of the Patterson Municipal Council. I welcome you to the special meeting of September 9th, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. The meeting is now called to order. Madame Clerk, please call the role. Yes, Council President. Roll call for the special meeting held on September
9th, 2025. It is 5:30 p.m. Councilwoman Cotton here. Councilwoman Dava present. Councilman Jackson. Counciloman Khik present. Councilman Mendes. Councilman Omar. Councilman Uden. Councilman Vez. Council
President here. Thank you. We have five present at the moment. Madame Clerk, please read the 48 hour notice. Sure. 48 hour notice. meeting covered by 48 hour notice uh of the time, date, location, and agenda of this meeting was
transmitted to the North Jersey Herald. The record there are big voice, the Italian voice, the P County Post, Dominican News, Laiskea International, Ellis Pesiel, the Patterson Press, the City Post News, Tap into Patterson, The Weekly, Bangla Patrika in addition to
any other publication duly requesting such notices at or about 11:00 a.m. on August 27th, 2025. Such notices were posted on the bulletin board in the offices of the city clerk at city hall. Item two, madame clerk. Item number two,
it's a resolution authorizing reading of the calendar year 2025 municipal budget by title only and the introduction of the calendar year 2025 municipal budget administration resolution number 25426. So moved. Second.
Moved by council president me. Second by Councilwoman Davala. Roll call on item number two. Madam clerk, roll call on item. Discussion. Councilman Jackson. Like to get the overview on item number 25, please.
Um, Mr. Ba. Thank you, Council President. Uh, we are introducing the 2025 calendar year budget tonight. It is a 3.5% increase. Uh we had attempted to introduce this back in May at a 5.6. Uh working with
our CFO, our financial professionals and our departments, we placed holds on hires. We um made different re we focused on our revenue projections to clean those up with our auditor. and we spoke with the DCA specifically to be able to use a million dollars out of our
reserves to be able to cover cover the cost of funding and establishing a cap bank for the city. Uh this would allow us to have a 3.5% increase upon adoption. So, um, Councilman Jackson. Yeah. I mean, it's obvious that this was
an attempt, uh, this is the first time in history that a meeting, a special meeting was called prior to our meeting as opposed to allowing for it to have public, uh, you know, observation. And also, I mean, we're getting ready to
um that you guys are just getting ready to move second and just go ahead and vote without any outline. You know, the public is entitled to understand exactly where these changes came from. Normally, what we would do is there's an outline, you know, where we describe in detail of
where we made specific cuts that might impact services or if it was hiring. I mean, there's we just we're just rubber stamping this without even having a a description from the public or for the public who obviously we're not really
concerned about the public hearing this. So, we want to do it when there's an empty room. Um, you know, this is very concerning, very concerning to me. I mean, I you know, the the packet was sent out. I Mr. Ba, I sent you a communication.
Um, let me see here if I if I can find your reply. Oh, yeah. There was no reply. I did get an email that was then forwarded to me. But if this was something that was sent out with the packages on Friday, why wouldn't we get this on Friday? Why do I
have to reach out to you personally on a Monday, the day before we're voting on this? This is You don't think this is an important item that we should have time to review it prior to uh to voting on it? CFO. Um, council president, I'm speaking to the BA.
I I I I didn't contact the CFO. I contacted the BF. Okay. I didn't hear you. My apologies. Mr. B is the signing authority. Thank you. He's the person that's responsible for responding to me and, you know, I asked him a simple question of what whether or not why didn't I receive the the entire
budget in the packet and he didn't even bother to respond to me. Mr. Bi. Yes. Thank you, Council President. Councilman Jackson, I do apologize for not responding to that text message. However, the day I apologize. I missed the I missed the text message. I apologize for that. I put together a memo.
You didn't miss the text message, Mr. Ba. You responded to me and then I asked the question. I asked you how you I Councilman, I'm not going to argue with you at the end of the day. What do you mean you're not arguing with me? I'm not arguing. Council President, I have no further comment. I'm not I'm not arguing. I'm asking you a question in which maybe you don't understand. You don't just get to not
answer a question. This is a public question to the public's concerns that I'm asking you. You're the signing authority. And yet yet again, just like in the text, you have no answers. So can you you can't outline for the public where where these changes are being made? You're going to now turn to the
CFO who obviously couldn't failed to do it before we sent. What I'm asking you is this our packets went out last week on Friday. This was not included in the packet. Why not? Why would I have to reach out to you on Monday? I'm being
expected to vote on an item on Tuesday that's extremely important. I reach out to you on Monday. You don't respond to me and I don't get a copy of the of the of the full budget until late evening late evening hours the day before it's time to vote. You think that's being
responsible and your duties as BA? You think that's being responsible? Of course you're not going to answer. You're going to do like you normally do. You're going to sit there looking crazy like a bump in a log cuz you don't even understand what's going on. and we're supposed to put, you know, put trust in you that the public's best interest is
in your hands. Absolutely not. Absolutely not. But, you know, listen, you guys are willing to move forward on this thing without even, you know, delving through it, without even going through what's happening. So, you know, continue on. Let's carry on. Roll call. M clerk.
Roll call on item number two for adoption. Councilwoman Cotton. Thank you, Madam Madam Cler. U we have gone through this um over and over. Um this is only an introduction. It's probably still going to be some more
cuts coming through. We're not sure where they are yet, but we are going to have the opportunity to look through each and every line item. U madame clerk, this is an introduction that we need to get done. My vote is yes. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilwoman
Dava. Uh thank you very much. Uh we had a finance meeting. We've had several finance meetings. We have spoken uh to the professionals uh concerning uh that we wanted to make sure that this
council did not pass the introduction in the past because of the potential 5.6 I believe was the increase. uh this council sat with DCA you know uh discussed that you know we could not
even at an introduction level could not support that once again the council voted it down. There are people we received correspondence from the state there are council members who are being right now fined because of not taking
action that we should have taken. So in looking at um these increases uh the increase in police and fire in the pensions and insurance and so much we do understand that there's going to
be a potential increase. We have a 2% uh that is mandated by theou um right now this does have a an additional 1.5 which would be a 3.5. It did come down some. Uh again, in an
introduction, I know that this is something that must be done. Uh no, we're not just being yes individuals. We have sat down. We've had the meetings. We've had the discussions. Um sometimes I wonder uh why certain
individuals uh may not get responses. you know, I'm I I I don't know why, but sometimes I do wonder if it's because there's never going to be a yes coming out of someone's mouth. So, you know, with that said, you know, there's a lot of work to be done. Uh I do appreciate,
you know, council president in meetings, you know, constantly said we can't do that. We need to come with a lower number. We need to go come to a lower number. And where we are right now, we don't want to uh mislead the community. Let's stop saying that we're increasing
taxes. Is there a potential for an increase? Absolutely. And in this introduction, there is. We don't. This is not the final. This is not the adoption. Uh I am not one I am not supporting uh uh uh letting go of
our hardworking employees of the city. I'm not one to support any decreases in our fire department and police department. No. Public safety is number one in my book. Uh DPW is number two in my book. The cunningness of this city is
horrible. But with that said, I understand right that we're putting the resources, but we don't have enough. So with that said, I I will say no more. Um my vote is yes for the introduction. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Thank you, Councilman Jackson.
Thank you, Madam Clerk. Yeah, I don't think there was anything more to say because I mean there was nothing there that was projected on the reality of where we actually are. You know, the fact of the matter is not one time but multiple times. This this is the I don't
I can't even gauge on how many times it were we were cited by the state for being irresponsible in our financial management. We fa we we took a failing grade. This council cannot outline to you what actions was taken in holding
the administration accountable. To to imply that some people will never say yes is an absolute that's a joke. I'm not going to say yes to something that's incorrect. In fact, I would challenge any member of the administration or any
member of this council to point out one time that I voted no against something where it was irresponsible. The state has come come in and shown us how we've been irresponsible. We know the CFO is incapable of managing this
budget. They've hired off uh uh third-party uh consultants. They've went back and hired past employees to come in part-time after work to do his work. And yet and still, we still can't find a
fiscally responsible budget because they're incapable of doing so. And you know, relative to why I I don't get an answer, my my messages was was entirely respectable. Good morning, Mr.
Ba. It wasn't speaking to him out of context. I didn't call him by his first name or out of his name. Good morning, Mr. Ba. Let me let me read his uh reply to say to insinuate he missed my my
message. Good morning, Councilman. How are you? I'm great, thank you. Is the budget in my packet? No response because they intentionally did not include the budget in the packet. They don't want you to have time to go through this. The
insinuation that people don't read their material, but they don't send it the important material. He they're failing everything that I've asked for. Councilwoman Mims came here and touted, "Oh, I'm the president now. Now you're going to get She handed me three packages. Not one of those items
was something that I asked for. Everybody in the community knows, everyone can can can repeat verbatim what I continuously asked for. The $110 million in Hinchcliff Stadium spent expenditures. That wasn't included. It
wasn't included. Everything is being very divisive. They want to hire who they want to hire. You get rid of people who are extremely qualified. This council, Councilwoman Dava supported this heavily while we railroaded Marge Cerrone, the person who knew and
understand municipal governance. Very true. Very true. And then she had the How did you vote? How did you vote? You voted yes to remove her salary. You con you conspired with Flavio Rivera and you voted yes to remove her salary. So
that protected her. I'm We're in roll call. Just be quiet. Stop with your nonsense. We're in roll call. You stop with your nonces respect the process. Council members, when truth is spoken upon, they can't sit still. If what I'm saying is not legitimate, then why is
she so so eager to say something? Her entire team, Councilman uh Khik, uh Dava, and Flavio all conspired to remove Marge to get rid of her because the mayor did not want her here because she held the BA accountable. And yet it's
showing you irresponsible spending. So why do we have a failing grade? Why do we have a failing grade from the finance board? We fa the failed miserably. It's not like maybe it's okay. No, they're telling us you guys have no idea what
you're doing. I'm asking the BA to answer simple questions. Give an outline to the public. Where's there going to be a reduction in sal in in services? Councilwoman continuously goes back to her goto. We're mandated to do a 2% increase. This is not a 2% increase.
It's a 3 point whatever 3.9% increase and it's not outlining what services are going to be cut. Did they cut any of their salaries? No, they didn't do that. They didn't do that. They didn't want to be responsible to cut one of their salaries. What they're doing is eliminating services. But we can't get
an outline on where it's happening because everybody here is ready to vote. They've all discussed it. They expected me to show up late, so they want to do this meeting at 5:30 while nobody is in the public to be able to scrutinize it. How do we continue to to do the same
thing over and over again, people, and expect a different outcome? Madame clerk, my vote is no. Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Khik, thank you, Madame Clerk. I was a big fan of Marge Chiron. She knows that most of
the council member were somebody could give her a call and clarify that I think I still have her number. Um that's one thing another thing in this in introduction of the budget there is no services is being cut. Um our uh BA and
uh CFO through DCA they found some um I wouldn't say additional money. DCA allow us to use 1 million from our uh reserve I guess and they found some cuts there was the freezing of hiring as well uh
through that from 5.6 Six it came to 3.5 introduction once again introduction is not the final adoption we repeatedly told our BA and the administration in the final introduction time final
adoption time it should come down to 2% I believe they are working very hard on it at this time we do have to introduce it per state law otherwise we go back to 5.6% 6%. Um, at this time for the introduction, I
support the budget. My vote is yes. Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Mendes. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Uh, good afternoon, Council Ki. Good afternoon, administration Patterson. Uh, good afternoon. Um, at the last meeting, I couldn't be present. I was in Dominican
Republic, um, attending my son's waiting, but we're back. We're back in business. I'm very happy to be with all my council. Um even though I was running a little bit late um I was not on the discussion in the beginning but I've been having um I've been back and forth and I have some dialogue with uh with
our VA um and the concern that I have about this um introduced budget is that we're so far away from the fiscal year so far away that I'm afraid to say that it's going to be almost impossible for us to get back to what we're looking
for. um you know and I have a conversation with uh the VA administration and I went back to uh have some dialogue with my constituents and and there's a huge concern in our community as we all know our homeowners they're already struggling as it is right now with the taxes that our
homeowners are paying right now. Um you know so so and it's very difficult and and let's not talk about the sewer. So, we got taxes from one side, sewer from another side, and and that's going to put a lot of people into the position where they're going to have to sell
their property and move out of town or they're going to have to find another way. Uh, and that's something extremely concerning to me uh at this time is uh I definitely cannot support this introduce. My vote is no. Thank you, Councilman. Council Omar.
Thank you, Madam Clerk. So right now the budget is being introduced at 3 and a.5%. And it's because we do take uh additional TA we know that we have to raise it by 2% of the levy. But as of now there will be no layoffs. We are we
have employees that need to be paid and it's you know it this budget preserves those uh essentials. So tough times do call for tough and real decisions uh to the administration. Once we adopt this, we are going to be
working hard to make this a 2%. And it looks like we have our work cut out for ourselves. But as of now, my vote is yes, madam clerk. Your vote is yes. Thank you, Councilman Nuden. Thank you, Madam Card. Good evening,
Patterson. So this is the uh third time we are voting and speaking about the budget introduction. The first time we spoke about 5.6% 6% tax hike even before we
confirmed how many uh how much we are receiving the transitional aid and of course as someone not just as a council member in the city of Patterson as a residents as an educator I see firsthand the crisis that Patterson is
going through and I I was I was fully against it even though it's an introduction we are speaking about 3.5 5% increase and to me it's just not the adding a number it's
adding a stress to the families and again I I have mentioned earlier that we have to have a strategy where we don't have to just depend on temporary transitional aid years after years we
need to be self-dependent where we don't have to just looking at the uh pocket of our residents but find some other options where we don't we can be uh fiscally uh independent and where uh we
don't have to just uh drag money from our hardworking residents, family members, residents working double job to just survive. It's just decision between paying rents or mortgage versus um you know uh going to the groceries.
That's exactly what Patterson is going through. Even we are saying it's 3.5% it's an introduction and I as in my conscious mind I cannot really say that at this point that resident is ready to pay that hike
and again we had the same narration even before uh in our initial introduction when it was 5.6% 6% we're at exactly same narration that if we support now we can work on this and at least we got 29
uh million dollars transitional aid. So I think we have to be more strategized and I believe that I have to keep on pressure on the administration to keep looking for the better option. So with that u stand and I I stand fully for the resident of the city of Patterson and
with with with with clear mind I would say that I cannot support this at this point with that hike and my vote is no Councilman Councilman. Thank you Madame Clerk. Uh to the uh viewing audience, um I apologize for my
few minutes late here, but I got on time for this beautiful, beautiful introduction of the budget and the decision that we have to make today. We was almost a month out of this chambers, right, council president?
And um it gave me uh in the last meeting that we had last meeting that we had um we discuss it lightly theou
and we discuss it no discussion in the audit that we receive. that they perform in the city and those audit andou highlight the administration have failed in a lot
of things that they need to correct if not especially in theou says by certain day in the end of this month if they don't comply with it they even said in one item that they was going to um
deduct or $2 million from the tester aid. And I mentioned in the last meeting that that represent that whatever money we
receiving based on the letter probably could be cut and that put us not put us put the administration against the wall to put the real numbers on the table. CFO, we have conversation
me and Councilman Mendes um in one meeting highlight without touching salary and wages and contractual uh finance in that budget. We identified
three, four, four $5 million in other expenses that they could eliminate from this budget. and we did a recommendation and they didn't took it and they will not take it and um conversation with the previous VA
conversation with lightly with this VA that he's being fair enough to say I'm trying to do my best and recording that he inheritage a budget that already was done all
performed by let's give credit by the CFO with the help of the past BA that we have in the city and the numbers for me are not matching.
I understand that this administration is playing a political vendetta or playing political when it comes up to the budget in a month since the last meeting had been the contract had not been approved
because the council don't approve it. You're not getting your raise because it's a council fault. You're not getting this because it's a council fault. You're not getting that because it's a council fault and all the items that they say that is our fault,
we haven't even entertained it. Especially when it comes up to contractual decision in the city introduction and everybody say here in the past is a reflection of the adoption
of a budget. Let's Make believe somebody introduce a famous singer and everybody purchase ticket to go to that concert and when they go to that concert they find out that the person that they
supposed to be there is not the person who get who get jammed the people that was supposed to attend. And I'm going to put the simple way. If you're going to do something to me, not to me, to the city and regarding the budget, um, you had to make sure it
reflect the needs of the community. And right now, right now, and moving forward, if this introduction budget will reflect the 2%, probably I will be happy because it's
mandated by the state. But it's not. It's not. And I could go back in the meetings on 2010. This mayor did not support no introduction
of budget or adopted a budget or anything that had to be with tax increase in the city of Patterson. Never. Matter of fact, he criticized any administration that was there because the residents of the six world because he he speak beautiful. Everybody, you
know, is pressed when he speak. You know why? He's a historian. When people are historian got lyrics and perform real good cheerleader of the city of Patterson saying that I'm not satisfied.
The audit says that is a failure. theou find a lot of mismanagement in the city of Patterson and we still go along with it. I think um I got to stand strong on my decision to this administration. Do not start having a real conversation
with the council not with a group with a council then I could probably support it at this time. And please mayor administration Don't use us
to try to go and justify the wrongdoing of this administration. In other words, do not blame us when everything is in that side or in the second floor. My vote is no.
Thank you, Councilman. Council President. So, to the public, um, let me just address a couple things. First, uh, Councilman Jackson stated that the information I provided was not what he asked on July 1st. If you go back to the
city council meeting, you will hear very clearly that Jackson requested the how was the American Rescue Plan dollar spent. He got that full outline. He also wanted to get the information on Hinchcliffe. That is not a part of the
city, but I requested it through the school board and the full audit was given over to him. It was just an extra that I did as the council president. Not that I was someone that should have done it, but just to provide it because the ARP dollar information had been emailed
to us at least seven times. So, I said maybe there's a miscommunication or something. Let me just do my due diligence. And so as a um just as a friendly neighbor, I provided that information. Now on to what we're
talking about. So we are now here with an introduction to our budget on tonight. It is not the first time we've had this conversation. It is not something that just dropped on our lap. You didn't get the information. It came
before us. This is the third time. It failed twice. It was introduced the first time on May the 13th, 5.6%. I voted no. I felt it was too high. The second time it was introduced, I had a previously scheduled uh appointment and
I could not be here, but it failed again on the second attempt. So, for me, I understand and know that for 30 years, we've been on transitional aid. So, based on the dollars that we've been receiving over the last few years, we know that this city has been in a
deficit. This year our deficit is $33 million. Based on the memorandum of understanding that we get from the state to receive dollars, we have to do at least a minimum 2% increase. They gave us $29.7 million.
Not to foot the whole bill. It still had a balance of 3.3 million even when it came to the two introductions that passed. But for me, I'm not going to sit and point fingers or take jabs and take it as a personal time for me. What I did
was from the first time of the 5.6, my initial request, the CFO and the BA will tell you, I requested 3.5. That was my my initial request. But instead of just asking them to find it, what I did was I found something to help them. So in
theou there is a clause that talks about the reserve. I found the language where it talked about we could utilize some of that funding towards helping us fill the gap. I presented it to the administration council vice president was there. We presented it as well to
DCA and to the auditor and they were in agreement. They said absolutely but we have to introduce the budget. There are things that are required on this side if we do not introduce the budget that we will start seeing the government shut
down. essential services not happening, layoffs, things like that. But in this budget, there are no layoffs. No city employee, which we've heard you, you will not get laid off. But if we do not pass this budget on tonight, there is a
great possibility because we have to move forward. We've been in this place for a couple of months with introduce. I am happy to say that at this point as working alongside and we should all be doing that, not leaving it to the administration. send recommendations um talk about in the meeting, give it to
them and let them work it out and figure it out. But we have to be able to present some information to the administration and because for me I totally understand it is my responsibility to work with the administration but I work for the people and I'm always listening to the
heartbeat of the community as to what they want. So, I'm asking these requests and before I make my vote, we have to improve the quality of service. The streets are absolutely filthy. We have
to ensure that we go out, we find a an additional uh solution to the bulk program, whether we look at uh how we're zoning it, what is the the response time to pick up a bulk. I also would like to get a full report of the cameras that
were placed all over the city. I understand that we are not it's not something that's being given to us where you place the cameras and that's okay with me, but I want to know what has happened since the cameras have been placed cuz based on what I see uh after the cameras have been placed, it got
dirtier. It the city is more filthier now after the cameras than before. So, I would like a full report of what the cameras have done, what type of fines um for this illegal dumping situation in our community. I also want to put it on
the record that our state legislators, our senator Benji Wimberly, our Assemblywoman Shiovanda something, Assemblyman Abdelaziz are working towards supplemental aid. So, I'm very hopeful that we'll get to a point in our
adopted to get to 2%. It has taken a lot of work to get from 5.6 now down to 3.5 is only introduction. We still have work to do before the adoption comes. But I'm here to be um fiscally responsible to make
sure that no layoffs happen. I don't want to be on the side of saying, well, I don't trust them or look, I gave some recommendations. I sat with DCA, which any council person is open to do the same. I sat with the auditors. it. This is something that I'm putting. This is a
clause I found in theouou. Can you request through the state if we can do it? They came back through the BA and said, "Yes, we can. It filled the gap and now we're down to 3.5." So, for me, I'm about being about the change I want to see. Right? I'm not going to sit here
and say I voted no on 5.6. I absolutely did because I felt it was too high. But to get to the 3.5 after working and sending recommendations is what we should be doing. We understand the administration has to do their part and they have to continue to do that and
we're going to hold them responsible. But as your city council person, I'm going to do the same. With that being said, I want to thank um the DC DCA auditors uh this administration and the council members that are choosing to support it. I'm
sure between now and the the adopted there will be um more discussions, but I'm urging my council colleagues to send some recommendations and um solutions or maybe continue to po um pose and post questions to them to get responses to
get us to where we need to be. Um and that is 2%. So, with that being stated, Madame Clerk, I am supporting it. I think it's um we're moving in the right direction. We're not where we need to be in finale, but to reduce it by 2.1%,
we're moving in the right direction. Madame clerk, my vote is yes for the introduction. Thank you, council president. The votes of five in favor for um against uh the introduced budget is adopted. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Item number two, Madame Clerk.
Item number I mean, I'm sorry. Item number three, Madam Clerk. Council President, um before you go to item three, can you um put on a table um for the viewers out there and for us here? I know you mentioned a lot of
a lot of state about the street etc. lay off all that stuff. Can you put on the floor what you want from the administration before we approve the adopted budget in the floor? I I just put it on the floor. It was very
clear. This is not So let me be clear, right? This is not adoption. It's introduced before we adopt it. Yeah. Right. But let me be clear. What you going to challenge them to do before they councilman? So let me just respond. I'm not challenging them tonight. I've been challenging them from
the very beginning of the 5.6. That's what I want to be clear, not just to the public, but to you as well. We have You're all assigned to certain committees. I Everyone is on a key committee on this council. You have to show up to your committee meetings. And if you don't want to go to committee
meetings, then you just have to send an email, go to the BA's office, whatever that requires. But it's not about always sitting here and saying, "Get it done and do this and you're not doing." We have to participate. People elected us to do our job. We know they were hired
to do their job, but we were elected to do our job. Every request I just say here openly, I've given it to them in finance. I've given it to in the committee meetings. I've given it to the auditor, DCA. Everyone's heard the request and today you all have heard it. It is on the record. They are very clear
to my acts. Madame clerk, item number three, please. So, council president. Councilman BZ. Item number three. Madam clerk. Item number three. You cannot answer until I give you the floor. Item number three. Council. I think it could be like that to other people too because I'm asking valid question. I want to make sure what
committee I could go that is vital for the budget because I'm not in finance. Okay. So, Councilman, you are fully aware that even if you're not on a particular committee, it is you can always ask any council person on that committee if you can sit in. That
has never changed. So, if you want to sit in on a meeting, be my guest. Call me. I you can sit in on one of my meetings. I don't have an issue with that. You know the process. Come on. Of course. And I will do that. Absolutely, brother. But but you mentioned you mentioned you mentioned three items that that is real real
trigger me because this administration have been adopted appropriation of budget appropriating money from the same budget and council street are still filthy and the bulk is not getting picked up. So it's been like that since 2022. Councilman,
I just want to put that on record. What make the different this one? Thank you councilman. Madame clerk, item number three, please. Item number three is a resolution providing for increase in reserve for uncollected taxes percentage. The finance item resolution
number 25 colon 427 formal action will be taken. So move second. Moved by council um vice president Dava, second by council cotton and council president Mims. Roll call on item number three. Roll call on item number three for
adoption. Councilwoman Cotton. Yes. Councilwoman Dava. Yes. Councilman Jackson. Pass. Councilman Khalik. Yes. Councilman Mendes. Yes. Councilman Omar. Yes. Councilman Uden. Yes.
Councilman. Oh, it does turn off before. Number two. Number three. Number three. What happened with number two? We didn't get there. Oh, we just did number two. We just did number.
Oh, no. Are we done with number two? We We're doing number three. Three. Oh, yeah. Number three. That was number one I was thinking about. Go ahead. Sorry. You're right. So you you said number one. We didn't do number one. We just did number two.
Number three now. Yes, we're on number three. Yes. Um a number three. They always used to put a list the uncollected taxes
of who owns who own is not here. Is that's the one that we talking about? Just to take the average the average count Councilman Mendes just to get a percentage of it in order to
Yes. So, Council Member BL to your question to move forward with the introduction we have to present this to our local finance board and this is the item to allow us to do that presentation. All right. Yes. Thank you, Councilman. Councilman
Jackson. to the members of the public. I want to point out what's actually happening here. And although we're starting to get some people show up now, the room was absolutely empty when I got here. I just want to point out to those
of you at home who are tuning in, notice the five individuals that were here on time early, uh, all voted in the affirmative. All of the council members who came in after the fact voted against it.
