Remarks by Louise Scott-Rountree
50 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 2
“Yes, I was telling Councilman Crump that I definitely want to co-sponsor with him, because I've seen the results of her work when she was here. There are many young men and individuals that have been delivered from her leadership. As many of you know, we believe in second chances. Some got third and fourth chances, but normally when they got to Judge Pratt, they just needed that one chance and we saw the results of it. So I'm excited that you said you came home. You really never left because the results are still lingering from your work. So thank you for returning.”
“I HAVE TO ADD ALSO EMMANUEL TINA KILLE'S RELATIVE TO GENASIS TODAY. I'D LIKE TO ADD THE SORRY REGRET ALI KARIM GLAMPTON MOHAMMED WHO'S ALSO RELATED TO BISHOP BARBARA GLAMPTON.”
“Well, Councilwoman Jackson sort of alluded to, Council President, to what I was going to ask. I know there's one confirmed that exists in the city of Newark. I'm not sure about the others. So if there are more that we are not aware of, I know there's some plans for about six. But the real existing data centers that are open and existing and running is what I think you're asking for Councilwoman Jackson.”
“Lord have mercy. Thank you, Council President. Mr. BA, Corporation Council, and our new director, we've been having elevator conversations before I got elected. I am just so, when I think about our seniors trying to walk upstairs to pay their taxes, when I think about the elevator around the corner at 22 Franklin, that we still walking up to the auto squad, And I do know that we voted and some are being repaired. And we're talking about maintenance on new elevators to get a contract in place before the new elevators are, or is this one what we already have that sometimes all three are down…”
“I understand both of those because I've been stuck and had to call public buildings to get me out. So I'm very aware of the process.”
“Listen, I know exactly both procedures and areas and who does what. My concern is we're discussing contracts. We're replacing elevators. So I just want to have a clear understanding, not even for me, but for the public, that the contracts we're voting on are for existing issues of elevators we already have in place and what will go in place, I guess, warranties with the new restored or replaced elevators?”
“Because we spent a lot of money on them coming every other day to fix an elevator. I can't even imagine what kind of contract we have where individuals get to come consistent. I'm just saying, you know, for the sake of pity, people talking about the money we spend and what kind of contract.”
“I normally don't have an amen corner, but just please, y'all, just let me speak because I don't want y'all to get in no trouble. But We do, we do, and you know we do. So I'm just praying that our contract is reviewed very carefully on what we spend and how we replace parts on elevators that they have to come out. And when you have all three down, when you have 10 down, let's just talk. I was in the health department the other day and I had to walk all the way to the front of the building to go up the elevator and my real concern like councilwoman jackson can run upstairs but we got 80 year…”
“Okay. All right. Thank you. It is, but let him send it. Okay.”
“The question I have is that this is coming on as an added started today for him to start when?”
“Yeah. Okay. So I know that the council president and my other colleagues are going to ask, like the information we're asking you for today, wasn't it possible that we could have gotten that a little earlier before it was introduced today?”
“It would have been nice if he could have been here for us to at least see him today since you want us to vote on this tomorrow.”
“And no consideration. Like if you want us to consider something to vote on, because you knew that he was on his way, I gather. And I don't know when it was confirmed. by administration but just going forward and this is not just for today this is for future references if it's okay to at least for consideration if it has to come before us to vote we've been confronted over the years with things that we've had to vote on the next day that we were not really even in personnel matters so I just want to make sure that just for consideration like give us some type of heads up email or something…”
“Yes, sir. I would like to second that. Oh, okay.”
“For the sake of time, I'm not going to go through every story and every resident and every constituent that have come. When I was in the mayor's office, all four of them are as a council person. But I do know that we have ordinances already in place to address some of these issues. I think that some of our issues are enforcement and communication. There's some things that Councilwoman Jackson just mentioned that I don't believe have been maybe properly enforced. Let me just start with customer service, constituent service. Code enforcement, police, I don't care what your position is, your…”
“Okay, so how soon will that be? Because there's some reports.”
“She just told me something that just threw me off. This isn't really a complaint before you bring UCC up. I just want to, I really want to shout out one of the people in the audience because over the years and to Councilwoman Bay's point, we do need a way to track our complaints. But I don't know if it's a system from 4311 or another system that they normally respond and say it's abated. They used to. They would say it's abated when we deal directly with the actual department. But I have to shout out one person in that department that is abated and not in engineering. I mean, not in…”
“questions councilman thank you i don't know that i missed something did you say i know conclusion here says eight did you say in conclusion nine did i miss conclusion nine was a nine point right but there's no ninth point on my paper okay but that's it's the conclusion of it for the record for the record just for the record because that thank you just me it is everybody just went to eight”
“The other thing that I want to thank you, Council President, is address. I know we want to get out before dinner. There's so many issues. And I do want to shout out Bruno. I see Bruno here as well in the audience because we communicate as elected officials with all of these departments on the flaws as well as the successes. And I don't have a whole lot with that area of engineering, Brother George. You know what, I'm going to defer to Councilman Council because before I got on to Council and I know that if it's okay, Council President, that he has a whole list of issues and questions I'm sure…”
“Thank you, Corporation Councilman George, Council President. I was listening to Councilman Council, and that's why I didn't want to, because I know he had his whole report. However, there are five boards in this city, and as an at-large and large council people, I am sure that all of the council people that have illegal conversions in their wards, West, Central, East, would like a report of what you have on record as an illegal conversion. So Madam Clerk, if that can be incorporated on what you have on record to see whether it matches what Councilwoman Bay might see in her ward and it might…”
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
“You want to hear? Yes, director. He's organizing.”
“Yes, up to that point, I know that the VA did state that those performance reports, their money's going to be predicated on the performance reports going forward. Because we can't continue to pay money out to people who are taking care of our residents, and we're not getting any feedback on turnout, success rate of those residents. So.”
“Oh, OK. So results don't lie. I don't care what they put on paper as she's stating, but we have data in our office. When Robin Gilliard was there, we have a whole list of data of individuals that they said they were helping and taking care of and transitioning over a whole year. So we have data. So if the data doesn't match what they put on paper, then there's controversy. So to Councilwoman Jackson's point, the data can be fabricated on paper. The site visit, we've done site visits in the shelters. Surprise, here we are, and shut down. And then we have to worry about, when we do that, where…”
“I just want to say, Councilman, I know that with dealing with the Office of Homelessness, that when people come from other states, because they don't just come from other municipalities in the state of New Jersey. They come from Virginia. They come from Florida. They come from everywhere. And not everybody gets a bus ticket. Somebody might have a cousin here stay for two weeks, and then the cousin put them out. Now they're homeless, and they come to us for a place to stay. Normally, if there's funding, they will say, where did you come from? And we'll get your bus ticket back. That is the…”