Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening. Welcome to the regular meeting of the Newark Municipal Council on Wednesday, April 15. Please stand for the national anthem pledge of allegiance and invocation by pastor doctor Lawanda Williams.

O wise and eternal father, we thank you. We thank you for today. We thank you for giving us another opportunity to give you glory, honor, and praise. We thank you for the activity of our limbs, strengthen our bodies today. We thank you for everything that will be said and done in this meeting tonight. We ask you, lord, that you touch each and every council member right now. We thank you for everything that will be said. We ask you, god. We thank you for peace. We thank you for peace that surpasses all understanding, God. We ask you, Lord, as we come together as one in unity. We believe you that it is already done. We believe you, God, that it is already done, and we thank you, and we bless you right now. So we thank you, and we give you glory right now. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Amen.

In accordance with New Jersey law, adequate notice of this meeting has been provided to the Star Ledger, the Jersey Journal, and the public at large establishing the date, time, and location of this meeting. In addition, the agenda for this meeting was disseminated on April 10 at the time of preparation and posted on the city's website. Roll call.

Council members Bay. Present. Council absent. Losa. Gonzales absent. Kelly.

Here. Donna. I'm good.

Here.

Yeah. Ramos absent. Scott Rountree. Present.

Silva absent. President Trump. Present.

Council president, council members, before we start the hearing of citizens, I just wanna announce for the record that councilman Gonzales is absent.

Thank you.

We are on page three of the agenda hearing of citizens. We are in the hearing of citizens portion of this meeting where each speaker will have five minutes to speak. When your name is called, please approach the podium and address the council members. The first speaker is Alif Muhammad.

Abiri.

Okay. Mitti got on the radio. What's name of that radio? Eight squad rebel and said that he wanted me to call the FBI for him. And I say that I don't have to call him because he's all around your people visiting now. They're visiting. Maybe they don't want Rock Marlon to that they're visiting, but they are visiting Mitti's friends. And some friends ain't telling that they're being busy. And then like I said, also, can call your sister, your older sister. She met with him 10 times.

She might know the number better than I do. Alif Mohammed Cortalas, Alif Mohammed, president of Alif Mohammed near school. I gave you some statues, and these statues come from the federal government that was sent to Washington DC. And I'm gonna read some of the statues, and these statues are from the video. The first one is conspiracy against rights.

President, be careful with this one with yourself because you'll be interrupting us when we'll be talking. But these are felony. That's not a felony. He would be civil with you. The declarations of rights under the color of law. Death of bribery concerning the program receiving federal funds. You know, when you went to housing authority and when I give Louise a job that she's not qualified for that you send her down there, that's theft of funds. Mail and wire fraud including honor service and fraud. Well, it wasn't her. Was his sister.

His sister came down with no qualifications, no certification, and got a and got became the highest per manager. Is that there for what? Alright. Mail and wire fraud. And also, this is another one, guys. Official misconduct by public, but that's a that's a New Jersey. And the big one, Felicia had props. Rico. Rico was a criminal power more than four people. She called it.

And, we know it's more than four people. Now what I'm coming here for today is this election time, and I wanna talk to the people in the housing authorities who I had the relationship when I was the, commissioner. I wanna talk to the people in the housing authority. I wanna talk to people on section eight. Totally, when you put them all together and families, it's probably a third of New Jersey being touched by section eight on the housing authority. I want you to listen to commissioner ex commissioner Alif Mohamed. This is my, pick. I'm picking Gail Cheneyfield. Please vote me for Central Ward. There's no way in the world Amina Bay can stand up to Gail Cheneyfield.

Get Amina Bay won last time by cheating, and we're not gonna let that happen this time. In the South Florida, y'all know I love pastor. I love you so much. You know? I love them, but don't vote for them. But I'm not gonna get in the race because I don't know who I am, but I think they're gonna be in a run up mood. And it's gonna be a rough race, you know? I like Asia. I remember when she ran with Dawn. The Westwood, this guy that became my man, and I'm gonna stay out of there, but I'm gonna be in Bradley Court for the mayor, for my mayor, and for other people out, councilman at large.

So I'm a be in Bradley Court, but I'm not gonna stay out of it. And McCoy, we go way back. Ugh. Louise, I want Donna to take your space. I think she would do better. I think that you are not fulfilling the qualifications. You got a lot of Johnny on the spot, but you ain't got no solutions. I told you a long time ago, you are a councilwoman. You're not the aide to the mayor no more. Every time you go somewhere, you got a proclamation for you and a proclamation for the mayor. You don't work for the mayor no more. You're a legislator. You're council person. And I'm still waiting on the answers to, what's that? Society Hill after year.

At large at large, I'm picking my nephew. Ambiased, Alfonso Herron Junior, former police officer, entrepreneur, and for my other at large right now, Donna Jackson. Now I need everybody to clap for that. Wouldn't that something to

be Donna Jackson up there? Boy, they would tear her face up.

Jamal, Louise is a good aide. So when you become mayor, you make sure you make her aide. You got that, my brother?

Thank you for your comments. Next speaker.

Rodney Davis.

Appearing.

Well, brother Alif, you don't have to it ain't no dream because it looked like Donna Jackson gonna get it. Yay. But, she'd probably be the highest vote getter. Make no mistake. As you go around in the neighborhoods, all five wards, I don't play one, so I'm definitely all city. So it looked like it's gonna be that way. But councilman Crum, I wanna ask you a question this this evening. First question I have for you, can we take this down, this glass? I believe that's one of the reasons why so many people are running because you got this thing where we're not on the same level. You guys are up there and the people are over here.

So that glass came up down to COVID. COVID's not around here. It's according to doctors, so we could take it down. It played out. Second thing that played out, we had the, lovely councilman MacGyver. She started out with that, thank you very much. Next speaker, please. Now councilman MacGyver, she bounced. She out of here now. You know, she's doing bigger and better things for herself. I congratulate black woman making success or whatever. That's her. But at the same time, let's get into a different saying than, next speaker, please. People come down here to listen to the people. They come out here with nothing, pouring their hearts out, and it's like, yeah.

Thank you. Next speaker, please. Bounce. So we could do something about that. It'd be good too. You know, next question I got there. Somebody told me the other day, said, bro, what you gonna do about this 700,000,000 deficit? Is that true? But we gotta do something. Who has a $700,000,000 deficit? And we gotta get some even though it's election time, you guys are running everything, why not we have a town hall regarding the budget so everybody could, you know, see where it's at? Why are we hiding and playing, you know, playing hide and go seek with this budget? You know? Third thing is, can we get some potholes fixed around here? I mean, this is terrible, man.

Every street got potholes. Is there a paving plan? Can we get an answer on that? Can we get a paving plan going on? I mean, if you drive I mean, if you don't gotta pay for your tires and stuff, I don't care if I hit the pothole. I get it. I understand. But can we do something about these potholes, man? This is more than ridiculous for American City, United States Of America. You know? So before I begin this afternoon, I got a couple of questions, and, I'd like to go on further with it. And that's these construction projects. Of course, you know, that's my, pet peeve, of course. Oh, there's one other thing I wanna ask to tell you, councilman. You got the guy with the camera over here.

Why do the citizens of Newark and the rest of the world look at my bald head shining? I want y'all to have a camera on my face. What's going on with that, man? You know, we should you should be able to see your face in America City, United States Of America. And, counsel, this ain't personal. I've seen counsel the other day. He said, why are coming for us? Said, no. That's my man. I'm just talking business. I remember Milton Crum used to say, we're here for business. People wanna see my face. I'm a three, Rodney Davis, and I'm running for mayor. We got a lot of undecided voters left, and, people wanna see me. You know what mean?

They like seeing fat chubby. They wanna see me. So we gotta do something, counsel. We don't have what what what is with that? The camera over there and over there. You know? This is 26. You don't gotta roll like that. You know? That's what I wanna say. Before I get to my questions, council president, is the union jobs. I got a call from local three the other day. They're saying, you know, we like to hire some new workers. Get them off the street, get them in the union so they can have a career. Are y'all gonna negotiate with the union?

Because the rest of the cities in, America are doing that. They're negotiating with the union to get bona fide paying jobs. So, I mean, I would like to say to the city, this is a north now. You know? I would like to say to y'all, if y'all wanna continue having potholes, your garbage not getting picked up, let's not get to the snow plow removal and the same old same up.

And you can get with this or you can get with that. You should get with this because this is where it's at, unless you want the same old same. You have to be experienced to have this job. What a track record god blessed me with, and you have to this ain't no on the job training job. So I wish all of y'all to get out and vote. Don't be afraid. Black people first and women. White women died in this country. Got pissed on, fired on, sprinkled along with the hoes the vote. Y'all have a good day. Get out there and vote.

Next speaker.

Jimmy McCoy.

Appearing.

For those who don't know me, hello. My name is Jimmy McCoy, the Jimmy, the real McCoy. Now my presence here is is to reclaim the West Ward. I'm entering to this West Ward race twenty twenty six for councilman. My post has been turned turned down. I've been denied access to certain facilities, and even some of the friends that's part of certain organizations have turned their backs. My voice is not being heard, so that's what brought me here today. And even there's no forum set up for the even for the for the candidates in the West Ward. Not as of yet, and we're less than thirty days out.

So I'm a begin. Oh, yeah. By the

way, Dupree Kelly, this is nice that you were cleaning the the streets.

Four four years in the office,

you decided to clean the streets. That's nice. That's really nice. It's admirable. Absolutely. And this is

the most we have ever seen.

Not a lot of times on social media, on tour, or even, doing something at a party. But my thing mainly is this, when we needed you the most, when I'm a say the seniors, when their lights went out, when their power went down, where were you? They called me. It was cold, rainy outside. The people at Saint Mary's, when I tell you it was colder inside that building than it was outside, rainy and cold, and even they didn't have backup generators or nothing.

There's no critical care assessments for these seniors. And y'all and time and time again, I see people get up here and speak, and nothing is ever done. And if I you go back years back, it's the same old nonsense. So, Kelly, the people at Saint Mary's is still waiting for those pancakes that you promised. You don't recall that. That's okay. That's okay. But for the most part, I'm entering this race because I don't wanna set serve any self interest groups. I wanna serve the people. And with the people and together and with the organization, we can really change this thing.

I mean, not only just a change, a transformational change, restructuring and doing it all together. Now when you talk about my plans, it's simple. I wanna organize the renters, and I wanna organize the homeowners. Because now you're not just talking about a block association with twenty fifteen people. You're talking about organization where you have 15 to 20,000 people, and that number counts.

So when that number shows when that number counts, you guys will definitely listen to that because that's 15 to 20,000 votes. Secondly, I wanna also do a CAP program. It's a community apprenticeship program for the youth. We have to get them involved. We have to get get them more prepared and ready.

Thirdly, we really don't need any more rappers inside this politics group, being honest. We need dentists, doctors, lawyers, plumbers, technicians, etcetera. My whole thing, and I have to say this, is that when we become totally inclusive, we as a ward we as a ward do better. The chaos that I see in crime is ridiculous, and we drive by South Orange Avenue like it's okay. That's ridiculous to me.

My background, a lot of people know it. My military background, even my organizational skills. If I can do more in ninety days when I get in that seat, and you did in four years, I want you to shake my hand. Oh, no. Of course not. I know we all know talk is cheap. We know that. But I invest in these streets. I invest in programs. I invest in progress.

