Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening, Patterson. We are here for our workshop meeting on January the 13th. We're here for our workshop meeting um 6:30 p.m. and we're ready to begin. Madame Clerk, can you please call the role? Yes. Roll call for the workshop session of January 13, 2026. [snorts] Councilwoman Cotton, here. Thank you. Councilwoman Davlet, present. Councilman Jackson. Councilman Khik, present. Councilman Mendes, Councilman Omar,

present, Madam Clerk. Councilman Uden, Councilman Vez, I'm here, Madam Cler. Okay, thank you. Council Councilwoman Mimmss here, Madam Clerk. Council President, I'm sorry. We have six that are present and three absent at this moment.

Um, payment of bills. Madame Clerk, can you read the statement of compliance? Statement of compliance January 13, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. Adequate notice of this meeting was compiled and disseminated in accordance with the open public meetings law in the following manner. One, the annual meeting notice of regular meetings and workshop sessions of the municipal council was compiled for the year 2025 2026 on or about July 1st, 2025. Two, a schedule of the regular meetings and workshop sessions of the municipal council for the year 2025 2026 was duly transmitted on or about July 1st, 2025 to the North Jersey Herald, the record, the Arabic voice, the Italian voice of Ba County Pulse, Dominican News, Liscke International, Ellispiel, the Patterson Press, the City Post News, Tap into Patterson, the weekly Bangla Patrika in addition to any other publication duly requesting such notices. Three, the schedule of the regular meetings and workshop sessions of the municipal council for the year 2025 2026 was prominently posted in the lobby of city hall first floor in the place reserved for the announcements of this type. Four, the schedule of the regular meetings and workshop sessions of the municipal council for the year 2025 2026 was duly filed with the municipal clerk. Five, a copy of the schedule of the regular meetings of the municipal council was mailed to any person who requested and paid the fee authorized by the open public records act. Council president.

Thank you, madam clerk. Item five is moving forward on the second reading. Item number 50 um per the uh chair it was not discussed in committee. It will be removed. Um item number 50 is item 50 uh is being removed that needs to go through the health and human services committee which has not taken place and the chair asks for further discussion on item number uh 50 removed item number 50 it is um yes until further notice

back to committee. One second. One second. And number 44 needs to be at committee as well. Back to committee. Okay. Council woman. Councilwoman. Council. And 55 is there. Uh, can we do payment of bills first, Councilman? And then payment of bills. Madam clerk. I'm sorry. C, councilwoman, can we go back to 55? What did you say? No. No. 55 is my item. No. 55 is fine. I'm sorry. 55 is the item. I want to make sure. Okay. 44. I have 44. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you very much. Uh payment of bills.

President. Um at this time, council members, you have before you the payment, the summary of dispersements uh in the amount of 7,58,756.85. Uh this was a payroll week of the majority of the 7 million uh is uh five,575,29326 uh is payroll computerized checks is a1,483,46359. The majority are uh for uh community development funds which are grants being paid and statutory expenditures. My motion is for payment of bills.

Second. Oh, in addition, in addition, if I can, uh, Councilman, the item that you have requested came through email. It is not in this payment of bills, and you do have a thorough with backup of the item you requested. I, like I said, my motion is for payment of bills. Thank you. Motion by councilwoman Davis, second by Councilman Khalik and um, Omar.

Discussion. Councilman um, V. uh quick uh um through the chair council president uh to CFO or Mr. Ba if it uh first of all welcome Mr. BA to your first uh workshop meeting um and I'm kind to like you. I'm just kidding. U he knows already I'm a happy camper. uh CFO uh in in this payment of bills that we spoke about payroll or any payment of bills here paying employees is any chance uh is any payment of retroactive police fire uh employees uh union uh payback or whatever in this bill

in this bill. No council. No.

And now we in 2026, a new year. Um I know we we we didn't want to start in zero in in in dispersement and this and that because we didn't want to have uh you know to do another meeting to approve what we approved last meeting. Um when are we going to have that finalized? Uh the pay the pay retro pay. I I I spoke to one of the employees from the court. Uh they still waiting for retro pay. Um especially those that already are settled that we already voted in this council to approve those agreement. Um can you bring what is own who is owned and uh and what you know department is if it's police department if it's fire if it's DPW if it's uh any other department that we own retropay that we have to take it out of the way. uh can you bring it to the next meeting or email me for I could uh elaborate a little bit more on it and why we should not hold that money. They waiting for that. Council President,

thank you. Thank you, Councilman. Roll call, Madam Clerk. Roll call on the payment of bills in the amount of 7,58,756.85. Councilwoman Cotton. Yes.

Councilwoman Davo. And just before I vote, um, uh, CFO just addressing that these payment, this summary of dispersement is offered previous, right? This was the last payroll of, I believe, 1226. Am I correct? And so I know that there has been a conversation about uh, retros and that should be seen in the next payroll, which would be the following payment of bills. Okay, there's no back and forth and roll call. All right. Uh, my vote is yes. Thank you, Councilman Jackson. Councilman Khik, yes.

Thank you. Councilman Mendes, Councilman Omar, my vote is yes, Madam Clerk. Thank you, Councilman Uden. Councilman Vez,

before I vote, u CFO, if it's possible, you could put that on the record after we I vote and we finalize the vote that put on the record because you it's a valid question and u it's good for us to know in this side, but the public and those employed watching this meeting needs to know what the CFO is compromising to the next payroll uh ch uh payment of bill that we have. Uh they we've been waiting for this money. It's not fair. another contract is still on on on the business and um it's going to get packed and we want to kill whatever we own to our city employees that they deserve that retrop pay. Uh saying that uh payment of bill. My vote is yes.

Thank you, Councilman Newton. We're voting on the payment of bills. Uh my vote is yes, Madam Clerk. No, you didn't. Councilman Newton. Council. Oh, I'm sorry. Sorry, Council President. My vote is yes, Madam Clerk. Thank you. Thank you. The votes that my vote is yes, madam clerk. Thank you so much, council president. The votes are seven, eight in favor, two absent. Payment of bills is hereby adopted. Madame clerk, um the following items 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 will be on and 13 will be on consent. Okay. 8 9 10 11 12 13 Consent

Eight is ordinance, right? Well, eight is moving forward. First reading. Sure. 25. Uh, hold up. Hold up. 26. Wait a minute. One second, Councilwoman. 26 through 33 is on consent. Yes. operator 26 through 33. Police items 38 60 for our great Lieutenant Een. Both items will be on consent. 38 and 60. 38 and 60

and 60. 38 and 60 are both on consent. Okay. [clears throat and laughter] for our fire department. 45 46 are both on consent. 47 number 25 is on. Let's go. Let's go. 34 through 37 will be on consent. Well, 25. What's the number? Is it 34 through 37? Health and human services.

Uh fire we have 45 and 46 as well as on consent. Yeah. Consent. Yeah. 45 and 46. Public works 39 40 41 42 43 Consent consent. Yeah. 47 is consent. 48 is for power signage consent. 49 is regular. 52 is consent. [clears throat] 53 consent. 52 is that ordinance.

What's 50? I'm sorry. Uh first reading ordinances will move forward. Uh 53 madame clerk will be on regular. 54 you want that on consent for heritage month consent Muslim heritage. Yes. 54 consent 52 council president. 52 is a ordinance. It's moving forward. I said I know. Oh I said we're moving forward. Yeah. But it's is okay. No we're moving forward the first reading. Moving forward. I understand that council president. But is it moving forward for the first reading? Correct. Yes. Moving forward in the first meeting. saying here that's why. Yes. Move forward in the first reading.

I I say keep 54. 14. 54 should be regular. Madam President. Okay. 54. Can I put 54 regular is regular? Yeah. Number 14 consent. Number 15 consent. Hold on. 14. Number 16 consent. 17 consent. 18 consent. 19 through 24 all on consent. 25 is regular. What do you said about 15? What number? 15. Consent. Um, can you add me to that? You should be on there. Yes. I don't see that.

Um, co-sponsored by uh, Councilman Uden. I'm 15. 15. Thank you. I did request that in my email. All right. Item 55 should be sponsored by Councilman uh Shaheen Khalik. Madam President, Madam President, you said number 15 is what? Number 15 is on rec on consent. But that item never came before the committee. I told you that before. It never came before nobody. Which one is that? 15.

I have it on consent. We can put it on regular. This item was presented in December. It was presented in November for December. I pulled it. Now it's here. We need to move this forward before the retirement without discussion in the public. C council president. So 15 said regular. I said um consent. So that's not discussed in the public. Okay. Which item is that are you referring to 15? Yes. Okay. Non-consent. Thank you. Council president. Uh um can I please um for which item? No. No. in general we are being televised correct yes

and I'm I'm looking at the faces of the people looking on this side and I know that we in workshop and um we are calling 51 consent 25 here go over here go over there at least for the benefit of the audience watching us through through through TV land and those here if they don't have a a agenda in front of them. They don't know what we're talking about. So So uh for for for the healthy to be transparent uh on what we doing here, we should at least read the title that

uh uh and then and then move it whatever you want, consent or whatever to be just Yeah. to just taken. Thank you. Item 61 is a resolution solicitation of bids for the citywide road reservicing program um which encompasses uh various roads in the city of Patterson. Uh consent or regular council members consent and then uh on the 62 is also road resurfac resurfacing for 19th a Beckwith and Robert Street consent which has been a major concern in the community. Yes. on consent on

61 and 62 are regular. Um we're now down to the last two items. Um item number six has been um introduced here. We have two items and then we're going to open up public portion for the community. Um item number six has been presented before this council um many times for the increase of our UCCC codes um in regards to moving them forward. there was a a delay. Uh this item is on for second reading. We did discuss this in fullness three or four times in in the meeting, but if there can be a brief overview um for item uh number six and then we'll move on to the last item number seven as well. Number six,

council president.

Mr. um if you'll come forward please. Item number six is an ordinance amending chapter 183 construction code uniform of the Patterson municipal coral pertaining to certain fees. It is in the second reading at this point. Um as you're standing in I'm sorry for um economic development. if you can speak to the increase of fees on item number six. Is it on?

Okay. Good evening. I'm going to be

Good evening, folks. Uh, Mr. Metal, the construction official, unfortunately, was unable to be here tonight. He had an emergency with his tile. So in regards to that I will be speaking on his behalf and anything that you may need regarding the increase of the UCCC fees u it is estimated to go it is requested I mean at least being proposed for a 10% increase across the board for mostly all the fees as you well know the city of Patterson has not had any kind of increase since 2010 uh respectively and also since 2011 on almost all the fees now the the uh proposal that was placed before you last time that he was here had been in conjunction and in comparison to the three major cities. You had Newark, Jersey City, and another location down south Jersey. Beyond that, there is also has been recognized that there are majority of items that throughout the state of New Jersey, there has been fees, but the city of Patterson has not been charging fees at all, such as uh simple water tanks or other on the plumbing side, valve specific on the commercial side. So there's an enormous amount of deficiencies throughout the city of Patterson on the fees that have been recognized that had not been charged prior to uh to the proposal that you have had in your hands. That's why it is imperative that we take and highly consider moving forward with this increases as well as it will help to level out the deficiencies needed throughout the UCC department relative to the amount of employment that it's needed. Um, you're you're done with the Okay. Discussion. Councilman Jackson.

I'm sorry. So, the last statement you made, you said it's required or is being requested because to level out what exactly? It's being requested because in the city of Patterson, the last fees that were actually applied for or done was back in 2010. So, no increases have been done in the city of Patterson. How much money has been generated last year through fees? Approximately 1.2 1.2 million. I'm sorry. One I understand what 1.2 means. Does that include or exclude the delinquent uncollected sewer connection fees? It is not included.

It's not included. No sir. So with that for the the last year or so, how much would it have been? I would not be able to tell you those. How much does it cost for operations for that department? Approximately a million plus approximately. Yes, sir. How can can we can we can we go through that? Um you said you're here to prepare to answer every question on behalf of the construction sub. Uh you are correct. Now, I will try my best to fill in the best as possible. Unfortunately, you didn't say that when you started. You said you're here prepared to answer every question. If you're here, I'm not fully prepared%.

So, let's start let's start let's start with how we derive at one point. You didn't give it. You said approximately 1 point whatever million. That is correct. Okay. So, how are we getting there? It is from the last time that Mr. Med was here that he provided the uh the numbers. Now what what numbers did who what what numbers the construction official? He didn't provide any numbers. What numbers did he provide? The paper last. The what? The paperwork. You turned your mic off. [snorts] The paperwork that he submitted on the last workshop. The paperwork he submit. This is the workshop today. Correct.

Today's workshop. The previous workshop, sir. Okay. So are would those not be the same the same documents that would be presented today or is there different documents that's being presented today? No, they would have been the same. So what I'm asking is you're saying that it's approximately a million or so dollars. How are we getting there? We have the director's salary is approximately how much? 120. 120. And uh you're the assistant director, right? That's correct. Okay. What would that salary be? 100. 100. So,

excuse me, sir, but in regards to your question, is this relative to the UCCc or to economic development? It's relative to UCCc. Would what are these these fees being you said these fees are being increased to enhance the operations of that department? Correct. That is correct. The reason why I'm asking is because I'm not part of UC. Okay, so scratch that. So that's not included in this one approximate $1 million. So from there, how many employees do we have and what's their approximate salaries that we're deriving to this $1 million?

You would have four sub codes at a 90,000 a piece at 89. You said correct. Okay. You have four inspectors at 80,000 each. Four inspectors at 80,000 each. That's correct. Which inspectors? Building inspectors. Electrical, fire, plumbing, and uh building, electrical, fire, and plumbing. Those are the th those aren't your subs. No, sub codes are 90,000. Okay. and four inspectors at 80,000. That's correct. Okay. And what what what else?

You have an assistant construction official at 110. Mr. Ba, I'm going to need to know who has that position. I don't want to do it now on record, but we're going to need to know who who's carrying that position. Okay, continue. Do you have the construction official at 120? You said that already. We had that. That was that was the top one. Okay. You have four part- timerrs and those are based on a 20our work uh 10 hour per week, 20 hour per cycle. Okay, Mr. Ba, we're going to need the names of all these people that he's talking about. We got four subs, four inspectors, and four part- timerrs. That's correct.

Okay. And and that salary is about approximately how much? Those are hourly. Sub codes are 75 an hour. Okay. Okay. So, what are we paying them? Estimate how many how many hours are they doing? Based on a 20our uh pay cycle. 20our pay cycle. Correct. At $75. Yes.

Okay. So, there's four of them. That's correct. That's on the books. So, we're just going to um we're just going to do one six week 312. Okay. Go ahead, Council President. Go ahead. Then you have the staff, administrative staff.

Okay. Now, all of those positions that you quoted off, they're all filled. No, sir.

