? Yeah. I I don't know the answer, but

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certainly something that we should uh bring to their attention and address because I've actually seen more possums myself. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> In the area. >> No. And the dust is is way beyond even their their current work area. Like it's it's blown up to like Lake Street areas

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of the park. It's it's really messy in the neighborhood. >> They have they have some dust mitigation machine. It's like a street sweeper. I've seen them using it, but that seems like it's kicking up more dust than than fixing. So So I agree. >> Yeah. Maybe they need to bring in a third party, just a different vendor just to clean up.

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>> Yeah, vacuum. Okay, we'll definitely address that. >> Thank good uh Councilman Kelly, I think. >> Uh how you doing, BA? Just >> I just want to clarify, you know, on South Orange Avenue, they are doing uh PSG is out there working, but they're

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just paving over the the area that they opened up. So, they will be paving the entire South Orange Avenue again. Well, that's the that that is the exact issue. The areas that we're talking about, if you could send that information to me. Um, and I'll bring that to their

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attention. Again, there is there's two they have obligations in two places. One is if it is a patch job, they don't typically are not required to pave the entire street unless of course uh it's within this moratorum period and they do

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have to repave a portion of the street curb to curb though but a portion of the of the street. So if you can give me that particular information uh we can include that in what we're demanding that they repave. >> Right. So far they they've went from Sanford Avenue all the way down. Right

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now they're at Boiling Street. So from Sanford to Boil and they're going to continue to go down. So >> Well, I put some Yeah. >> Oh, right. Count county street. Okay. That's a county street. to their different stipulations, but still same in the information and we will still get

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that to them because even if so the county street is still in the city of Norc and we want to make sure that they uh uh treat us appropriately. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. And if I could ask put put a put some work on the clerk if if I could ask the clerk to

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compile this information and send it to me, I'd appreciate it. >> Great. >> All right. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. B. Next item. Resolutions 7R1A and B are both temporary emergency

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appropriations. A is to provide funds for the operating budget and B is for the summer youth employment program. >> Questions from the council. >> Councilman Gonzalez may send a question to the VA.

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>> Mr. Ba got a question. >> We are here in May. We have you have been promised since since March. I don't want you to lie to us. Please. Eric Pennington, business administrator. With respect to the budget, um I have a meeting. It's it's not going to be

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obviously not presented on this uh agenda. Uh I know we have uh promised over and over again to get it to you sooner. There are still challenges. We're working through those challenges. I have a meeting on Monday with our budget committee to to address

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it and hopefully resolve the issues that we have to resolve. >> And as a followup, they say last year we paid, I believe, $20 million to the county and the year before 30 million or vice versa. >> Vice versa, >> we let's see. Are we required to pay to

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the county this this year too? Yeah, we're we're required to every year that 30 million the 20 million you talked about the first time and the 32 million last year is related to the the ratio because of the lack of reval. Reval is

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will be completed this year uh but not in time to uh not have us pay a ratio deficiency to the county and this year it'll be closer to $40 million. So we still have that. >> How much you anticipate that this budget will include >> about $40 million extra because of the

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ratio issue uh to the county >> and we are thinking in terms of getting a loan from the state also or >> no no we have to take a different approach. We may have to bond for it. Um we're looking at uh uh discouraging unnecessary properties that we have to

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generate some of that income. Um, and that's what our meeting meeting I have on Monday is to discuss is exactly how much it is that we're going to have to come up with uh to offset what would otherwise be a budget deficiency. >> Okay. Thank you, Mr. President. >> Mr. President,

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>> uh, Councilman Ramos. >> Yeah. Uh, Eric, and and as a followup to Councilman Gonzalez, I I know the last few years as as he mentioned because of the delays in the reval process, you know, the city was on the hook to pay the county additional monies. Um, could

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we have taken that aid with an agreement on oversight and not have had to pay that money back to the state? You know, I had the opportunity to listen to some of the budget hearings that the state had. And I know we're not

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the only municipality um around the state that received additional aid. uh some of these municipalities did so with some oversight agreement and as a result of that from my understanding they did not have to pay that money back. What was

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that an option offered to NORC? >> That was not an option offered offered to NORC and we did agree to have a minimum level of oversight even with the uh the the money that we got. It's not oversight. It's not traditional

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oversight, but it is a limited level of oversight, and it did not exempt us from having to pay the money back. >> So, my question is, why would that option be offered to other municipalities and not the city of North? >> Uh, I'm not saying that it wasn't available, but it wasn't part of our discussions with the state.

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>> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> All right. Thank you. Next item. >> C through E are all purchasing resolutions. C is an amending resolution for law enforcement, firearms, and equipment. D

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is a co-op purchasing agreement for a synthetic turf maintenance for the Bo Porter Sports Complex. And E is a bid contract for the family funday. >> Any questions from the council?

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>> Yeah, Mr. Chair, I want to sponsor D. >> Except D is a boy. B. Council McB is a boy dismant one day. >> All right. >> The replacement of the turf. >> There's our second. >> Second by Councilman Scott Moundry.

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>> Duly noted. >> F is a collective bargaining agreement for the Newark Fire Officers Union. >> Questions from the council. Next item. >> 7R2A is a private sale redevelopment.

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the new construction of two residential homes consisting of one four family home and one three family home both to be sold at market rate in the south and west ward >> question councilman council >> Mr. Chair, I'm going to ask for this

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item to be deferred. >> So, let me ask you a question, council. This is the third time deferment. Do we want to return to administration? >> No, I I'll give you that information tomorrow. >> Okay. >> So, would defer as a whole?