I also connect and correct things. Let's move to Westward in the direction that it needs to go. By now, Newark shouldn't be trying to move forward. We should be thriving by now. Amen. Jim McCoy, 2 C,

West Ward. Next speaker.

Nadira Brown.

Appearing. So Oh,

yeah. Let's get that energy going, everybody. Let's get that energy going. It's a little dry up in here. I'm sorry. Name on the record. My name is Naidara Brown. I just wanna make sure I'm covered up. Don't wanna show any paraphernalia that's not associated with this room. Hey. I gotta save myself. I've got to cover up. Everybody worrying about where I work. I worry about where I work. I help the people. I'm blessed to have a job where I work to help the people, but let's not blend it. Let's not get it twisted. I'm still qualified to be on May 12 ballot because I care about the people. And it's not just about caring. You gotta follow-up because I found this outside y'all.

I really didn't put no bullet holes in it, but it's the holes in it, and it was on the ground. And it says, Newark deserves real work, not noise. How do we start a campaign flyer? Real work, not noise. You're focusing too much attention on the people that come up here and speak to you. But, unfortunately, you've been in here. Not everybody hasn't been in here, some couple months. But you've been in here four years and you wanna run around now. Why don't you put this on live right now? That's all I see every day.

But it's just the point of this is hearing of citizens, and you don't hear us. So I just wanna go over, you know, some of these great accomplishments from the team, Baraka. The public safety is the lowest crime rate in sixty four years due to community based approach to safety. He not even sixty four, so how did he even know what was going on back then? But let's just go with it.

He established the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma. You established it, but what did you do with it? So then you place social workers in every police precinct to address trauma, mental health, and conflict. Now I know one social worker that works really hard, and I don't wanna bring her name up because every time I bring somebody name up, you just go, you know, messing with folks. But these social workers still need to get to the resource that's out here, but you're not communicating with the people out here. Then you wanna talk about affordable housing. We still plan with that. You expand the pathways to home ownership. Stop with this vague because all the loyalists that come out here that want a rah rah form, go ahead. Vote for them.

I need people to support me that understand me. I don't need your support. But at the same time, keep it real. What have you done? We ask for specific. Give me examples of what you've done. You can't run around these last couple weeks because you ain't did nothing in four years. Well, it's been a lot of years, you know, but at the same time, I'm not here to throw jabs, but at the same time, I'm tired of coming up here to talk to you about it. But at the last meeting, the council president said they was gonna help that woman, so she's still with them rats. But y'all think giving a one week at a hotel was gonna solve a problem?

So you take a person out, then you put them back in a situation. What is the problem? Why can't you help? Oh, because you said if you talk about me, I ain't gonna help you. What kind of mess is that? But that was so professional. Do you know your ethics? Well, I would like to ask something on record. Us individuals have to come out here and park on the streets. We're getting tickets for the special event parking.

And if you look up the law, the council meetings isn't qualified as a special event, but yet we're getting tickets. I wanna propose a solution, maybe a lot 25 spots in the parking deck because it's after work, after the employees leave, that maybe we can get a spot because there's nowhere to park outside. And then if you don't take care of the ticket, then your license suspended, nor don't tell you, then they wanna hold months away appointments. I'm just bringing up something, but I wanna bring up this last thing. Food distribution partnered with HelloFresh to distribute over 2,000,000 meals every Wednesday since 2019.

Well, a thousand meals times 52, 52,000 times six is 364,000. Oh, no wonder the budget ain't right because you don't even know how many meals you gave out. You don't know how to add or subtract. But I'm a naysayer. I'll be a naysayer. Oh, I'm negative. No. I'm bringing facts. Accountability do feel like an attack, but I'm sick and tired that y'all sitting here acting like everything okay. Oh, I'm getting ready because it's eighteen. Let's do the countdown. Let's do it. Thank you for your compliments.

Come on, sis.

Next speaker. Like, come on.

You don't know what I've been through.

Come on, sis. I hit the bottom, and I'm still here.

Come on, sis.

Still here. And I'm a keep trucking, and I'm a keep doing because we all have it. Sorry. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. Next speaker.

Tanisha Gardner.

Miss Gardner appearing.

Good evening.

Good evening.

The Globe mentioned in an article that I'm not a credible mayoral candidate arises. I would like to ask what clarifies me as credible. Is being credible someone who's dedicated their life to community reform and empowering people living in poor housing? Is being credible speaking up, educating, and advocating for the people that are too scared to fight for justice because they don't want to get evicted? Is it being credible standing up against oppression for all the men and women in the community who don't have basic necessities or resources to live and provide for their families.

It's being credible advocating for laws from the federal, state, and local that impact us all. Last time I checked, I've been doing all these things for a long time, not just because I'm running familiar. And even though people may not have the courage to acknowledge my sacrifice, I know God does. So I ask you again, what does this article mean when it says that I'm not credible? Am I am I not credible because they believe I'm not educated enough?

Or do they think I'm not intelligent enough? Do they think that I'm not credible because I'm not rich enough? Or does it mean being a single mother raising three daughters make me less credible than that man sitting in that office as mayor? Does me being bold, honest, outspoken, fearless, selfless makes me not credible? Or maybe a black woman and politics make me not credible enough to revive, to resurrect, to inspire, to lead, to have the to lead the have and the have nots, the rich, the poor, the youth, the elders to a better life, to a better way to live, and a peace in our community for our children and for our family and for our city.

Now I would like to ask all the citizens in the city of Newark, you tell me, do you think if I'm not credible enough? So I asked you to vote for Tanisha h Garner for Mayger so we could change this city. We put too much work. We have been suffering. Things are changing in this community. It's changing around the world. It's gonna take each and every one of us to be able to make that change. I don't care what color you are, where backgrounds you come from, we're all being affected. And we must all work together, and we must all stand up together. So once I say again, vote for Tanisha h Garner for mayor a six.

God bless you.

Thank you for your comments. Next speaker.

Lisa Richardson Parker.

Appearing.

Good day, criminal cult that's running our government. Newarkers, elect a clown, expect a circus. I handed y'all this paper here because Allison Ladd at the last meeting when you were selling the lots and approving for Coweta Towers came here and said, let's talk truth and the facts. Well, I gave you this. It's a court document, the truth and the facts about Kawaii The Towers.

And the main person that's listed is Allison Ladd. And what they accuse you of is political exploitation, malfeasance, gamesmanship. They also said about you that where is it at? They said so many things about y'all. But let me let me go on.

Allison Ladd was complicit in being a dishonest broker. The property on your document was assessed at $2,200,000. You sold it for $23,000. That's in February 2021 from your own resolution. Fast forward, December 21, we had a settlement of 450 k and 73 k for your misdeeds over this project.

That's over half $1,000,000 we spent and still didn't make no money on that. Then last month, you sold it for 500 k to one of your friends and and put a female on it because, you know, that's a hot topic, but it's still friends and family. Don't play with me. Then you turned around the same man, Newark Tech World, that's on there for a settlement, you sold them a property last last meeting that was assessed at 1,700,000.0 for $525,000. I bring this to your attention to prove our city is being mismanaged, property being sold and developed by friends and family and donors, and it's the reason the city is bankrupt.

Newarkers, we can no longer afford to elect the same people that are not representing our interests. They're coming knocking on your doors, passing out literature. Where would he elect it when you had no heat, no hot water, no no garbage pickup? Three times on my block, no snow removal, pothole, dirty water, high taxes, no jobs, no career paths for our young people, and public safety is at a all time low. Stop lying.

At the end of the day, my community, I take them very seriously, society hell. We all came out 400 strong, told them what we didn't want in our community. The same developer been there three times under different LLC names, but it's the same people, and y'all think people are stupid. And so here what I wanna say, we are the people that invested in the community. We maintain the community, and we made it attractive for people.

Now just because they're the same ones that's affiliated with y'all, donate to all of your campaigns. And by the way, I saw you the other day with the attorney for the KS group at the planning board when y'all had that big fundraiser with Shaquille O'Neal there. I'm paying attention to y'all. At the end of the day, y'all came three of y'all came. I don't wanna call your names out, but three of y'all came and said y'all was gonna address legislation to help us without tax abatement, the unregulated HOA fees that no one can afford, and it's been over a year because you came in January and you did nothing.

Let me take my fur my last minute to say this. Lisa Gray is on the school board. She's a six. The same people that y'all x off on your flyer here for school board is some of the same people that y'all had running against Gail in the last election. Tammy Holloway, the spoiler that she was. I'm telling you Newarkers, Jamal Youngblood, Gail Chaneyfield Jenkins, Donna Jackson, Louie Quintana, Nadira Brown. Vote for people that have your interest, not the people that's selling you out and haven't come see you in four years.

You for your comments. Next speaker.

Felicia Austin Singleton.

Appearing.

Felicia Austin Singleton, Contend, oh lord, for those who contend with me. Fight against those who fight against me. Psalms thirty five one. If y'all don't know what it means, go ask Pat and Pat and Louise. Patrick, you have a lady right here from the South Ward that called your office and needs to speak to you. So can you send a representative over to speak to her? She was told to come to the council meeting, but she can't speak. So she's here. I hope y'all filed y'all taxes today. It's April 15, and I hope you filed them correctly.

You don't have no missing documents and missing information off them taxes because you know the FBI and IRS gonna come get y'all. Y'all know what I'm saying. Yeah. So we're here at election time, and we got team Baraka coming against each individual candidates. You got Rahma Muhammad, and I don't need him, Eric, or council president coming up here to say anything because I said his name tonight.

If he wants to, he can sign up and speak like just like us, not tonight. At the end of the day, he's on Facebook two hours after 08:00 making videos for team Baraka. What jobs is he creating by doing that? Then you got the surrogate of Essex County, Joey d and Leroy Jones. Get your boy. Don't put him back on the ballot if he's over here supporting team Baraka. Let's be real about this. That's not their job. Their job is to connect people to jobs and then go and go over somebody's burial last plans. That's it.

You should be running on your own merit at each time him, not a team. Because at the end of the day, if we don't like somebody on the team, guess what? We're x ing all of y'all out. Vote all of them out if you don't if if nothing has been done for you. What have you done for me lately? Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. I want I do, and I I hope I don't get people in trouble. I hope.

Thank you, Louise Rountree, for answering my calls and addressing issues of people that is homeless. Not one, but many. But many. I can come up here and beat you down, but I can't come up here and say thank you. Do it all. My councilman. Councilman. My councilman. I should say that to Joe. Right? George King Village. Georgia King Village. Meeting at the meeting, those residents came and told you that we had we are scared of the pit bulls. We're scared of the pit bulls. It's pit bulls out here.

Three pit bulls want mauled somebody. Soothe the city. Soothe each one of them that brought their tails over to the George King Village and it went unheard. The blood is now on your hands. The blood is on your hands. You knew George King wasn't good. You knew they were slumlords. By the way, dude, help Mary Rouse. She has no hot water. Didn't have no hot water in the in the snow. She's back on Facebook saying she has no hot water. Could we have to do better? L and M should be zero. They should be head of that list that y'all supposed to created. Supposed to create it.

Take Georgia king tax abatement tonight. You can do it. You have the power. Take it. They neglected residents. They didn't care. They had the drug activity out there, pimples out there.