Wait a minute. So, the numbers you giving me, how out of those four positions that we have on the to how many are vacant sub codes? Right now, we have two. We have two full-time sub codes. Okay. You have on the building side, excuse me, on the inspector side, you have one, I'm sorry, you have three three on the uh sub codes. My apologies. You have on the building side, one on the inspectors, you have two

two uh you obviously the assistant the assistant director's positions filled. That is full-time. Is is the assistant director's position filled? Yes. Is that person carry a license? Yes. What license? Multiple licenses. They have all four disciplines. They have all four. Correct. The the assistant. Yes. Does the director have all four? The uh construction official? No. He has construction official license as well as building sub code. Okay. So he has a a different certification, a construction official certification. Correct. The sub the uh assistant does not have that.

Okay. All right. So what else? So we have three subs, two inspectors, one director, one assistant, and you said there were four um part- timerrs. Are those all filled? No, you have two sub codes. part-time and you have two uh building part-times. Okay. So, are they paid at different at a different rate? No, same rate. They paid $75 an hour. Sub code part-time. Correct. And the building $75 an hour. Building. No. Inspectors at $50.

$50 an hour the building. So, we have two. Okay. And then two at 50 $50 an hour. Okay. What else? Then you have the staff. You have one administrative assistant. How much?

70. You have currently employed two technical assistants at 50 each. You have two clerk twos at 40 each. Two clerks at 40.

Correct. Clerk twos. And you have one clerk one at 34. So the the point I'm getting at while I add all of this up, right, is we're increasing fees. We don't even have all the positions filled now. We already there's a there's an enormous backlog where people are is taking months, possibly years to get permits. I've had to come down there and assist various residents on having difficulties on getting permits. I'm trying to understand how now increasing the fees, you guys don't even render a a a a I don't want to say a quality service because that's still to be questioned, but you you're not rendering a a typical time span of which other municipalities are turning things over. We're talking about municipalities like Jersey City and New York that that are far greater than we are. And we want to increase fees for what exactly? I'm trying to understand like how does increasing the fees increase the the um the timeliness or the the the bettering services. You

you're absolutely right. Our time though, although slow and very cumbersome, has I would say dramatically gotten much better uh especially in the way the the constituents or the applicants are being served. one in and predominantly with respect and I believe you can attest to that yourself sir. Uh I know because I've personally dealt directly with the UCCC department in order to help the quality of service being rendered and you also correct as far as the timeliness. We have diminished though dramatically because when I started there in at 20 2024 the average return for a permit on an application was 6 to9 months at a minimum at best. We're counting down to about 60, excuse me, 90 to 120 days. I'm not saying that is the best. The best scenario will be to be on par with 21 days as the state requires, but we can go throughout the entire state and I highly doubt any single uh municipality is on par. Most of them are, but one of the biggest reasons is that we are heavily understaffed. as from when I first started, we're supposed to have four in four full-times sub codes, four fulltimes inspectors, and so on and so forth. We're barely working at a 50% capacity. Now, in regards to your specific questions to why increase the fees, two prompt response. A, it is a state requirement. The fees have to be addressed and put on par with the state minimum. And two, it is so we could have the adequate amount of funding necessary that is on its own so we can have the full staff and be and this is the other part and this is I am been personally involved with this for a year and a half. We've had an open position for a building sub code at 90,000. Not we've not had one single applicant that has been qualified through the state of New Jersey. And that's because other towns, municipalities are offering

120, 150,000 for the same position and for a lot less work. Well, I'm going to say this. I mean, the amount of work that we have going on, the amount of permits that's being pulled in Patterson far far outnumbers a municipality like Wayne. Wayne is paying their their their their staff a lot more than we are. I find it very hard to believe that the volume that's coming through there right now with all of the permitting possibly if if there was uh uh if people weren't being allowed to do all the illegal work that they're doing. I reported to your office a number of different times. I reported it to the director. I reported to the to the uh to the the building sub code official. You got properties that's already just fully built houses. that's not being managed. You got residents that's calling up people just build a whole house in their backyard and there's there's a there's an allotted $10,000 per day fine that to be assessed. Now, so you're telling me right now that we are currently under the state required fee assess fee uh uh uh guidelines?

Yes. Where where are those where can I find those those fee guidelines? that that would be under lo located where it'll have to be when you see I would not be able to give it the specific what do you mean in other words I don't have that information with me unfortunately construction you don't need to have it with you don't need to have it with you obviously if you're telling me there's a state just like you you could find any statute or any law that's implemented by the state I should be able to find right now what those state minimum guidelines are that you're that you're referencing. Look under DCA the DCA state uh fees construction fees.

Maybe Councilman Veles could help us with the chat GPT. I'm sorry, Council President. And you're saying that there's published and how long have we been under under these um key influences? Each town sets its own fee schedule. So checking with your specific local construction code is crucial. In New Jersey, there is not a single statewide minimum subco fee. Man, you just gonna come here and lie to my face, dude. Like, I I'm trying to understand this. What is the minimum uh uh fee schedule for the state of New Jersey? You You're the assistant director. You coming before this council and telling me that we're under the minimum state required fee.

That's correct. So, what I'm Why would you say that I'm lying to you? What is the minimum fees that that that's that's that's that the state requires? I would then strongly advise that you contact DCA, sir. Strongly advised. I'm contacting you. I'm talking to you. You're here presenting to me a nonfactual. You are a liar. You are a liar. What you're doing, what you're doing right now is bringing Do you understand this is a quasi governmental agency that you coming here taking testimony before us rendering false information can be considered a criminal?

No, it's not. So, you're testing here and I'm not point of order. Point of order. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. One second. Council Jackson. Okay. What's the point of order? Just one section section. Um second. So, two people cannot speak because anytime a point of order is called, you have to call the violation. The councilman has the floor. I understand your your concern. We have a dialogue. He he can he can second Jackson. So if you don't have it before you just send that information at a later time. Wait a minute. Councilman Jackson. Wait a minute. Councilman Jackson.

The facts that he's presenting tonight is that the city of Patterson is far under the state required minimums. Now we are connected to the internet. This is public information that the state does publish. I'm in I'm incapable at the moment of finding this minimum that you're referencing. Then you're going to tell me as the body a boy a member of the body in which you're presenting these non-factual context to that I need to contact DCA for something that you're presenting to me that you came here sir yet again unprepared. yet again. And remind me when was the first time you and I talked about this?

It wasn't about this. It was about you taking defense of the UEE director of which you then previously also stated incorrect information before this council and which you was incapable of defending. And I don't know how long you prepared for this cuz I'm sure you they had to send they didn't send you in here blind. You're gonna come here and tell me tonight, first of all, you have no information. You have just about zero information. You're going to tell me that the that the the cost to run the department is approximately. So, we got to go through this whole song and dance so I can put my numbers together because you failed to present this information. Now I ask you a simple question based on a fact that you stated that we're now seeing was not a fact that is it in fact a lie because you're going to say to me that the city of Patterson is under the state required minimums. Do you hold any kind of license that that within the building sub code division?

No, I do not. You do not. So your your expertise is what where's your expertise? How are you an expert? Why are you the one here presenting this when you have obviously no information order council president order council president? Sure. Can you ask him what the point of order is? Yes. Uh can I ask to see if it's valid? I don't know. We here discussing

council member if you're call point of order. You have to state what the violation is. What is the violation? The point the point order is council president and I think you will agree with me is that we discussing something that is clear. We are amending the chapter of construction codes uniform to question a director uh a deputy director or somebody come here to present what we have in front of us to justify if it's fair or not to question him his expertise is his background and education or whatever that's out of order for me because it's not had to be reent at all with what we talking Now if it's h if he have a solution of 20 minutes talking about what he talking if he has a solution better than what you have then we can move forward but question his ability to be up there and and this is the thing that we have to stop here belowing the directors employee that come here with a pet or whatever presenting to us is is good but to question his professor and his background education is out of order. So, just to respond to the point of order, Mr. Washington, the information that's being requested, if you don't have it with you, please, Council President,

one second, Council, that's not answering to the point of order. I want I know you're you're now you can I I appreciate if you can please because he's interrupting me while I have the floor, which you allowed. He calls for a point of order and we need an answer to his point of order.

Let me respond. The information that's being requested, please make sure it is sent. Councilman, I understand your concern does not is not something that is stated for a violation of a point of order. Councilman Jackson still has the floor. Councilman Jackson. First of all to the public when you have a seated elected official that doesn't understand his role and doesn't doesn't understand the responsibilities of the council in fact someone's level of expertise and someone's knowledge of the fact of the context of what is being presented is in fact very much so relevant because if someone is coming before this city council presenting information that is inaccurate It is the council's job. I mean, I can't help it if other people don't have the the the capacity to understand what what's at stake here. But here we are looking to take a an aluminum bat to the constituents heads. We all know through past practices that if you're a developer that you can circumvent certain fees. In fact, if that was not the case, the state wouldn't be in control of the very department that this gentleman is speaking in reference of today. Now, [snorts] yet again, um, Mr. Washington. So maybe you can help me bring some clarity. I'm sure you have what's called a smartphone and I'm sure you have through your your expertise, not your official training andor certification because we acknowledge you

acknowledge that you have none of those. But there has to be some level of expertise that you bring to the table that renders you a semi expert in this area in which you going to have the audacity to come see maybe they may let they may they may let you lie to them but I won't. You're not a resident of the city. You have a salary.

You don't hold any licenses. through today's today's uh uh exercise, you've proven not to have any background or expertise in the area. Yet, you want this council to go along with the notion of increasing fees that more than likely the general public is going to have a difficult time paying. And you can't even state why. your the best answer you gave was we are under the state minimum requirements. I wish this was like NFL Sunday where we could bring the replay play back so you can you I can show you that that those was your words. That's not my words. You said that the state has a minimum required fee assessment guideline. Now let me go back to the context. In New Jersey, there isn't, meaning is not a single statewide minimum subco fee. Instead, minimum fees vary by municipality and are set locally, generally ranging from generally range from $70 to $90 plus for a basic permit. Now, what is the proposed amount that you are um proposing for a basic permit?

I don't have those that information in front of me that would have to be rendered by the construction official. You don't have that either. No, I do not. I believe I stated that at the beginning. No, no, you said you don't have everything, but you said you were here to speak on his behalf and to answer to the questions that the council has. So, C Councilman Jackson, um I want to welcome our new business administrator, Mr. Galabach. Um and he's going to respond to the line of questioning. Mr. Gallabat.

Thank you. Thank you, Council President. Good evening, Patterson and Council members. Um just want to make a few comments based on the back and forth and then I'll yield the floor. Um Councilman, we'll get you the breakdown of that department, the names, the the salary amounts as you requested. Uh you'll certainly get that this week. Um [clears throat] just in terms of the staffing because there was a lot of talk about the different positions being vacant. Um active postings just January 8th, 5 days ago, several of those positions were posted. So the city is trying within the the salary uh constraints provided to to by uh by the council or by contract to fill those positions. Um and just um I want to you know in in defense of of the director in the sense that um I I don't think there's any attempt by anyone to intentionally mislead um um the the the the fee situation here.

So what was the intent?

So if I may if I may director um it is possible that um this there are many um things within the DCA within the state where agencies put out strong recommendations strong standards but are not necessarily codified by statute. So, it may be that the that the we're a couple of words here are are kind of changing changing the um the kind of the the situation here. Um but I want to make one last point. This isn't solely coming from the administration because this is the policy we want and and you know this is the most important priority on the agenda. Um we're putting the 26 transitional aid application together and as everyone knows this item was on the on the 25 umou. the administration has an obligation to bring it to this legislative body. This legislative body, every council member has their own rights and and voting rights. Um but um we we if we don't even if we if it didn't even get to the table, we would have a very hard time being taken serious in the 26 application. So it isn't solely that this is the number one list uh priority of the administration. It is um it is something that we agreed that the city would look at and visit to maybe one day get to um you know a balanced budget without state aid. So those those are the comments I have. Council president

Councilwoman Dava, I'm still I still I'm not done. One second. I'm not done. I still have the floor. Councilman Jackson, you I mean you you should allow other council members also to be able to

You had plenty of time before I got here. Nobody said anything. Nobody wanted to say anything. Nobody had any questions for anyone. You're almost halfway through the agenda without one question being asked. So, President, I just wanted to just quickly uh read because I I I see the questioning being asked and I'm going to just say I apologize to you. Uh you should not be chastised the way you are being attacked the way you are. Um you are the assistant director of economic development. There is a director. There is someone also who oversees this. I think you started by saying there was an emergency. things happen. But I want to just refer Councilman Jackson continues to speak. The numbers and the information and the increases, everything is here. There's nine pages to it. But I wanted to just read something because understanding that you're indicating that there's no statue in place or whatever. Right here it says um whereas chapter 183 has been amended over time to update fees and comply with state law requirements and local needs including and there's various ordinances and different years that this has been done. The the third paragraph says, "Whereas fees established under the uniform construction code UCCc are intended to defay the city's cost of administering construction office operations including staffing, inspections, plan reviews, and statemandated search charges for training and certificate and and it goes on. So this is in writing here, right? So you're asking certain things um just by me reading this, right? and what uh you know our new BA which I I say welcome to you on your first council meeting in Patterson. Um I understand that you know this is before us and that yes there was anou in place and you know it's difficult for us right to to look at you know these items especially when there's increases right

and there has there's certain council members here that want specifics I don't want to know who's working in the job all right that's not our responsibility okay we're legislators here we have to make sure that we have that the money is in the budget right, that's presented to us so we can move forward. But we have mandates. We have mandates as council members. There's anou that is is before us that we all sign off that we read. And so I'm looking at this. I know that this has been an item that has it's been taken off. It's been in committees. It's been it comes to workshop. It's taken off a workshop. And now it's here for a second reading. So I don't know how this council is going to go and move forward. All right. But it's obvious to us that we do have a fidiciary responsibility and because we get

monies from the state through DCA and through ourou right there are certain mandates. Now, if we did it, it's like it's like receiving welfare, right? And you become a CE or an AWE and you now, right, get this money from the federal government and they tell you you have to do 20 hours of training and if you don't have a high school diploma, you have to get your GED done. There's different things. I look at it in that perspective that right now the city is receiving money from the state and that we have mandates. And so, you know, not saying that it's correct. I wish we didn't. I wish that we can be self- sustainable, right? That we have all this money coming into the city that we just stabilize taxes, right? So, that's my stance. I'm reading this and I'm saying here how it says that fees are established under the uniform construction code and that are they're intended to defay the city's costs of administrating constructions and so forth. Thank you very much, Council President.

