Mr. Garcia, we have a quorum >> on your call. Madam Vice President, >> please proceed. >> Certainly. Trenton City Council regular meeting December 16th, 2025 is now called to order. Please stand to salute the flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
America notice of this meeting has been given in accordance with the open public meeting act pursuant to public law 1975 chapter 231. This agenda is complete to the extent known. It was sent to the Trenton Times and Trentonian newspapers, posted on the first floor bolden board in city hall, filed in city clerk's office, and
posted on the city of Trenton website. Formal action will be taken. We have one remote remotely. Roll call. Vice President Edwards, >> present. >> Councilwoman Feliciano,
>> present. >> Councilwoman Figureroa Keber, >> present. Councilwoman Frisbee >> present. >> Councilman Harrison, for the record, I have not heard from him today, but I am not sure whether he is able to be at this meeting. Nonetheless, he'll be
loaded as excused unless he shows. >> Councilwoman Williams >> present. >> Council President Gonzalez has called. She is excused from this meeting this evening. Myself, Brandon Garcia, municipal clerk, present. Mr. Edward Colloji, Legislative
Council. For the record, Mr. Colli is present via telephone. And Mr. West Bridges did call to inform me that he will be late, but he is in route as well. And Madame President, if you'd like, at this time, I'll read the invocation.
>> Yes, please. Almighty God, who holds the fate of man and nation, we most humbly beseech thee to bless this our city, these deliberations, and these thy servants, that they may act with wisdom and understanding for the good of our community and thy greater glory. Amen.
>> Amen. And madame president, as I understand it this evening, I have instructions to turn over the microphone to Councilwoman Frisbee as she is uh will be reading a special recognition this evening.
>> Yes, Councilwoman Frisbee. >> Thank you, Vice President. So, good evening everyone. Um I started when I first um got on council. So I brought back in initiated where we recognize individuals in our community and as well
as those who are employed by our city acknowledging them for the work that they do. Um and that includes those who actually work for the city. Some said that we shouldn't. It's their job. But I believe that to give to render under Caesar that which is Caesar and that means honor goes where honor is due.
With that said, I want to read a recognition um that was prepared for Mr. Pablo Diaz um as he prepares to retire and it reads as follows. The city of Trenton City Council City of Trenton special recognition honoring Mr. Pablo
Diaz. Whereas Mr. Pablo Diaz is a proud Trentonian born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey and has spent his entire life here. He was educated through the Trenton public school system through 1978. Mr. Diaz is an honorable man with a
beautiful wife, two adult children, a host of grandchildren, and two great grandchildren who he loves and adore who he loves and they adore him. Whereas Mr. Diaz dedicated 17 years to the US Army reserves, completing his basic training
in Fort Dicks, New Jersey, he served this country during peace time, working in motor pools as a head mechanic and organizer of convoys. And whereas Mr. Mr. Diaz has various positions throughout his career such as a machine operator and building a superintendent
before his employment with the city of Trenton began. Mr. Diaz is credited with nearly 25 years of service and is currently enrolled, excuse me, currently employed as a maintenance repair for the Department of Public Works Division of Public Property. He is a seasoned
employee who serves as a force multiplier magnifying the effectiveness of supportive strategic initiatives as it is as it relates to the cleanliness and safety of the city facilities. And whereas Mr. Diaz has faithfully worked
through the pandemic and other emergencies and disasters, always taking the lead, providing exceptional service and reliable. And whereas Mr. Diaz has served our great city of Trenton to the best of his ability, seeking seeing
tasks through with determination and dedication to his committee, his community. Now therefore, be it resolved that the city of council of the city of Trenton, county of Mercer, state of New Jersey, hereby recognizes and honors Mr.
Pablo Diaz for 25 years of unwavering service to the city of Trenton Department of Public Works, division of pro division of public property. And it is signed by our council president, Yasmin Ellie Gonzalez, and all members of the city council. We congratulate
you. We thank you for your service. And as you prepare to retire, know that we wish you well and that your work here is greatly valued. and we appreciate every bit that you've done every year that you have given to the city of Trenton. I'm going to ask you to come to the
front if you have any words to say, but I'm going to pass it to my colleagues if anyone would have they'd like to say anything to Mr. Diaz. >> Council Vice President, Councilwoman Leiana. Thank you. So, Pablo, thank you for your
dedicated years of service. Um, I got to know you from the different community works that I was doing and you would always be there to help and set up and get everything ready with excellence, always on point, always on time, always
friendly, always courteous. Um, just a wonderful, wonderful sight to see on those days that we would joke and we would laugh with each other and everything. And I just want to say thank you. Thank you. Thank you just for being who you are. Thank you for being a
stellar employee and thank you for loving Trenton, for loving your job, um, and for doing it with excellence. I thank you and congratulations on your retirement. >> Thank you. Thank you, >> Council Vice President. Councilwoman
Williams. >> Thank you, ma'am. Uh Pablo, just want to say thank you for your love affair with Trenton and you've done so much for our city. I know that's a long time. It probably feels in a flash as you uh go to retirement, but also thank you very much for serving our country for so many
years. Um, when the words public service come to mind, you come to mind and I just want to wish you and your family well as you go to retirement. I hope you have many great adventures and God bless and thank you. >> Thank Thank you. Thank you,
>> Councilwoman Figureroa Kenberg. >> Thank you. Um, just thank you for all your years of service and dedication to the city of Trenton. It is really difficult sometimes to get people to stay in the city of Trenton to dedicate themselves and to every day hope that
the city is going to get better. Um, and you know, I think that we're all proponents of change for the city. And I'm just grateful to you and many others who have dedicated their lives, stayed here, followed the rules, bought their homes here, raised their families here,
you know, got educated here, and you know, you're going to move on to grander things. Um, I'm just hoping that that the rest of your life is just as prosperous and you dedicate yourself just as grandfully as you did for the city of Trenton, into everything else
that you do and to your children, your grandchildren, and to the future. So, thank you so much for all the dedication here in the city of Treson. Appreciate you. >> Thank you. Thank you very much, >> Council Harrison.
>> You see the tears in your eyes. Hey, >> all you got to do is look around this room. Everybody loves you, man. You're a hard worker. You always have a smile on your face. And you are what Trenton's all about is the American dream. You love this city. You love this people. And you work hard. And you always give
200%. So, thank you for everything you ever done, man. And I always appreciate seeing that smiling face every time you're out in the community. Thank you. >> Thank you, Joe. >> Um, Pablo, I just want to say thank you so much for your service and your dedication not only to our city, but to
the United States of America with your service through the military. Um, you are an exemplary example of an employee that we would love to have in this city and I hope that we get someone that can replace you that is just as good and I
know they have some big shoes to fill. So, thank you for your service. >> Thank you. >> So, Pablo, thank you, Madam Vice President. So before you speak, I just wanted to say when I heard that you were retiring, um, and then I heard that you had never
been acknowledged for the work that you've done, um, I found that really surprising and, um, it was just a miss on our part. But I did want to just acknowledge you and, um, I did not want this moment to go past without saying thank you. And before you speak, I'm
going to pass it to our director, Honor Terry, who would like to say something. Thank you, council president. Thank you, council. And I just want to say something about Pablo. Pablo, I'm so glad you are honoring a very worthy
city employee, dedicated. I have known Pablo for years. Pablo has never been in my office for discipline whatsoever. As rough as public work is, Pablo is exceptional. And uh Pablo does anything and everything regardless of his uh job
title. You give him anything to do, Pablo doesn't. I have his personal phone because whenever I get calls at 2:00 a.m. in the morning, I don't call nobody but Pablo. Pablo will respond. I mean, I am so proud that you are living in good
health and I'll be there in Florida to say hello to you. All right. Thank you so much for everything. Well, thank you everybody very much. I hate to go, but I got to go. It's time to take a little break. Grand kids are
waiting for me. I'm not going to stay still. I got to keep going, though. I enjoy working for the city. It was a great adventure. Uh, thank you all once again. Thank you. And I ask that you please bear with us a
moment as we go over to the corner for a quick picture and then we'll return. >> And we are really not letting him go. Just letting you know. and his family too. That was everybody.
down. I saw your name early Good to see you. Take care. Happy Christmas. That's okay. >> Okay. All
right, Mr. Gar >> on your call. Madam uh Madam Vice President, >> we could begin the presentations. Certainly, madam. Uh, madam vice president, the first presentation we have listed is the Kingsbury update. And so I know VP, is there a time limit
to this presentation? >> Oh, 10 minutes. I'm sorry. >> Understood. All right, sir. We'll start you when you're ready. Is it on the screen or is it supposed to be >> good evening everyone? Uh thanks for
having us back. Pleased to uh give you all and the public an update on what's going on at Kingsbury. So I'll uh start with the status of the tower renovations and show you some photos and then we can answer some
questions and call it a day. So, just as a refresher, we uh acquired the building after a couple years of hard work along with city council back in December 2024. So, it's been uh a little over a year now. Um we got to
work on the construction immediately thereafter. Uh rehabbing the the interior of the apartments first um as that takes precedence to give a a healthy and safe living experience back to the residents as quickly as possible.
Um we started off that process with uh multiple meetings with resident uh leadership and uh large groups of residents in the common areas of the property to explain how the construction process would work and how the relocation would be a part of that. Also to introduce ourselves and the new
property management team. Um the exciting bit that's really the big update today is we are wrapping up construction on the units in the west tower which is half of the property. So we're roughly 50% through our
construction period. Um the the final units will be wrapped up uh sometime between Christmas and New Year's and residents will move back into them shortly thereafter in January. Um, I also put on here that the the demolition
of the low-rise was completed, I think, since I was lost here, but um that we all very quickly forgot about that because it looks like a a storage construction yard right now, which is great. So, if you drive by the building, which
I'm sure many of you have, there's been a ton of work on the exterior of the buildings. It looks uh like a brand new property. Um there's still much to do in fine details, but this is the west tower and from a distance uh it almost looks complete. The the work on the exterior
of the buildings will continue throughout the entire construction period. Um but the east tower will look like this in just a couple of months. Here's some photos of what the interior of the units look like. This is staged with furniture. Um, we there's a whole
laundry list of uh upgrades that have been made to these apartments. I think personally the one I'm most excited about is the HVAC unit, which you see in the the back right of this photo. The the property used to be on a a single
loop of heating and cooling that had cold or hot water behind the walls with fans blowing off it into every apartment. So, everyone had to be at the same temperature all the time. And that would cause leaks because that system was very old. Now, in every bedroom, in every living room, each resident with
the new apartment has a fully electric, non-hydronic, no water system that they can control the temperature on. And this is bringing fresh, filtered air right from the outside of the the building right into their apartment at whatever temperature they need. It's a nice shot of the bedroom,
the kitchen, which looks great. Brand new countertops, brand new appliances, new lighting, new cabinets, all stainless steel. You can see the nice new flooring over there on the right as well. New bathroom, perhaps a little bit less
exciting, but clean, safe, ready to go. And this is a not the first story at Kingsbury, but the design influence at another one of our properties in New Jersey. This is what we expect the final product to look like in the common
areas. That's it. >> Madam Vice President, >> thank you so much. Um, Councilwoman Frisbee. >> Yeah. So, um, I want to first say thank you to Eli, um, and to your the entire team for all the work that you've been
putting in. And I know um it's been a a tedious um project, but nonetheless, I'm glad to see that they don't the lowrisers, no one really realize that they're not there anymore because we are utilizing that space um for as we are building up. We were there. We got to do a walk
through um uh was just uh few days. Yeah, just last week. a few days ago and I have to tell you it it really warmed me to see from the moment we walked in looking at the exterior um walking through there coming into the apartment
seeing what they look like uh seeing all the appliances the new flooring the new countertops the lighting the fact that they have a five um >> a five um high stove I'm like y'all need to have one extra one that has Frisbee's name on it in the back somewhere I know
but it was just absolutely refreshing ing and as I said then it this is what the residents of the city of Trenton deserve and it makes him proud to want to call this home and it makes um me proud to say yeah we were making we were diligent in making sure that our
residents got exactly what they needed. So I want to just say kudos to you kudos to your team. Um, I know you've gotten a lot of feedback that some of it was positive, some of it was negative, but I just wanted to tell you good job what you're doing. Um, here it was. I love the fact that, um, they're not treating
this as a universal thing. The HVAC system was one of my uh, Achilles heels when we first started this off with making sure that everybody does not have to have the same temperature in their unit. I like cold weather. There are other folks that don't. Stop
laughing at me over there. I see you J but I don't my neighbor may not. So, I'm glad that we were mindful and respectful that everybody is not the same thing and allow people to um show their independence and have just that basic as that. The bathroom you said wasn't
exciting, but it is when you have a clean bathroom and the ventilation system and I am mindful to let everybody know they didn't just change the faces of the units um of the HVAC systems in the bathrooms and throughout. They
actually changed all of the uh filters and everything is all cleaned out. There's no mold. There's no anything in there. So when the air or the heat is coming up, they're breathing good, clean, healthy. And so that part I also want to just acknowledge. So kudos to
you. Kudos to the team and for working so diligently, but those of us that are here on council and uh council as a collective. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Vice President. >> Thank you, Mr. President. >> Madam Vice President, >> thank you. Um just want to say thanks for coming tonight for uh doing the
presentation which is important that we end this year with having you all come to make sure people know what's been happening. A lot of folks have commented on seeing the outside of the building. So yes, this is really happening and that's important. Um it had been almost
it's going to be almost three years uh since they had the first meeting I attended uh ju just before our atlarge colleagues uh came on board because it was considered a north ward issue at that point but it's quickly you know able to be realizing that we're going to need all of council. it was that big.
And I'm really proud to say that all of council uh was an integral part of making sure that this project is what we saw tonight. that it's as good as it's it is and that voices were included of the residents of our constituents and
that I think this is going to change some lives for the better and add some great perspective and positivity because I'll never forget and I shared this at at the beginning the conversation I had with a senior citizen on upper floor who told me that the building was so unsafe
and the elevators were so unsafe there was a fire she was going to get her grandbabies out and she wasn't going to try to cuz she didn't think she'd make it. That is one of just one of the residents whose life you made better by this
project. And to my colleague uh Counciloman Frisbey's point, it may seem like a small thing, but people controlling the temperature in a room gives them some autonomy >> and it's a comfort, but it's an important thing. You're not in a
tenement building where you have no say so over your comfort or how you feel. And I think that o over time is going to be a small thing but yet to be a big thing. But also replacing all the laundry and making sure that there's brand new equipment and seeing the um
the uh kitchen uh refrigerator and a dishwasher. It's not the cheapest thing at Home Depot. Uh that was really great to see when we did our tour. but also just the thought going in making sure that each unit felt like it was a home.
I was very pleasantly surprised how quiet it was because of the thickness of the glass and that um now those the windows open only 4 in so it's safe so children can't fall out, people can't throw things out the window which
unfortunately happened in the past. So, this is going to be entirely different and I'm just really excited for what's to come. Um, I know Councilwoman Frisbee, Councilwoman Edwards and I were on so many calls over a good what 18 20 months uh every other week on Fridays
whether we're on vacation or wherever we were and seeing the things that are going to come like a playground all the other features that will really make this um hopefully a model for the rest of the city. So, I just want to wish you good luck. Thank you very much for all
this happened and all to come. And I just want to say thank you to all my colleagues because you know when you grow up in Trenton, Kingsbury did not have a good good name. It was called Doomsberry. It was called a lot of things and that's going to change and that's that's wonderful. The
partnership we were able to make with the board of Kingsbury with the developers and the administration and this is the proof that partnership can work. So, thank you. >> Agreed. Thank you, >> Council Vice President. >> Councilwoman Feliciano,
>> thank you. So, thank you for the presentation tonight. Just curious when the tour was given to um the to our colleagues um the whole from I didn't get a a email offering me a tour um of
the site. So, I'm not sure how that was exactly arranged, but I'd like to have the opportunity uh to get a tour as well as maybe any other council colleague that did not get the same invitation to come out. Certainly, it's important that we all collectively have the
opportunity. We all voted. We're all for this and we all helped to make this happen. I do want to thank the um the committee, the subcommittee um Council Vice President Edwards um Councilwoman Frisbee and Councilwoman Williams for doing the meetings and the calls and
then briefing us on what was going on so that we were aware as to what was happening. I guess there was everything kind of moved on. We kind of lost track uh especially with the tour and everything. So, I definitely want to make sure that we have the opportunity to do that considering that when we
first did the first initial tour that was set up by Council Vice President Edwards, it definitely looked one way. Um, and then for us to be able to highlight where we are now, um, certainly we want to do that. I used to hang out in Kingsbury back in the day. I grew up out west side of Trenton, but I
had friends that were over in Kingsbury. And when we went live um on the one day, the first time one of my girlfriends contacted me and was like the unit that we were in was actually her grandmother's uh when we were there. Um and so it brought back memories and
everything for her and then also hope of rei revitalization and everything. So I'm glad to see that collectively this council was able to make this happen. Um and I'm grateful that we're finally seeing some movement and that it'll be done. I look forward to the end result,
but I would like to have information so that I can schedule a tour um so that I can see it. Thank you. Thank you, Council Vice President, >> Councilwoman Figuro Kittenberg. >> Thank you. Um you know, great job. I mean, we needed this in the city. This
is a win-win. I've been in South Trenton my entire life, and Kingsbury was once a part of South Trenton. Uh my five god babies were raised in Kingsbury. So, um I was in and out of there quite often and it was a sad site. Um nobody deserves to have to live in conditions
like that. We have been tearing down project housing and other housing around the city of Trenton for very similar reasons. Um I'm glad that this was able to get done and at the caliber that it has. Again, um Councilwoman Feliciano
alluded to when we were first brought on the tour. Um it had been several years since I had been in Kingsbury and the conditions that we saw were atrocious. Like nobody needs to live in those conditions. Um so I'm really glad that we were able to get to a point to um alleviate those concerns and better the
conditions. You know, make it um a place where people should be able to live and breathe in and raise their children in because that ex is exactly what's happening. Um so kudos and thank you so much. I know it's been a long time coming and again kudos to the colleagues my colleagues who have been part of the
ad hoc who have been you know dedicating their times and meeting after meeting and you know keeping up with you um and your um your board uh your colleagues and then bringing it to us and then letting us kind of see where we need to
go. Um I just one quick question for you. I think you kind of sped past or I just didn't hear it. But you mentioned something about the lower towers and kind of what it what it is now or what it's going to be. Can you just kind of like verify that a little bit for me, please?