How how much you need? How much you need?

Take their tax abatement, but you gave them the property next to the museum. So I'm I'm thinking the more I'm corrupt, the more I get from the city. See, if y'all had caught me when I was 18 or 25, would have been down with y'all. Trust me. I would have been down for the get down. But I ain't get to be this age to go to jail for somebody else's foolishness. Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? You got me twisted. I can't kiss my own behind, so damn if I'm a kiss yours. I can't do it. But yet and still, y'all sit over here and wanna be team Baraka. Run off your own merits. And I just wanna say happy birthday to my commissioner. Oh, she laughed.

Well, happy birthday to Linda Washington's New York Housing Authority commissioner. She wanted to come down here to see what was going on. But y'all used to vote. Y'all y'all so disconnect from Newark Housing Authority. Y'all used to vote on their minutes on here. How come they not on an agenda tonight? Because they had a meeting last month. Y'all corrupt, diabolical, don't know no other way to describe it. Failed leadership. Failed leadership. If you know God, I hope you get on your knees tonight and ask him for forgiveness and come do the right thing by the residents. It's election time. If they haven't heard your calls, if they haven't answered your cries, if they haven't did any other thing, vote them out on May 12. It's over. We need something new in Newark.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. Next speaker.

Gail Chaneyfield Jenkins.

Appearing.

Good evening. Gail Jenkins, New York Jenkins, 88 Richmond Street, Newark, New Jersey. I just wanna say the mere fact that right now my face is on television, and within two seconds, it's gonna be off, and you've been doing that to the rest of the speakers. That's so petty and childish. You all are supposed to be above that kind of decorum.

You know, you talk about the Republicans and how they act. You guys are acting worse. That is so petty, and that is the way that you guys feel about the residents. See you one minute and you go on the next. We got less than twenty six days before this election, and this is my final appeal to every Newark resident, especially those who live in the Central Ward.

I've heard from seniors who are living in deplorable conditions being told they have to vote for specific candidates or risk being evicted. Whatever happened to civil rights when our people die for the right for people to be able to vote? They have managers who don't listen to them. They are spoken to like children. The elevators don't work half of the time, and far too many have given up hope.

But on May 12, every voter has a chance to make a difference for themselves, their neighbors, their children, and the children of Newark. You have to participate in your own rescue by coming out to vote because there's no superheroes. There's no martyrs. You have to participate, and we're asking all 170,000 voters in the city of Newark. We know you're tired.

We know you discussed it, but come out one last time. I've heard from many young families that can't afford housing that you all can is affordable housing in this city. It's it's not affordable. But if it's affordable, who is it affordable for? It's not affordable for the young people who live in this city of Newark, who've gone to school, who've graduated with degrees, b a's, and and and and masters.

And they can't get a job, but the chick that was at a go go bar shaking her behind couldn't get a job in the city. How how we doing that? Why are we doing that? That's disgusting that there is not a pathway to employment for our youth and for other people who are qualified in this city. The developers are getting richer, and they're building substandard quality housing while this city is derelict and collected many of the tax abatements that are old from these developers. Now let miss Jones on South 6th Street not pay her taxes. Her house will be foreclosed on. It will be taken away. But at the end of the day, the developers get a break. They don't even get a slap on the wrist.

They get rewarded. I've heard from the small businesses that have had to close their doors because the city's parking authority is not friendly to customers. It has time it's not time to help the small it's time to help the small businesses, which are the backbone of this city. The parking authority that, Ronnie Davis mentioned about the pot, potholes. We're all driving through these potholes, these craters. I hit a pothole so damn going big, it changed the damn radio station for me in my car. I mean, this is ridiculous. It's true. Where's the plan for repairing these streets? You had the opportunity to do it when $82,000,000 came into this city during COVID, and everybody was at home.

You could have paved the streets then. People could have moved their cars, and we could have had nice asphalt streets. My hope is that for the people in the Central Ward and all of Newark, you have enough hope and enough fight left in you because this is a fight for the soul of this city. It is a battle, and you guys need to understand something. That plexiglass represents what you all don't want to see and hear and touch. But you'll go and knock on somebody's door and shake their hand and say, hey. I'm I need your vote. Come on, folks. We're better than this. At the end of the day, it's about dignity.

You drop food off for the seniors, and they can't even get the food upstairs from the from the 1st Floor to the 15th Floor, but you come and put a petition underneath their door. You come and put a flyer underneath their door. Where's the humanity? You gotta care about people at some point in time. It's not about May 12.

It's about May 13. Because let me tell you something. With all of these people running, we hear, and I know y'all hear it because then when y'all call them, they're telling you, I don't wanna hear from you. People are tired, and they're not gonna go away after May 13. They're gonna be here, and we're gonna be here, and we're gonna make sure that we put together some referendums to make sure that the work that needs to be done in this city gets done. My name is Gale Cheneyfield Jenkins. I'm running for Central Ward. My line number is 2.

Thank you for your comments. Next

speaker. For your time. Shakir McDougall.

Mister McDougall, is he here? I do not think he is appearing. Next speaker.

Rachel

Jones. Rachel Jones appearing.

I'm so sorry.

I'm here tonight because I'm really very tired, vulnerable, hopeless. My name is Rachel Jones, and I reside at 6 Fragilio Plaza. I'm here today to speak about the ongoing unsafe living conditions in my home. Conditions that have been ignored for over five years and a serious incident that happened happened on March 9 and March 25 that made me feel unsafe in my own space. For more than five years, I have consistently reported major issues in my unit.

This includes a leaking ceiling, holes in the flooring, electrical problems that could potentially cause a fire, and plumbing issues that allow water and, at times, other substances to run through the walls. To put it plainly, every time I take a bath or even flush the toilet on the 2nd Floor, I am at risk of flooding the 1st Floor. You can actually hear water moving through the walls because of the ceiling leak, water buildups on the floor, and I have slipped and fallen multiple times as a result. This is not just inconvenient. It's dangerous.

I suffer from epilepsy. So these falls are not minor accidents. They are serious stress to my health and safety. Despite repeatedly bringing these concerns to management, the only action taken has been temporarily patchwork repairs. Maintenance workers come in, apply quick fixes, and leave, but not the root but the root problems are never addressed.

From what I have observed, these repairs are not being handled by properly licensed professionals, especially when it comes to structural plumbing and electrical work. As a result, the same issues continue over and over again. I have lived in this unit for over twenty years, and I have experienced conditions like this. What makes it even more difficult is emotional toll. Living in a space where you don't feel safe, where you are consistently worried, falling, flooding, or something worse create ongoing stress and anxiety.

And to add to that, I have been reaching I have tried reaching my case manager, Angelica Vargas, for the past month without any response. Now I also need to address what happened today, which is March 9. When you came to my residence with two men and you entered into my home, which I am speaking about the Newark Housing Authorities, I repeatedly asked that you leave, but my request was ignored. I felt unsafe. My boundaries were not responded we respected.

And because of that, I have no choice but to call the police. No tenant should ever have to feel that way in their own home. On the New Jersey tenant law, I have the right to acquire employ enjoyment of my home. That includes protection from unauthorized, unlawful entry except in true emergency. Proper notice is required before entering to a tenant's residence.

What happened today was not just inappropriate, it was intimidating and deeply distressing. When you combine that with unsafe living condition, I have already been dealing with for years, it only increases my concern for safety and well-being. So today, for accountability and action, I am requesting a full inspection of my unit by licensed professionals who are qualified to properly assess the repairs, structural plumbing, and electrical issues. I am requesting permanent repairs, not temporary fixes that we've that will finally resolve the hazard that have existed in my home for years. I am requesting written clarification about what happened, why my home was entered, and what policy in place regarding staff as the tenant units.

Am I requesting clear communication for it moving forward? I need to know what the plan is, what the timeline is, and how many homes will be brought back to a sick how my home will be back brought back to a back to a habitable condition. Please understand, after twenty years of living here, I'm not asking anything unreasonable. I am simply asking to live in a home that is safe, a home where my health is at risk, a home where my wife, aunts, lieutenant are respected because of how long these issues have been going on, unresolved, and how serious they are. I have also made a a sure I also made sure to copy the executive director of the Newark Housing Authorities, Unfortunately, Department of

your time is up. Okay. Well, thank you for your comments. If you have a seat, I know somebody from our staff that's will speak with you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Miriam Bay.

Appearing.

Good evening. My name is Mary Faye. And before I get started, have to say thank god for everything. You know why? God blessed me to turn 75 years old last Monday. And you know what I have to say? Go shorty. It's my birthday.

Happy birthday.

Okay. So

so I came here today because I wanted to thank the council. As you know, my TV show, Television, honored six women on March 27, and the Newark man municipal council gave them a resolution in addition to mayor Baraka, in addition to the assemblywoman, and also the governor. And I wanted to thank you because these women are hardworking women that helped to build Newark. So that's why we gave it to you. Thank you.

And every year, my TV show, Tell A Vision, recognizes the women. I my name is Marion Bay. I'm sorry to introduce myself. And, councilor Rometree, I wanna thank you because you respond, to me as well. I appreciate that.

And I wanna say again that god is good. With everything that's going on here, I live in Newark. I've owned my home for thirty four years in Newark, and I work for Newark. And the brothers and sisters that I work with, they have some serious issues, particularly housing, and we have to address that. And what I wanna say is that on my block, it looks a lot better, but the concern is is that this is not hopefully, this is not just because it's election time.

And and afterwards, it's gonna be the same. Because the slumlords that we have, if you come and look at what they have in front of their house, I was I was out yesterday in South Orange, also in Maplewood. Okay? It doesn't look like that. And I'm trying to figure out I know there's some people who who work for the city of Newark who live in South Orange in Hillside, Union County.

But where they live, it doesn't look like what where we're living. And why is it allowed? I'm concerned about our children thinking that this is supposed to be normal. This is not normal behavior. We don't want them to think that living in filth is normal.

And then the other thing is that people be driving real fast on the blocks, not taking the fact that the kids are playing on the streets. So I'm hoping and praying to God that we're going to make sure that these slumlords are held accountable, okay, for what they have been doing for years. Because of my block, it never looked like this. And I've been living on my block for thirty four years. So I know what it looked like then and what it looks like now.

But now, it looks a little bit better. You know? And, I wanted to thank you for that. I really appreciate that. And with everything that's going on, we need to be held more accountable for what is going on so that we can take care of our community.

And that's one of the reason why I work like I do for the city. I not only I not only work seven hours a day, I work on the weekends too because I have brothers and sisters who are coming home from prison, and they need certain things that I cannot help them with during the daytime where I work at. Okay? It's getting to that point. And I'm here to service, and that's what I will continue to do. And, again, I just wanna thank you. And, I have to say, Alif, I went to Weig Wake High School too. But I'm but I'm older than you. How old are you? 70.

Okay. I'm 75. Okay. Okay.

Yes. Okay.

So have a wonderful day. And everybody everybody who's looking at this, who's hearing this, the one that's in charge is god.

Come on. Mhmm.

That's the one who's in charge. Okay? And that's one of the reason why I'm so grateful to God that he's gotten me to 75 years old so I can continue to do the work. Thank you. Thank

you for your comments. Next speaker.

Jamar Youngblood.

Appearing.

