Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening. We're about to start our meeting.

Good evening. Can we get some decorum? Good evening. Quiet in the chambers, please. Good evening everyone. On behalf of the Patterson Municipal Council, I welcome you to the regular meeting of April 14, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. The meeting is now called to order. Madame Clerk, please call the role. Council member Cotton is absent at the time. Council Vice President Davila,

I am present. Good evening, everyone. Council member Jackson is absent at this time. Council member Khalik, I'm here. Council member Mendes absent at this time. Council member Omar present. Madame clerk. Council member Udin is absent at this time. Council member Blesz. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Present. And council president Mims. I am present. Madam clerk. Can you please read the statement of compliance? Well, before we do that, we have the prayer

correct being rendered by uh Pastor Linda Stansel of Rahob Church of Christ following the flag salute led by uh Mr. Eddie Alveris. If we'll all stand for the prayer. Almighty and eternal God, our father and creator of the universe, the giver and sustainer of life, we come to you in humble submission to your divine will, power, and authority. We thank you for every blessing and for manifesting your love, grace, and mercy toward us in each new day. We come now, oh wise God, to invoke your presence in this chamber this evening. that every member of this council be endowed with the ability to reason together as they conduct the business of our city that will take us to a place of unity. May every decision be righteous in your sight for the benefit of the people and for your glory. We pray also for every constituent gathered here that every concern will be addressed with the mind to work together towards solutions. We pray for our mayor and our city at large that we look to you for guidance and direction. We thank you Lord again for this awesome privilege to come boldly to your throne making our requests known unto you with the expectation of victory in the name of our Lord Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Amen.

Amen. indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you. Can we please remain standing for a moment for those that have lost their lives and for our troops and our widows? Thank you. Might be seated, Madam Clerk. Statement of compliance, please. Adequate notice of this meeting was compiled and disseminated in accordance with the open public meetings act by way of the annual meeting notice compiled for the year 2025 2026 on or about July 1, 2025 and duly transmitted to the official newspapers of the city prominent prominently displayed in the lobby of city hall posted to our website and sent to any person who requested Thank you, Madame Clerk. Can we do um take item number 52, please? Item 52 is a resolution authorizing a contract for the purchase of three Ford Police Interceptor all-wheel drive from All-American Ford under Bergen County Co-op contract purchasing system CK-04. bid number 24-43 for the police department in an amount not to exceed 140,72620.

Second. Second. Moved by council vice president Dava. Second by council member Le. Roll call on item number 52. Council vice president Davila. Yes. Council member colleague. Yes. Council member Omar. Yes. Council member VeZ. Yes. And Council President Mims. Yes. Madame Clerk. If in favor the item passes. Thank you, Madam Clerk. I'm trying. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very

uh consent agenda, Madam Clerk. Consent agenda is items number two through number 30 one one listed on the agenda moved by council president mems is there second by council vice president dava and vez roll call on the consent agenda council vice president Davila yes council Council member Jackson is present. Council member Jackson, no. Council member Khalik, yes. Council member Omar,

yes. Council member, yes. Council President Mims, yes. Madam clerk, item number one, the first reading ordinance item one and ordinance number one is an ordinance establishing a commercial loading zone for Bascom construction and diaras projects LLC on a portion of Oak Street. So move second mo. I'm sorry I'm having a little difficulty understanding the move by council me second by council um president mems

roll call on item one and then just can you speak into the mic when you call the tally because they didn't hear the last tallies. Okay. Okay. Council Vice President Davila for this is for item ordinance number one. Number one. Okay. Yes. Councilman Jackson. Yes. Council member Khalig. Yes. Council member Omar. Yes. Councilman Vez. Yes. Madam Clerk. Council President Mims. Yes. Madam Clerk. Six in favor. This item passes.

Thank you. We have a special presentation by Councilman Blesz at this time. Councilman. None. We did consent. And now we have to do non consent. And

thank you, Madam Clerk. Um, today is a blessing day for Patterson, for the people that serve our city with Nitney and represented in all level in the community. So, I want to call forward a gentleman that is a bishop. At the same time, he's a general from an organization that you probably don't see them on the street in Patterson, but they all the way around the world and they are doing a great work as chaplain, international chaplain organization. So, I want to call forward to honor tonight Bishop Dr. Luis A. Paneawa for his service and contribution to community and public safety. I want my councilwoman president that she's also the minister and councilwoman Dava to come forward and I will ask General Luis Paneawa to please come forward. So whereas Bishop Dr. Louise E. Paneawa was born in Sto Domingo, Dominican Republic and has demonstrated lifelong commitment to service, leadership and community development. And whereas Bishop Maniawa immigrate to the United States in 1992 and has since dedicate himself uplifting communities through faith-based leadership and public service initiative. And whereas Bishop Baniwa is the founder of Clamor for New York Community Service Center and the International Alliance of Chaplain and Law Enforcement Organization committed

to community support, safety, and outreach. And whereas Bishop Paneawa has achieved numerous academic academic and professional distinction including multiple doctoral degrees and certification in counseling, ministry, diplomacy, and public safety as well. recognition in law enforcement and emergency respond training and where Bishop Panawa work in national and citizen security including the development and public safety concept implemented in various communities and contribute to addressing violence, crime and community stability and whereas Bishop Paneawa have been recognized by national and international organization including commendation from governmental and diplomatic identities. ities and for his humanitarian effort assisting underserved population and whereas Bishop Aniawa's social work include the establishment of volunteer corp consisting in thousand of members food distribution program disaster respond team and collaboration with emergency military organization and the past month he was also recognized with the medal of peace from the United Nation in United states. Now, we're therefore be resolved that this municipal council on the city of Patterson that Herby recognize, honor, and extend the appreciation to Bishop Dr. Luis City uh Luis Epanawa for his outstanding service, leadership, and contribution to the community development and public safety. This resolution is number 26152. It was adopted and voted by all the council members in the city of Patterson. And we are proud to say that

he is an example for the community. I will have Dr. Mintz give some words of recognition and also Councilwoman Dava.

So Bishop, thank you for your service. Thank for your heart and your passion to do what you do. Our lives are made better because of what you do. God is pleased. Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Been faithful over a few things. God's gonna make you ruler over a minute. Congratulations. I don't think I need to repeat No chambers. And some words, some words for Bishop Luis Piagua, General.

God bless you everyone. I want to excuse with you be because I want to speak Spanish. Uh, you translate. Oh, you could say in English, too.

Okay. continue. Okay. Dominic terrorist. No, no, no. Boxtoropism

Dr. I will do chat GTP translate but whatever he say he being recognized by different organization as I say I stated in the resolution uh one of the things I impact me in his message is to be united to create sense in the community of safety and and prevent crimes and be united for the strength of our city. So give him a round of app let's have the council Yeah. Let's have the council in the middle to have a picture if you want.

You will have to come up.

Uh colleagues if you come also Mr. BA it will be a honor to you guys come also represent the administration Another round. Stand up.

and to the community of Patterson. Uh I just uh aware that this organization will be working with the community in Patterson also. So you're going to see them around too in Pis. Madame clerk, payment of bills.

Payment of bills. Um, finance chair, council vice president. Okay. Thank you very much.

Thank you, council president and everyone. If I could please have your attention. Uh to my council colleagues, uh I'd like um for you to look at the summary of dispersements in the amount of 48,660,329.32. Um the computerized checks totaled a 43,88,93.79. Of the 43 million, uh 35 million is a one-time annual pension payment and the rest is a 6.6 uh for insurance health for health insurance. And this was a payroll week which uh totaled 5,572,2353 making it a total total of 48,660,329.32. My motion is for payment of bills.

Second. Roll call. Madam clerk. Discussion. Discussion. Councilman Jackson. I'm sorry. Give me one moment. So the question I have is uh with regard to payroll. So um madame chair

are there any uh payments from this payroll to uh the consultant from finance. Mr. CFO I was asking the chairman of You can't ask me questions. No, you have to direct it to the CFO. CFO ask you questions. CFO. Wait. I'm sorry. What? I can't ask you questions. Robert's rules of order. You go through the chair. You did not do that. I got permission from the council president to speak. He said through the chair. Madame chair of finance. Was there any payments made to finance for a consultant? Mr. CFO. There are no payments.

I'm sorry. There are no payments. There are no payments. No. Okay. Mr. Um, BA, was the report that I asked for included? Does the council members have this have the report? The entire the entire council, Mr. Ba, the entire council was sent a report on that specific subject yesterday and it reflects everything that I stated last week at the meeting. What does it reflect? That report is there. It reflects that uh these services are far more costefficient than backfilling the position of assistant CFO.

Okay. So within this report does it include the payments made to this consultant? Yes. For 24 25 and anything done in 26 so far? Yes. If I may, Council President, I'm just going to peruse this report that uh the BA sent yesterday.

Did you title it anything specific? Mr. Ba for the title is consultant finance department. Did you include these invoices uh of services rendered? I see there's invoices for let me try to find it here. 43,000 uh invoices for 15,000 20,000 but what are the services that we're paying for? How many hours is she working? is because the the you know the the uh I asked for copies to be made. Did Did we get those copies, Madam Clerk? Did we get those copies yet?

Copy. I'm sorry. Copies of what? Copies of the invoice for that the gentleman has made for me. You can you can bring it over. So, it's an invoice for one week's work. That's more than $15,000. I'm trying to understand just I want to correlate it to the invoices that you forwarded to me. And uh I'm If you can, brother, give me a second. You guys can take copies.

Just put that out there for the public to see. Can you hand me a few back this way? Here, you can take this. These these have don't have her address redacted. So, uh I don't want to I'm sorry. Mr. President, yes, I was council president. I'm sorry. Um this is the first time I see there's a clerk and a deputy clerk and our secretary, how is he asking it right? Yes. Correct. Clerk to pass this is unacceptable. Yes. And I think it's wrong because because I'm a council person. Because no being a council person doesn't mean that you go reckless because I can ask for copies to be made.

Point point of order. What is the point of order? So the point of order is first it was asked, you asked the question, councilman, is the item on the agenda? It is not. So if there's a question concerning this, it could be talked about at another time. It is not on the agenda. I understand that you have some pertinent information or concerns. Um, even with presenting this in unleible document, you can't even read it. I don't know what that's about. Well, let's see if the members Let's see if the members of the public can read the document. It's It's not on the agenda. It We're voting on Mr. President, but that is not it's not on the payment of bills. I have to he he just because he said it's not included in in in payroll doesn't mean that it's not.

It's if he stated it's not here. You have the opportunity to vote up or down. Council President. Okay. So, well, we're in discussion and I have the floor. We're in discussion. So, I don't understand how you want to determine whether or not what I'm discussing about payroll and about the the the uh payment of bills is relevant. You don't have the right to tell me whether or not what it is that I'm discussing is relevant or not.

You know, it's funny to me that Councilwoman Davis said something to you and then you're pointing it to me to say what's not relevant or not. question. You're the council president. Councilman Jackson, you asked a question. Allow me to respond. The item that you're discussing discussing is not on the agenda and I get it that you may have questions. We are looking at the agenda. There are a lot of items on here and we have a lot of people from the public that want to speak. That item is not on the agenda. I get it. You may have some concerns. I'm not even president. I'm not discussing an item. I'm discussing the bills list. Right. And it's not on here. I'm discussing the bills list. not on here

of which the council is responsible for being uh diligent with how we spend money. And I've been asking for this report for months. Yesterday, he sends the report and we have a an invoice that I'm trying to clarify whether or not it's in that report because that invoice is obviously is a old invoice. She's been paid. But there's never been an outline when we're voting on items like this. and for them to, you know, how long has it comes to $80,000? We're at we're at how how much of the year have we been at? He's saying it's more cost effective. We're voting on a bills list. This is what the most important thing that the council has to do to be uh uh relevantly uh uh prudent of how we're spending money. I'm showing you an item that he obviously acknowledged that we spent. We the council has has authorized the spend without oversight. And the only reason I'm getting I'm getting this uh report as of yesterday cuz I told them I had a copy of the invoice because I've been asking for this this report for months and here we are yet again just just unilaterally going to approve everything here without even having an outline. Then I asked the chairman of finance, the chairperson of finance to outline it for me. She tells me I don't have any I I can't ask her any questions.

Council President, this just doesn't make any sense. But we're wondering why we're in such straits. We We're paying one person $15,000 a pay period for two weeks. $15,000. $80,000 in how long? It doesn't outline how long. He's saying it's more cost effective. What? Hire an assistant CFO is going to cost us $300,000 a year. Council President and we have no explanation for it and you're you're just ready to move forward and go past the court addresses every big deal. Thank you, Councilman. Thank you, Council President. Um,

I don't know how this paper got here. I bought it.