Thank you, Council Member Laz. Thank you. Thank you, Council President. So, uh, director amending this, uh, chapter, how much do you think it's going to bring us to the city in one year here? To avoid any misinterpretation or response. I will allow on the next meeting for the construction official to answer being that he has the accurate numbers that and the projections without the amending how much we uh uh revenue was collected last year approximately 1.2 1.2

1.2 2 million. They uh this ordinance address that the uh revenues will go directly to UCCC. That is correct. And where it says according to the state those funds are utilized for the UCCC department and the staff and in all the other needs. Uh CF U I don't know if CFO can confirm this. If this goes to general funding at this point CFO no it would go directly to cover

to UTC. Okay. So um so you presenting this to us and you will get us approximately a number we did 1.2 two million in the past. Hopefully if developer decide to come in and people decide to uh construct new houses or whatever this this revenue will increase, right? Um at the chapter I know the last time was May 23rd uh 2017 that the ordinance was amended but it was not entire completely amended. It was only one one part of the ordinance. So if you look at the 19 1979 up to 2017 now the whole chapter was amended at the same time and every year was um chapter one something chapter this chapter that from this uniform code. What is new in this ordinance that I could say um is new? Like for example, I notice here that for be able to pull out permits or whatever, all taxes have to be up to date. That's new.

That's correct. Correct. Again, and I'll repeat, I do not have that specific information with me as the construction official provided [snorts] that information. Correct. Last time he was here. So after that that I say that's a new chapter on the u on the ordinance. Can I say that 183-10 is new and 183-11 is new and 18312 is new in the ordinance again sir I do not have that information in front of me.

No no I'm I'm I'm based on the document I have here. If I look at the document 183-12 construction certificate and it says is, you know, is underlined as construction. Um, and the signed fees, uh, reserve where it say the word reserve, that's a new a new item in the chapter. U Councilman, it's not new. The fees are increased. Correct. The items in and of itself, the statute codes, which are clearly outlined in pages 1 through nine.

Correct. It is not that the uh statue and the coding in the E360 code is new. It is just that the fees have increased and they are italicized and underlined so that you can see the variations of the difference. For example, 183-14. The fees were previously 176 for the fee for a permit for lead and a bestos. It is now going up to $200. Okay.

So the amendments and corrections are right next to that. So can if it's fair enough can can director can you do me a favor? Um if can can you pull pull the one that we I just want to compare it with this one. Um the 2000 not the 12. I was not a councilman here at that time. Uh the 20 2017 what we amended to I just want to compare what we amended in that time. 2017 and this one um the ordinance of May 23rd, 2017 um and then um you know to see how we go with this um trying to get some solution while we are going over this um and not scare away uh people that want to fix their houses. Um, you know, right now taxpayers um are going through difficult moments and uh people that want to fix their houses and a boiler breaks and they sometime don't have the money to even buy the boiler but um they had to go for a little loan and fix it, you know, things like that. So, we have to make sure that we not putting more burden into small uh property owners and and and and people that want to fix their houses, right? and um and also not scare away developers uh in the city of Patterson. So,

thank you. Thank you, Council President. Council President, so there's been uh various requests. So, can you please make sure that um our UCCC um director who's not present because of an emergency has that information sent to all the council members prior to next week's meeting. Councilman Jackson. Thank you, Council President. To the members of the public, to the members of the public, I'm sorry,

people at home, I apologize to you guys tonight. I apologize on behalf of my council colleague who does not understand the requirement of council members to hold those people who are getting paid by your dollars, your tax money accountable. I do not apologize to this gentleman for coming here and being unprepared. I do not apologize to this gentleman coming here and stating false information on record on behalf of you all the the public right talks about oh we don't want to scare away developers we know some people here work on behalf of developers only but what I'm concerned about is that 75year-old woman who possibly recently lost her spouse who is having a difficult time managing her home and then she has a hot water tank go down. So, what's going to happen is we're putting the rest of the community at jeopardy. I'm going to tell you why. because the fees are so much, they're going to do the job to replace the hot water tank without getting a permit, which when when these jobs is being reported to your office, because in my opinion, that's what you should really be doing. You don't have a license, you don't have any certification, and you're proving tonight that you don't have any expertise in this area. So, at the very minimum, if there's cuz somebody just sent me tonight another report while they're listening right in their yard, which by the way has been reported uh uh to their statement. This is a someone built an entire tiny house behind the house. The same house was

issued summones for doing illegal conversions after they purchased the house. This needs to be removed. So, maybe you might like to take a look. Excuse me, I got it. Just like that. Okay. All right. So, maybe the public

maybe the public if you guys could zoom in on this so the public can see because all this illegal work, this is how these fires are starting. So if you're coming here, your your your assess fee assessment and and listen, I'm not apologizing for you. I'm I've my to my my sentiment is good for you. Like you should come here. If you volunteered to come and take this beating, I apologize if nobody else is giving it to you, but you're going to get it from me directly because to for a hot water tank, the increase is well over close to 200%. It went from $50 to $200 just for a hot water tank. So, if I'm doing a minor improvement and I want to, you know, dishwasher, it's reasonable, 20 to $25. The sink 20 to $25. Uh, water heater $40 to $75. Steam boiler $50 to $200. So that means if somebody's having some um difficulty with their boiler, they're going to have to make some sacrifices and then they get to the the boiler itself is going to cost them about $2,200 and now they got to pay $200 just for that one line item. That doesn't even even include the general permit. So we know right now in Patterson the biggest issue that we have is people doing illegal construction and illegal work. So instead of your department and everybody in your department being accessible and responsive because I can I can show you the text messages when I text the the sub code officer multiple times about these illegal dwellings, these illegal construction. So you want us to hit the the community with more fees, but you

guys are failing to do your job. of which I would never call you director cuz I know you're not the director, but you should bear some responsibility in that. I even reached out to the director herself to say, "Hey, I'm calling your your your your subordinates. I'm placing these these um complaints on record." And yet still, we have people building illegal houses in the third ward. So, I mean, listen, what we what you should have started with is you should have came here and you should have been honest. You should have talked about some of the things the BA talked about. The fact that this council agreed in advance via theou to hit the community over the head with more fees just to take more money so that it could be mismanaged. That's really the issue here. So, we have people that that's that's working of which to your statement, which by the way, your credibility is really not shining very well tonight because the the information you gave already that's been false. So, I can't even, you know, put clear context on whether or not that department is generating the 1.6 or whatever million dollars you talked about. So just by these figures right here, you're projecting or the the the the the projection should be that instead of drawing in about $1.5 million, you guys are looking to bring in about five or $6 million uh in the f in the years to come. Is that not accurate? [clears throat]

You're going to have to ask a construction official, sir. I don't want to give your misinterpretation or as you saw call lies. Sir, listen. You don't have to be sensitive. No, I'm not sensitive. I'm just responding. You're the one who feel everything I've said. It's a lie. So why continue the conversation? So director the the Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Council President. I have the floor. Why continue the conversation? Because sir, you're being paid. You're being paid by the public and your job. Insult. No, I'm not. So po I'm I'm I can handle this, council president. It's not it's not an issue. No, but so so the insult So you're insulted because you lied and I called you out on it.

I should have complimented you and apologized for for lying. So So did you not say that the state has a minimum requirement? Was that not your words? Yes. And all the information you received was actually placed in conjunction accordance with DCA in conjunction, excuse me, with DCA representatives and the construction official. So you should then question the construction official and DCA when they put the numbers together. So did you take any part in developing this um this legislation that's being presented as the assistant director? Did you have any hand in it? No. None whatsoever? No.

Okay. So what what exactly are we paying you for? What is what is your role? What is your job description? What do you do? Mine? Yeah. Director. Wait a minute. This is a His job description is public information. The public is witnessing him come here, crash and burn, lie to the council. He doesn't understand anything that he's presenting. He doesn't know the information. almost every other every other item he's being questioned on tonight, he says, "I'm sorry, I don't have that information." But yet and still, he has a six figure salary. So, first

that he's being paid. So, a non-resident where, by the way, this council has a residency policy on all employees who work for the city. This gentleman has the audacity to come before the council to snub the questioning and call it an insult when he in fact gave uh uh inaccurate information. So, let me let me apologize to you, assistant director.

The construction code official had an emergency and you agreed to step in for that purpose. So, that's why I want to apologize. This is not a new item presented to the council. There has been noou agreed upon by any council members. The vote is scheduled for next week and people will vote up or they'll vote down. That will be up to each individual council person whether they're supporting it or not supporting. That's always a process. Agree. I don't see anyone that agrees to anything outside of a vote. Your vote is your agreement. Whether to say yes or to say no. And that's what we will do next week um as we move uh this item forward. And if people don't agree next week when it comes forward, we can do that. Um, at this time, Madame Clerk, what

Council President, why would you interrupt me in the middle of my line of questioning apologize to the gentleman? Before you speak, Councilman Jackson, Corporation Council. Yes. Thank you, Council President. Um, good evening, everyone. Uh just very briefly, I know there was some discussion back and forth about state minimum fees and updating this ordinance to comply with same and so I will uh respectfully direct council to um the uniform construction code chapter 23 section 5 col23-4.19 which is the New Jersey state permit searchcharge fee. Um if you look at what the state minimum

I'm sorry corporation council can you repeat that please?

Sure. So, it's chapter 23 of the state code. Um, and and I'll just back up a bit so you have the full citation, Councilman. It's New Jersey Administrative Code, Title 5, Community Affairs, uh, subchapter 23, sub chapter 4, and it's section 5 col23-4.19. It's titled New Jersey State Permit Search Fes. Under that code, um, subsection B says the fee shall be an amount of, uh, 0.00371 per cubic foot volume of new buildings and additions. If you look at our ordinance in section 183-16, we actually don't have that minimum there. Our minimum is 0.00334. Additionally, if you keep reading, the state minimum according to the statute is the fee for all other construction shall be $1.90 per $1,000 of value construction. If you look at our code, however, it says that um it shall be $1.70 per 10,000 for alteration. So, if you look [clears throat] at the state statute um and you look at our ordinance uh in section 183-16, our ordinance is uh lower than what the state statute has as listed here. And that's just one portion of it. I I haven't gone through each and and I'm not um in a position to speak about every uh minimum that we have uh not reflected in our ordinance. I believe the construction official is in the best position to do that. But at least with that section, our ordinance is below what the state um requirement is in accordance with the statute that I read.

Thank thank you for quoting the state statute. Corporation Council Councilman Jackson, corporation council, can you please point to me where this says there's a a minimum requirement that the municipality must charge for fees? You just pointed out that we are under what the state guideline points out corporation and in reading what you just pointed out because I'm on the same page you're reading. I see exactly what you're talking about. I don't see any place here where this says that there's a a minimum requirement provided by the state corporation council.

Yes. Thank you. Thank you, Council President. Thank you, Councilman Jackson, for that followup. So, if you look at the state statute that I just referenced in subsection B, it says amount, and I'm quoting here. It says this fee shall be in the amount of and it goes over the the state numbers. So when the statute says this fee shall be uh we interpret that to be a requirement from the state that the fee uh be that amount. And if you look at what the state says according to the state statute this fee shall be and you look at what's in our ordinance our ordinance is less than what the state says shall be. So, I'll just wrap here, which by the way, I want to point out through your um uh uh interpretation in past issues. You you you you interpreted Shia to be ambiguous. David Sue, I hope you're watching because relative to the code, our municipal code, I'm going to reference back to today's uh uh record to show that what you just said when the state sha says shall how it's interpreted. Shall meaning is in fact, not ambiguous. So, I just wanted to point that out. So again, what the director pointed out is the fact that we're raising fees to meet the minimum requirement here. It does not say that. In fact, the corporation council's interpretation clearly shows that we're under. So listen, it it makes no sense, ladies and gentlemen, for me to beat this dead horse. Um, you know, when when when you have a job by a municipality, you are required to be capable of doing that

job. And if that job means coming before the council to provide answers that the public deserves, I can't help it if you come here unprepared. That's not my responsibility. But more importantly, I'm not going to allow anybody to come here and insult the public by presenting false information and then to be so insulted by the the the notion of me even questioning him. I mean, is that what what kind of entitlement is that? that someone believes that they have the ability to come before this council and they should not even be questioned when they have the audacity to come here and present false non-factual information. And I listen, I don't know because I have a I have a simple Kennedy High School level education. When someone presents false or inaccurate information intentionally, what is that? I believe that's the definition of a lie. So, listen, man. I you know, it's unfortunate that you had to come here and and take care of that. But, you know, um if there's anyway, I I'll rest there. I I appreciate the moment, Council President. Thank you, Madame Clerk. Um, thank you.

This item needs to be on regular. Well, the item is on second reading, so it's moving forward. Madame clerk, um, we will now go into public portion. Thank you, director. Council President, before I notice you you you've touted you finished the agenda, my items that were supposed to be on the agenda tonight, and how were they handled?

What items? I'm not sure what you're referring to. the the item that you would not allow me to present at the last workshop that was also presented on this workshop agenda as well with regard to removing us from the Garden State growth zone. And it's amazing how council members, including you, council president, how you're fighting so extremely hard to to to stop this item from removing us out of the Garden State growth zone from being here. But instead of doing that, which would actually make millions of dollars for the city, we'd rather take it out on the public by raising fees.

So, I love being blamed for stuff that's not factual. Madam clerk, we're moving a public portion. That item um that you're talking about has yet to go to committee, which was stated, and has yet to be signed off by legal. Your item that you're referring to, you put it on the agenda on a word document. For me, I'm fair to all council members. I made the request. I said it the last time. All you have to do is give it to legal. Let them transcribe it to a legal document. I'm not holding your item, Councilman Jackson. I've told you here publicly right here what to do. Every council member does the same thing. you have the item, give it over to to the legal department, let them transcribe it to the actual document paper or sign a resolution number so it could be presented to the council whether they voted up or down. And if you can do that between now and next week, it'll be on the agenda so it could be voted up or down. I'm not holding your item up. Council

President, just do that process. Council President, Councilman Jackson, do the chair. Corporation Council, can you outline in our code any place where where it delineates that any item that's being presented on a workshop agenda is is required to to have any of those things that the council president just outlined? Is there a place in the code that you could point us to that that uh that uh uh uh substantiates these facts, these false facts that council president is is uh is is is

corporation council Thank you, Council President and Councilman Jackson. Um, so there is um uh as council president say that there is no such requirement but um to the extent that any council member seeks support for their item and their colleagues request uh certain process be in place so that they can uh evaluate it. That would be my recommendation. Additionally, legal would have to evaluate the legality of any item that does go before council and advise the council on that. Um, what council does with that is is obviously up to them.

So, corporation council, can you outline to the public why you have refused to answer to my request? In fact, I asked for you to draft it. It was over a month ago, almost two months ago. months ago you were sitting right here and a second time you were standing over there where I requested for your office to draft it. Now considering the fact that you ignored my request and you failed to do so, can you outline for me anywhere in the code where it says it is required to have your your your review of any item that the council is is prepared to to uh to vote on and approve? Corporation council.