Jamar Youngblood, I want to address two things with my time. First, I want to share what's happening with our DPW workers. And second, I want to reshare my plan that I presented to our city council members last year. I received many messages from our DPW workers who are dissatisfied with how they are being treated. Here's one of them. A quote. I started working for DPW in June 2021, and I still do not have any benefits. No sick days. No nothing. They put people on the back of garbage trucks illegally.

They promise us benefits every year and we never get them. Since I lasted this long, it is clear I am suitable for the job. And it is unfair that residents are blaming us essential workers for our dirty streets when it is clear that we have bad management. It's like they want us to remain stagnant and dependent on them instead of providing opportunities for us to grow and climb the ladder. I am currently homeless, and I went to city hall to ask for help over a year ago, and no one has called me back.

I am tired of giving my all to our city and trying to make our mayor look good when we truly get no love down here. Not all of us are felons, and we shouldn't be treated as such. Our streets are dirty because we do not have enough workers, and we are not being taken care of. Our trucks always break down, and we really want to know where the money is going. We received $80,000,000 from the federal government during the pandemic because we were essential workers, but only a small group of people received payments.

We just want to know where the money is going, end quote. I just wanna say to our DPW workers, you have twenty seven days until the election. Now is the time to make your demands clear and have your voices heard. You are just as important as our police and firefighters and deserve to be treated as such. If your concerns are not addressed now and this administration stays in the office after May 12, you will face four more years of the same treatment.

I am begging you to organize and make sure your concerns are heard in the next few weeks. And if you need help, I am here. Now let's talk about the plan we created for our city. Last year, I presented a plan to our council members created by a group of Newark residents called North thirty. The goal of the plan is to build a self sufficient and fully transparent city by the year 2030.

We decided that in order for our lawmakers to create effective policies, we must first understand the different needs of Newark residents. We organized residents into four groups, emergency, surviving, doing okay, and doing well. Emergency includes residents struggling with basic needs like food, shelter, and safety, while surviving includes residents who are barely meet who are barely meeting basic needs without stability. Doing okay includes a resident's meeting their needs with little savings, and doing well includes residents who are financially stable and have disposable income. This frameworks allows the city to target resources and policies more precisely so each group gets the support needed to improve their quality of life.

The remainder of the plan expands affordability and economic stability by creating coops for essential services, launching our own local currency, and keeping money circulating within our city. It also strengthens transparency and government accountability while improving our technology infrastructure and emergency preparedness. Lastly, our plan invests in residents through job training, education, and pathways to ownerships so residents can own their future in our city. NORCers, I urge you to read our plan before you head to the polls on May 12 by visiting north30.org. To our council members and administration, I hope we can work together to implement these ideas regardless of what happens on election day.

Again, I do not have any real beef with any of you. I just love the people in our city, and I truly believe we can

do better, y'all. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. Next speaker.

Marilyn Soell.

Marilyn Soell. Up appearing.

Hello. I'm Marilyn Sohub, Newark resident my entire life. Newark resident my entire life. I'm here today because I have been going back and forth with the police station, prosecutor's office, and written countless of letters. No one care or cares about the constant pain that I am in.

Right now, I'm dealing with a situation that is deeply ruining my life as well as my sisters. I'm being attacked cyberly. My cyber harassment is nothing like the typical online drama that you heard of. These people are cyber monsters. My home, my lights, my microwave, AC, washing machine, radios, my heat, my deep freezer, and even a battery operate operated swiffer mop is brought is brought under their control.

These monsters on a daily each year that passed, I observed the control grow to levels that makes my story surreal. They are attacking my work, cutting my hours, cutting my hours. My raise doesn't apply to me. I'm I'm off the clock. On my days off, somehow I'm punched in anyway, and the clock will run on for hours and hours.

Six days vacation days are not accumulated. I have witness statements from one of my bosses. Here's where my bad becomes 10 times worse. The attacks on my 76 year old sister is sinister. They started with her TV lights being blown out, cancellation of her life alert, her transportation from the doctor into the doctor are be canceled, her blood pressure machine, false reading. As I mentioned earlier, this is nothing like the typical online drama you have heard. On December on December 31

oh, I'm sorry.

On December 31, my sister was admitted into Saint Michael's Hospital. Her blood work came back low potassium. I automatically knew that that can't be right. She take twenty milligrams of potassium every day and eat lots of bananas. I told her son of my suspicions, but I said nothing.

I was I was I he said I was crazy, and I did nothing. By 01/02/2026, she was in heart failure. Medicine was given to her to counteract the overload of potassium she received. At this time at this current time, she's still suffering from some of the effects of having too much potassium in it, but I had knew that it was my cyber stalkers. I can grant any authority figure permission to speak to any of her doctors to solidify my claims.

I bring this serious matter before you for some relief for me and my family. I'm gonna end my speech with my eight word entry. Cyberstalking can now kill. Please save my sister. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Next speaker.

Deborah Salters.

Miss Salters appearing.

I could barely hear.

Deborah Salters, city of Newark. One a, mayor, city of Newark. 05/12/2026. You know, let me talk about this, pre meeting yesterday. Now I don't know. I guess because you all are sitting so comfortably because you feel like you got it in a bag. Ramos, I I've never known you to be this sloppy on the council. Like, you've been smacking. Like, the last couple of meetings, you're smacking and you're yeah. And I'm just I'm looking at him. What? You know? And then you've got the president up here with his two naked drinks. You got the Dunkin' Donuts coffee. You got the water.

You got stuff everywhere. And I'm watching this for professionals, and they're laughing at the city of Newark because this is what you all have become. Then when the the questions are being asked or the the plans are gone over, you're sitting there just yeah. The air is stale. Y'all are just rote. Everything is like, yeah. We know what's gonna happen. We're gonna say yes to this, and we get the attitudes. I mean, you have to

see these people dissect everybody for years.

But anyway, it's it's a travesty. It really is. And so Newark Newark, New Jersey, my people, my Newarkites, you all have to pay attention because it's time for change. It's been time for change. If you want someone that has been here, has not gone anywhere regardless of whatever was going on, then you vote for Deborah Salter's one a, operation clean house. There is no working with these people. Do you understand that? For those of you who are like, oh, I just want a better relationship with my mayor. I just wanna work with these people. These people will not work with you.

Then you have your mayor at seven seven seven with Shaq and all the stars who always yeah. We gotta keep him in office forever and ever and ever. Well, I wonder why because they benefit and we don't. Newark, wake up. If we do not take this city back now, we are doomed. If you don't think if you think you can't live now, what do you think is gonna happen if you allow this this travesty to continue? You have to stand up, rise up, get up, and vote 05/12/2026. It's not about new faces and let's try this. You know who's been here working. You know who has you and your best interest at heart.

I'm not trying to make history. I'm making changes, saving lives. In fact, we had 14 police officers on one man a couple days ago sitting there eating his soup, minding his business. Seven cars roll up on this man. He he asked him what what what was going on. Then he decided to touch him. Then he wanna get mad because he's pushing him off. Wind up arresting him, banging his legs, then doing things like this. These police, since I'm telling you, consent decree I told you guys, they're out of control. And those of you who are telling our black children to not become officers, shut your mouth.

They need to become police officers. They need to become police officers because the lines have been drawn. These Latino, Hispanic officers take care of their own. I've seen it. I've experienced it. They get caught with no licenses, no registrations, no anything, no tickets. They don't tow their cars. I've been in accident. I'm telling you, we cannot act like it is not happening. It's happening. Yes, Lord. And I'm telling you that day one, operation clean house. May 12, we have got to clean this house. We've got to clean the filth and corruption. We've got to set this thing straight.

Newark needs someone who is going to do the right thing for the right reasons. I'm not trying to get along with anybody. Oh, did that did that pop up ever happen at the situation? Because, you know, there's a living situation where, you know, I I always reach out and, to make things happen, but it's been over a week. Right? And it's it's dire straight, mold and all of these things. So I'm telling you, I'm tired of talking to people who don't care. I have been someone and am someone that is everywhere in this city for everything. When we didn't have a central ward person, I was fighting for the central ward. Did I not call you, at large is out about that?

Did I not come and get you and bring you to the places? So I get the work done. I'm out here. And I know those don't support me who I work shoulder to shoulder with because you wanted to be your friend. And since it can't be your friend, you'd rather let the city burn. Then do you really love the city or are you just like this administration that's here? Because you're just like them if you don't want the person to get the job done like who you want. I am the one to get the job done because I'm already doing it. Whether I receive any because I don't receive anything except the pleasure of helping the people. Let's stop playing games and call it what it is.

Thank you for your comments. Next speaker.

Donna Jackson.

I know I saw her. Yep. Appearing. Oh, what? Yes. Yes.

Lord Jesus. Amen. No. Not yet. By the end. Donna Jackson, team Baraka, we done rocked y'all world. The boy twirling at the state of the city address. So unprofessional to the rest of the world. What kind of dance was that? Oh, he was imitating me. Okay. Big mouth that don't know nothing. I'm glad I gave you a little dance cue, mister Baraka. Still didn't get it right, though. You didn't twirl around enough. You didn't shake your rear end enough. Rise. Rise. No. Fall.

Fall. Fall. What it's

gonna be.

You wanna play with me? Let's play. Send your letters. Send your stuff. Play. Come on. Lies. More paperwork. More paperwork. It's your paperwork. City of New York resolution. I didn't make up the money. You did. You did. So let me get to it. To all the city employees that received your retro pay, you are more than welcome. And you have one person to thank for that, Donna Jackson. Because if not for me, and I'm a brag on myself, they would've did nothing. Your union ain't come to this mic. Donna came to the mic.

Donna made mister p come to the mic in November and say,

the retro pay will be

rolled over into 2026. So where the lie at? That's what you did. Then you turn around and only smack them with $6,700. Duh. That's not the retro pay. Where the money at? Same question. And I love it now that the youth involved. That's why y'all can't take it. That's why he dancing. That's why we out there doing stuff that you ain't never did. And the problem is that y'all got a attitude. Yep. You know you're wrong and you got a attitude.

I remember coming down to Donald Payne's funeral, and the lady from channel seven and channel four came straight to me. What words do you have to say for us to remember councilman Payne? Congressman Payne? And I said to her, no matter what, that man always maintained a relationship of communication even when I told him he wasn't doing nothing. And I told him that. Y'all gotta learn. You gotta learn. You didn't learn. This is public servant. Gotta learn. So let me go to this you know, you got your little crew. That's good. We got crew too. No. Crew growing because they sick of y'all.

That's the sentiment across the state. Not only in Newark, across the country now. Thank you, young blood. Thank you, my son. Thank you for sharing me and everybody else because we taking over. We taking over. So let me go to this plan that y'all signed for Villa Victoria. Villa Victoria. Villa Victoria. Stop calling me.

I'm at the meeting. Villa Victoria shall mean the construction improvement and rehabilitation of 194 affordable housing units. This was signed 2021. What what unit got done? Which one? Can't tell. Can't tell. Raz, I know you're holding your head over there now. Oh my god. Rise.

Rise. Fall. Fall. Get on your knees because that's what y'all doing. You let these LLC boys come in here and rape this city. Y'all let it happen. Let me tell all you employees that got a check. Y'all better see me. Y'all better see me because you don't pay me union dues, but I got y'all that money. And you better talk about it. You better do what you gotta do. It's okay. It's okay. I'm good. They could video me because I'm all over anyway. Make me a super superstar. Go ahead. Because I can wear it well. Because I don't have a attitude. I am angry and disappointed because we're not supposed to be here.