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>> Yes. >> Okay. Next item. B is a grant agreement to provide gap financing for the construction of a 24 residential dwelling consisting of three deed restricted affordable housing

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restrictions for occupancy by qualified lowincome tenants pursuant to the city of Newark affordable housing trust fund in the west ward. >> Questions from the council >> Ramos. >> Yeah. So just to be clear, only three

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out of the 24 are affordable units or they just the three are deeed restricted like what percentage is affordable here >> administration. >> Good morning again. Brandy Daniel, legislative coordinator for economic and housing development. Um, Council Member

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Ramos, could you repeat your question, please? >> What What percentage of these units are affordable? It states that three out of the 24 deed restricted as affordable. Is that all out of the 24 or is it compliant with the 20%. >> It's compliant with the 20%.

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>> It's compliant with the 20%. >> And and the um the subsidy, what what's the rationale behind the subsidy for this project as opposed to other projects? like like why is the city um subsidizing this at a greater level than

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it does other development projects of a similar size? >> I can get you that information >> if we can have that today. >> Yes. >> Thank Thank you. Anything else, Councilman? >> All right. Thank you. >> You're welcome.

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>> Uh Mr. VA coming up. >> Yes. Thank you, Council President. Eric Pennington, business administrator. With respect to the next items on the agenda, the budgets for the bids and SIDs. Uh for those, I just want to make sure that the uh the representatives from the SIDS

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and the bids in the audience understand that we would like to meet with the Westward, the South Ward, and NDD in closed session before we move forward on their budgets. >> Which which uh bids? >> ND, the West W, and and the South W.

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>> Okay. All right. >> Go ahead. Uh, Madam Clerk. Okay. C through I are reading and adopting the 2026 annual budgets for various SIDS and bids each with a public hearing at

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tomorrow's meeting. >> It says public hearing on the Okay. 28th. C is Mount Prospect Avenue Neighborhood Improvement District Management Corporation. D is the Bloomfield Avenue Lower

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Broadway Business Improvement District. E is the Ironbound Business Improvement District sponsored by Councilman Silva. Second by Councilman Canana. F is the Newark downtown district. G is Newark Alliance. H is partnership

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westward business improvement district sponsored by Councilman Kelly, second by Councilman Gonzalez. And I is the Bergen Lines Clinton Special Improvement District sponsored by Councilman Councel

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and second by President Cron. >> Mr. President, >> Councilman Ramos. >> Yeah, I'd like to be noted as a sponsor for D and C and D. Seconded by Councilman uh Gonzalez said C and D, right?

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>> Duly noted. >> Okay. Next item. >> Thank you. >> Well, any other questions? I'm sorry. Any other questions concerned? >> Next item. >> J is acceptance of grant funds for the summer youth work experience program.

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>> Questions from the council. Next item. K is declaring an area in need of redevelopment in the north ward. >> Any questions from the council? >> Next item. >> L is investigation for an area in need

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of redevelopment in the north war. >> Any questions from the council? >> Next item. >> Yeah, m Mr. President, if I can get from economic development the reason why this is being requested

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on the Hinsdale and Herbert, please. >> We could they could just submit that in writing prior to tomorrow. >> Okay. Thank you. And is K and L or just L you're concerned about? >> Just L.

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>> Just L. Okay. Thank you, Mr. President. M is a need for housing project in the south ward. >> Questions from the council. >> Mr. Chair, I'm going to sponsor this item. >> Sponsored by Councilman Council.

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>> Second. >> Second. >> Second. Councilman Canal. Second. N is a resolution of support to provide support for the submission of an application for tax credits sought by developer under the Aspire tax credit

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program to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority in the Central Ward. >> Any questions from the council, next item >> 7R3A is a bid contract for the Newark downtown connector project.

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>> Questions from the council? So, just for the benefit of of the the public, can can we get an explanation of what this is director? What is the project? >> Good morning, James Adams, acting

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director of engineering for the city of Newark. >> Good morning. Um this downtown connector project um it goes from University Avenue along from Broad Street to Central Avenue. It's mostly a bike lane project and the bike lanes will be

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protected by concrete barrier. Um it also involves, you know, paving, sidewalk, a little bit of drainage and striping work. This is more of a bike lane corridor type project. >> Thank you. Any qu any questions from the

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council? All right. Thank you, director. Next item. >> 7R4A is approving loan and escro agreements for green infrastructure sewer project. >> Any questions from the council?

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Next item. >> 7R5A through I are all contracts with sub. >> Sorry, let's go. Let's go back. Let's go back to uh 74A. We can just get the director to come up and give a explanation of that.

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>> Good morning. Benjamin Guzman, acting finance director. Uh, council president. Uh, this resolution is to authorize the, uh, bond anticipation note escrow and loan agreements for the green infrastructure sewer project through the infrastructure bank. Uh, this, uh, project does qualify for 100% principal

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forgiveness. So, we're looking to act on it now so that we can make this year's uh funding uh cycle. >> Great. Thank Thank you. Uh any any questions from the council? >> Thank you, director. >> Welcome. >> Thanks. >> 7R5A

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through I are all contracts with subreients to provide HIV AIDS related health and support services. A is for St. Michaels. B is Ruckers. C is Trinitas.

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D is Isaiah House, excuse me. E is the Puerto Rican Organization for Community Education. F is Central Jersey Legal Services. G is Neighborhood Health Services. H is

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future legal services. G is neighborhood health services. H is future bridge business solutions. And I is public strategies. Any questions from the council? Next item.