Yes. Thank you, Council President. So, Councilman Jackson, I obviously disagree with the premise of your question. Um, I think the record is clear that you asked for a member of my office to work with you on this item. And while it is not the practice of my office to assign a member of my office to specifically work with the council person, I indulged you and specifically asked the member of my office to work with you on this item. And as far as my understanding is, that person is working with you on this item. I will get an update from that person. I will tell you that there has been some research on this item and whether or not the city can opt out. I could tell you a preliminary review of the way you drafted it is not uh entirely consistent with the law, but we're still evaluating um how you drafted it and evaluating whether or not the Garden State growth zone permits us to opt out. We looked at the statute. There's nothing explicit in the statute in the state statute that permits a municipality to opt out. So, now we're on to the next level of research, which is whether or not we can proceed, notwithstanding the lack of explicit um permission or language in the statute to do so. I will also note that um the Garden State growth zone does expire by its own terms. I believe it's in the middle of 2028. I I have to confirm that. So, uh we did assign an attorney as per your request. that attorney has worked with you and um we are still evaluating some of the other portions that I elaborated on. Thank you.

Thank you council council president a little further. So corporation council

first of all that's that's extremely inaccurate one I asked for you to draft it. I requested for this item to be drafted and I said, which I'm glad that you know all workshops and all meetings are now recorded. What I said was I had I lacked the confidence in you drafting it. And if you did not draft it, I would draft it myself of which was the identical process in which I've had to do multiple items. And I did ask for you to allow Mr. Ben David to have some oversight just in case there was something that I may have overlooked and something so so important. Now relative to whether or not the state states whether or not we can opt out. It talked about opting in and in fact the city of Pake opted out. I provided that information to you, your office, via email and to Mr. Ben David and to this council if it was if if I was allowed to do the presentation that that that that uh council president has yet again denied me. And I'm only laboring this out just so the public understands this. I made a request to remove us from the Garden State growth zone that will end this 30-year uh uh tax abatement and pilot program that developers are getting automatically. There's pages and pages and pages of pilots now since we've been in this program. Obviously, Corporation Council is another non-resident. He doesn't have a concern. His lack of concern and lack of effort in this shows that he does not

have a concern to or or or any desire to move us forward with removing us. And furthermore, corporation council, I'm going to tell you what else. Since you've been so diligent doing your homework and doing your research in 2021, this item was scheduled to expire, which it did. I'm sorry. It was scheduled to expire in 2023. I apologize. In 2021, the state readressed it and extended it. We did not as a municipality vote to extend our participation. Other municipalities who participated in the Garden State growth zone, they in fact did take a vote to extend theirs. So yet again, because I'm trying to understand how you would like me to ask you. Maybe you would like to either get on a bending knee on behalf of of the of the the public. Once again, it is it is the responsibility of your office that you oversee to make sure that our residents are protected. This item expired according to our legislation and and it's well known that just because the state has drafted a piece of legislation that was indoctrinated or um uh uh uh enacted upon does not mean the municipality becomes automatically inserted. The municipality must take action and we failed to take action. So therefore, every single item that every single project that went into the Garden State growth zone since 2023 is

essentially not eligible for the program according to the fact that the city has not voted to extend ourselves in that. So are you prepared to give an a a a legal opinion on that tonight? Corporation Council.

Thank you, Council President. Um, again, I don't think it's productive to get into a back and forth or a debate with um, Councilman Jackson about um, his views of of state statue and its implications. Um, but we do believe that the state extended the Garden State growth zone that that extension automatically applied and that's all we have to say on this matter.

So yet again, another that's a lie. Another falsehood. How does it automatically apply? It doesn't say nowhere in the state legislation did it say the state is I mean the municipalities are not required to take action to vote to extend. Nowhere does it say that. In fact, other municipalities who's participating in the Garden State growth zone, they took action. They voted to extend their pilot, their uh garden state growth zone project. And corporation council is now saying that it automatically where does he get that assessment from? And I just want to me mention this last thing. I'm not going to labor this too long cuz it's it's kind of pointless. We only got to deal with this thing for four more months. You've seen tonight how he's utilized the manipulative position to give a a poor uh uh analysis or um description of how the law is is being presented. In one hand, he outlines to the council that shall is ambiguous. Now in another matter when it benefits the administration differently he talks about the firm exactness of Shiao. How can we trust someone who's who's tasked to lead the city by giving firm legal advice? We cannot. So here it is a very important measure of which he defends and this is where this goes back to the council. So for everyone getting ready to cast your vote during this upcoming election, understand how responsible you should be holding council members. We we're not beholding to corporation counsel. We're not here to work as he show as he sees fit. It's not about him writing

legislation. Council president's depiction of the process is totally inaccurate. Corporation council's involvement is non required. Nothing that I write as a legislator requires for his review, requires his signature. It doesn't require to be placed on paper from his office. That is completely inaccurate. All it requires is that I request for it to be on the workshop agenda leading up to and which I did of all of you sat here watch me make the request two weeks ago or a month ago to be able to present information tonight. And she said that it wasn't placed on the agenda because it didn't go before a committee. It's not placed on paper from his office and is a word document. People, if you and and she's up for reelection. This is an item that I'm pressing that protects the public from being overran by these large-scale development projects that's getting 30year tax abatements. and she's yet once again here tonight defending them instead of defending you. I'll rest it there. Thank you, Council President.

So, in closing before we uh open up public portion, you're right. I am up for reelection and all the documents you talk about with tax abatements, I didn't vote on them, so I can't wait for that to come out. The facts versus opinions. Madame clerk, please. We're opening up public portion. Each speaker has three minutes. Um, as we request, there's always a a set decorum in the chambers. You have three minutes. There's a ruling as far as speaking over that time limit which is requested that you ask beforehand. The list is now closed. The first speaker, Madame Clerk, was already um addressed. It dealt with something on the school board. So, we're on to speaker number two. Madame Clerk, uh, the first speaker,

thank you. The first speaker is A. Roberson. Please state your name and address. She's coming.

Good evening. Happy new year to you all. Good evening. Um just to highlight some of the things from last year.

Yes, it's on. Revel uh revelent issues that are brought before the council. How do we know and how how do we know when and how the matters are being addressed? Uh when feedback is not, you know, provided during the council or workshop meetings, we don't get a rebuttal. Where do we stand on the public issues that are being addressed during workshops or the council meetings? Um I'm going to take a line from the mayor elect of New York City. He said something very poignant during his or uh his inauguration address. He said the city belongs to the people not the developers. We need to take heed to that there. Um our city definitely is overcrowded. The parking, the empty lots probably with the plightes of new developing going on. We cannot hold residents accountable for overcrowdedness. Last Friday at about 7:29 a.m. I came out of Oliver Street, made a left on to Main Street, made a left on to Ward Street, and made a left on to Cian, the top of Canian where the school is. And lo and behold, there was a sheriff officer there. He stopped me and what happened is you're not supposed to make a left turn onto CNC off of War Street. That's like right off of 19, but there is no signage there. There is no signage. So, we're talking about at the mall at the corner of Maine and War, you make the left onto Oliver Street as if you're going towards 19 and then the left onto Santi at the top

where the school is in the circle where our homeless encampment is. There was a sheriff officer. He said, "Many years ago, I didn't get a ticket. Many years ago, there was a no left turn sign there. There's no signage there." So my question is what is our turnaround when these issues are being addressed? Okay.

Okay. So where's you know why you know those things need to be addressed. Um the garbage on Belmont A in between North 8th and North 9th Street. There's encampment out there. You know they hang out. They have their garbage can. However, if the garbage is not pulled to the curb, the garbage is not going to be picked up. So, the thing is that property has been abandoned. We know for many, many years, we need to hold the landlord accountable for the garbage even if people are hanging out there. Um, thank you, Mr. Javier, if you would just be Miss Robersonson. Next speaker, Madam Clerk.

Yes. Next speaker is Chanel Fields. Please state your name and address. Thank you. Chanel Fields. Good evening, council. Um, this election season, I have to say, is by far the largest one I have seen to date. And I want to thank each and every candidate who has made up in their minds that enough is enough. Thank you for stepping out on faith and deciding that you wish to be the change the world needs to see. I champion with you all. So as long as you know and first understand unlike so many who have come before you, public service is not a stage. It is not a paycheck or a social media power grab, but it is a commitment to the people. Not to some of the ones like you, but to all people. especially at those times when it's uncomfortable, when it's inconvenient in the middle of the night. If you choose to hold a position of public trust, you must first possess a genuine willingness to serve in every corner, in every crisis, and with unwavering compassion, not when it's only convenient for you. We, the public, are watching you, and we are ready to hold you accountable. The public office demands humility, patience, accountability, not ego, ambition or applause. If your motivation is fame, money or control, you are not only misaligned, but you are also in the wrong line of work. Public service is a calling and moving forward for those who wish to answer that call. You have to do it with integrity, empathy, and unshakable respect for the lives that you are entrusted to serve in the future. To the public, I urge you to vote. If you are not registered, get registered. This is a very critical

election. Please vote wisely. God bless you. [applause] Thank you. Next speaker, Madame Clerk.

Next speaker is Eddie Olivaris. Please state your name and address. Thank you. Good evening, Patterson. Eddie Olivarez, Patterson, New Jersey. A lot to unpack tonight. Um uh to the uh city attorney, I wish you would give us once and for all the definition of sha. I hope you have read 1984. Sounds like new speak. Anyway, um happy new year to everyone. uh the uh election is upon us and I just want to say I've said it many many times especially to the people that are watching I am running and um well you you you can't see her but you see Elizabeth smarking this is a clown we have a clown here anyway this is the same woman who said that um it was a sad day when major uh Andrew Sa you remember that it was a sad day because he really didn't care for black people. Well, have you changed your color? It is sad to see this. It is very sad to see this. But again, to the people at home, I am running. I'm not spending any money. I told you uh I really don't think that money determines I I know that Marisa Davila Mims and to some extent to Dean feel that they're going to win. Oh, they guarantee that they're going to win is because they are expecting that their campaign is going to be financed by people with deep pockets. Um I don't bring your brother-in-law next week to threaten me, please. Anyway, um you don't really need money to do this people, I am telling you, uh if you are happy with what is going on here in the city of Patterson and you don't want anything to change,

I'm going to give you the names of the people that you should vote for. Andre say if not Alex Mendes, Lilis Mims, Marisa Davila, and Udin. Those are your people. If you're happy and you don't want anything to change, those are your people. If you want change because you feel that the city can do much better, I am running. And at the top of the ticket, the only option is Councilman Jackson for mayor. Uh let's not play um or pretend that we don't have any power. We have an awful lot of power. people, you have the power to kick these people off that council. People at home, you have the power. All I'm asking I'm not asking for a dollar. I'm not asking the the big developers for money because I am not going to compromise my integrity. And so people at home, I'm not asking you for a dollar. May 12th of this year, one hour of your time, go out and vote. Vote for me. vote from M uh Councilman Jackson will change the city. Thank you.

Next speaker, Madame Clerk. Next speaker is Cameo Black. Please state your name as black and address. Thanks.

Good evening, Cameo Black. Um, first of all, let me start off by saying thanks to Marissa, Ruby, Omar, and colleague for what y'all help with the um, feeding the community or whatever. But I'm here for you, Councilman Veles. And I also have the parent here with me. Let me say this without cursing cuz I'm really pissed. You You went to Telmundo reporting something that happened at a school. Like I told you when passed away to mind your business. I don't think you understood what I said. You should have got all the answers before you went there. That baby was attacked. And you should have called Telemundo when you killed the lady on Route 46. You should have called Teleundo when you beat the out of Miss Evelyn. You should have called Teleundo when you pulled your penis out and peed outside. It's multiple things that you should have called Teleundo for. But I just want you to know and all of y'all to know it's going to be a lawsuit filed against him cuz the he pulled was very disturbing and despicable. Then you going to try to defame the man character? That baby did not deserve what you did to him. But your character is real and your character is up and you're going to be aired out for the that you're doing. It's a lie. Stop parking by the fire hydrant. Call Teland for that. Did you call Telandu when your wife left the goddamn shots out with her non-reading speaking English ass? Did you do any of that? I'm so sick of you. Then you got people calling me to tell me not to come down here, leave you alone. I'll never leave you alone. When you with my kids, all bets is off the table and it's up for you. And I'm done talking. And this is the mother of the child that was attacked by the young man and he lied and went to the news. That's why he tried to go to the school and cover it up and apologize cuz he didn't know what was going on. Mind your business. Stop

running to the news station if you don't know what's going on. Cuz people not playing about their kids. And when it's my family is a serious problem. So since you want to attack my little cousin now, I'm going to attack your family with your ass. Thank Thank you. Hello. Um, Uranius Cisco, I'm the parent of the son you characterize or try to characterize. One second. Miss Cisco, could you start? Cuz she's the next speaker. So, could you put her on her three minutes? She's the next speaker. Stupid ass. Please state your name and your address. Urania Cisco. Urania Cisco.

Don't write her name down cuz if somebody come harassing her, you're going to be harassed. It's okay cuz I got family too. You just like you got people. I got people too. But I'm here to say don't speak Hold on. All I'm asking you is when you speak on my son, speak the truth because my son was attacked at Steam High School. You know exactly what I'm talking about. My son was attacked at Steam High School. He was defending himself. So whatever you and the family went to the news talking it was and it was lies.

My son not a troubled kid. He not in the streets. He play football. He help take care of his siblings and he go about go about his business. He don't bother nobody. That's why I'm here today because you're not going to characterize my son as somebody that he's not. and I wasn't uh there at the board of education. You don't have to lift your head up to watch me talk to you while I'm looking at you. You a coward.

You supposed to be a man. You supposed to be a councilman at that. But this the people y'all voted for. This exactly why your ass got to go. Thank you, Miss Cisco. Next speaker, Madame Clerk. Thank you. Um, Council President, I I didn't mention her name, but it's Urana Cisco. That was her name. Next speaker, Madam Clerk. Yes. Next speaker is Joel Keys Jr., please state your name and address. Thank you. Put your hands on me.