We are not supposed to be here. Get these senior builders together. Get these child safety bars on these builders because they're not on there. We done lost a baby already. Y'all still ain't checking the building. Hire some people that can read, that no code, and go out here and stop letting these buildings go up with no permits. Just because it's political time, just because you owe them money, stop letting these people build this upstanding nonsense in my damn city.

Thank you for your comments. Next speaker.

Lisa a Gray.

Lisa Gray appearing.

Hello. Can you guys hear me?

Yes.

Oh, okay. Good evening, council president. Good evening. Other council members. I'm Lisa Gray from Newark, New Jersey.

I am Lisa a Gray for the people, and I'm running for a seat on the Newark Board of Education. My poll number is a six. I am running for the school board on a platform of accountability, transparency, inclusion, and equity. I am the only woman running against a slate of men. Now this is significant because if you watch the school board meetings, it's primarily the women who challenge the superintendent and hold him accountable.

If I'm worried for it, watch it yourself. The men who I'm running against, I refer to them as the yes men. And I'm referring to them as the yes men because their campaigns are being sponsored by, supported by, and financed by a group of high powered politicians, including some of Newark's millionaire council people. Mhmm. Newark School District has a $1,600,000,000 budget, yet less than a third of our students are reading at grade level and less than 20% are doing math on grade level.

After COVID, Newark Schools received a record $287,000,000 in COVID recovery funds. Only 5% was allocated for tutoring. 5%. Now nearly 16,000 students were identified that they needed tutoring. Of that number, right, that's forty percent of the student body population who was identified as needing tutoring.

Only 1,900 of those students received tutoring service. That's roughly five percent of the students who needed it. My question is this, only five percent of the budget of the 287,000,000 was even allocated for tutoring or learning loss. So I wanna know who made that decision. Oh, somebody tell me who made that decision.

As a school board member, I will make sure that financial decisions are transparent, equitable, and focused on student success. As a school board member, I will track progress publicly. I will make sure that policy decisions reflect what's best for the students and not politics. As a school board member, I will make sure students, parents, and educators have a real seat at the table and a real voice in the decision making process. So please vote a six, Lisa a Gray for the people on Tuesday, April 21.

That's next Tuesday, a six. And I just wanna talk a little bit about what the role of the school board member is. The role of the school board members are to set funding priority, priorities and to allocate the budget based on student needs. The role of school board member is to ensure equal access to school programs irregardless of the student's social economic status or what part of the city they go to school in. Part of the school board member's responsibility is to engage the community and even oversee the procurement process.

Who is getting these contracts? Where is the $87,000,000 going? I talked to some students, and I can tell you that their concerns are mental health supports. Mhmm. They want a say in the decision making process, and they have approached the board on multiple occasions asking for that power, and they've been turned down. They're concerned about safety. They're concerned about conditions in the building. So, again, wanna introduce myself. I'm Lisa a Gray, a six. I'm running for the Newark Board of Education.

Alright? I wanna make sure that all our decisions are guided by data, equity, and most importantly, the voices of this community. Newark serves more than 41,000 students, 67 schools, 70% of our students come from economically disadvantaged households.

Thank you for your comments. Next speaker.

Elijah Mac Morgano.

Appearing. Alright. Miss mister Morgano, please come to the mic and speak.

Hallelujah. We, live from, Lakota land. That means we all relations and kin. So, for those that don't know, like the officers that arrested me on February 13, they don't know that this is Lenape land. So I acknowledge that this is Lenape territory, land of the Munsee Nami peoples.

I recognize many Newark residents carry aboriginal, which means original peoples of the land, and melanin abundant bloodlines with inherent sovereign rights. I pledge to honor aboriginal titles, support land back, and never participate in displacement. So I'm a veteran. We had to take a oath. Everybody sitting in these chairs had to take a oath.

The people I support because they all support people, Latoya Jackson for school board because she's a dope parent, Deborah Salters because she helped people, and Muta Alameen because he changed his life. Right? And I we took a pledge. So I'm about to share with y'all my pledge. Y'all haven't seen me here, right, because my life was threatened and my dad's jobs was threatened.

For me coming here

speaking, I haven't threatened anybody. I asked for apologies. I I educate, and I got threatened. So imagine what a 15 year old and 16 year old that hasn't done the work that I did with a eight plus ACES scores is going through. That's a system, an addiction. So people's pledge, this is genocide by paperwork. It ends now. And from 2015 to 2024, the median home value went from 242,000 to 465. That's 92% increase. The rent went from 1,500 to $202,100.

Homeless population that so called went down. I'm I'm part of the houseless community. Right? The so called went down 60% from 2023, it was 1,595. 2024 was 2451. Right? So who's buying Newark? Almost 50% of all Newark estate equals institutional buyers. Those are the tiny hats. Those are the LLC boys. Right? That's an acute and predominantly black neighborhoods. Only 24% of Newark workers have jobs in Newark. The rest commute from New York City. Y'all ain't building those towers for our people. Y'all building those towers for the commuters. And I look. Y'all know where I reside? Right in front of that tower right by the FBI building. I reside right there.

I wake up there, and I reside in an empty lot on South 10th And South Orange Java. South Orange Ave. Right? This is where the people do the work. I don't have to come in here to do the work. And y'all ask me about my family. I can't see my family because I can't see my family because I'm a veteran that got anger issues, and I was taught how to kill people and follow orders as a veteran. Follow orders, kill people. And the fact that I'm here and I speak truth to power. My birth name is Elijah Abdul Samad Morgano.

That's the ones who walk with Yahweh. And y'all wonder why I got this unicorn on. Right? Because what I'm saying is real. This is genocide by paperwork. Zoning laws allow luxury development. Black neighborhood tax credit, 740,000,000 developers. Minimum affordability, credit checks, Jim Crow standards, block Black HUD. I didn't have to go search for this. My AI gave it to me. My AI gave it to me. So that mean y'all could all research this. Right? So the pledge is, right, ending genocide by paperwork. Recognize that 92% of home value increase and 54 of home homelessness spikes while luxury condos go to New York City commuters and systematic of black Newarkers.

I pledge to fight for community land trust, not the Newark community land trust. Aboriginal community land trust, tenant protection, and housing that serves families in the houseless and the Newarkers, not developers, spectators. I will never accept campaign contributions from slumlords or vote for policies that displaced the original residents. Protecting our children. Right? Children, families, and veterans. I pledge to dismantle the school or prison pipeline, honor our elders, and support family forms, lift up the houses, this 2,454 people, care for the mentally, mentally able, and never allow veterans to become forgotten. Their lives are sacred. I am their steward, not their owner. Right?

And this is the truth. I pledge to speak truth even when uncomfortable, even when I recognize colonialism, slavery, capitalism, and white supremacy are active systems still operating today through zoning, credit checks, and corporate land grabs. I will name these systems. And listen, y'all gotta sleep at night with that. The truth has been spoken. And do y'all have the pledge? Accept the pledge or no? Because all money ain't good money.

Thank thank you for your comments. Next speaker.

Lucius Jones.

Lucius Jones. I don't see him, unfortunately. Queen Not Lucius Jones not appearing.

Queen Dinesha Clyburn.

Appearing. Can we can we get some quiet so that we can hear miss Clyburn? Queen Clyburn.

I'm okay with it.

Alright. I wanna make sure.

Queen Danisha Clyburn, 39 A 14th Avenue, Newark, New Jersey. It's election time, y'all. May 12. It's election time, y'all. So I keep hearing everybody in in the main one saying, we're on the rise.

Homelessness is on the rise. Seventeen year olds that don't have no services been on the rise. Our light bills are definitely on the rise. The drug epidemic is on the rise. Kids having programs is a lie and it's definitely on the rise. How I know? Because I had a person that voted through the mail and she said to me, I'm a grandmother and my son died and I have my grandson. I went to the boys and girls club, and they want $900 for the summer. I wasn't trying to say she was lying. I had to go see for myself.

It's the truth. $900 for a summer program. Please write that down. Yep. Sent you a word because it's the only one in Newark. The only one in Newark. Right? So that's just one thing because I only come to them, like, with facts. Because like my boy said, you could Google it, but some of this stuff you can't Google. You gotta go outside and be a part of this stuff and get these phone calls. Right? And then you find out. So I wanna know how many people in here know about the mother that shot a 17 year old pregnant daughter. Because y'all didn't help this little girl. Guess who got the call yesterday?

Me. It ain't my job, but it is because I'm a part of the community. And because you guys sit in these seats, it is your duty to serve us when we have questions, when we have problems, to answer them and solve them. Or else why you here for thirty years, twenty years, sixteen years, four years, four months, or whatever months. Why you here?

I don't wanna come here, but this the only way I can see all y'all at one time and, oh, Gonzalez is missing. So this isn't even a this isn't even fit right here. We this is not even a council meeting because you have a person missing. I think it's in your laws. You all have to be present to vote. Right? Oh, I don't know. Y'all better look that up. Look look it up. Anyway, pass back.

I need help for this 17 year old pregnant mom that's homeless. There were no programs I even called DYFS. DYFS said y'all, and I ain't a fan of them. DYFS said that you cannot they can no longer take kids from mothers or fathers if they're homeless because it's poverty. Almost threw up. Call them and ask them, please, all y'all should be writing that down because everybody has a case some kind of way. If you call Dicey to get help because you're homeless, they don't help. The only thing they could do is give you beds, dressers, maybe clothes, and some food. What I'm a do with that outside? Oh, maybe they could put it on the stairs of City Hall and come live here.

Along with the grandma of the 17 year old that's disabled and homeless now and a two year old son, and mommy's still on the loose. So we're on the rise of what? Locking up the wrong people, giving the wrong people tickets, pulling us over for apparently nothing sometime? Because I got some of those too, and I'm tired of paying them. Sometimes they just appear, and I ain't even driving it. And I'm like the lady that was at the mic. I'm starting to think my bed transformed it because it leave before I do. Y'all don't understand we got a mental crisis in here. Some of that come right to this mic, but y'all wouldn't know that because y'all don't be around these people. We are around all this stuff we talk about every single day.

Big shout out to Muay Thai and my brother Priceless for the Bradley Court program. It's so sad they're gonna close down, but we still need some space for them kids because they are hungry. They need somebody like Goodman to mentor them. Big shout out to my boss, Jessica McBosslady, for helping me supply the vegetables and the fruits. You guys should be doing that too. Don't come visit during Thanksgiving. They gotta eat every day, and I go for all of y'all. We need help out here. Oh, I got a nonprofit now, Kantana too. If y'all got some funds, I need that money. K? I need gas money. My mileage going up

on all my cars because I drive them all.

We're looking for a bus to bust these kids out of North because there's nothing pretty for North. We're not on a rise. We're definitely not on a rise. And it's getting high. You for time. Enough. Don't do that.

Next next speaker.

Darnella Lee.

Darnella Lee, I don't think I saw her. Darnella Lee, not appearing.

Opal r Wright.

Miss Wright is appearing.

Yes. Good evening. My name is Opal Wright. I reside at Vanderpool Street in Newark, New Jersey. And my concern is the implementation of the Dodd Frank Wall Street reform and and consumer protection act.