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>> 7R6A through E are professional services contracts. A and B is for labor and employment matters. C, D, and E are all litigation defense matters. >> Any questions from the council?

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>> I hear none. Next item. >> Seven 8A is a ceremonial street designation for Dr. L. Bridgefor sponsored by Councilman Kelly, second by Councilwoman Scott Roundtree. >> Next item >> B is a resolution dedicating the

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Ironbound Bfield in honor of Albert Al Cino sponsored by Councilman Silva. >> I'll second it. I'll jump in. Presidential privilege. I'm going to second it. Although I think we all would

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want to second that. Duly noted C is declaring intent the Culinary Cup United at the Table Symposium as the official City of North Kickoff event to the World Cup 2026 sponsored by

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Councilman Silva. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Second. Councilman Canana. >> D is a whole harmless for mental health awareness walk sponsored by Councilman Ramos. Second. >> A second. >> She There's a bunch of y'all. I don't

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even know who came first. Uh, Councilwoman Bay. >> E is recognizing and commending resolutions and F is expressing profound sorrow and regret. >> Any questions, concerns from the

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council? >> Next item. 7R12A is a whole harmless for the Ironbound Resilience Hub community meeting sponsored by the water department >> questions. >> Next item

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>> communications is Miss Bernard in the audience now. Miss Nifa Bernard. >> No. >> No. Okay. >> Defer that. 8C is an ordinance to amend and supplement rent control by making

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various corrections and additions. >> Any questions from the council? >> Councilman, I mean not council, Mr. Ba. >> Never. Absolutely. Um Eric Pennington BA with respect to a pri the prior uh item

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for Miss Bernard. Uh she has withdrawn her name from consideration. So you can send that back to administration. Yeah. 8C. >> 8C. >> HC. HC. Right. >> Bernard. And >> just the just the one, Miss Bernard.

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>> Just 8C. >> Communication. >> 8A. >> Oh, 8A. Oh, we're back. Okay. We're going 8A. So, instead of defer, you wanted to return to administration. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> That's the one for Bernard. And while I'm up here, if I could, uh, council members, you should have received an

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email from Captain George about the number of commercial vehicles that were ticketed. Uh, the response is in your email already, so please look at that. >> Mr. President, Councilman Ram, >> um, we're just seeing some of the proposed changes to the rent control

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ordinance. Is is that something that you're liberty to summarize for us or you want to send us something um, prior to tomorrow's meeting? I know it's early in the processes on communications. >> Yeah, I'm not qualified to summarize unfortunately. >> Okay, I'll review it.

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>> I think the deputy mayor may be able to speak on it. Right. >> Yeah. Not I sure I suppose if she's prepared. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I'll look at it. >> You want to look at it and give us a >> Yeah. I don't know if you guys just have

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like a quick statement on what changes you're looking for us to consider on rent control. >> So let let me suggest right now a highle view of it and then provide us in writing the more specifics. >> Yes, council president uh council members Allison Lead, director of

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economic and housing development. Um this before you uh to answer council member Ramos's question is now uh we're trying to make the process simpler. So, you may remember about four years ago,

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we had an ordinance that required the um registration of landlords for single family properties and it followed the state ordinance because the state has one as well. >> So, then a couple years later, the mayor

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and this council amended rent control so that now one to four units are under rent control. What we found is is that when you have to register under landlord registration and rent control, it's duplicative. So, what we're asking to do

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is combine the work of the landlord registration to the rent control ordinance such that you only have to go to one place. Finally, this will allow us to have certificate of habitability for all units governed by rent control,

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both those exempt and those non-exempt. Is that the only change? >> Thank you. >> That's the That's the only change is And it looks I'm sorry, one last piece. I apologize. Is that it looks like there's a lot because it impacts multiple sections of the ordinance, but the

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intent is the same and it's to streamline the process so you don't have to go to two offices and buildings and permits and other places. So, we're trying to make it more simple. And um in closing, I'd say it's also because the rent control office now with the new

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leadership there for the last couple years has excellent processes and systems so that we keep track of it at a higher level now and we're more efficient. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, Mr. Chair, Councilman, it does get into the specivity of of

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really getting down to the the nuts and bolts of who has to register. doesn't mean if it's the owner, the managing agent, whoever's responsible for saying that they're going to monitor this property or this house. And I think that's important because a lot of times we're with we're missing that

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information. So I don't I don't I don't know if it can reconcile itself around the fact of having some kind of punitive piece in it if they don't, you know, register or get that information in because a lot of times folks are not registering so that they can do some

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things on the back end. And I know we're trying to make sure that we get a centralized location, get all of the information in place, and then try to jump off from there. But at some point at at a later date, we probably need to look at an increased punitive measure of individuals who are not registering

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because it is shaking the the the rent world. And what happens is we get a lot of backlash on it. So whereas someone who registers and says the last time that someone was in this two-bedroom or threebedroom, it was a thousand, now when they don't register, it's now

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2,000. And so it it sends it off and makes it seem like we're in support of bad landlords when we need to make sure that we have something punitive in place to to to deal with those individuals who are not registering. >> Uh yes, Council President, if I could

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just uh comment on that. Uh to council member council's point, I'd tell you two things. One, we agree with the punitive nature. So in the amendment that was done and approved by this council for the last rent control ordinance amendments, there are additional

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penalties. Um and also the fees were increased to be per unit rather than per building. Um so that's one part. Um and then in addition to that, our compliance aspect around that is stronger. So to the second point that the council member