Joel Keys Jr. Patterson. At the December 9th meeting, the council president's deplorable behavior concerning her mistreatment of legendary revolutionary freedom fighter, the honorable Charles Baron, is actually the latest edition of a horrible precedent that the city of Patterson has established regarding the mistreatment of revolutionary freedom fighters. On February 21st, 1965, three of the five assassins who gunned down the honorable Malcolm X were from Patterson. On March 27th, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited a church in the fourth ward. Despite numerous death threats made on his life, Patterson officials mistreated him through his security detail. They provided two police officers usually assigned to the traffic division as school safety officers working with junior patrols. The Honorable Charles Baron once said, quote, "I'm not a politician. I'm an elected activist." I started attending the council meetings in 2022. After observing Councilman Jackson for several months, I reached the same conclusion about him. Councilman Jackson and the honorable Charles Baron are not politicians. On the contrary, the council president, the mayor, his administration, and the other council members are all politicians. There's a glaring contrast between politicians and elected activists and their levels of desperation. The elected activist attends to their business with the same level of desperation that is felt by their constituents, especially those who are facing eviction and potential homelessness. Councilman Jackson demonstrates desperation by visiting residents facing eviction and recording videos to inform the public. He demonstrated desperation when he

sacrificed his time drafting legislation to remove Patterson from the Garden State Growth Zone program, which would adversely impact the cozy relationship between this administration and developers. The politician, on the other hand, conducts their business with no such feeling of desperation. We saw evidence of that five weeks ago when the council president sabotaged and undermined Councilman Jackson's plan presentation which included remarks from the honorable Charles Baron. We saw more evidence four weeks ago when Councilwoman Dava said the following while referencing Councilman Jackson's proposal to remove Patterson from the Garden State growth zone program. She said, quote, "When Councilman Jackson speaks, he speaks of the council, and the item he's been trying to put forward is an item he wants to put forward, not the council he" unquote. In conclusion, these are clear illustrations of the difference between an elected activist, Councilman Jackson, and the other council members, the politicians. It's time to vote out the politicians and elect more activists. Thank you. Next speaker, madam clerk.

Next speaker is Balal Hakeim.

Kindly state your name and address. Uh belake Patterson, uh New Jersey. Um welcome everyone to a new year. Um start off by saying the um Palestinian people are still um having genocide enacted on them. Although you may not see the rotation in the news, um they're still being um having genocide enacted on them. So we pray for relief for them as well as um the people in of the Sudan and the Congo as well. The other thing [clears throat] um when I was here last time before the year um ended 2025, I said I wasn't here to apologize. Well, today um I'm here on this here day to extend uh the apology to the uh council president um Lisa Mems. Um, I didn't mean to call you a witch. I don't believe that's what you are. But I do believe and I maintain this here position that I think you have been bewitched. Not that you are witch, that you have been bewitched. And I'm talking about based on this definition that um I pulled up when they defining um bewitched. He said means magically enchanted, placed under a spell affected by magic or or witchcraft. Example, the prince was bewitched by a sorceress, strongly fascinated or charmed, completely captivated, often in an emotional or romantic way. She was bewitched by his voice. These are the examples that um they've given. And um I think um in some ways you have lo you have lost your way.

I think you have lost your way um with the people. That is um my position on it. And although um the um the people are gathering um magicians, the pharaohs are gather gathering magicians. Pharaoh, I'm talking about a type, a mind, a thinking, a behavior. Are gathering magicians hoping that um um they will get a miracle. I don't think is uh going to happen. And as Mr. Alvarez mentioned, um if we're happy with what we see in the leadership that we have here, then we'll put them back. And if we're not, then we'll vote um for change. And I think it's indicative that so many people have went to the clerk's office to go get petitions. You know, I have mine and all all of them are almost self-filled. So, we'll decide, you know, we'll decide. But we're in it. We're in it. Yes, we're in it. So, you're on notice. Three seats are available. Council at large. I'm of the view that um that it's time to um um shake uh um those um three seats up. And if and if you're not, then you'll return them um uh back.

Thank you, Madame Clerk. Uh Mr. Shayen signed the wrong list, so I'm going to call Mr. Mark Shayen up. He is the last speaker for today. Mr. Mark, um just out of respect, you did sign the wrong form, but I don't want to uh stop you from speaking. Well, even even though I did sign the the uh wrong form or I was late, I don't care. Whoever walked through that door late, they should be able to speak to the council.

That's my agreement. Now, um before I start, I'm going to request a couple additional seconds, okay? Because I'm a little bit slow. I do stutter a little bit and I'm returning to a field that I left some years ago. There are some of you personally that I would like to address but I'm not. There are some things that I say on Facebook that some people are not in totally agreement with but it is the true fact. What we have seen happen in the fourth ward is strictly an act of genocide. We have removed the afroAmerican community out of that spot where homes were there. They were abandoned. They were vacant. But money was in this state city's budget for the children to be able to purchase homes. And that money was sent back. There was money for the veterans that was sent back. Okay, you can shake your head or not, but I can verify. Let me just say in closing, let me just say I have a letter here that I put together and I like to read it in complete tonight. I'm not speaking just as a resident, but I'm speaking as someone who expects ethical leadership and responsible government from every corner of this city hall. The recent settlement involving former community involvement director David Gilmore

may have had closed a lawsuit, but it did not close the ethnic question surrounding surrounding it. A federal judge ruled, "Order full transparency, including a sworn testimony, because the allegations pointed to something far deeper than a workplace discipline. They pointed to the possibilities of retaliation that we see, political favoritism that we see in this city, and the misuse of public funds and public authority. When a senior official claims he was punished for enforcing the law, that is not a private matter. That is a governing crisis. when the city pays out hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers money to resolve a dispute that could have been settled. May I May I continue?

I'll give you one minute, Mr. Shayen.

That could have been settled by the mayor of this city just listening to to uh Dave. And when the residents are left with no explanation, no corrective action and no assurance that the safeguards that have been strengthened, that is not leadership. That is institutional failure. Patterson cannot afford a culture where enforcement depends on political retal relationships, whistleblowing, fear rel uh retaliation. Developers developers believing rules are neote negotiable and taxpayers foot the bill for eternal dysfunction. This is not about personalities. This is about ethics, integrity and public trust, the foundation of any functional government. So therefore, I'm calling for this council to do something. And I hope you just let me finish. It's just three more. I'm calling for this council to initiate an independent ethnic review of the policies and practices that allow that allow this situation to occur. That's number one. Number two, I'm requiring a public report on what safeguards exist or do not exist to protect employees who enforce the law. Number three, I am asking that you establish a clear enforcable standard ensuring that no city employee is punished for doing their job. and the taxpayers have to foot the bill.

Thank you, Mr. Shaylin.

Just one minute. And to commit to a full and transparent in all and any future settlements involving taxpayers fund. Patterson residents deserve a government that operates beyond suspicions be beyond not be not behind closed doors. We deserve a system where the rules apply equally to everyone, not selectively. And we deserve leadership that treats ethics not as an inconvenience, but as a non-negotiable requirement of public service. One more sentence. Patterson's future depends on restoring trust

on transparency and transparency we all know depends on this council choosing integrity over silence. Thank you. Thank you very much. There are no more speakers. Is there a motion? So move to close. Motion to close by Councilman Khalik. Second by Councilwoman Davlin and um Omar. Roll call to clo close close the public portion. Roll call to close close the public portion. Councilwoman Cotton. Councilwoman Davo. Councilman Jackson.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Um, a few few items. Um, so I I have a few requests recently. Um, I I I I saw I'm I'm going to say a few things on record. The um the mayor lost control over the police department. the state comes in does, you know, makes best efforts to try to put a few things in place. There's an there's a substantial amount of money that's being spent on um on a new control room, which of which I I have not had an opportunity to speak to the the to the chief about, but the mayor then takes it upon himself to go into the press conference, say, Patterson, we did it. We lost the police department and you know had they not been here it that that room wouldn't even be here. But yet the mayor is going to take credit for that. And I'm saying that for for a specific reason because there's certain things that are happening that's happening that is under his full control that he won't stand up and take credit for.

You know the one example of the lot that was stolen from the church through this tax sale that that should have never have taken place. But you know these continued you know issues that's going on is very um disheartening. So through the chair Mr. Ba let me say this. I normally give a warming session. I I normally um give a grace period of whoever the new hire is. Uh um and and normally we give a vote of support. When when do we vote to um uh actually well I know we're in roll call. We can get that question answered later. when do we confirm the the new appointment? Um, but I normally give give the benefit of the doubt based on the past past uh track record of the previous BA tapping out within 6 months. I don't expect you to last even that long. I mean, you won't even have the choice of doing that because he's not going to be around that long. But, um, I'm going to I'm going to be uh uh uh optimistic, if you will. I'm I'm going to give you an opportunity to do what you said. And we we only spoke briefly. You said you're here to service the council. As a council person, I'm entitled to information that, you know, obviously what you've saw tonight, there's a deliberate attempt on on um not providing information and being untruthful. But, you know, I I would like to know I need a report on what the cost was for this new room that was put in place in in in the uh in headquarters. I want to know what the cost was and who expended the money. I would like to get a breakdown on on on the cost for that for that um that space. Um, additionally, and I know this is definitely falls within outside of your purview, but I would like a full report from PD with the number of units, patrol units that we don't have in operation right now. It's my

understanding we have over, you know, 36 to 40 police units that's not in operation. And I also want a list of all police personnel who have what's called a take-home vehicle. I want a list of all the police personnel who have a take-home vehicle. Where they live, what is their role and responsibility? Are you not taking notes? You're going to review back to the to Okay. uh uh where they live and how is the fuel being utilized by these officers who live outside the city, all of the captains, all the battalion chiefs, and you know, who have these take-home vehicles. You know, our police call response rate is is is, you know, less than desirable. And we have we we just spent a great deal of money on this on this center which I I I think um definitely is going to serve the public well, but we have a substantial amount of police vehicles that's not in operation. Um and I want I want a full report on that. Uh I also want a full report on the overtime by those those same by all by all the ranking officers starting from lieutenant and up all the overtime and and what what is exactly you know the overtime for I I know I'm giving you a lot so you can just reference back to the video. There's a lot located on the corn on the on the corner of um of North Main and and Helden Avenue, I believe. I don't recall the exact address. I can forward it to you if I need if I need to, but I do know that this lot has been issued summones for illegal parking. They're parking 18 wheelers, of which, by the

way, I know you may not be fully aware, this council indoctrinated legislation that made it illegal for commercial vehicle parking overnight. That includes on private property. So, this this lot has been has been uh uh ticketed multiple times and apparently there's a holdup and you can catch up with your with your guy right there and find out why the prosecution is holding up these these fees and penalties. I would like to report on this. How many times have they they've been ticketed? This lot has been commandeered illegally. I don't expect you to, you know, to get into the to the nuances of that, but I want to know why is this lot and the owners of this lot continuously being allowed to park illegally on a non-paved surface and why are they continuously being allowed to park commercial vehicles overnight? There's another lot on the on the adjacent block um which is doing the same thing. I mean, the inspectors, I know for sure the summones was written. They've been to court. Uh, for whatever reason, the prosecution is not following up and not not not moving accordingly. I have the same circumstances going on on Franklin Street where there's a large number of commercial trucks that's being parked overnight. they're in in uh uh they're in, you know, restricting the the traffic flow of the residential residents that that's living on the opposite street. I would like to get a um a full report on that.

Um well, listen, I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. He says that, you know, I'm giving it and and how long do you think it'll take for you to to consume some of this information? There's no rebuttal and roll call. [laughter]

as soon as soon as pos soon as possible. Okay. [laughter] You know, it's amazing how they work on behalf of other people and and you know, they work to try to contain, you know, the the objective is to come here and contain Councilman Jackson. And I I mean they they continue to fail time and time again, but it's it it doesn't stop their their ambition. I appreciate that. Ambition is something. Um so just to answer certain things, brother um Keith, I always appreciate your cander and your your ability to recall clearly the facts and outlining those facts by quote cuz sometimes people forget what they say and we they have to be reminded and it is unfortunate that yes um uh probably one of the most powerful individuals that walked this earth you know and and the impact that the gentleman had this individuals from Patterson that took place and taking his life that's that's that's profound and then you have someone else who has um exhibited those same traits come come to the city of Patterson render ing his time, submitting his time to to to to the people to to, you know, to provide information to possibly lend this council tutelage or insight on the prevention of gentrification. And not only are they uninterested in hearing it, but they refuse to allow the public to hear it as well. But no, no, no uh poor deed goes unattended. I guess or goes unanswered. People will answer to those to those activities in this upcoming election. Um, Cameo Black,

I'm always appreciative. I would love to speak to the young lady. I'm not surprised at the activities or the actions of the councilman. Um, he makes it he makes it a habit on putting his foot and all other things in his mouth, you know, and, you know, doing things that that are inappropriate to the public. I'm trying to recall um some of the other items that was uh questioned upon tonight. But members of the public, listen, you you're you're watching and if you if you if you're incapable of understanding the director of or the the assistant director has the audacity to come here tonight and this is your money. These are your dollars that's being misappropriately um spent. He has he doesn't have the ability to answer anything any questions. Council members are now trying to stop me from asking questions such as what is his role in the city. He's being paid by you by the way of which his role should be clearly outlined. He should he should have be proud to speak upon what his role is. He should talk about, you know, how not only is he fulfilling his role, but how even tonight he's stepping outside of the of the ramp of the parameters of his role. And we see clearly that he's incapable of doing that. Why would he be entrusted to do such a thing when he can't answer one pertinent question knowing that he's going to get some, you know, some tough questions tonight? So, it's just another example of what we're dealing with. people, I urge you to maintain these thoughts, these visions, these memories on the 12th of May because it's important. We need to clear the stage of everybody who is, you know, deliberately acting against and I'm going to do this last thing and I

apologize because I know you're in a rush just to say yes, but um you talking to No, I'm not. No, I'm not talking to anyone in particular, but um

this is what this is what what we witnessed tonight. On the Friday proceeding preceding each regular meeting, and I'm going to read it slow in case some people don't understand it again. On the Friday preceding each regular meeting, the council of the council, the clerk shall shall prepare with the approval of the president the agenda for the ensuing meeting. Such agenda shall include all matters proposed by any council member, any member of the council. My apologies. Not later than the preceding work session and such other matters required by the standard order of business. The agenda shall include shall being the optimum optimal word here include a consent agenda. The consent agenda shall include all resolutions deemed to be routine or procedural nature and/or resolutions pertaining to the related subjects. Those matters include with the consent agenda shall enhance shall be enacted upon by one resolution at the council meeting. Any member of the council may cause any matter containing within the consent agenda to be removed. Therefore, it be acted upon separately by giving notice to the council clerk to the city clerk or council prior to formal action on the council agenda. When a request is made to remove a matter from the consent agenda, that matter shall not be considered as part of the consent agenda and shall be enacted upon separately at the same meeting.