How how this how that this paper got into his computer and he printed. My question is that we always have a process is custom that when we want to request uh invoice or any document that pertain anything we're going to vote on it that we request it through the chair through finance through the clerk even some of those documents are by law operable so right now I don't know who is chief this personal information here um even that is a public check but it's had to be a process of operating things and uh I would like to hear if corporate council I don't want to fall into a violation discussing something then a document no but you know the process cannot be violated or jump because you just just want to just prove a case probably his point is valid I'm not saying that his point probably not valid. I'm saying the process and uh and and and it's not in the payment of bill directly as a n line item. It's general as a payment of bill that I could see that he's discussing. But how how this could be happening and where I could go as a councilman bypass everyone and get things to discuss here. That's that's my main concern. Council President, especially when there's a finance committee, uh there's a a process to request document in the city of Pastor and disclose it this way.

Council President, no. Thank you, Councilman Khalik. And then council uh vice president. Thank you, Council President. This consultant that we speaking about the email was sent to us yesterday by our BA. According to the email in 2024 for the year worked I don't know how many days $43,600 for year 2025 78,725

for year 2026 there's only two invoices to about $12,500 something dollar is pretty clear on email and it was pretty clear to me Councilman Jackson didn't even look through his email cuz while he's sitting next to me, he's going through his laptop trying to find the documents. I gave him my phone to take a look at it. So maybe you should take a look at your emails and those invoices or whatever you question it before you come here and whatever question you have ask them directly instead of wasting our time wasting public time sitting here and looking for stuff.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you council vice president. I already I already I already explained I already explained I already explained and council president and breakdown there one second council there has to be uh decorum in the chambers there's no talking across you can hear it when he has the floor there has to be decorum in the chambers you what what happened you talking to me councilman koice invoice you want to hear council president

I spoke already I spoke already every everybody who's watching the meeting they heard it is the fact that's the email I broke down the broke down the the consultant invoices for last three years like I said 2024 about 43,000 the consultant company got paid 25 about 7578,000 and this year so far about $12,000 dollar is pretty clear on the email. Thank you, Council Vice President Davo.

So, so what I want to, you know, what's very disruptive and and really alarming is to to not go through a process of having this is why we have a clerk, deputy, and a secretary. They're the ones that make copies. They're the ones that distribute the information. They work for us. Okay? It works for the city of Patterson. through the clerk, we get things done. What I find alarming is to see somebody's information being dispersed. Okay. How would you like it if somebody puts all your business out there and spreads it out to to everyone? I think that's wrong. I think what you did today and once again, once again, how dare you put somebody's information, their address. I'm looking at this. Why would you do something like that? If you want to question the person, go through the process. come to a finance meeting, read your emails. It's really insulting. And when you ask me something, I don't have to answer you. There's a CFO who gets paid to do this job. There's a BA as well. I do not have to answer to you. But tr but truly truly, Councilman Jackson, you are a liability to this city.

Council President, Councilman Jackson, Coun Council President. Yes, they've spoken twice. If I may, if I may respectfully remind all council members, this item is not listed on the agenda. I think our CFO has mentioned that this item is not in the payment of bills. Your council rules strictly say only matters listed in an agenda are to be discussed. Thank you. Thank you. Roll call. Madam, Council President, Councilman Jackson, and then we'll do roll call.

So, yet again, uh, Madame Clerk, respectfully, I'm talking about the payment of bills. So, I don't know what you what you're referring to with an item that's uh not listed on the agenda. And respectfully, Madame Clerk, you know, I gave you my voters confidence and support just as everyone else, but I'm already beginning to feel as if that was a mistake because now this is day number two that you're going to violate my privilege. Okay? because last week I allowed it to happen. Just I I thought that maybe we'll have an opportunity to sit down and talk. But last week you totally violated not just my privilege but the rights of all of those constituents who I represent because under no circumstances under zero circumstances can my vote be bypassed. And you allowed my vote to be bypassed last week. You allowed Councilman Valz to call a point a question without a second, without a vote. Any call or question, it doesn't stop roll call, it stops debate. And I expect that from them because the councilman who lacks education and lacks an understanding.

Point of order. Point of order. What is the point of order? Let me just say this. We cannot, no one should be allowed to disrespect the Madame Clerk. But what is the point of order? Council President, I have the floor. I call the point of order. Council Jackson, I have the floor. Point of order is not your opinion. It is out of order. Your opinion. It is out of order. No. Councilman Jackson, I have the floor. I call the point of order. I have the floor. It is not your is not your point

to be able to direct or reprimmend the clerk. That is not your role. She does not you cannot sit here and tell her job or how you feel she's not doing her job. That is disrespectful. She just started the job. She just started the job. Councilman Jackson, we want to move forward. We have public portion. What is your point of order? That was the point of order. We cannot allow order. Council president. That's not a point of order. It is not. Allow the clerk to rule on your point of order. Is disrespectful, Council Johnson.

All right. There's plenty of nights here that multiple council members are disrespectful. This is by no means being disrespectful to the clerk. I'm calling the clerk to task. And if I'm wrong, then the clerk can give a ruling on that. And so can corporation council. He can lend it. He can lend support. But a call to question does not stop my roll call. A call the question must have a second and it must have a majority vote a twoth3 vote of the council. We did not go into a no one seconded his motion to call the question and we did not go into a roll call for vote. She should be well informed about the process.

She should be well informed about the process especially when she's going to allow you to skip over my vote. No person here can allow for my vote to be skipped over. I am duly elected like everyone else. And whether or not eight of you decide that you don't want to hear from me, you do not have the privilege to do so. And the clerk is supposed to be here to protect not just my rights and privileges, but the rights and privileges of those who voted for me. And if she's stepping in today to do the same thing, I'm not going to allow it to happen. I allowed her to do that last week. And what she's doing is she's collaborating with you all to silence the the question that I have about the bills list. So again, corporation council,

I've never had corporation council. Yes, council president. And this the decorum where the clerk is being spoken to in this manner. Can you please address that from a a corporation council perspective, please? He doesn't have the right to do so.

So, two things, council president, if I may. Two things. So, first, our code does provide a certain amount of time for people for council people to state their position before they vote. That was being enforced to the just like the clerk can't force people to vote, she can't force people to not vote. So, when those two minutes are up, according to our code, it would pass on to the next person. So, it's not depriving anybody of an opportunity to vote, but it's uh holding the code. Additionally, the point of order, if a point of order was raised that there's a discussion or topic that is not included on the agenda or the bills list, as you know, council president, that's an appropriate point of order. And if that's being raised, that has to be addressed one way or another. And it's addressed not necessarily by the clerk, but Robert's rule says by the chair.

So, thank you. Very good. Thank you. Thank you. Corporation council. So with corporation council failed to council president post question please. Uh let's go to vote. A second call to question. Council member second by councilwoman meandava. Roll call on the call to question. Madam clerk. Council member Cotton. She she said yes. Council Vice President Davila, Council Member Jackson.

Thank you, Madame Clerk. What they failed to acknowledge is I still have my time to acknowledge that the council council uh corporation council failed to outline what is the recourse. What is the recourse? How many of us sat here and watched the absolute best clerk in the state of New Jersey, the best clerk who then became the best mayor the city ever saw? If the clerk who formerly was here, who was the state clerk, never overrided or passed over a council person's vote. Yes, if I don't finish within the two minutes, they can pass and move on. But they cannot call for the vote until I vote. As long as I'm in this seat, I'm in this room, I'm entitled to a vote. And if it and if and if it steps outside of the quorum, the only recourse the council has is the voter no confidence. That's it. They cannot force me not to. They cannot force me to. So he can give a, you know, an angle on the spiel, but what happened last week was a violation of my privilege and the rights of all of those people who I represent. I'm not going to allow that to happen. And if I'm speaking about a $15,000 dispersement that's in a payment of bills, whether it's today, past, or present, because what Councilman Kik did not include was it does this invoice is not included in in this email.

It is. It's not included. It is. No, it's not. All right. And and and after months of asking for it, you think I'm just supposed to take their word that this is what it is. They should have included all of the invoices in the packet in the in the email. I'm just supposed to believe them. The same the same administration that lies about every single thing that happens. I'm just supposed to take their word for it because he has a a vote of five people. Conf vote of confidence of five people. No, it's not how it works. But we can move forward. I'm going to vote no. you guys are going to you're going to continuously approve all of this frivolous spending and we'll continue to be where we were. And lastly, I'll say this. First of all,

council member, colleague, first of all, we've had uh uh it do make copies many times before. Yes, madam clerk. I redacted the the the item. I redacted the address and this is council member Mendes. This is public information. Correct.

Yes, council president. What what are we voting for? kind of got lost. Yeah. I mean, I I I know that I truly believe that I I mentioned on the last at the last city council meeting, I mentioned that 2 minutes is going to be almost impossible for council members to address the issues that are affecting this community. And I strongly recommend this council to extend the time whether four or five minutes that will help us to move the city uh the the b the city council meeting in the most effective way. But my vote is done. Council member Omar. Council member Udin. Yes. M. Council member Vez.

So, we got two minutes to address the vote. It had been like that for a while. When other people was council president, there was rules in place and there was no problem. Now, because it's political season, everybody fight five minutes, 10 minutes. For what? For what? to listen to the same nonsense to listen to the same nonsense and the same disrespectful matter to everyone here. No, I don't need to put the madam clerk on tax. She's wellqualified and she knows what she's doing. Okay? I bet you I bet you if it was me disrespecting a female, all you guys will be criticizing me. Oh my god.

All you guys will be criticizing me. But because he does it, he's not accountable and responsible. So, madame clerk, you don't I don't need to put you on tax. You're doing a great work, and I think we should move forward with a respectful, professional meeting moving forward since your turn is going to be here. My vote is just for payment of bills. No, this is on a motion that you call to question. This is your motion. Oh, my motion. Oh, see, I I want to get out of here early. Yes. My vote is My vote is yes. My vote is yes. A motion. So I got seven in favor, two nos. This passes. Payment of bills. A roll call, madam cler. Point of order. Council president. Point of order.

The call for the role. Seven in favor and two nos. 7 plus two is nine. I don't recall placing the vote on record. Who? How does the clerk voting for me now? No. Huh? You voted no. Councilman Jackson. I'm sorry. You voted no. Councilman Jackson. I did not vote. You did say no. You did say you voted no. You voted. No, I did not. She skipped over me. You voted no. She skipped over me. You voted no. You did. No, I did not. I didn't vote. Councilman Jackson, you voted no. Madam Madam clerk, roll call on payment of bills, please.

Roll call on the payment of bills. As a reminder, this was moved by Council Vice President Davila, second by Council Member Colleague. Roll call for the payment of bills. Council member Cotton, yes. Council Vice President Davila, yes. Council member Jackson.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. So, to the members of the public, this is just another display and outline of how uh how irresponsible this council's been with managing the funds of the city. If you're wondering how we can spend $330 million and still the city looks in like as the condition it's in, you you've witnessed it tonight. It's a simple question. I'm not I didn't come here to uh to make a fuss about anything that's not inappropriate. A $15,000 paycheck for a non city resident is a crime. $15,000 paycheck for somebody who could come in here and work at night after they finish their regular job where they're making $200,000. That's a crime when people in this city can't even afford to pay their rent. if he's incapable of doing his job where we got to hire a consultant and pay her $15,000 for 4 days of work.

That's a shame. And she says I should be ashamed of myself for exposing it. Like it you you have to make it make sense for me. Um madame clerk, my vote is no. Council member, colleague. My vote is yes, Madam Clerk. Council member Mendes.

Uh, thank you, Madam Clerk. Now we voting on payment of bills. Now, now we kind of kind of council president, you kind of confuse me, council president, but but let me uh let me just uh let me just say that right in payment of bills. We have $35 million $35 million going into the pension system. Um Patterson, we have to protect those people that dedicate their life to serve the city of Patterson. That money have to be there when they need it. And that's most of the money on the from the payment of bills going uh for the pension system. And also we have $5.5 million on payroll from public work, half a million dollars from public work, public safety, $4.1 million and so on and so forth. And I'm definitely support um this payment bill. I want to make sure that our patterns get paid on time. My vote is yes, madam clerk.

Council member Omar. My vote is yes, madam clerk. Thank you. Council member Udin, my vote is yes to payment of bill. Council member, my vote is yes. Council President Mims, my my vote is yes. One second. Um before you call the vote. One second. Just no. I'll leave it. My vote is yes. Eight yeses, one no. This item passes.

Item 32. Madam clerk. Item number 32 is a resolution authorizing the award of contract to Ricardi Bros, Inc. under Morris County Co-op Purchasing for the purchase of paint and paint supplies for various departments and divisions for the city of Patterson in an amount not to exceed 65,000 from March 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027. Resolution number 26186. So move second. Moved by Council Member Le, second by Councilwoman Dava. Roll call on item 32. Madam clerk, Council Member Cotton, yes. Council Vice President Davila, yes.