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mentioned around rent registrations, we have found the same issue whereby um new registrations want to use a rent today, not a rent that they last had a lease for. We are telling them that they have to use the rent that they last had a

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lease for, not the rent that they want to charge today. So, if you should get any questions about that, that is our position is is that you have to use the rent as evidenced by your last lease, not by the current um uh pricing. Now,

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for a a a homeowner or individuals who are owning property that are following the proper procedures, right, and doing the things that they're supposed to be doing, being good stewards of the law and the letter of the law,

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it it sort of feels like on one end that they're being punished, right? uh that they can't be able to charge an extra or a little extra as it relates to whatever that rent uh component is. So I don't know where the gray area is in that. So

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in one end, you know, we want to make sure that those offenders who are not doing what they're supposed to be doing, not registering or waiting to register and then doing a lot of things on the back end. And then the individuals who are saying, listen, we want to do the right thing. We want to try to make sure that we are charging fair rent, being accessible. at what point do we get some

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kind of minimum increase or minimal increase uh as it relates to, you know, what it is that they're doing. So, I don't I don't know if that's something that, you know, later on we can we can struggle over and try to see how that works. >> Uh, Council President, if I may, I think it's an excellent policy position for us

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to be discussing. Um our office as well as the equitable growth advisory commission is discussing this exact issue whereby homeowners may be unintentionally negatively um treated because of the fact of one to four units

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have to now register and their rents are what the lease is not what today's rent is. So we are an analyzing it now. We have faced the same uh questions and we do understand that there's a concern around newer homeowners being able to

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keep their house and not have them in a difficult space whereby they could be subject to negative um impacts because they can't raise their rents. So we do agree with the uh sentiment of the council member council and we are looking at that as well.

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>> Thank you. Thank you council Gonzalez. the certificate of habitability they say is is required to to release the the the unit. Who does the inspection and how long does it take to get inspection? Because

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I have gotten some uh complaints that we're taking months to do the inspections and the the person is losing rent for a couple of months. Uh yes uh council president to the question asked by council member

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Gonzalez um we have uh created a partnership with our engineering department around certificate of habitability. When the first law was enacted the one for landlord registration and then it followed on to this rent control ordinance. We actually

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worked very closely with the engineering department to design the certificate of habitability process. Um, so for a good year and a half, we did have one dedicated code enforcement officer who was able to do the review and

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inspections for certificate of habitability. That person is no longer in the city as of the end of last year. And so we have to restart that conversation and get a new person assigned to us. And I know Director Adams is in the room and we'll be happy

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to work with him on how we get a new person assigned. Uh last I would say that it is likely today that it is taking longer because we no longer have that dedicated code inspection um officer. So is there a possibility that

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say that if you don't get inspected by let's say 30 60 days that you are deemed to be let's say inspected because let's say if I have an apartment that I charge $1,500 and you don't

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inspect it for three months. That's $4,500 that I'm losing. Erh, and to recover those $4,500, I will have to rent that apartment for years. >> Council President, to Council Member Gonzalez's question and comment, uh, it

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is, um, I agree that it is a difficult space to be in. Um, and the reason why I say that is because there's two sides of naturally. There's the owner side of it that's talking about not being able to collect their rent and then there's the

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person who lives there, the tenant side. Unfortunately, I have experienced in the last few months whereby families are being placed in units that are not that didn't receive a cert certificate of habitability and therefore should not be living there and

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therefore are being displaced. So I would be happy to look at it with our director of engineering to see what medium we can come to so that we're somewhere in the middle. Uh but I would uh suggest that I think it's a difficult spot for us all to be in given both sides of the

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>> No, I I understand that and I don't want our residents to be in places that they shouldn't be that I all they say I received the complaint from the from the landlord side, not from the from the tenant side. But I understand your point.

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>> Thank you. >> Yeah, Mr. Chair. Yep. I would like to uh sponsor this item and advance and adopt on first. Sponsored by Councilman Council, second by Councilman Kelly. >> Next item,

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>> Council President. Before we move on, is this C and D? >> Yes, C and D. >> Thank you. E is an ordinance amending solid waste management, collection and disposal by amending collection and removal of bulk

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waste items when creating hazardous conditions and associated penalties. >> Mr. Chair, if we can have uh the director come up and and give some explanation on it. I know that the

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ordinance now it is speaking to 10 items of bulk that is out. And what it's saying is that now if you put out more than 10 items of bulk that you're going to be responsible for those additional items that you put out and you may have to get a private hauler to move them. Uh

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and there also are some associated fines and fees that go along with it. So uh and and then again before he starts I do want to commend uh the rent rent rent control unit for bringing forth both of these ordinances uh in a timely manner

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especially um 8D260515. Uh that helps to uh uh lift up the range and move it from 200% to 300%. It means now that we're able to cover uh more people in the city and be able to help a lot of more uh residents in the city

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based off of of of the information uh and service more folks. So, we want to be thankful about that. And I know we want to wrestle with uh Director Deem a little bit around this. He's going to have some issues around the extra bulk uh that folks uh leave out.

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>> All right, director. Good morning. >> Good morning, council president, council members. Just to follow up, the councilman did a good job. I don't know how much more I could say. This just a companion to the ordinance I think that uh that we did maybe about a month ago. Just a followup uh clarifying first

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clarifying no more than 10 items and if there was additional 10 items and clarifying the after 10 items, how much you supposed to be fine for each additional item. If you see like right now today, the first of the month, we got people put out their whole house on

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on uh any given garbage day. Not even on bulk day, they'll pull out the the whole house. This is also letting them know that um in the event that we pick it up, they're going to be charged too or we're going to first give them an opportunity to uh get a private hauler to remove it.