>> So, currently it's being used as a staging area for construction materials that are going into the towers. Um, we have temporary construction offices, trailers, etc. Uh, the long-term plan is to build housing on that site. Um but I
think the the fully developed plan to present that to the city is uh still in the works. >> Okay. >> So um it will eventually go to the city in in one form or another for approvals and conversations about what it is to be
built there. But we we do this for a living. We do this all day every day. And we'd like to build more more apartments. >> Okay. Because I know I think at one point there might have been discussion about that being some medical facility or something else. So now we are leaning
back towards possibly more housing. >> Uh open-ended. >> Okay. Okay. Well, I look forward to seeing that when the time comes. Um you know, whatever it is, I hope it's beneficial to the city um and to our residents moving forward. But great job
so far. Thank you. >> Agreed. Thank you, >> Councilwoman Harrison. And then Councilwoman Frisbee. >> Oh, uh, what I wanted to say is I'm so happy for the people who live at Kingsbury. Um, I remember seeing many
times people would be standing in the lobby waiting 10, 15 minutes waiting for the elevator to come back down because the other one was broke. So, and it's good to see that each unit now has their own um, heating and air conditioning in it, which is wonderful. This is what the people of Kingsburg deserve. Thank you.
>> Agreed. Well, thank you, Madam Vice President. So, let me just recap. I forgot to mention and John Eli, I don't think you talked about it, but it's important that we acknowledge the safety issues that um have also been addressed there where um when it comes to the front, there will
be um safety parameters put in. But one of the things that I love that's already there is that there are cameras all throughout. All throughout the hallways, all throughout um the stairwells, there are cameras. So the residents feel a sa a sense of safety, a more um that
someone else is looking out for them and it the cleanliness of it I have to also just comment on is absolutely refreshing. Um I also want to say I want to thank you um for also working with DCA to make sure that we are up to code with fire. What that was one of the biggest concerns as um council
councilwoman um Williams alluded to. One of the concerns was that um if a fire happened in that building on one of those upper floors that we would not they there were not enough holes in length to get to those residents and now that we are working to make sure that
that is not the issue. So just letting make making sure that everybody understands we're trying to address every issue, every concern. So I just wanted to make sure we were clear on that. And I did want to address my council colleague. Um it was uh an oversight and not a slight. We didn't
and it wasn't even just our council. There are others who have been in contact with me um who I got a phone call um actually two phone calls, two text messages um that they weren't invited to this and it is an oversight on our part because we didn't realize that it didn't go out to everyone. It
was our intention that we do it in groups of three or two however we do it with council two three um who can make it and along with even some of the board members um who also wanted to be in attendance. So, and I so I'll just say um to my colleagues who would like to go, we would love for everybody to get a
tour so you can get the feeling excitement that we got when we went there. And the same thing with the board members if an invitation would be extended to the board members. And again, as I expressed to them, um it was not a slight it was an oversight on our part that they were not the invitation
was not extended to them. It's just miscommunication, but it's nothing to not going anywhere. So, we can all just still extend it, please. and everybody. We didn't do it on purpose. Um we just were excited about it. We wanted to have the tour before we got here for the
presentation so we could talk from a place of um knowledge. So, thank you again. Thank you, Madam Vice President. >> You're welcome. Thank you. Um thank you, Eli. And I want to say thank you to all of your colleagues and everyone that has been a part of this. Um it was
essentially an ad hoc committee tour, but it was open to other uh council members who were available to attend. So I'm glad that um Councilwoman Frisbee did clear up any confusion beyond behind that. Um so it was an oversight, but I
would love if you guys can schedule a couple of more tours that would include the rest of the council and the board members of Kingsbury as well. Um and I guess members of the public want to see the building. Everyone's so excited about it. They're excited to see the
progress that you have made here um up close and in person. And I think that right now the way that it's staged will bring in just um just a refreshing type of feeling for everyone that has had any type of experience prior to the
renovations of these buildings. Um, having grown up my entire life in Trenton, I've had many friends and family members that lived in those buildings and I always hated that they lived there. And now I don't have to worry about them so much anymore. And I
think that with this revitalization of this of this building, it revitalizes the entire neighborhood and it just brings a a refreshing sense of newness that I think that hopefully um the people that were making the area unsafe
would think twice before they do that again. And um so I think that's it. Anyone have any other questions? Thank you so much. >> Thank you guys. Madam President, your next presentation is from Trenton Parking Authority.
>> Thank you. >> CPA Hi um folks, pleasure to be here tonight and thank you for our council member or liaison Tesca Frisbee for initiating this. Um, my name is Anne Lebanon and I currently serve as the board chair of
the Trenton Parking Authority. Um, and I think this is kind of just an opportunity to give an update of what we've been up to and we haven't done this in a while. So, mostly this is sort of an, you know, we'll start as an overview. Um,
going to page one, it's a bit of a refresher as to what the parking authority actually owns and operates. Um there are a total of seven parking decks downtown. Three of which we operate, two the state operates, and two are
privately owned and operated. So on the screen right now is our North Warren Street garage, which is actually our oldest. Um but actually beginning just before COVID and then during CO we replaced two elevators and we've been
doing steady maintenance and that workhorse continues to work well for us. Um we do have some old technology there. We only offer daily and monthly parking but we also are able to facilitate use with Mercer County Community College
students with some evening classes as well as daytime and faculty. Next one. Okay. The Lafayette Yard Garage folks know is the one near the hotel. Um that's it's funny it feels new because I
remember when that was open, but it's really not new anymore. Um but that is adjacent to the hotel. So we're hopeful with the city's work to get the hotel open to enjoy that traffic. Um we do offer 24-hour parking there. That's the
one location downtown we offer that. and we do do hourly as well as daily and monthly at that location. Next is the Liberty Commons garage which is very much centrally located in downtown
um entered on Front Street. Um that offers hourly, daily, and monthly parking rates. That's the newest of our garages. And then we do operate one surface parking lot um that is very near city
hall um right behind just I guess north of here on Merchant Street um that is primarily used by the federal courthouse folks but it's certainly very accessible to NJ
visitors um city hall visitors and the like. Um, one fun thing to note is that little corner that is near where Commerce and Stockton Street are noted. We're talking to folks in the recreation
department right now about having an extension of the Freedom Skate Park there, which would be a nice asset for young people um or whoever is skate parking, but I know it's mostly young people. Um, but that's kind of an
underutilized section there that can be fenced off and um and made useful in that recreational way. So with that um you know kind of an important update is
to understand that we did struggle during COVID. Um, luckily, you know, the state stuck with us and and you know, that 75% of our our income base was was solid. Um, but we lost significant
non-state customers and it's been a bit of a struggle to recap that. the chart um on the right I guess kind of as a way to illustrate that you can see how by the time 2021 hit our
income truly plummeted and then began to build back up. The last column is the cumulative and it was literally just last year that we kind of got back to where we were in 2018 and 2019.
And what's that's meant um what we did during that period is we spent down our reserves pretty dramatically. Uh not a not the best thing but the once in a hundred years pandemic sort of warranted doing what we
needed to do. Um, we also sought out savings wherever we could find them, which was primarily uh reductions in staffing wherein we kind of shifted people around in shifts and made sure we optimized our folks and put them where
they needed to be. Um, we addressed just the most urgent repair and replacement issues and whatever could be done inhouse we did. rather than contracting it out, we got our teams on that. Um, and
we'll, you know, as we kind of recover, we want to begin to address any, um, repair and replacement issues that were back burnered, if you will. Um, we did also begin to very aggressively seek new
sources of income. Um, you may have noticed that there are cellular towers on the exterior of the garage near the hotel that we worked with Verizon on. Um, I think there may be more of it. I I should have I'm sorry, I neglected to
mention that Will Conway, our builder's rep, is here helping me out and he's been very involved in all this stuff and may have answers that I don't know, but I think there might be some more cellular opportunities for us. And then we also uh at the Warren Street facility
have first floor kind of retail and office space. We operate from there as does the Trenton Downtown Association, but we're um trying to open up more retail, kind of get things in better shape and get some tenants in there for additional income and just to also
enliven a little corner of downtown. Um, in terms of what's kind of on our front burner now, the broad and front uh str front front street garage redevelopment site, we always refer to
that as the very best development site in downtown if not the whole city. Um, that garage is structurally un unsound, had been for a very long time, and we took it offline in 2012 and have been
trying to work on um redeveloping that and making the best possible use on that. So, we did secure an asset activation grant from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority
that allowed us to hear from the community members through a civic engagement process. We then were able to issue a request for expressions of interest to the real estate development community which has allowed to us to hear from the market what what would the
market want to think would be viable there. Um that document is still uh live our website it's uh goodforrevolutionaries.com and we really designed that as a sales
document. We want to sell Trenton and sell um the stories of Trenton. That's a beautiful site overlooking Milh Hill Park, south facing which is very desirable um in in many respects particularly for residential.
So that is ongoing. We have been talking to developers and um trying to find the one that's going to do the best for the city. And we hope that our site becomes leverage for a bigger project
because we all know there's a fair amount of vacant properties right on that block. And if we can get some of those as a part of a larger development footprint, I think that um portends
more tax income down the road, just more liess in our downtown. Um so we really want to take this opportunity to um find the best match as a developer there.
We are and and this is the heavy lift that will is working with us on. We are trying to prepare that building to be demolished and the idea is u make sure there are no hazardous or troubling materials there.
um be it asbestous, PCBs, elevator fluids or whatever. Get that all done in advance which simplifies and makes the demolition itself a lot more a lot less costly. Um so that's ongoing.
We are working on that with funds that were a state allocation from a number of years ago that the state decided that they would handle that through the capital city redevelopment corporation. So, we're teaming up with them and
working through that step by step. Pardon me. Oh, okay. And I just, you know, wanted to note the 10 TPA does try to collaborate downtown. We um have over the years we took over a troubled property from the city back in 2000,
which is the one we're now trying to redevelop. We were very um involved with the hotel and used up a lot of reserves at that time. We do free evening and weekend parking at Liberty Commons, coordinate with event planners when something's happening in the park or
nearby downtown. I won't necessarily read all those because I think people can see them. Um one thing and and just new for 2026, we are looking to upgrade our technology. Um, we want to be able to collect baby better data on our usage of
facilities, hoping that with more people living downtown, we will start to have evening and weekend usage um by new residents, which would be income for us, but also good for developers that don't have to then build parking. They can use
ours. And then we would also like to begin a collaboration with the Trenton parking utility, which as you know is the entity in city hall that runs the parking meters. Um because we think it's important to begin to look at the
downtown meter parking which is underpriced. So, we did two quick little charts there to show you our pricing for a 90 vis 90minute visit to downtown, which is literally at half the rates of some of our neighbors. And
the best practices in the industry is that prime parking on the street in front of the business is the best parking and it ought to be charged for the most. And we're doing the opposite of that. And that's really problematic for our merchants because they need those.
They need the turnover of cars to get businesses to get people in the businesses. And it's a a policy question that because we don't manage the meters, we're looking to collaborate and get that changed. The second chart does show
that currently it's cheaper to park on the street than to come into our garages, but it hurts our merchants. >> Yeah. Thank you so much, Miss Labad. This was an excellent presentation. >> Happy to answer any questions if >> President Williams.
>> Thank you, ma'am. Uh, so thank you very much, Miss Labot, for coming tonight to talk about TPA because we off actually, like you said, we don't really get to uh do that. So, this is important. So, I do have some questions. Um, so regarding the North Warren Street garage, uh, I
know I mentioned this to you a little bit a while ago before tonight. Um, was any discussion held with the board of education about Daylight Twilight, uh, potentially utilizing any spots in the last few months? >> You know, it seems to me they did talk
to our folks. I do think they ended up in lots over on Handover that Ajax owns because >> they're just closer. Um, we do more with the county college, the faculty and students there. I mean, we'd welcome them. We have capacity.
>> U, but people tend to want to be as close as they can and we do have competition. >> That's true. Well, at least But at least they know that it's available for the future. So, that's good. >> That's clear. Yeah. >> Okay. Also, um, is there I I recollect when I went to an event at Mercer County
for when they did a Mardigra or New Orleans music event, there was an abandoned car on the first level. Is it still there by chance or do you have any abandoned cars? Because I know some people have complained online that they've seen in a few of the garages, like cars with a lot of dust and dirt on
them that haven't been moved in years. >> Can I defer to you on that? We do have a couple cars that we're working on getting removed. Uh there was a van that was removed from the Liberty Commons. >> Yes, that one too. >> So, that one was actually, I believe, moved even today. >> Okay, good.
>> But there are a couple other ones. Some of the hard ones are some of these uh contracts that we have with the state. The state cars stay there for a while. If nobody's using it, then the state cars parked for a while. They do collect dust or cobwebs or things. Uh the guys try and keep note. We have lists of kind
of the cars that we have. There is one car uh that they've been working with the family. The father passed away. It's an old Cadillac. The father passed away. The son kind of wanted it, but he couldn't afford right now. So, we're they have capacity so they haven't removed it yet. We're trying to work with them.
>> Okay. Well, hopefully it's something that'll be arranged and but I can understand with the state particularly with COVID. Um if they're not using them, as long as they keep paying the bill, you know that they then they can stay. Okay. And then um regarding I just
was curious because I know uh we've talked about this here at council before about uh nighttime having free hours at Liberty Commons. I was glad to see that you said that they um you know as far as being available um for nighttime and
weekends. Are there any like what are the hours on the week nights? Um I think it's till >> 10 o'clock and and we do encourage people if there's an event like we work with a lobby club if you've got a big well they'll have a New Year's Eve dinner there
>> and then people might just go straight to the war memorial and not necessarily move their car and we just say let us know because we can pay a little overtime and have somebody there to keep that garage open. Um, we've gotten calls from church groups that are doing weekend events and it's if they give us
notice, it's not challenging to make those arrangements and we're happy to do so. >> Okay. And then as far as uh free parking, how what are the hours of that at this point? Liberty Commons because I know I've mentioned in the past about Friday nights particularly.
>> So Liberty Commons right now uh does have Friday evenings after five o'clock uh through until Sunday. It is uh free parking for local residents. Um we do have a parking attendant that's still there and still watches everything, but it's free parking. Um there was holiday
uh there there was talk of of incorporating that into holiday parking as well. Uh so that it extends to uh Lafayette. Um I I don't know if that was passed, but I'll follow up with that. >> Okay. because I I believe my colleagues uh Councilwoman Feliciano, Councilwoman
Edwards have also asked about this talked about this as well as everybody's talked about parking being an issue in our town. Um, but if we could advertise that a little bit more even with the sandwich boards that you guys use sometimes particularly for Friday nights cuz a lot of people they do want to do
something downtown. But you know having that proximity to lobby club, Skillet to Smokehouse and uh the station particularly and any other places they really do want to have, you know, a a parking garage they can go into. the streets available, but like Front Street
is difficult once the part by Liberty Commons fills up. So that would be really great for our downtown businesses. >> Yeah, I I like the idea of the sandwich boards actually. I mean, we do collaborate really closely with TDA because they do the push, you know, emails what's going on and they they put
our stuff out there pretty well. But any ideas are welcome. So >> Okay. No, that would be wonderful even if that could start, you know, soonish for Friday nights because it's a big night downtown. >> Um, and then the last thing I was glad when you talked about the the pre-demolition work that's happening
because a lot of folks are hoping that we will have have the front street garage demolished at some point before too long. Do we have any in any ideas of when a possible demolition could happen? Well,
the way the NJA incentives work, that can be rolled into the development project. And I've been a always been kind of averse to doing it in advance so that you have a gravel pit in the middle of downtown, which isn't inviting because right now there are nice murals up there. Um, so the expectation is and
and we don't have the money to tear it down. We have some money. Um, but it's it's a pretty expensive undertaking. So we expect to work with a developer and that would then be a part of an overall development scheme because the
incentives make that smart. >> Okay. And then um as far as that development, could you just describe what the overall vision is just because a lot of people ask and >> my vision? >> Well, what does the developer I know you you've been working on some designs because by the way, congratulations on
the award that TPA received in Atlantic City, the League of Municipalities. I should say. >> Yes, that picture of us getting an award in municipalities was taken by none other than photographer Councilman Councilwoman Jenna Williams. Um but yeah, that that was nice. Um
you know, I need to be careful what I say because we really do have a few >> I don't want to push in scenario. There's a few developers that want to do it and we're trying to get the most ambitious one if you will that's kind of got a vision that's broader than just that piece because you know the trans
savings fund building abuts us. The Nexus surface parking lot abuts us. The old family dollar store is empty. The rainbow store is marginally occupied. So there's opportunity there for somebody to think big and it's right there, you
know. So let's encourage that is our thought process. >> Okay. And then last question regarding that structures. I know um in the last year or so there's been you know uh people have noticed cracks and different pillars and there's been some
construction um you know looking at to see what the um condition of the building is if it's in you know possible shape to collapse at any point. And I know you know with the fencing and everything. >> Yeah. >> Um where are we at with that? Is it stable? Do we not have to worry about it
right now? >> Yeah, we we very much are working with the county construction and will can add in but it's inspected every month. >> Every month. Yes. >> Every month we have an engineering team just to make sure and for several months nothing. >> For the last year we've had no movement
or anything to to report. Uh we have a um engineer on board that does a monthly site inspection of the whole the whole place. >> So as far as stability, are we good for several years at least? It's yes. >> Okay. >> Okay. Great. Thank you very much. Thank you, council vice president.
>> Does anyone else have questions? >> Council vice president. >> Thank you. >> Okay. >> Um, >> just a quick question. >> And then me. Oh, sorry. >> Oh, sorry. >> Just a quick question. So I was looking
over um the the last audit findings and recommendations for for you all here. Just a quick question um from you had a finding 2023 right about um the testing of contracts
and dispersements and they wanted you to um get proper written approval from management for this the written capitalization policy to be established and in the process to determine not to exceed amounts on open-ended contracts and certifications. Right? So it carried
from 2023 to 2024. They made the recommendations and then your response was that management has reviewed the finding and is in agreement right a corrective action plan will be completed within 45 days. So was the corrective action plan done? Were these findings
satisfied? Um have you now taken care of the conditions that existed um for 2023 and 2024 >> I believe. So I mean we use Mercadian auditors who I think the city uses as well >> and they usually give you a recommend
you know they I highlight what they see as an issue and they give you a recommendation and we have a long-standing you know confidence with them. So I I'm pretty certain we pursued what they recommended. Right. Um yeah actually Will's relatively new. He
wasn't there during those years. I'm sorry. Um, but I think it had to do with purchase orders specifically and having purchase orders >> um not properly numbered and stuff. >> But I see,
>> but the result of it could be the um the overstatement of account balances and also non-compliance with the state law. So, I'm just asking, have these findings finally been taken care of or will we see them appear again? you know, I'm not
an accountant or an auditor. So, let me get back to you on that. >> Okay. >> And so, just just so to be clear on it, we have um people that garner salaries from working at the at the TPA, right?