Council member Jackson, yes. Council member Khalig, yes. Council member Mendes, yes. Council member Omar, yes, Madam Clerk. Council member Udin, yes. Council member Vez, yes, Madam Clerk. Council President Mims. Yes. Nine yeses. This passes. Item 33, Madam Clerk.

Item number 33 is a resolution authorizing the award of contract for public defender for the city of Patterson Municipal Court, RFP number 2026-9 for the Department of Administration in an amount not to exceed 80,000 for a period of one year. This is resolution 26187. So move moved by Councilman VeZ by Councilman Mendes. Roll call and Cotton. I'm sorry. Roll call. Madam clerk. Council member Cotton. Council Vice President Davila. Yes. Council member Jackson. Yes. Council member Khaled. Yes. Council member Mendes.

Yes. Council member Omar. Yes. Madam Clerk. Council member Udin. Yes. Council member VeZ, yes. Council President Mims, yes. Nine yeses. This item passes. Item 35, Madam Clerk. Item 35 is a resolution authorizing calendar year 2026, emergency temporary appropriations for the months of April through May of 2026. Resolution number 26189. So move. Move. Second by mems council. Moved by council vice president dava. Second by mems. Roll call on item 35. Council member Cotton. Yes. Council vice president Davia.

Yes. Council member Jackson. No. Council member Khalik. Yes. Council member Mendes.

U. Thank you, Madam Clerk. And and Madame Clerk. I I I understand that this is something that is um it's part of the business process when we don't have the a budget adopted but yesterday we well the last meeting we have a discussion about when we're going to see the budget in front of us I remember that been past year by this time by April we will have some sort of idea about the numbers that we have and and last year we add um the 5.7% and we went down but this point we haven't seen we have no number in front of And I'm extremely concerned with that. Uh even though we changed from fiscal year to calendar year, we're still waiting until the last inning to get into the budget. And and I understand that we have to wait for the transition a but we still could work at the last the last budget. We worked uh without having the transition a number and we asked some number and I asked that question at the last meeting. Why? I have not see the budget in front of us. Why? I'm extremely concerned about the finance of the city. By now seeing No, we're in April. Very soon we're going to be in May. May is we're three weeks away to be May. Very soon it's going to be half of the year gone. And we still have not see the budget in front of us. That's concerning to me. Um and I really want to put that on record. Um you know, it shouldn't be like that. Um no, my body's not at this time.

Council member Omar. My vote is yes, madam clerk. Council member Odin, yes. Council member Vez,

I have confidence that with the new BA uh last workshop, he explained that he expedited moving forward to present the budget earlier than before. Uh making sure that we on time. Um, as everybody knows, this budget is in holding a little bit into we at least know the award letter that we have from the state. From there, we could at least have uh uh something clear and that we don't hopefully not rush things that we have to go after the taxpayer, the city of Patterson. So, saying that, I'm confident that they going to present it early and move him forward. I don't want to get penalized again. I don't got $1,700. My my vote is yes to this.

Council President Mims. And so just some clarity to the community. Uh we the state does not approve their budgets until June. So it is almost preemptive to try to do budget work before you get real numbers and get a award letter. We will start that process in June as the BA has already stated. That way we're not jumping from 5.6% scaring the residents dropping down to 2%. We need to have some accurate numbers so we'll have some real good wiggle room in between. This is a good process. I think it's more effective and impactful to make sure we advocate on the behalf of the residents. Madame clerk, we have to continue to operate in the city and that's what this item is doing. My vote is yes. Madam clerk, seven yeses.

I'd like to readress my vote, please. Thank you. There needs to be a second. Can No, it doesn't. Yes, sir. Madame clerk, I'm he wants to reconsider. I'm going to confirm with corporation council. I believe there needs to be a mover in a second for reconsideration a vote.

Corporation council. No, no. Go ahead. One second. Corporation council. So, council president, the word reconsideration or reconsider is nowhere found in our code. Our code references Robert's rules. So you look to Robert's rules. In Robert's rules, if you're going to reconsider something, it does need a motion and a second. And it's usually decided after the vote is taken and by a member of the prevailing side who wishes to reconsider their vote. Point of order. Point of order.

Councilman Jackson. So, first of all, let's let's let's understand this clearly because I'm prepared as I always am. If we're going to go by the rules, I'm I'm firm and clear on the rules. When you call a point of order, it is to call a point of order of the violation of the rule. First of all, corporation council is not our parliamentarian. The clerk is. The the the vote has not been called. So long as the vote is not called, I have the privilege and right to readress my vote, reconsider my vote. reconsider my vote. Now, if what corporation council is outlining, if the vote was called and the and the clerk calls for the vote and I want and the council as a body wants to reconsider the vote, let's say the vote failed and we want I don't understand why she even challenged me on that. She's done we've done this hundreds of times while we had again one of the best clerks in the country, right? So, in saying so, if my vote was going to be reconsidered prior to the roll call, we've done this a hundred different times. Now, you're all of a sudden trying to get a somebody to enforce the rules. Listen, I'm prepared. I'm ready for it. So, Madame Clerk, if I may, I would like to readress re readress my vote, please.

Thank you. Very good. Can Is there a second? Again, I we don't need a second. Is there a second? We don't need a second. Think corporation council we need a second. Is there a second? No, we don't need a second. Robert, rules of order states there needs to be a second. Corporation council, can you please revisit and explain that more clearly to her that I do not require a second to corporation council just spoke on the item, Madam Clerk, as you understand it. Correct. Correct. And and wait. So, madam clerk, there is no second then. Madam clerk, so you don't understand what he's saying. You don't you don't understand that that I'm not needing need in need of a second.

I understand corporation council confirmed that Robert's rules of order call for a first and a second, which he says which he said clearly happens after the role has been called. You have not called the role. That's right. So, I'm entitled to reconsider my vote. No, corporation. Corporation council, can you provide clarity because that's not what you stated, but could you provide clarity?

Yes, council president. So, Robert's rules cons contemplates a reconsideration after the body has decided an issue, not during a vote for a member that wants to reconsider it. Now, Robert's rules doesn't address this and doesn't say that it's permitted. So, again, first we look to our code. our code and nowhere in our code does it say reconsideration of vote either by a member or the council but our code does incorporate Robert's rules so we look to Robert's rules when you look up motion for reconsideration Robert's rules it's not a motion to reconsider if I may council has a floor if it's if you look up motion for reconsideration of Robert's rules it's only done by motion

so with that being said it needs a motion and a second correct corporation council okay please or just a motion Every motion needs a second. It needs a second in this context. Yes. Who made a motion? Can you be clear? Cuz when I file this lawsuit, I want I want to make sure I have you on record. Who made a motion? You can call the call. Who made a motion? You You made the motion. I did not make a motion. I did not make a motion. There's You have to make a motion when if there's a discussion to make a motion on something. I did not make a motion. I asked to change my vote, which if she has not called the role, I'm entitled to.

I I'm Listen, I'm Go ahead. You You guys make the decision. You guys make the decision. Madam Madam clerk, Madame Clerk, at this time, we allow Councilman Jackson so that we can move on with the votes so we can move on to the next item to open up public. Council President, this is going to be all night. No. First of all, if he's not calling the point of order, he shouldn't be talking. Councilman Jackson, he shouldn't be talking. Councilman Jackson. Okay. So, Councilman Jackson, your vote. I appreciate it, Madam Clay. I was looking forward to filing that lawsuit. Um,

so so what once again, and and this is to deter what's going on.

Council President said that this is normal procedure. Please recall we changed from a calendar from a a a a uh a fiscal year to a calendar year because the mayor and the BA told us that we will be able to prepare with the C this same CFO that we will be able to prepare our budget sooner. Preparing a budget doesn't depend on how much aid you're getting. The budget is supposed to be outlined by how much you require. You should have your budget done. It should have been prepared already presented. We should have had budget hearings for for us to continue to approve temporary appropriations to allow them to continue to spend without a budget a budget full budget being presented is not only irresponsible, it's foolish because now you're saying, "Well, if you give us $100 million, then we could just spend more." No. outline what your budget is, what you need to spend, then we go to the state and say, "This is how much we require." And when the state says, "No, we're not giving you that much," then you have to make some cuts. But what we're doing right here is totally irresponsible. And I'm just putting that on record. This is complete irresponsible activity by the body that's supposed to be accountable for the spending. You're just giving them a blind check to spend all the money without presenting a budget. But I was I was looking forward because that would have been more money coming out of the budget when I sued. Anyway, my vote is no.

Your vote is I'm sorry. No. No. That's seven in favor, two nos. This item passes. Item 36. Madam clerk, item 36 is a resolution authorizing the execution of a memorandum of agreement of understanding between the city of Patterson and Patterson public schools regarding the use of school facilities as emergency shelters. This is resolution number 26190. Madame clerk, I have to recuse myself. So move discussion. Discussion second. Council president discussion. Council F discussion too.

Can I get a second? Oh, second. Uh, second, Madam Clerk. Second. Second. Oh, madame clerk. Discussion. It was moved. One second. It was moved by coun. It was moved by vice president and second by councilman. Discussion. Councilman uh Mendes. I'm sorry. Men, Councilman, u I'm sorry. Uh cuz Mendes versus Mendes. No, I believe Udin has to recuse himself as well. I have to. You have to. You work for the district. I do. Uh push council. Point of order. Point of order. One second. Point of order. Everything stops for a point of order. There's no one second. Council person. Point of order.

Let him vote. Then if you want to vote, let him vote. By rule. By rule. No one. No council person. No corporation council, no clerk, no member of the public can force a members of the council to recuse himself. If councilman decides that he does not seem fit to recuse himself, no one can recuse can force a council person to recuse himself. You're not forcing this. Ain't nobody making him leave. She told but he should. She said he had to. But he should leave. That's not telling someone they should We need order. One second. Council

President Council Mendes, I know that I gave you the floor. Councilman Fared, you wanted to say President before before Council, you didn't speak. No, one second. Uh, Council President, it's a point of order. I want to clarify something here. If it's possible, if it's possible to clarify something, please let allow Councilman Fared to speak. Thank you, Council President. All right. Councilman Mendes is allowing his time for

Thank you, Council President. Okay, councilman. So public, I and my fellow council members, I don't think that we are fighting for for the people of the city of Patterson. We are trying to just get attention. If something that contradictory is something I need to just tap back, I I definitely will do so respectfully, but there's no point of take over. There's a corporation council expart law and if I have additional question to ask, I'll definitely will address that. And since I got the floor, council president, with your um permission, I would like to ask question to the corporation council. Uh can we have on the side? So let council man Mendes to move forward and let me talk to the corporation council by the time. Council Councilman Mendes,

council president. Thank you council president. Council president you for him for he could speak for you pass it to me. I'm I'm No, no, no. So it the floor was council Mendes and then it was going to be Udin. Okay.

Thank Thank you, Council President. So, um, on this item, item 36, um, I've been thinking about this for over the weekend since the last workshop because as we all know in the city of Patterson, we closing four of the highest performing school. Something that has been devastated for a lot of the resident in the city of Patterson for a lot of parents. A decision that has been a game changer and impacting the life of so many resident here in the city of Patterson in a negative way. But now in front of us, I have this uh piece of legislation that we try to use the um school facility as a shelter.

And I see that we also have some fees like $125 an hour for custodian and all the fees. So I'm just trying if can you elaborate a little bit more about what is the plan for this legislation uh by using the school as a shelter? Notice in the city of Patterson, we don't have a designated shelter. Is it on? It should be on.

I think your mic is on. So, I'm sorry. So, you recognize inside the city of PA, we don't have a designated shelter location. Every time we go through something, I have to call a state of emergency and force people out. This is an MOU that we should have in place 20 to 25 years. It states that for every 100 people that we put into a shelter inside of a school, their contract is $120 for one of their employees for security. and one of their custodians and then I can bring in Patterson police, fire, DPW to do the rest. When I hit 200, then I bring in one more of their employees and one more of their custodians to cover it. And this is in case if we're not realizing it's it's bound to happen where we have, god forbid, a hazmat, a major storm where I have to put people inside of a shelter. I have to make myself or my team, fire, police inside of a school. So instead of calling, fighting, trying to figure out, put this in place now while I have nothing going on, no emergency, no catastrophe, and have it in place for being proactive and not reactive inside the city.

Okay, council. Uh, Councilman, I mean, sorry, uh, Council, Councilman, so before you move forward, uh, yes, considering the, uh, other facts, I'm going to recuse myself from this. Thank you very much, Councilman Fared. Council, thank you very much, Councilman. And then Councilwoman Cotton. Thank you, Councilman Jackson. Thank you, Council President. Um, uh, Mou Director. I don't have doubts what you're doing

and let's keep the the record clear. I don't have no doubts doubt that what all you doing. You've been doing a great job and let's keep the record clear on that. What is surprising for me that there was not a big discussion committee with this um it came out in the workshop so a lot of question comes arise based on this right so theou is clear this facility that we need that we don't have in a moment in a a real emergency right and and it's good because we got facilities that the board of education have that could be facilitate for for that need and I agreed on it. The board education security is a contractor of security and my understanding they only get paid $15 an hour. Okay, the the the regular security I'm talking about the contractor they $15 an hour max but they charge you know 125. Okay. So for for us, for me, we pay a lot of taxes, school taxes. We should get in return back at least in service rendered by the school district in an emergency. In emergency, we talking emergency. So the other question I had and asked to the floor, it was simple. Um, who was going to pay for this?