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But if not, if it's immediate hazard, we're going to pick it up and they will be charged. Right. the current the current thing on the book we charge them $ 250 and it cost $1,000 for the dumpster. So I'm gonna keep putting my stuff out there. >> Mr. President, >> Council Ramos,

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>> is this the um ordinance that Councilman Silva was working on or this is a separate ordinance? >> This a separate one. Okay. >> Right. This is one just clarifying this this was this is clarifying the bulk a little more and what the penalties are. >> So what are the rights of like the property owners? because, you know, I

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agree with this wholeheartedly as far as accountability and I appreciate the progress you've made at the helm there, but there there have been times in the past where our our pickup on the city side is delayed. So, if we're expecting

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property owners to comply with um you know certain requirements as they legally should, what's the reasonable expectation on behalf of a resident or property owner as it relates to bulk pickup? Because we've had instances in the past where the city forgets to pick

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up bulk on a particular area. The bulk garbage is left out for an extended period of time. So, what's what's the reasonable amount of time that a resident can expect to have the city come by and pick up their bulk if not on that same day? So, is it 72 hours? Is it

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48 hours? Um, if if there are delays on our side, how long should they leave the bulk out? >> Thank you, Coun. Thanks. Good question, Council President. Councilman um Ramos one bulk day is and for Azone is the

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first Wednesday for Bzone is the second Wednesday um if if we're running by delays we do a mass blast to put that out there right we don't we're not coming to write you up delays can be impacted by the dump being backed up bulk day is the heaviest day for our pickup it's the heaviest day but we're

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looking to pick you up within 24 hours of the bulk >> I think we should publicize a reasonable um amount of time because if not what happens in our neighborhood hoods, people will leave it out for a week, for two weeks, for three weeks, and then when you walk through the neighborhood

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and talk to the property owners and residents, they're like, "Well, they missed the pickup." And then, uh, unfortunately, that stuff could be out there for an extended period of time. So, I think if we let them know, look, if if we missed pickup on this day because of whatever delays in the

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system, you you're supposed you're allowed to keep it out up to 48 hours and then at that point, you got to bring it back in if we miss it, call this number. Um because I don't I think you're dealing with backend issues because people will just leave it out

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until next month and then you're you're dealing with bulk garbage out on the street for an extended period of time. Yeah, >> Councilman Gonzalez, >> Council Council, >> I'm coming back. >> Council President, Councilman, first and foremost, I you know, with all due

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respect, I I I don't like to leave it out. We're going to pick it up within 24 hours. Okay. Right. You got what if you can't this administration, right, with with the help of you, we just bought like 20 more trucks, right, that's operable right now. We're going to pick it up. If we when you when we tell people to leave stuff out for 24 hours,

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we've seen over the last years or two, people put out more stuff on different blocks. The minute you say leave it out or we're going to pick it up in 48 hours, the stuff that we picked up, they bring more stuff out. >> Yeah. >> And more stuff out and more stuff out. We're going to pick you up. We if if we got to work all night, we're going to

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pick you up on the day that you supposed to get picked up. We monitor and track every street we go through, right? We have GPS and cameras in every vehicle. forward facing cameras and rearfacing cameras to verify if we came down your block and we didn't pick you up. Our

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model now is to monitor that equipment. When somebody say we have a missed pickup, the first thing we do is pull the tip, look at the camera, we know which truck is on that block to see if we picked you up or not, what was out there, what wasn't out there. And we appreciate your support and, you know,

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helping us get more equipment and reliable equipment to do that. But I think now we're we we've got over that hump a little bit and we need to keep moving it forward. Right. Today just riding around this morning um in the north and in the in the west people put

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out their entire houses on certain blocks. >> I'm talking about where the truck going to be there for an hour just picking that up. Although we writing them up and find them, we can't leave it there. It's they're putting out their whole they're evicting people and put out their whole house. It's not even bulk day today.

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It's regular garbage day. Director, uh, the fine that we're imposing, is that going to be a lean on the property? Who is going who is responsible to pay the the fine? The owner or is it the they say the the

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tenant? Because they say I'm the owner, absentee owner. I have a tenant and that tenant puts more than 10 items. Who is responsible? >> The owner. >> The owner. And then is that going to become a lean on the property? Because how are you going to make sure that that

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lean that that penalty is paid >> is is payable in court, right? That that's a court ticket that's going straight to the M court. >> So I I would love to see it being a a lean on the property so that you you're

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certain that it's going to be paid either when that property is sold or somewhere is going to be paid. >> We agree. Yeah, absolutely. Councilman Kelly. >> Um, that was that was the question I wanted to to ask. You know, in the West,

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we have building owners who allow their tenants who move out and they just leave all of the furniture on the sidewalk and it stays there for days. Um, we also have a problem with storage companies, storage units in the West, uh,

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specifically on 13th Street. people come gather their storage or or I don't know if they just leave it on the sidewalk and we've been finding the church that's next to the storage. Um you came to the meeting with us and heard that story.