And so, then we have someone that is responsible to oversee the daily operations. We have um an inside manager, an administrative manager. Mhm. Um, Patrice Harrison has been with us for about 20 years, probably crossed paths
with her. And then Phil Jackson is our field manager. He supervises all the booth attendance and repair and janitorial guys, and he's been with us for probably a dozen years. Um, and all of them are on payroll in the retirement
plan and the like, right? Um, and so all of that financial stuff goes through a payroll system, which is the bulk of our expenditures. >> I see that >> that is our biggest cost. And, you know,
frankly, I think um it's important to people downtown. We know that if you go to the train station, and we love Nexus and all, but they don't staff. So, if you're looking to see eyes, kind of keeping an eye on things, it's it's all,
you know, maybe cameras, but we do staff our garages during their open hours and then people have a confidence level that there's somebody keeping an eye on things. >> Okay, great. So, if you could just get the answer back about the findings and everything and if they've been satisfied, then I would appreciate that.
>> Thank you, Council Vice President. >> You're welcome. Um, Councilwoman Frisbee. >> So, I just want to say thank you for coming out this evening. Uh, uh, it's important to me that whatever committees or boards that I'm on that I'm not just hearing it, but I also get to have an opportunity to have you come out a
report out um, takes away giving second middleman um, information. We can hear directly from you. So, thank you for the presentation. Thank you for your diligence and uh, congratulations on securing the grant. I'm sorry I couldn't be there that day to um just be excited with um the whole
team as um the work has been being done. So, thank you and again um I'm going to have you come back out again couple of more months. Thank you. >> And I will tell you we haven't been asked in a while. So, thank you. >> Absolutely. You'll be more ask more. Trust me. >> You um lastly, I have I have a couple of
questions. So in expansion on the conversation about the broad and front street redevelopment site, >> uh you mentioned that this this was acquired in about 2000 year 2000 and
then five years >> after it was built there's been um structural issues. So about 2005 I want to say when was it? No actually the city built that facility And it was even while they still owned it that they started to have problems. And that's
when they said, "You take it over." Before my time. >> And so there was a lot a lot of money invested over many years until people just said this, it's the money pit, if you will, and we just decided to take it
offline. And we had capacity in the other decks that we're able to shift parkers and not hit our bottom line. Um, and to be honest with you, I think it's such a beautiful site that we can find a better use for it anyway. Um, but there
was there's longstanding structural problems there that are not worth continued investment. >> Okay. And how many um offers or interests do you have on the property? >> I would say four.
because I remember going to um a couple of the community uh civic engagement. I remember you being there. Yes. At at water I mean not I said about to say waterworks. Uh >> artworks was one and then one at the college. >> The artworks. Yes. In the college >> and um those were a few years ago at
this point. It was I mean we did the civic engagement first so that we would have that information when we started to issue the RFI that we could recognize what the community was asking for so the developers could get that. So
the sequence was important to do that first. The interesting thing was the the most vocal people wanted us to make sure we had skateboarding there, which is not developer idea for the best investment for all the obvious reasons.
>> Yeah, I get that. It is definitely a popular skateboarding site. Um, unfortunately, we need a revenue taxpaying >> That's right. >> entity on this property. >> Um, I would I think most of us would like to see that. Um, can you can we go
over the funding for it? Because I'm hearing things through the great vine about EDA or the CCRC perhaps having funding to demolish the building, not just to do pre-demolation work. But from what I'm hearing that EDA has offered to
pay for the demolition of the garage, however, they need to acquire it and have sight control in order to pay for it and then they can give it back when it's done. Can you elaborate on that? >> A couple of things. Um, several years ago, I want to say at least four maybe
five years ago, the mayor interacting with the governor said, "We need money to tear this down." And we had already heard by that time that it was a three to4 million project. And the state allocated $1.5 million, but then they
didn't really give it to us. And so the fiscal year ends and we get our assembly people to make sure it's in the next year's budget and they do and it's just a whole process. And finally the state decided rather than giving us the money directly they would give it to CCRC. And
so then the CCRC has its grant process um and in fits and starts we it take took time but we I we identified the important pre-demolition stuff that should be done no matter who demolishes
it. And there's it's very key to do those in advance so that the demolition itself is clean and simple and doesn't require crazy insurance because there might be problems. We've taken care of all that. So that's what we've begun to
draw down from that 1.5 million to take care of all that. There will be some money left over there, but we're still going to be short. Um, I I think a a lot of people in the EDA talk about stuff like that.
We've never gotten a specific proposal, but I will also say to you that um we started this not terribly long after the Christy administration ignored all of the public in terms of
the projects that they did when we were trying to get them to build those new buildings closer to the center of town to populate our streets and he just wanted to build really quick before he left office. And so we thought that it was important that this be a Trenton
project and that Trenton kind of be in the driver's seat deciding how this is going to be because the state and and folks at the state will say to you haven't always done right by Trenton in terms of development. So we're very much in touch with CCRC.
Um the incentives that the EDA has I think are going to be absolutely central, very vital to a developer. And kind of as an aside, when we first issued the RFI,
the program was considered almost unworkable. It was a difficult incentive program for developers to use. We started interviewing developers December of last year early and by the
end of December the legislature had totally changed the program for the better and then the governor changed and signed the rules and regulations first quarter of this year. So we went back to those developers and said all of whom
weren't even going to take advantage of the EDA program because it was so unworkable. So, we needed to take the time to go back to them and say, "Look at this." Because um the it's difficult to make the numbers work in Trenton. You
know, we don't get Jersey City rents. So, where Jersey City takes the EDA money and pays for sheetrock, but they're getting two and three times the rent. We don't get discounts on sheetrock or steel or whatever. And and the rents here are lower. So there it's
tricky to do development here and the EDA program really will allow us to do a quality project and their incentives will fill those gaps. But not all developers want to take on
the complexity and the risk that's associated with that. And that's why there's the continuing conversations. >> Okay. Um, I understand the complexities of all of this, but I have to express my concern
on behalf of a large amount of the public who has been wondering and complaining, recommending, and suggesting things for this site. And to no avail, it doesn't seem like anything's going to come to fruition for
the unforeseeable future. Um, I'm hoping that, you know, there is something that you guys can come to a a I don't know, a compromise on with the EDA. If the state does have funding to demolish it and is
offering to do that, then if TDA doesn't have a formal proposal from them, maybe that's a a way or a place or area where TPA can kind of bridge that gap because we are hearing things through the grapevine that there
is funding available and um and for years at this point for both pre-demolition and demolition Um, but they're saying that TPA is not cooperative. So, I'm hoping that after the conversation today that you guys can
take some of that into consideration um the concerns from the public and try to work with EDA on getting this demolished because it does seem to complicate things if a developer has to demolish the building. So, if there's funding
available, let's try to make that happen for the for the good of order because it's been close. >> I'll circle back, but nobody's been knocking on our door saying, "Here's the money." In fact, they've made it somewhat difficult until recently for us to draw down the money that the mayor
already got for us. So, you know, I I would caution, you know, there's a lot of wannabe developers out there, including in state government, but do they have the person, the department, the authorization? In fact, um, in this state, there's a
lot of reliance on private developers and that's why they have the incentives that are targeted toward developers. So, I'll have some more conversations and tell people that that's kind of the word on the street and what am I missing? But we're in touch with, you
know, Julie Krauss particularly and now Nat Bodenheimer at CCRC and they're pretty wired in. >> Okay. Awesome. Well, thank you. Um, for just for the sake of time, I don't have any more questions other than to just
make a closing statement that, you know, the garage at Liberty Commons closing at 10 p.m. Um, a lot of we get a lot of complaints about that, too. And there has been suggestions or requests for it to be 24 hours or at least during the
time where there's events downtown that don't end until 10:00. Um, a lot of people have gotten locked in that garage, myself included, on the first Friday and had to come back the next day to come get my vehicle. But um it would be great if that could be coinciding
with the events to you know extend it >> and we have been responsive to that when asked but I can bring back like you know maybe if it's always going to be a first Friday activity or now actually second Fridays is what is coming out of city hall. We can
certainly take a look at that. >> Right. >> We like people to be in our garage. >> Yes. More people that can access it the more money that you can get. >> That's right. All right. Thank you so much for your time and and all of this information. >> Sure, enjoy. >> And and do call if anything comes up.
>> We will. >> Mr. Garcia, um we have one more. Uh we don't have a presentation. We don't have a third presentation, but there is an issue that is going on. Um some concerns I would say, not an issue, but concerns from the public. Um
something that was brought to our attention in regards to a letter from um Director Simple from Trenton Waterworks Department to the Department of Environmental Protection in regards to there being frazzled ice and a shutdown
having happened at 7:30 a.m. on Friday. Unfortunately, council was not notified and we found out on Facebook uh yesterday, days afterwards. Um, and we want to tighten up on that communication, but just for the sake of the public's concerns on what happened
on Friday, if there's anyone from the administration that could kind of elaborate on what happened just to kind of settle people's nerves that because there are rumors that it it was still shut down up until yesterday and that wasn't true and a um a staffer hopped on
Facebook in the comments and said it wasn't true and set the record straight and I appreciate it, Mr. um London for that. But uh or was it was it Tim or Johnson? Um so if there's anyone that can speak to this >> president
that's Mr. Fier if you would mute the um what whoever that we we can hear that right there is too close to mute. It's a lot of noise. >> Sorry, we were just having some um sound
uh distractions over here. We're trying to get straight. Um thank you, Director Simple, um for stepping up. Can you just elaborate on on what happened with this incident Friday and you know, shared it? >> Yes. Good evening, council. Good
evening, council vice president. So we had a brief incident with frazzil ice on Friday. It lasted about 2 hours, 3 hours, 3 hours and the plant was back on. So that this what was what people put
out there was incorrect was totally inaccurate and the plant has been functioning since then. No problems right now. Um, so concerning the letter, speak on the letter or you want me to speak about the letter?
>> I got >> Let me just explain about the letter situation. So, uh, I'm sorry, Maria Richardson, business administrator. um as part of the protocol from um the Trenton Border Works, right? They are
supposed to inform the EP that the um land ceased operations for those two and some hours, three hours. And so the letter that was sent, I think it was originally
sent to um to the director um on Friday 4:35 or something like that. So the letter was basically um referring to our communication to them because it was
part of our protocol. This is not something that they be found out because they came to the plant or because there was a critical emergency at the plant, but because we were the staff, the director and the technicians, the engineers, they were following basically
our own protocol that we need to communicate to DP. >> Thank you. Um, I have a few questions if anyone wants to go first. >> Councilwoman Feliciano. Thank you, council vice president.
All right. So, first I would like to um acknowledge a message that I got from Mr. Frank Cusack uh regarding all of
this. Um, and and what he said was, I mean, he was the person that tagged myself and council vice president and I think council president uh on the letter in the first place. So, we we of course didn't know about it. I thanked him for
sharing it, but you know, he was saying that um he's just he says, "I'm a concerned user of the waterworks with a toddler that wants a secure, safe, and equitable utility for my child and everyone else's future." So I just wanted to acknowledge that as I said
that we would ask questions on tonight about that. So the plant shut down for about 3 hours, right? >> Yes. >> So what then happens when when that happens
when it shuts down? What do we tap into for water to keep going? >> The reservoir. >> The reservoir. How many days worth of water does the reservoir hold? >> Approximately three days is
>> three days. Okay. So, how many times during this calendar year have we had to use the reservoir? >> Well, we use the reservoir every day. >> But are you asking if the plant was shut down? >> Yes. Um,
>> how many times did we have to tap into the reservoir because of the plant being shut down this calendar year? >> I don't know that number off the top of my head. >> Okay. Would you say it was more than two? >> More than three. >> So, there were several times during this calendar year that the plant was
actually shut down. Would it would it have been due to this frazzil ice situation? Would it have just been due to it being shut down? >> Um, well, I'll give you an example. We were shut down with the divers doing cleaning of sedimentation. So that was a
12-h hour shutdown we had on Monday and Wednesday previous of the previous week. So yes, during those times we count we so anytime there's work being done on the plant where we would need to shut down. Um but I don't know the number off
the top of my head. I can get that for you. >> Okay. And so there's three days worth of water that's there. When we take water from the reservoir and we use it to function, how long does it take for us to refill the reservoir to get back to 100%.
>> Um, it depends on demand, but usually between 24 hour 24 to 48 hours. >> 24 to 48 hours. Okay. And so we have the the ice reduces the intake flow, right? And then you said we have
blowers in place to help reduce that from happening. What's the plan to address additional freezing if it happens? Like, so I guess if it's a certain degree outside, the ice will build, right? We have it for whatever,
you know, 20° or what have you. Like, what is the plan for if the the degree continues to to go low and things happen and then this intake thing is clogged? Like, what's the plan for that? So the plan was originally on
Thanksgiving evening when we saw that temperatures were beginning to drop below freezing. We have staff around the clock that comes in and blows off the screens um every on an hourly basis. Um that particular night they were we did have
staff there but the ice was building up. There's several conditions with that. It's not just the temperature, it can be wind that causes a factor. So that previous day there was significant wind the temperature dropped. So our current compressors we have um we are limited to
how frequently we can blow off. So we got a rental um compressor on site which we can blow off more frequently. So that increases the times to do it. Instead of doing it one to two times in an hour, we're able to do it four to five times in an hour to blow off all six screens.
So that's part of what we're doing for the frazzil ice condition. >> So I know that with this frazzle ice we So the D didn't they referred the people that we were supposed to use or something to even fix this in the first place?
>> No. >> So how did that work? Right. We paid x amount of dollars for this to be looked at. the intake um this whole intake thing. Wasn't it recommended that we utilize
someone and this was supposed to be taken care of and now it's not taken care of and now here we are? >> No, >> no, the intake problem will not be done fixed overnight. We have a RFP out now for engineering services to do a full
study and make recommendations to fix the current situation at the intake right now. Right. So yeah, so this is the intake problem. Like so my thing is all we have right now is just blowers in place to to
figure all this out. So, what happens if the reservoir is is being tapped into, the intake's not moving like it's supposed to move, we're delivering services to our clients and everything? Like, how do we make sure that
everything just keeps moving as it's supposed to keep moving? >> Well, with the the continuous blowoffs that we're doing, we're able to keep flowing to the plant. We also have interconnects with New Jersey American water if the reservoir level got to a
level where we needed to open an interconnect. So we can get water receive water supply from there from there. But we are not at that point yet. So if something happened then we would have to tap into American water to get water from them to be able to function.
>> Okay. So thank you for all of the explanations and everything. My concern is and while I understand this is operational and everything and the letter was something that you were required to send to the D to let them know about this happening,
I'm I'm sure you can understand how alarmed we were some of us were as well as the public to learn that the plant was down for however long it was down. Trenton Waterworks is a hot topic. We know this, right? We're concerned about what the future of Trenton Waterworks is
going to be. this situation. It's cold outside, right? So, these things should already be looked into and we should be working progressively and proactively on ensuring that we continue to provide good water to the people um at all
times, right? And that the reservoir is where it should be and all that. So, thank you for everybody diving in the water and blowing with the blowers and all that kind of stuff like that. But are we ever going to get to a point where we actually have an operating system where people don't have to blow with blowers to make it work? >> Well, that's part of the system.
>> So, they have to that that is the system. They got to go down there and blow with the blower. >> It's not they're going down there. There's a system that blows air to six screens that are out. >> Okay. All right. >> Blows the ice off of the river. Um but I just want to make it clear that the plant is shut down at various times,
even for um plan maintenance. So because the plant is down does not mean it's a need for emergency or there's a need for panic. We we or that the water quality is bad. Um we plan these shutdowns. Like
I said, we had divers in there in our intake system. Part of what we're doing to um alleviate some of the conditions is to clean sediment out of the intake. So that's what the divers were doing and that was scheduled shutdowns that we had. um that particular frag I those
were 12 hours and the public wasn't aware the public wasn't in panic we fed off the reservoir and then we pumped when the shutdown was over >> um a three-hour shutdown for frazzil ice is not a call for a panic or emergency.
So, I still think that like in a case like that with with the letter that was sent out, I do think that council should have been um advised of that. That could be a BA thing, but I still think that council should have been made aware
again only because like I said, we're being tagged on social media about something that we know nothing about. Um even just as a courtesy to say here's what we sent, you know, here's what's going on. just so we're prepared so that we can answer questions and be
adequately prepared. One one thing before you comment BA Richardson when you all are shutting the plant down and like all of this stuff is happening. Is there any change in the pressure of the water? >> No. >> No. So everything would still function. So there would be no change because like you know how sometimes our water
pressure would go low or it fluctuates like would that it it never would happen due to any of the filling of the reservoir like nothing like that has nothing to do with the pressure. >> Typically when you have low pressure is if we have a main break or something like that we have to reduce flow in
certain areas while we fix it. Okay. >> And also I just want to add that the there was not a letter sent to the DP. were required to call the hotline number or notify them by email um when we're shut down for any reason and that was what was done. They then sent that
letter to director simple hour, you know, after business hours which most of us didn't even see >> Friday afternoon. >> Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Council Vice President. >> Councilwoman Figureroa Kenbury. >> Thank you. >> Did you want to say something?