Who's going to pay for this? We do. The city, brother. I know we do, but what what funding we going to use to pay this? Do you want me to answer that? Yeah, please. Because so let's be clear. Yeah. When you see me, it's always something bad. Okay. It's something's going on. 95% of the time when this happens, federal funding comes in. Okay. Right. Simple and easy. The governor comes down. Yeah. Give you whatever we give you and 95% get back. We do we get a a reprieve another 10 15% administrative cost that comes back to the city cuz I'm the administrator. So, it's a win-win, right? We had co we have money.

We bailed the school board out. We helped them with the money. We got it back. We are in the same town. This is the same city. When it's coming through me, it's federal dollars. Correct. So even if you pay out, right, you're still gonna get a couple hundred thousand dollars back, you're gonna get it back. This to me is no disrespect. This is just what we should do and what we we arguing about something we need not to be arguing about because if it happens in the fifth ward, sixth ward, third ward, first ward, I have to do the job. So help me make my job. So, uh, director Councilman, coordinator of OEM, we we not debating the good job that we need that you're doing and that what we need, right? This is new for us.

This is new for us. For us, using the school for emergency is new for us, for me and you're 100% right. But it's something that we should been doing a long time ago because correct. If you speak as recent as not even co We had a hazmat incident in the fourth ward last year and we was about to dump half of the fourth ward. I need a place with a shower. Correct.

Toilets. Now when I see things like that, I have to think about a contingency plan for not when but now. And so this is why we came and and why this came about is because our EOP was signed off and the superintendent said, "Let's do anou." And I said, "Let's write it up. you your BA send it to RBA and the council's legal center illegal. They looked it all over and it made sense. Yes, it is $120 an hour for the security, but would you want me to borrow your house and not know have somebody in that know what's going on? I have to pay for that

and is it's understandable and and I I we don't have a problem with that and we're not going to challenge your expertise when it comes up to an emergency. There comes the other question. Who declared the state of emergency? He does. He does. Good.

So, let's make believe. Alan, I know. So, in a winter storm that if a mayor called through your through your leadership, it is state an emergency, right? City emergency, whatever. And there's um there's homeless out there. Are there places that going to be used for those homeless?

There's a place. So, there's always a place used for the homeless. I also along with director Rodriguez run the warming center. 32 degrees or colder. It could be 35 and it snows. We open up because we care. We don't really care. We open up when it's 38° and they say by law they say 32 degrees. At 38 it's still cold outside. It's raining. We open it up. I don't put a dollar on a life. I'm not going to do that.

Correct. So uh through the chair last but not least this is my my my own comment I think it's a good idea we need a clarification and uh where the funding is coming and we said we do we do but it comes to a time that probably CFO don't have the money or probably the grant did not came came in short and we need to make sure that we don't left the bill behind especially when the school district is announcing a big hit regarding tax. So, you know, um I just want to make that point clear. Thank you, Council President. Thank you very much, Councilwoman Cotton.

Thank you. Um I just want to say, Director Troy, um even though we're putting this together, we may not use it. We don't know when anything is going to happen. And I just want to point out and I remember back in 2012 when we had hurricane Sandy, my mom was stuck on Presidential Boulevard, that development had to knock a wall out because you couldn't come across. Then they had to get people who were not able who had family members that could go somewhere. Then I believe they put them in the Riverside vet. They had people that didn't have no family members that they could send them to. So we may not need to use this but we need to have this in place. It could be on any side of town. It could be fourth war, first world war, fifth war, something can happen that we need to use our schools. And the reason why I say that because in the state of Florida whenever they have any type of disaster, they use the schools. Every single time there's something, they use the school because they have nowhere else. And I remember at one time, if I may, my sister lives in Florida and they was using school for almost 30 days and the governor said if the teachers don't go back to work that he's going to stop paying them cuz they were getting paid. You got to remember now, you still got to pay your staff even though they're not being working. But you need the schools, they bring in the costs, they bringing the stuff they need, they bringing the food they need. But we may never as council people sitting here, we may never see, we may never have to use this. And then of course once they once they declare an emergency that's when FEMA steps in and it helps out and then you know you you you pay your money out but you look to get some of your money back. So this is just something that director thank you for putting this together because you don't know when something's going to happen. We can get a we can get a storm. We can get something that we need to people who don't have family members that can go somewhere. And I remember I I had to

find an ambulance service to go all the way around Route 80, come all the way around to come down come down that hill because you couldn't go across the none of the bridges. All the bridges was out. But to come down to help me get my mom to bring my mom back around all the way back around Route 80 to to to bring her to my house. So this is for people who don't have anyone that can help them that we need to have the school. Uh, I think that we don't need to worry about what it going to cost. And this is people lives. These are, you know, who going to pay for this. FEMA pays. You apply. And we done dealt with FEMA director, and you know what it is cuz you, that's why you're the director. So, we may never use this um community, but we need to have this in place. We may never use it, but we need to have this in place.

Thank you, director. Thank you very much, Councilwoman Cotton, Councilman Jackson.

Thank you, Council President. So, director, let me start by saying um hey man, it's about time. I appreciate your leadership and uh getting this thing done because I I I often talk about we um we own these these facilities, they don't pay taxes on them. We should be have we should have um utilization. But, and this goes out to everybody who often says, "Oh, no matter what, he's just no no." I I have to agree with Councilman Valletz because I'm g tell you why. A few months back, we had a bunch of city residents come um to the council and they they were here complaining about how they were mistreated by a third party vendor because the the uh schools had since outsourced their services, the cleaning services and the security services. this third party vendor laid off a bunch of those employees who've worked with the school for 20, 30 years. You know, we had a whole bunch of them all sit here, the majority of which were non-English-speaking, and they felt like they could treat them any any kind of way. Now, if we're paying a third party vendor $125 an hour and they're paying their employees $25 an hour, if this thing, let's say an emergency goes on for 48 hours, it's a lot of money that the third party vendor is making while they're paying the city resident a portion, a very small portion of that. Now, I understand the the um maintenance because maintenance has to be Black Seal certified and they and and by law, all schools, if you're going to open the door, has to have a certified Black Seal boiler person in the building. But I'm having difficulty getting past this $125

when we don't even pay our police officers that much. We don't pay our officers that much. and that that so it's a it's a it's a it's a matter of accountability and a little bit of disrespect because we're going to have officers working 24-hour 48 hour shifts they're going to be and they're not going to be making as much as a security person who could be from wherever. Now, I do know we pay and and I will say this because I I'm I applaud you. Your your contractor that you hire for the warming center, they have Patterson people working there. I know they're they're even officers and they're doing a doing a side job. So, I I respect that. But in the case of here with this third party vendor, there's no guarantees where this money is going. We're putting money into somebody into a and and this is my biggest issue that we overpay third party vendors that make so much money extracting money out of this city. Now, I'm in full support and please don't take this as I'm not in in support of what you're doing. You already know how I do how I get down. We have an understanding. But there's no way the school should have put that in this in thisou. we should not have um agreed to have thisou stated where we're going to play pay and then god forbid you do have to put 300 people in there. Now we got three people working. So that's $375 an hour. You know, you do the math on that. If something catastrophic happens over a few days, we're spending out a lot of money. And I do understand it. We get it back. And I do understand that it's not necessarily a direct ramification on the taxpayer, but we still got to protect, you know, our our, you know, our our residents best interest. And furthermore, let's just say if that that is the case, we're going to pay them. Is there going to be a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a clause

within the contract that they they have to hire Patterson residents. We're not going to be able to have that kind of say. So I'm sorry. Go ahead, brother.

So just to be clear, this is the span of control for people is 5 to seven. Every five to seven people, you have to have technically one security, one EMS. That defers right back to the collective bargain agreement with the city. has to be city police, city EMS. Their one person can only be there up to 100. They're just You're right. Whatever their contract is, I have nothing to do with that number. That's the school's contract. I have nothing to do with that number. But after that one, thank you for opening the door. Have a seat. We take it over. Point blank. Period. Then it goes to 200.

They bring in two. I'm It's gonna But if I need 30 security, I'm going to have 30 passing officers. One of my deputies is uh deputy coordinators from OEM is Mike Jackson DPW. He's going to have he's going to deal with I'm not even going to deal with the cleaning and maintenance here. Mike, that's you. Mhm. When it comes to health, I'm not going to deal. I'm going to call Dr. Brass, Joel Ramirez, and they probably bring Kate Bond in. I'm not new to this. I respect what you're saying. You know where I live. You know where my house is. You know I still this is I'm Patteradison. But at this point in junction, I can't keep playing around people lives. We had a water emergency and I was so scared that the water would What if that water didn't come back on for 3 weeks? Mhm. I'm going to have people taking showers in Kennedy.

Yeah. But how long? The third largest city. We got to move like the third largest city. And this is why I'm doing it the way I'm doing it. But I get what you're saying with And I love what you're doing, but as a council person, right, and as a member of the administration, if the VA was being responsible to the taxpayers, this would have been an item that would be caught. Because think about this. When we go in there, right, and Mike Jackson's coming in doing all making sure all the maintenance and cleaning is done, and then PD is coming in doing the security, what is their personnel person doing? Sleeping somewhere in the corner collecting $125 an hour for the third party contractor because we're going to be running, you're going to be running security details.

Their personnel has to be there for their camera system, their security system just for that particular their credentials. We cannot infiltrate their credentials on the school. They had and by law it's their building. Like you know you own the restaurant. If I rent a restaurant you might not be but somebody in your restaurant I had to deal with them directly. But here's the thing. In normal operation are they paying their employee $125 an hour? I have nothing to do with that director. You know

it's not I'm not expecting I'm not expecting you. What I'm talking about is logic and I'm not saying that you should answer. And guess what? out of respect for you because I know the item's gonna pass anyway. Out of respect for you, I'll support it. But I'm telling you, I'm supporting supporting this in protest because I think that the schools is is doing us a terrible disservice because they don't pay their security $125 an hour. They don't even pay their maintenance person $125 an hour. But I get that because it's an emergency. They're coming out. They're going to be working. But a security, they're still not going to pay the guy half of what we're paying them, you know? And then and then here you got to have some third party contractor, right? Living someplace else making phone calls. He doesn't have to put himself in the line of fire making phone calls to Leroy, Jose, or whomever. And he's not going to respect him enough to even give him twothirds of the pay that we're paying him. But that's my issue. My issue is how are we managing what we're paying and how we how are we more importantly ensuring that this money that we're spending out stays in the community and hits the ground for local local residents. But

I can guarantee I can guarantee after one it stays in the city then the next 100 99 stays in the city 99 stay in the city 99 stays in the city. Thank you director Councilman Khik. Thank you. Um, Madame President, we're speaking about the rates, $120. That's the district policy. I have rented school facility and I paid the same amount and I wrote the check to Patterson public school, not to the company. somebody could operate and get it from uh whatever that I wrote the check

for to $1,800 for my pocket. So it is the same policy I see for any outside organization or somebody if somebody want to rent it rent a gymnasium or u cafeteria for an event or something is the same price as what OEM going to pay. M so I don't see any discrepancy in there and um there there might be other fee included in there electricity and other or other other fees they might not pay the $120 that we assuming they're paying the securities

that's what I think that's that's the um reality of this contract and that's that's their policy we got if we want to rent it we got to abide by their law council president we're going to go council president council president we're in discussion and and every member has the privilege. Council Jackson, thank you.

So, if I'm a regular customer at a restaurant, yeah, I get the same privileges and and and and concessions as a regular customer. But when you're a partner, when you're a part owner, when you supply the fac the the the the product that they have to sell, when we supply the partnership arrangement of the facilities, and when the when the order of emergency comes about, we're supporting the same group of people, the same customers. There's no way I'm a partner. I'm not paying retail rate. When you rent a gym to have a party or have a a function, you renting it at maximum for four hours. If you have an emergency, the emergency could go on for 72 hours, for a week. We were out of water for what, 5, 7 days. So, you also got to look at the long-term ramification on how much the impact would be ultimately of a of a of an emergency that we won't receive any additional funds for. That doesn't make any sense to say, "Oh, we're going to pay the same thing as a as as a regular customer." We're not a customer. We actually own the facilities. We we grant them access by not allowing them having them pay pay taxes. They should be working in a much better capacity in a much more meaningable agreement with the city instead of treating us like we're just a vendor that's coming off the street. It just doesn't make any sense. But I'll rest that there.