Nowhere in these in these words that I'm carefully and slowly reading to anyone does it say that an item requested by a council member requires approval by corporation council. Nowhere in this charter. By the way, all of this information is readily accessible on the city website. Nowhere does it say it has to be presented on a particular style of paper. Nowhere does it say it can't be drafted by a legislator, one who is supposed to draft legislation. Nowhere does it say that it has to be printed in certain color ink. Nowhere does it say it has to be um it it has to be listened to and or heard in or debated at a committee. Nowhere does it say in the code that a council member doesn't have the privilege and or right to place an item on the agenda that shall shall move forward to the regular meeting. Nowhere does it say that. So members of the public, you're being lied to. Nowhere does it say anywhere that these items are are to be required. And just for a point of clarity, the second item that I asked to be placed on the on the on the agenda, and I will acknowledge I did not have time to draft it, was an item that was recently adopted by the city of Pake. And this item prevented landlords from evicting tenants because their rent values are too low. What's happening right now in Patterson, there's an epidemic where landlords are upset that they're not collecting enough rent and they're

evicting tenants for any frivolous re reasoning only to be able to hike the rents up over $2,000, $2,300. What this legislation that I'm proposing does, it forbids, it prohibits landlords from doing taking such action. In fact, they will still be restricted by the 5% guideline that's already set by this council. So, why an item such as this isn't being supported, you you've witnessed on other numerous other occasions where council members request to be a co- uh sponsor on such an item. Not one council member, not Udin, not Mims or Dava who are up all up for reelection requested to be a co-sponsor. What they did was intentionally remove the item so it would not be discussed and it would not be considered. Patterson. If you're a resident that's experiencing difficulties because of the absorbent, exuberant rents in the city, these three individuals do not care to entertain legislation that will prevent the landlord from illegally evicting you because of a track record of of of poor payment or any other reason behind it in order just to raise the rent. These three council members are refusing to vote and or even discuss an item that protects you from being targeted and being, you know, uh uh illegally evicted. And they're also refusing to discuss the measure to remove the city from the Garden State growth zone so that the developers can no longer take place in an extended 30-year tax abatement pilot program.

These are the individuals that are now going to be on the ballot in this upcoming election. With that being said, Madame Clerk, I appreciate the time and the opportunity. Thank you. My vote is yes.

Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Khalik. Thank you, Madame Clerk. Councilman Jackson, I thought you were running against the mayor, not our council colleague. Also, I'm still waiting for the ordinance or resolution that was passed in Brooklyn supposedly by Mr. Baron about affordable housing, the cost. You guys recall? I'm still waiting and I'll support that resolution. Um, I'll be the co-sponsor if you would like. I'm waiting on that one. Or other or you just going to talk to talk without any real fact. Just like you been saying for years, some developer in Jersey City build a school in Jersey City. Not true. And I would like to see that as well. Um,

I mean, it's called Google. Oh yeah, I did Google it and I did not find it. That one there was a proposal there and they refused. They walked out of the deal. Maybe you should you need to read it more. Um read the following um news article. Besid I I don't want to go back and forth. Uh residents some people just like to talk to talk without any facts. without any effects removing from the growth zone. I have the resolution right in front of you if you could see

just a draft zoom in. There's nothing on the side in our regular resolutions. Let me pull up another one. Um I said we discussed number six this evening. You see in the corner it say approved as to from and legality to the basic fact setting forth corporation council. This mean our corporation council has to review every ordinance every resolution. So city doesn't get liable for it. And for number six we had a long discussion. I didn't talk at all. This item been on the agenda for almost a year, months. Even the our new director from UCCC, DCA, our ED director, Tiffany, they were here. They were here and they explained every item in there. It's just the increase of the fees. We don't have to go in the question where I believe out of line completely out of line from what we have as an ordinance. These fees were compared with other cities in state of New Jersey, Jersey City, Newark, Camden, um, and they came up with a number which is presented to the council. We vote up or down. I'm not saying I'm supporting it. Most likely I would not support the increase but the questioning sometime you just ask question to ask to make a deal out of it and waste everyone time. You should walk on your word talk to the constituents. That's what you need to do. Every council meeting you come in, you bring back

same argument. Every meeting you beating the dead horse, my vote is yes to close the public portion. Madame clerk, thank you, Councilman. Councilman Omar, my vote is yes, Madam Clerk. Thank you, Councilman Mendes. Councilman Uden, Councilman Vez.

Thank you, Madame Clerk. I just want to um say two things here. Um, probably legal could could probably later on uh advise me, but I respect freedom of speech and everybody had the right to come here and express their self or relief they self or distress and come here because they don't let them talk at home or whatever, you know, they could come here and talk and point out and slander and do whatever they want. But corporation council um just want to want to elaborate in this uh statement is in the record and is in TV land. Nobody could raise this what happened today. coverage council. Somebody use a public portion and slander and not only slander threat me and my family from that po public portion. Okay. Things goes around in the city out of the city. I know reports have seen council members getting shot and killed. The political hate is out there. But to come over here and express they self, I will go after your family, your wife, and you. That's a threat. And it's coming from a person that live about five houses away from my house. You know, I could come. I don't care. But when people come here and threat people like that, you know, is a concern. We get out late from work from

here. We go home late and we don't have that luxury of escort when we go home. So you never know if that same uh same way to be other people are listening and they could do whatever they want. So just take notice on that. uh PD um is on the tape. So um if something happens to my family, me and my wife is noted that came from that podium. Um you know, everybody had the right to run an election and everybody could put petitions and run the street seat available, but they taken right now. Um, but I agree to say this and and the residents of Patterson are not naive. They're not stupid. They know they see this council meetings. But if you come to this podium with the agenda criticizing, slandering, harassing council member, you don't think the borders of Patterson is not going to see that. And you think that they gonna bring that to the council in this side? They smart. They know they're not going to vote for people like that to come to the council. So you imagine what they have to offer.

Okay. If they act that way in that podium, what they going to bring

to the council? No solution. No solution. No solution. Meanwhile, we hear committee meetings talking about everything the administration bring forward trying to make sure that the taxpayer don't get the burden making sure we do ordinance and laws and and policy that protect the quality of life of the city of Patterson. Out of eight council, nine council member that we have here in this side, I could test and say clearly that eight council members sit down and talk in committee what is good for the residents of Patterson and the taxpayer of Patterson. Meanwhile, people talk two hours, one hour, three hours, take the whole meeting and there's no solution behind their words. So voters out there are smart. They use the wisdom and they know who they want to see here continuing doing the work. So that platform of coming here and I'm going to take your seat and I'm going to bury you. I'm going to take you out and all that stuff. The people out there that really vote it say do really Patterson need that type of people? No. So, do your homework. Well, I'm going to expect next week a rebuttal. Um, but we try to sit here and listen to everyone and we read the the documents. We're not perfect like other people on my right side, but we try to do common sense that when we say something is not working, we plan a solution. And that's a different of us in this side. We plan a solution. So,

uh, corporation council, um, I know that we recently draft or adopt a ordinance addressing the smoke shops, the smoke shops. And, um, that had to be revisit. Okay. And um the language had to be corrected um had to be corrected to exclude supermarket liquid stores or whatever because this ordinance was mainly to address smoke chops. And please tell the health board director where is it Dr. saw it, whatever. Um to instruct their uh inspector to not over create policy that is not in the book to go over the ordinance uh and and try to be a little bit more uh um friendly inspector when they go to this business and not act like a full law enforcement capacity. Uh saying that um madame clerk uh my vote is yes to close the public portion. Thank you, Councilman. Council President.

So, Miss Robersonson, um first thank you to the public that is present and those that are watching. Miss Robersonson, one of the things that I um put in place when I became the council president is that when residents come to the mic that we will have constituent services here. So, Mr. Javier Fernandez is in our meetings. Um and I actually sent him over. So that is the process to ensure that our residents receive timely updates and resolution towards whatever the concern is that's listed. We also um when it's you're at the microphone, our secretaries are taking notes. They go back and watch the meetings, follow up through that and send to various department. So those are some of the um some of the ways that we're the issues are resolved that are brought to the mic. But I wanted to have an extra cushion by having someone from constituent services in the council chambers. So, he is here. Um, and so when you have concerns, you'll see me um kind of direct him to make sure that um he is answering to the uh concerns. Um to all the speakers, thank you for coming out. There were some uh serious um things that were stated at the microphone on tonight. I know uh our con constituent service and our corporation council has been made aware, but I do want to address two things that were stated. One, um Mr. Alivera stated that I made a smirk, and it's amazing to me because Udin made the comment. And the fact that he didn't address Udin, but he addressed me is concerning. Udin made a very slick comment to him, and he addressed me. And I get it that I'm a woman and I'm a woman in leadership and authority, but we have to make sure when you're addressing, we cannot direct our whatever you you're attempting to do, address it to the individual that made the commentary. It was very loud, very clear. So, for him to address me for something someone else said, um I think

that's problematic. Number two, um to the public, people can state all types of things, but facts always remain. When you pull the documents on how I voted or the other council people, right, that voted, you will see that some things that you hear are not factual. They are not true. I'm not going to use this podium or the community's time to run for office. I'm in the seat. When it comes time to debates and forums, you'll hear very clearly what has been done and it will be what has been done by the people that's been in the seat, whether you supported items or you didn't support items. There's many things that said in the community on social media and so many various um uh vehicles or methodology that are not even correct. So, I don't take the time to go back and forth because I heard one of our wise seniors that I know she's watching. She taught me something before I became the council president. She said if two people are arguing we cannot identify who the fool is. So that's why I take the opportunity to remain professional and keep a level of decorum in the chambers which is something that should happen because people are watching us from all over. So Patterson I am here doing the work for the people as you already know each and every day. Uh my vote is yes to close public portion.

Thank you council president. Yes.

I apologize. I'm going to readjust my vote, please. So, the first thing is um when someone is challenging facts, it's not a it's not an argument. It's just a challenge of facts. It's a matter of debate. It's a process and in a dialogue. But one of the things that's concerning is how we automatically be are becoming victims. All of a sudden, Councilman VeZ is a victim to a woman coming to the podium addressing how he spoke to her, holding him accountable. The same guy who has his gut for me and Mr. Keys, now he's afraid he needs an escort to his car [laughter] that's parked illegally in the front of the building. It's amazing this stuff like this stuff. This is this stage has become comical because the victim uh who who who is afraid and now slander as a public official you are open to be scrutinized and someone's opinion of you doesn't have to be said in a manner in which you regard it to be palatable. So that's the first thing. But more importantly to my learned colleague to my left, I know he's short. I didn't think he took the short bus. I know he has short buses in his fleet. But while several large school projects are happening in in in around Jersey City, the developer building the roughly $25 million school is likely referring to Lenor Multifamily Communities. Working with Jersey City on a

development that includes a new public prek5 school valued at nearly $25 million. This is current. This is not what I don't know what he's talking about. They even have names of other schools that developers built. Liberty Science High School, Waldo International School, Woolbridge School. Further, right? When you look at what's being done in Newark and Lionsgate that's now building Lionsgate is building arts media high school for the city of Newark because they've been allowed to go in there and construct this new um studio facility. Right. We've allowed far more development to go on. We gave a developer $110 million to to refurbish a stadium. It wasn't even his own money. In all of these cases, none of these developers was given any money. They utilized their own money and they were tasked to build these schools. This is not fiction. And anybody can Google it. I'm I don't know. Maybe his phone that he's utilizing is from his his his homeland and it doesn't access some of the material that we have here. I'm not sure where where he's getting his information from, but this is factual content here. The city of Newark is going to get a new school because they they they partnered with the developer to come in there and allow them. Not only did we allow every single movie company to come into Patterson and take over our streets, we failed to charge them. We didn't enlist

to raise the fees to the to those movie companies. This council is entertaining uh uh legislation to raise local fees that's going to be implemented to to local people who live in this community. How is that not abuse? I don't I don't know what he's talking about. Lastly, very quickly, yeah, I'll acknowledge that all of the legislation has the information, the seal. He has the draft that's included in his packet. Why Corporation Council doesn't have it. I sent the unedited word document. And you know, I don't know if you guys are aware of this, but you can utilize chat GPT by placing a document that was written just to ask the question, was this created by chat GPT? I mean, all of new latest material will get will get a a a yes and vote on that. I did not draft this stuff using utilizing AI. I took the time out to draft this stuff. Corporation council has the access to it. He's refusing to even to to review it. So they're utilizing utiliz utilizing that as an excuse not to bring it forward. And again, I'm not going to read it again. Apparently, he didn't understand the the words that was coming out of my mouth when I was reading what is required. Nowhere in the legislation, nowhere in our city code does it say it requires to be in this font. Nowhere does it say it needs this name up here. Nowhere does it say it needs a signature. What it says is what it says and those are the items that's required and the council has the purview of approving, adopting and placing on law whatever it is we see fit. It does not require approval by the

city by the corporation council. And I'll say this lastly, if that was the case and the and the city attorney who's hired by the mayor is given instructions by the mayor not to approve any items that's going to go against the mayor's agenda, then then through that process, they can they can derail the public's open process for for for the protections of endowed upon Faulner. I don't understand how he's been elected multiple times. He doesn't doesn't quite understand that, but that it's not very surprising. I apologize, Madam Clerk. I know you I Anyway, I apologize. Madam clerk, my vote is yes.

Thank you, Councilman. Um, the votes are seven. Oh, Council President, I'm sorry. Council President, Councilman, colleague,

thank Thank you once again, people. You guys need to do a fact check. Everybody knows I don't open my mouth without checking the facts. Um, I'm reading the final version. Yes, they wanted to build something. Maybe maybe I'll forward you the article. Councilman Jackson uh from Jersey City. You spoke about Jersey City all this whole more than a year. Jersey City developing school developer deco. They couldn't do it. Is it's clear they pulled out of that $300 million dollar downtown Jersey City project.

What what I'm saying is what you said that somebody built the school in Jersey City is not the truth. Is not the fact. I have the article writing you you reading he's reading obviously misinforming people he reading the initial article when the developer wanted to do something but there's a legality there they could not do it they pulled out they sended email and the project did not even go through they didn't even build the project so once again false information what else you were trying to accuse of me last time I checked council president controlled the agenda. He's been trying to do putting stuff on the on the agenda for years. When when even I was the council president and he was wrong, he could not do it. You could go after the corporation council. You've been trying for for years. Uh there's no prevail. You are you just talk to talk. That's the fact. That's the fact. And I like I said, show me. I showed you. Look look at this article. I'm going to send you the article. the final article. I'm

send you all five of these. Okay. Send me Send it to me. Send it to me. No. No. You talk about Newark now. I didn't even look into Newark. Okay. Councilman, let us move forward. There's multiple schools in New York. Councilman point of order. Councilman, can we multip please call the the votes? Please call the votes and close out. Madam clerk.

Madam clerk, please call the votes. and and my phone is is not my is not from one second council. Is not he he said uh is from my my country or something. I bought the phone from Verizon here. Um uh I I don't think you have Verizon. Verizon got the best service in United States. I got the best. Madam clerk, please call the vote. The best service. Please call the votes. You vote. Councilman, I voted on it. Yes. Okay. You you rescended your vote, right? Because you spoke again. Okay. You too, Council President. I voted. Yes. Thank you very much. The votes of seven in favor, two absent workshop,

public a portion is closed. Madame clerk, please read the special meeting notice. [clears throat]

Meeting covered by 48 hour notice. Notice of the time, date, location, and agenda of this meeting was transmitted to the North Jersey Herald News, The Record, Arabic Voice, Italian Voice, Case County Pulse, Dominican News, Aasker International, Ellisbiel, the Patterson Press, the City Post News, Tap into Patterson, The Weekly Bangal, Patrika. In addition to any other publication duly requesting such notices at or about 11:00 a.m. on January 7th, 2026, such notices were posted on the bulletin board in the offices of the city clerk at city hall. Council President, so at this time to the uh public that is present, we ask you if you can go into the hall. But going into our special meeting and executive session for our workshop items that will be voted on or special meeting for workshop January 13th.