If that doesn't speak volumes to you, if that doesn't tell you that there was already a a consensus that was that was drawn and everybody knew potentially, let me just go on the line
and say this. Maybe everyone was uh paid. Now, payment comes back by various ways. I'll do this for you, you do that for me. Notice how the the posture and the
tenure of those who sit in the council presidency changes once they get to the presidency. Some don't change after they leave. Prior to Councilman Khik being in the presidency, he was firmly against the mayor's initiatives. Now he's a simple
yes vote in everything that that happens. Councilman Mendes was an archeneemy of the mayor. Voted no on all items. He became the council president. He lined up with all the things the mayor. He was praising the things the mayor has to do.
Today, he comes back in. He's no longer the president. He's not surprisingly once again against what was h what was taking place. So to talk about how this is being responsible just in going through a few
of the items right where some of the increases have been made there's close to actually more than a million dollars a million dollars that's been generated from the courts that's coming directly from tickets that
we're being in being hit with. And for all of the residents that are calling me because their vehicles been towed and through the chair, I'll ask again, director, I'm going to need a report on how many vehicles was towed on Sunday cuz from what I heard, it was
over 500 vehicles that was towed after roll call director. But I I mean I would prefer a complete report, a report on how many vehicles was sold because I got I got an enormous amount of phone calls from people who were not on Park
Avenue on the path of the parade. It was on side streets and it was a great deal of vehicles towed. When you look at a million dollar uptick in revenue being generated from the court, what does that tell you?
There's not a plan to generate revenue. The plan is to simply go back to the taxpayers. We're hitting you with the with the tax increase. And then we're also going to make sure that we continuously hit you with ticketing,
towing, and mind you, this million dollars doesn't even include what the tow company made. This is what the residents have been paying in court fees and coming to court for various violations. Now, it would be great if these things were being equitably
distributed. If you had these slum lords that are putting our communities in these in these poor conditions that have done illegal construction work, have people living in illegal apartment basement
apartments and things of that nature if they're being charged. But these from my assessment is being implied or directly uh uh uh placed forward to our residents. Yet again, another way in which we we raise
fees. Another um uh 900 $900,000 increase coming from the the the building department, additional fees.
So, you know, this can't this cannot possibly be an outline of being responsible. Everybody's talking about I met with DCA, but this the same audit that was just provided to us that shows that we're
being extremely irresponsible with our financial uh uh uh financial our bookkeeping. I I just don't get it. I don't understand how we can callously just move these items forward and sit here and act to the public as if we had the
right intentions. And you know, relative to the comment about the uh the CARES Act spending, yeah, that was the proper report, but the port the report that I've been making the most fuss about has been on the spending for Hinchcliff Stadium. And I'm going to give you an example why to all the members of the
public. We're in this beautiful room now. From my assertion assessment, the only changes that were made here is the flooring and some patchwork done to the ceiling. This administration spent $600,000
on refurbishing this room. If that's not poor spending, $600,000. You could build three two family houses for $600,000. We spent $600,000 on refurbishing this room.
Do we have an outline of how many square footage of laminate flooring? This is not even real wood flooring. This is a laminate flooring that we put in here and we spent $600,000. The cost on that in for this room would probably be
$2,000 at best. $600,000. Oh, I'm sorry. We got some new chairs, new microphones. $600,000. and our budget is coming up short and we're going back to the taxpayers. We're adding a 3.5% increase and we're being
and you're being double doubled down on. They're double dipping on only the the residents. Anyway, Madame Clerk, my vote is no. Thank you, Councilman. Council President.
Um, so let me just be clear to the public. Um, this will not be seen to the taxpayers yet. We're only in introduction. We are not at approved. We are only in introduction. Approved possibly will take place somewhere
somewhere around November. And my prayer and the work that we will put in as this working council and the administration is that we will be at 2%. We have done it in the past. I'm very sure if we put the work in, we can do it again. But you
have to remember the residents are not just taxed by the city. They are taxed by the school district and the county. There's three areas that tax residents. It's not just us. School already passed theirs. County has theirs and we have to get to that place. 2% is mandatory. We
have no other choice but 2% unless someone has $30 million in their pocket and can fill this gap. 33 million in their pocket to fill the gap. And until that happens, we have to move um in in this direction. And just just to be
clear before I vote, we didn't just do floors and chairs. We had to clear a bestos. We had to get a a new piece to the roof. We had to get a whole new central airing system and a duct work done. Whole bunch of stuff that was
done. But I agree. Let's see an outline so we can get some clarity on all the details of what was done. But there was a lot of pieces to that and we were out of the chambers for a very very long time. I'm glad that we returned. Um, with that stated, madame clerk, for item
number uh three, my vote is yes. Thank you, Council President. The votes are eight in favor, one against. Item number three is hereby adopted. So before we move forward, one one second, Councilman um Mendes. Um item number four and five, the uh the
resolutions are not attached. So, we're going to move uh those items will be moved till next week, uh Madame Clerk, because the uh ro the resolutions are not attached. They should have been there. They're not. So, we're going to remove them off of the agenda. Um
Councilman Mendes, items four and five. Uh thank you. Um before we continue with the meeting, um just I definitely have to uh answer a council councilman of the first one mention my name and and let me just be clear to my resident of the great city of Paso. My vote doesn't change whether I'm president, I'm
sitting here or there. Listen, my my my decision has always been the same. It's always been on the uh I'm be taking the best decision of on behalf of the city and I feel very comfortable and I feel very proud about all the decision that I have made. And yes, we have real wood
floor here. And whoever wants to get an assessment, a total a line item by line item a a uh total of the money that we spend as the administration and the director Billy is there. He should uh you know give that information to any council member that requests that and
the reason why I there's there's more work done to be done with the budget. I make that recommendation when it come to the salary wage we have 4.6 sits on this introduced budget when by law we know we got the 2% cap that we have to increase but guess what why we have to go to 4.6
That was my recommendation. It's still there. I know there's a lot of work, but our taxpayers are suffering and we need to do the work now. Now, my fear with this is that I've been speaking about this from the beginning for a very long time. We waiting until the last inning
every year to make those tough decision to start cutting and we only have three months to for the end of this fiscal year. And just in closing, we have to be in line with the idea and with the with what we planning to do with the city. On
one hand, we cannot be closing business, attacking business and doing all kind of things. And on other hands, we try to increase taxes more and more. For a resident to apply for a sidewalk is they have to go through hell to get an applica to get a permit to fix a
sidewalk when that's money that we could receive. We have to check every department and see how much revenue are we getting from each department. I'm always say that I would love to run the city like a private entity and you will see that things will change. Thank you. Thank you council president.
Item number six madam clerk. Item number six madam clerk. Item number six and then I will get to you council Jackson. Item number six could you just read into the record please? Item number six is resolution to make application to the local finance
board pursuant to NJSA 40A4-45.3E public works resolution number 25430 formal action will be taken. So move second move by council vice president Dava second by councilman Khaled discussion councilman Jackson. No,
council president. Uh, madame clerk, you said DPW. It's finance. I'm sorry. Okay. I'm finance. Finance. Okay. Finance. I heard. Yes. Finance. Okay. Councilman Jackson. Thank you.
Second discussion. Very good. So, I mean, um, for a point of clarity, I was asking for the floor as you gave the courtesy to Councilman Blet Mendes. um because
relevancy to what he was talking about. First of all, Councilman, you know, for a person who is such so experienced in real estate, you can't tell the difference between laminate flooring and real wood flooring. Um that's a problem. This is not real wood flooring. There was no sanding machines in here. It
wasn't for it wasn't finished with uh uh enamel. This is laminate flooring. Laminate flooring. Everyone knows based on the labor, it's far less per square foot than any in than in real wood. It's not a oak, cherry, or any type of wood
of such such uh caliber. Um relative to whether what we had to do with air handler units, those six those three houses that I talked about that we could have built three two family houses that includes heat and air, air handling, and things of that nature as well for those
houses. the fact that we spent $600,000 on repairs in this room and every council member has no problem with moving past it without without a detailed outline on what materials we put in here, how much did we spend. It
just shows why we're in this this space, why we're in this space of irresponsible budgeting. And what I will do, Councilman, I'll put an Opra request forward because I'm writing an Opra request right now. I'll put it on record. I'm going to, madam clerk, I'm going to need to receive an email from
one of the employees from the health department that went to the state and to Dr. Prasad who's on vacation with regard to a transaction that took place at the health department. I want to see the email that she sent out which you'll have the full Oprah. I'll make sure corporation council gets that because
what we're talking about here is poor management and the council has a responsibility of managing and and since councilman Mendes is plate is claiming that his vote has never changed. I'll count I'll make sure I open all your votes. I'll go through it and we'll put a percentage of all your votes and how
you supported the administration. You became the mayor's lap dog and I said it then I said it when you were in the council presidency seat. You he he he said jump. You said how high. You voted in favor of every single thing that he that he that he put forward. You were an
automatic no vote in the past. You had no rationale or reason behind being a no vote. I am not a a no vote. I'm giving you all the reasons behind it. The same way I gave you reason behind the 1.4 million for the trailer was poor spending. The same way I gave you the
reason why $6 million was the wrong thing to do for the building on Van Halton. In the same way, I'm telling you that we should not have spent $600,000 on repair for this room. But we'll find out on how your voting track record goes when we have the facts. We're not just
going to let you spew off some something that's incorrect. Madam, I'm sorry, Council President. I appreciate the opportunity. Council, my colleague, thank you. Thank you, Madam Cre. Ladies and gentlemen, we are in September, then October, November, December, January,
February, March, April, May. We have what? 9 month until the Moria election back and forth started already. Come on. Can we do some city business when the election time come close by? Then you
guys could punch at each other or do whatever you guys got to do. That's that's that's that's my suggestion. And um we are I I guess we are item number six. Madam clerk, roll call, please. Council. Madam clerk, roll call.
Council President, we're still discuss. Thank you, Council President. Uh now that you know, we're not talking about politics and all that stuff and you know, we not election counting the month and here whatever. Well, we had to understand, yes, I have supported in the past some good idea from this
administration. I strive strong to do that. But when I see that the administration is not taking is taking for granted our opinion then we're going to have a problem because I represent residents that comes to us in daily
basis not seeing what they were expecting from this administration with filthy uh streets with uh river street not performing yet since 224 they said they was going to finish they haven't finished that river street yet and we in 2325 so that's part of that Uh we in
number six uh um to the chair to Mr. CFO can you give us a highlight synis what is here CFO please it's a resolution to go to the local
finance board to be able to move 780,000 from inside the cap to outside the cap for what? Just from one part of the budget to another. It's already in the budget. Can can you please uh can you please repeat it? This one.
So, it's a resolution to go to the local finance board for them to give us approval to be able to move $780,000 from inside the cap to outside the cap. Inside the cap to outside capital. Why? Um to keep under the cap law. So, there's a deficit there. Yes.
Why is the deficit? Uh it's just the way the increases are going over the cap. All the increases in the budget are going over the cap. There should be a deficit every year there. No, that could happen some years. It could not happen other years.
So why is a deficit now? It's not a deficit. It's just um Oh, so it's not a deficit. No. So this is something that's going over the cap the cap of the budget. It's a law. Because when I see the word deficit, it brings me like there's a problem there
with cash. There's a problem with money. There's no money. is so that the that the word deficit do not apply there. Not that the no this is just going so why we had to go there ask to the finance to release this money from capital to put in other place
because there's a deficit so we don't need this then if there's no deficit we should no money from the capital no so we have a 2 and a half um a 2.5% cap law cap laws yes so
to be able to stay under that we have to move this money outside the cap we have to ask for permission ition from the local finance. Why why we had the reason of the cap loss? Huh? Why? Why? What was the reason why we have a cap loss? That's uh state of New Jersey. Oh, the state of New Jersey.
Yeah. You're not allowed to go above 2.5%. I know, but I just want to see if if you know, so this is not in the audit. This is not you know the deficit. I just want to see if he knows it. Yeah, I'm sorry. Okay. Thank you, Council President.
Councilman Jackson, Mr. CFO. Um, so we're going into we're digging into the cap for close to a million dollars. The mayor just recently had over this past several years of which I'm looking at now $85 million.
Now, I do understand that the care act's dollars were limited in the scope of what items they could be utilized for, but there was no suggestions that you could make of approved expenditures that we could utilize the $85 million for as
opposed to now digging down into the cap where we could have been responsible, utilize the $85 million, which was free money by the way, which the mayor squandered. And to Councilman Khik's point, the mayor just did a he gallivanted around
the entire community doing campaign uh uh campaigning for himself for Congress in which you shared in cutting every ribbon on all the parks where he spent all of this money. All of this money. No, I I've seen you in plenty. I've seen
you in plenty. I've seen you in plenty. I've seen you in plenty. And I and I know your voting your voting track record. You never held them accountable on the spending for the $85 million here. We spent I mean it's ridiculous the amount of money that we spent here
for various things. Gas pumps, uh two garbage trucks. Okay, that's that's that's decently responsible. But we still outsource and it still can't seem to pick up the the uh the bulk because we don't allow for for the department to
do proper hiring for staff. So there's no staff to do to do the work. Um complete the Great Falls Vista Center. Now, I just recently saw the advertisement on how the Great Falls is owned by the federal government. It's a it's it's no longer controlled by the
city, but yet we spent $2 million on the Great Falls Vista Park. Um, I mean this is totally irresponsible. So, back to you, Mr. CFO. in your in
your in your in your uh uh enormous level of wisdom of financing 101, there was not one item that you could make a suggestion that the mayor could have de that that the administration could have deviated some of those funds so that we wouldn't be in the position that we're
in. CFO, so are we I'm confused about your question, Councilman. Are we talking about I know you're confused about quite cap ordinance going to local finance board or are you talking about our from three years ago I'm just confused about the question you're asking
well let me let me rephrase the question the report that came back that talked about the irresponsible um budgeting who would be responsible for that um it didn't talk about responsible budgeting I found findings which so who would be who would be responsible for that me
you yes okay all right so so are you confused about that did you what Did you not know that that was your job, sir? No, I knew that was So So how many times now is it is did we get a failing grade from that report? Uh findings two years, sir. Two years now. Okay. So is that not was that not your responsibility for the two
years? Uh yes, I was. Okay. So what's the problem? You don't understand that as well. I understood that. I still don't understand your question though. Back to the original question. Was there not anything responsible, more responsible that we could have utilized this funding for to prevent us from going to the taxpayers for 3.55
uh well for the 1.5 additional increase? So again, I'm confused by your question, but if we're talking about ARP, um a lot of ARP decisions were made as a whole. If you weren't involved, I I don't know. No, no, I wasn't involved. In fact, I'm just I only got the report last week and
you guys were spending what you you being you being the the the chair I mean the CFO. You should have been being more responsible as Marge was when she was making suggestions that these things should not be spent in this in this manner. Part of the reason why you you
all conspired to get rid of her. So again, where was your responsibility in being the the CFO the chief finance officer of the city? Where were you being responsible in the $85 million of free money that was given to the city in
in in circumventing some of this some of the uh poor spending? Again, our money was $64 million and the decision was made pretty much as a whole between council and mayor to spend that money how it was spent. So, and again, that's from two years ago, sir.
So, so your responsibility is to make progressive responsible suggestions, right? Did you make any suggestions to this council that would have that would have uh uh uh that would compel the council to move in a different direction?
I discuss with council people and with the mayor different things, sir, and then different. Nothing notable that you can put your put your uh put your cards on. Right now, again, I'm not sure what this like we're talking about the art money from two years ago.
What I'm talking about is that now what I'm talking about is the increases. Well, again, I don't expect you Sorry, I'm just confused. I mean, the same guy weasling out of the DWI stops consistently. I don't expect you to be responsible to the public right now. What I'm asking you is a responsible question.
Council President, can we please intervene? What? I'm sorry. Excuse me. This is a council meeting. I understand. This is a council meeting. You're not saying you shouldn't interrupt me. Why? The council member is harassing my You wouldn't you wouldn't answer a question that was given to you. Now you're trying to divert that. First of
all, defending my employee. I'm gonna defend that. You have to be no matter what. Defending your employee no matter what. No matter if he comes to work drunk, no matter if he's getting stopped for DW, no matter if he's being irresponsible, how are you? What you should be being
responsible to is the public. Because it's the public that's suffering. While your employees being overpaid, it's the public that's out there that's suffering. It's the members of our community that's paying the price for your lack of for your lack of uh ability to do the job. Councilman Jackson, what have you brought to the table? What
have you made any suggestions in in a prominent change in the community? Councilman Jackson, can you explain that to me? C No, I have the floor. He interrupted. No, but I was going to put the order in. You have stated it as well. When a point of order is called, you yield to the
point of order. What's the point of order? Who called the point of order? I called it and I'm going to tell you why. While the councilman is speaking, there may be points of interest or maybe even contention that you may have. Allow him to finish and then I will call the
administration to the floor. But when you interrupt, it causes it to escalate. So allow him to finish and then we'll move from there. But I I understand on the administration side, but the councilman does have the floor. So I I get your point that you were making, but
we have to move on. We have the residents here. There are people that have signed up on the public and we want to move forward so we can open up the workshop meeting and allow the public to speak as well. Councilman Jackson. Thank you, Council President. Let me just for a point of clarity, he's trying
to defend his employee from a fact. This is not an accusation. This is a fact. We have the CFO, the chief finance officer of the city who can't get a passing grade from the from the from the auditors, the audit report two years in
a row. the same CFO consistently consistently being irresponsible getting pulled over for DUIs. Was that not a fact? That was a fact. That wasn't a It wasn't a a an accusation. No, that was a fact. I'm not the one who was forced him
to take drinks. I'm not And I'm And again, I'm not the one who forced him to fail in his responsibility as CFO. Yet, the BA has a responsibility to the city to answer certain questions. I asked him very simple questions earlier. And what did he say? I'm not going to argue with
you. That's not how you answer a question. I'm asking you a direct question and then the CFO is deviating. Okay. So, I mistakenly quoted 84 versus 64. $64 million that was squandered while the SE while the residents are
being pounded on. The BA did not answer to the fact that there's a million dollar increase in tickets that have been written over the past year. a million dollar increase in residents that are getting hit with tickets. When all of the city knows that based on the
overdevelopment, there's a lack of parking citywide. Both boards, the planning and zoning which the BA is responsible for, continuously approve these projects and residents can't find parking in city. But what are we doing? We target our residents and hit them with a million
dollar increase in tickets. But you don't but you don't want to argue. This is not an argument. This is a question and if you can't answer the question, you shouldn't be sitting there and that's just the fact of the matter. Again, another fact. I appreciate the time, Council President.
Roll call on item number six. Madam clerk, roll call on item number six for adoption. Councilwoman Cotton, you said yes. Yes. Okay. Thank you. Councilwoman Dava. Yes. Councilman Jackson.
Thank you, Madam Clerk. Just for a point of clarity to the public, again, today's session, the special meeting was called at 5:30. It's not normal practice. It's never been done before. It's never been done where a special meeting, we normally have a special meeting that's advertised and it will take place during the middle
of our workshop. We'll we'll go into a a recess and then journ as in our special meeting. And it was never done before. But let me point out those members who was here in and for item number two which which was taken, it was five council members that was here early
because those five members all supported it while all the other council members that came after the fact did not support it. So, it's obvious the intent not just of the mayor and the administration on how they would like to coorse these these sessions where empty room where the where the where the the public
doesn't get an opportunity to watch the council vote on on very um important items but they would try to do it under the cloak of darkness and that's that's very misleading and disappointing. Madam clerk, my vote is no. Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Khalik,
for item number six, my vote is yes, Madam Clerk. Thank you, Councilman Mendes. Uh, thank you, Madam Clerk. Just for the record, item number six is just an application to the local finance board. That's a regular business, regular city business. My vote is yes, Madam Clerk. Thank you, Councilman Omar. My vote is yes, Madam Clerk.
Thank you, Councilman Uden. Councilman VZ, I was talking to my inside attorney here. Give it a new title. Excuse me. a uh during the fact that they um uh the
CFO did announce that um they have lose um some cap money on the regular basis and this almost happen every year and they just want to move some money to cover uh that loss that comes some kind of revenues or whatever they've been
losing. But that's a message that they've been losing revenue. So something's going on. They had to create more crew revenue coming to the city so we could avoid to get money from one side to the other. In the future, we always say to the administration, try to
bring real crew revenues to the city of P, not going after the taxpayer of the city of Patterson. My word is yes on this. Thank you, Councilman. Council President, we do this every year. This item is a yearly item that we have to do through the local finance board. This one I get
the others having an elongated discussion. This one didn't require it. My vote is yes, madam clerk. Thank you, Councilwoman. The votes are seven in favor, one against, one absent. Item number six is hereby adopted. Item number one, Madam Clerk.
Item number one, where's item number one? Second. Where's one? Thank you. Item number one is an ordinance to exceed the municipal budget appropriation limits and to establish a
cap bank NJSA4A col4-45.14 calendar year 2025 administration. So move moved by Councilwoman Dava second. Second by Councilman Khaled. Roll call. Madam clerk,
roll call on item number one on first reading. Councilwoman Cotton, Councilwoman Dava, yes. Councilman Jackson, no. Councilman Khik, yes. Councilman Mendes,
no. Councilman Omar, yes. Councilman Uden, Councilman. No. Council President. So, this is one of the most responsible things that I've seen brought from this
administration. Before presenting it, I reviewed Newark, Jersey City, other towns that have similar um bases and communities as ours is something that should have been done to establish so that we can get to a place where we're not in a true deficit as a community
yearly that there is some money in reserve. I think this is something that should have been done. I commend our BA for working with other municipalities to get Patterson on the right track. My vote is yes, Madam Clerk. Thank you, Council President. The votes are I want to reconsider my vote, Council
President, please. Councilman Vez, so we need to do this. Wow. We need to do this based on NJSA 48 column 4-45. We need to do this, but the state says
it's at 2.5. We not obligated as a council to increase it to 3.5. But if it says 2.5, that's what the state mandates, 2.5, not 3.5. That's why they come to us. For
we could give a blank check for we could give more liberty to the mayor administration to do whatever they want with the budget with no fiscal responsibility. So we had to do this. a good position in my no.
No. Thank you. Can you call the votes, madam clerk, please? Yes, I will. The votes are five in favor, three against, one absent. Item number one is adopted on first reading. Second reading will be held at the regular meeting of September 16th, 2025.
Thank you, madam clerk. We have one person for uh the special meeting public portion. Could you please call this uh please call the uh speaker? Sure. Yes, Mr. Eddie Lavaris. And right before before we start the
timer on the speakers, I want to put and place the order on the floor. Each speaker only has three minutes to speak. Once your minutes are over, you will hear the buzzer and your time is over. When you're speaking, we are asking that
you respect this side of the deis by not calling out people individually by name and not using profanity in the chambers as well as on this side of the deis. I'm asking my council colleagues to do the same. We have to be a uh professional
decorum. It is set in our ordinance and in the rules of the chamber. It is not something that I am establishing but it is a law that is on the record and we have police officers that are placed in the building that will help and assist me to make sure this decorum is
established and or in its place. First speaker madame clerk Mr. Eddie Lavaris go ahead Paris from New Jersey I will be the first one to break that law that you just mentioned. And I don't know what law you're talking about where you
cannot be uh called out by name. Mimsa Mims, have that officer remove me? I dare you. I dare you. Anyway, um I want to ask I'm going to start this with a question. I'm going to start this with a
question. Why was this special meeting held at 5:30? I never ever ever uh casual some of my my thunder. I don't remember ever this meeting being held now. I asked the question, but I know what the answer is.
It's because you don't want anybody here speaking on the subject. That's really all it is. You keep on saying that you do the the people's work. Uh you do no such thing. Uh but anyway, uh Luis Bles
said something about the administration. and he was talking about uh it's putting the the the the um council council's back against the wall and Mr. Bles no you guys with the
exception of Councilman Jackson are putting the the people of Madison against the wall. It is you who voted yes to everything that this administration has sent lately. You've came to the party too late.
But you know, you you you vote uh yes on everything. Anyway, I have these people here and the reason that they're standing behind me is that you know, in fact, I made a video and I called out Marisa Davila. There I go again, Mr. Madame President Alex Mendes. I called
out Luis PZ. Defend these people. These people were fired illegally on the on the on the uh from this they used to work for the for the school board the the private company uh that uh was hired by the school. They were fired illegally. I called you out but you're
not about to do that because that's against the the wishes of the administration. And so, you know, this this town is in the in the condition that it is. It's because we have people like you. And I'm going to close with this. And I I thank
you. You Yeah. If you want to sit down, that's okay. I thank you. But these people, they need your help. And so, each one of you, especially the Latinos, you should help them. But you don't dare because you don't want to go against the administration. But I'm going to close
with this. Mr. Mendes, I feel like giving you a hug. I am going to donate some of my time to educate you. You said a minute ago, pay attention. I'm talking to you. Uh, a minute ago, you see this fool? He's pretending to be paying
attention to something else. Anyway, um, that this the the the city should be run like a like a business. That's exactly why we are in the condition we we're in. Thank you so much. There are no more speakers. Can I have a motion to close public portion? Motion to close.
Second. Motion to close by council vice president. Second by councilman Khalik. There's additional speaker at the podium there. That's for later. We pulled the special meeting um public portion. This is roll call. Madam clerk.
This for the special. We'll close the special president. Roll call to close special meeting. Roll call to close the public portion. Councilwoman Cotton. Councilwoman Davler. Uh before I I vote, I'd like to just put this on record.