>> That was already addressed the letter situation. I just wanted to note >> Yeah. I mean, I just think Okay. You know. >> Okay. Wait. >> That we should know if something like that happens if it's formal like that. >> Yes. Well, actually, um, when we received the letter,
technically we received the letter yesterday morning. Correct. So, um, we were all day long going back and forth with D on how to address their request in the letter because there were some material
um, errors in the letter. So, we wanted to make sure that we will that we would address those issues before we actually sent a letter saying we are shut down for frail eyes when we are not really. It was that was corrected within 3 hours
on Friday and we wanted to make sure that the EP unders any communication out um and because the other issues were talking about reporting requirements which are already ongoing um and items that we already
have like an emergency um uh RFP an emergency procurement that we are already procuring. And so we wanted to make sure that we clear those items before we put any information out. But we will keep um the communication
aspect in mind in moving forward. >> Thank you. >> Thank you VA. Um >> we do have we um director simple >> ma'am. Thank you director simple. We do have a couple more questions from two more council members or three four
>> everybody. Okay. Um, so I mean to Councilwoman Feliciano's point about the letter, I mean Trenton Waterworks is public owned. It's a public entity. So I do feel like if a letter like that is going out, regardless of the validity, what we know
about it, how many hours lapsed, we should be aware of it before it is essentially leaked because that's that's what happened, right? the public should be made aware in some aspect and as council should be made aware. >> So I don't know DP's motive. They put
that letter on the website. >> It it doesn't it doesn't matter. Yeah. It doesn't really matter motive. It it's something that affects the city of Trenton and the residents. So we should be made aware and and even if it's something that's erroneous, >> you know, if it's
city should be aware of. Wait, let me let me let me elaborate a little bit. Um it it falls into the realm of of public self safety overall. Correct. So this happened on Friday. You're saying it was just three hours. You know, freezing happens, weather happens, right? But
also in addition to that on Saturday, Saturday morning, I don't know whereabouts in the city or what parts of the city, but I know in the south ward for five and a half hours, we lost electricity. We had no power. So we had freezing temperatures. And so let's say
there was something with the water that we were not aware of. And let's just say because the water couldn't be filtered properly or what have you and we needed to boil water. Not all of us have gas um you know stoves and ovens. So some have electric that they couldn't use it. It was freezing in my house. My house was
like 50some degrees for 5 hours on Saturday morning because PSENG had an outage. Did not know of the water. But what if you know what if I didn't you know we're drinking water unfiltered or what have you and we're just not aware that there could have been an issue.
What we're saying is to make the public aware that something could be, you know, instead of the the red alert that goes out when somebody leaks something and puts it on social media and everybody else is dumbfounded. I think safety first is what we're saying up here on
council. You know, we need to be protecting the residents and the citizens in Titon as best as possible. Regardless of how erroneous you think the content is, we need to be made aware. >> I understand totally. >> Next, Councilwoman Frisbee, then
Councilwoman Williams. >> Thank you, Council Vice President. So, I have just a handful of questions. The first one is you said this is standard um procedure. This is protocol for a letter to go out. Is that correct? >> No, it's not. >> It is not.
>> So, I want to just rewind this and ask who initiated the letter? >> The D. >> So, D initiated the letter. Why? >> Because of the brown out, I mean the frailized situation we had. They went
ahead and sent the letter with some requests. some requests that we had issues with. Um I know we I we we're supposed to notify the public but these ladies at the plant they know to run the plant. There was no danger at any time
at all. We had we had supplies of water so nobody wouldn't even many times that plant is shut down. >> So that was my next question. My next question is was there a health issue or health concern to the public? There was never a health concern because nobody
would even know that the plant had shut down. >> Yes. Okay. >> Um if you uh may recall the letter, the letter basically it's um asking the city to inform to ask the residents to
consume less water. It wasn't anything about the quality of the water or about any boiling advisory but just um do not you know it was a voluntary request for
the residents to consume less water. Now mind you when we are doing maintenance when we have the divers in we the plants ceased to uh operate for 12 hours and DCA D has never asked us to inform the
public when the plant has not been pumping water into the reservoir for 12 hours. That's why I am saying that it was critical for us to address the material errors in that letter. Right. The DCA is asking us to report
um uh regularly on uh the operations of the intake. That's exactly what we are doing. The the technicians are communicating with DP. I'm sorry I said DCA because I talk to them a thousand hours a day. Um D
um the technicians are communicating with them. They are telling them that we have do done this or done that. They require that we had uh divers uh on an emergency.
Um the divers cannot solve the problem of the frail eyes. They can only according to what I heard yesterday at the plant that they can only go down and and point out the frail eyes, right? But
the EP is asking us to keep them there. Um and uh the other aspect was they wanted two rec two two reporting requirements which we already do. Um so the main thing was to issue that water
advisory savings water savings advisory which we will send out but yesterday we needed to go back and forth with them to see what was the validity of their claim. We could not just jump into what the EP is
asking us to do because somebody mentioned intentions. We need to protect our um infrastructure and uh yes, that's all I'm going to say. >> So, I want to just say to that because that was also part of what I wanted to
bring up here. Um I'm grateful that you did not do a knee-jerk reaction. Uh we have the experts and I say let those who are licensed, those who have been who have studied and done their job, they know their job what to do. Um let them do their job. And so I commend um our
Trenton Waterworks for doing your job and not just doing something because someone who doesn't have the license, the knowhow, the the knowledge tell you exactly what it is to do. Um so I applaud you for that. Um, I also wanted to say, um, I want to keep re
reiterating, I'm asking questions that I do have the answers to, that it was not a health concern. One of the other things I did want to ask is, um, how many times has a letter gone out this year? >> Do we know >> from the D?
>> From the D with this kind of request, >> I can't say off my head, but we I do get often get letters from the D. Okay, so this is standard. >> They are the regulators. They are the ones who oversee us and they have different demands and requests, but it doesn't just because the word frailize
came up, it raised an alarm and I don't know, I don't understand because it no one was in danger at any time, >> right? So, and so the other part of this is and I asked that because we have the again you you've already said it. We this is not the first time that our plan
is shut down this year. >> No. >> So, >> not at all. I don't want the public to be alarmed that just because the plant is being shut down that does not mean that we are in danger that we are this is something that we do and we are prepared to handle on a regular basis.
So you know how much water needs to go back and how much water needs to be taken from the reservoir. So we're not doing that. This is not our first rodeo. >> No, it's not. >> It's not the second or the third. This is what we do. And again, I that's the part I I I respect the D for wanting to
make sure that we're on point, but I also want to make sure that all the facts get out. And the fact of the matter is this is it's standard procedure. We actually shut it down. >> Yes. >> You do what you have to do. You replenish it. I don't have all the um technical terms cuz I'm not an expert on
the waterworks, but you are. So, you know what you're doing. And I ask that they allow I'm again I'm just going to keep saying that they allow you to do your job and if they don't feel that we have it that they should give provide us with the resources so that we can do our job. But I I'm glad that we have the
technicians that we do have on site. I want the public to know that you guys are not a Mickey Mouse type of um plant um operating operations here. you do know what you're doing and you do have the public's health because your health is to say is is also um being taken into
consideration here and so you are mindful of what needs to be done and you are see going ahead and for foreshadowing to make sure that we are prepared. So thank you for the work that you're doing. I just want to make sure that the truth comes out that we're not giving it in part and so that we're not
doing again knee-jerk reactions and we are sending out an alarm again to the public when it is no need to for an alarm. This is standard procedure and you guys have handled it in the past. It's not a first rodeo. It won't be our last rodeo. So, thank you. >> Thank you,
>> Councilwoman Williams. Thank you, Council President. Vice President, sorry. So, used um so I have several questions and I know you tried treaded this territory very well with my colleagues, but I want to just be a little more exact for my own understanding. So, we
didn't know anything about the leather there to really like late last night. I know several of us were at the Hanukkah um celebration and manura lighting. So, when this hit the public and was released online, when was it released to the public?
>> I'm not sure when. Monday afternoon, I think. >> Monday afternoon. >> Any letter that the DP sends to us, they automatically >> I'm sorry, I had trouble hearing it. Any letter that the DP sends to us, they automatically put on their website. >> So it's simultaneous.
>> Yes. So it's not uh released to the public. Anybody could look on that website to look up any letter they've ever sent to us. >> Okay. So that is something we definitely should be getting. If it goes to the public, we should be getting it as soon
as the administration or the TWWW gets it because we have to know this because all of our constituents, many of them are asking this what's going on. And we have to make sure we have credibility. We have to make sure we're telling people what's going on, whether it's, you know, something we have to worry
about or something we don't. You know, we're fighting for the GWW, but we also need to make sure we provide information in a timely fashion because there's a lot of rumors out there, a lot of rumor monongering, and any information we provide, we have a duty and a service to make sure we can, you know, forward that
to our constituents. So my questions um I guess my first one is really this whole issue and we've been you know going with this a lot since it first happened last year. this viewpoint of DP
that anything having to do with the frazzle and the screens, it's been operator error versus a either a technical design flaw or they installed it at a depth that wasn't appropriate for, you know, where it is versus where
they've done even a Marsville. So can you just touch upon is as as as is D still maintaining this position that this was an operator error issue or is this something with the equipment because if we have divers going into the water to check on it I'm not an expert.
I'm not a water engineer certainly but to me that sounds like it's an equipment issue not an operator operate uh operator error issue. >> Council vice president if I may jump in on that question. >> Yes please. I'm sorry. >> Go ahead. Sorry. Thank you. >> Used to being a president.
>> What what I can tell you and a lot of this is going to be discussed at executive session. What I would like to share is um there has been a claim that there is user error which has been denied and um that is at issue in the litigation. What I can tell you that's
also for public consumption is the fact that if you look at the city's website in the coming weeks, you will see a RFP for special counsel seeking special counsel that is um specific as to construction design defect andor installation with the purposes of
bringing an action against an entity that's responsible for the installation of that. So that was an allegation that's public consumption. There'll be RFP out for that litigation that will be public consumption and aside from that unfortunately as much as I'd like to um
say more that will be discussed during executive session. >> Okay. Thank you very much. And I have a few more questions but if these get knocked down I totally understand. So, as far as uh the um the engineers in
charge of this installation project, um can we find out? I might have a couple questions regarding that and the consultants that were hired for that. That's a no-go zone. Okay. Sure. As far as the engineers in charge of the installation project, were they
uh personnel from D? Were they hired consultants or were they TWWWW engineers who oversaw the installation project? >> I I unfortunately need to discuss that more in depth or in executive session, but um um what I can say again that's public consumption that was a contract
that was approved by council um that will be at issue in the litigation, but the details of which we need to discuss in executive session. >> Okay. Thank you, sir. Um, regarding the dam that was built near the intake area,
if um, so my understanding is that that dam was was built during for the installation to help help relieve debris going in during construction, etc. Um, then it was supposed to be removed. And I know um that and I'm just asking to
make sure I understand because I know like even when you walk across the bridge you can see that there's there was some created there. So was that dam ever supposed to be removed and is that a source of some of this debris going in? So as part of the um
RFP that we just put out, a bometric survey is is part of the the package that they have engineers have to prove if the river was returned in kind. So that will come out in that. >> Okay, understood. Okay, thank you very much for answering my questions. Thank
you, council vice president. Thank you. Um and that does anyone else have questions? All right. Lastly, uh sorry, we're trying we're going to try to start this meeting, but the public has a lot of concerns naturally. So, um and I want to elaborate that, you
know, this may not seem like something that's like uh major internally uh for you guys who are working and operating Trenton World Works on a daily basis. But for us on the outside in, you know, we kind of suffer a little bit
from PTSD on, you know, the shutdowns and having to divert to American Water to pump our water and things that, you know, um the Frazzil ice shut down the uh the treatment facility or but yes, treatment facility. I'm saying that
correctly. Um for what several days. So there is concern that is very valid by the public. So when we're wondering where this concern is coming from is because of what happened in the past, not more than a year ago. So just last
winter it was shut down. So um I just want you to just take that into consideration as you are dealing with the public and you're speaking with them to just have a little bit of empathy that you know we don't know what's going on. We're not scientists and engineers.
So, when we hear shutdown, it's like, oh my god, is is there something in the water? Is something going on? Um, and it's very concerning being that we only have 3 days of water reserved in our reservoir. So, if there's a shutdown that could go past 12 hours, that's
that's red flags for everyone, you know. So, it's it's really not as simple as it may seem. Um, but for you guys, this is your this is your life. So, it's simple for you, but it's not simple for us. Um, so I do want to ask, um,
has the RFP for the comprehensive assessment gone out for Tren Waterworks? And has the RFP that was mentioned in the letter from D regarding the long-term design and operation improvements for the intake system or
was that RFP release? both of them were put out or just one >> the conflict >> the RFP uh for the assessment D it's going is supposed to pay for it and they are supposed to prepare the
specifications so we don't even have the specifications for that but D um regarding the um engineering part uh for the assessment of the intake that RFP is out it's already being advertised
Actually, it was advertised once and I think that >> DP Yeah, we it's actually on the docket today for uh rejection because DP wanted to add some they recommended some um revision in the specifications and so um
it is already being advertised but it was before and it's being rejected today on today's documents. >> Yeah, I saw that. Thank you. And I'm glad to know that a new RFP has gone out already for the intake design and operation. Awesome. But for the
assessment, the last time we talked about it, >> there were you guys were waiting for waterworks department. Now you're waiting for D for specifications or do I have that mixed up? Was it always you were waiting for D specifications in order to release that? We have been
waiting for D specifications and um I just don't want to confuse that with the operations um maintenance and operations RFP that is also out there that it's for hiring
um middle and upper management prof and professionals for the for the utility that it's already out that has been out twice. I'm not sure if we got any responses this time. Yes, we already got two responses for that, but that is a
third um RFP to hire the necessary uh middle management and other professionals, licensed professionals that we need at the plant. >> Okay. And um last question, uh there was a concern resident that had
reached out to the department this morning in regards to the fragile ice causing the shutdown and Mr. Michael Walker had responded um and he had explained that there was a directive from the governor if I'm not
mistaken. I'm trying to pull up the email as we speak, but that it was separate from what had happened Friday, but um there was something from the state about um >> there's a man advisory, a water advisory. They put a drought advisory out on December 5th, which is one of the
reasons behind us putting out the water conservation um notice to customers that will be coming out is due to that order from the governor. Okay. So, so the governor issued the drought advisory on December 5th. So, um the one from the city is
going out this week. Did I hear that? >> Tomorrow. >> Tomorrow. Okay. Um What? What? Why the delay on on that? If the state put theirs out on the 5th, how come the city isn't putting theirs out
until tomorrow? Um, just because the state puts out a drought management um for the whole state doesn't necessarily mean that we put one out. Um they're mandating they're mandating that we put out a water conservation plan, but they're not
mandating all water utilities in the in the state to do this. So that's okay. I asked that because in the letter um from the D that was like one of the uh things that they had requested you guys do. Um
so I just wanted to ask that for a clarification. Thank you. And that was um that's all of my questions. Um thank you so much for elaborating on everything and have a good evening. >> So um council,
so we we do have an executive skex executive session scheduled at the end of the meeting, but the attorneys are here now and they get paid by the hour. So of course, so >> for the sake of fiscal responsibility,
>> do we can we motion to move the executive session up? Is that okay with everyone? >> Is that a motion to adjust the agenda to move the executive session? >> I just wanted to deliberate with my colleagues. I think we're fine. Okay. All right. So all right, Mr. Garcia,
let's move on with the agenda. >> All right, Madam Vice President, in that case, let's move to public comment for agenda items only. I have the clipboard for public comment for agenda items only. And to the public, public comment for agenda items only will be five minutes
for each individual. You may address any item on the I need the other one. B friends, I need the other one. Put this one back there. Let's put this one back. Thank you. Yeah, this one says docket items on.
Okay. Again, uh five minutes for each individual. The council is not obligated to respond. Please state your name and address for the record. The first individual for public comment. This is to address docket items and agenda items only is Frank Cusack.
Good evening, council. Uh my name is Frank Cusack. I'm here as a representative of the Coalition for Healthy Water. Uh we are a grassroot organization uh trying to look into the Trenton Waterworks. We represent Hamilton, Ewing, Lawrence, Trenton, and
Hopewell. I'm addressing resolutions 25468 through 25471. Tonight I'm speaking to the council, the mayor's office, as well as the director of Trenton Waterworks. Let's take a trip down memory lane.
January 8th, 2025. The frazzil ice incident. April 2nd, 2025. the first letter from Shan Leret at the D suggesting and I quote from that letter
that investigation the uprating of the raw water intake blowoff compressors and pressure surge tank to allow for a longer more powerful air burst. Going down to the end, Tren Waterworks should provide a date by which Trend
Waterworks anticipates providing a draft of the long-term action plan RFP that addresses the items identified above for review by the bureau by April 10th, 2025. June 2025, the commissioner of the D visits the
Route 29 water plant. August 18th, 2025. Commissioner reports findings to city council. In September, another letter was sent. October 2nd, 2025,
the Florida the RFP-2025-26 closed with one bid. That is the RFP that is on the resolution tonight. October 21st, 2025. Second or third letter from D issuing concerns over water intake and other operational failures
with a revised RFP to be used. December 13th, 2025. Actually, it was December 12th. The plan operation halted
for what we now know to be 3 hours for, let's say it, frazzle ice. Now, it's not lost to me that frazzle ice is an act of nature. It is something that is uncontrollable. However, when I did a calculation of
January 8th, 2025 to December 13th, 2025, 339 days went by with no action from Tren Waterworks.
That's 48 weeks and 3 days or 92.88% of 2025. Now, I'm not sure if the 3-day calculation is off of the old US FDA reg
uh recommended amount of gallons per person, which was one gallon, but earlier this year, they revised that to a recommended two gallons of water per person per day that you should have on reserve in your
household. So, I'm not sure if the reservoir works off of a different calculation, but I would be interested to know what the calculation from Trend Waterworks is on what that 3-day uh total is. I have some questions as well as a lot
of the members of my community and the on Facebook have. Whatever happened to the revised RFP that the D suggested? Why has the only meaningful action to secure our intake valve been the removal
of 393 cubic yards of debris? Now, cubic yards may be hard to visualize what that looks like. That's 393 washing machines that were removed. The questions that my community have put
out is when will the administration and this council continue to blame DCA? Where's the transparency Michael Walker loves to brag about? Is the administration and the council holding out for the inevitable
Carl McCall? Move it down a little bit. a little shorter than the rest of these people. I want to first thank the city council for giving me the opportunity to come before the council and express my concerns and possible concept to address
the existing firehouses that exist at older rural homes. >> Excuse me, sir. Do you mind stating your name and address for the record? >> Oh, Carl McCall, 519 New Willow Street, Trenton, New Jersey. Thank you. >> Several weeks ago, I was driving down
Olden Avenue between uh Princeton Avenue and Brunswick Avenue and I passed the houses that were destroyed by the fire and the young man that's life was lost. My condolences to the family.
But this time when I drove down Oen Avenue, something different happened to me as I was driving. something came to my attention and said, "Carl, you know what to do. Why don't you make
some suggestions of what to do so that so that this problem will not happen again?" And I thought about it and I said, "Well, that's right. Most people know exactly what to do to eliminate this problem, but nobody's doing anything."
So what I did was I called my council woman, Miss Jennifer Williams, and explained to her what the problem was and my concepts and recommendations of what should be done. And she invited me to come to this council meeting. And
that's why I'm here today to explain to the city council some recommendations and concepts of what needs to be done to protect the public so that this situation doesn't happen again.