Yes. Pardon me, Council President. I have to uh do the attendance. Oh. So, right after the uh Madame Clerk reads it into the agenda. Right after that, if you can just go into the hallway until we ask you to return. Okay. Okay. Um Madam Clerk. Yes. Um one second. Councilwoman Cotton present. Here, Madam President. Councilwoman Dava, present. Councilman Jackson, I'm here. Okay. Councilman Clique, here. Councilman Mendes is absent. Councilman Omar, present.

Thank you. Councilman Omar is absent. Um, Councilman Vez is absent. Okay. Councilman Jackson. Yes. Thank you. Council President, yes. Thank you. Okay. The votes are six in favor, three absent at this time. The special meeting is now open. Shall I read the notice? Yes, please read the special meeting notes, madam clerk.

Okay. Pursuant to the Open Public Meetings Act, be advised that the Municipal Council of the City of Patterson has scheduled a special meeting for Tuesday, January 13, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. to be held in the council chambers, third floor, City Hall, 155 Market Street, Patterson, New Jersey for the purpose of discussing the following matters. Resolutions. Resolution authorizing calendar year 2026 budget temporary appropriations January through March 2026. Finance resolution number 20 col 01 two resolution authorizing a municipal council executive a close session in or join in the city council chambers 155 market street to discuss pending litigation in a manner of yana camaro versus city of patterson law resolution number 26 colon 002 Item number three is a resolution authorizing a municipal council executive shut. At this time, we'll go into executive session to discuss those items. Uh Raphael, if you will turn to the viewing public, we'll be back momentarily.

One one second before we go off. our apologies. One second. Corporation council is speaking to the clerk. I'm reading the executive session items first. Okay.

What else? Did I read number three? No. Okay. Number two. [clears throat and cough] Madame clerk, can you do the roll call for us to go into executive session?

Okay. Item number three is a resolution authorizing a municipal council executive or close session in or join in the city council chambers 155 Marcus suit to discuss pending workers compensation in a matter of Salvador Sierraina versus city of Patterson law resolution number 26 col3 formal action will be taken number four resolution authorizing a municipal council executive a close session and or joining the city council chambers 155 Marcus Street to discuss pending workers compensation in the matter of Glenda Lopez versus City of Patterson law. Resolution number 260005. Formal action will be taken. Resolution authorizing the municipal council executive a close session in or joining the city council chambers 155 Market Street to discuss pending workers compensation in the matter of James Jones versus city of Patterson law resolution number 26 col5. Formal action will be taken. Number six, resolution authorizing a municipal council executive of closed session and or join in the city council chambers 155 Marcus Street to discuss pending workers compensation in a matter of Richard Prescott versus City of Patterson Law Resolution number 26006. Formal action will be taken. Number seven, resolution authorizing the municipal council executive a closed session in or join in the city council chambers 155 Market Street to discuss pending workers compensation in the matter of Michael Haskup versus city of Patterson law resolution number 260007. Formal action will be taken. Resolution number eight, resolution authorizing the municipal council executive or close session in or joining the city council chambers 155 Marcus Street to discuss pending workers compensation in the matter of Lewis Sealano versus city of

Patterson law resolution number 26008 formal action will be taken. Number nine, resolution authorizing a municipal council executive or close session in or joining the city council chambers 155 Market Street to discuss pending workers compensation in the matter of Devon E. Row versus City of Patterson law resolution number 26 col9. Formal action will be taken. Thank you, [clears throat] Madam Clerk. Roll call to go into executive session. Roll call to go into executive session. Councilwoman Cotton, yes. Yes. She says yes. Councilwoman Dava, yes. Councilman Jackson,

yes. Councilman Khik, yes. Councilman Omar, yes, madam. Yes. Council President, yes, Madam Clerk. Thank you. We have six uh in favor, three absent. Executive session is now open. Thank you. At this time, we're asking that the uh televisions are cut off to the viewing public. We will be back momentarily after the executive session is over. Thank you.

public. We are now um rec coming back from our executive session and our workshop from January 13th um for items 1 through nine that we are ready for vote madame clerk item two through nine I'm sorry two through nine two two through nine for executive session two okay two through nine for executive session item one to be voted upon okay can we have a motion in the second to reconvene the um to come out of executive session. So move second

move by councilman colleagues, second by council Dava and Omar. Roll call to go back into our work workshop meeting of January 13th. We we didn't special meeting. We didn't complete the special meeting to the ground. Roll call to go into our special meeting of January 13th. Madam clerk. Okay. Roll to the ground. Roll call to go into the special meeting. Councilwoman Cotton. Councilwoman Dava. Yes. Councilman Khik. Yes. Councilman Omar. Yes. Madam Clerk. Councilman uh VeZ.

Yes, Madam Clerk. Councilman Uden. Yes. Councilman Councilwoman. Um Council President. Yes, Madam Clerk. I was at the end. Six in favor, three absent. He's just We're now opening public portion. Seeing no one. Move to close. Second. Motion to close by Councilman Colleague. Second by Councilman Omar. Motion to close public portion. Roll call. Madam clerk. Motion to close public portion of the special meeting. Councilwoman Cotton. Yes. Councilwoman Dava. Yes. Councilman Khik. Yes. Counciloman Omar. Yes. Councilman Uden. Councilman Oden.

Council. Councilman Odin. Oh, yes. I'm sorry. Thank you. Uh, Councilman Valz. Yes. Council President. Yes, Madam Clerk. Okay. Um, six in favor, three absent. Uh, public portions hereby are closed. Item number one, Madam Clerk. Okay. Item number one, it's a resolution authorizing calendar year 2026 budget temporary appropriation January through March 2026 February um finance resolution number 26 col 01 formal action will be taken. So moved moved by council president mim second by councilwoman Davlin Omar roll call on item number one. Madam clerk

roll call on item number one for adoption. Counciloman Cutton. Yes. Council Council Councilwoman Davo. Yes. Councilman Khalig. Councilman Khalik. Yes, Madam Clerk. Thank you. Councilman Omar. Yes, Madam Clerk. Councilman Uden. Yes. Thank you, Councilman Delesz. Yes, Madam Clerk. You and Council Council President. Yes, Madam Clerk. Thank you very much. Uh the it the votes are seven in favor, two absent. Item number one is hereby adopted.

Item number two, madam clerk. Item number two. We did mean item number 10. I believe you we sent item number 10. No, no, I'm sorry. Item number two for vote. Okay. Where is it? They all out of order. That's the thing. They all out of order. That's what happened. Oh, it's item number 10, madam clerk. I'm sorry. Item 10. It's Yeah.

Item number 10. Item number 10 is a resolution authorizing settlement of pending litigation claim in the matter of Yana Camro versus City of Patterson law resolution number 26 col010. Formal action will be taken. So moved by Councilman Odin, second by Councilman Khali. Roll call on item number 10. Roll call on item number 10 for adoption. Council Cotton. Yes. Thank you. Councilman Khaled. Yes, Councilman Uden. Councilman Uden. Yes. But we need another council member. Councilman VeZ. We got five. No, that's when you

Yeah, we got five. We got five. Yes. Yes, madam clerk. Council President. Thank you. Um the votes are five in favor, four absent. Item number 10 is hereby adopted. Item number 11, Madam Clerk. Item number 11 is a resolution authorizing settlement of pending workers compensation claim in the matter of Salvador Sia Ravino versus city of Patterson law resolution number 26 col011. Formal action will be taken. So moved by Councilman Khalik, second by Councilman Uden. Roll call on item number 11. Madam clerk, roll call on item number 11 for adoption. Councilwoman Cotton. Yes. Councilman Khik. Yes. Councilman Uden.

Yes. Councilman VZ. Councilman. Yes. Did you say yes? No. Yeah. I'm confused. All of them were comps. No. Which one? You know, which one? Count. Councilman VeZ. I don't see the name of the other one in this. We already did it. You said no. So, I had to recuse myself. vote because the name is not here. Yes or no? This yes, no, or abstension. No, no. Councilman Vez, yes, no or abstension. You have the floor. Number 11. He He need number 10. That's what No, we're on number 11. Councilman.

Councilman, you number 10. You needed to do that. No, but Councilman, you're in the middle of voting. You can't walk over to corporation council. I'm recusing myself at this. Okay. He's recusing himself. Madam clerk, my vote is yes. Thank you. Where's your name? Thank you. Um, so he recused. Okay. Yes. All right. My vote is yes, madam. Thank you very much. Okay. Um, the votes are four in favor, one accused, and three four three absent. Sorry, four absent. One, two, three, four, five. Four absent. Right. Four absent, four yes, and one recusal.

Right. Okay. So, item number 11 is hereby adopted. Item number 12, Madam Clerk. Item number 12 is a resolution authorizing settlement of pending workers compensation claim in a matter of Glenda Lopez versus City of Patterson Law. Resolution number 26 col012 formal action will be taken. So, moved by Councilman, second by Councilman Odin. Roll call on item number 12. Roll call on item number 12 for adoption. Councilwoman Cotton, yes. Councilman Khik, yes. Councilman Omar, he's not here. Councilman Uden, yes. [snorts] Councilman Veles, item number 12.

Yes. Okay. Council President, yes. Where's your name? Where's her name? Okay. Thank you. The votes are five in FA. Five in favor, four absent. Item number 12 is hereby adopted. Item 13, Madame Clerk. Item number 13 is a resolution authorizing settlement appending workers compensation claim in the matter of James Jones versus city of Patterson law resolution number 26 col013. Formal action will be taken. So moved by Councilman Colleague, second by Councilman Uden. Roll call on item number 13. Roll call on item number 13. Councilwoman Cotton, yes. Councilman Khalig,

yes. Councilman Uden, yes. Councilman Vez, yes. Council President, yes, Madam Clerk. Thank you. The votes are five in favor, four absent. Item number 13 is hereby adopted. Item number 14, Madam Clerk. Item number 14 is a resolution authorizing settlement of pending workers compensation claim in the matter of Richard Prescott versus City of Patterson law resolution number 26 col014. Formal action will be taken. Second move by Councilman Vlet, second by Councilman Uden. Roll call on item number 14. Roll call on item number 14. Councilwoman Cotton.

Yes. Council colleague. Thank you. Councilman Uden. Yes. Councilman VeZ. Yes, madam clerk. Thank you. And council president. Yes. The votes are five in favor for absent. Item number 14 is hereby adopted. Item 15. Item number 15 is a resolution authorizing settlement of pending workers compensation claim in the matter of Michael Hescup versus city of Patterson law resolution number 26 col015. Formal moved by council member le second by council uden. Roll call on item number 15. Roll call on item number 15. Councilwoman Cotton. Yes. Councilman Khalik. Yes. Councilman Uden. Yes. Councilman VeZ.

Yes. Madam Clerk. Council President. Yes. Yes. Post of five in favor for absent. Item number 15 is here. Adopted. Item 16, Madam Clerk. Item number 16 is a resolution authorizing settlement of pending worker workers compensation claim in a matter of Lewis Caleno versus city of Patterson law resolution number 26 col016 formal action will be taken. So move second move by councilman. Second by councilman Uden. Roll call on item number 16. Madam roll call on item number 16. Counciloman Cotton. Yes. Councilman uh Khik. Yes. Councilman Uden. Yes, Councilman. Yes, Madam Clerk. Council President. Yes, Madam Clerk.

Thank you. The votes are five in favor, four absent. Item number 16 is hereby adopted. And our last item of the evening, item number 17, Madam Clerk. Item number 17 is a resolution authorizing settlement of pending litigation claim in a matter of Devon Ero versus City of Patterson law resolution number 26 col017. Formal action will be taken. So second move by Councilman Bles, second by Councilman Uden. Roll call on item number 17. 17. [clears throat] Roll call on item number 17. Councilwoman Cotton. Councilman Kik. Yes. Councilman Uden. Councilman Odin.

Yes. I'm sorry. Thank you. Councilman VeZ. Yes. Madam Clerk. Council President. Yes. Thank you. The votes are five in favor, four absent. Item number 17 is hereby adopted. Can we have a motion to close the special meeting of January 13th? Second. Uh moved by Councilman Bles, second by Councilman Odin. Roll call to close the special meeting of January 13th. Okay. Roll call to close the special meeting. Um special meeting of um what is this? January 13, 2026. Councilwoman Cotton, yes. Councilman Khalig, yes. Councilman Uden, my vote is yes, ma'am. I'm correct.

Thank you. Councilman Vez. Councilman Vez. Councilman. Yes. Thank you. Yes, ma'am. Thank you very much, Councilman Omar. We're closing the uh special meeting. Councilwoman Dava. Thank you, Council. You already have your council uh council president. Yes. Thank you very much. Okay. Um ma'am 1, two, three, four, five. The votes are six in favor, three absent. The special meeting is hereby agenda. Can we have a motion to reopen the workshop reopen and close?

Move. Moved by Councilwoman Davis, second by Councilman Uden and Veles. Roll call. Madam clerk. Roll call to reopen to open the workshop the workshop session. Councilwoman Cotton, yes. Councilwoman Dava, yes. Councilman Khalik, yes. Councilman Omar, yes. Councilman Uden, yes. Thank you, Councilman Vez. Next time we could do a motion and two action at the same time. Closing. Open and close. My vote is yes. Thank you, council president. My vote is yes, madam clerk.

Thank you. The votes are six in favor, three absent. The workshop session is reopened.

Yes. Um right before the motion to close on item number seven to our BA and CFO, please be ready to um give a introduction of that next week. We've been going over this for a while. Um, I know there's been some miscommunication in the community, but the UCCC codes and the sewer fees will be voted on on the 20th. It's not scheduled for tonight. Just wanted to give that information. And to the public, um, no council member has voted on anything yet. The votes will be next week and then um, after that, you can make your determination, but no one has voted on any of these fees. The votes will be on January 20th, next Tuesday. Is there a motion to close? So move the workshop of January 13th.

Councilwoman to close. I have councilwoman Davala. Second. Councilman VeZ. No. Ruby says it. No, she has a discussion. Oh, discussion. Discussion. Counciloman Cotton. Yeah. I want my black history honory to be on regular. Okay. Uh, what item number is that? Mine is number 21. Okay. So, item number 21. We'll put that on regular. I know. So, mine's please. yours too. This is Centennial as well. Okay. Um I have to speak on so all just place all the honories on regular madam clerk for black history month please. All on regular. Okay.