It's very quick for somebody to come and call you out when first of all, I don't have that person on my social media. So, you're calling me out and I don't know. for the people that are here today. I I sadly I'm hearing that you were that the
the the the board of education um has released you from your duties. I don't know about that. Which one of you reached out to me directly? Nobody. So, I'm asking respectfully, don't try to put me out there. I'm not
friends with you on social media, Mr. Olivarez. Okay? I don't know when you're calling somebody out. And then the people that are here that come here upset you upset them because you're making it seem like we don't care. I do not oversee the Patterson Board of
Education. There is a board that you can address. If you would have addressed me, I would have tried to as a citizen, okay, contact someone and see how we can assist you. But how dare you put me out there in the community that we don't
care that Davia doesn't care. Davila doesn't know that you're going through that. Who reached out to my office? Who came here and addressed who tried to call me? Not one person. So I can't go with the back and forth with social
media. Speech. Speech. Speech. And I and I'm going to switch back and I'm sorry because I'm not exactly sure who in the room. You know, you have someone coming here and having all these people behind you making it seem like we don't care. I don't know what's going on
in the Patterson Board of Education in terms of being released, in terms of being, okay? In terms of being fired, I don't know that I don't do the day-to-day operations with the Patterson public schools. But if you address me on a
situation, I'm going to come and say, "Let me see what I can do to assist you." So, that's all I'm saying right now. You know, with that said, my vote is yes to um close the public portion. Thank you, Councilwoman Councilman Jackson. Thank you, Madame Clerk.
Maybe it's a possibility that Mr. Olivaris might owe because if looking from the responses, maybe Mr. Olivaris might potentially owe the council woman an apology. Possibly, but I don't think
so. You know why? Asia school board, Joel Ramirez, Hector Wow. It's not important to certain people when members of our community are mistreated and fired. You're talking about a
gentleman who has worked for the district for 41 years. And he wasn't fired by the district. He was fired by the third party company that the district members, these people who we support when we help them with their
campaigns, who make these critical decisions that impact our community. It's amazing how we just want to wash our hands of the ills that take place in our community. When you have members of the community
coming and they're crying because their jobs was taken away, their livelihoods was impacted and members of the council want to say, "I don't know have anything to do with that." Wait a minute. You you campaign with people, you help them get elected, those people take board seats,
they make critical decisions, they hire third party companies, and then third party companies treat you as if you're not a resident of this community. So what is that? I don't feel more compelled to get involved with with something in that that that somebody else doesn't. Maybe I
say maybe. Maybe it's a possibility at this point. People know that they have to call me if they want somebody to fight in their behalf. Maybe that's what it is. So people sitting here saying that they
don't know or they don't have anything to do with that. That's a compound because as a as a elected person, you're responsible for the treatment of of what happens to to to our to our residents. I will be there if nobody else wants to be there. Yes, I would love Mr. Mr.
Olivaris's suggestion that everybody, you councilwoman, everyone else should be it should be very simple for you. Your aid is a board member and the board holds responsible those companies. Stop misleading. Not true.
Your former aid, your comp your compa, whoever he is, whatever he is to you, he holds a board seat. He makes critical decisions. He has an opportunity to vote on these matters. And when you're paying a company millions of dollars to come in
here and mistreat the people, this is not how you're supposed to respond to these these these inquiries. Lastly, let me make this last point. Many of you as a as a former practice, you've heard this for for years. I haven't really been paying attention
that long, but I do know that anytime there's a public portion that's opened, the term that's utilized by council members is seeing none, move to close. That means we acknowledge there are no
more eligible speakers, no more speakers who who require the opportunity to speak. It doesn't mean, wait a minute, the list was taken 10 minutes ago, so there's no one else that we're going to allow to sign up. It means seeing no one else with their hand up, no one else
with the request, no one else who had an opportunity to speak, we're going to close the public portion. If you have one person from the community go back to the microphone and request to speak before we go into a roll call, they should be given a courtesy to speak.
It's only 3 minutes, but no, we want to quiet the the the public. We don't want anyone that's going to come here and possibly contest us. And this is why we do what we do. People, how long are we going to allow this to to take place? There's another
public portion, but who knows? They're going to make everybody wait until 9:00. They're going to make you you wait you out so that you decide to leave and you don't sit here for the public portion. That's just basically the practices. Madame clerk, my vote is no. Thank you, Councilman. Councilman
Khalik, my vote is yes to close the public portion. Madam clerk, Councilman Mendes. Uh uh thank you, Madam Clerk. Just before my vote, um I definitely I'm going to say this. I mean, when you in trouble, I mean, when you looking for
help, you knock on every door. But you got to be very careful because some people, they might use your problem for a political purpose, for political reason. And I take this very personal. When you're looking for help, if somebody wants to help you, please
don't bring politic in the middle. Don't bring just don't. It look ugly. It looks sad. And it speak value about the person that use that. Personally myself, I know the gentleman. He he he's been working in Norman for like 15 years. My three kids went to Norman. Yeah. And the other
person school 28 and the other and uh I know all of them. I mean I was a school board member for two term. My three kids went to Patterson public school. I know all of them. Unfortunately, I was not in the country. I was out of the country for over almost 3 weeks. I'm not aware about the situation. The only thing I
will say is that I'll be in my office tomorrow. You're more than welcome to come to my office and sit with me and just give me the information that you have. Let me know how let me know how I could be helpful because I know that you guys are from Patterson. I know you guys been in Patterson for many years. Uh,
you saw my kids from kindergarten all the way until 8th grade. And the other gentleman saw my son from kindergarten all the way into high school. So, I know them. They're from Patterson. So, I'm here to help my office. You could stop by 11, 12, 2, 3, 4 p.m. Let me know you
got my number and I will I would love to advocate for you. I would love to go in front of the board. Quite honestly, I don't know the situation. I would like to get to the bottom of what's going on. I said this in English already. I said this in English respectfully. I know
some of them outside. He has the floorman high school. Um, so I'm just I just would love to advocate for you guys and get to the bottom of the situation because I'm not aware. Um, with that being said, madam clerk, my vote is yes. Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Omar,
my vote is yes to close the public portion. Councilman Uden, Councilman BZ, thank you. Um, so I know about the situation. The young lady here in front of me text me about the situation about a month and a half ago.
My secretary is aware when people comes to my office with this type of issues, the first thing I tell them is seek legal advice. Why? We cannot control
what happened in the schoolboard contract or whatever employee factor manners. Why I say seek legal advice? Because if there's a legality in the situation in their favor,
it will be benefit. Get the advice from the legal aspect to win a case. And if they did something wrong, the legal aspect will resolve it and they will get more protected than coming here and
exposing their self and damage their legal process. Simple it is. People come here thinking that we could get involved in personnel issues in the city or in the board. The board is another different type of
government of how they manage things over there. Not even not even we have a say in the budget. So we try to orientate them the right way. The the young lady expressed
herself some wrongdoing and I advise her that is agencies that will take care those wrongdoing. I even request I even advise her to even go to the prosecutor's office.
So we and I believe council men will do the same thing and any councilman will do the same thing where they come to our office seeking for those type of help. Why? From that podium you could say something
and and people don't realize this. People come here with some legal technology that it could hurt them, not the person that come in here make him believe that it's defended. And Mr. Olivare never calls me. I'm not in
social media with him either. I don't receive his call. He's not my aid and I'm the last person I want to speak to him. I will speak to him. I will speak to him if it's the death or life situation because I had to use my humanitarian okay
efforts on it. Councilman Seor and I got to say this in Spanish for respect of those that don't understand English. forch. saying that my vote is yes to close. Thank you, Council Council President. So, let me just say this and um to all
of you. I've worked with some of you, I know some of you from various schools in the community and I want to put it on the record. This is the city council and it's okay that you want to come voice opinions about whatever happened. But this is not the governing body that took
those actions. We don't know the details of what happened. We're hearing the story for the first time. This is my first time hearing something stated at the mic. We're not even presented with the real facts. We don't even know if what was said to us is factual because we now will have to have a conversation
on that side. So my recommendation to all of you is this one. Always fact check when people are bringing you out of your various houses to a meeting to just get on the mic to talk and to blame
people that have nothing to do with why you were terminated the contract ended whatever that looked like. We didn't vote on that. That's number one. Number two, I'm not sure if you went to the city to the school board to their meeting. I'm not sure if you did that or
not because I'm not really sure of what took place, but that would be the place to handle that request. But number three, if you need to speak to me, I gave the young lady in the front my number and if you want to take it, screenshot it, please call me. I am a former schoolboard member. I can give
you insight as much as I can, but I would definitely have to speak to someone on the schoolboard side to get more answers because I we have no clue what went on because you could be on this side yelling and screaming, fighting for you, but if it's true what was said tonight is a third party party
contract, I don't see how if it's a third party contract that we can even intervene. I'm not sure what we can do in that aspect. However, reach out. I'll be able I other council members have said the same thing. Reach out to us.
Give everybody an opportunity before it's stated that we don't help you. We do help. We do assist and we do listen. So reach out. We'll try to get some information. I'm not even sure what contract it was or what services uh what you work for, whatever that looks like,
but send us that information and I'm sure schoolboard members are watching because they always watch the meetings so that we can get the information as to um what took place. With that being stated, madame clerk, my vote is yes to close the public portion. Thank you. We have seven in favor, one
against, one absent. The special meeting public portion is hereby closed. Can I have a motion to close the special meeting? We have a confidential. A motion to close the special meeting. Moved by Councilman Jack, second by Councilman Mendes. Roll call to close a
special meeting. Roll call to close the special meeting. Councilwoman Cotton. Councilwoman Dava. Counciloman Jackson. Oh, okay. Thank you, Councilman Jackson. Very good. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Very quickly, just for a point of clarity,
first of all, I don't need to do anything politically. People don't call me because I'm doing something politically. When we had a young man that was falsely accused of murder, who worked for the city, who was a fireman, when he was vindicated, I was the only person who advocated for
this young man. Every day, I gave the chief hell because the chief lied to me. The chief told me that this young man could not hold the position any longer. And then when I got the facts, the truth, he came back and said, "You know,
Councilman, I decided I didn't want him back. I did not let that sit easily." Yes. Do I have the opportunity to make decisions on uh uh personnel? I do not.
But I'mma advocate for someone from our community. I fought like hell and he got his job back. You don't that wasn't a political agenda. The same thing. It was a another gentleman from the motor poolool who
came forward because he was being mistreated. I was the only person advocating on his behalf. While he's while he was being forced to do work under the table for that same chief working on his father's vehicle, I was the only one who brought
that forward. I was the only one that demanded this council hold the committee of the whole. These council members, look at them. They don't want to look up cuz they're all they they know they're lying. None of them wanted to hold that person accountable. Here's a chief who
was the highest paid employee of the city making 270 $265,000 a year was making choices that impacted people who were from our community. Here's a young man from the projects who went to the military, served our country, came back
here, was falsely accused of murder, and he callously told me I decided I didn't want him back. Did Councilman Jackson rest on that? No. Oh, I was politically driven to go against the chief. And this same chief who's the highest paid
employee of the of the city had the audacity to bring his personal vehicle, his father's vehicle to be worked on in the motor poolool. You know what we did? This council because the council has to work collectively. I can't help it. I'm I'm a solo voice in these fights. But we
let this man retire and what honors walk away with a pension on the backs of this community. He didn't grow up here. he wasn't a resident of the city taking advantage of this city. So when you when you look at the the the the ramifications of actions
or the no action taken, you have members of this of of of our community who have dedicated themselves. The one gentleman for 41 years, the young lady for 20 years, another young lady back there for 15 years, another person for 22 years
30 years. she's worked for the worked for the city and then transitioned to work for a private company while you have the manager of this private company threatening her telling her I'll put a muzzle on your mouth and her union representation not standing for her.
That's not a commit a obligation for a council member to support. Nobody asked if you have a vote in the in the in in the decision on that. But we want to make sure that our our people that we that we represent are not
mistreated. That's all of our people, not just one segment, not just one group. Don't come here when it's only a certain segment of the population. So to to make an accusation that I'm doing something politically. I don't I'm not the one out here with signs and parades and floats and all of that stuff. I
don't do that kind of stuff. I don't show up at every freaking ribbon cutting, at every uh uh uh press conference. I don't do that. But when it's time to work and it's time to fight on your behalf, people know who they need to turn to. I'll just rest it
there. My vote is yes, Madam Clerk. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. Um, let's see. Councilman Mendes. My vote is yes, clerk. Glossy portion. Thank you. The special Omar. My vote is yes. Thank you, Councilman.
My vote is yes. Yes. Okay. Councilman BZ is not here. Council President, you call me, Madam Cler. Yes. Um, my vote is yes, Madam Clerk.
Thank you. Um, sorry. The votes are six in favor, three absent. Special meeting is hereby adjourned. Thank you. Can I Madame Clerk, thank you so much. We are now going into our
workshop agenda for Tuesday, September 9th. Madame Clerk, can I get a motion to open our workshop agenda? Move. Second. Moved by Councilman, second by uh Councilman Mendes, Councilman uh Omar. Roll call, Madam Clerk, to open up our
workshop. Council President, uh we had two other items on the special meeting. Did you want to address those now or you want to I addressed them earlier? No, the executive session. They're not here yet. I'll go back to that. They're not here. Okay. Mhm. All right. Sorry.
I'll read the statement of compliance. Statement of compliance with the open public meetings law 2025 2026 September 9th 2025 6:30 p.m. Adequate notice of the meeting was compiled and disseminated in accordance with the open public meetings law in the following
manner. One annual notice of regular meetings and workshop sessions of the municipal council was compiled for the year 2025 2026 on or about July 1st 2025. Two, a schedule of the regular meetings and workshop sessions of the
municipal council for the year 2025 2026 was duly transmitted on or about July 1st, 2025 to the North Jersey Herald News, the record, the Arabic voice, the Italian voice of a county pulse, Dominican News, like international,
especi news, tap into Patterson, the weekly Bangla patrika in addition to any other publication duly requesting such notices Three, the schedule of the regular meetings and workshop sessions of the municipal council for the year 2025 2026
was prominently posted in the lobby of city hall first floor in the place reserved for the announcements of this type. Four, the schedule of the regular meetings and workshop sessions of the municipal council for the year 2025 2026 was duly filed with the municipal clerk.
And five, a copy of the schedule of the regular meetings of the municipal council was mailed to any person who requested and paid the fee authorized by the open public records act. Council president. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Um, do roll call.
Can we do item 42 first with fire if um our amazing OEM coordinator can come forward? Order. Council President, we didn't do roll call yet. I didn't do Yes. Thank you, C. Councilman. My apologies. I thought you did. No problem. Roll call, madam clerk.
Roll call to open up the workshop session of September 9th, 2025. It is now what time it is? 7:15. 7:15 p.m. Councilwoman Cotton.
7:15. Opening up the workshop. Yes. Yes. Okay. Councilwoman Dava present. Councilman Jackson. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Before I answer, just in re relevance to a comment that
was made earlier by a council member in um uh advising for members to seek out uh an attorney, corporation council. I want to place it on record that I'm requesting a report based on a record an
a city employee that has filed charges against a council member for harassment and them also seeking um uh legal uh representation. You know, we we we cannot have this scenario. We have council members want to be selective. They say we don't have anything to do
with uh with employees and yet they're consistently pulling personnel files and harassing employees. Um, you know, we we need to have an answer for that on on the record. Madame Clerk, yes, present. Thank you,
Councilman Khalik. Councilman Mendes, Councilman Omar, yes. Thank you. Councilman Uden, yes. Councilman VZ, yes. Council President, yes. Thank you. The votes are six in favor,
three absent. workshop is now open. Um, we have a quick presentation by Council Member Le. Um, if you would like to present in favor, if you'll do your presentation, Council Member. Oh, I thought you were. Council President,
if I may, please. Um, I I really would like to before the presentation, if we can take OEM and then take the public safety um items. um our director is not feeling well. Uh and it is important
that these items move forward and if he leaves will not if there's any council member that has any additional questions pertaining to the items uh possibly those questions won't be answered. So
I had made the request earlier that our police director can leave. I rather his health be the priority. He does not have to say and if any council member have any questions we can alert we can do that next week. So um before the vote. Okay. We can do that next week. Our police
director had a fall very serious fall today and um so he can actually leave and OEM is okay with waiting for the presentation. I asked him but if there's any requests Yeah. from the uh the council members they can do it. I'm sure
they respect our police director. Uh and we'll do that. Council President, Councilman Jackson, and I I completely agree with Councilwoman Davala, but respect your um your uh judgment on on moving those back, but I would ask or make a suggestion that the public portion be
moved forward as many of these people have been here early as uh quarter to 6 with the thought that their only opportunity was going to be at 5:30. So I think it was a bit of uh miscreed information and these people now are waiting for over an hour already. So we
can you know my suggestion would be take the public portion now any presentation should be able to wait and put the p public as a priority. So let me be clear to the public our when we're having special meetings or any meeting because I heard it spoken
from the public and then tonight again our meetings are published 48 hours in advance. So, we didn't just haphazardly schedule a meeting. It was scheduled earlier in advance. In various newspapers, the statement of compliance is always read at the very beginning of the meeting. There was a public portion
in the beginning. I'm not sure who gave false information to the community to come at 5:30 for our workshop agenda. So, to the individual that gave that information, that is not under council president. Workshop meeting always starts at 6:30. Um, we have a full
agenda and I will definitely call. I'm always cognitive of the uh public portion and we will definitely call them forward. But at this time we have a presentation from our councilman. Councilman VeZ presentation please. Thank you.
Thank you, council president. Uh as uh council is aware and um the public probably possibly uh aware that in the past we used to have a couple meetings on the month but last year uh everything has changed. So we have one regular
meeting, one workshop meeting a month and um in one aspect is good and the other one point we had to hold all this recognition uh in public to be able to do it. Now, last year we honor um two
wonderful employees recommended by their director from the library and that is a a good a good good note. uh and and when we read in back in um 20 March 2024
um I was anxious to uh give this resolution to them uh but they said no let's hold on let's hold on we will do it in the council so the time is now the councilman's are happy to see that people like this had dedicated they self
and when you look at the salary way back and I'm going to say the year now way back and they still continue working for the city of Patterson. That that deserve a round of applause from the bottom of the heart. So resolution honoring Mirna
Shalas on her 40 years of service to the city of Patterson but in the Patter Patterson free public library in the city of Patterson public library.
Mrs. Mirina Chalas and the other employee and the other employee. Yes, you could come forward. And the other employee also resolution honoring Loose Posada,
another one with 40 years of service to Patterson Free Public Library. So 40 years means a lot. And not only that, in a place that we all call our
sacred home for our kids because when there's no recreation around, when there's no place to go, that's a safe haven for them. Machales defelicito, I congratulate you in behalf of the council and behind myself,
council president and those in that time. um they voted yes for this. Um congratulation on your 40 years of service and that place that a lot of kids goes and learn the Patterson Free Public Library of the city of Patterson
received this resolution on behalf of the entire council and approved by an nominous. So, Loose Posada, you see this young lady here? She's amazing. They both amazing anyway, but
they they they continue doing a great job and uh they going to continue doing a great job because they love what they do, especially in the public library in the city of Patterson. They got passion for our kids and what they do uh to maintain that library functioning.
That's why we should not defund the libraries in the city of Patterson. So received this on behalf of the whole entire council. But I will have the director. I got some surprises here for you guys. So at the same time, you want to say some
words, please. I want to thank everyone and the community for giving me the opportunity to work with your kids. I've been working at the library for actually January 2nd I'll be 42 years and I love working with the children. I I work I
work for the um right now I'm working in one of the branches in total a branch and I um enjoy loving with the kids and I have a lot of programs going on. So if you want you could bring your kids over. Okay, because we just opened up a few weeks ago. Okay, thank you everyone.
Thank you Corey. Thank you all the council people. Thank you. I just I want to thank everyone for this um award and my director, the city council and I want to invite you and everyone to
visit our library. Thank you. Director want to say some words, please. [Applause] Good evening. Um, so I'm the seventh director that's been at the Patterson Public Library since these young these
young ladies have been here. Dedication when you talk about 40 years to work for an institution, to work for a city that you don't hear about that anymore. So today, I'd like to acknowledge both Loose and MNA for the hard work that they do. They both have two separate jobs. One works behind the scenes, but
what one works with families every day. And I would not let 40 years go by. We already did our library celebration. We already had our parties and everything like that. But the city of Patterson needs to know the type of uh dedicated staff that you have working for your libraries that that are working for your
city and that are working for the public library to just to just you know just spread the work that we do every day to the residents of our city. So today, um, I thank, um, Council Member Alles, Municipal Council, uh, for for for these, uh, citations and, um, I thank my
employees, my team. Uh, the work that I do as a library director is easy when I have solid, uh, people working for my team. So, thank you and, uh, continue to enjoy your work. Um, and congratulations to both of you today. Thank you. And I know there's a
resolution for 40 years. We're going to take a picture, but come back. We going to celebrate the 50 years anniversary. It's going to get better. God bless you. Another round of applause for this wonderful employees of the Patterson Public Library. Thank
you, Council President. Let's take a picture in the middle. And from now, I'm going to have the ladies standing next to them. Honesty. [Music] They love their flowers. Madame clerk, items uh for handicap
items 7 through 11, we're moving them forward on second reading. Items seven, eight, nine, 10, and 11, they're all handicaps. We're moving them um forward. Item 12 is an item for raffle ticket from your office. We're moving that
forward to consent. Uh did you get that? 7 through 11 is all on move forward. The raffle ticket on number 12 is on consent. 12 and item 15 is on consent. Um, madame clerk, at this time we'll do
item number 16 for OEM. Item number 42 if uh OEM comes forward. And before he comes forward, I just want to do I want to say first and foremost, thank you to our Patterson
Police Department, Fire Department, and DPW departments for your leadership and hard work during all of the parades, festivals, community events, and everything that you do on a day-to-day basis. It is because of you, our community is safer, and we have a better
place to live. But I want to do a special thank you to everyone who donated, distributed, and delivered water during our crisis, led by our phenomenal and dynamic leader, OEM Troy Ays and the Pake Valley Water
Commission. As council president, I want to personally thank all of the nine council members for your hard work and all of the things you did during the water crisis, whether it was seen or unseen. It truly proves that we are better
together. As a token of my appreciation, please accept this thank you card on my behalf. Thank you. Um, can you just give a brief overview? Let's clap it up for all the people in our community. There were a lot of people, a lot of people donated,
went distribute. A lot of people in the community, people we will never know the names of, but I felt the necessary to take this moment to say it because we were out of we were in a crisis for about 8 days in the city. Um, but we had some great leaders that came together and got it done. Our fearless leader
here, can you just give a brief overview on um your number 42, the fire item? Number 42. Is it mic on? Mic. The mic. Mic. Oh, I'm sorry. Can you start all over? Sorry.
No problem. You ready? Yes, we're ready. Close. Number 42. So, it's for the hazard mitigation plan is a blue plant that helps our community prepare for natural man-made disasters before they happen. It helps us identify types of hazards and patterns and faces like floods, hurricanes, extreme heat,
winter fires, winter storms, fires, civil unrest, and other emergency. It creates a step-by-step strategy with local emergency personnel and city officials. It also protects the services and infrastructures like schools, hospitals, bridges, and utilities. It helps us qualify for federal funding and
supports disaster recovery and safety projects. Thank you. Is everyone okay with this going on consent? Yes. Thank you. Item number 42. Thank you OEM coordinator Troy Ays for doing a phenomenal job. Thank you.
[Applause] Um items 33 through 39 are all police items. They are first option renewal contracts um for for which all of this is grant
funded. Every item from 33 through 39. Um, we know that our our police department does a really great job when they're looking to get equipment and all types of things. They get they use forfeite funds to utilize that. So, I'm making a recommendation that these items
be placed on consent. Do we have any council members that object to the police items going on consent? Good to go. Consent. Okay. Consent 33 through 39. 17 consent. Uh and then let's go to
finance items. Finance items starting at number 16. Let me just do 16 first and then I'll give it over to our finance chair. Number 16 um is the ratification and the adoption of the budget for Bunker Hill. It is an item that was presented in the past.
there was an emergency where uh we did not have a council meeting. I think it was about a year and a half ago under another under when Councilman Mendes was the president. Um and so we identified that it needed to be approved. So we have it here on the agenda. So um we
know Bunker Hill does a phenomenal job with their services providing um security in that area. So I'm recommending this go on consent unless there's anybody that objects to council president Councilman. Uh there's a public hearing on it. So right regular. Yes.
Oh that's right. It's a that's true. So I apologize. It goes on regular. There's a public and the other and I would like to have uh this question be I don't know if it could be answered or when they come but u so how they operate in 2024 if they
had a budget adopted. So, it was it was an internal error on this side, not on their side. Okay. It came before this council. Um, and it was we had a meeting where it was canceled. The meeting was cancelled under Councilman Mendes's watch. They reached out to our office. I spoke to
them as council president. Told them we were placed on the agenda. They were okay. Legal approved it and now we're here. Okay. Good. Okay. All right. But it goes on regular. It's on regular. Absolutely. Thank you. Um, item 17 uh is a new uh
show entertainment. Item 17 is Oh, we I'm sorry. I'm Madam Chair, if you will do the rest of the items. Thank you. All right. No. So, so just so you know um and you can continue doing a good job, but 17 I just asked uh Councilman um Jackson. It is an item that it's in
the first ward. It is a new um entertainment license uh for Angie's Liquor and Bar. Is the are the owners here? Yeah. Okay. So, we always ask uh for the members to come
to workshop if any council member has any questions. This is a new um entertainment license and we've had some issues when new uh um lences uh don't understand all right that they have to follow uh uh uh rules and regulations.