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Are we we should be able to put a lean on can we put the lean on the storage company? >> Well, we we followed up with the storage company and notified them that we're going to get illegal dumping tickets. Right. They're responsible for the people that come out there. Their own camera shows the people dumping that

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stuff and the storage company is responsible to clean up and around there. So, they've been put on notice. We've been monitoring >> and and the same thing with the apartment buildings that >> Thank you. >> Yes, we did one 13th Street and I think it's Longfellow or Longworth up in the

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corner >> in Sanford. >> Councilman Council. >> Yes, sir. So, I want us to be clear because I I heard a lot of conversation and I think it needs to be very specific what's happening here so people can

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know. It's not about how much somebody puts out in terms of leaving it out because even if they leave it out, they're going to be fine. This is what the the ordinance is, right? So, if you leave out more than 10 pieces of bulk

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items and you leave it out, even if you leave it out for a week and they come pick up 10 pieces, the additional pieces, if you don't pick up and remove, you're going to be written up by a sanitation inspector. And if it does not

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move, you're going to be fined. When you fine, the owner is going to have to pay that fine and ultimately have to deal with the resident or whoever put out the the extra bulk items. Right. >> That's that's correct.

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>> And so we want to just be clear about what's happening here for all residents to understand. You need to only put out 10 pieces of bulk items on bulk pickup. Whether it's zone A, the first or Wednesday, or zone B, the second

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Wednesday, any additional items that is out there, you will be charged for it. >> That's correct, C. >> Right. Either way, you're going to be charged for it because you're going to have to have a private hauler to pick it up or you're going to have to haul it back in the house as Councilman uh uh

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Ramos said. uh or you're going to be fine. >> Yes. And councilman, I just want to clarify, it's not only the residents. We keep saying the residents putting it out, but it's it's the owners putting it out. >> There's a lot of owners emptying apartments after tenants move and they

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throwing it out. >> Yeah. >> Mr. President, >> C. Yeah. So, and just to be clear, the DPW's commitment that it's going to even with delays 24 hours is going to be picked up. >> That's our intent. And so we we we have that too. >> Okay.

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>> That's our intent, council, with all due respect. Our intent is to pick it up within 24 hours and if it's a neighborhood that we know, we're going to make sure we know that we're running behind. >> Thank you. Anything else? >> I just want to commend the director

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because they say the recycling is at least in our area is being picked up punchually at 11:00 or before. And you got a new can. >> And Mr. President, >> the one is broken, >> Mr. President. >> That's right.

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>> Yeah, I too want to commend Director Adem and to the BA. Just, you know, let him be for a while, please. >> Don't move him. Yeah. >> I I want to commend the council and administration for, you know, just letting us get some more equipment and

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then expedious time to continue doing what we do. >> Mr. Chair, I want to this item. >> Say that again. Council >> sponsor. That's item. I'll second in advance and adopt on first. >> All right. Sponsored by uh Councilman

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uh council, second by Councilman Ramos. Advance and adopt on this one. >> Thank you. Next item. F is an ordinance authorizing the acquisition of property as part of the development and operation of a new water

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and sewer utilities complex. >> Director just come up. I mean I think it's self-explanatory but if you read it >> council president council members I didn't really hear the question. Say again. >> I didn't really hear the council.

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>> No, we're looking at 8F. Yes. An ordinance for the acquisition of the property. >> So, this is this is a a property that's in the back of the water department on Lock Street. Um, if you know, a couple years ago, we secured the old housing authority property for some uh back

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dudes that was due to us. This is additional parking lot that we're looking to put some of our electric vehicles in. We have electric vehicles now. We need to put electric charging stations for the city vehicles. So, we're going to get this land from the uh housing start

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>> for a million dollars, right? The laws, >> council president, >> I'm sorry, council. >> The property that is on Central Avenue and Lock Street across the street that is your property that is looks like a random property. Uh it's like a a center

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block uh building. What What is the let's say what we intend to do with that? We tend to knock it down before June. Before end of June, we tend to raise it before the end of June. >> Okay. Okay. Good. Cuz it's an ice word

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>> future water and sewer DPW some type of site. >> Great. >> Councilwoman Bay. >> I'd like to sponsor. >> Second. >> Sponsored by Councilwoman Bay. Second by Councilwoman Scott Brown. Thank you, director. advance and adopt

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>> July noted. Council President, council members, I I apologize in advance. I've been hearing about added starters, but I don't have legisar numbers, so I have to defer to the administration because I don't know. So, why don't we have them

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come up and and uh mention the added starters and see where they go. >> Good morning, uh Kenya store, city of North Corporation Council. So, essentially we have four potential addarters. I have the directors come up and speak to them. Each uh one is from

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DPW director deem can address it. It's a state contract. I want to say the letter shard number is 26-0634 state contract to amend uh for um gas for the DPW folks. It

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would be an extension of their contract. >> Uh legisar numbers >> I have it as 26634 >> 06 >> 34 >> 34 0634 >> Yes. >> Okay. Um, and then you know just to be

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fair to director uh lad I uh I have three uh transactions but I don't have the actual added started numbers but I will tell you what they're in reference to. Uh one is in reference to the line Liongate uh funding she can speak to. Uh the other is in reference to Cottage

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Place. >> I I'm sorry. Uh uh Council, could you hold the mic up or something? I can't really hear you. >> I'm going tell you I was having an issue with Councilman Gonzalez earlier as well. So I know one is in reference to Lionsgate. >> Yeah. >> Um I do not have the actual number. Uh

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the director will come down. The other is in reference to uh Cottage Place. >> Okay. And then the third one is something I'm just going to ask her to come down. What? >> I'm just going to have her to come down. >> All right.

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Start with the deputy mayor. I think you got the most. So, let's go. >> Good morning, council president, council members. >> Morning. >> Allison Lad, director of economic and housing development. Uh, the first is 26-660. 26-660.