So let me just make some suggestions. Number one, the owner of these types of properties shall be responsible for making the required improvements to address the fire hazards. The owner shall be required to construct
the fireresistant improvements to their properties before the house can be sold and received a certificate of occupancy. The city of Trenton housing code to transfer properties from the seller to the buyer will require that fire
resistant walls be constructed before the new owner obtains a certificate of occupancy. Now, similar uh requirements have been uh implemented in the city housing code
years ago. Well, I say around 1976, if I can remember, several requirements were implemented years ago when the city code required the that knob and tool electrical systems be replaced with new wiring
systems because knob and two were fire hazards. So the city code changed and in order to get a certificate occupancy, you had to take the old wiring out, put new wiring in the house, the entire house.
That was an expensive job to do, but it was requirement and in order to get the CO, it had to be done. So the people did that before they got the CO to take occupancy of the house. Also, the city code required the removal
of lead water pipes and new copper pipes to be installed before the property could receive a certificate occupy. Again, it was a similar type of construction cost, very expensive, but it had to be done. So, the owners had to
do it. Either the buyer had to do it before they got a certificate oxy, but it was done. Okay. It is time that we address the problem of fire spreading from one rowhouse to the other because there's no
firewalls and no fire resistant materials between the houses. And I spoke with a couple people about the situation too. And uh they told me when it's a complete rehab of the of a row house, they have to construct these new
fire resistant wall. That's when it's complete rehabilitation taking the old walls down. So there has been some change in the code. I suggest that a proposed a proposed
committee be formed to develop concepts to address this concern. The committee shall consist of representatives from city council including housing code department, fire department, legal department, contractors, and concerned
citizens. And that's my presentation. I would like to have some feedback from the committee. >> I'm sorry. >> Thank you, sir. I'm sorry. Go ahead. >> This is this is just the constituents leaving a comment on the record. Um, you can leave your information with Mr.
Garcia and we will get back to you. >> Okay. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Have a good night. Caroline Clark, is there any Good evening, council tronians.
So I came to talk about ordinance 471, 468 and I think it's 476. And then we asked Mr. Sample to come up and he talked about the letter
situation. So, I'm going to skip to the letter thing before I do the other things. So, DP put the letter out regarding this frazzil ice business and DP has come here and told us to sell our
water. So, they told you to sell. They put a letter out. Now, our employee testified that we've had the plant shut down not for frazzil eyes, but for other reasons. But a shutdown is a shutdown.
Okay? And when it wasn't for a reason that f that served DP's purpose, we didn't get any letters. So, if the issue is about alerting us to shutdowns, we should be getting a letter every single
time. So motives do matter and DP has a motive that is not about our health and safety. We've already established from the employee no one's health was at risk. We already established that
Trenton Waters is safe. So why is D continuing on this relentless pursuit to defame Trenton Waterworks? When is this council going to pass a resolution that
unequivocally tells Commissioner Lerette to cease and desist with the defamation of our water utility and our employees. This is getting to the point now where you guys are micromanaging and and and
Monday morning quarterbacking the employees because of D. We've always trusted them to do the job. They've been doing the job. Nothing changed except we're at the end of the administration and it's time for them to
make good on their promise to sell the water which started in 2018 before they had any of this evidence. Okay? So, this council needs to stop footing around. You need to pass a
resolution. You need to tell Commissioner Larret to cease and desist defaming Trenton Waterworks. We've had enough. Okay. Our staff, I'm sure, has had enough. The selfserving, the
propaganda, it's not just rumors. It's a freaking sabotage. Okay. So, um I'd like for this council to think about, seriously, think about passing a resolution. And I think NOR did one where they unequivocally said
the water is not for sale. We are here to fix and improve the water. It is not for sale. Thank you. Robin Vaughn >> Robin Vaughn 1100 Styverson Avenue and I
want to speak on resolutions 40 463 466 468 471 and 476. Uh they all involve DP. So DP just hijacked your your whole docket here and
I want to know how much it's going to cost for 463 for us to enter with them. It seems like they're trying to uh it's a heist here, a money grab for certain
uh party loyalists over there at the DP, right? who are part of the democratic machinery and apparatus which is Larrett. Uh you know when I was on the council and who was the commissioner it was Miss McCabe.
Um, and for you sit up here, council vice president to reprimand your employees who are the professionals talking about how they should be communicating to the public and the
public don't know what's going on. I have confidence in them. But you don't say anything about the fact that you don't know what's going on because you're the You should get the letter before the employees.
I had to come up here and tell you that the DP had an RFP out on you. You didn't even know that. So, you should hold yourself accountable to do your job and you haven't been doing your job because I don't think you know your job because
that's what Mr. Lerette told you that you don't know your job and he wasn't here to tell you how to do it and nor am I and I know you don't have the capacity to tell these professionals over here to do their job because you are not a
professional in any capacity. So, I will go on about the uh executive session. So, open your mail and you tell Luette to send you those letters first and foremost and you inform us because
you're the elected official. Okay? So, you got to get the letters first. If you're not getting them, that's very problematic. Right, Mr. Council Harrison? We were there. We were at the commissioner's
office. So, nothing got past us. So, I will say this, uh, the executive session, I don't understand what's going on with that lawsuit, Mr. bridges, but you guys better be passing some
motions to dismiss that crap with those townships. They have no business intervening anything because the Trenton, the city of Trenton will be intervening. And I told you all that, okay? Pass some motions to dismiss that lawsuit. They have no grounds. They have
nothing to say about our water utility. Hopewell just sold their water utility with their dumb asses uh to Aqua Water. So all I have to say is mind your own municipalities business and I expect you
Mr. Bridges and our law department to use the full force of all those lawyers that you have retained to um to represent us. And if you're not doing it, we can represent ourselves. And I tell you one thing, if those motions
aren't filed with M with Judge Bartles to dismiss this case, then guess what? Trentonians, we will be in that courtroom and our attorneys will be filing the motions our damn self. Members of the public, please be advised that this is a council chambers and we
need proper decorum here. So, please refrain from using profanity or any other derogatory language. as we respect you, please respect us. Thank you, Mr. Garcia. >> Certainly, Madam Vice President, at this time, that's the end. Those all the amendments I have for public comment for
docket items. And if it's your wish, you can ask for a motion to approve the minutes of September 16th, October 21st, and November 6, 2025. Mr. Garcia, can you repeat with that as per
>> I'm sorry. If you want, Madam uh Vice President, if you want to ask for a motion to approve the minutes this evening for September 16th, October October 21st and November 6, 2025. >> May I have a motion to approve your
minutes meeting? Second. Roll call. Vice President Edwards. >> Yes. >> Councilwoman Feliciano. >> Yes. >> Councilwoman Figurero Kevin. >> Yes. >> Councilwoman Frisbee. >> Yes. >> Councilman Harrison. >> Yes. >> Councilwoman Williams.
>> Yes. >> Motion carried. And Madam President, if you want to ask for a motion to approve communications and petitions. >> I have a motion to approve communications and petitions. So move. >> Second. Okay. No,
>> you roll call. Vice President Edwards, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Feliciano, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Figureroa Kevinberg, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Frisbee, >> yes. >> Councilman Harrison, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Williams, >> yes. >> Motion carried. And Madam President,
that brings us to Madam Vice President, that brings us to ordinances for second reading and public hearing. Ordinance 25-148, an ordinance creating the position of economic development, representative 4 for the Department of Housing and Economic Development, Division of Economic Development.
Are there any members of the public that wish to speak on this ordinance at this time? Seeing none, Madam Vice President, if you want to ask for a motion to approve. May >> I have a motion to approve 25-148? So move. Second.
>> Roll call. Vice President Edwards. >> Yes. Councilwoman Feliciano, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Figuro Edenberg, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Frisbee, >> yes. >> Councilman Harrison, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Williams, >> yes. >> Motion carried.
On to resolutions. Madam Vice President, is there are there any resolutions that you or the council wish to extract for questions or from a percent from a potential consent agenda this evening? >> Council vice president. Councilwoman Lisiano. >> Thank you. I have um
457 458 459 460 472 462 463 464
465 466 469 9 471 and um I have 25472
that was in my um packet but wasn't on the first um agenda that I got. So 472 if that's still applicable. Thank you. >> You said that. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Okay. Thank you council >> president. >> Counciloman Figer. of Camber.
>> I don't know if I'm gonna have much else to ask after, but 472 and 474, please. Thank you, >> Council President. Vice President, >> uh, Councilwoman Williams. >> Thank you. Uh, 46 uh3 464,
466, and then I believe that's it. 463, 464, and 466. Yep. Council Fiana covered it pretty darn well. Thank you.
>> Anyone else? >> Well, let's get let's get started. Um 25-456. This is a resolution authorizing the acceptance of the state fiscal year 2026
New Jersey state aid grant for $500,000 from the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. >> Thank you. >> Steve Wilson, police director. >> Hello. Good evening, Director Wilson. >> Good evening. >> Just a quick question and the questions
aren't long and drawn out, just questions. Okay. Um just out of curiosity, um I see that we're going to have the trailers, the camera, and the control center. That that's what this is going to be used to to have, right? >> Yes, ma'am.
>> So, um regarding all this, what does it look like as far as having the staff necessary to operate all of that? Are we going to be good with all of that or are we buying this stuff just to kind of put it to the side for the minute or we use put it in effect? We'll actually use
this in a lot of our day-to-day operations for community outreach or any any event that the city has such as parades. It'll be readily deployed along with the manpower that it takes to uh uh make sure that our events are are properly uh secure.
>> Okay. Thank you. That's all I had. Consent. Thank you. >> Okay. Did someone else have a question? No. Oh, thank you. >> Thank you. 25-457. Thank you. >> Good evening.
>> Good evening, Councilwoman Feliciano. >> Thank you. Just a quick question. Um, what is this money going to be used for? >> Oh, that's a good question. This is a um basically a city readiness grant. It um
allows us to uh do preparedness for emergencies within the health area. It's kind of a longstanding grant that we've received from the um the health
department at the state level. And what this resolution basically does is allowing us to insert a special revenue into the budget. This money was made available after the budget was approved. So this is customary to >> No, I get that. I'm just curious as to
what I mean what are we ready for? >> What do we >> that it's readiness for emergency? It's preparedness for emergency purposes. For example, >> like what kind of emergencies? uh for health emergency for example a co virus
or uh hepatitis or any kind of emergency um in the health area. >> Okay. So could this be used like if somebody cuz I know under health and human services we have where people um need temporary housing or something like that. Okay. So that's what I'm asking.
>> Just health related. >> Okay. So if we needed to get like masks or something like that or >> Yes. and or uh training for the staff for preparedness and that sort of things. >> Okay. Thank you. Consent. >> Sure.
>> Anyone else have any questions on 457? >> All right. Uh 25-458. Thank you. >> Hello again. >> Hello. >> Just a quick question on this one. um before when we had the issue with the
SNAP benefits and everything. Um and I questioned the administration about the possibility of transferring funds to be able to help um feed the people or help give some kind of um relief to the
people that were going through. Um I was told that well from what I had proposed as a solution in taking certain overages and salaries that we weren't going to use that that just was not possible this that and the third but now I see that we're looking to do this
transfer. So it's not that we um didn't have funds available obviously because we're now asking for this transfer of funds but I just like an explanation as to why um nothing was done per my request. Absolutely. Actually, transfers
can only be used to fix or resolve um deficits within the budget, right? We are not able to create new programs or to create new intentions, new um how can I put it? Purposes,
>> right? But they they basically go from uh one from one account from one department that might have surplus or from one line item uh to another line item within the budget. >> Mhm.
>> Right. But we cannot create new activities or new purposes for to to use those account those accounts. >> Right. Okay. But to get a little bit further with it, when it comes to what we're allowed to do as far as DCA and the guidelines, are we allowed to use
funds to be able to purchase food and things like that? >> No, we are not. We are not um unless it is a statutory requirement. We are not allowed to use uh taxpayers money for
individual services. It will have to be uh services of a statutory nature. we are not allowed to pay for food and that sort of things. >> Okay. Thank you. So then I guess the question then that I would have had back to that and it would be mainly I guess
towards the mayor who initially wrote back would be why couldn't I have just received that explanation when I asked the question instead of just being basically I guess ignored um when I was asking about something for the betterment of the people.
>> Thank you. Consent take it. Um, I do have a question. >> Sure. >> Does anyone else have a question in regards to this? Um, thank you, Councilwoman Feliciano, for your questions. Your your uh last question >> had um brought up something I wanted to
ask later on. Mhm. >> I recently saw an article from a newspaper about uh food and entertainment not being allowed to be purchased or paid for by the
administration in any type of way. Um can you elaborate on that? Um, it was explained to me that in theou it prohibits it, but the way that it was interpreted was that it was for
employees for food to not be purchased for employee employees, but not the entertainment things that we're doing, the take it to the streets, block parties, the Halloween things, the Christmas things. Can you elaborate on
some of that? Actually theou mentions um it has certain language uh regarding miscellaneous and I'm sorry I don't have the MOU in
front of me. Um I tend not to interpret things liberally. I because we need to be in compliance with certain D now it's Dca
requirements I try to be as spe as specific as I can interpreting what the MOU says. So from my perspective, what theou says and people that have been working here for a
long time, we have refrained from paying for food for certain things. My interpretation of theou is that we pay for food for programmatic purposes. Uh for example,
we have um the senior programs, correct? They are in the centers from 8:00 in the morning until 3 4:00 in the afternoon. If we need to provide for um meals for the seniors when they are in the
centers, I never had any issues with DCA approving those things or not even approving it. It's that is my consideration of theou, right? Same thing with the recreation centers. If the kids are there um because it's a
summer program and they are there from 8:00 in the morning until 6:00 in the afternoon, we are providing meals. Um DCA sent me a memo probably two 3 weeks ago saying that they will not pay for
food period. Um, my argument is that that's what we always have been doing and I think that they will be open to considering those instances, but they will not be open and
I not trying to speak for DCA. Um, but they will not be open for us to be paying for food for every single event that the city organizes. Um and they basically said that it's um as a transitional aid municipality we
should refrain for those things. They are the mayor asked for clarification to the director of local government services. They are asking for more information about our expenditures when it comes to food and entertainment. >> Thank you. So, but you know, we always
paid for concerts and we pay for all those things. >> So, with the it it sounds like DCA is either reinterpreting or interpreting theou in a way that it should have been
before, but how does that affect the community events that recreation department has been doing moving forward? um like with Halloween, with Christmas, will the city still be able to do these things under the current MOU? >> I think we will be able to do those
things. Is probably we will have to um make sure that we use the money in the way that is most impactful for the community, right? And so we are going to get a lot of oversight when it comes to that because they already started to do that. So we started conversations with
DCA and we are just waiting for the director to basically be very specific about what it means because all of us have a different interpretation of how the food should be interpreted.
>> Okay. And and can you elaborate because like I said the article I was just want to dispel if there are any rumors or or misinformedness out there that could be providing the public with misinformed information or
misinformation or incorrect information even if it is correct if you can confirm or deny um the the cost of Halloween. Now, before I even ask my specific question, I am not against the city doing these holiday events. I am for
them because it's a it's a structured activity and the quality of life being provided to our residents. But I'm I'm asking questions for a matter of just following the guidelines with theou proper procurement laws. If this
exceeded a certain amount, then should council have approved it? Should it is it something that was already approved, already included in the budget? Can you talk to some of these things? >> I am going to allow Director Harris to respond and then if you would like me to
elaborate, I will be happy to do that. If you >> Good evening, Paul Harris, Parks and Recreation. Hi. Yes. So, the article is incorrect in the amount. Um, but we did spend I think 128
The vast majority of those expenses are under $3,000. The one expense that exceeds uh so there's two areas. One vendor we have a resolution with that you approved previously. So we can we have an ongoing relationship where we
can get those items. Another vendor is for the actual ferris wheel, the roundabout, the big giant slide. You know, we had a large equipment there. That vendor we ended up getting multiple quotes. We added a few things on the end. I think in total it was over it was
a slightly over the threshold, but that's the only vendor. But if you run down the list, literally everybody was under $5,000 each category. The biggest expense for Halloween was the big equipment that we had brought in on uh
big machines and stuff. The lights were expensive, but the lights are on a state contract. Listen, we learned our lesson. Okay, we learned our lesson. We're getting better, uh, you know, doing things the correct way. Um, and we're
going to get even better about not adding things on at the last minute. And I I own that 100%. We have an event. We had 5,000 people there. If you do the math, listen, you know, my position is and my mission from my department is quality of life. And there's just so
much despair and depression here. I think that we need to do better and long as you have hired you've hired me to do this and we're going to continue to do it to make sure people have an outlet. An outlet. That's it. We had a we just had a successful jazz event this
weekend, past weekend at Ellersley. There's something for everybody. That's my mission. And there is a cost to that. But we have to ask ourselves, listen, what is it that we want for Trenton, all age groups? an example that I need to work on. I need to find more programming
for young girls. We need to do better at that. This is always a basketball, but so we're always improving, but I need you guys to ladies and gentlemen, to understand that there is a cost to doing business. And don't ever get scared about providing that service. This this isn't Princeton. This isn't Hamilton.
This isn't Lawrence where people can get up and just do what they want and go. You know, it's different here. And we need to meet people where they're at. Which is why next year our plan was to expand our block parties. Our block parties, hot dogs, hamburgers, giveaways. It's the community coming out
and interacting with each other. They're gonna beat me up over hot dogs and hamburgers for kids. Imagine a community where there's no structured programming in 2026. You know, maybe this is not the right thing to say because I'm sure people are listening, but it needs to be said.
There's a base of people here who need help, and that's what we do. And it's not handouts. It's not handing out. You've paid the taxes. I'm giving it back to you. That's my position. And yes. So, yeah, we're getting better. >> So, um, thank you. First and foremost,
as a as a mother of three girls, >> we love the Halloween experiences. We love the Christmas experiences, and we go every year. Um, and and so do hundreds of other more people in the city. And quite frankly, if the city was not providing these types of attractions
and events, they would not be having it at all because no one else is coming in our town, let's be honest, and doing this for us. The a lot of the things that we had that were by private people, the carnival on Cash Street and other
things were ruined by violence. But the inconsistencies in between, you know, the times in between of these events, you start to see the uptick in violence, the longer it goes without having these types of structure activities and events. So being an advocate for gun
violence reduction, I understand directly the correlation between these activities and violence, period. Not even just gun violence, but other types of things. So they are definitely essential to our quality of life here, our mental health here, but we
definitely want to make sure we're following proper procurement laws. So I definitely am raising a red flag on, you know, the vendor that exceeded the 44,000 threshold. Let's >> 53. It's 53 now. >> It's 53. So 53. So it exceeded 53,000.