So then they come back, oh, I didn't know. So with the police department, you know, we always ask them, all right, ABC, are there any violations prior to you getting your your your um your license? Uh so we ask that you come here
if you want to address this council as a new entity in the city in the first ward. And we also have our councilman Jackson who is a representative of the first board if he has any issues that he can put forward. And if not, if the
council deems okay, then we can move it to regular if somebody says no or we can put it on consent and it's just voted as a Councilman Jackson has said unregular. This item will be on regular. I madam clerk number 17.
Council president. Yes, council member. I I know NG bar has been there for many many many years. Is any chance we could get a call of service um um sheet on it? The call to service should be attached. It's not attached. It's not attached. Okay. To um the administration just make
sure call to services should always be attached to these type of new um entities. It was on before. I'm not sure why it's not there now. It right. say that the reason that we didn't take action is because the you guys weren't here. And so if there were
any questions to be asked, who would we ask them to? Okay. And so um although you can How long have you been in business actually? And you just applied for a and you're just applying now for an entertainment license.
Yeah. Why don't you come to the microphone? My apologies. Uh, it's the first time they asked me for the entertainment license because you we just have DJ. It's a small business. I know. But you've been there 17 years.
So, have you had the DJ store? Uhhuh. Huh? It's a liquor store in a bar. Okay. But what I'm saying No, understand that it's a liquor store. I know exactly where it is. What I'm asking you is this. If you've been in business 17 years, you haven't had a DJ in 17 years.
No. It's the first time they the ABC asked me for. All right. So, that's why you're here because ABC went and you had a DJ and they asked you for your paperwork because anyone that has a liquor store and a bar and, you know, has a pool
table and has, you know, a DJ. No, no, no. What I'm saying, that's how you apply for the entertainment license. Um, we'll be taking action next week. Councilman Jackson, if you don't have any questions, um, we're moving it to regular, right? And if we find any of the reports and any council member has
any um any questions, any concerns, they'll address it in their vote next week. Thank you. Item eight, President Councilman, very quickly. So, um to the to the applicants, I mean, um I understand, you
know, and it's a matter of sometimes we don't we don't even know. I'm not sure. Well, I do understand it now. This is a new application, but you've been in business for quite some time. So I do understand the relevancy now at this point of the um calls for service but
considering the location we also know that calls for service is reflective on the area and the area that has been you know um uh grossly mismanaged or or under um patrolled so to speak by the
administration you know often is a cause for a negative reflection on on the business which I don't I don't um agree But I'll tell you what else, and this is not necessarily to you. This is to the public. It's amazing how concerned we are with
quality businesses. Now, I've I've never heard of your business, right? So that therefore therefore you've been doing something correct. You have no infractions. You have no um uh uh ma major blemishes. There you're doing something correct. We still, this administration and
members of the council failed to address all of these illegal businesses, these auto mechanic shops, these uh uh body shops, and all these other businesses that's at the the the wee hours at night turning into a club, and they have a DJ
and they have music and all of these things that's taking place. You don't hear council members making a big deal about it, but you know, there's just been a a fine increase recently. So, as we saw in the budget, which people commented before about how it wasn't I
didn't make it public to people to know that the budget hearing was being or or the budget was being voted on at 5:30, but it's definitely impactful. And I'm not sure if you guys are residents of the city, but if you can understand how it impacts your business, it impacts the community because we're going to tax you
as a business owner, a business owner that's doing uh running a clean upstanding business while we have all this il illegal illegality going on in the city. Car shops putting up stages in their in their yards, having live
performances in their yards. why we're going to require the business to to take on an additional cost, an additional uh expense and target you and then want to have the the audacity to want to now look at the police reports that have the cost for service over the last several
years when we know right now on the corner of Maine and Broadway and Lower Main Street. It's absolutely it's crazy over there. is people reporting to the administration that they're being they're being held at gunpoint. I have a
resident that lives in the bottom of of uh Broadway. People are camping out in front of her house, but we want to we want to hold the business owner who has a license who's doing, you know, running an upstanding business. So, I will pay you a visit. We just would like to see your premises. If there's anything that you guys are concerned about, you can
reach out to me. I'm an ABC license holder as well. Been so for 25 years. And um uh if anything I can help you with let me know. Council president this item will be on regular um and sometimes when things are made
like sometime council members please no rebuttal back and forth with other council members based on a statement that is made. This item is going on regular. Correct. The uh business is here. We want to make sure that all businesses when they're trying to put their businesses in right
standing that we um provide that service to them. Correct. Council President, Councilman Mendes and then Council Mez. Thank you, Council President. And definitely I will be brief and I know I for many years you've been on that corner for close to 16 years. Uh and you
have done an amazing job try to keeping the the front of this establishment clean and moving people from the front of your establishment. And I just going to put this on record. I mean, I know you need help. I know you need help from our law enforcement uh to keep that cornet clean. um you do you do your best
because I know and I know you call and all the call for service I'm very sure is from your establishment asking for help to remove the amount of people that you have in front of your business that make you that make it hard for you to do business because sometime people they're afraid to walk into a business where
they have a bunch of people outside just panhandling doing all kind of illegal activity. I know that that that's that's something that I would like to put on record and and and for our police department to control that area. uh you know a little bit and patrol the area more. Thank you, Council President.
Thank you, Council Member Le. Thank you. Uh I could testify that Patterson police have cleared that corner lot way back was real bad, real bad, but still need more improvement hopefully with the new construction around, new businesses
coming in, other people businesses lifting their beautify the business and all that stuff. So I know it will bring better customers around the area. Um this is an opportunity and and just to um be in the side of Councilman Jackson
at this time uh with his statement that the administration have not take um the approach to regulate those mechanic shop they doing after I was in this and that. So, let me remind the council, the not the council, the public. Councilwoman
Davala about a couple months ago requested to legal to amend the ordinance of uses of those mechanic shop, um, body shops or whatever or barber shop that they
operating, not cutting hair or fixing cars or whatever. and they do do it after 8:00 9:00. So I know the corporate council is working on that. It's going to be coming soon to in conclusion and then we going to have a vote on that that we going to
uh put some teeth in the ordinance to avoid uh people using their their body shop or whatever to do after our party whatever. Thank you council member. So congratulation. I know we want to keep business in the city of Patterson
and uh thank you for your 16 years of service there and um and it get better. Thank you. So next week this item will be on for vote. So if you want to come back next week at 7:00 you can do that. Thank you. So council items number Yes. So 18, 19, and 20 can all go on
consent. They're all renewals for laundromats. um uh as well as 19 in the second ward. Another laundrymat and then 20 are the coin operated amusement devices which are the pool tables. If everyone is okay, we'll move forward to with
consent. And then 21 again the same. They're a renewal. They're not a new um it is my understanding. Um this is in the second ward. I haven't had and I've spoken to um in in our finance
requesting like any issues with this place and councilman um Khalik has said that he has no issues neither. So if this can also go on consent if everyone is okay with that we can move forward with 21 on consent.
And the last item for finance is a resolution to approve a corrective action plan in response to the audit received and that would go on regular. Thank you. Thank you. Um item 32, madame clerk, if our uh director will come forward for
item number two, economic development 22. Resolute 32, resolution authorizing the city of PA to submit a request for a um urban enterprise zone authority for the adoption of the Patterson urban 5-year development plan and zone
boundary modifications. Could you just give an overview of that, director? Thank you. Mike, sure. Thank you. Thank you uh all the council members. uh this uh 5-year master plan is required by the state uh
for all 37 UE municipality to draft a 5-year strategic master plan so we can get more UE allocations for the next 5 years and it's basically allowing us to uh create come up with a master plan what we're going to do what project
we're going to approach for the next five years our vision and goals for Patterson U and uh I have a company who's I've been working for almost a year uh CME Associates when we draft our resolutions when we adopted that they're going to draft our resol uh our five
year master plan and now finally that we have it after this resolution is approved by all of you I'm going to present this to the state for the final adoptions thank you uh council president councilman council motten and councilman Jackson
so director first of all congratulation on your newborn thank you I watched the ceremony It was beautiful to that you at your house. Congratulation. I hope you're getting some sleep. Yeah.
I know how it is. So, director, so the plan that you have for five years moving forward of you planning how many money you have left um in your in your budget ue of the of the money given in the past.
I I I don't have the entire record. I I can request the state for the the balance of from 2023 2024 2025 whichever is left but moving forward the request of of of getting more allocations I need this 5year master so
I can get the information so can you give us a rough number how much you think you still haven't wait uh spent we still have project online that we're presenting to the state so uh I don't have an approximate but I can definitely
email you some. Okay. So, so I I know I know the I don't I don't I don't care about the plans that you say that you have the Senate state. I'm talking about finance. How much you have left or how much you have spent or how many money you have
allocated still that you could use in this budget in this budget year before the fiveyear plan that year. So, I can get that information to you. I don't have the accurate number with me. Yeah. I want to give you an like $5 million left or $6 million. I want to get that correct information sending it to you. Yeah, please do. Now, now why I'm saying
that, h are you going to um the business with um anybody advising those business on Main Street like in the corner, the restaurant and all that stuff telling them that they have to move their signs
because it's not a UEZ sign. What do you mean? I'm I'm confused about Are you going out there Uhhuh. with inspectors or whoever you going out there to tell them that those signs that are there for years, decades, uh, that they need to remove them.
What kind of sign? The the the the restaurants, the one on the store, the one on the Peruvian restaurant. I could mention all of them that have been telling you had to remove those signs. They not in UE, Ezek. Wait, there's my question is are you going out there
with somebody inspectors or whatever advising that the those lines are not UE regulate or whatever? So it doesn't fall. So one second point point so simple. Point of order. Okay. Okay. What's the point of order? So
you're asking about the removal of signage from a particular location. Yeah. Yeah. Let's go ahead because it's in a UEZ zone and they went to one of two three restaurants in that corner and they tell them
that those lines are not uee. Who who's there? Who who That's what I want to know because they mentioned the UEE director, the uh zoning individuals and they went out there with
but even your Franco was in the in the game. Okay. So that's why I called the point of order. I called the point of order because you're saying they said you're speaking. No, no, no. I could bring them here. No, but so you have to bring them here, right? No, no, but I'm the voice. I listen to them. I'm the voice. The reason I say is
this, right? Let's make believe. All right, that you didn't win. But they saying they stating that they mandated to remove a sign that cost him $20,000. The UE uh not uee, the zoning gave him permit. The building department gave him
permit. It was inspected by the city of Patterson inspector to operate that sign. Now somebody from uee from the historic preservation together at the same time saying that they had to remove
that sign. Now, if that's the case, if that's the case, saying because it's in the UE, and because they in the UEE, don't you think it's good to tell them, hey, we could help you get a qualified sign that UE is required to do and put
in there in the plan, you know, it's in the plan. So, okay. Um, no. Before the director, before you respond, the point of reference is good, but it has not it has nothing to do with what we're where is before us tonight. That's why I wanted you to give a brief over
point of order. Council president when I'm done, I just want to make sure you redirect and I second. Councilman, the reason I done when I'm done speak Councilman point, there's a point of order, right? I've already called the point and
my point is on on the table. So after with your point that you're making to him, he can take that to find out. But I want him to give a to give us an overview of what's here. What you're stating is something someone told you in regards to something that relates to UE
department. That's not why him and the auditor are here. I want them to give us an overview as a council because we have the public. Councilman Jackson just asked for the public to speak. We're trying to get to a place so the public can speak, but you're asking questions that could be sent to an email or you
can go to his office. Before us tonight is them trying to put in in place a 5-year development plan. So, I go back to my point of interjection for you. The line of questioning and the comments are are are good, but they don't pertain to
this item. So if you want you can send an email or you can call his office but you're asking you don't have it because that's not what he's presenting. So that's what I'm trying to say for you council member council president. So so now that you entertain a point of order point of order. Oh you you entertain it
councilman Jackson. Okay go ahead. So first of all council president when we make a point of order it must be based on the the account of the law or the pro policies and procedures of parliamental procedures and or board policies. I don't believe there's
anywhere in the board policy that allows the council president to filter council members questioning. We don't filter council members questioning. Whether or not there's a a a line of questioning that's reasonable and or relevant, it is absolutely
relevant. Council Councilman asked the gentleman about his budget. He came here yet unprepared. Again, he can't answer the question. He can get him that information. We are here now in it with an audience of the constituency to understand that this gentleman is doing his job properly and his line of
questioning should not be filtered by the council president. The questions that he asked is completely relevant. If there's an audit that's in place and businesses that are within the uee zone are being targeted by inspectors from this department from UEE, it is
completely relevant to what we're looking at. So I'm not sure what your point of order reference but it is totally relevant on on on the item that we're discussing right now. So let me answer that. So you are incorrect. If you read Robert Rules of orders, a point of order is called when
something is out of order or it goes against the ordinance or the statute policy. No, according to the statute of ordinance council, that's why it's called I am Councilman Jackson. Now you're out of order cuz I have the floor. When you had the floor, I did not speak. You gave an opinion. You didn't in the
beginning in the beginning in the beginning council member's questions were in direct alignment as regarding the budget but when he started to go outside of saying someone said this is what's happening someone said it's here
we someone said this is what it is my question to council member was if someone you said you'll bring them here they are not present you're going by something someone is telling you we're presenting something at the microphone the public is sitting here listening. They want to hear, but they want to
speak as well. They're here for that purpose. If it's something that's not connected to the audit, Councilman, I'm just asking you if it's something that you can bring or email to them and just stick to the item that's in front of me. No, the thing is council president and with all your respect I know that when
when the when when I do when I make this kind of a line of questions on the floor is to put on the record for the knowledge of the public that we trying to work together in this five-year plan and if they don't deliver
it's not on us it's on them for example on your fiveyear plan and I'm looking at all the pictures that I see here the uee zone is not the six w Okay. The UEC zone is 96 W only
right and and and no I could look at the map I could look at the reality when it happening out there the map you could tell me any map but the reality is that this administration not you but this
administration don't take recommendation from us since when we speaking talking about the two garbage truck that is going to be taking care the 4 days of garbage collection in downtown. Okay. To cover the the four days that the company
will not cover since when we purchased the two trucks and they still not doing it. Now you're going to put in a fiveyear plan. Listen, they putting it here in the five-year plan. They put in it and we've been talking about when they receive the $10 million about what
to do. Okay? is beautiful to take money and put it just in one section of the city when 10 avenue when the first w in the downtown area. Okay. When the fifth war has a um um uee zone, the reason
about the sign is because if you going out there or you inspectors or whatever has a a business in the UE zone that has a sign, you cannot just single out this store and that store and when a vegetable store is over there and the other one has a worse sign to put it out
and then UC is not going to come out and say, "Listen, I'm going to fund you with $15,000 because you in this UC zone and you we could fund you a new sign. You're not going to do that. But they demand them to put the sign down. If not, they're going to give him a ticket. While the sign was approved by by the
division of uh of UC uh UCCC and and zoning. So if I was approved by the city to have the sign, now you telling me that you have to put it down. Something is wrong there. So I I look at your business plan
my friend like this and all the pictures that I see all those meeting was conducted in one side of the city one side of the city when we have a big ue zone and like you say look at the map
the map of UE is big don't concentrate in just one zone council president before is Councilman Cotton, then it's Councilman Jackson, and then Councilman Mendes. Hi.
Thank you, uh, Madame Clerk. Um, as I'm reading this resolution, it says, um, that we must adopt a 5-year plan, but it says, um, where's the date?
August 17, 2021. So then that would only take us to August 17, 2025. Are we starting from September of 2025 then going into September of 2029?
What years are we going into? Okay. Now, as I read this, it says they want the input from city council members, the community, the businesses, but then you go further
down and you say approve a plan. So, how you got asking for input and then you want us to approve a plan. Now, which one is it? Like, because and I want to say that Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver bought the UEE back. Yeah.
Yeah. May she rest in peace. But she was the one that brought the UEE back into our cities uh for the extra funding that we get. So now are you asking for our input or you already got an in you already have it and I don't know where it's at.
But one thing I learned when I went to the convention and less of cities and municipalities, the UEE zone money is supposed to also help small businesses. It's also supposed to beautify areas. It's also supposed to make areas look
differently. Now, are you asking us for our for our for our comments or are you already presented a plan, which is this, which I'm not sure which one you mean. I'm not sure because if you want some input, small business is important.
Beautifying the area is important. making it um uh putting up nice signs, putting up nice lanterns, those are important to improve communities. So are you and and let me ask you one more question. The CME associates are they
doing all 30 municipalities? 37 municipalities. So this one company is doing all not all company. know every every municipality has their own way or process of getting uh any consulting service to do their job to the to to create their master plan. Uh we went
through a process of the resolutions uh we went with CME Associates uh to create this draft plan. Okay. For your approval after you approve your resolution, I'll be asking the state to adopt the 5-year master plan, which But where's the plan? That's what we're asking you now. Where is it? I don't see
it. Like you want me to go through all of this and see the plan? Well, the five master is No, I'm just asking you. I'm sorry. You okay? You're asking in the resolution for our input and then you go down two more paragraph. Then you're saying that you already have a plan. So this is the plan.
But why you asking us for the why you asking for our input? So in this resolution, so the states required uh city council members for their approved resolutions. Okay. So I can read through this and take out what I think is not necessary. We I can't take suggestions but you know
this is we have worked on for for a year you know maybe I don't think that sounds correct it just um you asking for our input then you already given us an input so I can't tell you what input to put in here that's what I'm trying to figure out
what input do I give you cuz I know one thing for a fact uee was supposed to help small businesses that was one of Lieutenant Shil Lieutenant Governor Shil Albert concern concerns about helping small businesses get established and to stay established. So tell me,
no, I'm asking for this plan I'm asking for this plans approved by you so I we can present to the state for their adoptions. Yes. Okay. I think that what happened is too is that Councilman Jackson said what is the plan? The the plan is front of us. That's what
we drafted. Thank you very much, Councilwoman uh and Councilman Jackson. Director, thank you for your time. So, what exactly is your position? I'm the urban enterprise zone director for city of Patterson. You're the director of the UEE for the
city of Patterson. Have you ever worked in this capacity before? No. This any place else? I don't mean here in Patterson. I know you weren't our UEE director. Have you ever been a director of uee before? No, this is the first. Have you ever been employed for the ueiz
before? No. Uh, this So you have no experience. Did you write the plan? I didn't. I hired a outside consulting service. Of course you hired an outside consulting service. I know you did that. How much did we pay them?
Uh, not to exceed $123,000. It's approved by you. Not to exceed $123,000. How much are we paying you? What's your salary? Is it more than 100? No. I mean, what do you mean? You don't have to say it's public. Your salary is public.
$85,000. It's in the public budget. $85,000. That's my salary. So, we're paying you $85,000. His salary is public. I know, but you it is, but people can look it up. I mean, you putting him out there. You're discussing How am I putting him out there? You're discussing his salary, Council.
He's a city employee, Councilman Jackson. And you are correct. that is public. I'm just saying, you know, when we discuss Excuse me. I'm sorry. I just want everybody. First of all, when you're a public employee, you work on behalf of the
public. Your salary is public. Just like I just said, the chief of fire was the most highest paid city employee. Everybody knows what my salary is. And I'll without an issue post it here. I'm a public employee. They don't want us to
know that they got $50,000 pay increases. That's that's their issue. I bring things to the public light. My point to you is that to the public, not you. You're presenting a five-year plan today that you didn't write. Do you you
live in Patterson? Are you a Patterson resident? I'm a Patterson resident. Yes. Okay. Yes. So, personally, I would much have preferred for you to have written it despite your lack of experience. You don't you never done it before. The
mayor chose you to make you the director where you've never even worked in this capacity before. So, obviously, you don't have a clue what you're doing. We had to hire a third party contractor. Is this the gentleman that wrote it? Who doesn't live here? He doesn't live here.
So, he doesn't even know. And to Councilman Cotton's point, there was no community input, no council input. I was never You said you've been working on this for a year. You come here so unprepared. Councilman
Valz asked you how much money you have left in your budget and you told him, "I don't know, but you're the director of the UEE." So, last time you were here, you came and I know, listen, it's unfortunate.
You got to take these boxing gloves to the head because you're standing here on behalf of the mayor who's a absolute failure. He has a poor excuse for a BA who has no understanding what's going on. You're presenting a plan. We just paid somebodyund plus $25,000. We got
your the assistant uh director of economic development here. He did Did he have Did you have any input on this plan that was written? No, no input. So, the assistant director, the director of UEES, nobody had input, an outside agency just
detailed. And to Councilman Veles's point, he's completely correct. We're only specifically outlining specific places in the community because they have no clue that Washington Street uh
uh uh farmers market or uh markets has been neglected for the past 50 plus years. And and there's no there's no suggestions within this plan that you had to hire someone else to write
because you don't have experience. You don't know what the hell you're doing. I asked you the last time you was here for a report on those those um wifi uh uh $4,000 garbage cans and they're the reporting that we're getting for
calls for service from these garbage cans to DPW. You promised me you was going to send me that report. Did I miss it? Did Did you send it? I can check the email now. Did you send it?
No. So, so, so we spent millions of dollars and then we just doubled down to spend more millions while we're short on a budget for garbage cans that's never been picked up properly. You're here
presenting something that you've never had no experience in. You've never worked in the capacity of uee. We have businesses that that have spent hard-earned money on signage that to count I got to give them credit. Listen,
anybody that says I'm an automatic no. Everybody knows I listen even a broken clock is right twice a day. He's totally right. Businesses that invested $20,000 on their sign, they now are receiving infractions from the gentleman standing behind you that's just should be
overseeing because whether it's zoning or uee, he's a part of the oversight. They're getting violations for signs that they paid good money for, that they had to put a permit in for, that they got approved for, that they put the sign up, everybody said it was okay, and now
they're being violated. And you're not even here to to to refund them or at least finance. See, I've been a member of the UEE for a very, very long time. You probably was still in high school or something like that, maybe even grammar school. I put
in applications for the UEE. I received over 300 plus thousand dollars in grant funding from the UEE for the sidewalk reimbursement program, the facade program, the awning programs. You're not bringing any of that to the table. So, and you didn't write this 5-year plan
and you're just bringing it to us so we could just vote yes for it and you can let somebody else from outside the city prescribe a plan that has no benefit to the city. Explain how you expect me to vote yes on this.
The program that you mentioned, it is part of this plan and that's what we're going to do for the next five years. That is part of our visions and we're gonna be our vision or his vision. Our vision Patterson UZ Patterson UZ's vision. So Patterson UE's vision. Yes.
Someone who has no experience in the UE. Someone who's never worked in the capacity before. Are you a business owner? Have you ever owned a business? No. Someone who's never owned a business. who don't doesn't even understand the ramifications, the impact or the or the benefits of UEE. Someone
who had to hire somebody else at double his salary almost to write the plan. And this is your suggestion yet. There's no pages on here where businesses within the UEE zone had the opportunity to give feedback or to give like again I've been
a UEE and every single business on the block with my businesses. Every single one of those businesses participated in UE. You know how I know I signed them all up all of them. Did Did you visit any of those spaces and ask them for their feedback and ask them for input on how this thing should function?
We did a lot of we did a lot of community engagements over the over the Oh yeah. You have a you have a list of those businesses you spoke to, Councilman Jackson? Yes. So, I just wanted to share because I am part of the economic I'm sorry. I I would appreciate you can share with me, but I would appreciate if you allow him to answer. I'm surprised that he's not mentioning
that he reports to the director of economic development. I know exactly who he's reporting to. She was sitting there, but we we waited her out. Here's the assistant. Wasn't here. Her here's the assistant. He and he said he didn't have any input and he doesn't know anything about it either. So, and
is the director of economic development supposed to do his job because he doesn't have no experience and he's never worked in this capacity before? Is that what you're suggesting I should hold up these questions and ask her? No, I am not suggesting the director is not here. I know that that's what I'm asking.
So, what I please to the audience please right now let him please let him ask the final question and and I forgot what it was. Do you remember what it was about the input of No. Do you have a list of businesses that you visited with that
you got took input from that have had experience and been members of the UEE? You have a list. We did a community engagement part which visited many businesses within Can you name one? Just one. I'll call them tomorrow. Just name one.
You said many businesses. All I need is one. Just one name. It's part of this list. All I need is one name of one business. Community engagement in some part of the urban enterprise zone area where we had a lot of businesses came in and we we we took their Can I get three names of three
businesses that participated? This list I I it's part of this list. Yes, it's in the five-year master. But you're incapable of naming one of the businesses. It's part of this master plan. It's in there. Yes. Yo, my man, listen. May maybe maybe
maybe there's a maybe there's a a language barrier or something. I'm not sure. Maybe Councilman Udin can help out. Again, my question I'm sorry, Miss Black. I'm sorry. Count I'm sorry because I I don't want the gentleman
I don't want the gentleman to not hear the question properly. Yeah. Did you you visited businesses? You said there's many that participated in this process. Yes. Is there a list in the here that I could look at? Yes, the part a list of all the businesses.
All the participant information is in there. All the the participant information is in there in the five year master. It's called the Can you go to the page and read it? Read one of the business's names off for me. Yeah, just one. That's all I need. Assistant
director, uh, please you can you can feel free to jump in and save him cuz he's crashing and burning right now. It's on page number if I I think that I'm sorry. I still have the floor. Councilwoman. Yeah, but that's a guy from the CME ready. One one second. Let him talk.