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This is on Cottage Place. It's a request for an assignment, assumption, and extension due to the purchase by WIN companies, and they're going to be renovating the property and going after New Jersey HMFA financing. Um, and that

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is the first for your consideration, and we will send you backup information today. It's also already in legisar. >> So, while the council has any questions? >> All right. So we look forward to getting that information to review.

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>> Uh second is 26-0709. This is authorizing the CPACE legislation for uh Lionsgate. Uh the actual party is greatoint uh Newark Studios. This number again is 26-0709.

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Uh the short version of it is is CPACE as you may remember you authorized a few months ago for the city to participate with CPACE which is a state program. The state program uh was first authorized by the assembly and the governor. It's now

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administered by the New Jersey EDA. Um, this allows developers to get investors to finance part of their project to do green development, green building, resilience, um, treatments to new

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projects or even existing projects. So, this is the first of several that you will hear over the coming year. So in this case, Lionsgate, um they are accessing $104 million from New is their

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investor and they will be using those funds to help again offset the total cost of construction of the Lionsgate studios. The reason for it to be an added starter is that the developer is trying to close on their financing on

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Monday and therefore we um are asking for you to consider it today. I'm sorry, tomorrow. Um, and then in closing, the um EDA and the housing authority and the city have all approved the structure. We have it all done by legal form and

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legalities from all three parties. Uh because there one nuance with this is is that it's tied to the building, not to the land. because this land is housing authority owned and leased by the Great

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Point Studios. But there was a legal way for us to make the debt associated with the building, not the land. And I'm happy to explain it further if it's helpful. >> Is there any financial impact on the city?

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>> No, no liability, no financial impact. Um, so thank you for that question. >> Anything else? All right. Thank you. Next. Oh, yes. You're three, right? >> Third. Yes, we do have a third one which is potential. I will not know if it'll

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be able to be on tomorrow's agenda as requested um until close of business today, but I will explain to you what it is. Um to Nevada is being purchased from Hudson Valley property to Fairstead.

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Fairstead, this council and the city knows, worked on Essex um plaza uh around Lincoln Park. Uh they are looking to purchase the property again from Hudson Valley in order to reinvest and also obtain additional tax credits from

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New Jersey HMFA. The reason why it's a potential is because, as you may recall, Hudson Valley Properties is actually on our bad actors list for the worst landlords, as the mayor stated at the state of the

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city. So, there are three other sites that need to be in compliance or closer to compliance before the city is willing to advance this sale and asking for your support. >> Yep. Any questions, council?

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>> Thank you, Deputy Mayor. >> Uh, thank you, council president. >> And, um, for all three of them, just, you know, if we can get a explanation, something in writing for all three. >> Uh, yes, sir, we'd be happy to. Um, and I know the director Adem is going to

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come, but I did want to mention one item that I may have neglected to when we were talking about rent control. I just wanted you to know that um item 8D other communications is actually around the office of tenant legal services. What

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we're doing there is we're actually increasing the federal poverty level from 200 to 300 so that we can assist more people in the city. Um and we know that um it's needed given the numbers we've seen especially over the last few months.

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>> Uh Councilman Kelly, >> how you doing? Deputy Mayor, do we know the number for uh the two Nevada? >> Yes, sir. I apologize. 26-0635. 26-0635. >> Thank you. >> Anything, Councilman? Council?

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>> Yeah. Uh wanted to sponsor 26079. >> Second sponsor. >> Yes. >> I'll second that. Anything else from the council? All right, we're ready for you,

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director. >> Council President, council members, the potential added start is just extending the um the use of the state contract for gasoline, right? And increasing the dollar amount

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until November of 2026. and and with al with this also get a explanation emailed to all the council members please. >> Sure. It's is about to expire or it already. >> How how much do we pay for the gas? Because

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there has been a substantial increase due to somebody's actions in Iran. So how much is a difference between what we used to pay and what we're paying now? I can't tell you that right this second,

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but I'll get back to >> Thank you. >> All right. Thank you. Anything else? >> Thank you. >> We are now in the 30 minute public comment portion of this meeting where each speaker will have three minutes to speak. Please state your name for our

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records. Is there anyone wishing to address the council? Good morning. >> You can pull the mic down. Okay. >> All right. Thank you. Good morning, council. Uh my name is Christina Cherry. I am a district leader from the southward, uh a mother and a stakeholder here in Newark. Um I'm really happy and

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excited to see all the development that's happening, but I want to talk to you guys about what we're dealing with right now in the school areas. Uh Roman Construction has closed down South Alexander Street on the week of school mandates. This is the week that we have been waiting for our children all year

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long to take the state testing. We just failed the third and eighth grade practice test mandates. It's important that we can get our children to school in a timely manner without fighting construction. I'm happy about the development. This is great. The city is moving forward, but we're not taking into consideration the parents who have

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to get the children to school. The fact that they have to get to work in a timely manner. We now take 40 minutes for me to get to Clinton Avenue on my block, South 17th Street from uh Clinton Avenue. 40 minutes just to get to my house because of the school traffic, the gridlock, Great Oak Lakes, and the

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construction that's happening. I don't know who's approving these construction permits, but they should take into consideration the schools that are around there. It should not start till 9 in the morning, not at 7:00 a.m. I was told that construction starts at 7 in the morning in the residential area by

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schools. Are we taking the children's cons uh mindsets into consideration when we're approving these permits? I don't think so. I was told straight up by the foreman, "No, ma'am. We start at 7:00 in the morning." I took the time to get there earlier today. I wanted to thank