Council vice president. Thank you very much. Can I can I just add very briefly, Mr. BA? Uh we had two declared state of emergencies this year. So, I'm just going to use this hypothetical. If this was in place January 1 and we used the school system, all of these fees, whatever they come out to be, would be reimburseable. I just want to understand explain the impact of let's say the the city negotiated with the district zero. The incident still happens. The state of emergency still happens. We deploy everything when it comes for reimbursement. That does not go part of the reimbursement and the school district will eat the cost. the taxpayer in under that scenario is behind. Correct.

The taxpayer is in the negative. Under this scenario, as director stated, if if he's running the show, we're in a state of emergency and those are reimbursible expenses. So, while at first glance, I can understand the view of it, but this actually gets more dollars back to both taxpaying entities. Thank you, Council President. Just quickly, um, Council President, Councilman J, um, Councilman No, Val, Valz, Vz, No, no, because I told Councilman Jackson that after he was done, we were going to go for a roll call. All right. So, so Councilman is just quickly Troy. Uh,

I do love him. One thing, one thing, one thing I've got going to admit and I apologize because I was getting misinformation. Okay. Now, today was clear enough that it's going to be reimbursed like every other emergency that we have that we get back the reimbursement from police. We get reimbursement if it's a state emergency, we could get that refund back. So uh um even the insurance coverage policy all that stuff is included. So I apologize if the miscommunication was there but somebody was giving more wrong information and it was clarified today. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you very much uh Councilman. Madame Clerk, roll call. Council member Cotton. Thank you madam clerk. Um my vote is yes. You know we may not use it but at least we got it in place. Thank you, director, for looking into this and knowing that we needed something in place for something that could happen. Hopefully that it will not, but at least we have it. Madame clerk, my vote is yes. Uh, Councilman Jackson.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. So, yet again, to the public, this is no no has no reference or inference. In fact, I'm very proud and and pleased with the work that um our OEM director has done in this in in this um particular situation. I'm not pleased with the BA's commentary of, oh, you know, it's just reimburseable and it doesn't matter because what happens in cities like Patterson, we're overrun by outside contractors that are making millions and millions of dollars. In order for us to put a a a uh control mechanism on that, we have to properly negotiate these these items prior to the emergency. Don't wait until the emergency happens and then say, "Oh man, we spent out so much money." And no, it's not. It doesn't matter where the money's coming from. We should be responsible in our spending. If if the school's not paying $125 an hour in regular circumstances, we should not be paying even if we paying double, we should understand what those fees are. But again, m my uh vote of confidence in in the OEM director, my vote is yes, madam clerk.

Council member, colleague,

thank you madam clerk. It's about time we have a share services agreement school with school district. I think Mr. BA we should look into more uh for example when snowtorm happen they probably could clean around the the street around the the school by their their uh employees or one just um little thing I think I think is a start and I want to thank the the commissioner at the board of education too I mean we've been looking we've been asking for some share agreement agreement with the board of ed for years now it's It's a beginning. I'm looking forward to having more agreement with them. My vote is yes.

Council member Mendes.

Thank you. Thank you, Madam Cler. Um, director of OEM. Um, you've been improving your leadership. Every time there's an emergency, you don't rest. We see you 24/7 out there until the emergency is done, until everybody's safe and back home. We know that. We see that. And without we have no doubt about that. I'm I'm concerned personally about using our school as a shelter. This is my opinion. And and you you talk about it being a third largest city. We have to think about like a third largest city. For me, thinking about a third largest city is having our own hub, our own center. We don't even have our own warming center. The reason why we have a warming center that is not really a warming center is at the end on the border of the town that is not walking distance was because director rem you know he used his connection to get that place and it's in a basement. The only real warming center that we have was 60 temple street that we used it for many years and it's done. We don't have any we don't even have a real warming center in the city of Patterson. That's how bad we are we are with the capsule emergency and and that's what I would like to talk about. How can we have our own center you know for those type of emergency for a warming center that we could serve the resident of the city of Patterson in a decent way because that's not happening right now. But even though I understand your concern we don't have nothing else. We don't have any other facility. I also agree with council me. have to do another more shar agreement with the school in term of the snow plowing in term of we got to work together they have 54 building in our city and we got to work in partnership I totally understand that but going back into the having a emergency center patter need that we are the third largest city in the state of New Jersey I'm going to support this because of your leadership and I also understand that if we have an emergency we have we don't have any

other building to just get our resident safe and provide service that they need. But just because of that, but our city should be moving into having our own place. Council member, my body says, Madam Clerk, Council Member Omar. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Director, I want to thank you for your leadership and all the work you put into this and I just pray that we never have to uh activate it. I guess my vote is yes, Madam Clerk. Thank you, Council Member.

All the council member understand that the cold blue and warming center are run by the county. uh we have to have a deep conversation with the county to facilitate funding uh to be able to have our own one probably in the city of Patterson. I just want want to remind the council that um 2016 a lot ofou with the board of education expire and we just had one meeting in that time with late crystal cleave and other members of the board of education. I will request to call a um when it's possible BA and and and madame clerk to send a letter to the board of education to convene in a meeting to go and review all those that include parking, include recreation, include other stuff with the board of education. This one is a start and I think it's needed and I like councilman to say hope we don't need to use it. But if we use it and the time comes, at least we prepare and nobody's pointing finger that we was not prepared. So, thank you for your work and let's keep on moving and congratulation to men and women from the fire department that always stands out in the moment of need. My vote is yes.

Council Vice President Davila, I want to thank you uh director for all of your hard work, everything that you do. Uh I know how much you care. I know that you do your job and you go above and beyond. So, thank you very much uh for working this out and to our BA and to the uh Patterson Public School District. My vote is yes. Seven yeses to recusals. This item passes. Thank you.

Thank you. Good night. Item 37 is a resolution approving renewal of 15 taxi cab registrations for Jazz Limo LLC transacting as comfortable taxi of 744 River Street in Patterson. This is resolution 26191. So move second. Roll call. Madam clerk. Discussion for a minute. Discussion. Uh, council president. I I recall I agree.

I recall all this item and consent agenda. A council person requested them to go on regular. Oh, okay. All right. Um. All right. Let's move forward. Roll call. Madam clerk. Council member Cotton. Yes. Council Vice President Davia. Yes. Council member Jackson, yes. Council member Khalik, absent. Uh, Council Member Mendes, yes, Madam Clerk. Council member Omar, yes, Madam Clerk. Council member Udin, yes. Council member VeZ, yes. Council President Mims, yes.

Eight yeses. This item passes. Item 38, Madam Clerk. Item 38 is a resolution approving renewal of 12 taxi cab registrations for Super King Taxi LLC of 200 Straight Street. Resolution 26192. So move second. Moved by Councilwoman Davilla and Valz, second by Mendes. Roll call on item 38. Council member Cotton. Yes. Council Vice President Davila. Yes. Council member Jackson. Yes. Council member Mendes. Yes. Madam Cler. Council member Omar. Yes. Madam Clerk.

Council member Odin. Yes. Council member VeZ. Yes. Council President Mims. Yes. Eight yeses. This item passes. Item 39. Madam clerk. 39 is a resolution approving the renewal of library registrations for Ibraim Suruku of 2775th Avenue uh 125 Broadway lot site number 17. This is resolution 26193. So moved by Councilman Blet, second by Mendes. Roll call, Madam Clerk. Discussion.

Discussion. Councilman Jackson. So, council president, part of the reason why I've asked for these items to be put on placed on regular, we still haven't gotten a report on what's going on with the taxi cab enforcement agent, understanding that he has no no means to travel around. These cabs are parking on the street all hours of the night, taking up valuable parking spaces where residents are being towed. And I have not seen one report on taxi cabs being told. These cabs are parking everywhere all over the city and we don't even have um an answer on what we're doing with relative to enforcement.

Okay. No answer. Thank you. Roll call. Madam clerk. Council member uh Council Vice President Davila. Yes.

Council member Jackson. Thank you, Madam Clerk. To the public, the disappointing uh adage of anything goes in Patterson starts right here. Starts right here in in the council with no accountability. We just just carelessly, recklessly just approved these things without, you know, any level of accountability. And it's part of the reason why the community is in the position it's in. cannot continue to do this. Just allow residents to be abused and be overrun with with towing while you know uh uh there's a there's according to the to the city code these entities have to have off- streetet parking that their cars park in each and every night. Um abstain madame clerk. Council member Khalik, uh, Council Member Omar,

sorry, Mendes. Uh, thank you, Madam Cler. Just for the record, when we received the resolution, uh, all the document, um, being reviewed by the clerk and every taxi company, they have to provide uh, specification, location where they're going to park all the cars. So, so before the this resolution arrived by the council, it's being reviewed by the by the corporation council by the might clerk. My voice is yes, madam clerk. Council member Omar, my vote is yes, madam clerk. Council member Udin, yes. Council member VeZ, yes. Council President Mims, yes, Madam Clerk. Six yeses, one abstension, two absent. This item passes.

Item 40, Madam Clerk. Item 40 is a resolution approving the renewal of 23 taxi cab registrations for River Transportation Taxi Corp. at 275 River Street. Parking locations 275 River Street and 326-330 East 16th Street. This is resolution number 26194. So moved. Moved by Councilman Davala, second by Mendes and BZ. Roll call. I item 40. Madam Clerk, Council Vice President Davila. Yes. Coun uh Council Member Mendes. Yes, madam clerk. Council member Omar. Yes, madam clerk. Council member Udin.

Yes. Council member. Council president Mims. Six yeses. This item passes. Madam um corporation council items 41 through 44. All taxi cabs. Can they be read into the record um just with the um resolution numbers and be voted on in that capacity? 41 through 44. They're all taxi cab registrations. Thank you, Council President. I will defer to Madame Clerk on this unless she wants a specific legal opinion. No, I mean, unless these are moved towards a consent agenda by motion, they weren't. So, they have to be done transacted as individual items. So, we're on item 41 or two. Yes. Item 40.

42. 41. 40. 41. 42. We did 41 already. Oh, yes. No, we did 40. We did 40. Item 41. Item 41 is a resolution approving the transfer of 12 taxi cab registrations from 973 car service to TLS car service of 21-23 East 19th Street. This is resolution number 26195. Move. Moved by council member Le, second by councilman Omar and Mendes. Roll call on item 41. Council Vice President Davila. Yes. Council member Mendes. Yes, Madam Clerk. Council member Omar. Yes, ma'am. Council member Udin.

Yes. Council member VeZ. Yes. Council President Mims. Yes. Six yeses. This item passes. Item 42. Madam clerk. 42 is a resolution approving the transfer of 22 taxi cab registrations from Silver Taxi LLC to Guzman Taxi LLC of 21-23 East 19th Street. Resolution number 26196. So moved. So moved. Moved by Councilman BL, second by Mendes. Roll call on item 42. Madame clerk. Council Vice President Davila. Which one is that? Yes. Which one is that? Council member Khalig. Yes. Council member Mendes. Yes, Madam Clerk.

Council member Omar. Yes, Madam Clerk. Council member Udin. Yes. Council member VeZ. One. What number is this one? 42. Oh, 4. Yes. Council President Mims. Yes, Madam Clerk. Seven yeses. This item passes. Item 43. 43 is a resolution approving the transfer of 15 taxi cab registrations from Fastpat LLC to Seavoy LLC of 35 Broadway and Patterson. This is resolution 26197. So moved. Second. Second. Second by council vice president Dava and Mendes. Roll call on item 43. Madam clerk. Council vice president Davila. Yes.

Council member Khalig. Yes. Council member Mendes. Yes, Madam Clerk. Council member Omar. Yes, Madam Clerk. Council member Houdin. Yes. Council member VeZ. Yes, Madam Clerk. And Council President Mims. Yes. Seven yeses. This item passes. Item 44. Resolution approving the renewal of 15 taxi cab registrations for Fastpat LLC of 35 Broadway. This is resolution number 26198. So move second. Move by second by Councilman Mendes. Roll call on discussion. Discussion.

Yeah, just quick I want to call discussion. And the last one we just uh madame uh president and and council we just approved today. Uh the last resolution. We're going to approve the last resolution and it's a total of 114 caps and know taxing the city of Patterson. This is a message to the owners of this caps. Please be a good neighbor. If you put on a paper and an application and a resolution that you have a place that you're going to park this vehicle, do so because PD is enforcing it. If your car get tow, don't call me or don't call any council. You could call them, but don't call me if you know that you have a place establishment to park this cars, please. Because I got to tell you the same thing. The ordinance says that you have a place to park it and we have a commercial uh ordinance is going to be enforced also to keep in mind that also is being enforced in zone one and zone 2. No commercial vehicle should be parked in zone one and zone 2 during the day from 9:00 in the morning to 6:00 in the afternoon. Please be a good neighbor. We need parking for our resident come tired to come from work and they want to be home sleeping and not looking for parking. Thank you, council president.