One second. It has to be order. This is the community engagement part with all the listing of the names and the business owners that were part of the community engagement process to create this master plan. Yes, we took their feedbacks. Uh what is missing? What needs to be improved? It looks like you have about what 12
names there. How many names? That's a lot. Yes, it's a lot. I see a half a page that has a a huge title block on the top of it. It doesn't seem to be a lot. How many businesses are listed there? It's part of of the master plan that I
have sent the link to how many businesses on that page that you're referencing. How many businesses were were were there? You can't look to the side. Nobody can save you. You got to be able to answer these questions yourself. You're getting paid to do a job. You should be able to answer.
Sure. Approximately So, director 15 I'm sorry, council president. Yeah, let me um so there's 15 businesses. The uee spans and just this is a point of reference for the public. The UEZ spans all of Main Street all the way down from
lower Main Street all the way down just about almost to the hospital. Then it goes beyond that in South Patterson. All of Main Street there, Railroad Avenue, portions of that, Grand Street, 10th Avenue. Yes. Market Street, Park Avenue, and of all
those places the in fact within the board of health, there's well over 5,000 businesses that are listed, you've managed to speak to 15 businesses within the entire span of the uee.
There's 15 UEZ businesses on Grand Street alone, but you have managed to encapsulate the perspectives of all of the UEE businesses with 15 businesses. They're part of the participants. Yes,
we that's not even 1% sample rate. Well, they were notified uh through the business associations and they participated in those. What business associations were they notified through?
It was South Patterson business assoc business associations, 21st Avenue uh business community was also notified to participate in this in this community engagement part. Yes. So, what business associations are on 10th A? What business associations are on Grand Street?
I I don't I don't have that. But you're the UEE director. How do you not know? It's not my responsibility to the comm. It's not your responsibility to do what? It's it's not my responsive business association. That's not my resp. But it
was your responsibility to bring forward this plan. And within the responsibility of bringing forward this plan, was it not your responsibility to speak to the businesses that are within the the zone? We we did as much as we can. Yes. Over a year. And all you managed to
speak to was 15. Well, it's a process in place. We took step-by-step process in this. Not just entirely was community engagement part. There was also information about history, zoning, planning, and other information is part of this
of which none of which have you shared with the people who is impacting most the businesses, the council, those of us that live here. You had an outside agent write the plan that's going to impact all the
businesses that's in this community and you legitimately feel like what you're bringing forward is sufficient. You don't even know what the budget current budget is within the UEZ and you think that this plan presenting a plan that somebody else wrote that you had no
input on that we had only 15 businesses have have a communication with. You think that's sufficient? council position. All right. So, you already know my director before we move forward, right, director, all the questions andor
concerns that were asked, just take them, make note of them. The item will be on regular. So, make sure you're able to um answer some of those questions, even talk about those that did not participate. You made the reach, they did not participate. Make sure that's a
part of the dialogue. uh next week it will be on regular council members if we're able to move forward because we have an executive session and we still have a public portion council council m and then councilman thank you council president before council
because I know um as I read the for the uee I know that they do um loans that are zero interest um sales tax I know right there on route 20 you got
microenter, Lowe's, um that high price appliance shop, you know, you know, people go there from other areas because the their sales tax is only 3 4%.
Which is a big difference from 7%. So they go there. So I know that's a a UEE zone, but now the gentleman that's standing there, you are part of the CME, right? So you had to um you know sometimes you may not like the answer but that's the answer. Like the
government tells you you have to hire a firm to help you put plans together. They tell you that and if you don't hire someone on outside to help you put a plan together. Just about everybody use the engineer firm now for for everything. But
when you sat with our director, you helped him put this plan together. Um, can you say a few things about it? He didn't help. Yes, he is. He's a He's a CMM guy. He is paid. He paid the other guy. No, that's the other guy right there.
That's the guy. That's him. Sure. Um, isn't that him? His name is Christopher. He's from CME Associates. Is he from CNN? Right. That's the name. CME Associates. Yeah. Right. Okay, Chris Doy, a professional planner or CME associates. We were hired by the
UE to put together the UEZ 5year strategic plan. Okay, as it was mentioned before, this is not the only plan in New Jersey. We put together I personally put together a plan for Peton, which is Browns Mills, their UE and Pleasantville. And then our firm, I think we also did I want to say Belleville, but I might be wrong. We have had multiple planners working on
these. Okay. Been about a year-long process. There's a lot of sort of background information that has to go into these and analysis of the demographics and economic background of the city, things like that. There was community outreach. There was public survey as well as a business business survey. I believe we had over
400 responses to the public survey which is all in the appendices here. Uh in addition to the 15 members listed that participated in a specific meeting u that that particular signin sheet is from the South Patterson business association, there was a business survey where we had 37 additional responses uh
to the survey itself. Um, oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Regarding the participation, I I I know those numbers are low and that's very disappointing. I I completely agree with you, Councilman Jackson. However, that's not uncommon. I can specifically say, for example, in
Petton, I personally canvas the entire UE, which is about a third the size geographically the size of Patterson, but has about maybe 10% 20% of the number of businesses. personally canvased, handing out flyers, inviting every business and business owner, business employee to come out to an u
town hall breakfast which we catered everything. Um we had three people show up, one being at at the very end of the meeting. So sometimes it's difficult to get these businesses if somebody owns a small business. They don't have a lot of time on their hands to come to public meetings.
So it's I agree it is disappointing. We'd love to have input from every single business in town, but to some extent, all we can do is invite them and if they want to participate, we'll welcome that participation. But if they don't participate, we can only do so much outreach to to try and get them to
give their input into the plan in terms of the business participation. So, um, we still have we have Council Member, but before Council Member speaks, I'm just going Well, let me let Councilman Bles and then I'll speak after Councilman Boez. Councilman Boez.
So, um, you don't want to perform this, uh, fiveyear plan, right? Personally, I did not. There were other members of our staff that did. Unfortunately, the project manager who put this together actually left CME last week. So, I'm so just as a representative of CME, questions about the process. I have done this in other towns.
So, those five people that is here is the one that performed the plan. No. Uh, Nathan Foot was the project manager on this. He actually left just last week was his last AOC meeting. So, so how long and you are what position you have there?
I'm a program manager with CME Associates. Okay. So, so you you fully aware how long it took to do this plan? My understanding is it took about a year from when the contract was initially signed until year. And if it took a year and
everything that I see here that is log with a date and time it says April 28, 2025. It took only one day from the morning to the afternoon and that April 28 to put
all this together. Right. And you're telling me it took a year. Now the other part is the other part is see how much this cost to the city to do this 5-year plan. Well, this the funding comes from the state. It's not from the state.
I don't care. But how much cost? Our contract was up to 123,000 is what I 200 and what? Up to we would So let him come on. It's 123,000. That's the max we could build. I don't
believe we're anywhere near that number. So approximate it took less than $223,000 to create a fiveyear plan. 123 123 now in in in your plan here right that took a year but the date is dated
September in the bottom here 2025 and we are in September in the beginning of September and um the um data that you have of visiting business how they like they say they dirty they don't like the way it
looks whatever it took in one day one day one day of data one day because that say it's here from April 28 from the morning all the way to the night and is everything here one day right
I'm looking at page 29 of 48 right so if you look at it it says at data of one day of work going visiting all these people from the time of 1:21 in the afternoon all the way down to
it's backwards 11 11:22 in the morning to 1:21 in the afternoon. Well, the you know, so so saying that it took you a year to do a fiveyear
plan. Um, and this is the second five-year plan that you guys submit to the council if I don't if I don't or this is the first one. So, what happened to the previous five-year plan to be able to get the funding? This is the first time the state's ever required a five-year plan for the
Oh, so the state is the first time the year required. It's never been required in the past. Now, and we got all the funding before without a plan. That's correct. So, do you at least know that you did the plan? You you know what's going on
in the city, your company. Do you know how many money left we have on the without the plan? That I couldn't tell. Okay. No, just in case. Just in case. Now, are you aware of the clean comm cleaner
uh program that UEE created? Personally, no, I'm not. Are you not personally, but you heard about it? That's not That's not UEE. Okay. UEE, we stand in 21st Avenue and UEZ braves
that they hire a company to claim coder with uee funding. That's true, director. Clean commercial corridor project. Can you speak in the mic? Sure. Yes. There's a project there's an ongoing project called clean commercial corridor project. Correct. On the UE zone. Correct. And it was created by you
by Yes. Yes. So we're not talking bologoney. Councilman, we we cannot ask. So point point of order. What's the point of order now? C this councilman we don't mind that you're asking questions but to disrespect the director is I mean
and I'm disrespecting the director you are way I'm disrespecting director I'm just saying that the UC created a program a clean quarter under uee zone and he don't know but he just confirmed that was created with UE funding correct
he's a planner I know but that okay we leave him in the sign he don't know not directly he said not personally but He said that he don't know but then you jump in because you know about the program. Yes. The UE
clean quarters program right? Yes. We did a nice beautiful press conference on the Quantum Madison Street and 21st Avenue. Correct. And it was with uee funding. Correct.
It was with uee funding. Correct. Okay. So now that you confirm what I'm saying because it's true, can you before we approve this on the regular meeting, can you give me a status
of performance of that contract, days of operation, work they have performed and where are they, etc., etc. And how much they have been paid in that contract. What was that?
contract. So, uh, no, no, I want to know because listen, it's nothing against who has the contract. Let's keep that clear. They the one saying that the claim quarter
are cleaning the UEZ zone. I go up and down and you know that I could that I could show you the text that how many time I have tell you where is the clean quarter program at this
time because this area is dirty and you tell me in your text that that is responsibility of DBW to clean up and um we don't want to throw the ball back and forth like a tennis court right so I want to see where is and the status is
and there's any situation with the clean quarter, we want to know because it was approved. Thank you, Councilman. All right. Council president. Thank you, Councilman. Before uh Councilman Mendes and Council Veles, you're good. Sorry, Council President. Council President, the only question is like Well, before you ask a question.
I know. No, I know it's I'm about public portion. I know public portion and we got special meeting. I have the floor. Uh, director, this item will be on regular. What's amazing to me is, God bless her
soul, Lieutenant Governor Shila Oliver fought to make sure we had these dollars in this particular area, urban enterprise zones, not just for Patterson, but all over the state of New Jersey. And that's how the money got here. Now the state is saying instead of
you just putting money in places they're saying we need you to do a master plan for the entire city to show needsbased assessment scope of work why the money is there how much has been allocated which is in that pack packet
that everyone has in front of them that is what is being required if they don't want to do it and they want to vote no they can but all those dollars will be removed of a a lot of input from this council members that have asked for these projects. Some council members are
drilling you tonight and when this was in a press conference, they were standing right next to the mayor. They were heavy cheering the mayor on and total support of these items. Tonight, the item is only for you're trying to develop. It is a requirement. They have
given us dollars just on the strength of Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver. God bless her soul. But now they're saying, which this council has always asked for, we want to see a breakdown of where the money's going. We want to see an audit. They're saying if you want more money from us, you got to develop a plan. We
didn't even rely on own our own strength. We got a planner, project manager, and an auditor to do the plan. That is what is before us. If you have concerns or issues with that, you can send an email request or you could vote it down next week. This item is going on regular
because we need those dollars. A lot of these parks got done. A lot of uh streets got paid. We have so many things in every single ward of this city that that money was utilized for. Council So and and I'm not I agree with
it was utilized for. And so I don't mind the questioning, but to question when we're talking about a master plan and you're saying to them, well, do you know what the urban the planner is not going to know what that is? He's not from here. He was hired to be the planner to put this together. If you want to ask
those questions, you know the UAZ director knows that they created a clean clover plan. You already know that because you voted yes for it. You know it. So instead of sitting here and asking questions and oh, I just want to let the public see I'm doing something. the public know you have voted yes on
every single thing that was presented most people from the administration that was beneficial to the not me to the community and a lot of the projects that you brought forward to me all of it was beneficial the residents advocated for it we supported it we need
a plan in place so that we're not moving forward just doing whatever we want and the state will hold us accountable Mendes Councilman um Jackson and then we're going to move forward. Council President, I had requested a way before. Thank you. Um, council members, just just just give me a minute. I will be
very brief. Thank you, Council President. And I really hope that we conclude with this um uh uh debate right after because I would love to see the public uh participating on the public portion before we get into the executive section because we do have to go to the secondary section, but it's going to be
a little late after we finish. Director, um you know, you're born and raised in Patterson. Pay attention what I'm going to tell you. Um, the clean corridor is is on your shoulder. Make sure you get it right. It's been a
lot of it's been a lot of comment up there that you're not doing what you supposed to do with a clean corridor. You know, listen, I mean, I don't care that you don't have experience. You're a director. And I feel proud to have a border race
Patterson young man be the director of the UC bottom line. I'm not here to attack you. I'm not a type of person. Now what I'm going to recommend you is this and the person that is in charge of this five-year plan. In order for you to create a five-year plan, you need the input of the community. We should not
get this document. This document should not be here without the input of the community, without the input of all the business owner. And uh there was a comment in the beginning that people removing US z we're not reducing the USD zone we
expanding the USD zone. So that whole idea about people taking signs that we don't know who is that let's put up on the side if somebody has a complaint bring it to your attention and you get it done and you fix it. Are we agree on that? Now I'm not ready to vote on this
project just because and I know that you could present this a little better. I know you put a lot of work behind this. I see you out there. I see you in the community. I see you very active. Come back ready next time because I know that you are capable to answer a lot of the question that some of the council member
ask. But I'm going to get back to the input of all the business owner and the community. Don't bring that here. If you have to take this back, take it back. Include everybody. We have a lot of business owner in the city of Paris that they have no idea what is uez and they
pay a portion of the money into the ueiz. Now the way the state work is when you get some funding as a city and you don't utilize it you lose it. Yes I've been supporting all the project for the absolutely the new garbage solar
garbage. Yes absolutely but it's a responsibility of DPW to do the route and empty the garbage. It's a combination of both. It's not only the UAE. Let's not get it twisted. So, please uh I'm not ready, council president, to vote on this. There's a
lot of work to be done and the gentleman that's getting this work done. We should not voting on this unless we get all the business involved and please educate our business owner. Things are tough in the city and it's tough to be a business owner in the city because of reputation
of the city. It's hard to get customer from out of town to come to the city of Patterson. Help those business owner. Go back to them. Let them know what UC is all about. Let them know the revenue and resources that they could utilize it if they participate on this project and
bring that document completed. Get the input of the community and to some of the council member as well. I know the fifth war councilman, the first word councilman, they might have another idea that should be included on this five-year plan. That's what I'm going to say. Thank you, Council President. So,
right before um Come on, Council. Who was next? I think Council I'm next. Jackson, before Councilman Jackson, I just want to put this on the record. I as a council president, I have attached on the back of every agenda. When the committee meetings meet,
I want you to take a look at the last page. There are four council members on that committee. And I want to ask why those council members are not attending the committee meetings. You're on the economic development committee. and to take the opportunity now to have all these concerns and drill the
director when only one person attended the committee meeting. It is here. So not just on the director yes director come back with their questions but council members please attend your committee meetings because it's in those meetings when some of these questions
that we have they will be addressed or you can make recommendations to say these are some things we have some concerns. I am requesting from both sides, you know what has been presented tonight, council members, please schedule another economic development meeting before next Tuesday so the
committee members can have and if any council member wants to be in that meeting that's not on the committee, ask another council member if you could replace them for that meeting. But you have to attend the committee meetings. You can't come here and drill the director and you don't show up to committee meetings. It's not fair to the
director. It's there. say no. Only one person showed up and that was the uh committee chair. Read it out. Councilman Jackson. What's you saying? Like I'm on like I'm on the committee. Oh, no. You asked for the floor. You're not on the committee. I know I'm not on the committee. I got for the floor. I didn't get any
important committee uh assignments because uh uh you know there's obviously been you know they don't want these hard questions asked. Now, Councilman um Mendes, got a bit of a correction for you. This is not a debate. A debate is two sides. And right
now all this is is a beating because he came unprepared. And you know there's no excuses for that. There's no excuses. And it's nothing personal. I don't want you to take this beaten personal, right? This is this is not your fault. They throwing you to the fire. You know what it's
like? I've been teaching martial arts for 25 years. If I take you as a new student white belt and take you to a fight and and where you fighting uh uh fighters that have loads of experience, is that going to serve you well? No, it's not serving you well. You never served in the capacity.
Do Can you imagine the Giants owner hiring a head coach that never coached before, that never played before? That Oh, I watched it on TV. I played Madden and he just hires a head coach that did that. So, it's not it's it's not on you,
but you have to wear the the the the um the the grunt of it. Now, people commenting on clean corridors, taking shots at the the company that's been hired. He was a local guy who, by the way, is being paid a fraction of
what the previous company was doing, who's out here busting his hump, personally, hiring Patterson people. But we have people questioning what went on, what's going on with the clean corridors thing. And I'm I'm really curious if he had did Did that company have any input
or speak to the uh to the consultants about this plan? No, not even the person that's actually doing the cleanup in the corridor. It this just doesn't get great. So, a a lot of work, Councilman Mendes said a lot of work went into this. He did no
work. He hired a subcontractor. Only work that he's doing now is sweating through through this evening's questioning. The other thing is to the consultant, you talked about Peton and I don't know,
Bloomfield, whatever. Have you guys ever written a plan of a comparable city close to Patterson, for example, Newark or Jersey City? Talking about a UEE plan specifically or master plan. Uh, ue master plan.
UZ, this is a new thing. Master plans. I personally wrote the 2014 city of Patterson master plan. your first word redevelopment plan. Your fourth word redvelment. You're going too fast. Too fast. I'm sorry. I' I've written many plans for the city of Patterson. Your 2014 master plan. I prepared that. Yeah. I wouldn't I wouldn't have put that on record if I was you cuz that
those master plans need to be totally do you I don't think you've ridden around the city lately cuz those master plans have absolutely destroyed the city of Patterson and the overdevelopment the uh the use of the um uh uh uh not the urban enterprise zone the um
the redevelopment zones destroyed Patterson. Those of us who are from here we don't even recognize it. Maybe you should get a social media page and friend some people that used to live in Patterson and not I can't find there's very few people probably on one hand and that's only because they're delusional
or they probably you know using some kind of additional substances where they believe that the master plans that have been in place have been adequate for the city. So I would definitely not you know put that flag up. Uh the question is simple. You wrote a plan for the master plan for redevelopment I mean for the
UEE for communities like Pimton. Have you ever have you ever participated with a city that's somewhat similar to Patterson? North, Trenton, Jersey City, Camden. We have done work in Jersey City. I worked in New for the UE master plan. I'm not saying
you guys is new. UEe is new. So, we've done Peton, which is Browns Mills. When what year did you do what year did you do Peton? Uh, Peton adopted their plan about three months ago. Three months ago. So, it's recently written. Okay. So, um, back to the
assistant director. Assistant director, you've been awfully quiet, man. I just want to I have a a question for you. Yes, sir. What exactly is your position again? I'm sorry. As an assistant director, my role is to assist uh the director of economic development, but mine is a bit
different. I'm not involved in the policy procedures environment. mindset is more of boots on the ground dealing with zoning department CI uh the UCCC department in the personnel items. So I brief I just want to say uh Mr. V excuse
me council thank you for highlighting those issues regarding the signs if you can please shoot me an email and I will address look into that right away as well as anyone who is requesting these items verbatim. So I I would like to I would like to receive that communication as well of
the businesses that was targeted by those that answer to you. But but so prior to this, have you worked in the capacity that you're in for any other municipality before? Municipality? No, sir. I've been in the private sector for 30 years. So you've never worked in the capacity
of assistant director of economic development before. Have you ever worked, did work, or are you familiar with the work that takes place within the UE? No, sir. You never done it as well? No. Okay. So, you're only really here standing up there because the director
had to leave early. I am here to support director Roy here. But you can't provide any information. You don't have any experience. And you and you didn't have take part in writing this plan either. I have experience in the private sector regarding uh contracts, regarding
private. There's nothing in this plan that has to do with contracts. No. Okay. Okay, that's not part of because you know what's the normal practice what would normally happen like let's just say if a if a um like I'm just going to use it in this context
previously the BA and I even give Kathleen Long listen I gave Kathleen a a world of problems because I don't believe her intent was in the right space but capacity and capabilities was not a place where she was lacking when
your employee is bombing I I mean, just burning up. You should have been able to step in and answer some of the questions that he just didn't have any answers for. You're absolutely correct. But in my role as an assistant director, it is
more specific to the personnel items and not policy procedures. You don't oversee him at all. I oversee him in regards to into the items of not policy procedures or contract agreements, none of that. No sir. of the operations. Mine is more is
on items that he needs my assistance of as far as employees and items such as that nature, not to deal with anything with contract policy procedures or any of that items. So listen, I'll just say this and it listen I I I I apologize in advance because it's not
necessarily your your fault. I mean, you're a resident of the city, so you should understand this. And right now, the residents are not getting their value. They're not. We are not we're not getting our value. It is no different. Do you Could you imagine? I mean, I know
you don't know football, but me, I never played cricket. You played cricket before? Yes. I would be no help to you. None. I would stink it up. They would they would be booing me from the top stands. You know what I would do? I would never put that uniform on and go out there and parade
myself as a cricket player. We can't have a a municipality where we have people who are directors, assistant directors. And I know the director has an extensive amount of experience, but she's being expected to do everyone's job because the people who are under who
are underneath her have no experience at all. I mean, you just basically getting jobs because you got a a a hookup more or less. So, you know, when we when and this is not to you cuz maybe oh it's
personal. It's not personal. No, it's the facts. It's the facts that when you go outside, we have those garbage cans that we spent $750,000 for. They're all overflowing. They're is is rats. I took video of rats. When I grew up in this
city, there was never a rat problem. My father told me about rat problems before. There was never a rat problem. But now the health officer is off on vacation. You got rats running around
here all over the place. You're taking uee grant money and buying million-doll garbage cans with them that's supposed to talk to DPW. They supposed to send DPW text messages. And then you got council members blaming DPW for these
cans being overrun. Listen, I'm not telling you what to do. I would resign, brother, if I was you. I would I would resign because I would and and but it's not just this department. The BA has never served in this
capacity. Oh, he was a BA for the county, right? You're the BA. Councilman Jackson, I'm I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Council President. I'm speaking. I I know Council One second. He's never served in this capacity before. The personnel director never served in that capacity before. We had a
personnel director would have loads of 30 years of experience, master's degrees. We pushed him out. The CFO is a requirement. Mr. Ba, in case you didn't understand, within our charter, it's required for him to sit there all night.
He's out probably, you know, doing what he's done does. This is not it's not personal. This is me defending the public's best interest. That's it. That's it. And if you had to be a
casualty, don't blame me. Blame the mayor. He put you in that position. He never sent you for training. He let you bring up false charges against employees who then turn around
and sue the city. Now the taxpayers got to pay that that bill for of which corporation council and the mayor keep pushing that can down the down the line while Dave Gilmore is going to hit the city off for over the head for about $5 million and you guys you had the audacity to
come listen just understand this put the word out you come here I'm going to hold you accountable if you're getting paid a salary I'm going hold your ass accountable each and every night whether you like it or [Music] You may not want to invite me to the
barbecue. That's fine. I can't answer for everybody else. And I'm going to just say this last thing cuz what's really sad, what's terribly sad is how we bring up, you know, sensitive information that uh God bless her soul,
the former assistant attorney general, I mean um whatever her um Sheila Oliver's position was, how she fought for this money. She fought her loss of life in vain for this money because now it's being wasted. That's right. And the community is not going to
realize the benefit because the people that we have in charge to run it don't have a damn clue on what they're doing. And if that's not factual, and by the way, for the record, I've never changed my vote on anything. You can't attest to me. You can't point out
one vote that I've ever initiated or made where you could challenge me not being accountable. So listen, man. You got to do better. If this comes up for next week, you could count on it. I'm going to I'm going to lay into you again
because this is just this this just it's unacceptable to be this unprepared. Unacceptable. Councilman Odin. Thank you, Madam uh Council President. I want to thank you madame clerk. So
director first of all uh I would say that you are the youngest director in the city of Patterson and first Bangladeshi descent directors in the city's history. So I I really commend you that you stepped out in your work in helping the city out. You are Patterson
public school product young man. We can we can pick on you um personal level. I don't know some is it straight it goes like is it good? I I got you. I I got it. So it is very easy to personally
attack someone and I I don't really like it that part that that you have experienced today. What I'm trying to say right here is when you are and I'm giving a real life example. One of my student came to me and said uh Mr. Dean I have applied for a job and every job I
apply for they're asking for experience. If if they don't even give me a job then know where where are they going to get experience from? So exactly what you exactly asking for. So I think this is a learning process for you and I I see that it can you can do great job. So let me come to the you know point that what
I exactly wanted to mention. Yeah please do nothing nothing personal. Um council president I think you should handle the meeting proper way that I don't want to be interrupted by any council members. So, director, so what are I know that
you have work uh walked to the uh businesses and I was reached out by your team multiple times. Um Crystal, Sharma, yourself and other members of your uh board. You guys walked spoke to the businesses. I know
many business that do not want to be part of it for what for whatever reason whether there's a gap of uh or or uh you know miss they don't understand why it is important to be part of it that education needs to be taken place where
the business get encouraged to be part of it and I I like to see that as as happening before the strategic plan is in place. I feel that you could have done better job and I say I mean if I just take a
look at this I'm not saying this is this is something really bad. I'm not saying that I mean when we are picking on you asking question maybe you are not ready to answer all the questions I think you know but the paper whatever you have submitted if you have covered just this
paper I think many questions be answered but what I'd like to see more if I say constructive criticism that I see only two community forums are taking place which is 21st a U and south Patterson why not other areas
attend This doesn't matter. You initiated people did not show up one two whatever numbers but initiate uh you should have initiated other other areas first row second word if you go to Indian avenue uh from you know all the way down to the first word you should
have tried to um involve more inclusive to all the businesses. So I think you should go to all the areas to hear from everyone. when you're hearing from two different locations just know this when we are speaking about the press conference and everything uh and I would
say I have some kind of um uh disagreement of many of these press conferences and that's why I don't attend many of these just know this um and many of these press conferences taking place from these two areas and and if you just take a look at just with the community forum it looks like that
you you have special magnifier glasses to these particular areas other and uh and and ignoring the other areas. That's exactly it shows. So I want to see you are you are listening from other neighborhoods, other businesses that
also part of current EOG map and when you come to the council right here, we deal with the public directly everyday basis. We hear their problems. I think you should hear from the council members as well that what we think from our
experience dealing with the people in the city of Patterson what do we think should be added here. So I think before you submit this there should be a flexibility that where we council members can give our input and it should include all the community members when
saying uh so many people keep an arm to myself as an experience that even before I became council member I I took the initiative to sit down with uh Union Avenue business areas and wanted to have an organization but trust me just to save $50 monthly many of the organ many
of the business even did not get included. Even when last year when I have tried to and you you know about that part that when I have requested you to um decorate Union Avenue right to a um areas I sat down with the businesses I said I'm
going to provide the uh volunteers to decorate your businesses but you just give us permission that we can decorate your business because we want to attract people to come into our city come into the neighborhood but many of the business actually ignored us or we let you know they didn't even get back to us
I understand the the uh you know uh communication and and and lackings that that that happens once you get on the field but as a city employee and and and and energetic person I I like to see that better way you are proceeding with this so I like to see other community
forums that taking place other areas not only two neighborhoods that's one uh special request also giving us the council member opportunity to support you that what else you can have added to this I understand you have expert planner but
just know this we have real life experience we walk in the neighborhoods we see people's crisis businesses what was crisis business are going through we are not very welcoming to the businesses we are losing business from our city right when we voted for the uh budget
introduction earlier today right and we are we are just targeting the resident why because we are so dependent on the homeowners because we are not looking forward to welcoming new businesses. How can we attract business in our city?