On title 10, the Bureau of Consumer, Financial Protection, it is cited as the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010. In section ten seventeen funding, penalties and fines, you speak of the trans a, there is the transfer of funds from board of governors each year. The board of governors shall transfer to the bureau from the combined earnings of the Federal Reserve System the amount determined by the director to be reasonably necessary to carry out the authorities of the bureau under federal consumer financial law and taking into account, such other sums made available to the bureau from the preceding years. And there's a funding cap. And most of the budget and financial management, there is the operation of plans and forecasts, the financial statements that the bureau shall prepare, And there is also the use of funds.

The funds that are attained, are transferred to or credited to the bureau funds shall be immediately available to the bureau and under the control of the director. I would like to also just Going to a bit of into the of course, I'm hoping that our council people will be able to assist our cons the consumers going into our throughout the year. Also, we have the title 11. There's the Federal Reserve System provisions. And continuing section 11, this is title 11, federal reserve system provisions.

Section 11 o one. It says that the board shall establish, procedures to prohibit borrowing from programs. It's it's just that as practicable after the, date of enactment of this law, the board shall establish by regulation in consultation with the secretary of the treasury the policies and procedures governing emergency lending under this under this paragraph, such policies and procedures shall be designed to ensure that any emergency lending programs any emergency lending programs or facilities

Thank you for your comments.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

Lamont Gaughan.

Appear.

Lamont Vaughan, city of Newark. First, I would like to start by saying justice for Wally Bay. We still need to get that done, and deal with the police officer that dealt that brutal situation of murder to our brother right here on our streets. Secondly, I'll start by saying reading this note which says that leaders don't have all the answers, though others may think they do. Leadership isn't about showing people how energetic, enthusiastic, or even entrepreneurial one is.

It's about gaining through knowledge and wisdom enough to move people collectively and or plans from obscurity to excellence or from one point to another. Leadership is about moving the dial. Leaders are always on the learning curve. They know they haven't arrived until they've shown others by their own example how to be the best they can be. Leaders have impact.

Ladies and gentlemen of the city of Newark, I am Lamont Vaughan, and I am running as to be councilman at large here in the city of Newark because I want to be one of your elected leaders that have impact. I'm not asking you to elect me to have impact. I am asking you to elect me because I've already had impact in this community. And in the lives of many in this community, I have my receipts, and I'm asking you to allow me to expand that mission. That being said, let me read through these notes real quick.

I heard somebody talking tonight about the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery, and I pray that what I'm about to say here today puts this to rest with respect to the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery. NORC has a history. Years ago, there was a movement in NORC called the NORC Anti Violence Coalition. We marched through these streets week after week for 365 straight. Many of you who are in the audience was actually a part of the margin.

Right? And we talked about those rallies. We talked about we talked at those we talked about plans on what we should be doing, how we this city should look. And at that time, we were dealing with over a 130 semi murders per year. Are we there today?

No. It is a disgrace to come to this microphone. Tell the people in this city that we are living in the same conditions of murder in our streets, public safety in our streets, then as we were then, today we're not. There are men and women in this community day and night, overnight, while many of y'all are asleep, stopping the madness on our streets so that when you wake up, when your kids wake up to go to school, they safe. This is a fact.

I'm outside at night. I every damn night. So I dare somebody to test that one. Stop that. Now number two, many of our OVP staff members are out at night. They are at our schools doing safe passage every day, breaking up fights around our schools every day. How do I know? Because I'm there. Where y'all at? That's your counsel.

I counseled him. My good brother Let's not go there. Councilmen at large. Let's get some truthful stuff done on this council, and we can do that May 12 by switching it up. They have the power.

Thank you for your comments. Thank you. Next speaker.

Cassandra Dow.

Appearing. Who's phone?

It's not yours, Larry. One minute.

Okay. His phone. Alright. Let's let's let's let's get some choirs so we can hear miss Doc. Alright. Miss miss mister Born. Mister Born. Mister mister Bourne. Mister Bourne. Mister Bourne. If you wanna talk to somebody, take it outside at this point.

We are.

Take it outside.

Mister

Vaughn.

My son, we pay y'all.

You made your point. But mister Vaughn, mister Vaughn, you'll be escorted if you continue. Please, please allow the next speaker. See, this is what this is the problem.

Mister But we pay y'all. Y'all where y'all at because we put that work in way At Way before y'all. Mister Born. We put that work in. Raz is only the mayor because we put that work in. Let's be clear. Raz is only sitting there in the lives of rest of you only sitting there because we put that work in for nothing. The three hundred and sixty five days he talk about, the

three years he talk about, we put that work in. And way before there was a Newark anti violence coalition, we put that work in

for

nothing so that when they got the money, I'm okay with you having the money because we

put the work in for you to get

it. Now

May 12, look, you got work to do. You got work to do. Even if I want y'all to force mayor Raz Baraka into a with a point where it's a runoff. Do not let this Negro walk in there just like that. Do not make him. Make him. It's because we have to argue like this because of him. You're the cause of us arguing like this, razz. You're cause of us not wanting to support you, you, you, you, or you. He is.

He's directly responsible for it. He did nothing, nothing that we talked about. Nothing. He make us come here. He make me curse. He make me wanna say it right now, but you know what? Calm down, Cassandra, because he make me wanna say it. Sick of him. In May 12, Newark show him. Show him.

And on top of that, JD Vance, get here. Vice president JD Vance, get here along with that fraud coalition that y'all put together. Get here Because it's happening. You know where I'm a tell you the start of that? In addition to the snap money that he got during the shutdown, where residents supposed to get that $600, some just got theirs last week. He said three days. So almost five months. Start there, JD. Now I know you got a whistleblower on your program. I'll need that, but there's some out here that would do it.

They need it. Because I'm a just give it up. I'm a get mines up for free. Well, I want you to another place I want you to start at, get down to vital statistics. Because I'm a tell you how the fraud started in Medicaid and SNAP. Because he give them IDs. He don't even know who they are. He can't verify who they are. They just get a city ID. And then when they get over to 50 South Clinton or 321 University Avenue, they give them the benefits, Medicaid, SNAP.

They'll know who they are. And I believe and doctor Oz, you dead on it. You dead on it when you talk about the application. Because on the application, it talks about noncitizen Yeah. Citizen, and it may also talk about voting. Nobody verifies that when they get in your office. Not verifying that. Go directly to the nonprofit because that's where it's at. Come on, JD, because that's where it's at. And then I want you to start with Catholic charities.

Get over there. Because Catholic charities oh my god. Get over there. I'm a spare you, but I really want them to go there because it's happening. Fraud. And I told y'all what senator Ruiz is doing and the rest of them down there with this immigrant stuff. And not to don't have no love for one, but we're first. We Americans. Yeah. They don't made me even start saying American. Okay. We Americans. Alright? And we should be first.

Be indigenous. Educate.

How dare y'all? And even down to when the EBT when them girls lose their EBT and that money be taken off,

there's never no

Latinos. You ain't never seen a Latino come down there and say they staff benefit was taken off. Never. Never. You don't see no noncitizen come down there and say they was taken off. And guess where the money be split at? Bodegas across the country. Figure it out. Figure it out. Figure it out. I'm a tell you something, Newark. May 12, force this Negro into a runoff. Embarrass him. Make him where he lay down at night and be and cry like he had made this president of this city cry because he disappointed. He f up this city.

Thank you for your comments. Next speaker.

Jay Coulter.

Jay Coulter appearing. Let's have some order in here today. Mister Vaughn, miss Doc, let's have some order or you will be removed. Mister Vaughn.

Wait a minute. You can't just say

one. You you

will be removed. I'll give you one more opportunity. If you cannot control yourself, you will be removed. Alright? Everybody, let's hear mister Coulter speak. Alright?

You

don't wanna be removed. Don't don't so let's let you wanna be a council person, but you can't control yourself right now. Let's just let the person speak. Let him speak. Officers, please remove mister Bourne.

Officers, please remove mister Vaughn. If you cannot if you keep disrupting the meeting, you get removed. You we are trying to conduct business here. Mister Vaughn, please be please leave. Shut the camera.

No. At this point at this point, mister Let's have some quiet so that we can continue the meeting. Thank you. Mister Coulter, please come up and address the council. Come on.

Let's let mister Coulter, please come up and address the council. Thank you.

Good evening, Newark residents, guest members, and friends. My name is Jay Coulter. I'm a father of an eleventh grade high school student. And this evening, I greet you as a working class resident, and I wanna represent all the working men and women and families that are in Newark. First off of the, top, there's a large cut of, payroll employees and employees coming across Newark public public schools.

And through a close family friend, miss Ortiz should not be firing all of those and laying off several swaths and large percentages of black educators. We need our black educators in Newark. So we're speaking to you, mister president. If you can speak to the school board members that you all have endorsed and packed our school board with these politically minded school board members, protect the black and brown education and the Afro Puerto de Cano students that need quality brown and black teachers in front of their classrooms. We're not gonna have this this standard of mediocrity both in the Golden Dome and at the school board.

Gail told y'all this evening and she told all of us, we must participate in our government, not just in analysis, but to actually get involved in it. Everyone is needed to be registered to vote and vote in all the awards. Have you seen and confirmed the housing conditions? And I'm talking particularly housing generally, but particularly senior housing. We are in a state of emergency.

You've heard it from women and men who've come before this microphone over the last year and the last four years on the conditions of the senior housing, and that's still on your desk. That's such a broad umbrella. I don't wanna waste all of the time on that. Miss Oprah Wright continues to come toward this body and speak about policies from the banking community, and you all don't even try to do the research to see if we can represent Newark, these homeowners, systemic foreclosure, over taxation, the high inflation, that's all interconnected to how the national economy is managed through these regional federal reserve banks. Now that's something for congress, and you all have created and endorsed and supported a congresswoman, but you're not speaking and leveraging our participation and representation there to get some economic tangibles for the residents and families in Newark.

So shame on you for not engaging the points of reference that miss Opal Wright has brought up. Y'all have made mister Pennington's job probably 10 times as hard because y'all have put politics over the people. I wanna say that we have, in the past, brought up the multilanguage ordinance, but some a senior citizen asked me if the school board had been drinking wine to engage in a half billion dollar lease. These are the school board members that all nine of you all have endorsed. And if we're gonna engage at that kind of systemic level of taxpayer waste, it's just outright crazy.

To say that we have a fiscal board in our tax in our finance department, we don't have a fiscal board. Right now, we have an underserved finance department who's doing double work, and you'll have still several complex financial deals coming to our city, and you all are not being briefed and informed on how complex these new deals are coming to Newark. I wrote some notes, but I wanna step back a little bit and surrender ten seconds of my time to one of the South Ward district leaders who passed away, brother Christopher Wedgwood junior. We'll do seven seconds for him right now from the democrat side. And it made me nauseous on the way to this meeting to know that the civilian complaint review board, mayor Raz Baraka's top legislative priority, some students of mine and friends of my son were trying to attend the meeting, and they said, coach Coulter, coach c, the meeting is in Clifton.

So speak speaking to you, mister president, why is the c civilian complaint review board in Clifton at the library? What is Rick Robinson doing? We have the men and women in Newark that are under the bad practices and policies of the bad officers, but you're having the meeting in Clifton. If there's any other reason for y'all to not get reelected, it it's partly that. Like, that y'all would have something so close and tangible to us so far away. Health department under miss Caitlin has been doing good and the recreation department, but the rest of y'all, we hold these truths to be evident that this government is broken and out of control.