>> Um and that was due to change orders. >> No, that's due to me. They exceeded it. They went to they end up going to 60,000. So, it's not a big difference. It's still, you know, what it is. Um, but we added rides last minute. That's my staff brought me. This is actually
with every single event. My staff bring me a plan and I tend to get carried away and I said, "Wait a minute, it's not enough." Because when I is when you just remember, for example, we added the balloon man because the stories that you guys used to talk about the balloon man at Cadwell the park. So, I said, "You
know what? It's worth having a balloon in. So, that was an additional $1,000 on it. I own that 100%. 100%. I own that because I made that decision. >> Okay. Thank you so much for your cander and um >> Council Vice President
>> Feliciano, >> thank you and thank you for the for those questions. So, just so that we're very clear and thank you for your transparency and your honesty, right, and what it is and you're right We want to provide good things for the
people in the city of Trenton. We are paying taxes, some of us, to help make that happen. Um, but for everything that you've done or everything that you've put through, you just solely do it without any oversight. Does anybody sign off on anything that you do? You just
put through whatever you want to do. >> No, there's a large system here. You can't just You can't just put things through. People know. People know. >> Okay. So every expenditure that you have approved has been approved for you to do it. >> Yes. >> Okay.
>> The overages the overages are add-ons but the the general appeal. Yes. Yes. Every purchase order is approved by the purchasing agent. Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. And so I state that to say right for so that for those that are
thinking and writing and wondering and everything else it's not like you're just going rogue and saying I'mma just do and there is no oversight internally. So then people are seeing what you're putting through and people are signing off and approving on what it is that you're looking to be done. I'm not
overlooking or saying turn a blind eye to things that may have not been done right when it comes to purchasing law and things like that. I'm not saying that right in the overages but what I am saying is that you are responsible to someone else for the things that you are signing off on and which and and that
you undertake as the um as the director of recreation. >> Right. >> Thank you. >> Councilwoman Frisbee and then Councilwoman Figuero Kett. >> Thank you madam vice president. So again, I echo uh Councilwoman
Feliciano's sentiment with um wanted to say thank you to uh Director Harris for his transparency and I'm hopeful that DCA will see the value of our Trenton residents and see that we're deserving
of hot at the very least hot dogs, hamburgers, >> water, um entertainment when we gather. uh for all that we give up, especially if I go back and look at our waterfront and everything else um at all the
property that they are on in this city without paying taxes on it. I would hope that they would see that is the very least and that we we are paying I know I'm a taxpayer. My my bill my bank account reflects it every single month
how much I pay in taxes. But I just I I the when I heard about that uh my first instinct was to call the governor. I I promise you and and I did all transparency. He gave me his personal number and I called him and he I I I
really am disturbed that we have to actually have a discussion about feeding our community with all that's going on right now. that should be at the very bottom of the list of things that we have to have a discussion
about. Um, and I'm waiting to hear the reaction as well before I I make the next phone call. But it is not we don't we should not have to beg for crumbs. We and that's what I consider hamburgers and hot dogs. It is the very least that
we can do. And to give our children and our adults, our community in general, entertainment. Um, it's not like we do it constantly. It is a moment in time that we do it throughout the year and the joy the camaraderie that it brings
with us gathering and coming together giving us a place together and and I want to remind folks I think one incident a minor incident may have happened and that's it other than that it went off without any incident whatsoever. So, uh, again, I hope that
DCA will maybe they need to come out to the events and just see and then maybe they should reimagine what it would look like without the entertainment, without the food, um, and just see that it that's we're so much more than that. And I just thank you for what you've done. I
understand that um, everybody's getting their footing. Everybody we're every single last one of us is going to make mistakes. I know I know I have and I will continue. Um, but it is all part of the learning journey. And so I thank you for what you've done. I thank you for your heart and your compassion for how you want to do more and more for our
city and know that you see the value in the U Tranonians. Thank you, sir. >> Councilwoman Figuroa Cam, >> thank you. I mean, directors, I mean, this doesn't need need to be a praise fest. We all know what you do. You do excellent work. You're you're truly ambitious and you really put together
amazing things for the city. Um, I just needed to clear something up. I'm sorry. Councilwoman Feliciano asked a question about oversight and approvals. And I'm sorry, not for Jenna Cyba Richardson, but I saw you shaking your head, you know, basically stating that there, you know, there has not been approvals or
oversight, and I I would like clarity for that for the council on transparency. Thank you for calling me up. Um, I was basically um shaking my head because I I don't want to um and I I actually approached Paul a minute ago
and I said, "You need to fix that because I I don't want to give the impression that um Isabelle, the purchasing agent, approves things that she's not supposed to be approving." And I will explain. Um we have for goods um
and items we have a $53,000 threshold. Correct. So at any given time a any of us could put a requisition in the system um for a an amount under the
beat threshold. Correct. let's say uh $49 $50,000 and that would be what Isabelle would approve the $50,000 provided that we include three quotes.
Um, the director might, like a Paul mentioned, might decide to include a few extra items here and there in a separate requisition. Or once um that requisition has been
prepared or the purchase order has been prepared, you get an invoice um for over the threshold. purchasing would not have an idea that that that happened. And so that's why I shook my head because I
wanted for him to explain that part. >> Council Vice President, Councilwoman Feliciano, thank you. Thank you for that. So then here's the question. So you're saying he could put in for a vendor ABC Scooter at $49,000.
It's approved and that's fine. He could then put in another one for ABC Scooter at $5,000. And there's no way in any system that anything is flagged to be able to say this vendor has exceeded whatever. Like
we don't have anything like that in place to to like catch it. >> We really don't. And I'm glad that you mentioned that because um we had probably five six meetings um within the last last couple of weeks trying to have
our system customized to actually is uh stop any requisition that goes above um the threshold uh unless there is a a resolution number attached to it. Um
this coming Thursday at 9:00 we are actually meeting with Mr. Edmonds who is the person who um created the system that we use >> basically to talk about those issues because we we have met with finance we
have met with the department directors we have met with um the purchasing agent trying to create a system that is a little bit uh more protective of all of us and but particularly the taxpayers
>> so I think that maybe in the meantime a means could be and I'm not sure how you do things that there's a spreadsheet that's used that would show the vendor name the um the PO number the dollar amount right and then that way as you're
as you're moving through you could actually add that to the spreadsheet so if something was already sent to the purchasing um the QPA for the one if they're um putting it into the spreadsheet it'll flag and then they
they set a conditional formatting mechanism in place that it could actually highlight if it hits over the $53,000 threshold, then the director would be able to catch it and then know on their end. But either way, um we need to be more mindful of these things. So
then that way um things like this don't happen. But ways through Excel and everything else, you have a an IT company that we pay all this money, put them to work. So um >> absolutely we are actually looking into um using standard uh commodity codes so
that we know that if we are ordering mangoes we only have one commodity code for mangoes and uh and that the system will actually keep a a a tally of how many times not how many times how much
money have we incurred using those commodity codes right >> um but you know at this point the system doesn't allow for that and uh and yes we can print reports and for the commodity
codes but that really it doesn't preclude anybody for adding requisitions in the system. So we are trying to create the a system that is a little bit more um that will protect us
>> and not going over the the threshold. >> Okay. It's really issue. It It's really easy to go over the treasure, I must admit. >> Thank you. Thank you, Council President. >> You're welcome. Anyone? Actually, Councilman Harrison, I think,
had something before I speak. >> Council May Harrison. >> Yes, Director Harris. Um, first and foremost, I'd like to thank you for all your hard work. Mhm. >> Yeah. This whether it's a senior setters, whether it's for kids, whether for it's any event, man, you work hard
and you're a true asset to the city. Hopefully in the near future, you'll become the director permanently because I'll be honest with you, I I I appreciate the hard work you do because you love the city. And that's and I and I see it every day and I interact with
you many times and I could see that you're you're all about lifting this city up. So, I want to thank you for that. Thank you, D. >> Thank you, >> CVP. Councilwoman Williams. >> Thank you, ma'am. Um, I just want to
just add there's a lot of criticism. I believe it's unfair. This isn't bred in circuses. To me, this is miles of smiles. When I see children come to these events, parents, grandparents
come, and they're having a great time. If it's one big night like Halloween night or if it's something smaller they take it to the streets what happens is very very important and memories are being built connections are being made reconnections are being made
and sometimes lifelong memories you know are being created and I believe that's what you endeavor to do. Um I'm I applaud the work that you do and your team does. I know it's very very grinding. It's very difficult. It's not a nine-to-five type of deal. And I just
hope that we can keep this going because it's just as important. You can't quantify quality of life in many ways. You can't quantify happiness or things that maybe keep people from falling into depression. You know, we have enough to
deal with in this city. And just from my observation, yes, I I believe you welcome oversight. And I think um you would never be a type of manager, director that wouldn't want that because you'd want to make sure that you are doing things properly. So
you have money for a rainy day. You have a budget to do the things you want to do. But also I think there's a quality and a standard level that you achieve. I know you've talked about this in the past and it's very admirable
and I really do hope that DCA and government entities and the powers that be see that because we need events like what occurs with the holidays and a Christmas parade which I don't know I I've reposted this
on Facebook but Congressman Debbie Dingle in Trenton, Michigan um who puts on their own Christmas parade in Trenton, Michigan, um posted very similar words to what we did here about
the wonderful night we had on a Friday night. And these things are so important to our town. A safe event, as has been said, something that uplifts people's spirits. So, please don't let the criticizers get you down. I know you
won't, but also for your team. They do great work. We love what they do and we want to keep that ball moving forward. So, just thank you and stick with it. Thank you, CDP. >> You're welcome. Thank you. Um, moving
on. 25-459. >> Thank you. >> Yes. Consent, Mr. Garcia, for 25458. Thank you. >> Noted. Thank you. Um,
something light on this one because I actually found the answer I was looking for in 25461. I was looking for the amount. Just something next time when we're doing something like this, we could put the amount in the title. >> Yes. >> Um, I'd appreciate that cuz I I when I
kept going ahead, I was like, "Oh, that's the one I was looking for." So, consent. >> Um, thank you. >> The amount is $24852. I got it. I did the trace back. Thank you for the Can Can you repeat that amount one more time?
>> 24852 cents. >> Okay. Um >> it's actually in um resolution 25461 on the list. It's the second one, the Benjamin Fleck.
>> So, it's actually it's there, but it just wasn't in the title there. I just want us to know what the t what the total was when we were approving before we before we had approved it. Thank you. >> I I agree. Um, I would actually like to make a motion to uh amend the title to
include the $24852 um cents amount and you know respectfully request >> again moving forward that when we have these even though they're included in another resolution later on in the docket it should also be included on
this on the original. Mhm. >> So, um, can I have a motion to amend the >> So, moved. >> Sat. >> Thank you. >> Yes. >> Vice President Edwards. Sorry. >> Councilwoman Feliciano. >> Yes.
>> Councilwoman Figueroa Gunberg. >> Yes. >> Councilwoman Frisbee. >> Yes. >> Counciloman Harrison. Oop. Excuse me. Councilwoman Williams. >> Yes. Motion carried. >> Thank you. Consent.
>> Yep. >> Consent as amended. Thank you. >> 25-460. >> Thank you. >> So, here we go again. >> I know that when we're dealing with these properties and the LLC's and
everything, we were saying when we were going to sell to the to the people, we wanted to see the formation paperwork. I just noticed this Trenton Opportunity 12 LLC um does a whole lot. I mean, I ain't knocking it, but they do
a whole lot. So, I'm just wondering if it's possible at all if when we have things like this, just if the council can see the formation paperwork when we're dealing with the LLC's just so we could kind of get familiar and we can see a little bit into the business um
and who it is and how long they've been around and just what's going on with them. >> Noted. >> Consent. >> Council Vice President. >> Councilwoman Williams. >> Thank you. I just wanted to echo what my colleague Counciloman Feliciano said
because that was agreed to by administration previously in economic development. >> So I to in my mind that's required going forward, >> right? >> Guess I I'm sorry. I guess that you got lost in >> and translation >> in translation. Um, we probably
mentioned it when it comes to to uh purchasing properties and that sort of things, but I I'm sure that I didn't pass that information to our tax collector. So, I will make sure that she receives that information. >> Uh, Madame Vice President,
>> Councilwoman Frisbee, >> I just want to echo my um colleagues. I um agree and I I as uh DA Richardson said it's it was an oversight but going forward I do think it is a um it is important. We don't want to uh have folks coming in and collecting all of
our properties. At least that's my concern as I notice my colleagues um getting a monopoly and then we end up with slum lords. They buy it, sell it at a higher price and then don't care. Um, I'd like to see um even more even even
more so more of our Trenton residents names on here as opposed to LLC's on here. Um, so that's the goal for me to see more Trenton resident who are owners as well. So, thank you. Thanks.
And um I would like to expound on that a bit too because um again I I find myself questioning how all of these are assigned to with the exception of one on the list to the same LLC and
how this comes to be. What is the process of this? Is it public? Are people is it is some certain certain place on the website this is posted? Is this posted through the public broadcast system? Like how is this information
disseminated to the public in case anyone locally is interested besides this same LLC? I think that um we sent a memorandum from constants
during the tax collector September five if just make sure including the that information. Give me one second. Council vice president. >> No problem. And and while you're looking, I think that it would be um
best if Miss Constance could join us in these events when these come up on the docket so that she can answer the questions firsthand to >> Absolutely. We'll make sure that we ask her to be um on those on these meetings.
Um yes, there was a uh memo that was sent to all members of the council September 5th as a request um coming from I think you at that time regarding another uh
assignment. What I have here is only the date, but I don't have the memo attached. I would be willing to send you that memo and make sure that it was actually sent to all of you because I know that she sent it to me and I sent it to the uh to
council, but I will make sure that you get it with the information. >> I will double check, but I don't recall receiving a response about it. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> I will make sure that you will get it. Sure. Thanks, Senator Frisbee.
>> Thank you, Madam Vice President. I just want to go back to a discussion that we had um earlier as well and I and I believe I put in an email um request. I'd like to see be taxes or leans, what whenever the city is selling a property,
I think it would be good for the public if they could go to the office, be it the tax office, be it the um upstairs as wherever we we have for we're sending them when it goes when it comes to purchasing property that it is
actually a form that they can pick up. So they understand the exact procedure. So this way if someone because we have had instances where they'll say well such and such is not in the office today so you'll have to come back. That should not be it should be so that if I come
into the office and a new intern is there they should be able to say here's a a paper this is what you need to do this is and then what applies for me that means applies to everyone so that now standard procedure but it gives details on exactly where to go what you
have to do and what is the exact protocol. I think that would be very helpful because I I have gone on the site. I've gone to I'm trying to follow it at times and it is confusing for me. So, someone who um else is coming behind me, I I can't imagine what it is. But I
know that we've gotten many um concerns about folks going in and they're trying to get property and it is not it it doesn't see it doesn't they're saying that the same information is not consistent. So if we can get that put
into writing that would be extremely helpful. So we know that what belong what applies to me applies to everybody else. >> Yes. And I I you and I have that conversation. I think that um after you mentioned that to me has been corrected
and uh they have been posting the information in the bullet bulletin board in the department. But right now the system it's a bust right we are not accepting new applications trying to deal with the backlog. I know that it
creates anxiety when we have been uh so many different um purchases have been sales rather have been uh adopted by ordinance here but we are now moving fast enough to to close in those
properties. So we are trying to close um in at least 70 75% of those properties that were already uh sold before we retake um that process. But yes, we need to make sure that all of us are on the same page and that we are providing the
same information for everybody. So that brings up another question um with what you just said. I know we have a freeze on selling property. So, does that mean that we are putting a freeze on us taking property and putting leans on it
or are we still doing that as well? >> Oh, we absolutely need to putting leans on property, selling tax uh taxes, delinquent taxes is mandatory. That is not uh something it's the most uh any any tax that is delinquent as of
November 11th each year needs to be sold by statute. that it's not something that we choose to do. That is the statute. >> So, how do we sell it if we're freezing right now? That's my I guess that's what I'm not getting. If we I know
>> we what we are selling is vacant properties. What you were talking about I assume was about vacant properties. Those are properties that we already own. >> No, I'm not talking about vacant properties. I'm say if I if I'm I have not paid my taxes, my property is now up
um for tax sale. That that part of it right there. >> Well, that the information is is the same for everybody. If you owe any taxes um on November 11th, your taxes are going to be sold. Definitely. That is a
that is the information. So, it's sold, but the public is not on that. That's the part that I'm trying to get. The vacant lots and maybe I'm talking maybe they're two different entities. >> No, I mixed that up. That's my my mistake. I'm sorry. >> So, so the vacant properties that's
we've put that on hold. >> That is what is on hold. Yes, definitely. >> But all the other stuff that is business as usual. >> Yes, absolutely. That is it's not something that we can choose to do or not to do. It's if you owe taxes on and
trust me, it happened to me because I thought that it was if you owe, you know, three quarters, four quarters. No, you can owe two cents in November 11th, your taxes are going to be sell. And that's what I wanted clarity on is because that that was the question I was getting. Are they talking about every
sales in general or are they just talking about one? So, we are there are two separate things that we're talking about here. Yes. And that's what I wanted clarity on. Thank you. >> Correct. >> Council vice president. Councilwoman Feliana, >> I just had one one quick question since we on the topic of access. So, I was
scrolling back through my phone because one day I had walked by, we talked about the bulletin boards and it caught my eye, so I took a picture of it and it says Department of Housing and Economic Development, Division of Real Estate, walk-in policy. Walk-in visitors are welcome during the following hours,
Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and then 300 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. People don't take lunch till like noon. I mean, what are they doing in between all of this other time? If people can only get in between 8:30 and 10:00 and
then 3 and 4:15 and then it says for a faster service and response, then just email us. actually um when you said you sent me that that um and it's being corrected and yes it's a lot of other things that
happened between that time but the public really doesn't need to to pay for that >> right >> right so yeah it it's been rectified >> thank you I appreciate it >> sure okay >> but you know that that doesn't mean that they were at lunchtime at that time they
are taking care of other businesses but when you make it to city um to try to resolve something. You don't want to hear that somebody is doing something else and that they cannot see you. So that is a customer service problem. >> I mean because most people don't take
their lunch until 11:30 12 noon, but then you're saying come between 8:30 and 10. Who's coming? >> Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thanks, >> Council Vice President. >> Council member Winnie.