So I want to be part of that initiative go extra mile and come up with a strategic plan that where we can see more businesses coming to our city. So I would say just don't just just push it to the next meeting. If you need to take some time do so have some community
forums in other neighborhoods and if anything council members can be done uh and I'm to go myself I'll be open to assist you with this. No thank you president. No you say no to me you say a workshop we quax for the first
I'll be very quick because I'm I'm extremely disappointed by that. Yeah, for Councilman Udin to say that I'm picking on first of all, please understand that that's that's furthest furthest from the truth. I would I would No, I'm sorry. Just give me a moment. I would prefer for you to
outline which questions I asked that was inappropriate. If there's one question that that you can point out that I asked that's inappropriate, but I'm going to tell you, I'm going to give you a bit of critique. You said I'm picking on him. You said no, but I'm going to give you a bit of critique and he has the floor. You asked
me to set order and I'm doing it. You just asked me to set the corn when I asked him about what was the what was the thing. Right. So Sure. You can you can rebut whatever you like. Councilman. Okay. Just to interrupt. I should not have the council. You're out of order.
Council Jackson has the you can answer after because this is a this is directly directed at you because what's very disappointing is especially Councilwoman Dava. We always touting on how because I and and No, no, listen. This is okay.
It's not I'm not talking bad about you. Trust me. When a director when the housing authority director come here, I equally distribute it to her. Black woman, I don't care. She's she served our community a disservice. Whoever it is, I'm equally all the time
very consistent. And I'm not saying he's being nice to you because you guys are from the same community because I I don't think I don't maybe he's just he's just a nice guy. But that's not what our job is to do, right? But what but he doesn't understand that. And see what's disappointing for me is how we always
tout how well how high performing our Bangladesh students are. And look what the representation we have. He has absolutely no clue on what he was talking about. He rambled on for for 20 for for however long, two minutes. And that right there is
totally irresponsible. Sir, I'm getting text messages about like, wow, what a what a I I should just let Siri read it because the entire response had nothing to do with what went on. You never, you know, talked about his his uh uh
inability to present a a clear, rational plan, and then you're defending him. I mean, that was an embarrassment. Um, madame clerk, this item is moving forward. Council president, one second. This item is moving forward. President,
we have no vez was first and Udin was next. And then I I haven't had the floor and I after me. You could take it after me. Thank you very much, Councilman. I do appreciate. Council President Councilman has I'm I'm just going to just say the floor. No, I didn't. always stated in our
committee meeting. I didn't give you a because mine mine is short. Oh, I thought I thought you No, no, I didn't. I did. Uh I thought you were giving me council last make it quick. You Thank you. Um I say after me though u so
so once again I hold all evidence in my phone. this statements of residence and you say you visit you went to 21st Avenue you went to this association you went over there and that's how you got the data of
the information you need to go and and create a five-year plan this data that I have that I see here with me the date and times it was a survey that you guys sent
to people could respond How you know? Are they business owners? No, you're not targeting business owners. You are targeting sir. Hold on. Um, sir, hold on. No rebuttal, please.
Is a easy easy cake. You know, let's put this you let's put this survey out there. Let's put the respond of the people whoever. That's why I noticed here that people are talking about filtered city, full of drugs, full of homeless, full of this. And I say this
is not it looks like it's related to a business owner because yes it will affect the business owner. They see squatterers all over the city of T Patterson. But what we want want is that the direct contact with business owner to met their
needs to perform a better business in the city pass and better yet to see if they could get a quality of life through that. Right. and and and and as Councilman Mendes stated, you know, this should be more a one-on-one doortodoor
uh um u visited to every business and get their concern and see how this funding could help them to improve their business in signage, equipment, employment and all that stuff. It's a business plan. They put a business plan
to you guys. You sit them financially, right? That's how UE works. even not just create members and then oh oh we got 500,000 members in the UE but they're not getting service from the UEE now right now last but not least I know you
guys mentioned about we have support the UE funding yes we do we just support it for you guys could perform it right yes we stand I stand in in in press conference announcing the
good things that you guys going to bring But you know what? I realize it because they haven't delivered. Well, the mayor haven't delivered what he says. So, I regret every press conference I stand on it because they didn't deliver after he spoke. After spoke,
Councilman and and and the last but not least, you just said last. Last but not least, on 2023, we stand I believe 2023 2024. No, 2023. We stand on River Street to answer his questions
announcing that River Street will not longer be a river and that was going to be completed for 2024, but not yet. But yes, I bet it's going to be completed before 2026 May, right? When people cars are suffering
and and all that stuff and residents. So I regret and that's why he don't invite me anymore press conference. You know why? Because he gave me the word. I said, "Yes, great. He announced something good, but it's not working." Thank you, Councilman. Thank you, Councilman. So, right before Councilman
order and Councilwoman Dava, let me say this again. This is only an application to the state. It is a fluid document. There's more things that have to be done after if they even approve it. It this is not even adopted. They're just going
to the state in an application. Right. council members, everything you're saying is accurate. They can do all those things, but they want to present the application to the state. We just app we just move forward other items. We're were applications on this one. You're like, you got to do
this. We understand all of that. This clearly is a state requirement that you put this application forward. All the things you're asking that they go to other places. They clearly stated in the beginning there were two different surveys. One for residents, some were
for business. They clearly stated that and then you're continue to to pontificate if I can say it the least. Council members, this is an application mandated by the state so that we can continue to receive dollars from urban
enterprise zone through DCA. This is what this is for. All the things that you're requesting, the ideas and recommendations, yes, they can be a part of the moving forward, but we got to get an application into the state. There's a deadline. That's why we have it before and I've heard some people say remove
it. Next week you could vote it up or now but we cannot remove it because we will miss it on regular. We will leave it on regular and you can choose to vote yes or no. But I'm not going to be the person that when someone needs the park renovated and we don't have the money in our budget like Councilwoman Ames wanted money. I'm not
going to be the person to say to Councilwoman Ames no because we didn't put an application. I voted no. No. This is what we need to do is move into regular. Um, and then if you want to vote yes or no, that's your choice. Councilman Uden, please briefly Council President
and then Councilwoman um Dava and then we're going to move into the next session. Uh, thank you, Council President. When you said briefly, just know this, we we speak really short and to the point. You don't have to actually remind certain council members that you have to be
short or on the point. So uh moving forward uh council president I one thing one thing about me is I never judge my council colleagues whether their question is appropriate inappropriate logical not logical that's not my job
and I never question on anybody's point what I said is when you're personally attacking someone give let me give you an example salary of a director or an ECT employee and I'm talking about myself is public that's very true but on a contact when you're asking hey how much are you
making how much school is paying the the the purpose is is belittling you is undermining you that's the purpose you're not saying about pnic knowledge what distracts me is when we are lacking this sir it's my sorry it's my floor
it's my floor inappropriate council is my floor he has the floor this is councilman Jackson he has the floor and this is council president this is my floor so let me speak right but point of order I said it in the beginning that you if you don't want
to be disrespected, you cannot give it. You cannot give the disrespect. Thank you. Comments are being made and then you're choosing to go back and forth which is going to cause another rebuttal. The community is sitting here waiting to speak. Yes. If you are really for the community, then what you're saying to go back and
forth with another council member is right now irrelevant. The public needs to speak. This item is moving forward. We've already determined that. So to take the moment to say, uh, council, uh, you don't have to tell us this. Yes, I do. Because you're talking
about what's not on the agenda. You are going, you're addressing a council person because he said something. We have to move forward. We still have items on the agenda. We have 11 speakers from the public that are waiting to speak and we have a lawyer that we're playing by the minute and directors
that's been here since six o'clock in the morning. So I am asking I am asking the council members if you can wrap up your your speech so the public can speak. I want the p to hear from the public. What you're saying has nothing else to do with the director. The
director has already came. He heard you. Let's move on so we can close this portion and go and hear from the public. I am asking respectfully to my council colleagues. Council president. Council president. Council president. One more time. you you are what you just said it's not
really I'm attacking someone I'm clarifying my positioning one more time when I gave the director my idea that he should host some forums the other neighborhoods listen to the council member suggestions that's exactly what I stated in my
conver uh statement and again I'm I'm stating it but when you are when you are portraying a different way that I am saying someone's statement is inappropriate kind of I never state that and and again council president when you said something that oh you should be on
the point make sure that you said the same thing to all the council members okay I don't think so I don't want to fight on this but we are not speaking we are not speaking on the agenda most of the time we're not speaking on the agenda council president thank you so council president
councilwoman Davo so I'm going to I'm going to council president I'm going to direct this to our ba This is what happens when the director of the department is not here because he reports to someone and we had a meeting.
Wow. There was a meeting done. There was a meeting done. Yes, there were questions that you asked the director that should have been addressed by the director. None of these of economic development. Just one second because I didn't interrupt you.
That's great. Go ahead and and all and all I'm going to say is this. And this goes for every this goes for everyone. This is not just the economic development director. This is, you know, when DPW is sitting back there. He knows that he has all these items. There's going to be questions. He can't send
someone that can't answer all the questions. He has to be here, right? He's a direct correct director of is the director of That's terrible. UZ under economic development director. You know who called the meeting? You
know, you see I'm speaking right now. Council Jackson, you know who called the meeting for this? It was the director of economic development. She said we need a committee meeting. Within that committee meeting, the director of ueiz is there. All right. So, I just wanted to say
director I mean Mr. Bang all of our directors we had our which through the council president we had our director of public safety. He got hurt. He had to leave. That's a different she left without even saying anything like I have to leave. Normally that's what happened.
Directors reach out and say hey you're the chair of the committee or you're the vice chair. I have to leave for emergency reasons. That can happen. So I'm just saying we need to especially in workshops when all of the council members have questions to ask. Yes, there are certain things, you know, and
and you know, uh uh uh um director, when we're in committee, you know, I ask you all the questions and I'm like, get ready to present and there are times where the director of an e economic development says, you know, I'll be able to speak on X, Y, and Z. All right. So, with that said, I just wanted to say
that statement. This is not for rebuttal with anyone. I have the right to make a statement, address our BA, address our corporation council. And in this matter, I try not to to address the council because it becomes very um Thank you. Can I have a motion controversial?
A motion to uh a motion to open public. Yes, he he's okay. Council colleagues, a motion to So move. Thank you, director. A motion to uh So move a move by Councilman Mendes, second by Counciloman Dava. Roll call
to close. No, no, we're not closed. No, no, no. To go into to go into public. Yeah, we don't have to. We don't have to do that. You're done. Thank you. It's moved for You're done. Thank you, director. Thank you, director. Madame Clerk, um can we go into public
portion? We have approximately 10 10 or 11 speakers. You each have three minutes of peace to speak. Please speak clearly. the timer is on. Once the timer is off, uh it will be the next speaker. Um we
have constituent services. He is here. He's sitting in the back. So after you have your concerns, he will be able to address them. First speaker, madame clerk. Yes. The first speaker is Deborah Hannibal. Kindly state your name. Miss Hannibal. Miss Hannibal.
Thank you. Good evening. Good evening, Deborah Hannibal. Where's Constituent Services? Uh, good evening, Madame Clerk. The administration. I would love for us to be able to
re-imagine Patterson. That's what we need to do. We need to re-imagine Patterson, a city that really works. For instance, if we keep doing what we've always done, we're going to keep getting what we
always got. For someone to stand here to say $123,000 was spent and that they only saw three people, three businesses. Do it a different way. There's money in that contract to hire
somebody to go to every location. You can talk to every business. Re-imagine. Think and do it another way. do it a better way because we're not getting results. And it's just so frustrating and my
clock is ticking and and it's just so frustrating that I come here to talk about something and I'm just it's disappointing because Patterson wasn't like this. It hurts my heart and I'm being honest. It hurts my heart to see what is happening. People are being
allowed to destroy this city and I want us to come out and vote. That's what I really want to say is that the city was shaken up during the primary, but only 15% of registered voters voted.
We need people to vote cuz we can make a change. Don't give up. It's not the time. Our ancestors don't want us to give up or give in. We can take our city back. So what we have the League of Women Voters or Patterson is working
with other organizations to do a million voter project and I've already got a commitment from council person Omar to work with me and I'm going to ask for others. I'm asking every church I'm asking for all hands on deck. They have
a popular song boots on the ground. I want boots on the ground on September 21st at 200 p.m. We're going to register people to vote. We're going to get them engaged because the election is November 4th and we can affect change. The other
thing I want to talk about is the finances. The finances are horrible, horrible. The CFO, where is the CFO? when he saw this person drowning about a budget question, he should be able to answer that. We should be a team.
You shouldn't let somebody just hang out here and just fail when you have people that have the the financial information that should be on a laptop at their fingertips. This is not how we do business. This is embarrassing. And I don't want to come up here and be this
upset, but I'm so embarrassed. I'm embarrassed. Thank you, Miss Hannibal. Next speaker, Madame Clerk. The next The next speaker is Victor Herbz. Thank you.
Please state your name. Good evening, Mr. Bas. Uh, thank you. Uh, just want to, you know, uh, some time ago, a couple of weeks back, Professor Joe Keys asked me to come on his behalf as a character witness.
As to the details of the situation, I was not here to witness him. But nonetheless, I didn't want to ask him why because I know Mr. Keys or Professor Keys that is back in May, he invited me to his class as a speaker sociology class at PCC which I attended
and uh we we went at it for a good hour and 20 minutes with the students there. The level of respect engagement, [Music] the level of respect and engagement
and interaction that went on just reminded me of what education is really about. It's not about memory and memorizing and filling the bucket. It's about like that fire as a quote on as a quote says and that fire was on on that
day. And I just want to give Professor Keys really the credit. I am an educator myself before I was an attorney for 10 years. That is my major and every
box was checked off in his classroom and I just want to really speak on his behalf because of that. And I think that Professor Keys as an individual is an exemplary human being that needs to be
respected. Does he speak his mind? Yes, as he should. We have what we call the first amendment, right? Let him speak his mind. And sometimes when you speak your mind is a threat to other individuals who may feel
that, you know, I don't know, uncomfortable about it. But that's what we do. We speak in this country. I had the opportunity to go to school in many places. The the South in Georgia, South Africa where I studied, Manhattan
College here in the area, you know, Baltimore, and if I were to register in a classroom again and I see the name Joe Keys, social sociology, I would sign up for
that class in a heartbeat. So, I just want to make sure that it's on the record the kind of person, the kind of human being, the kind of professor this this this man is. And over the time that I've known him, he's
gained nothing but my respect. And individuals like that in the classrooms and the colleges are much needed. As you know, we had an article that came out recently about our educational system here and the the performances and we are
the 20 20 percentile in in in mathematics. Thank you, Mr. Abias. Science. Next speaker, Madam Clerk. And we should have Thank you, Mr. Abias. Next speaker, Madam Clerk.
Give information as to how Mr. Abias, your time is up. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. God bless you. Next speaker, madam clerk. Next speaker is Joel Keys Jr. [Applause]
Good evening, Mr. State your name. Joe Keys Jr. I'm going to talk about the ego defense mechanism subjective suppositions. The opposite of subjective is objective which refers to evidence or
facts and subjective refers to emotions and in this case hurt feelings. Councilman VeZ has a propensity to resort to this ego defense mechanism which means to suppose something exists when it doesn't. Councilman VeZ goes to
the extent of making things up. There are two recent examples of this. One happened at the last meeting when he said to me, quote, "You a professor at Pate Community College and I have complaints of parents how you teach regarding us."
When he said this, I immediately thought back to his statement to Councilman Jackson during the infamous April 15th meeting when he said, quote, "You know what I included in my letter to the attorney general? I wish Abbott could come here now and arrest you for all the
stuff you deal. What about that?" unquote. Councilman Jackson replied, "Dealing what?" VeZ then said, "You want to go personal?" Councilman Jackson said, "Say it. Say it." Of course, Valz
said nothing because there wasn't anything to say. He made it up. When Valz said he had complaints from parents about how I teach, quote, regarding us unquote, if he were referring to the religious community, his claim would
have been tenable because sociology is a social science. Religion and the social sciences are diametrically opposite each other. Moreover, I have had conflicts with students about the differences between religion and social science. The
following statement is from my syllabus. In sociology, every topic is on the table for discussion, which means many topics will be controversial. When Valz said, quote, "Regarding us" unquote, he was referring to Latinos, which makes
his charge absolutely ridiculous. And I'm going to show you why. In my syllabus, I explained, quote, "There's a new and exciting movement in higher learning consisting of equity and inclusion. Hopefully, equity and inclusion are important to all of you
because they will be a huge part of the learning experience." During the first classes, I sent around a chart that asked for students ethnicity and other personal information. I asked for their ethnicity so that I can include information about each student's
heritage. Also, I have a list of the roster that I use to keep track of the rotation in order as each student gets multiple chances to play a five-minute video which offers more opportunities for them to share information about
their lineage with the class. In conclusion, I'm going to read an excerpt from a Latina students essay to illustrate the impact on my students. Quote, I thank you for being someone whom I would love to have as a mentor in my journey. but more importantly for
helping me understand more about our people background and ultimately myself. Thank you, Mr. Keys. Next speaker, Madame Clerk. Next speaker is Valerie Idrova.
Idrova. Thank you. Good evening. Good evening, council. So, my name is Val. student at PCC and I came here on behalf of Joel Keys who is an amazing professor and I actually wanted to address what uh
Councilman Luis said about him how he has received parent complaints and I totally don't believe that because whenever Joel Keys is speaking to his students I know we shouldn't say it cuz it's like considered a bad word now but
diverse he teaches us diversity in in this college. He teaches us that it's okay to be Latino, that's okay to be black and proud. We stand for so much stuff at PCC and he is a proud educator.
And what he said earlier that he would sign up for a class again if Joel Keys was his professor, I would as well, but sadly I can't take another sociology class because I'm a nursing major. But Joe is an excellent professor and
what Luis Veles said about him was not right. Thank you. Thank you so much. Next speaker, madam clerk. Yes. The next PE speaker is Derek Penzon. Penzon.
State your name, please. Thank you. Hello, my name is Derek Pinszon and I'm a current student at PCC and I'm here to address the things about said about Mr. Keys. I think he's a wonderful and excellent professor and he
teaches us about many different topics and diverse topics about our cultures and um other cultures as well. I think that um good time
he's a great teacher and there was a student once that actually came up and was felt comfortable enough to go up to the classroom and tell a story about how she she was uh dealing with some controversies in a school that I will
not name and um that she didn't feel comfortable and that she was actually kicked out for um unfair reasons of that school and he gave uh great advice to her as well as uh a lot of the students gave support and I think it's great that
someone can uh feel comfortable in a class to speak on such a topic that might be sensitive. Um that that'd be it. Thank you. Thank you so much. Next speaker, Madam Clerk.
Yes. Next speaker is Brian Wilson. student. The student left. Next speaker. The next speaker is Veronica Watkins. Please state your name. Good evening. Um, it's Veronique, by the way.
Okay. Um, could you just pull the mic to your pass? It's very 9:20. Okay. I live in the fourth ward. I live by Montgomery Street. Now, I'm going to go home now and try to find parking. And
I want to get to understanding when they're going to stop overdeveloping the fourth floor because I every day I have to walk farther and farther. I have to park farther and farther, two blocks, three blocks to get
home. I've been on Montgomery Street for 15 years now. Okay. I used to be able to find a spot in my parking lot. I used to find a spot in front of my house. Now I cannot do that. And thank God I don't work nights anymore. I work days. So I
have to go straight home so I can get a parking spot. And then when I leave for work every morning, I see the bumper cars because as I go up Summer Street by Governor Street and people are parked hanging off the corner, the front end of
their car is missing. The back end of their car is missing. And now now that they re redid the street after 15 years, Summer Street and part of Montgomery Street. Okay. Now they put in crosswalks. Now you park in the
crosswalk. Now you got to come out to a parking ticket. So when is it going to be enough? There is not an infrastructure in place. I don't know who the city engineer is to approve this. the stop signs, the lights, the schools, the supermarkets to absorb all
of this. When is it going to stop? Because it's not it's not building any economics. It's not doing anything better. Nobody's buying a home. They're renting. So, who's paying these taxes? I don't understand. So, I'd like to get some sort of feedback. When is this
going to stop? When is it going to benefit the homeowners that live in Patterson? And to change the subject for you and to you to cuddle a grown man. The director who gets paid a lot of
money that most people would pray to have and the fact that you're going to sit there and cuddle this grown man to answer questions. Shame on you. Shame on you. He has a job. Let him do his job.
So I had to just say my piece. I sit back and I watch these meetings and I respect all of you because you all have to do a job that not everybody would have to do to go out there and speak for the people, but enough is enough. Nothing is getting done. It's just like
I said, it's just a big mess. So, I would like to see something in return for the 15 years that I paid my taxes that continues to go up every year and I see no benefits besides my car
getting tore up in tickets. Thank you, Miss Verilain. Next speaker, Madame Clerk. The next speaker is Del Shondaanda. State your name, please. Before the clock starts, pause it for two seconds,
please. Please. I asked that Grace. There was two people here that left early. I have a whole synopsis for you guys, but I want to make a comment about something I saw earlier. Is that okay with y'all? So, the process is cuz we have to be fair that to get extra time, you have to
ask in advance for the extra time because we have items on the agenda that are still left. We have lawyers that we have to handle. So, we can't allot it. But if you need time for next week, I can definitely do that for you. Okay. So,
I don't appreciate Councilman Dilla, I heard you. Before I go into my letter, and if my time cuts short, I'll ask for more time and I'll read it next week. I heard you say she's a black bee. She needed to stop this in the back of the room when the
gentleman was standing here and I could do what he did in five minutes with my PCC grad uh associates degree in communications as Joel Key student. That was wrong. I'm not the only one that heard it. That's why we were all loud in
the back. I'm going to go forward and read my letter. and I've seen you at PCC and you've barely spoken to me and I'm an outstanding student, PTK member, TRIO member, SSS and all that stuff. But this is not the first time you're seeing me. I'm actually speaking to you now. But
I've been in rooms with you where there were Dr. Norman and and the the president of the college and Professor Bear who's the dean of the education and communist department and you've act like I was a fly on the wall. And that's why it's great to be a fly on the wall
because you pay attention to everything. I'm not going back and forth. Have a great day, ma'am. Thank you for your time and your service to our community. My name is Delshonda. I stand here before you as an Afro Latino woman, a proud veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and a
Fthetic Kappa Honors Graduate with Associates in Arts and Communication from PCC. I've served overseas and here at home using my medical training to save the life of Humble Sam after his motorcycle accident. I'm also one-third of the estate of the movement of DJK Slay, a cultural pioneer in hip hop. My path has
always been one of service, scholarship, and community. I'm here tonight to speak about Professor Joel Keys. I was one of his students, and his class was one of the most challenging, but also one of the most rewarding I ever took. He pushed us to think critically beyond systems like capitalism, socialism, and communism, and how to shape the politics
around our world today. He answered every question I had, and never once felt unsafe or unwelcome. His classroom was one of the most open and honest environments I ever experienced. Accusations have been made by Council Lewis Valz, suggesting that Professor Keys mistreated Latino students. As an Afro Latina myself who embraced my
heritage more deeply after my father's passing in 2021 when he was murdered, I never experienced mistreatment or disrespect. Quite the opposite, Professor Keys respected my identity and my voice. In my observation, the majority of the students who withdrew from his class were not Latino immigrants or African-Americans, but
Caucasian students and assimilated Latino-Americans who didn't appreciate the amount of work we had on day one. Let's also ground this in facts. Pay County is over 45% Latino with large Afro Latino population like myself. To accuse him of targeting the community
without evidence disregards both the country's demographics and experience of the students. It is also very important to consider credibility. Councilman Vez has faced controversies himself, including May 2025 where he was he crashed, where he was accused of intoxication, a hit and-
run investigation, and 2004 arrest for pulling a fire alarm in city hall. When we weigh these facts, we must ask, are these as accusations against Professor Keys grounded in truth or in politics? Thank you so much. Next speaker, Madam Clerk,
next speaker is Cameo Black. Please state your name. Cameo. Look at y'all got um Cameo Black. Good evening. So, I came down Good evening first of all. Okay. I came down here because the last time I was here,
um I see a couple of parents came to speak about me cursing at the mic and y'all been looking for me. I'm gonna say to the parents instead of looking for me, teach your kids all money is not good money. Do not do anything for a
dollar. Get out there and make their own money. That's first things first. Second of all, everybody know I'm running for commissioner. Since I've been running, I don't need none of y'all to support me. These commission I mean the council people, not one of y'all have said
anything. I do not have to be your friend. I don't need to stand in no photos with y'all. Everybody that know me, I'm a real one. I do everything behind the scenes. I don't need y'all for nothing. While y'all up here bickering and arguing,
while I just walked here, you know how many people I counted in front of the building that's sleeping, that's high, that's off of drugs, and that's the only thing y'all could come up with is arguing. People are tired of coming down here. It's nothing but a circus every single
week. Mim's your model or we're better together. When will we become one? When? Every single week is the same thing. Week after week, nobody is professional up here at all.