Thank you for your comments. Next speaker.

Latoya Jackson Tucker.

Appearing.

Latoya Jackson Tucker, good evening.

Good evening.

I just wanna take ten minutes to silence for all the negativity that just went on in here. And I just and no disrespect, but I wanna address what you said. You supposed to you running for council. You wanna run for council, but you can't control yourself. So I just wanna just internalize all of that because people feel like I wanna run for school board, but I can't control myself.

So if the young man was still in here, I would've said a couple of things about these organizations and ecosystems because I know that I have tried to have patience for everything and everybody. One of the reasons why I'm voting for me and Baraka is because when I text him, when I call him, he picks up and he answer. We have conversations, and I know that he sees me in a city full of chaos. But for somebody to challenge somebody on them not being able to keep control with all that's going on in this city and all that goes on in our lives, I have a problem with that. And I know that's not true.

We all have our moments, so we don't wanna get stuck in them at no time. We have a crisis within our city. We have a bunch of people that's empowered in different ways that need to be together, but we are so separated. And it like, I'm trying to hold my tears back because when I come to this mic and I speak about things, it's lived experience. And it's also tonight me sitting in here seeing my community divided. It's a lived experience. It's trauma. I don't like it. I see people on this side that's been supportive to somebody that I still support and they hurting. I said that a year ago, hurt people hurt people.

It's reactions. How can we sit back and not react or be told how to feel, how to be, what to say when we see all this stuff and we have lived experiences. I have had patience over patience over patience at this mic because I understand what my mouth can do if I really told people how I feel or if I acted away with people who didn't feel like I was deserving of a position. School board, for example. You don't have to have a college degree.

You have to be 18 years old, a registered voter, able to read, write, comprehend, live in the city of Newark, and don't have a record. I qualify. And I feel the shade and the hate in the last couple of weeks on social media with different things that people have been trying to do to assassinate my character. I can't be assassinated when I know this stuff is real life lived experiences. How can I feel away?

How can my character be tested when I'm living in the city of Newark having patience, having respect, and living real life situations? I done been a business owner, a single mother. I have tried, don't have a record. I've been challenged. I can't I can't move out of subsidized housing right now because I can't afford it.

I take I have a senior citizen mother that live in the South Ward that I can't even conversate with the South Ward aide that the mayor have appointed because we don't get along. I have to call my girlfriend in the office, but we have these different people in different situations that's supposed to support the community, but they got chips on they shoulders. So how do we supposed to feel when we come to this mic, those of us that has had patients that that share our situations with y'all and get help. Like, I I can't come to this mic and disrespect any of y'all because I understand and I look from a different lens in a different way. But we can't we can't continue to go along to get along.

We can't continue to fight each other in these systems that they don't want us operating in the first place. We gotta get it together in our hearts. So a lot of times people don't understand why I come to this mic and why I speak about my business because I'm trying to touch the hearts of the people that's supposed to be doing the job. The hearts of my community that have done the work way longer before I even stepped up into place. We definitely gotta get it together. I'm not gonna be I'm not gonna stay stuck in the moment. I hope that young man don't stay stuck in the moment. I hope you don't want anybody else in here Cause we got work to do collectively. I hope y'all understand.

Thank you for your comments, and I agree a 100% with you, miss Tucker. I do apologize to mister Vaughan and and the audience that Those that know me know that's not normally what I would say or characters. So I do apologize for those for those comments. They were not what I would normally say.

Council president and council members, that concludes the hearing

of Citizens.

I can't hear you. You're I'm

sorry. That concludes the hearing of citizens.

Alright. Anything from the council? Anything from the administration? Alright. Something from the administration.

I do wanna can you say the council?

You wanna

Yes.

I'm sorry. Before you come up, court council, councilwoman Scott Rountree.

Well, who I wanted to respond to is no longer well, I'll just for the record say there was this there's so many things I want to respond to. However, I just wanna respond to the pop up regarding one of the shelters. It was done. I was not there, but I was notified that it was done. And there are pictures and recordings of what the findings were, which they've stated they did not find.

I have not had a chance to review the documentation from the inspection, but I will. And I will share it also with you, councilwoman May, because it's somewhere in your office, I mean, in your ward. When I was asked a council president, and informed that there was some mold in this particular shelter, I then called, of course, the health department. And, as you know, sometimes we don't get a chance to call folks and say we're on our way, but I did call, the director of the health department and, director Ulerio, and they conducted whatever the inspection was. And as I stated, there were pictures and documentations.

I will follow-up with that. But just for the record, the individual that requested this inspection, I want them to be aware if they're tuned in. And if they're not, then I will reach out to them because I just got that information this afternoon. Thank you, council president.

Thank thank you, councilwoman. Councilman Kelly. Thank you, council president. Also, know the the family that, Dinesha Clyburn was talking about. I'm gonna make, you know, with concerns about what was going on with them with, you know, concerning the the mother shooting her daughter.

Councilwoman Bay. Thank you, councilman.

Yes. I just wanted to also respond to miss, Clapper. Hopefully, I I that you get a chance to speak to to miss Mack in my office. So she's gonna follow-up. And, yes, director Lirio, he's already on top of it. So, we all committed to work together to help this family and any other that you find that is in need of assistance.

Thank you. Corp counsel?

Good evening. Ken Yada Storr, City of North Corporation counsel. So I just wanna address a number of things that have been said. I'll start with there were some comments in reference to there's no pathway to employment in the city of Newark. You know, when I heard that, I was a little surprised because I know that miss Gaylord is here. Of course, her office is involved with, you know, training and also placement of people. I'll tell you that, in the last language of I'm gonna use ten years, for example. There are literally more people employed in police, in fire, in DPW, in engineering, etcetera. DPW engineering, etcetera, code, etcetera. Those folks are from Newark.

I I I I don't wanna go through the whole, highlight of what the mayor did when he spoke to the fact that we've given a number of kids an opportunity to go to Saint Elizabeth, NJIT, and Rutgers, how the mayor talked about how some of those young people have now graduated from those places and now are involved in, you know, some serious, serious opportunities throughout the country as a result of being involved in the program. I know there was some comments about affordable housing and, you know, unfortunately, I I'm just in a space where I just don't like when people try to push someone down to make their point. There was a comment about, you know, kids can't get an a job here, but women in bars or something like that. You know what? Like, we we we cannot be in that space.

Right? We cannot be in that space where we're trying to look at people who are trying to bring themselves up in a space and say that because they're getting an opportunity and because of their employment path in the past or their their their criminal history or their work history or what have you, it's wrong for us to do that. And I don't think it's right for me to sit here and just listen to that. Right? And and I'm just not that type of person that's gonna say that we should try to pound on people.

I know that there were some comments in reference to, the Boys and Girls Club, and I know that's I mean, that's unfortunate that if that is true about the cost of the Boys and Girls Club, the director is here from our recreation. I I just wanted to make sure that the young lady had all the documentation, and and the director from recreation gave her the information to share with those people. But for $5 for $5 a year per person, a person can be involved in all of the rec activities that we have here. Right? There are, by far, four centers of hope, six locations for just recreation.

I mean, we have summer programs. We have camp water shed. We have basketball, boxing, everything else around the around this city in reference to an opportunity. I do appreciate the fact that on Fridays, we get KPIs and where the director talks about the increase in numbers. We have doubled our numbers in when it comes to the people we service in rec and in senior services. There was a comment about a pothole plan and and recognizing that, you know, our folks in DPW have already started the pothole process. We've already begin the collaboration with PSE and G to deal with their paving. And, of course, our paving pen has been given to council. They we will make the paving plan public. So I spoke to the b a.

We will work with IT to make the paving plan public so that people within the community can know when their block is gonna be paved, and they can prepare for it. There was a number of comments in reference to reference to Coway Ea Towers. I mean, I you know, again, when when when I when I was here, I I wanna say a meeting or so ago, and I saw the people who were involved in that project, I I was just inspired by the fact that those were Newark people. There were women of color that were involved in the project who are taking on a responsibility or taking on a historic project and also adding some great amenities for people in this community. When I hear people talk about it in a negative light, I'm almost surprised because since I've been here, people have been talking about giving people from this community an opportunity.

Right? So when I when I see a bunch of people in the back row and they're proud to be a part of the project, it almost surprises me. We we we also heard some information, unfortunately, about, you know and I'm sure the b a will will will address this issue on miss Jackson. I don't really see if he was named, but one of the speakers talking about taking credit for folks getting retro pay. I'm sure the BA will address that.

The BA and the and and the unions have been in negotiation and have had plans to deal with retro pay and everything else for some time now. You know, the the the fact that somebody comes to the council to talk about the issue doesn't mean that they're solving the issue. Right? So but, again, I'll leave that to the VA when he comes up. I know there was some information in reference to the unfortunate, accident on Elizabeth Avenue.

I I I will tell you all that, we are in litigation with those folks right now. I can't give the council and, of course, the public an update that all of the windows in that building that have kids under 10 years old have window guards. Every single one of those apartments. Now I will tell you that, we are in a fight with them about their process and their plan to, replace all the windows in the building. We are having some intense, discussions, and we expect to be either in a space where their plan meets our requirement or we'll have the judge call it.

I will give the counsel and, of course, the administration an update in the next few days. Finally, I know there were some comments in reference to, the CCRB, and there being some meeting in Clifton that is, like, the the last thing that's possible. Their meetings are in the library. I will also make sure that mister Robinson, make sure is that the CCRB meetings are on the city's website as they're supposed to be and that folks have an opportunity to be a part of that process. And then finally, I know that there has been a number of comments in reference to, of course, some of the issues that's going on with some of these landlords.

As you know, the city has taken on a very aggressive approach dealing with, you know, some of these issues when it comes to people's housing conditions. I will tell you all that the city has activated the bad landlord list on the website. It it it gives details about the different properties that each of the landlords own, the number of violations and things of that nature. Now we'll also tell you that, you know, it also gives tenant an opportune tenants an opportunity to, email for help, and it's literally tenanthelp@ci.nork.nj.us. Tenants can have an opportunity to send information via email to that email, and it will at least start the process of us paying attention to what's going on.

Of course, it may result result in us, sending code, fire, and and other folks or in the health department and things of that nature to those locations. I will tell the council members, and I'm sure some of you have gotten phone calls, since the mayor made the announcement, that that announcement has at least started the process of having folks call us and say, listen. I wanna get off the list, and they're giving us the reasons why, you know, they wanna fix the the the the issues that they have. They want an opportunity to sit down. So it is at least starting to move us in the right direction. I think the BA may have, some responses to some of the comments that were made. Thank you, council president.

Thank you, mister BA.

Sure. Good evening. Eric Pennington, BA. I'm literally gonna take a couple of seconds. Corporation council gave a comprehensive response.

One of the speakers there are several speakers who indicated they're running for office, and they deserve to be heard to to some extent, but they don't deserve to be able to put forth information that's just so totally outlandish that it doesn't get some rebuttal. And one of those speakers indicated that the city is facing a $700,000,000 deficit. That is so impossible and outrageous given that the entire budget is $950,000,000 thereabouts. The $700,000,000 is suggests that 70% of the budget is unfunded or more. That's just not the case.