Roll call. Council Vice President Davila. Yes. Council member Khalik. Yes. Council member Mendes. Yes, Madam Clerk. Councilman Omar. Yes, Madam Clair. Council member Odin. Yes. Council member Vez. Saying that, I know they're going to be good neighbors. Nothing against the cat. They doing a good service. But you need to respect the neighborhood. My vote is yes. Council President Mims. Yes. Seven yeses. This item passes. 49. Madame clerk. 49.

Yes. 49 is a resolution approving the Patterson Urban Enterprise Zone Division of the Department of Economic Development to utilize 403,396 of urban enterprise zone assistant funds for administrative budget of the fiscal year 2027. So move by second by um Mendes. Roll call. Second by Dav as well. Roll call. Madam clerk, council vice president Davila. Yes. Council Khalik, yes. Council member Mendes, yes. Council member Omar, yes. Madam Clerk, Udin, yes. BZ, yes. Council President M. Yes.

Seven yeses. This item passes. Item 47, Madam Clerk. 47 is a resolution to amend resolutions authorizing budget revisions to the community development block grant program for program years 24 and 25 for reallocation of funds. Resolution 26201. So moved. Second. Moved by uh Dava andZ and second by Mems. Roll call on 47. Madam clerk. Council vice president uh Davila. Yes. Council member Khalik. Council members Mendes. Yes. Madam clerk. Omar. Yes. Udin. Yes.

PZ. Um, I didn't stated uh in the last resolution approving the uh the UEE funding uh budget. I just want to welcome Mr. Rosado. He's the new director of UEE uh program the city of Patterson. So, but in this case, I think the director is doing a great job. My vote is yes. Council President Mims. Yes, Madam Clerk. This is seven yeses. This item passes. Item 48. Madam clerk, 48 is a resolution to amend resolution number 23. Point of order. I was in my seat. Madam clerk, you passed up my vote again.

You weren't in your seat when I went through roll call. Councilman Jackson, I was in my seat before you called the role. There is no there's no specific order of the role. I was in my seat before you called the role. Councilman Jackson, you were not in your seat when I went through roll call. I'm looking down taking all of the roll calls. So, madame clerk. Okay. 48 m 48. 48 is a resolution to amend resolution number 23488 authorizing budget revision number 8 to the 2019 2020 one-year annual action plan for the use of leftover CDBG coid9 care act funding. This is resolution 26202.

Second. Yes. Roll call, madam cler. Move. Roll call, madam clerk. Roll call. Council vice president Davia. Yes. Council member Jackson. Pass. Council member Khalik. Yes. Council member Mendes. Yes. Council member Omar. Madam clerk. This is 48. This is item 48. Yes. My vote is yes. Council member Odin. Yes. Council member Vez, I was going to ask the same question. Thank you for clarifying. My vote is yes, Council President Mims.

Councilman Jackson. He passed. Councilman Jackson. Thank you, Madam Clerk. And and and I I I do apologize because it should we should have gotten to a discussion prior to going to RO, but here we are. have uh no reporting, no full reporting on what we spent his car's act dollars on. And uh I'm just going to carelessly go through this again. My my vote is no, madam clerk. Council President Mims, my vote is yes, Madam Clerk. Seven yeses, one no, one absent. This item passes.

Item item 5050. Madam clerk, item 50 is a resolution addressing the renewal of a motor vehicle junkyard license for HB International Trading LLC doing businesses Gasoline Alley at 251 Presidential Boulevard in the first ward. This is resolution 26204. Moved by Councilman Bles, second by Councilwoman Davlin and Mendes. Roll call on item number 50. Madam clerk, Council Vice President Davila, yes. Council member Jackson, Council Member Khalig, yes.

Council member Mendes, yes. Council member Omar, yes. Council member Udin, yes. Council member VeZ, yes. Council President Mims, yes. 678. In favor, this item passes. Madam clerk, I just want to make sure on 48, it was moved by Dava and seconded by Mims and Valz. I just want to make sure you have that. Yes. Item 51, Madam Clerk. 51, you said. Yes.

51 is a resolution authorizing a split award of contracts to various vendors for consultants and evaluation services for the lead and healthy homes hazard inspection services for the health division of the department. So move second moved by me second by Davusen and council member is recusing himself. Roll call madam clerk. Sorry give me one moment. I don't know

discussion. Councilman Jackson. Yeah. No. Yes. The BA can respond. The BA can res The BA can respond to 51. Any questions? Coming right now. Oh, he's coming. Oh, item 51. Read again. We're in discussion. Right. Director. Item 51. Good evening, honorable members of the council. Yes. Can you outline the details please in this in the splitting of this contract for item number 51 please?

So the purchasing agent and the health officer worked on this to split the contract so that we have an additional contractor who can perform the work so that we can perform more remediation on more units. The one contractor we had is very backed up. This is for remediation. All right. It's for the lead grant. Yes. I'm sorry. It's for lead. Yes, that's what we do. We go in and we change door frames, window frames, frame, molding, flooring, wherever the lead may be found.

So, okay. So, we're actually hiring out cont what are the what the contract amounts, please? Total award of contract 91,500. That's the combined figure. Yes, sir. It's broken down to 48,000 and 43,500. And how is the uh how's the contract dispersed?

By jobs. So they complete a job, they bill us for the job, but it will not exceed this amount by each contract. Usually we can't spend more than $25,000 on a unit. So if they replace a door frame and a window frame, they they bill us $25,000. No, they'll bill us for that job. So the team, as you know, over there works with the contractor. They go out, they do the inspections, they check the specs, and then they approve the work based on HUD regulations. So, there is a formula by how much they get reimbursed.

There's a there's a HUD guideline formula on how much it should cost for door frames. Yes, it's either the HUD guidelines or the state guidelines. Remember, we have various lead grants. We have some that are HUD, some that are state. Okay. And so we I mean I I I understand that there's a state uh mandate on on um lead but uh not to beat the dead horse, but we still have not made any provisions towards outlining what's going on with mold.

That is something that the legislature needs to codify into a statute or codify into law. All right. Roll call. Madam clerk, council member Cotton, council member Cotton, item 51 for lead. Council Vice President Davila. Yes. Council member Jackson.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Yeah, it's a bit disappointing and I do understand that there's state laws that that are in place for certain things, but when you have a community that has such a large outcry of people being infested or infected by a affected by mold and not our health director, but our health officer finds it not to be of a concern of a of a public health issue. It's uh it's it's a bit uh embarrassing especially with the with the with the number of complaints that we get. Um but on this item, Madam Clerk, my vote is yes. Council member Khalik.

Yes. Council member Mendes.

I thank you, Madam Clerk. uh just before my vote. I understand that this is specifically for lead uh but I've been uh throughout the city of Patterson been knocking on doors and getting into an apartments that are in such a deplorable condition and here in the city of Patterson I mean it's really hard for people to they call they knock on doors and there's not one specific entity that go there and address the problem directly. that we have to go back to the table and sit down to be able to protect our tenants in the city of Patterson because this is happening in a large scale and happening with our senior in our senior building and many other area that really need to be addressed. Um, with that being said, my vote is yes, madam clerk. Council member Omar,

thank you madam clerk. My vote is yes. Council member, yes. Council President Mims, yes, madam clerk. Eight yeses. This item passes. Madame clerk, we'll go on to our DBW items. Item 53. 53 is a resolution authorizing the mayor and the city clerk to execute a site access agreement between the city of Patterson and Solomon Bros, Inc. for in the installation of two monitor wells near 802 East 27th Street. This is resolution 26207.

So second moved by council bless, second by council Mendes. Roll call on 53. discussion for the monitoring wells. So, director

Good evening, director. Good evening, brother. First of all, there's always always a bit of comfort in seeing you come here cuz I'm sure that the item has been vetted. I mean, I can't help but take issue with this item when it says authorizing the mayor and now the city clerk, all of them, all of them come that way. Um, Councilman, every every monitoring well we ever done is authorizing the mayor and the city clerk.

No, I I I totally understand that been doing this for quite some time. It's just like um you know especially after you know some things that have been that have gone on tonight um and you know my my my my lack of trust is an understatement but uh this is for the site on on Grand This one is the first one is the site on 27th Street East 27th. Yeah. 808 802 East 27th Street. Mhm.

And um so we're just going out for No, this is uh this is for the for um NJP for them to put a new store um line in. These are run-of-the-mill items that when you're doing a new build or changing a sewer line, you have to get these agreements between the the city and DP. Understood. Um, very good. I appreciate it. Director call. Roll call. Madam clerk. Council member Cotton. Yes. Council Vice President Davila. Council member Jackson. Yes. Council member Khalik. Yes. Council member Mendes. Yes. Madam Clerk. Council member Omar.

Yes, Madam Clerk. Council member Udin. Yes. Council member VeZ. Yes. Madam Clerk. Council President Mims. Yes, Madam Clerk. This item passes. All nine yeses. Item 53, Madam Clerk. No. Item 54, Madam Clerk. 54 is a resolution authorizing the mayor and the city clerk to execute a site access agreement between the city of Patterson and Solomon Bros, Inc. for the installation of one monitor well along East 27th Street. This is resolution 26208.

So move second. Move by Councilman Khali. Uh second by Councilman Mendes and Valz. Roll call on item number 54. Council member Cotton. Council Vice President Davila. Yes. Council member Jackson. Yes. Council member Khaled. Yes. Council member Mendes. Yes, Madam Clerk. Council member Omar. Yes, Madam Clerk. Council member Udin. Yes. Council member Vez. Yes, Madam Clerk. Council President Mims. Yes, Madam Clerk. Nine yeses. This item passes. Item 55.

55 is a resolution authorizing the rejection of all bids and authorizing the solicitation of new bids for the emergency sewer main repairs and replacement. Bid number 26.06 for the Division of Engineering of the Department of Public Works resolution 26209. So move. Moved by Councilman Veles and Councilman Davis. Second by Mendes. Roll call on item number 55. Council member Cotton, yes. Council Vice President Davila, yes. Council member Jackson, yes. Council member Khaled, yes. Council member Mendes, yes, Madam Clerk. Council member Omar, yes, madam clerk. Council member Odin, yes. Council member Vez,

yes, mad clerk. Council President Mims, yes. Nine yeses. This item passes. Item item 56. 56 is a resolution authorizing award of contract to Montana Construction Corp, Inc. for the sewer main repairs and replacement. This is bid 26.07 for the division of engineering and department of the department of public works resolution 26210. So move moved by council, second by council um vice president. Discussion discussion councilman

through the chair uh director I I know that this comment should be call in discussion the previous one but the one is to reject the one that we rejected the the the bids and go back again into a new uh solitation bid. Uh what happened is uh into the process happens and we need to do an emergency repair or do um do this Montana construction will take care of it or we have to get somebody else. This is for that contract. This is for mains for for that. So they will cover also in case an emergency into the other contract falls in. Yes. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Roll call. Madam clerk. Council member Cotton. Yes. Council Vice President Davila. Yes. Council member Jackson.

Yes. Council member Khalik. Yes. Council member Mendes. Uh thank you, Madame Cler. uh director before my vote. Um I see that we we we fixed 9inth Avenue totally brand new repavement. I see that they opening 20 9inth Avenue. We got to make sure that they fix that curve to curb. It took us many years to fix 9inth Avenue and I see that they that this is the second time they open it and the way they patch it. It was really bad. You passed by 9inth Avenue the first one. So and the second one is happening today. So please stay on top of 9inth Avenue. I'm going to see that fixed curve to curb. It was fixed a few months ago, you know. So, with that being said, my vote is yes, Madam Clerk. Council member Omar, my vote is yes, Madam Clerk.

Council member Odin, yes. Council member Vez, yes, Madam Clerk. Council President Mims. Yes, Madam Clerk. Madam Clerk, yes. Does this item passes? Madam Clerk, I'd like to readress my vote, please. Councilman Jackson.

All right. So, first of all, um I apologize, director. These are some of the things that uh that I um I can't continue to see slip by as we this type of um work and I I I know we're not in discussion. We can have this this this discussion offline. I was told that we have a PA box in the uh a paver in the um salt dome. I know. Don't don't worry about answering it. But but we we need to fill the capacity. But while I'm at it and I have a moment to answer my two minutes, you should have started the clock. Uh

this is just for Councilwoman Dava's um edification. It's very disappointing. I remember this a couple weeks ago she had changed the vote on some but but

relative too and it speaks to the clerk and it definitely also speaks to corporation council. According to Robert Rules order, a member has the absolute right to change their vote at any time until the results is officially announced by the chair. Rules for changing a vote before announcement. You can change your vote without needing permission from the assembly. You can change your vote without needing permission from the assembly, meaning the body, meaning council members, fellow council members, meaning the clerk, meaning the corporation council, you do this by seeking recognition from the chair and stating your new vote. Just for a point of clarity, because I'm hoping moving forward I don't have to continue to be uh disrespected, but madam clerk, my vote is no.