Everybody come at the mic. Y'all got your personal clicks. I'mma tell you this, Ruby Cotton. And I'mma tell you this, M. When y'all had y'all little charade the other day, when all of y'all was partying together, y'all two need to figure out why Marissa only dropped
pictures of you and her drinking when everybody was drinking. Y'all better start paying attention. Y'all better start checking y'all circle. Excuse my language. I'm sick of all of this dumb that's going on. And I keep telling y'all, everybody that's smiling y'all face ain't real.
Anytime Cameo come to this mic, I'mma say what everybody not going to say. So y'all could talk about me. Y'all know I don't care cuz I keep telling y'all I'm covered by the blood of Jesus. I walk with no fear. Only person I fear is God. Amen. That's what I keep telling y'all. But
I'mma tell y'all again. Check y'all circles. Check them pictures and figure out who y'all running with. Cuz everybody that y'all tonight with ain't your goddamn friends. And that's my last time telling y'all. Thank Thank you.
I normally don't do this, but I have to say this. I have never drank in my life and 55 years of living. So to accuse me of or to say I had a drink in my hand, the only thing I drink is CNC ginger
ale. I could drink any kind of gingerell I want, but I prefer CNC. So in your cup, they assume that Oh, well I Well, let me tell you, it was very mixed up because they is a picture.
I'll send a text message. Please send it to me because your circle that everybody gets together and only you and her. So I'm Thank you for that. I'm not sure what picture that is, but I would love
to see that picture. But first and for let me say this. Are we making it a practice to answer to the public at No, I'm just addressing because I was directly council president. I have I mean Councilman Jackson, I have the floor. But you're you're addressing you're not allowing us you're not allowing us the
same right and privilege. So I'm just putting on the record. I would love to see that photo anytime we're together. The three of us myself, Councilwoman Cotton or or Dabler, we all take photos. There's no taking one with other. But when Council President
C, right? There's only one person. There's one person left and I'm speaking. Councilman Jackson, I have the floor. But you're I didn't give you the floor. Council Jackson, I'm speaking. I am stepping outside of a practice that you say you cannot do to in closing. Is it is this a dictatorship? Council Jackson. Like if you stop
talking, I can finish. No, but you shouldn't be engaging. To the community at large, just to put it on the record, most people that know me, they know it's not true. I I don't know who's circulating the picture, but also we got
to be careful who [Music] But for me, at the end of the day, at the end of the day, we have to make sure we have to make sure that we present information that's accurate to the
community. Next speaker, Madam Clerk, the next speaker is Ya Cosmi. Please state your name. Next speaker. The name of the next speaker. No, you have not. No, you are not. Next speaker. Your name?
I am Veronica Yayer Kazmi. Uh, I am a mother inside Patterson. I have been born and raised in Patterson. I've yet to move out of Patterson. I've seen it since early 2000, since I could remember. Living on Main Street, going to all different types of middle
schools. I am now raising my beautiful, gorgeous little daughter in Patterson. I run my business out of Patterson. the things that go on within your guys' power. I commend you for the things that you guys have done and succeeded and things you've tried to have done and things that may not have passed, but you
guys tried. I'm not going to fault you guys for the things that you guys did not do or pursue because again, we're only human. We all have our faults. So, I would like to first and start this off with giving you guys a round of applause for doing the work that you guys do and whatever you guys are able to get done.
But one thing I do want to address, I just got off of work and I made sure I got here. I work two jobs. I run my business. I take care of my daughter. As a single parent, I don't have the luxury of being able to come to every last meeting. But I made time out of my
schedule. I asked my boss to let me go a little bit early to come here and address the statement that Mr. Vez said last meeting that I heard about. I do not appreciate him targeting one of the best teachers I have ever witnessed. And I've been to seven different middle
schools throughout my life inside Patterson throughout my whole life. My daughter has been to two. I've been to PCC for almost three years because I had to change a sub my subject and my uh my major. Thank you. My major because
they had me in the wrong major when I first assign when I first assigned myself into the school. So for people to sit here and say that there's complaints about him, dig in deeper. I'm not going to say that they don't exist. I'm not going to say I don't believe them because not every teacher is perfect. I
have my own personal complaints about about teachers that are like, "Oh, hey, they're they're acknowledged. They're scholarred. They're adored by other people. I have my own personal complaints. I'm not going to say that they don't exist." But to bring that up and not provide any factual evidence of what the complaints were, I don't
appreciate that. I feel like that's a hornet tired uh witch hunt in the best way I could explain it without giving that evidence to sit here and try to attack his persona, his p his uh professional uh identity. I don't think that that was right and I don't think
that that it upholds the standard that you guys held up for Paris counseling. That is not something that should be done here. And if anything is going to be said, it should be backed up with evidence. To sit here and attack this man on his on his profession, not even on a personal level where it's like
person to person, that I find very disgusting, and I don't think that that should be ever done here again. And I'm sorry, but I appreciate what you guys do, but that was something that was very distasteful to the image and the identity of what you guys uphold. to sit here and attack someone personally and
professionally when he's doing his best. I don't like that. Thank you. Thank you so much. Seeing no more speakers, move to close. Speaker, we have one more speaker. Motion to close by Davala. Second by We have one more speaker. I'm sorry.
No, no, no, no. Uhuh. We have one more speaker. Council President Bal Hakeim. I'm sorry, Mr. Bal. Mr. Mahia, you were not here. We have You were not here. Mr. Bell out. Mr. M Miss I was here since 7.
No, he's not signed up. The list has been out here. Okay. The list has been out for over an hour. I have the list in front of me. You did not sign up. [Music]
No, you did not sign up. Mr. Mahia, can the next speaker speak and then we can have a conversation as it relates to you? Mr. Bala Haim, please. Uh, good evening, uh, council and, um, those in TV, uh, land. Um, I have to
apologize to my teacher for not being in class tonight because I did have a class. But uh the first thing I wanted to say is that um um the um former um human resource um
director uh Miss Deborah Hannibal is 100% correct that we need to um have a full court press on um voter registration and we are in lock step with you. I've called on the Muslim
League of Voters uh to join us and they will be joining us um you know what they say voter registration because um the the unregistered the marginalized
is your army. Okay. So they'll be at our event too September the 21st at Barbers Park. Uh to the council members, uh everyone's not here, but you can go back and listen
to it. Those that um thought that or was insinuating that the UEE uh director was being uh uh picked on and attacked. Don't be so emotional. Don't be so emotional. I didn't hear
anyone attack him. They were asking very important, clear questions that he was unable um uh to answer. And that's across the board in many uh departments. The other thing I wanted to say to uh uh um to the council uh president uh you
can't break the rules council president and ask others to adhere to them. You know, you have to stick to that. You you really have to stick to that. The um Mr. Keys, I wish I had a teacher like you.
And we uh we know that they're coming after you. And I'm healing. I'm in healing process. But my spirit is so strong. Even um my um where I'm at getting therapy, they say, "Yes, your spirit." They call me Moses. They call me Moses. They say, "Your spirit is is
remarkable." You know, I still can't get around like I normally do, but we will be there by the will of God to support you. September the 21st, Barbara Park, the 17th anniversary of the New Africa
Family Liberation Day will take place. We're going to have a wonderful time. We're not coming there to get down. We come there to get up and we're going to have a very nice time. And you're all welcome um uh to come and you are welcome to uh support financially. We'll
be having pony rides and we still need uh uh contributions. If you have seen the slide, the QR code can be accessed and you can donate. Thank you for Thank you, Mr. Al. Um, inadvertently, the clerk skipped over Mr. Al Aloever's
name. It was an error on the clerk's part. So, Mr. Aliver, my apologies to Mr. Alvercepted. Thank you. U, you know, I've said so many times. Um, I have very little respect for this
council body with the exception of Councilman Jackson. And I hope and I've said it before, uh, uh, uh, you should follow your your your own instructions. Public portion should have been done
already. People shouldn't have to wait for that. This is you. You you you put this together. No, I don't. So, you're not follow I don't know who it is, but you're you're in charge of this. So you should follow it as as mentioned before. Um and I'm going to
continue with you. Uh you so fiercely um wanted the director from UEC to tell us where the money is going and how it's spent and I commend you for that. That's the way it should be. But you should be as adamant about the monies that were
spent on Hinchiff. you should be as adamant that question on the money that has been b spent on um on on with the the co money. But anyway, um council parties throughout this country, pay attention. We show you every time we
meet, we show you what not to do. Uh and and councilman Jackson shows you guys, you should pay attention. All of you, you should pay attention because he shows you exactly what it is that you guys should be doing. Um anyway,
uh Udin, that was an embarrassment. You're you're here commending someone that Councilman Jackson just showed us. He le He knows less than nothing. Nothing. He knows nothing. Councilman Jackson showed us that and you're here
commending them. And what crossed my mind when when that happened when I'm, you know, when you said that is, oh it must have been Udin who talked to the administration to get him at the g the gig. But anyway, that's how we do things here in the uh city of Patterson.
Um, Miss Hannibal or I think she left. Um, she once uh she was wondering why it was that that uh or or she complained that some of you felt that, you know,
people should have come to the rescue of the uh of of the the director when he was here. and she was expect you know you were expecting that it was coming from the left of this room expect nothing from these two guys there and
the CFO it's not coming from there because the administration doesn't allow it uh Mr. PA, you you got very upset with something that was said by Councilman Jackson. Let me tell you that what h that's what happens when you
trade your dignity for a salary. You get a slightly overweight all men coming over here belittling you because you sold your dignity. Okay, thank you so much. There are no more speakers. Oh,
so thank you u Mr. Alviveres. U Mr. Mahia. So, I know you you were not signed up on the list. There were two lists out since 5:30. I have the copy of the list and you did not sign up, but as a courtesy on tonight, I'm going to allow you your three minutes to speak,
but please, we've talked about this in the weeks past. Please make sure you're here to sign your name in the list, Mr. Aia. So, first of all, I want to start by um you know, I usually arrive at 7 because I have other jobs that I have to attend
to. So, it's the only time that I'm available. Now, that the city opened up uh since 5:30 till 6:00. Is it 2 hours, let's say, uh giving the the people the option to to arrive at that specific time? I think you guys should extend it
a little bit more, at least half an hour, at least one one more hour because it'll help for people that are arriving from work. That way, I don't have to rush and endanger my life just to get the chance to speak. But one of the things that I'm coming here for is also uh the hot zones which were uh placed in
uh 2014. I'll give the first example in uh as a state law the liquor cannot be sold within 200 feet from a from a school or a church. Then on the municipal level uh
they but it the state law does protect those businesses that are already grandfathered in or as we could say uh in the zoning uh non-conforming use. So on the hot zone situation in the contract that was written even though it
was to protect and say that it's it helps uh bring down the crime it's been 11 years. it has not uh done much of an effect because at the end of the day it's also a people problem and you're creating more issues because now the city is not generating no revenue from
the businesses that could be open. So within that same law it does not mention anything uh grandfathered in clause is the same example as the signs that were that are being ticketed when they already did the the perfect the the approvals before the the law was placed.
it it it opens up a a portal so people could now start suing because of all the tickets they've been getting during that process and the businesses that did ended up ended up closing it was more out of fear because of the amount of tickets they've already received. So,
one of my solutions that I'm trying to provide because uh, you know, we're trying to make a a better version of the city, right, is at least have with the same three officers that stand on the Broadway section in front of the BP and in front
of the library, if they the the businesses that are already grandfathered in, have the officers drive down because if if those three officers were actually moving, those businesses would be able to see an officer passing by every 10 minutes and
we're saying that that it will help bring down the crime. When we see that, for example, in Carol and and Godwin, if uh officers remove people from there, they end up going to the other block. So, it becomes a a cat and mouse situation. the shootings that have been going on. There's people that have told
me, "Hey, if you uh ever find me a job or you get a position in in the city, just find me a job because I do not want to continue this." Thank Thank you so much. Thank you so much. There are no more speakers. Move
to close by Council Vice President Davis, second by Council Mendes. Roll call to close the uh public portion. Motion to close. I already did the motion. She said roll call. Madam clerk to close. Moved by me. Second.
Moved by Councilwoman Davis. Second by Councilman Mendes. Roll call. Roll call to close the workshop public portion. Councilwoman Cotton. Oh, Councilwoman Davlin. I'm sorry.
I want to address and I just want to say this. I've been at P County Community College for almost 32 years. I have had the opportunity to work with so many students that I see on a daily basis to to say that I would stand back there
and speak ill and refer to someone racially and with a with a explicit that that is that is wrong. But with that said, if that's what they un heard or understood, unfortunately, that is not what I stated. But I do want to say
something about the PCC students that came before today. I don't really speak much because I've been working there for 32 years. If there's a situation going on at the school, I can't I have to separate. But I want to say one thing for the students that came before.
I I have to commend you just for coming and just speaking on behalf of who you believe is a very good professor. Right. But but what I want to say is I commend you because I know when I was in college I couldn't do this to come before and
speak in front of a council. I couldn't. So I commend you all for coming out. Um you're in support of your professor. I I think that there's been some misunderstandings with certain statements made, but I'm going to leave it there. To everyone else that came
today, I had the opportunity for those that spoke earlier about their situation. uh in the Patterson uh board of education uh fully they all understood that they were misled here today by coming here thinking that this council has the responsibility or could
do something for them because unfortunately they work for a private company that is um hired by the Patterson public school. Uh um so that contract is something that they need to address. But with that said, we were able to exchange numbers to at least
guide in some of the things that they are able to do. Um, you know, we say this constantly. You know, it's campaign season. People are going to come here to direct things that are not being said, to say, you know, to politicize situations. Listen, at the
end of the day, yes, you have the right to speak, right? But speak with truth. Come in here. speak with truth because I don't have to like you, but I do have to respect you. And that's all I'm saying here today. Um, uh, with that said, um,
Council President, Madame Clerk, my vote is yes to, uh, close on the public portion. Thank you, Councilman Jackson. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Um, to the students who came, um, let me take my hat off to you guys. I I appreciate you
greatly um for standing up in some for something that you believe in, for being courageous enough and not allow people to try to intimidate you into uh falling into the the norms of what they're um projecting.
Um I'm a born and raised in Patterson. Both my parents came from the projects in Patterson School 21 Kennedy High School. But I'm going to tell you something. That gentleman right there, uh, Professor Keys,
I can honestly say he's probably the first teacher that I had that I really paid attention to. And and and he did it for me. He did it for me at a time where he wasn't being paid to do it. In fact,
he's only a couple years ahead of me. In fact, he's he was probably four or five years ahead of me. He was in college when I was in high school and this is young in my in my in my uh football career. I wasn't um let's just say I wasn't one
of the better players on the team. He came home one day. He was home on the break and he spent time with me for many many days teaching me the skill that I became one of the best quarterbacks in the state. I became one of the best
quarterbacks that ever played in in in Patterson thanks to some of the things that he that he instilled in which I was able to get myself out of here and go to college, have an opportunity to go to college. Had it not been for that, I would not have had an opportunity to
leave and go to college. My brother would not have had an opportunity to play at Ohio State. He wouldn't had opportunity to play in the NFL. he would not have an opportunity potentially to be an owner of a of a bank, you know,
all because of what someone took the time out to do. And you know, when you were speaking, it almost brought tears to my eyes because I know the passion in which he does what he does. It's not for a show. It's not for accolades, but it's
with truth and it's with real sincere power. So, I I take my hat off to you guys and commend you for a person that well deserved it because often times in our community, right? When we need people to stand up for us, we're left
there standing alone. And it's no different than those individuals that work at the schools. See what I'm learning firsthand right now as I'm being drugged through the court process me people in our community as they're
consistently disenfranchised and treated poorly by the system by police by the courts by uh the municipality. If you don't have the money to be able to fight
a legal battle, then you could pretty much chalk it up. You could pretty much chalk it up. So, all these individuals that are grossly in uh mistreated, if they don't have the wherewithal to be
able to go hire their own attorney, see, that's where the people that I share these seats with don't understand their responsibilities. They don't understand uh what they're called to do. See, in
many instances, right, it's the municipality that's supposed to protect the people who can't protect themselves. The municipality should be when we have a legal department here. When we have people that are being illegally evicted
by landlords that have been allowed or given concessions, they've been given tax abatements and pilots. And we have people that are being targeted, illegally evicted so that their rents could be ballooned by two and three its value, two or three times its value.
That's when the city supposed to step up for its residents. But we don't. We consistently turn our backs on the residents. We consistently tell them that's not my uh scenario. That's not my within my purview. when the people who
do have the ability to make those choices are sitting right in the room. So, we hire these third party contractors. We allow them to come in here and mistreat our people. And it's the same thing when it comes to those people
living in um uh uh the heritage, those people living in the new fifth dive, those people living in the hope projects. Those people are being mistreated by a third party developer that we gave the power to do so. And every single person that'll sit here
that has the ability to vote on their contract, to vote on their on their pay payday will sit here and say, "That's not me. I don't I don't control that. You came to the wrong board." No, we came to you come to the board in which
you're supposed to be getting defended. And brother Joe Keys, I mean, I know you were outside when I was speaking on your behalf, but brother, I'm I'm I'm I'm telling you, I'm proud to to say that you are definitely been a great mentor of mine. I hope every night that I sit
here and I represent our community, I hope I represent you well and and and and I hope that I make you proud because man, listen, without you, I may not have had have had an opportunity to go to places that I've gone and play on the fields that I've played on and been able
to educate myself further to be able to come back and do it for our community the right way. for doing it for our community the right way. Man, my hat goes off to you. Yo, man. I appreciate you. I love you. I love you guys for standing up for him because it's what's
needed. It's what's needed when we have righteous people coming here night in and night out putting their heart on that microphone and their messages are being muffled and they're being timed and they're being pushed to the side and their concerns are never answered to and
they come back time and time again. See, they want you to just tap out. They want you to give up. They want you to say, "Oh, I can't get nothing done. Oh, it's nothing but fighting going on there." That's how they want you to make it seem or make you believe it is. So, listen. Let me just say this last piece.
I hope you young people that had an opportunity to sit here and witness where the problem deres. See, when the body's failing, it's an organ that's pro possibly not working properly. If the heart isn't working properly, the the limbs can't work. It's
just a fact. And this right here is the heartbeat of the city. And this right here is where the disease is. So, I hope all of you have seen and witnessed and pledge that you will then go out not only spread the word, but you come back and return here with a different
mindset. Watch what you see here. And don't come back here representing what you see here. come back here seeking these positions to do right by our community because that's what's needed. With that being said, madam clerk, my vote is yes.
You councilman um Councilman Mendes. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Um first of all, let me just I want to thank all the resident of the city of Patter attending to the public portion. and they wait until the last uh they wait until
a little late over 9 8:00 just but they they wait and they express their concern and I would like to address some of the resident that came on the mic. Um and I would like to start by the group of former employees from the Paris schools. I understand that there's a company that
running the business and the contract of that. Um I was not aware about the situation. And I know that uh I know the board is aware. Um I would like to have some conversation with some some of the bomb burn because one of the thing that really caught my attention was a young
man in the back. He was uh he was at the school district for 26 years. The lady in the front she was the working in the school for close to 30 years. And the gentleman on the corner he used to work at Norman as well. So I know him since my little boy star at Norman as So, they're a Patterson resident and we
should listen to them and see how can we be helpful, you know. And on another note, um I didn't make my comment to just help the director of the US. Um I might I work differently. I might do things different than other people, but I'm not sitting here to beat other
people and to try to bash people and make people feel bad. I understand. I know that he wasn't ready for the presentation. I know that. and and on my comment I told them just two major point of that project that five-year plan need
to have the input of all the business owners and that those f that fiveyear plan need to have the input of the community and elected official is a USC funding and I know if we utilize those resources the right way we could impact our community in a very positive way and
we can't lose any chance we cannot waste time with the five-year plan that doesn't have our input that's it and I send it back and And if it'll be for me, I will remove it out of the agenda because I'm not ready for vote on that project next week. But I know it's extremely important. And if it's not
timesensitive, I will remove it and bring it back. And I I'll make sure that he put a presentation together for all the council members and for the community. That's how I work. That's how it work. I don't beat people because they not ready. I understood he wasn't ready, but that's me. That's just
me. We spoke about the budget in the beginning to the administration. I make a recommendation at the beginning of the discussion and I say this the city always wait until the last inning to make this decision. Tough decision
in the beginning of the conversation I make the recommendation we have solid wage 4.6 on the budget when when I know that we could bring it down to two and a half that will take over $2 million right right away out of the budget. The
recommendation is there. I spoke about those empty position. Take those salary out of those all those empty position and remove it from the budget because we have no money for those hiring process for those hiring. Those are my recommendation.
The city of Patterson going through a very difficult time par uh residents we have people that they can't afford another tax increase. We have people that they paying the sewer and they don't have the income. They live in a fixed income. A lot of my resident in the third war and in this different area
of the city of Patterson, they living on a fixed income and we're hitting the taxpayer every year. We have to come back to the table. We're living on a city that in order for you to fix the sidewalk, you have to bend over backward. I don't know what you have to
do in order to get fix the sidewalk. But with the sidewalk, you have to pay for a permit. That revenue will come to the city of Patterson. A lot of the resident they want to do some renovation and they have to go through hell to get a permit.
So I make it the recommendation to to do an analysis a budget projection revenue projection from all the different department and I measured this again. I've been in the private sector all my life. I've been in the I've been a business owner for over 18 years and I know how to put a budget together. If
I'll be on that position, I will run the city like a private entity. You need to know how much money you going to have. how much money are coming in from each department in order for you to put the services together. So, we got to go back to the table and there's a lot of work to be done because putting those t tax
increase on the taxpayer is almost impossible. I get phone call every single day. But Patterson, um listen, we have to take politics aside when we're here in this on this this day. We will do much better, you
know, if we put politics aside and start working together to get something accomplished in every meeting. My Yes, madam clerk. Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Omar. Thank you, Madam Clerk. I'll be very brief. I want to thank all the residents who came up here to speak, especially
because they waited for a while. Uh, I commend all of you. And, uh, to the students, I tip my hat off to you guys for uh, speaking for what you believe in. With that being said, let's continue to pray for our city. My vote is yes. Thank you, Councilman Nuden.
Thank you, Madame Clark. Good evening, Patterson. Those who are here, those who are watching um us live, uh I'd like to thank you for uh for your participation in the special meeting here in this workshop session as well. Um again before I start I'd like to
state that those who are not here uh earlier today we had a special meeting and tonight I stood um firmly and and voted no to 3.5% uh budget introduction and my vote was not against the services
not was against the employees it was for the accountability for the fairness and for the hardworking people of the city of Patterson. Now this exactly what was echoed in public portion today when some of our residents mentioned about the uh parking
crisis mentioned about overdevelopment with no uh proper planning and also in the earlier in another uh first public portion some of the public mentioned about the uh late night mechanic shops are open. Earlier today, someone uh sent
me a picture and videos that the food trucks are out there on Gary Avenue until 3 or 4:00 in the morning making noise and people are having hard time to sleep. So when we are talking about um you know budget introduction or raising taxes, we have to think about the
services that we are providing. It cannot go opposite that that the taxes is going high, service is going down. There should be a balance and PTU Patterson resident deserve the services that that they are paying for. So again
there's still hope as my council colleague Moore mentioned that when students from P County Community College came here to praise their educator their professor Joe Keys it means that there's still hope that we have the leaders that we can follow. We have the people who
are committed to our our residents. So with that being said, I would say Patterson, my every single vote is is is for you is keeping the people in mind that who voted for me gave me the job to serve them. So again I'll I'll I'll stay
committed with the resident and again um I would like to clarify that you know when it come to the council meeting sometimes we are just um you know getting public attention by just battling fighting against each each other or attacking personal level wasn't
our duty for if we would have spent more time on strategic conversation how we could have done a better job to serve the city I think I think that would and better for all of us and for the city of Patterson. I'm expecting better tomorrow. With that being said, my vote
has just been up. Thank you, Councilman Veles. Thank you. Thank you, Madame Clerk. First of all, let me take my hat off to all those students that came and expressed they feeling the personal
feeling of how uh Mr. Joey slash um Malcolm Chabat as they know on social media. Mr. Joey Oh, thank you for coming in. Thank you, Councilman Jackson for
calling them in. And Mr. Joey, also known as Mr. Malcolm Chabitz. Um I was saying that thank you for expressing your support to your professor Always
I got to speak from the bottom of my heart. Always. Now you guys did came here. We listened to you. Even that I was not sitting here. I was watching through YouTube every comment that was made from this
podium. I commend you because that's what you're supposed to do. Come and defend what you believe and I respect that. That's why we call it freedom speech. Mr. Chavez or Mr. Joe Keith, you know, I
have praised the way that you come here and speak and you could testify on that. Even I encourage you to even open or write a book with all the statement that you have brought to the council. You
bring it. You bring it real nice. Some of them for me my opinion when you come to us especially to me are without facts but I sit back and I smile on it.