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Councilman Council for calling them, but they did not listen to you. What did they do? They started earlier today. I got to the school at 7 this morning and they already closed down Alexander Street after they promised they would start after 9:00 a.m. I go back home this morning. Took me 40 minutes. You

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know why? There's construction happening on Madison and 18th Avenue and there's a school on 17th and Madison. There is a terrible gridlock, double parking, dropping off of lumber and materials for the construction to happen while we're just trying to get home or our children to school. I don't know who's approving

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this, the UCCC, the building permits. This needs to be taken into consideration. This is the week of state mandates for our children. They should not be concerned with getting to school on time or the parents getting to work on time. My name is Christina Cherry running for city council 11B. Thank you guys for your time. I have nothing else

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at this m Thank you. >> Thank you. Next speaker. >> When I become mayor, we become mayor Freeman. um to this is a letter that serves as a formal demand for immediate and

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corrective action regarding ongoing conditions in the city of Newark that have largely degraded the quality of life for residents and now present a clear public health and safety risk. For nearly 12 years, I have submitted written complaints, emails, and calls to the mayor's office, council,

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administrative staff regarding chronic sanitation failures, illegal housing conditions, and systemic breakdown in enforcement. These communications have gone largely unanswered. In the absence of these responses, I have been forced repeated in-person attempts to seek

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accountability. On May 4th, while attending the mayor's mayoral event, I again attempted to raise these concerns directly. Instead of receiving acknowledgement, I was subjected to dismissive and inappropriate conduct

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while which further reflects on a pattern of disregard for residents complaints. I was pushed down the steps in front of Patrick Council, South Ward council person and then gas lit about the incident which I recorded. Uh the

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conditions at issue are not minor inconveniences. They are systemic failures uh that uh have escalated into a public health concern. Specifically, chronic sanitation f failures, including broken or insufficient street cleaning

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equipment, garbage collection services that result in persistent accumulation of waste. Rodent activity has increased significantly creating conditions historically associated with serious public health risk. Uh bubanic plague

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for one example. Uh flooding conditions in residential areas have emerged exacerbated by poor sanitation infrastructure and lack of m maintenance, illegal conversion of one and two family homes into overcrowded multicap dwellings that are generating

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excessive waste, unsafe living conditions and increased strain on already failing uh infrastructure. These illegal and uh substandard housing practices have enabled uh by inadequate and ineffective policy. Uh properties

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operating in violation of occupancy and safety codes produced significant more waste and contribute to neighborhood deterioration and created environmental u issues. Uh uh this I demand a formal

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investigation, immediate inspection of enforcement actions, immediate um implementation of enforcable penalties including fines, corrective orders, repeated for repeated code violations, written response by the mayor's office

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and the city council to this complaint, which I'm going to submit to the law department, the city clerk, and then I will take corrective actions afterwards. >> Thank you for your comments. Any additional speakers? Seeing none, the public speaking is now

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closed. Before we wrap up, we have to go. We need to go in executive session. By the way, quick. >> I just want to um council. >> First of all, thank uh Miss Cherry for coming uh and providing that information. Uh secondly, I'm glad that uh you know, director Adams had an opportunity to talk to her in the back.

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But when we talk about the influence of power and things that uh we have as a city, uh this is the intentionality of what we should be doing to respect the community in that way and not allow vendors that we control to dictate and

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determine what needs to happen in neighborhoods uh that are happening and going on when we're providing construction and maintenance uh to different areas. And it is important to recognize and realize this just some of the information that you brought about that uh young people are testing this

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week and we should be mindful about that. We should be respectful about that because in other communities and other areas they're mindful about it. They're respectful about it and so we should show the same kind of credence to it. So again, I'm going to ask uh if the administration can reach back out to

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them uh and ask them again if they can start uh after 9:00 a.m. to allow parents to drop their children off to school, get them there on time so they can eat breakfast and test. That is very important uh not to have these backups

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or or or incidents that is occurring. Thank you. >> Thank you. Absolutely. Uh, anything from the administration? >> Very briefly, Eric Pennington, business administrator. Miss Cher's point is well taken and I support Councilman Council's

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contention that we should certainly make sure that the students are allowed to test. The law on the books in the city of Norc is that construction can't start residential areas until 8 am, not 7 am. And it's the responsibility, I'm pointing to Captain George, that have

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outside employment is required for any street closure and outside employment has to be uh advised not to allow these crews to start prior to 8:00. Not only that can't start before 8:00, they cannot shut down the street prior to 8:00. I've had these discussions over

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the last several years. I do understand that they want to get started as early as possible, but it is an inconvenience uh for others. Uh and we should not allow that to happen. In these special circumstances, uh our engineering department is responsible for street closure permits.

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They have to take into consideration that they probably don't know that there's this testing going on, but as soon as it's brought to their attention, I agree. We can adjust that to a 9:00 start time uh for these street closures. Now we have to bear in mind that may be

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if it's a city project increased cost for the city but under those circumstances that is a cost that we should bear. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> All right. We got to go. We have a quick executive session we need to go to get into.

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>> We roll call for executive session. >> There was no response to my complaint. >> There's no calling. There's no calling out right now. Please. Executive uh motion for executive session. >> Council members Bay, >> yes. >> Council,

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>> yes. >> Gonzalez, >> yes. >> Kelly, >> yes. >> Kana Ramos, absent. Scott Roundtree, >> yes. >> Silva, absent. President CL, >> yes. >> Will be honest.