Wow. Wow. Cooperation council, please. Yes. Thank you, Council President. So, the question earlier that Councilman uh asked was to reconsider his vote.

Yeah. The question that was asked earlier that was addressed to myself and the clerk was to reconsider a vote. Reconsider a vote was different than changing a vote. And so now the councilman is saying that he he's employing a procedure that he is correct is in Robert's rules for changing your vote. Although I will note that historically when it's been requested that he change his vote, his vote has not been changed. So just want a point of clarity on that. So when you ask for reconsideration, the legal opinion and guidance stands. You need a motion in a second. But to change your vote, you can change your vote before the vote is called, but Robert's rule specifically says change, not ask for more time to speak or argue or anything else. Thank you.

Thank you, Madame Clerk. Let's go to item 40. Oh, item 45. Madam clerk, sorry. 56 was eight yeses, one no. This item passes. Thank you. Item point of order. Council President, item is not a point of order. Point of any there's a point of anytime a member call. So, what is the violation, Councilman Jackson?

Well, the first violation is you stepped out of roll call to call for a public for a legal opinion from from corporation council. While we're in roll call, there is no discussion. It is roll call for a vote. He him giving a legal opinion is not a conduct of roll call. That's what the point of order is. That's the violation of the rule. If we if ma you should allow have allowed madame clerk to finish the the uh the calling of the vote and then you could have asked him. Now what corporation council just outlined was totally incorrect. If I'm asking to reconsider my vote, it is reconsidering to change it. And again, respectfully to corporation council, I do not have to abide by

council president. Oppose a question, please. Thank you. We're not in discussion. We're not in discussion. Again, understand the rules. Oppose a question. Council president. Understand the rules of the of the delay this morning. We're not We're not in debate. There's a second on the floor, madam. We're not in debate, but we're not in debate. There is no point of question if we're not in debate. You are in a debate. Call to question is only in order when we're in debate. There is a second on the floor. Madam clerk, the public is waiting to speak. Madam clerk, pose a question so we can move on. Thank you. Madam clerk, would you second? I second it.

Yo, they just going to see the viol Council Vice President Davila, Council Member Jackson.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. And I'm I'm super pleased that we have a new clerk because now what we're doing is we're outlining and showing the level of incompetence of this council totally violating the rules of the quorum. A call to question is only a measure while you're in debate to end debate. It is not because you don't like what a council person has to say. Furthermore, the chair failed to failed to acknowledge my point of order and not allowing it to be answered to. Every time you call a point of order, if there is a violation of the rule, the point of order must be judged upon. She we didn't listen and we wondering why people when you go into that voting poll this upcoming election look at what's happening look at what's happening one they don't even understand the rules of the quorum two your best interest is being railroaded but I mean I guess we're in the call of question and a roll call for it so madam clerk my vote is no

council member colleague Yes, madame clerk. Council member Mendes. Yes, Madam Clerk. Council member Odin. Yes. Council member VeZ. So my colleague, I learned from him. He said that he's debating and he's not debating. So for me, whatever he's doing is debating and also questioning the ruling of the corporate council or any members of the council here. So we're not going to be all night listen to nonsense. My vote is yes. Council President, my vote is yes, madame clerk.

Madam clerk, I'd like to change my vote, please. No. What do you mean? This the rules of the quorum. She didn't call the vote. Listen, you guys don't don't don't like Councilman Jackson, your vote. Thank you, Madam Clerk. You guys may not like the way the rules are, but the rules are the rules. He's talking about I don't have the right to question. It is our job to question.

Especially when corporation council is leading us down the wrong path. It is not our job to just allow him to to we we have a young student in the audience who's watching how we're just violating the quorum and he's watching how deplorable these conditions are. Abstain seven yeses. This item passes.

Thank you, Madame Clerk. To uh the public portion, we have two items just honoring individuals. So, this should be um done very quickly. Item 45, Madam Clerk. Item 45 is a resolution honoring and welcome home Lea Cordia. Apologize if I mispronounced. This is sponsored by Councilman Luis Vez and co-sponsored by Councilman Ibrahim Omar and Councilman Forid Uden. So move. Second. Moved by council. Second by council woman mems and uden and davala. Roll call on item number 45. Second.

Council uh member Cotton. Mendes. Second as well. Council Vice President Davila. Council member Jackson. Yes. Council member Khalig. Yes. Council member Mendes. Yes. Madam Clerk. Council member Omar. Sorry. Council member Udin. Yes. Council member Vez. Welcome home. Legal Korea. You have a heart has remind us all to stand strong in moment of difficulties and the community of passing will always stand in your favor and anybody that goes through the same situation that you went through. So welcome home. My vote is yes. Council President Mims,

welcome home. My vote is yes. Eight yeses. This item passes. Item 46. And the last item on the agenda, Madam Clerk. 46 is a resolution memorializing the life and legacy of Dorothy Elizabeth Cook Haley. This is sponsored by Councilwoman Cotton, Council President Mims, and Council Vice President Davila. So moved. Second. Move it. Moved by Councilwoman Cotton and Mims. Second by Dava and Mendes and Veles. Roll call on our last item. Madam clerk.

Council member Cotton. Thank you, Madam Clerk. I just want to say to um her son Omar Haley um I was starting this resolution memorializing the life and legacy of Dorothy Elizabeth Cook who passed away and she was 105. I was able to be at her birthday celebration when she was 102 when she was 103 when she was 104 and when she was 105 and I just wanted to recognize her memorialize her for her life here on this earth. Madame Clerk and my sympathy goes out to the family. Madame Clerk, my vote is yes. Council Vice President Davila, yes. Council member Jackson, yes. Council member Khalik, yes. Council member Mendes,

yes. Council member Udin, yes. Council member Vez, yes. Council President Mims, to Omar family, you know, our heart goes out to you. Thank you, Councilwoman Cotton, for um pushing this forward. My vote is yes. Eight yeses. This item passes. Thank you, Madam Clerk. We are now going into public portion. Council President,

there are 20 speakers for a public portion. One second. Council Jack, there are 20 speakers for a public portion. The agenda is completed. Um, we have 20 speakers. Each speaker has three minutes. Um, Chanel Phills did call me earlier. Chanel FS um has four minutes on tonight to speak. Um, madame clerk, if we can um after Councilman Jackson, we'll open up public question. Councilman Jackson.

Thank you, Council President. So, I have a a concern uh through the chair corporation council and and Mr. uh BA, and I apologize for not bringing this to the to the floor soon. And item number five, resolution author authorizing additional appropriations for a contract for medical services, Inc. It it was brought to my attention that this vendor is located outside of the city of Patterson, but the the requirement is that they have to be located within a certain proximity of the city. I would like to make sure that we that I I get a response and a report on whether or not that is in fact true because if that is the case, the council should be readressing this. And more importantly, when when we have service providers that are located within the city and we could yet again continue to outsource and and give contracts to outside contractors, but relative to the legality, it was brought to my attention. I did not validate it. I haven't had an opportunity to research it, but I'm hoping that you can confirm and or um you know negate whether or not there's a proximity requirement in the code.

Thank you. If you'll send You don't have to do it now. I mean, we can address it. I'm sorry. It's in POS. Yeah, this is located in Pake. It's in the resolution. Madame Clerk, public portion. We can begin with our first speaker. We can move to public portion. I just want to bring to your attention item number 34 also still has to be considered. That was not done. Oh, one second. One second. Item 34. Oh, let's do that one first. Let's do that one really quick. Item 34. Item 34.

Yes, 34. Can we do that one really quick and then we'll go right into public portion. This is a resolution authorizing the renewal of a contract with Dot Designing LLC for purchase and delivery of t-shirts and accessories for various departments and divisions. This is bid number 25.14 for the department of administration in an amount not to exceed 100,000 for a period of one year. This is resolution 26188. So move moved by council member, second by council dabler. Roll call. Madam clerk, council member Cotton, Council Vice President Davila, Council Member Jackson, Council Member Jackson, Council Member Khalik, yes.

Council member Mendes, yes, Madam Clerk. Council member Udin, yes. Council member Vez, yes, Madam Clerk. Council President Mims. Thank you for that clarification. Yes. Seven yeses, one no, one absent. This item passes. Thank you. The agenda is completed. 9:29 p.m. Our first speaker, Madam Clerk, we have Eva uh Kaz Kazak or Rosac. Good evening. Good evening, Commissioner. Good evening. Turn your mic on. I believe it's on.

No, it's on this. No, no, it's on. Easy, easy, easy. I hate that light. Now you hear me.

Okay. Congratulations to everyone for being here this evening. Public portion and everyone else. I'm here today to say one thing. I've always been for women power. I've always stuck behind women. I've always stand for women because behind a man, there's always a straight a straight strength woman. Now, why I'm here today is nobody has paid me. Nobody pays me. Nobody tells me what to do, what to say, and how to say it. I'm here on my own. And this is for our women out here. We have one Spanish person sitting on our council, which has been Marissa Davila for many years. I know Miss Davila for more than 20 years because her son Bebo was my student. I know Marissa Davila to be a hard, caring, dedicated mom, sister, hardworking person. And I'm going to say this guys, I know a lot of people can feel about everybody that's to your own. But I, Eva Razak, not as a commissioner, as a person that lives in this town for many years, can vouch for Maria, for Marissa Davila. Why? Because when I've called her, not only for me, because you guys know I don't ask for me, I ask for our constituents out here. She always directs me to someone. She always finds the solution for the problems. I'm not here whether people believe it or not getting paid to say this about her because you guys know that if I got to come up here and say f you something, you guys are going to hear it. That's not going to be said out of my mouth cuz I don't want to say that. But I'm going to say this as everybody's running for these positions in in Patterson. Be mindful that when you guys stand up and you say your platform, you guys know if you're lying or not, cuz people are not dumb. People could see right through the BS. Marissa, I am so humbled to be standing here and I don't care what

anybody says about me cuz they don't feed me to say this about you. You know why? Because you are the real deal. I don't care that people going to say, "Oh, you're licking." No, I'm not licking, guys. I have never gotten paid in this town by anybody to work in an election. Tell me one person that has wol check for EVA raise act for an election. And I help everybody and I don't ask nobody for money for gas. I tell people where who you going to vote for? Go for it. I can't force you. But I'm going to tell you something guys. If you guys continue to do what you're doing, bashing each other, lying about each other, and not sticking with each other, you know who's going to feel the heat? We're feeling it, but you guys are going to get it back. So, by this being said, may God, because he has the last word, not you, not you, not you, not you, not none of us have the last word of who's going to sit there as the mayor. Mendes, congratulations for yesterday's victory, sir. On that end, I'm being honest. I You probably say, "Damn, Evva." No, no, no. But I just wanted to say congratulations. Let's stick together. One more second. Let's stick together, Marissa. 100% for you.

Thank you, mama. I just need to run run this because they didn't get I called today for some special minutes. Unfortunately, unfortunately, we cannot allow the extra Marissa. I'm here for you. Next speaker, Madame Clerk. Next speaker, speaker, madam clerk, I'm sorry, time's up. Don't do that to me cuz you do it all the time. No, you were told. Next speaker. Next speaker, Madam Clerk. Speaker, you were told. No, you stop. Next speaker, madam clerk. Speaker number two is Ernest Rucker. I'm sorry. I'm not here. I'm too old for that. Everybody buckle up.

A couple weeks ago, and I'm and I'm not going to be too hard on you today, uh, Councilman from the Fifth Ward, cuz you do make mistakes quite often, so I'm going to let that go. But what I am pissed about is policy and procedure. Something came up on this council about reappointing another commissioner to a commissioner seat. They had not given his resignation in writing. Now, I know this council president keeps going to the corporation council for legal advice, but when she was given legal advice two weeks ago, she ignored it. She ignored it. That's why there needs to be a change at this council. You can't make it up as you go along. You can't lie your way through this. People are starting to watch and notice what you're doing. Last during that particular time, and I was proud of you, Bishop, you're staying. But somewhere down the extension, you decided to change your vote without anybody seconding it, without no other process. Sometime you have to understand there are certain people that's not going to tolerate the that you put up.

I saw the look you just gave me. You get to know me. is just light. Very light.

When we come together as a community, I expect people to tell me the truth, not lie to me. council president. Twice we have gone out to meetings because of your lying. Once at Oh, don't act like it didn't happen. I'll start naming names. Okay, you know I will. Don't do it to yourself. Matter of fact, that'd be my post for tonight. Sometime you have to understand when you jump on a bull, you going to get the horns. I don't care what you believe. You have policy and procedure to follow. You didn't do it. The councilman jumped the gun. You fell in line. That's not how it works. Corporation council told you something different. You ignored that advice. But tonight, I watched you. Corporation council. Corporation council. Uh would you give a ruling on that? But you didn't take the ruling that he gave you at that night. Why was that? I'm going to tell you why it was. because I've been in your behind constantly. I am unveiling and more to unveil. The team that cannot be trusted can't go back in office. It's not the team that can be cut be trusted. That team that does not exist.