If I'm a professor and I'm giving class and let's may believe in your class there's a student that is related to a councilman in this case me that student is not going to tell you that it's
related to me and the mother is not going to tell you that she is related to me. you give the class that student is not gonna say nothing and probably you're not going to recall
probably a year ago or a year and a half that student feel offended that you took us for a class and tell us that we all was wrong and the only one that was right was Councilman Jackson. That was the complaint that they gave me a year
ago and I let it go. I didn't went after you. I said I had a complaint about a parent about the way you teach about us. That's nothing wrong. I don't see nothing wrong. Now I apologize to you as
a man if you feel offended with my words. Simple as that. But I continue bracing the way to you speak in the council. And I did it. I do it from here and I
telling you out there and when I see you in the street I have done it too. But you didn't tell them that you went after me in the prosecutor's office and tried to charge me a counts and got dismissed because they had no credibility on your
statement. But I put that on the sign. Nobody knew that. And I treat you the same with love and respect. And you know that in the basketball court I gave and give you a hug when we was with John Jane. So no hard feeling, no personal feeling.
Keep on doing what you do. But when you're in the classroom, you're in the classroom. When you here, you had to free your speech. We do our job. We try to do our best to deliver. But we're not perfect. And we try to do what God told us to do
to serve. saying that last but not least on May 7, one of the gentlemen that had came here um talking about the contract and this and that and I could share it with my
colleagues that approached them. I have that letter here uh May 7 that when they sent it to me and it's clear enough that's a a a letter was sent offering early retirement because the budget of the
board was going to be cut and they was advised and then senator said I could show you the letter I could send it to you because facts off facts okay and um and that's why when uh people comes to me saying that this is doing wrong I
read the letter and I They look for your legal advice. If you think they did something wrong, tell attorney to advise you. I'm not here to advise you. I can make noise, make you believe it's going to get resolved. The law is the law. The process is the process. What we have to
do is all those individuals that came here, why not take into personnel and to see if there's any position out there that it could substitute what they have lost. That's the way we supposed to help them.
The there was a body found found on 21st Avenue in Spring. Uh the family was so desperate trying to get information where the body was. So I just want to give uh this information out uh with the help on my aid and and
this and and the work that I know to find bodies and this and that. So the body was found in the morg in Newark and um they're going to get christin um um service soon. To those that um have lost
a family members in the fifth ward, our condolence to all of them. And last but not least, I want to commend the Patterson Police Department, the Fire Department, DPW uh department, and everyone, any local agency and
federal agency that came and brought to our city uh a safety uh plan to be able to celebrate the Dominican parade this past Sunday that we all enjoy. We all enjoy. and we to
continue doing it as as we speak. You know, we got to continue celebrating unity. We continue celebrating culture and that's what um we are here for. I think Castlewoman um I know the statement would say that we was
questioning uh uh the the clean quarter company. No, we're not. The reason that I made a statement to bring all the reports and everything because the same director told me that
he had problem with the company. So I want to know what kind of problem was that. See when I bring the real crew out and put on the spot, it's not us. It's them telling me that they had problem. So they had to bring me a report what kind of problem they have to see what is
the right and the correct fact. And the other side is you cannot perform if you don't get paid. So it's a balance. Mr. Arrington, congratulation. I read all your pilot program and I
praise it. Let's give opportunity to work in the city of Patterson and uh if that program is going to work better what we have, let's start working on it. So, and that's an administration decision, but if it comes through us um in a way that is vetted the right way.
So, you got all my 150 support on it. Okay. Congratulations on your school. I see a lot of good things. I going to recommend some Latinos to your company, Councilman. I haven't finished. council president. I
I will I will do that because hey, you serve the whole entire community. Count on me saying that. Thank you. Good luck to all those uh members that are running for the school board. Um everybody had the right to run and those that are
running in this six word, they have the right to run and let the best candidate win. Let the best candidate win. Everybody in this city had the right to run and everybody had the right to bring
their own platform and convince knocking doors and delivering what they say. Thank you council president for the time and madame clerk. Yes to close the public portion. I have time. Yeah, I
want to go home. My dog is waiting for me. Council president. So I will be brief and I want to say first and foremost thank you to the public that is present and those that are watching the meeting. Um I'm an alumni of PCC. I'm a graduate
there. I want to commend all of the every student that came to speak I was as every speaker spoke I wrote down Professor Elaine Harrington. She used to be the public speaker professor at the college and now I know my good friend um
she's going to kill me. Um it'll come to me by the time we're done but my Cathy Richer, Professor Kathy Richer is now um has taken a mantle and done that. So I want to commend all the speakers that have come to defend your uh professor and the great work that he has done. Um
and it it's great to have um some of our students come out um to speak on behalf of the work that they're experiencing. To um constituent services, he was here, but to those uh residents that had concerns, um Mr. Ba, to our corporation
council, can we ensure that the uh constituent services address the concerns that were um adhered to on tonight? Um, just in closing before I speak, I'm grateful someone sent me the picture that was trying to circulate. I'm grateful. I love because I post my
own pictures and so I'll post it on my page tomorrow, but it's a picture of myself, Councilwoman Cotton and Councilman Uden. I'm drinking, as I stated, a gingerell with cherries. You could clearly see the cherries in the glass. Council Cotton has a a Coca-Cola
soda. And they should have mentioned what I had on my plate. Some sesame chicken and some potatoes and all that stuff. They should have mentioned that cuz it's clearly in the picture. For me, I understand that I For me, I tell people all the time, I know for me, I'm
commanded to love everybody. And people may not like you, and I don't that doesn't really bother me, but I'm never going to allow anyone to try to diminish or decaracterize me to do things that I don't do. I've never in my life drank. I don't go against anyone that does drink.
It's just not something I do. So, I just wanted to make sure I someone sent me the picture and I do appreciate that I got the picture. Um, but you can't make it be something in a glass that's not there. It's clearly gingerell. You can see the fizz on the top and the cherries in the bottom. Madame clerk, with that
being said, my vote is yes to close the public portion. Thank you. The votes are seven. Seven in favor, two absent. the workshops um public portion is closed before we uh suspend the meeting to go into executive session um to health and
human services. The item for the youth council and for AIDS will go on consent to um uh director who has been sitting here patiently. Billy uh the uh
item 28 28 and 29 which I know council Mendes will be happy about. Both of those all all four of these items will go on consent because we got to move forward with these items. So DPW Health and Human Services. Can I get a motion to go to suspend the workshop and go into
executive session? So move to suspend. Moved by Councilman Mendes. Second by uh Councilman Vez. Roll call to suspend to go uh suspend the workshop and go into executive session. Director Billy. Roll call. Madame clerk.
Roll call. Madam clerk. Roll call to suspend the workshop and go into executive session. Billy. Roll call. Uh, yes. Um, before my vote, director, just make sure when you come back,
explain the the type of floor that we have at the council chamber. Okay. Thank you. My vote is yes. Yes. Councilwoman Dav. Thank you. Fine. Councilman Mendes.
Yes. His vote is Councilman Omar. My vote is yes, Madam Clerk. Councilman Uden, Clark, Councilman, if you want to see what kind of floor we had, remember that the activity that we had here, the floor was all damaged. The next day was good. Uh, my vote is yes.
Thank you. Council President, yes. Five in favor, four absent. The workshop session is now suspended. C can can you please read the item into the record for the executive session? And then right after she reads the item, we're going to ask everyone to go into
the hallway. Um and then once that item is um discussed, we're ready to vote upon it, we'll ask the public to come back in. So if you will um after she reads it into the uh public record, then we'll ask you to step into the hallway. Madame clerk, could you please read the items
into the record? No, she can go now. She taking away to go. Councilwoman, where you going? Council, Council President, we need a vote to go into executive session. Resolution.
I did the resolution first. Right. You took a vote to suspend the Right. Now you're going to take the vote on the reso to go into executive. Okay. All right. So, M clerk to read the resolution. I was going to do. Okay. Okay. It's a resolution authorizing a
municipal council executive or close session in or joining the council city council chambers 155 Marcus Street to discuss pending litigation in the matter of Marcus Fuller versus City of Patterson Law Resolution number 2531.
Formal action will be will be taken. So moved by Councilman Blood, second by Councilman Omar. Roll call. Madame Clerk. Roll call to go into executive session. Councilwoman Councilman Mendes. Yes. Thank you. Councilman Omar, yes.
Councilman Luden, yes. Councilman Veles, yes. Council President, yes. Okay. Five in favor, four absent. Executive session is now open. Anyone who's not affiliated with this, you have to be removed. Oh, Councilman
Jackson, to the public, we'll be back in a couple minutes. We'll be back in a couple minutes. If everyone else can step into the hallway except for the lawyers. Yeah. Go ahead. Um I just sitting right back there. Officer, if you can make sure
make sure everybody's in the hall. Mr. Keys Can I get a motion to um to reopen uh the executive session? to vote on the resolution. Moved by Council M.
Second by Councilman Mendes and Council Omar. Roll call to reopen the executive session. Madame clerk to reopen. Okay. I'm sorry. Special meeting.
To reopen a special meeting. Oh. Um. Okay. We have to wait for Rafael. There's no one out there. Oh, Rafa, you're right. Okay. Oh, he's right. Okay. Okay. Roll call to reopen the special meeting.
Um, Councilwoman Cotton. Councilman Jackson. Yes. Council Mendes. Yes. Where's her name? Councilman Omar. Yes. Councilman Uden.
Yes. Madame Clark. Council President. Council President. Council President. Councilman Veles. Councilman Veles. Oh, he's here. Oh, yes. And council president. Yes. Well, the seven in favor, two absent.
The special meeting is reopen. Madame clerk, can you read the item, please? Item vote. Resolution authorizing settlement of pending litigation claim in a matter of Marcus Fuller versus City of Patterson law. Formal um I'm sorry.
Resolution number 25432. Formal action will be taken. Moved by Council Cotton, second by Council Member Le and Councilman Omar. Roll call, Madame Clerk, on item number eight. Roll call on item number eight for
adoption. Councilwoman Cotton. Yes. Councilman Jackson. Thank you, Madam Clerk. I I have a very difficult time supporting this. Um, you know, I way too often I'm consistently seeing the city um not hold up to his
commitment to those people who put theirelves um you know uh forward to to help improve the city. these the conditions around this um situation where this young man was subjected to the conditions of the community because the
the we're failing to um provide a safe and and and and environment. It's just another um you know poor example. But um you know from my perspective you
know uh we have to when there's a commitment made we have to hold up to that commitment and we're not doing that and a simple settlement is just not enough. Uh, my vote is no, madam clerk.
Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Mendes, yes. Councilman Omar, yes. Councilman Nuden, yes. Councilman VeZ, yes. Council President, yes.
Votes are six in favor, one against, two absent. That's right. Okay. Motion to close the special meeting. So move second. May I May I announce the vote? Oh yes, you could do ma'am. Item number eight is hereby adopted. Thank you.
Motion to close. Move to close to close by Councilman Valz. Second by Councilman Mendes. Motion to close the special meeting. Roll call. Madam clerk. Roll call to close the special meeting. Councilwoman Cotti. Councilman Jackson. Yes.
Councilman Mendes. Yes. Councilman Omar, yes. Councilman Nuden, yes. Councilman Veles, uh before we close, I just want to say good welcome to the new addition for the legal department. The gentleman being sitting there all day, all night. Um
welcome uh C um legal doing a great job there. My vote is yes. Thank you, council president. Welcome to the Yes. Anytime. Thank you. Thank you. Yes, madam clerk. Votes are seven in favor, two absent. Special meeting is hereby adjourned.
Motion to um open the workshop agenda. So move second. Moved by Council Mendes, second by Veles and Omar. Roll call to open up workshop. Okay, come on. Roll call to open up the reopen the workshop. Councilwoman Cotton.
Councilman Jackson. Council Mendes. Yes. Councilman Omar. Councilman Nuden. Yes. Yes. Ok. Councilman VeZ. Yes. Councilwoman Mims. Yes. Thank you very much. The motion to close the workshop agenda for
second the workshop. Moved by Councilman Ibby Omar and second by Councilman VZ. Roll call to close the uh workshop agenda for September 9th. We done. Are we done with
roll call to close the workshop agenda? Councilman Cotton. Beautiful. Thank you, Madam Clerk. I just want to say to um uh yesterday to King Civilized Civilized King um it was absolutely awesome event at Barbara Park for the 30th annual Days of the Babies.
I want to thank the nation of God. I want to thank Councilwoman Vera Ames uh with her foundation, myself and all the volunteers that I have from the grandparents um making sure that um we were able to to celebrate 30 years
Um it was a lot of fun. There was a lot of people. The community came together and all my volunteers. Um going with the grand families, going with my grandparents, going with the community in general. I always say that um working together make
things can working together can make things happen. Also, I want to say also to um um Jamie Bland. Uh I had the opportunity to go with her and we took um 15 kids to
a college tour in Orlando, Florida. It was Jumpstart Community Training and National Action Network. Um we flew down to Orlando, Florida. We went to the Central University of Florida. Uh and of course we visit some um attractions, but
it was just an absolutely awesome event. Um and some of the kids that we took to Florida, we also took to Selma, Alabama um to cross the bridge, the George Peeky Bridge um where Martin Luther King made that walk 60 years ago. I want to thank everyone that came tonight for the
meeting. Um there's always, you know, just reach out to any of the council members here or myself. uh for anything that that um that you would like to get resolved or that you need some help with
um in your in your block. And also we also starting to have our crime prevention through environmental design. We had a meeting on Monday. I want to thank Teresa and Sasha from the Patterson Habitat for continue to help me to keep the crime prevention through
environmental design going. Um, with that being said, I want to say to Madame Clerk, I appreciate you. Truly, I appreciate you cuz you've been here from a long time, day one, and your staff in your office. I just want to let you know that I'm always here to help you no
matter what. Um, so I appreciate you. um our deputy clerk and to my council members and joy. Uh to my corporation counselor Aean Abushi, to my BA Mark Sean, my CFO not here, but to you all
out there, you know, just just call if you you if you if you do not understand something, just just call and and see how you can figure out. My thing is that you may not know where to go, but we need to try to figure out where you need to go. With that being said, Madame
Clerk, um, with that being said, Madame Clerk, my vote is yes. Thank you everyone. Have a good night. God bless you all out there. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Jackson. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Uh, I'm going to be as brief as
possible. I think I've said enough this evening. Um, you know, the proof is in the pudding and there's there's gross failures all around the city and that's because Right. Um the people who've been tasked to do these jobs
lack the experience, lack the integrity, and lack the expertise to make sure that the jobs are done favorably for the community. And if tonight didn't wasn't didn't exemplify that, I don't know what will. Um uh through the chair, madame
clerk, I'll be handing this uh docu document over to you corporation council. This is an opal request of which I'm surprised that we still at this point council members have to submit open requests. We should have access there's an communication that's
that took place between employee employees that I want to I want to get get access to to those communications. I've outlined it here in this um in this Opal request and uh uh you know we have to start holding employees accountable
for their actions and um you know that go that's across the board. So madam clerk I will be giving you this before I leave out and uh my vote is yes. Thank you Councilman Councilman Mendes. Thank you madam clerk before um before
my vote my my last vote of the night. So, um, I was out for a few weeks attending my son's waiting. I'm back, um, ready and full of energy to serve, to continue serving the community. Actually, yesterday was my son and my daughter's birthday. Happy birthday, Alexander and Maya Mendes. May God
continue blessing you with long life. Yesterday, yes. Oh, yesterday was your birthday. September 8. Happy birthday, C. So, September 8, Alexander Mendes uh is uh is is turning 25 and Maya Menddees is
turning 21. September 8, they're four years apart. So, yesterday was u their birthday. So, happy birthday to my two beautiful, wonderful children. So, with that being said, let me just uh Pis um listen, enforcement, the lack of
enforcement is what affecting the city the most. Uh, and I want to say this, a lot of resident of the city of Patterson, they have the privilege to have a handicap. If you have the privilege to have a handicap in front of your house, make sure you utilize it the right way. If we get a complaint that
you're not utilizing your handicap and you parking the car outside the handicap, saving parking, doing all kind of things. I mean, listen, if you get a complaint, you're going to lose your handicap. You're going to lose that privilege. Let me encourage all the resident to please utilize your handicap
and if you see a person that move out of the block, call public work, call your councilman uh and just request it. That way we could uh send this uh open uh spot to the general public. Also, commercial truck, if you own a company,
please, you need to have a uh yard to park your truck. You cannot leave those commercial truck overnight parking. They're going to be ticket and towing. Um, parking is very limited in the city of Patterson. Please keep that in mind. And to the administration, we have to keep uh going after those people that
are dumping garbage in the city of Patterson. 20th Avenue and East 33rd um and 34. I'm sorry. I have people dumping garbage there every night. So, where's those camera for the next meeting? Council President, you mentioned that
before. We need a report about those 20 those 80 cameras that we are supposed to have citywise. At least we need to have a meeting and uh at least a report on how they spend that million dollars to buy those 80 cameras and at least to
have an idea where they are by um by the by Market Street, by the end of Market Street, by the supermarket behind Heritage's Place. That's a dumping ground. People dumping there all the time. and our DPW workers. We're spending thousands of dollars going back
and just cleaning that area. We need a camera there. Uh last but not least, Cooperation Council. Uh I make a I make a uh a uh request for this legislation to make it illegal for people that drive those uh uh those dirt bike or those um
um ebikes on the sidewalk is. So we need a legislation to make that illegal in the city of Patterson. uh a a senior lost his life in New York. Old man lost his life in New York with one of those uh ebike and it's been a multiple accident in the city of Patterson
because people driving the sidewalk like 40 miles per hour. So where our senior are going to walk so they're going to have to walk in the street because we have people with those ebike all over the city of Paris on the sidewalk. We need that legislation as soon as possible and I know my council Khali
would definitely approve this. Council Ki, uh, let's continue pushing. I know we are, we got to make tough decision to get the city back on track. We have to, and I'm going to say this is in closing. Uh, we got to pick and choose. I'm going to repeat this. We we have to pick and
choose. I mean, this city, we have we have the opportunity to make get a lot of revenue. If we do things the right way, we could get a we leaving a lot of revenue on the table. But what I hear that people wants to make some renovation, fix the sidewalk,
fix a facade of the property and they have to go through hell to get a permit. You know what what we doing? We pushing them to do those job illegal without permit. That's what we doing. And at the same time, we losing the revenue. That's what we doing. And we want inspector on the weekend to go after those people.
But at the same time, it's impossible for them to get the permit. So what are we doing here? We want to close business. We going to we want to go after business when it's so hard to have a business in the city of Patterson, but we want we want to raise taxes. All I'm saying is that we leaving a lot of money
in table in the table, but we got to work with the people that we have in the city of Patterson doing business. Good night, Patterson. We back. Cell phone number 9739301436. My vote is yes, Madam Clerk. Thank you, Councilman Omar. Thank you, Madam Clerk. I'm just going to be very brief to all my six ward
residents. I am knocking on doors. Uh there I I am up on the ballot in the upcoming November election and I look forward to meeting each and every single one of you. And uh before I do vote, happy birthday uh Councilman Jackson. Hope you enjoyed it. And happy birthday to your son as well. Oh, thank you.
My vote is yes. Uh good night Patterson. Councilman uh Uden. Good night Patterson. My vote is Thank you, Councilman. Uh thank you C mad clerk. I I just want to say thank you one more time to the Patterson Police Department, Fire Department, DPW for conducting a well
job at the uh parade and before the parade making sure the residents of the city of Patterson was safe. Uh one thing I got to say and I want my colleague to listen to this and I got to say it loud and clear. are not responsible
of making any decision at that Sunday from 10 to 10 to 10 at night to order to close liquid store and bar along the parade or market street. I am not the making decision of that. So if you hear
that I was the guy on fall, I'm not the administration, I'm not the mayor, I'm the councilman. I was the first one to question why the decision uh was made and and they came back and gave me a valid uh um response. So, and you could
see the results after the parade or before the parade, but they did a great job and doing what they had to do. Uh Mendes and and uh myself and other people in the community really enjoy it. Um um I really enjoy it uh the parade
this year. Um, and it's a good thing. Uh, Mr. Ba, I just want to elaborate that Grant Street and Brew Street, we have four schools there. Please, if you got if you have a meeting, involve me in that meeting.
Please involve me in that meeting. I spoke I spoke to Bob Garashi. At least he hired a a offduty officer to address the illegal individual parking in Rule 19. But at the same time something had to get done here a early dismissal from
one school or or late um you know that recommendation that we've been talking along in the area. So please count me in working together we could get things done. Um, last but not least, I I was surprised to receive a postcard, a
beautiful postcard, a gold one with a big thank you saying, um, "Dear Councilman Valz, thank you for your hard work and dedication on during the water crisis. You are
appreciate council president listen. That's the change that people really want to see. A lot of us did what we had to do. We didn't have to put it out there. We didn't have to make up and down dance or whatever, but what we doing the job. Thank you for this recognition to the
council. Um the it's a small talking. That's what the penny means about it. It's a small talking, but it means a lot. It means a lot and and we didn't need a press conference on it. So, thank you. God bless you and um
um let's keep on praying on each other. Let's keep on continue praying with the family of our former um uh council u city clerk madam Murray uh her family and everyone that works in the in the division of or division of city clerk
office. Um saying that let me see let's remind everyone that we going to have a 911 this Thursday ceremony is welcome to all the entire community. Huh. That's not a press conference. That's a
9/11 ceremony. It's a memorial service. And I and I used to go to that memorial service way before being a councilman. That's true. So the whole entire community is invited as a program
prepared with the city council of sec u madame clerk uh with this administration and we are there with one heart with the victims of the 9/11. Let's all remember them you know um did you say something? No, you got
Okay, Mandes took two weeks, one month of vacation. I'm take I taking a month coming back here. The cameras coming off. Thank you. Oh. Oh, police. Oh, Mr. Ba, last but not least.
Mr. Ba, please give me a last status of when they're going to get the retroactive the police department and where we stand with the fire department contract. If you could want to want to meet with me where we at on that send an email.
No, I'm not sending me. I could go to the second floor. I could knock the door. Well, at least you have a track, right? I could do that. Yeah. Everything's a email to block what I want to talk. Okay. Yeah. Uh say uh saying thank you, Secretary. It's her first meeting tonight.
It is her first meeting. She look herself. No, she was here before. Councilwoman Cot and let him close, please. Yeah, I want to close. If you let me finish, I can close. Oh, what? I I your vote, Councilman. Mr. Abuji. Go ahead. Thank you.
Huh? Your vote, Mr. Bushi. I have a resolution, a an ordinance for citywide parking permit sitting on the legal department and is already draft. It was vetted through
committee DBW way back. Uh can you advise Owen to bring it to the committee for we could do the last check up on there and move it to the council for a vote? Uh saying that um my vote is yes to close. Good night everyone. God bless you to thank you council and um council
president. I have a nice counciloman council woman council president if I may council cotton I just want to say um I just one of the ladies was here tonight and um just to remind the community that Beth am church on twourn street is now open under the
pastor Marie Lagon and also I just want to remind them councilwoman mim me and you were on the national council negro women um we're having our lunch on October 25th but I'm having a my lunchon for my church at New Zeal 4th. And if
you would like to come, I have my women's day councilwoman M and my staff on September 13th. Women and white. Thank you, Madame President. You're welcome. Thank you to the public at large. I will be very very brief. We
will begin the process um through personnel for the uh posting of the clerk position. Uh uh it was recommended that we will wait 30 days. It's been over that time
period. The job posting will post in a couple of days. Um, as a council president, I will have an email sent out from our madame clerk to the council members or from my secretary stating the process in which we will move forward.
Um, I will be selecting four council members to sit on the committee. Once the posting is closed, personnel will then send the resumes over to uh the four member committee. We will review those and provide interviews internally.
The two top candidates, we will then proceed to bring them forward to the city council. So that will be in writing to all council members. I just wanted to give a brief overview on tonight to the public so that the public is um familiar
with what the process will be. I just want to say this, there's many events going on. There's many situations in our community. There's many people that are sick, that have died, that are in the hospital rehabilitation center. So, we will continue to continue to pray for
all of you and the families that are impacted. But I want to say this and I I want to be clear, parents, council members, please, parents, before your children leave out the door and
when they come back in, please tell them how much you love them. Children, before you leave out of the door, make sure you tell your parents and your and the guardians that you love them and how much you appreciate them. Life is very short and we're we don't know when the
last day will be. And at this time, I am voting because we're we don't have a quorum. My vote is yes. Thank you. The votes are seven in favor, two absent. The workshop session is hereby adjourned. Good night, Patterson. Just want to inform everyone my son has
a game at Giant Stadium this uh this Saturday. They're playing Howard at the uh the H at Met Life. Yeah. He may not play cuz he had a concussion in the last game, but they'll be they'll be tailgating Howard versus Morehouse. So
if anyone just No, I pay for I got to pay for my own tickets. Yeah.