Yes. Unless a cine councilman khali. Thank you. His will go on consent. Okay. Well this a 100 year celebration to me that's special. Yeah. Uh it's special. Councilman Jackson. [clears throat] He's not here. You can put it on regular. It was on consent before. Put it on regular. You can put on regular. Okay. Uh, roll call to close out the workshop meeting of January 13th. Thank you, Patterson. What was this? I'm sorry. Regular. Roll call. Sorry. It was um, Councilman um, it was council second by Councilman VeZ. Roll call to close out the workshop of January 13th.

One second. I was asking the question if Councilman colleague, you wanted yours on consent. Okay. I just wanted to just confirm that. Reconfirm that. Okay. Thank you very much. Okay. Roll call to adjourn the workshop session of January 13th, 2026. Councilwoman Cotton. Thank you, Madam Clerk. I just want to say to you all listening u to our community out there, I want to wish you a happy new year. I know we have not had a meeting um since that. Also, I want to welcome our new BA, Josh. No. Huh? S. Dan.

Dan. Okay, Dan. I'm sorry. And you done I know that you have, but I just want to welcome you aboard. Um, I know that we're all here to work with you. Um, and I know that you're going to have that open door policy. Um, if forever you already shown that with me already. Uh, if I need to come into the to your office to discuss any items in there. Um I just want to um say to the public viewing that um if people are watching our council meeting and and it's not only it's not only adults, it's it's children uh and they're seeing uh how how the meeting is is um coming. And I think that we need to be very careful of what we do sometimes uh in our meetings. But I just want to say to my um I had really a good couple weeks beginning this year. I celebrated with two football teams, our young people, um the Silk City U Cardinals, the Silk City Leagues,

and I celebrated with the Wildcats um at the Veterans Hall over there in Toa. And you know, I I want to say I want to commend the parents and I want to commend the coaches of an outstanding job that you guys are doing um to help our children to help. They're your children, but when you helping your children, you're helping other children because you're bringing them all together. And I want to say to you all out there, congratulations. You are doing an outstanding job of everything. When I went to those two events, one was held downstairs and both of them was actually held down in the mayor's office, but the Wildcats had a special um they had a special one for their kids. They had like a sneaker ball, which I thought was a nice

a really nice idea of doing that. So, I just want to say keep up the good work community. You know, always do what you can for people out there in the community. Help those that that you need to help. Steer them into the right direction. Send them where they may need to be. Um, our office is always open. Madame Clerk and our administrative secretary Sophia Alexander, she's they're always here. They get all kind of calls. So, I just want to say to you, continue. Um, God bless you all. And once again, happy new year to my council colleagues, even though I done seen you, but happy new year to my council colleagues, to my BA, to my corporation counselor, Amy Abushi, and my of course my CFO Javier Sylvia, and my madame clerk. Ladies, gentlemen, have a good evening. God bless you all out there. Thank you.

God bless you. Thank you. My vote is yes, Madam Clerk. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilwoman Davlin,

today [clears throat] was a very interesting meeting and I'll start off also by saying to all happy new year as this is our first uh council meeting of the year. Uh I want to thank each and every uh council member that that is here today. Uh, but I have a special thank you uh and a welcome a special welcome to our new BA. Um, I have full faith in you. As I've stated and I'll continue to state it, every person that begins working in our city always starts with an A in my book. Um, I think that, you know, not to knock any other, uh, business administrator that we've had, um, but it just gives me great pleasure to see that you're an individual that understands governance because you've been part of the different branches. uh in addition being an assistant BA in another municipality. um your your um leadership while you were councilman uh in Elmwood Park. Um I have to say, you know, that um I believe that you're going to do a great job because you have a good understanding and that you do understand that, you know, this council, everyone, you know, has different interests or agendas if we can say it that way because everyone does have an agenda, right? A good one, bad one or indifferent, but everyone has an agenda. Um, and I believe that a good business administrator is going to understand each council member and what what their wants and needs are. Um, we do serve the community. You've served the community for so many years. So, I want to give you a warm welcome. Um, sorry for anything that happened today, but for years you've been watching the council. When you were council president and I was council president, you would reach out to me and we really didn't know each other. So, I've got to know you throughout the years and I am looking forward to working with you. Do not take anything in terms of me personal. Um, I am very passionate. At times I may come

across a little maybe not so nice. Um, but I mean well, okay. Um, so I just want to welcome you to the city of Patterson. I thank you for giving me an opportunity of being in this seat for almost 12 years as your senior council woman at large. I am running for a fourth term. I will not allow anyone to come here bismerch or slander or say that I have not been doing a good job. I've done the best that I've could. I've run on consistency matters. My work is shown by action, not by words. And so it does not matter who comes before this council to say that they're coming here or they want to remove the atlarge members that are currently sitting. I can say this to you with God's help and grace and all of you that believe in me. I know that I will be coming back to my seat because consistency matters. I'm also looking forward to working with my council president because I think it's important that we continue the work that we've started. So, um to my council colleagues, I look forward for your support. You've known me for years. You know how I work. If I have your support, I welcome it with open hands and arms and an open heart. If I don't have it, I'm going to be okay because the people have put me in this seat. to madame ba to Sophia thank you so much for keeping it together I know that it is a difficult task okay did I say madam ba I'm I meant to say corporate I'm sorry h I'm so passionate um madame clerk okay thank you and and to all and to everyone in the city council um office because I know that a lot of the work that is done behind the scenes takes a lot and

there's times where people are rushing here at 4:29 to give work that has to then take another hour or two and you know everyone has you know their time where they come in and where they they leave and unfortunately sometimes some of our workers are not able to do that in a timely fashion. Corporation Council. Um, I have much respect for you, the work that you do. Um, you did not earn your degree by osmosis. You worked hard. You have a lot of respect. Sometimes it's embarrassing to see how you are addressed. You have been professional from day one. Sometimes I want to kind of like get you mad to see if you can explode, but you have shown your professionalism and your class. As I've always called you, Triple A, you are class A. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Uh once again, you know, to my CFO, happy new year to you as well. To the entire finance staff, uh to my officers that are here, to my police department as I chair the public safety committee, um I'm all about number one, public safety first. to Raphael Gonzalez and the entire team, Ryan and all. Thank you also because while we're sitting here, right, they also have to sit here and wait for us to leave. Sorry that I took a little more time than normally I do when I'm closing, but I didn't speak that much today. And at the end of the day, I got to let it be known Davala is coming back. Thank you very much. My vote is yes.

Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilman Khalik, we are we are only in January, February, March, April, May. We we all got to go through this um passionate speeches. We we'll welcome you back. By the way, we sound like a farewell speech to me. My vote is yes, Madame Clerk. Thank you, Councilman Omar. Yes. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Thank you, Councilman. Council, I approve that message. I really do. Uh, Mr. Ba, welcome aboard. I uh Thank you.

I look forward to working with you in bettering our city. Corporation Council, you already know. I I commend you for all your efforts and your work that you do day in day out. And uh to my council colleagues here, right, right, I look forward to seeing all of you back in May. With that being said, my vote is yes. Good night, Patterson. Thank you, Councilman Luden. I said everything they said.

Thank you, Council. Um, Madame Clark, thank you very much. Uh, thank you to the public, those who are watching this public, uh, council meeting today. Uh, Mr. VA, welcome to the city of Patterson and I definitely like to shout out for your approach to meet all the council members, meet or speak personal level before you take the office and it means a lot to me. Um, and I see your intention and I am ready to work collaboratively to see that our city is moving forward. Uh, with that intention, thank you corporation council always guiding us in the right direction. Um, thank you everyone. Have a wonderful night. My vote is yes. Thank you, Councilman. Councilman.

So, I'm the last one to speak, but I'm going to be short this time. Um, Mr. BA, thank you for the call that you gave me um minutes after the New Jersey.com reported that you was going to be the BA. I was surprised and I said, "Wow, I just reading the article. I was going to write something and um and for in your behalf uh supporting this initiative." Um I'm not going to say like councilwoman Davillaa say that she have faith right Davila that you have faith on the BA. Yeah my faith start like the mustard seed with you a little bit. Now the relation is here as I said before everything start with communication. If you highlight us and you answer, a healthy conversation will lead the right decision in this city. And to my colleagues that are re uh going for reelection, I stated in a Facebook post, election is not win by witchcraft and going to spiritual advisors and um things that are not set based on the Yeah. Witchcraft. People go to witchcraft and all those spiritual things to win election. In the past, they have done it. You know the story about who went to the mountain to win an election in Patterson way way back and pour a one of those rhythm things to win an election and he became mayor.

He became mayor. So um you don't need to none of nobody needs to go that route. I always say you win election based um substance plans, government plan and moving forward with the work that you guys been doing. And I always got to say this and I got to say loud and clear, the residents of Patterson are not naive and stupid. The voters of Patterson are not. They watch this meeting. They know who comes to those podium and want to bring good concept and plan and ideas and a good political platform and they probably convince them. But when you see them using the freedish speech liberal slandering, attacking and saying that we not and we not and we not but they don't bring a plan. They don't bring substance. They don't blame um good ideas and no solutions. So I think the resident of Patterson knows who to vote for. And I always got to say this, don't worry. Sit back and let the Lord dictate the future of Patterson. The future of Patterson. So let's all continue praying for this city, for our police officers, for our personnel, for anyone that sit in this side and those that sit in the other side that God could put in wisdom how to move the city together and we are together. Um saying that um let's keep on praying for the Middle

East and let's keep on praying for the Caribbean. And um I want to say thank you to Governor Murphy for his years of service in the city and the state of New Jersey. Um also I want to congratulate um LD35 Kenya Stewart and also Beji Wimbley Adelaiz and the Delarian and also to the Latino immigrant or immigrant community. the um state legislator passed a package of immigration reform or law to protect those immigrants in the city of Patterson in the state of New Jersey. So look to the headline news, look what it entails. going to be doing a beautiful graphic on it for orientate my resident because Patterson is a welcome immigrant city and this space for everyone. So saying that my vote is yes to close this meeting.

Thank you. Uh madam clerk I mean council president you going to change your vote? Yes I'm going to change my vote. Okay good. Go ahead. Council McCarten.

Thank you. I'm so sorry madam clerk. I forgot to say that today and I really wanted to, but I I just want to say congratulations to the three people in our 35th Legislative District. Of course, I was in Trenton today, my cousin Benji Wimbley, Senator Benji Wimbley, u being sworn in, and also I wasn't able to see my colleague that I sat next to for seven years, Al Albaziz, but I want to say congratulation and also to my nephew, Kenyatta Stewart, on being elected. I wish we could have been there tonight, but of course we had to do our council meeting here. And let me just say to the two officer here, uh, I truly appreciate you guys. I truly appreciate it. I know we very rarely sometimes forget to acknowledge you guys, but

I truly appreciate you, Madame Clerk. Council President, thank you. Madame Clerk, my vote is yes.

Thank you, Coun. [laughter] to uh Patterson. First and foremost, um we sat here and I want to thank my council colleagues. We know that there was a swearing in tonight. We celebrate Senator Benji Wimberly, Assemblyman Abdelaziz, and Assemblyman Kinyatta Stewart on your victory and your swearing in this morning and tonight. And we council members felt the need to be in the council chambers to do the city's business and could not make it to the brownstone. I communicated that earlier to them. My congratulations as we worked very hard to ensure that the entire road got elected. We're super excited and we're looking for the partnership and the uh relationships that will continue to move Patterson forward. I want to say happy founders day to all of my sorores of Delta Sigma Theta Sarority Incorporated. I wanted to be with you and celebrate tonight, but we had to do city's business. Thank you to my council colleague VP Davala on my wonderful gift. Um in honor of our 113 years of sisterhood and service, social action and scholarship um to everyone. I want to say this, there are there is um an election coming up in a couple of months. Um, and I have to say we picked up petitions and we turned them in and we were certified from the very first day and we are on the ballot. We are legitimate candidates that are running. Um, my my premise and my platform will remain professional without using anything to talk negative against any candidate because my work speaks for itself. We have done a lot of great things here and I cannot wait to be able to put it on display to show all of the things that we advocated for, all of the

things that we worked hard for to make sure that we improved the city of Patterson. Is everything where it needs to be? No. But it's definitely not where it was when I got here almost eight years ago. It's in a there's some things that have definitely improved. and someone made a statement and they said that I've lost my way. I've never lost my way. I'm born and raised in the city of Patterson from the fourth ward. I've lived in almost every ward of this city and there's no way I could lose my way cuz I don't need a navigation or GPS to ride around the city. I know the city inside out and I work here every single day. So, the only thing that I have lost is possibly a few pounds sitting here cuz I didn't eat dinner tonight. But other than losing my way in Patterson, that is not the case. Patterson, you know who has done the work. You know that we are sitting here. Councilwoman Davala and I have been pushing hard and working. Councilman Uden as well. We are sitting here working and improving the things that need to be done in the city of Patterson. Do we always agree with the administration? Absolutely not. And behind the scenes, we know what to do in committee. we know how to come and make sure we say this is not how it goes. These are some concerns from the residents um and we want to work that. I also want to commend uh director Corey Fleming and trust uh chair of the library board Errol Carr. I requested a meeting in our finance um committee and I want to thank our madam chair Dava and our CFO and administration and our new BA. We had a meeting today to try to bring some resolve um and a new level of communication to ensure that our employees and all of the entities that are connected to the city of Patterson are definitely in a better place and that we're working in tandem. Thank you to our clerk, to our secretary, to our great officers for protecting and

serving us, our BA. Um Mr. Ba, I have to say to you, welcome. We've been friends for a long time. You know, I've admired your leadership. You did a phenomenal job in Elwood Park. And when I heard that you were coming, I was like, "Yes." And there's some things that I've already heard um as we were communicating um in conversation that I think are going to be well. And one of the things I said to you when we spoke in the beginning, I said, "Make sure you reach out to all council members." And you did that. And I'm excited. And I heard the excitement from Councilman, which I think is important that you build that working relationship with everyone. As Councilwoman Davis says, I start everybody with a hundred and then whatever I don't see, it gets taken away from that. But I believe in working together because we are better together. Patterson, there are many events coming. Um, we're in the middle of uh Dr. Martin Luther King celebrations. We have an event on Monday for Delta. we're doing at at St. Luke. There's also a event at Canaan Baptist Church, Reverend Graham's Church on Monday. Um, please keep our family in prayer. We've have several members that have passed away and there will be funeral services over the next next couple of days. So, please keep my family in prayer. Um, and make sure we pray for each other. To Miss Lagan, we are praying for you and your family. to all people that have lost loved ones. Congratulations to all that have new babies and new siblings and all these great things. Continue to pray for our community, our children, our families, and most importantly, pray for yourself. Madame Clerk, with that stated, I think Raphaela um thank you as well. Madame Clerk, my vote is yes to close the meeting.

Thank you, Council President. The votes are seven in favor to absent. The workshop session of January 13, 2013 is hereby adjourned. Good night. Good night, Patterson. Thank you.