>> Thank you, ma'am. I just have one question and um something just kind of hit me when uh Councilwoman Feliciano said there's a lot here for Trenton Opportunity 12 LLC. I was looking at the same list too and I'm just wondering the other day and then
tonight by my count 40 out of 41 of these certificates are being sold to the same buyer. >> Yeah. So, I don't want to be simplistic, but I
will. Doesn't that raise a flag with anybody like in, you know, the office or like that's kind of interesting. They're buying all almost every single one. And I mean, I know legally we can't discriminate per se and say you can't buy this. >> But when we have one particular LLC
buying so many like like Camden Street, there's hardly any houses there, >> any properties. There's like maybe five or six. and most of them are torn down or abandoned, but they're buying two of them. >> Well, usually individuals who who
purchase um assignments or taxes, they are investors, right? Um, so I am going to be very simplistic and probably totally politically incorrect,
but when the city keeps the leans, I'm going to backtrack a little bit. We have a tax sale on the 15th, right? Um I really don't know how many properties we had
for um tax how many tax sales we have. Um but for to it would be easy for me if there were a thousand certificates that we were selling and uh we actually were able to
sell um 700. The remaining 300 now the city holds the lean but remember those properties are still in the tax role right the city is not going to pay taxes to the city in
those properties that we are holding those delinquent taxes. So if we don't sell those taxes now we need to increase the tax rate to people who are paying taxes. So
when we don't sell our delinquent taxes, we are penalizing the individuals who actually pay taxes because we need to balance the budget somehow, right? So what do we need to do next year? If we
don't sell those tax certificates and we don't sell those assignments, we need to increase the taxes, the property taxes because we need to balance the budget. So as much as I I do not want to sell
anything because I understand that that affects people but when it comes to the financial the finances of the city we do not have a say on those matters that's statutory. >> Okay. It just it just
>> so if they have the ability to pay for those assignments we need to sell it. Okay. All right. Thank you very much. I'll leave it. Thank you, ma'am. >> I just have one closing statement. It's not about the It's not about balancing
the budget. We understand that wholeheartedly. It's about the process in which it's happening and how these properties are consistently landing in the hands of just one investor. Every time we've seen these come across our
deis for our approval, it's always one LLC listed on here and commonly the Trenton Opportunity LLC in different variations of numbers, you know. Um, >> yes. They actually change the number uh for each transaction with the city.
>> Yes. So, but it's the same owner and and I understand the creation of different LLC's to separate the the assets, the liabilities and things like that, but the process is questionable. The process
does not give transparent. It does not give inclusive of other people who may be looking for an opportunity to purchase these type of tax sale certificates. So that is what is in question here. Not the not the fact that this has to happen by state statute. We
understand that. But the process of being transparent and inclusive to others who may be looking for opportunities. And it seems like this one entity of different variations of LLC's, but these these same people seem
to be monopolizing on the tax sales. So that's the concern, the red flag that we have been raising. >> Noted. I I will send that memo that um the tax collector sent before and if that information is not included there,
I will make sure that she revises the memo and that you get the information that you are asking for. >> Thank you. >> This is consent. Are we satisfied? Consent, Mr. Garcia.
>> No. Uh 25-472, Councilwoman Feliciano and Councilwoman Figerella Kenberg. Next, go first. >> It's the cancellation of council. I had uh just just one quick question um
with regard just so I understood this the cancellation of these grants you know um I mean it's my interpretation I could be wrong that we apply for these grants we we we have grant writers we we seek these grants out
um we're talking over a million dollars worth of grant monies that we were not able to use um for things that we sought after I I have a problem understanding this. Why are we not able to utilize the funds that we grant writing is not easy
um that we are seeking these funds for to to put towards um different departments um throughout the city or different entities and then coming up short um and just not being able to use it. And once they're
cancelled um does this money just go away? We just lost it all together. Um this this is different than losing the money. This is basically that all the allowable expenditures are already completed and now we need to close the
grant. That occurs for example when um for I would say the summer food service program for example. um we are only allowed to pay certain amount of money from that grant. If we
already meet the the um the amount that we are supposed to pay from that grant, we need to return not even return because those are reimbursement grants. We basically said we need to take those um numbers from
our uh books because otherwise we might get an audit finding for keeping them open. Um those are reimbursements that we already received the reimbursement allowable the allowable reimbursements and now we need to basically close the
grants. Um in instances for example in some of the strengthening grant if we are paying for a position but we haven't been able to hire the professionals that are supposed to get paid uh which is a
common uh problem with our grants because those pay those pay for um registered nurses and uh um principal nurses and if we are not able to hire somebody for that position then we need
to we cannot re request the reimbursement from the state. >> So I would I mean I would interpret um a closure of a grant or funding meaning that the the monies were utilized and you know that is secured and now we can
move forward. It it's it's a closed case so to speak. But when we're talking cancellation it's almost it almost has a different meaning. Like to me cancellation means we're we're cancelling. It didn't happen. We weren't able to utilize. Um so I mean maybe it's something in the
verbiage. Maybe that is common for for these grants and for our budget. Um you know the way that you guys utilize it, but it's just it it's the verbiage of closing versus cancelling. I think that raises a red flag when we're talking about these monies >> because what we are doing is really
cancelelling the balances because we have already received the amount the allowable reimbursements like usually when we receive a grant we don't necessarily
receive the money but just the promise that we will get reimbursed. Most of our grants are reimbursement grants. the city has to incur in in the expenditures and then we submit a reimbursement to
the entity that it's granting the funding. Right? When we have already received whatever is allowed under that grant, then we need to cancel the balances because otherwise we m we will be giving you we will give a um
an inadequate inaccurate um account of our budget. Remember that we uh add special revenues like we had today. If we don't cancel those things, they are going to show like it's money that we have in the books when it's not
really true. >> I just want one more I just really quickly. So, I mean just the the 1 million plus dollars um canceled. We were not able to utilize it. Um it goes back to whomever was giving that money
to the city of Trenton or can it be recycled somehow? >> No, it has to go back. it has to go back and um I need to say that there is one item there that it's it was because it was duplicate and that is uh on the opioid
um settlements. The rest of them is because we are already we were already reimbursed with the allowable amounts >> and and be I'm sorry I I did see that in the memo. What was the amount for that
duplication from the neighborhood preservation grant? >> It is. >> It was not in a memo. >> Yeah, it it's 5,000 and some dollars. It's >> I don't see anything in the amount of
$5,000. >> No. >> Oh, I'm sorry. I said the opioid is the neighborhood preservation grant. >> Mhm. >> Was 125 >> 125,000 that was duplicated. >> Correct. >> Okay. Thank you,
>> Councilwoman Feliciano. No pleasure. >> Okay. Consent 25. Thank you. Uh BA Richardson. >> You're welcome. 25-462. >> Thank you very much, council pres vice
president. Um, so my question regarding 462 is um glad you know we're making sure that the money is there for this project, but it's kind of taking a long time. So I was wondering if we have a timeline on completion and what it's all
looking like to >> additional technology >> for the library. >> Yes. Yes. I will defer to Dr. Mina Capelli to answer those questions if you don't mind. >> Hi, director. Thank you very much. Hello, Dr. Diego Minapelli, Department
of Health. Um um yes, we try to move the projects as fast as we can, but sometimes we have some unforeseen uh circumstances such as this one. Um but um um the um constructor has said that
you know once we have everything ready 10 months should be enough to complete the project. >> Okay. So when are they going to start? During winter >> um this is concrete so >> so we have to wait till March. Okay. >> Yes. Yes. >> Okay. But they are guaranteeing it'll be
done by 20 27 December maybe 2026. >> Yes. Hopefully. >> Okay. because it it's important and particularly given historic um nature of the front of the you know well actually the whole building itself from 19 I think 1911 1912 just want to make sure
this is done correctly but also you know that it gets done at some point for the patrons >> right >> so all right thank you very much sir consent please >> council vice president >> thank you I just had a statement that I wanted to make not actually a question
I'm glad to see that this is um finally being done u from back when I served as the liaison to the library board. They had brought that to my attention and we've been going back and forth about it with um BA Richardson about getting this done. So, I'm glad to see that it's
finally coming to fruition and it'll be good to help out our constituents um with this ramp and then the um the stair project. So, thank you. Sure. I'm glad. >> Thank you. Uh consent. Thank you, Dr. Mapell. >> Thank you.
25-463. This is Councilwoman Luciano and Councilwoman Williams. >> Do you want to go first, Councilwoman? >> Thank you. >> So, hello. >> Hello again. >> Hello again. So, in reading through this, right, I
was just curious if and I'm going to have the same question for the other, >> right? >> I'm going to have the same questions for 25466 as well for for these two. Um, one, how
did we select the members of the steering committee? It is uh I'm sorry, Paul Harris, uh parks and recreation uh in consultation with our uh the consultant we have and um other city officials, we just come up
with a group and a lot of these folks have been active already in previous BDA committees, brown development uh committees. So yeah, >> because I don't I don't Okay, when it comes to you have um can
we have a schedule of the meeting dates and times for the committees for both of them so we know Thank you. And then a copy of the annual progress reports. >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> Can I Okay. Yep. Yep. >> That's all I had. >> Council Williams.
>> Thank you. I just uh like to add if those also aren't already on the city website if they could be listed. Um and then my follow-up question would be bless you the uh just because people see this they might think uh oh did we not
clean up everything did you know EPA da da da d so what are what is the actual condition of the remediation for both 463 and 466 please >> so just so we are all clear about how this works a lot of our sites are former
commercial sites in the city of Trenton and we don't have the revenue the funds to handle the remediation. So what we do is we apply um through D. We apply through the EPA for all manner of grants to help with remediation. There's a
process for that. The investigation is the first phase, right? You need to know what you're dealing with. You need to bring a professional firm in to handle that. Then after then upon that conclusion that investigation, they're going to tell you their findings. Then you need to bring another firm in to then handle the remediation portion.
Okay. All of that is tracked and monitored by state officials. That's what this is. Uh magic marker site. Uh that whole area. It's not the actual magic marker site. It's a larger area. We're talking about the new method cleaners which is right across from
Jenny Stubblefield. We have plans hopefully long term to make that a recreation site but we have to make sure it's safe. We're talking about testing of soil, testing of groundwater. Um, in the acid pink greenway, which is a multi-million dollar project that's been
in the works since 98, there was a ton of industrial facilities there. And everybody back in the day were as compliant as they are now. So, it's incumbent upon my department to ensure that before we build any park facility anywhere in the city that we
are in proper compliance and that it's safe for people. There are certain sites that we have where if we're doing any digging for example that soil has to be placed in a certain area and you you know only certain officials can touch it. That's an example of what we're
dealing with here. So it's a process and having a committee of people who are uh professionals, business owners and uh technical folks. It helps us keep us on our toes. But we have a substantial amount of grant money now, just so you
know, dedicated to these projects. So it's ongoing. >> Okay. So then when we enter into these um as far as the initiation as of when the cleanups were good, that's still to be determined. >> Yes. Well, there's cleanups ongoing now
for new method cleaners. You guys voted >> for that already. So there's a substantial amount of money. Again, this it just the process is slower than I would like. It's slow. It's like years in the making. Like Scarpetti is a site. How long has Scarpetti has been gone from over there by Nottingham, right?
But that is still an ongoing issue for us to resolve for example. >> So any new opening of ground etc. That's we still don't have the dates on all that. >> Correct. >> Okay. And then just to make sure regarding Magic Marker, Magic Marker site itself itself has been removed.
>> Yes. Correct. >> Okay. Because everybody knows that is the original super fun site. >> Yeah. It's referring to the entire area. If you look at our map, it's a much larger site. >> Okay. Thank you very much for explaining that. Consent, please. >> Thank you. Consent, Mr. Garcia.
>> Noted. >> 25-464. >> Thank you, ma'am. So, my question with this, I'm really glad to see it bake uh to the agenda tonight, but uh could you talk about the wording on the sign? >> So, >> so the public knows?
So, I can do one better. I can share the wording. Well, our goal was to get approval from you first and then we're going to put together the wording. Um, and I'll share with the council before and then we can make it public that way, you know, home of a press release. Oh, >> okay. >> Yeah. But it will be reflecting of the
history of the site. >> Okay. Excellent. And would that be able to be installed before February or we look? >> Yeah. As soon as we get this done, you know, everything depends on the ground and the temperatures. >> Hopefully have a warm winter, >> right? Okay. Thank you very much, sir. Thank you, ma'am. Captain, >> Council Vice President, Councilwoman
Feliciano. Thank you. Just a quick question. Um, about the status of the building, um, the the center that we What's the status with that? >> So, we hired an architect to devi to draw plans. We have plans.
First and second floor are done. We are we need to look at the outside. So, we're probably a month away. So remember, we had a $400,000 grant that came in from that appropriation from DCA for that, but that's not going to be enough to cover what we need. So we need
to really have a conversation about capital budget, >> but because you don't want to use your current fund money for that. So we need to be able to raise that money. But I imagine mid January I'll have uh completed construction documents. >> The question then is funding. Cuz remember what we're going to do is
you're going to have the signage, you'll have a interpretive center, and then we're also doing a monument as well in that area. So the whole area is going to be redone. >> Thank you. Excited to finally see that start moving >> to uh to completion.
>> So Aljan would be proud. >> Thank you. Consent. Thank you. 25-465. Does anyone have any questions on >> Yes. >> 25-465. Councilman Feliciano. >> Yeah.
>> So, the question that I have on there was just what work is that is the money going to be used to complete? What are we doing? >> This is going to be we have a number of issues, electrical, plumbing, we have uh an ongoing leak that we're struggling to
locate, some some roofing issues. So, what we're doing is we have some rescue money that we have for uh elers. Uh we're we're applying for a number of grants to address that issue because elersly wants to open a satellite location as well >> uh to expand a museum collection and
also uh have it available to young people, >> right? >> So we we need to prep that site as well. So we're trying to >> grab as much money as we can to address issues even elersly now the porch itself needs to be uh addressed. The windows need to be addressed,
>> you know. So all of electrical work, you know. >> Thank you. We've been moving slowly but surely with that. I'm happy we got we were able to move to get the HVAC and all that stuff. >> Yes. >> Together with that. So, I just wanted to know. All right. Thank you. Consent. >> Anyone those have any questions for that
465 >> uh 25-466. Councilwoman Feliciano and Councilwoman Williams. >> We already went over that one. >> You're fine with that. Oh. Oh, yeah. We're skipping around. I'm sorry.
>> Sorry. Well, consent. >> There were two different ones. All right. 25- >> consent. >> Yes. Thank you for directing. >> Go now. >> Yeah, because we wrapped up 466 with 463. So, that was great.
>> 469. >> So, I don't have Thank you, council vice president. We We went in at length. My question about it was gonna deal with the frazzil ice, but we went over um that part. So, I'm good with that.
I don't have any questions for 469. >> That'd be for consent. >> Director, you come back. We have 471. >> Yeah, consent for that one. >> Consent. Thank you. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Thank you. So the question I have on
this director simple is just just for clarity um did we hire CDM Smith to do the reviews of the bid? Did they have did did we hire them to oversee this or anything?
>> CDM Smith is the engineer overseeing this project. Yes. >> Okay. So, we paid them to oversee the project and and so then they they looked at the bids that came in for it, right? >> That's correct. >> And made their determination. So,
in reading this, they made a recommendation. Oh, God. I had it highlighted. We didn't go with their recommendation. Okay, here it is. Recommendation. It said based on their review, it appears
that the lowest qualified bidder is Waters and Bugby Inc., right? They meet the qualifications to do the work. They receive positive reviews. Um, CDM Smith recommends that the contract phase 5B base and supplemental bids be awarded to
the lowest responsive bidder waters bugab at a total cost of $5,619,340 plus supplemental blah blah blah. But we're going with Dukon Inc. So, we paid CDM Smith to oversee this. We pay
them. >> Yes. >> To to look and to give us their recommendation. So, why did we not take it? >> You want to, >> Council Vice President? If I may jump in on that, please. >> Director Bridges. >> Yes. If you recall, there was an attorney that came before us several months ago, Mr. Ross.
>> Um, who who was actually representing, I believe, Waters and Bsby, um, and and expressed to you his desire. I'm not sure. What? Which one? >> Roman. >> Roman. My apologies. Roman. And they put an official challenge. And based on that challenge, if you'll recall, administration tabled that to hear out
his challenge. He sent a letter to the law department. We looked at his challenge and we sustained his challenge. And this is all public knowledge and there is ongoing litigation, which is why I'm kind of going to be kind of guarding what I say, but there was a a sustaining of this of
the challenge with respect to Waters and BGs submission. It was determined by legal that there was a fatal flaw to submission. As a result of that, the decision was made to award it to the second most responsible bidder, Dukon.
That was challenged in superior court and the judge reserved a decision because it was not ripe for a decision because it was not put before this council with respect to who was the most uh the the proper responsive bidder. So that's the reason why waters and bsbies
was not uh was not uh selected based on the challenge based on candidly my review of that challenge. I sustain their challenge with respect to waters and bsby and awarded to the second lowest bidder which ultimately is going to be decided by the superior court chancery division. >> So should we even be voting on that?
>> It's necessary that we vote on it because if we don't vote on we don't have a rape controversy for the court to make a determination either way. It's quickhandedly it should have been um a decision should have been made before and the only reason why we did not bring it to this council for approval prior is
because there were temporary restraints in order prohibiting us from putting it from putting it before this council for a vote. And then when they went for a final decision based on the party's papers, the judge said, "Well, this matter isn't right for controversy right now because it hasn't been awarded." So,
yes, we should um vote on it. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Consent. >> Yeah. Roll call that one. >> Roll call 470. >> That'd be roll call for 471. >> Yes. >> Thank you.
>> Thank you. And lastly, 25-474. Councilwoman Figureroa Kentberg. >> Thank you. >> Uh my
Hello, director. Good evening. Um my question on this, I'm not questioning proposals, I'm not questioning the bids or the winners or what have you. Um looking at this from a different standpoint, um there was three
graders, uh Chief Centur, um Rea Seura, and um Mrs. uh >> Miss Lisa Siri. Um Mr. Santor then propo com composed a
memo stating who he thought was, you know, should get the bid um based on the grading and all the criteria and what have you. Um and that was submitted to yourself on November 6th. My concern was your memo then to purchasing was
essentially the same thing verbatim. um you there was really not much differential at all and and my concern is basically that for something like that instead of rewriting a memo verbatim to just say you are you concur
with Chief Santor and Raina Sigura's assessments and would like to proceed with purchasing rather than rewrite the memo almost verbatim. I just think that you know you weren't part of the grading. I understand that they they probably report to you and you take their word, you know, but I think that
for something like that rather than that, they just say, "I I concur with um you know, my employees on this assessment and I would like to proceed with purchasing." I mean, it may be maybe nitpicking, but I just think that
um you know, the these are legal documents at the end of the day. Um I think that that would have been maybe more proper professional or or what have you. >> Councilwoman, >> yes,
>> Kenburg that is actually uh truth for almost every single >> okay >> um recommendation to award. uh if you look at other recommendations I don't know if we how many we have we will take the language from uh usually
we just change it if it's addressed to to um the director he will just change it and direct it to me with the same using the same language it's that it's sort of a normal procedure for us when requesting
uh to award a contract Fine. I I mean, >> you know, with with a tweak here and there depending on the director, but we will usually just uh take the exact same language and put it >> usually to be honest with you, the
person uh I don't know if that's the case for for um the director, right? But usually when I was a director, if the engineer said this is my recommendation, they will also send me the letter prepared
for me just to sign it with the same language. It's it's really um standard among um the departments when it when it uh when we are issuing an award of a contract.
