Council - Regular Meeting

Thank you.

Good morning. Welcome to the special meeting of the Newark Municipal Council on Tuesday, I'm sorry, September 15th. 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 of time and location of this meeting. In addition, the agenda for this meeting was disseminated on September 11th at the time of preparation and posted on the city's website. Roll call please.

Present.

Yeah. Council President, Council Members, just for the record, Council Member Scott Roundtree is attending via the phone.

Okay, it's loaded.

We are on page four of the agenda. Resolutions, 7R8AS is amending the 2026 municipal budget as introduced on June 3rd. This item will be deferred. B is establishing a sister city's relationship with Canton of Navon, Providence of Zuray, Republic of Ecuador, sponsored by Council President Quintana. OK. Second, please.

Second.

Thank you. We have one added starter. 7R2A is the first amendment for a grant and grant agreement for property in the central ward.

Council President? Yes, Council.

Are we voting on these matters? Can I vote them all as a block, the three?

We do. You want to do them separately? I'm just asking just to make sure to clarify. Are we doing that as a block?

I think one is a deferment at least.

Right. You're deferring the budget matter, and then you're going to do the sister cities. We could do it separate. Let's do it separate.

Mr. President. Yes, Governor. On the budget, I know we're not entertaining the amendments today, but it'd be great if we got the amendments before the meeting when we're expected to act on this, so. I would ask through your chair and the clerk that the VA provide us with a list of all the proposed amendments prior to the next meeting. We're expected to vote on this.

Madam Clerk, as noted by Councilman Ramos.

Absolutely.

Nick, can somebody explain the added starter of now since here?

Oh, you got it.

Good morning, Council President, Council Members, Allison Ladd, Director of Economic and Housing Development. Thank you for considering the added starter. We attempted to get it on last week's agenda, but we weren't able to. This is just an amendment to the grant agreement that the Council approved a few months back. What has happened is the development team is looking at additional funding as we expected through the state, And so we wanted to align the terms of the grant agreement with the terms for tax credits and other funding sources. So that's the reason.

So there's no additional funding that's being allocated beyond the original $8 million, right?

No, $8 million still remains the same number.

Thank you. Any questions? Thank you.

Council President, Council Members, in my haste to go through the agenda, I was going to group everything, but we're going to go individually. Yes. So 7R8AS is motion to defer. Roll call to defer.

Bay. Yes. Council absent. Trump. Yes. Jackson. Yes. Kelly. Yes. Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree absent. Silva absent. Yes.

She's on the phone.

Yes.

Yes. B is establishing a sister city's relationship with Canton of Nibon, Providence of Azua, Republic of Ecuador, sponsored by Council President Quintana, second by Councilman Crump. Roll call. Yes.

Yes.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Yes. Yes.

7R2A is the first amendment for a grant and a grant agreement for property in the Central Ward. Roll call.

Bay. Yes. Council. Yes. Jackson.

Abstain.

Kelly.

I just have one question. Yes. I just wanted, this is for Coweta Towers, right? I just wanted to know what were the AMI levels for those 31 apartments? You want to finish the vote? Can we do that in the middle of a roll call?

Right, we're in the middle of a roll call. All right.

We'll provide a response after the, you know, we'll have the department respond.

I think the vote's on Councilman Kelly. Yes.

Ramos?

Yes.

Scott Roundtree?

Yes.

Silva?

Good morning again, Council President, Council Members, Alison Ladd, Director of Economic and Housing Development. To the question posed about the incomes for The units at Coweta Towers, the top range is 80% of AMI. So at this point, we're still using the federal AMI. But the majority of the sites' land is going to be at 50% and 30%. So it was trending towards 50% and 30%.

All right, thank you, Deputy Mayor.

Thank you. Oh, Councilwoman Bay.

No, just wasn't about this, but I need to say something, but it wasn't on this.

Thank you, Council President. I just wanted to let you know and also alert the clerk, the VA, and Corporation Council that I will be introducing an ordinance regarding regulations regarding elevators in senior buildings and buildings that have people with disabilities disabled. We had a situation last night where senior building, both elevators were down. 20 residents were stranded downstairs. The rest of them were stranded upstairs. The elevator company did not come. People had to be relocated. It was a horrible, horrible situation. And our residents should never be in that situation. So I'm going to be introducing an ordinance regarding the repairs that need to be made in elevator, in buildings with elevators and significant fines that will be assessed to the building owners if the repairs are not made in a timely fashion. And so I will be forwarding the details very shortly. Ms. Woman, Josh.

And I will definitely co-sponsor that with you. As of this morning, that situation is still not rectified. Yes, ma'am. And there are several elders in that building that needed dialysis. So now we are putting a hardship on our emergency responders We're putting a hardship on the medical vans and personnel that come pick people up. And this is a reoccurring. situation so I'm definitely on board whatever we need to do we need to raise the funds we need to hold ownership more accountable I think we need to go into even using the state law that has now been imposed where a landlord can get up to six months in jail and we really need to start putting people's feet to the fire because this is unacceptable for people to not be able to get out to their medical treatment thank God Three of the seniors this morning, because I just finished talking to the tenant president, they were on a floor lower than five. For those people fifth floor and up, we're now talking about a serious, serious problem. I also believe, and if we could check this, Mr. B.A., if that building needs to now be on fire watch, because those seniors can't move. They were told last night about 10, 30, 11 o'clock to shelter in place, because they don't want them to leave the building. They can't leave the building, except for those who can make the foot traffic down and back. So is that a situation? I reached out to the state. Haven't gotten a response yet, Ms. Beck. But I need to know, does that building need to be on fire watch, simply because if something does happen, or at least let the fire department be alerted, if something happens, we need to get it

They are, actually. So I want to thank John James from OEM. He was there with me last night. And so the entire Department of Public Safety is aware, and they are on watch. OK.

I'm Clark. Yeah, Mr. President.

Yeah, on 7R8A, I want to vote yes for the deferral. 7R8B, yes. And 7R2A, yes. I want to be noted for yes.

It's noted by council.

Council President, Council Members, we are in the 30-minute public comment portion of this meeting, where each speaker will have three minutes to speak. Please state your name for our records. Is there anyone wishing to address the Council Members? No one up here. Public comment portion is now closed. Can we have a motion to adjourn the meeting so that we can move on to the conference?

Council President, Council Members, we are now in the special conference portion of this