The other thing is legally, statutorily, we cannot submit an unbalanced budget. So we're working on that. But this notion that there's a $700,000,000 deficit is just so outrageous. I just need to respond to make sure that people understand that that is just not true. Now I think the most important thing about that is the person who said it probably believes it.

And it strikes me that somebody would say something like that without having factual information to back it up is not qualified to run for office if they really believe that that's what the budget situation is. And just like I offered to another candidate to come to my office to go over the budget and to learn the process and to learn what it is, I'm happy to entertain that gentleman as well. He can come to my office, and I'll give him a basic primer on what the budget is all about, and I'm happy to invite him in and do that. The other is with respect to retro pay and pay for DPWs during COVID. Every DPW worker has every DPW worker who worked during COVID received a stipend.

There were some negotiation as to whether or not they each received all that they were supposed to. And within the this past year, I believe we have resolved that for every DPW worker there is. If there's a worker who believes that they're entitled to pay that they didn't get, they should speak to their union. I negotiate with union all the time. Miss Chambers is the person that we deal with.

I commend them to reach out to her to resolve that, and I'm happy to work with her to get that resolved. But we have, provided all the workers with the retro pay that they're entitled to and the COVID stipends, as well. I think the corporation council addressed everything everything else. Unless there's any questions? President.

Councilman Ramos.

I just asked the VA. One of the speakers mentioned that we had a employee in the department of public works that's been working as a temp essentially since 2021. Is that possible?

It is possible, but it is likely that it wasn't continuous. I think the more important part of that though is even temporary workers get sick days. So I don't know Mhmm. What the reference was.

If it's an ordinance that we sponsored some

years ago,

They get five sick

private industry. So I would imagine it applies to us

as well.

It it does. Even if you're a temporary worker under what used to be called CSS or now it's a precise payroll, they get five sick days whether they're in the union, not the union permanent or not. So that representation was incorrect. I'm glad you brought that up. There is a possibility that someone has been on temporary workforce four or five years, but it's probably because there was a break in service. But if that if I have that information in the individual, I'm happy to look into it.

Would would it be possible for us to get a breakdown of what percentage of that workforce in that division is classified as temps and then kind of a Sure. Understanding when their date of hire was? And are they represented by the union as a temp I'm I'm surprised that the union doesn't object to the city having such a large number of temporary employees in union in union positions. Right? Okay.

I haven't characterized that as a large number of employees. You may have more information than I have as to what the ratio is between temporary workers and provisional or permanent workers. I I don't know that

The provisional, yeah. I understand. But temp temp is a very different classification.

Understand. You you asked me for the data, and then you just said that there's a large number of them. So I I don't know that that's the case. I will get you that information. Yeah.

The the other thing, Eric, is that the the comment about, like, addressing the situation with potholes. And I know right now we spoke a few council meetings ago. We're we're relying on the city crew to essentially address the complaints. And you mentioned that at some point, you guys were looking to bring in a private company to assist. And and I really think it's needed because I'm not sure what kind of progress the city crew is making.

You know, I would imagine they have a limited number of resources, equipment, and and it just feels like it's painfully slow right now. And and we do send areas over. We're trying to be patient, but, you know, obviously, the residents are concerned almost middle of it is the April. And typically, by this time of year, we we're out there full force addressing potholes. So what's the plan? Are you guys bringing in a private company to help? But if so, by when?

It is a valid concern for everybody with respect to potholes. There are some streets that are worse than others, and we need to get that fixed. What I I'm not exactly sure that I said we're gonna bring in a private company, but what I wanted to do is get a pothole rent another pothole truck to help. And and if we had to bring a crew along with that, we would do that. I don't know the status of that at the moment.

The, potholes are handled by the Department of Public Works. The director is here, and he can address that. But, you know, I'll commit to making sure that we ramp up the number of people we have working on the pothole crew to address the issue that is a legitimate concern of yours and residents.

And the last thing, mister Bieh, I know our office send a concern regarding 2nd Avenue, and there was some chatter on social media about the city hasn't done anything. It's street that's in really bad shape. And ironically, it's like half the street because the other half of the street, I think, was paved as a result of the lead service line replacement. But for whatever reason, the other half of the street that has homes that probably benefited from lead service line replacement, the paving was never completed. And I think that's happened in a bunch of areas, I would imagine, around the city.

So I'm not sure if part of the contract that was issued to the companies that did the replacement was supposed to incorporate paving or there were separate companies that were contracted to do paving. So in that particular instance, I would just ask your office to check Sure. To make sure because I know part of that street was paved after the lead service lines were replaced. But for whatever reason, the other half wasn't.

Alright. This is in in Roseville session, or are you talking about

2nd Avenue above Roseville Avenue. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. And that's that's where the the complaints were made on social, and I think our office, forwarded them to you this week. Okay. And thank you so much, mister

You're welcome. I'll look into that. Mister president?

Any other comments, questions? Thank you, mister Beer. You're welcome.

Council president, council members, we are on page four of the agenda. Item five, reports and recommendations of city officers, boards, and commissions. Council as a whole to adopt.

Roll call.

Council members, Bay? Yes. Council?

Yes.

Kelly? Yes. Donna? Yes.

Ramos? Yes.

Scott Rountree? Yes. Silva?

Yes. President Trump?

Yes.

Ordinances on first reading. Six f a is an ordinance granting a twenty year tax abatement to Namor seven six three South Orange Urban Renewal LLC for a project located in the West Ward to construct a new five story mixed use building sponsored by councilman Kelly, second by councilwoman Scott Rountree.

Roll call.

Council members Bay? Yes. Council?

Yes.

Kelly?

Yes.

Gianna?

Yes. Ramos? Yes.

Scott Rountree? Yes. Silva?

Yes. President Trump? Yes.

B is an ordinance that ratifies and authorizes the second amendment to the original tax abatement granted to Spruce Park Associates. Council as a whole to adopt.

Roll call.

Council members Bay? Yes. Council?

Yes.

Kelly?

Yes. Montana?

Yes.

Ramos?

Yes.

Scott Rountree? Yes. Silva? Yes. President Crump?

Yes.

C is an ordinance authorizing the mayor and or his designee to enter into and execute an agreement with Bergen Street Partners LLC for sale and redevelopment of city owned property sponsored by councilman council, second by councilman Kelly.

Roll call.

Council members, Bay. Yes. Council. Yes. Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana. Yes. Ramos. Yes. Scott Rountree. Yes. Dova. Yes. President Trump.

Yes.

D is an ordinance ratifying and authorizing the mayor and or his designee to enter into and execute a lease agreement with South Orange, New Jersey LLC for office space sponsored by councilman Kelly, second by councilman council.

Council member Was it councilman Crum? I thought I seconded it. Yeah. That was I second that one.

Oh, my apologies. Second by council president

Crowley. I

apologize.

Roll call. I'm sorry.

Council members, Bay? Yes. Council?

Yes.

Kelly?

Yes.

Quintana?

Yes. Ramos? Yes.

Scott Rountree? Yes. Sova? Yes.

President Trump? Yes.

The ordinances adopted today on first reading will be advertised in accordance with law, and a public hearing will be held at a regular meeting on May 6 in the Council chamber. Resolutions Seven r one a and b are both temporary emergency appropriations. A is for the urban and community fostering program, and b is for the Ryan White HIV health and support services. Councils to hold to adopt a and b.

Roll call.

Council members Bay? Yes. Council?

Yes.

Kelly?

Yes.

Quintana?

Yes. Ramos? Yes.

Scott Rountree? Yes. Silva?

Yes.

President Trump?

I'm sorry.

Yes.

C through f are purchasing resolutions. C is resending the contract with unique security and consulting. D is a state contract for water sewer equipment and supplies. E is an extension of an emergency contract for elevator inspections. And f is a bid contract for traffic sign materials. Council as a whole to adopt b through sorry, c through f, please.

Roll

call. Council members, Bay. Yes. Council. Yes. Kelly. Yes. Itana?

Yes.

Ramos? Yes.

Scott Rountree? Yes. Silva?

Yes. President Crump? Yes.

G and h are both contracts with recipients to provide community based violence intervention and prevention in youth mentoring and or safe passage. Council as a whole to adopt g and h, please.

Roll

call. Council members b Bay? Yes. Council?

Yes.

Kelly?

Yes.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos? Yes. Scott Rountree? Yes. Silva? Yes. President Crumpton?

Yes.

I, as a competitive contract to provide youth service provider. Council as a whole to adopt.

Roll call.

Council members, Bay. Yes. Council.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Madonna. Yes. Ramos. Yes.

Scott Rountree? Yes. Silva? Yes. President Trump?

Yes.

Seminar two a through c, our private sale and redevelopment agreement. A is new construction of a two family home to be rented to Section 8 housing choice voucher participants in the South Ward. Councils will hold to adopt.

Roll call.

Council members, Bay. Yes. Council?

Yes.

Kelly?

You said c I'm sorry. A through c? Just a right now. A. Okay. Yes.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos?

Yes.

Scott Rountree? Yes. Dova? Yes. President Trump?

Yes.

B is a motion to defer by councilman council, second by councilman Kelly.

Roll call to defer.

Council members, Bay? Yes to defer. Council.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes to defer. Quintana.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Rountree. Yes. Silva. Yes. President

Trump. Yes.

C is to build a three sing single family homes to be sold at affordable rate to income qualified households earning 100% AMI. Sponsored by councilman Kelly, second by councilwoman Scott Rountree.

Roll call.

Council members Bay? Yes. Council? Yes. Kelly?

Yes. Quintana? Yes. Ramos? Yes.

Scott Rountree? Yes. Silva?

Yes. President Crump?

Yes.

D through h are professional service contracts. D and e is for on call environmental consulting, and f through h are for legal services for redevelopment land use matters. Council as a whole to adopt d through h, please.

Roll call.

Council members, Bay? Yes. Council? Yes.

Kelly? Yes. McDonough? Yes. Ramos? Yes.

Scott Rountree? Yes. Sova? Yes. President Trump?

Yes.

I, as a grant agreement for the Central Ward, council as a whole to adopt.

Council Roll call. I'm sorry.

Mhmm. Council members, Bay. Yes. Council.

Stain. Kelly. This is, 7 R 2 J. Correct?

No. It's a I. A I.

We missed I. Yes.

It's I.

Yes. It's a I?

Yeah. Speak up over there. Whispering.

Yes. For for I.

Quintana? Yes. Ramos? Yes. Scott Rountree? Yes. Silva? Yes. President Trump?

Yes.

J is a loan agreement for the housing and urban development redevelopment project in the Central ward councils are hold to adopt.

Mister president?

Councilman Ray Mills.

Thank you. And I know we came in late to the pre yesterday. Councilman Council had his cannabis committee meeting that ran a little bit late. I just had a few questions about this. I know this was authorized previously, And at some point, the city went, I guess, to HUD, leveraged its CDBG money to essentially create an opportunity to borrow up to documentation that says $20,000,000 for the purposes of the Section 108 program.

You know, my question is, are there other development projects that have been considered to receive the opportunity to apply for section one zero eight? Why is this project being considered? And is this in lieu of private financing, or is it a subsidy in addition to the private financing? I don't know if somebody from economic development could just briefly answer those questions.