>> But I get your point. >> Thank you. consent. >> Consent >> and Mr. Garcia, that brings us to the end of our questions. >> With the exception of one being roll called it, it seems like all else are on
the consent agenda. Madame Vice President, if you want to ask for a motion to approve a consent agenda consisting of all the resolutions this evening with the exception of resolution 471 >> and 25-476
for executive session. >> You could even you can even attach that as well. You're going to approve that to go into executive session. You'll eventually go into executive session. Okay. And I'll ask you for a motion to go into executive session shortly. >> Okay. Awesome. Can I have a motion to accept the consent agenda with the
exception of 25-471? >> So move second. >> Roll call. >> Vice President Edwards, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Feliciano, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Figurero Kevin, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Frisbee, >> yes.
>> Counciloman Harrison, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Williams, >> yes. >> Motion carried. And that brings us to, Madame President, >> roll call resolution. >> Roll call resolution 4, sorry, 471.
>> And if you'd like to ask for a motion to approve. >> Can I have a motion to approve 25-471? >> So move. >> Second. >> Roll call. Vice President Edwards. >> Yes. >> Councilwoman Feliciano.
>> Abstain. Is that an abstension? >> Yeah. >> Thank you. Noted. >> Councilwoman Figurero Kenberg. >> Yes. >> Councilwoman Frisbee. >> Yes. >> Councilman Harrison. >> Yes.
>> Councilwoman Williams. >> Yes. >> Motion carried. >> Thank you. Um there we just a gentle reminder to council and the public that we do have attorneys here paid by the hour of $250 an hour to join us in
executive session for Tren Waterworks conversation regarding the uh lawsuit that cannot be discussed publicly. So I'm going to ask for a motion to rearrange the agenda to move executive session to now before public comment.
And I want to just issue an apology to the public. I know that we have been here for a while. Um we if you can stick with us hopefully we can be out of executive session in a matter of 20 minutes um so that we can get them out of here so that we can hear what you
have to say. I have a motion if anyone agrees. >> So moved. >> I heard a motion by Figuro Kenberg. Who's was there a second? How many people on public comment? >> How many people do we have on public comment?
>> That motion fell. >> The motion was not the motion not moved. So the the question is how many people do we have on public comment so that we can deliberate on whether we can want to move up. >> Just don't worry. Okay. All right.
Director Bridges has uh pulled his request to move it up. So, let's move into public comment. >> Vice President, we do have a short list for uh public comment this evening. Um, if you want to move to public comment, I
can begin that now. >> Yes. >> Okay. Um, and Madam Vice President, we have listed at this time about was that eight seven or eight people for public comment. Public to the public. Public comment will be five minutes for each individual. You may address anything
that you wish. Please state your name and address for the record. The council is not obligated to respond to you. First individual listed is Victor Irizari. Victory Zary, 19 Morton Avenue. Again, it's a pleasure. Like your hairstyles different. Uh I had uh I got four things
that I really want to talk about. century city and uh that's a you know safe haven for uh the immigrants and of course uh the bombing of the Venezuelans uh you know uh trying to make that money as Americans like to make money off of
them or the poor people of South America, Central America, Mexico. Uh the farmers down here I call street uh drug dealers and trend street farmers and they work hand in hand. Um, executive order 11727 directed towards black
community now affecting uh the Hispanics and uh uh what is it? The north uh North America, North and South America. All right. Uh I recommend them uh Trenton be the first one first city in America to uh ask for a repeal 7 executive order
11727 Century City and keep uh keep the the Hispanics or I call them Gumbalinos uh keep us all safe and uh also look out for the African-American community which was directed first through the mafia JGO
Hoover and so forth. Now another issue this anti-semitism uh is really uh this is actually directed to uh anti-Judaism and not uh anti-seetism because to me a seemetic seemetic is a
people a combination of northern Europeans and Africans uh Egyptians and Phoenicians combined which makes the Seemetic people and then to be be anti-semite is to the anti- people of
color and not only the Jews and that's a name for the Israelites who happen to be Hebrews. Uh so uh they said uh this is incorrect to see what happened was this
man by the name of uh Frederick Wilhelm Adolf Mars uh he was uh he was a journalist and a politician was a German journalist and politician and popularized the anti-semitic uh name and that was because at that time when the
Jews were uh emancipated from the control of the uh Germans a became so financially well off that this man along with other groups and he got cast out of different groups he would have been to but he eventually he got something going on on the ground and started this
anti-semitism but what he wanted was for the Jews to become German Christian Germans and the Jews were not going to do that so along with that and the other people around them that became Jews were different colors different races so Jews a religion so he made Judaism the
religion ion a race. So when this anti-semitism you think that well the Jews if it's a religion and a race which is it and that's because of this man right here. So this thing that's going on with killing uh you know always attacking the Jews the Jews I did a
research research on them and after all the suffering that they've suffered uh because of being uh rebellious and disobedient and you know uh Brooks according to their patriot was be Jacob Jacob stole the inheritance from
his brother Esau. Now my point is uh they uh after all the chastisement they started uh studying the laws that was given to them by Moses and Pax did that to the point where they perfected it and became financially successful. So for us
to attack the Jews is because they are adhering to God's laws and we should learn from them instead of attacking them. All right. And then uh when it comes to we are all seemetic one way or another. We all seemetic. So to say and
to be anti-site and attack the Israelites by say nationality and and actually what is them for being Jews who practice the laws of God and when it comes to finance and staying away from people who have
been cursed by God uh besides them then you are you are committing a crime towards humanity. So that's a I wanted to get into you know of course the drug trade. So the sanctuary what's happened in Venezuela Hispanics down there the Gumbolinos and
uh everywhere on the planet earth they have a right to benefit from their land and make that a legit industry. So by revoking 11727 executive order that would allow and legalize that that will free our brothers and sisters
African-Americans from the jail system which that well you know the drug was directed at one time it was legal then it became illegal. Why? Because the nation of Islam Muhammad tell the African-Americans 159 uh 1555 to 1619
who they really were. Thank you. Robin Washington. Good evening, Robin Washington, 447 West Hanover Street. I'm coming up be for the council again for the properties located at 442 and
444 West Hanover Street which I've been told are undersized lots. So I would have to buy both of them and combine them. When I submitted my original application in September of 2019,
uh I offered a price. It was countered. I accepted. It was supposed to go before city council back in 2019. I've been back and forth before this council as well as going to uh uh
whatever office it is cuz at this point I'm like really frustrated. When I was at the meeting last month, um, all the properties that were down for a first reading were put on hold because Councilwoman Kettenberg wasn't satisfied
with the monetary amounts that were being offered. I came tonight. I'm not making any excuses, but it's a reality for me and a great deal of pain because I thought that the uh it would be part of the resolutions for tonight. I look
on here and there's zero for resolutions, but I see that resolution 25-460 for the amount of 1,437,4257. You're proposing 40 tax sale certificates. There was a question that
was raised earlier when the council was having their uh dialogue about that purchase price. and the individual even though they're listing under I guess different LLC's but it's the same individual and if I recall correctly uh
I was told that the move for the city of Trenton was for home ownership to keep these I'm just going to say people from coming into Trenton buying up properties not fixing them up properly renting them out
and then transferring them within family members and not get still not getting them inspected properly. Um, my plan is to develop those lots once they're combined, but it's just very frustrating
that I've had an application in for almost six years and no and nothing has been done. It was on the agenda for the last meeting. There was a reading with all the the do all the uh docket numbers and nothing
was was done. So, like I said, for me, it's very frustrating coming in here and thinking that something is going to get done and it's not. And if home ownership and uh uh inspiring small business uh
entrepreneurship, that's not happening. It's not. It's it's like these these corporations are buying up their properties. They don't live here. They don't they could care less about the city. I'm trying to buy property directly across the street from where I live to improve my neighborhood.
Thank you for your attention. Um, I don't know what the Adena Best 615 South Clinton Avenue. My concern is the homeless that's between situations living on the street with pets, dogs. Why they can't give them vouchers to put
in the hotels? They have hotels now that set doors. The dogs is freezing out there, especially all this week. I've been going around and I I try to take some of them in my apartment, but I have pets myself. But well, I don't understand why they can't just get
vouchers for these people with pets to go into the hotel, especially now the weather's real bad. That's all I have to say. >> Uh have an individual listed here. Your name is allegible. The individual lives
at 870 Parkside. >> DJ told me that too. >> Hi, good evening, Mary Horn Trenton. Uh, I come before the council tonight to bring an issue to your attention that uh there are residents in Kingsbury that do
not have any heat right now. They're mo leaving out of their apartments and they have went to I got a call from Crystal Cook. That's where it started with me. So, uh I'm down here to rep not to represent but to bring it to the council's attention. It's cold in the
west tower. They have no heat. Not even the maintenance man. So, they're moving. Well, they're staying with some relatives. So, I I I hope somebody can look into that because uh while we can have a warm
Christmas, some of them will not. I've also been told that there's several people that have been evicted as cold as it is with children. So, having said that, I would also piggyback on what uh Carolyn Clark has says. I am asking the
council to come put a resolution forth to assist the deceased with the D because they're going to keep coming. They haven't stopped. This has been going on for a while. So, uh I would
also ask that uh you put forth that resolution. Number three, uh give me a second with that. It's so much. So, we talked about that and um
I think that'll be it just about now. I'm going to be any longer than that. It was very bad that people out there have a merry Christmas and thank you very much. Uh, John Salvetta. >> Good evening. John Salvetta, uh, 435
Tyler Street, but I'm actually speaking on behalf of my role at Foundationmies. I have a couple thanks and a couple asks. Uh, first, I want to thank Councilwoman Kenberg um, for all of her help with our new high school. Um, also,
Director Harris for and both of you for your help with Pap Home Park. Um the school's coming along amazing and it's nice to see that come into fruition. Um secondly, I do want to today to clear the streets around Grand
Street, Adeline. It was icy this morning. People were falling and before dismissal they came on through. So I have to thank public works. I know that snow days, operations and things like that, they're not fun for anyone in operations. That's my role. Um and so
got to thank them. Um, and my asks. Um, no, I also need to thank Anthony Santo as well. We have some traffic issues over on West State Street. He threw in a uh crosswalk over by Perticaris where the walkway bridge is. We have a lot of kids who are walking and families
morning and afternoon. Um, I do want to talk with Councilwoman Frisbee about I asked uh Mr. Santo about the solar lights to acknowledge a crosswalk there because I understand we have and this is going to be part of the next part uh
crossing guard hiring issues. So if we can at least get the flashing lights he said I have to go before council about that because they cost about 20k understandable. Um so I I'll ask her help for that. I'll email her. Um but Mr. Santor was fantastic with my request
so I have to give thanks to him. Um, so my ask number one, I'll I'll uh email uh Councilwoman Frisbee. The second one is in regards to the crossing guards and the lack of ability of crossing guards.
And I can't fault Director Wilson for it because if we're not getting the word out enough, um, who's going to apply? So my ask is and I've I've looked through Facebook pages. I've looked on the city's website. Why don't we have a flyer that all that can be sent out to
the schools to send out our parent to our parents? I have parents every day complaining to me about no crossing guard at West State and Rucker's Place, which is I'll curb my language. It's dangerous. Um but I can't take the complaints every day. I direct them to the police
department. And I've had parents wanting to volunteer, but to save you all lawsuits, um I've said, "Do not volunteer to stand in that crosswalk uh at risk of getting hit by a car." Um so if if the city, I don't know who in HR can put together a flyer, send it out to the schools because we have parents that
want to do it. They have the time, they could use the money. Can we get this out? Can we get it posted on Facebook and our social media multiple times so that we can garner more people for the applications? That's my simple ask. Um is I'm looking out for our kids. I'm
looking out for our families. And I'm not just talking about Foundation Academyy's kids. I'm talking about every school that has crosswalks and kids walking. And that's honestly my my my simple ask. So thank you all. And just wanted to acknowledge you all. Thank you.
>> Robin Vaughn. >> Robin Vaughn 1100 Stson Avenue. Uh thank you council uh and tronians uh people here in this room and online. Uh I just wanted to quickly speak about
developers. I was here last council meeting and I see a couple of developers that have been in Trenton for quite some time and haven't paid their fair share. They constantly ask for pilots and I
don't think that they should be granted pilots. Um, you're talking about revenue generation, you're talking about theou. I hope you all had an opportunity to review theou and I hope the law department at some
juncture um, renegotiate that legal document which they can with your input. Okay. So if you read theou you would know that what Paul Harris is doing that
you have control of theou specify that parks and recreation is a revenue generating department. So they should be very happy that he's putting on programming that gets people into our parks to generate revenue. But I guess a
lot of folks wouldn't know that they need to educate themselves on these processes. So, um, and read and check their mail instead of checking black women who are professionals, right? So, I appreciate
the diversity of our council. Uh, you have council woman Williams. Uh, you have black woman here, Tesca Frisbee of the West Ward. I know you're indigenous native American Indian. So to you for
you to talk down to black women, I think that is unacceptable when they are professionals. They are degreged. They went to top schools for their engineering degrees. they are highly qualified to work at Trenton Waterworks and to come to you to explain that they
are um uh governing and managing our water utility as they should. So, uh, and I thank you as well, uh, Councilwoman, uh, Kettberg, um, and also yourself being a black
women, a black woman, uh, Crystal Feliciano, you understand what I'm talking about when black women are challenged by other women of color who aren't black. So, uh, you say that you're indigenous on all your sites, so,
you know, you're native. So, I don't appreciate you talking down to black professional women when you're not a professional. So, the other thing that I will say is keep on working for your degree. Um,
the other thing I would say is that when you're talking about that resolution for uh Dukon, they're up in Basking Ridge. So, I would love for it to go to Waters Bugsby. They're here in Mercer County. and you tell whoever you approve for
that contract 5.7 million, make sure they hire Trentonians and they're in compliance with EEOC and contract compliance and hiring people uh to work on those lucrative contracts at Trenton
Waterworks. There are a lot of men and women in our uh city who could use those contracts in temporary employee that they they have to be compliant with those laws. And I just want to also talk about uh yeah the developers and those
pilots. There is Vista Center Development LLC. This gentleman has nothing but tried to he's been fleecing Trent for a long time with his development projects. Okay, I know who he is. I know who Vistrenter Development LLC is and he should not be
he has not given any community give backs. When you're talking about giving development, ask for community givebacks. What are they going to give in return for their pilots? And the other one that he had, he had two on the docket last time. Uh he also has 221
East Handover LLC. He got the Aspire grant. So, I know his buildings very well. He has not given anything back to this city. And I don't hear the council ever talking about community givebacks when you're talking about giving pilots and
and you know, tax abatements, right? And I just want to make sure that that executive session, whatever you're discussing in there, that you're not in violation of sunshine uh laws because that lawsuit is very public. the the uh
judge Bartles he has passed his ruling. So his ruling is p is is you know through the December of 31st. So I don't know what you're discussing because I thought uh executive sessions are exclusively for settlements financial settlements.
>> Ma'am, that is Thank you. >> Check your mail. >> Caroline Clark. Good evening again, council tranonians. So, um I'm basically continuing my um
thought that I gave during my first um trip to the podium tonight. So, utilities fail. Utilities need to be maintained because the state wants to sell Trenton Waterworks. Now they're trying to hold
us to a different standard. Um they want to hold us to a standard almost of perfection. Right? Routine breaks are being deemed catastrophic. Right? They're being put out into the stratosphere and um circulated to
promote the for sale agenda. I'm asking council to back the state up. Check the state. Do not let the state wag the dog here. You are the ones in
charge of our utility. You are the ones we vote for. Um, uh, Councilwoman Gatenburgg, you said PSCG was down for about five hours. I can appreciate it. I live on the
island. I flood. So, did BPU send out a letter about that 5-hour uh failure? It did not. Is that grounds to force PSNG to sell? It is not. So, the state
is abusing and it's exceeding its regulatory powers. It's behaving like a bully. I want to remind the public that Hopewell went to referendum in November and they had the privilege, the right to
vote on whether to sell their water or not and they voted. We had that same privilege and we exercised it in 2010. But somehow the the referendum to sell
is respected but the referendum to not sell is not. So tell me the difference between Hopewell and Trenton. What is the difference in our referendums? So
um okay, we we do have American Water as backup as our um water professionals told us, but we are also their backup. We rent pipes to them by Commissioner Larret's own um RFP. He told us in that
RFP that Aqua and American Water rent um pipes from us. So there is a professional and uh relationship and implicitly that means that American water and alcohol water they break too. Okay.
Um um we need to tell the state to if if the state is here looking out for public safety as they keep saying, you tell them to look out for the all the public. Treat all utilities the same. Stop
holding Trenton Waterworks to a different standard. It is obvious and shameful that they have an agenda. Trentonians, we see them and we want to remind them we are not for sale. If the state is concerned regarding
Trenton spending on hot dogs for our marginalized community in in our marginalized community, tell them leave Trenton Waterworks or income generating asset alone and pay their pilot.
Thank you. Madame Vice President, those are all the all the individuals I have listed for public comment this evening. If it's your wish, you can move to any individual for civic comment. >> Um, I believe we have the executive session before the >> Oh, I'm so sorry. You do. I apologize.
That was automatic. Did you wish to go into executive session now? >> I have a motion to go into executive session. So moved. Second. Roll call. Vice President Edwards. >> Yes. >> Councilwoman Feliciano. Councilwoman Figurero Kenberg.
>> Yes. >> Councilwoman Frisbee. >> Yes. >> Councilman Harrison. >> Yes. >> Councilwoman Williams. >> Yes. >> Council President Gonzalez. >> Oh, excuse me. I'm sorry. She's not here. Motion carried. And do we expect a vote coming out of
executive session this evening? No vote expected. Thank you. only only civic comment for those that want to stick around to hear any responses from council. Thank you. He's ever seen