This mayor has been sitting up here. He sold us on the stadium by talking about it was the Negro League. No negro. Mr. Rucker, I'm sorry your time is up. I'm not mad. I'm not finished up in closing. Thank you. Next. Next. Next speaker. Madam clerk in closing. Next speaker. Madam clerk. Next speaker. Madam clerk. Next speaker. Next speaker. Mr. Rucker. Councilman. Congratulations. I'm going to say congratulations to you Jack very soon. Now we have a race, but no one shuts me up. Mr. Rocker, I'm sorry. Your time is up.

Next. As do I. To every resident here. Next speaker. Madam clerk. Next speaker. Next speaker. Madam clerk. Next speaker. Madam clerk. Next speaker. Madam cler. Next speaker is Juan Mitch Santiago. He laughed. Mitch Santiago. He laughed, Madam Clerk. Next speaker is Diana Moan. She laughed, Madam Cler. She laughed. Uh, next speaker is Lvinder Singh.

Hello. If I mispronounce it, kindly state it again. Hi, everybody. Can you hear me? Good evening. I hope so. First of all, greetings to all. Thank you very much giving me another opportunity to talk today. So, come to the point straight up. I really want to know who is the think tank of this council. Anybody can answer me. Who is the think tank of this council? It's okay. No problem. You know what?

Whoever is passing the ordinance, they don't think. I will tell you the reason. So last time when I was here, I was talking about the tobacco license ordinance in the bottom state of purp statement of purpose. The purpose of this ordinance is to regulate the potential harmful effect of smoke shops and tobacco shops. Listen carefully. Which can impact health and quality of life of residents of the city of Paris. The stated penalties are fined the city of Paris in regulate smoke shops and tobacco shops and harms associated with the such entities. In city of Paris the number of tobacco smokers are 50.5% according to the CT data. The marijuana smoker in the city of Paris is more than 57.8% 8% according to the city data which is highly increased until 57% this year so far. So who is causing the public health damage? Even a normal shop owner who is selling just a cigarette, a pack of cigarette, making a 50 cent or a dollar on a pack of cigarette has to pay $1,200 to the Department of Health for what? If city really need the revenue to generate to improve to pay their contractors or anything why don't city start giving license to the people who is selling the abusive drugs marijuana on the street make them legal give them sell them the uh licenses make it official you will get more money it's hard for us to regulate our business in such economy right now

we are overt taxed We are overbuilt on everything. So I don't know I'm really requesting again to the legal team. I know you are great mind. You are also great thinkers. You have your own intellectuality. Kindly pay attention to the regular business owners. City is not air poll. Air pollution in the city is not only because of smoke. There are school vans which is not proper maintained and causing more pollution. There are taxes which is not properly maintained causing more pollutions as compared to just the smoke. So it's my humble request please put a stay with the department of health to stop and forcing people

time is up. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker madam clerk. Next speaker is Emmanuel Spirrell. How you doing, Mr. Mike?

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Um, I'm Manuel SP. I'm from Palace, New Jersey. I was born and raised here for 5. I was born and raised here for 52 years. Um, I know there's a lot of things that's happening. I own a house on 16 on First Street. Asked the city department to come back there to take drop that tree down. They never came. That's one concern. Second concern is my son. He's 16 years old. I told him to get a job. We went and got his paperwork. Every public place that's in Patterson, New Jersey, he tried to get a job from from here, they denying him. Every day that I see this going on, they got these new houses that's coming in Patterson, New Jersey, bringing people from New York City to Patterson, which they don't even belong here, taking over our town. So what's going to happen is I'm from down the hill and I'm from up there. I know a lot of people. It's going to cause a riot because we not getting the things that we deserve as a as a people. And I'm not being racist by our black people. We losing. We y'all take over too much. When we when is going to be our time to get something? Y'all bringing people here don't even supposed to be in Patterson. Now we dealing with bloods. We dealing with crips. We dealing with a lot of going on. Enough is enough, man. Give our people what we deserve. Y'all wor about this, y'all wonder about that. But y'all not even wor about the people that was born and raised here that put up with a lot. Y'all got to look at these things. If y'all want it peaceful or y'all want to let it go down, how many times you got to sit there and see a black or brother or sister get killed over a dollar over a sneaker or or some drugs? Y'all talking about schools, shelters. It's people out here in Patterson, New Jersey, Broadway, Broad Street, sleeping in these streets that's homeless. And y'all sitting up there letting these people build houses here. Let's be for real here. Y'all making all this money. And y'all don't even not helping your own kind. To me, I don't even see God in

here. I see nothing but evilness. And I'm being honest with y'all. I came from the streets, but I did change my life around. Y'all up in here talking about God so loved the world. Y'all praying to Lord, how could we pray to God when all was in here? is wrong. Y'all going against a man that's trying to survive and do the right thing for his community. Y'all want to knock this man. I went to school with this man. He was a never negative energy. Never gave me that type of energy to me and my family. He was always a positive man. And y'all sitting up here talking about God. Y'all sitting up here about THIS MONEY. GOD DON'T WANT Y'ALL MONEY. HE WANT YOUR HEARTS, BODY, AND SOUL. THAT'S WHAT GOD WANT. Where y Where the real people at? Y'all not being real with y'elves, man. I can look inside y'all soul. It's rotten. So if y'all want to save something, save yourself first and then you can help the people.

They don't hear you. I think y'all need to hear that sometimes. Stop being selfish and help the community cuz we need y'all. If not, we're going to destroy each other. We going to hurt each other and I'm tired of it. I ain't got nothing else to say, man. Thank you. Next speaker, madam clerk. Next speaker speaker is Chanel Fields. And Chanel has four minutes, madam clerk. Thank you. Yeah, it's going. It was going. Thank you. Finding a four.

Good evening, council. Good evening, Patterson. This is a long overdue call to accountability that can no longer be ignored after years of troubling silence and neglect. As a reverend, you are entrusted with the sacred duty to lead with moral clarity, compassion, and courage. As president of the NAACP, you are positioned as an advocate, a defender, and protector of black lives, a voice for justice for those too often who go unheard to stand as a shield for the most vulnerable in our community. Yet your actions, Reverend Clayton, or rather I say your inactions, have betrayed both callings in ways that are deeply troubling and wholly unacceptable. Sir, you were entrusted with two sacred responsibilities. To lead under God with unwavering moral courage, and two, to advocate relentlessly for the black community. Yet for years, you have been absent in the very moments where your leadership was needed most. While our youth were lost to violence, while families buried their children, while entire communities cried out for your guidance and protection, you chose to remain silent. In those moments, you did not take a stand. I need you to know that a shepherd is not called only in times of comfort, but in times of crisis, and in this, you failed. Even more troubling is the contradiction between your public title and your private actions. As landlord representative, you have allowed residents, more specifically Tanisha Rodwell and her family, to live in cont conditions unfit for human habitation. Mold has been permitted to grow unchecked for years, contaminating the air and entering the lungs of children, elders, and grandchildren. What's worse, Patterson? It's a working family that has paid rent timely and most often in advance for nine years. This woman along with a disabled child and grandchild all currently have mold particulates on their lungs. This is not just negligence. It is harm, Reverend. It is a betrayal of both your spiritual calling and your civic duty. Allowing families, specifically black families,

to live for years in an environment plagued by mole is not just negligence, but has proven to be a direct threat to their health and physical well-being. Children and adults exposed to mold suffer real lasting harm to their lungs and overall health. And there is no justification for knowingly permitting such conditions to exist or persist under your care. You sir cannot preach protection and practice neglect and exploitation. And let's not forget how now after years of silence on critical black issues, violence prevention, economic inequality, housing injustice, you now all of a sudden emerge to speak on the closing of four high-erforming schools. While this issue is indeed important and we thank you for that, your sudden advocacy raises serious questions for me and the community to which you have been silent about. Where was the sense of urgency before? Where was the sense of urgency for Jamik Lowry, Mr. Mcnite, Naji Sebrooks, Jelique Burroughs, Armani Ston, Nazer Bug, and all the others whose life were lost. Where were you, Reverend? Where was this leadership? It was most needed that could have saved lives, strengthened families, and protected f futures. Where were you, Reverend Clayton? It is difficult to view this moment as anything other than a strategic attempt to regain your staggering credibility and diminishing public support after years of inaction. Your leadership has been selective and your advocacy has been virtually non-existent. Integrity is never allowed to be situational. And I know many of you may take issue with these words I'm saying tonight about the good old Reverend. But unless you have lived it, you cannot fully understand it. Unless you walk into the suffocating stench of wet mold day in and day out and sleep in it after night after night until you struggle daily to breathe in your own home. Until you receive a diagnosis confirming mold in your lungs, your child's lungs, and your grandchild's lungs, you cannot grasp the weight of this reality. Until it's you. And until it's you, it won't be understood. But I didn't wait for such a

demise to come my way to advocate for a family suffering when no one should ever have to live in such uninhabitable constraints. True advocacy should never require personal suffering. The in church we're taught that a child saved is a soul saved plus a life. Fix the apartment. Reverend Caitlyn, you have been asked. You have been requested and you are now being demanded. And I brought this to the council so that you guys feels will join me. Four minutes were granted. Is it up? Cuz you told me I had the extra minute. I did. I extended it. The four minutes are granted. Council, if he doesn't do it, we need to work together to call for his resignation with the NAACP. And thank you. U Madam Clerk. Thank you. Next speaker. Madam clerk,

next speaker is Eddie Olivarez. Good evening, Patterson. As is usually the case, I am here to tell you why it is that uh in fact I am going to pre present you with I want you to imagine two nightmare scenarios. Number one nightmare. Imagine for a minute that even if we get rid of the three incumbents, Andre Sad wins the election. That means that we're going to have Miss Cotton on the on the um council. We're gonna have Khalik. We're going to have Alex Mendes. We're going to have Omar. And we're going to have Luis Veles.

I'm here. And that means that the uh large-scale contractors will get away with murder because the administration and these guys will make sure that the they get away with whatever it is that they want to do. That's what they have been doing for a long long time. Second um nightmare scenario, Alex Mendes wins the mayor's seat. She didn't sign up.

You know, there is a a philosophy. People with no moral compass use this philosophy that there is no permanent enemy and there is no permanent friend, only permanent benefit. And so these people that we have on the council that are that want to kill Alex Mendes tonight because they are with the mayor, they're not going to get off the gravy train. You're going to see all of these people, Cotton, Khalik, um, Omar, Luis Veles, all of them getting the pig pen with Alex. That's what they do. People of Patterson. And so, once again, I am going to tell you I am I'm going to vouch for Mr. Jackson. Everybody knows that I do that. Not perfect. Only Christ was perfect and we killed him. So, uh, but it's the best option that we have. is the only option that we have. People of Patterson, listen to me. Unless we get rid of uh you know these these members on the council and we get rid of the of of the mayor, this city will not get better. It is that simple. Again, there is no per for these people. There are no permanent enemies. As soon as they find they identify the winner, they go with the winner. That's all it is. People of Patterson, and listen to me. I'm going to say it once again. People of Patterson, people watching, if the mayor stays in power and these three incumbents win their seats, it is you to blame. Don't blame me. I'm doing everything that I can to get rid of them. So, you're going to have to blame yourselves. It is your fault that the

city will continue to deteriorate to uh a lower level. Thank you. Next speaker, Madame Clerk. Next speaker. Next speaker is Elvis Dorham. Dorham. Elvis.

Good evening, Elvis.

Good evening. Um, just want to say to the city of Patterson, New Jersey, to the voters, the ones that's that vote, May 12th is election. Get out there and vote. and to all my supporters. My two candidates for cancer at laws, Lisa Mims 13B, Marissa Daria 15B. Just want y'all to know that um it's a premother's day gospel concert. It's going to be right here in the city of Patterson. Mikas Productions presents a premother's Day Duna concert Friday, May 1st. The Dun starts at 5:00 p.m. The concert starts at 7:00 p.m. at 326 Elders Street. 326 E L I S O N Street. That's AM Zion. Tickets is $40 and it's going to be um you could call for tickets at 20116385257 and Chef David Banister is going to be the chef for this amazing gospel concert. I also want to say thank you to um councilman of the second war and the councilman of the sixth war for sponsoring my birthday concert. Elvis Dorm Outreach Music Production presents 47 birthday celebration and 30th anniversary as a promoter. Sunday, May 17. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. The concert starts at 4:00

p.m. And it's going to be at the First War. I'm coming to the First War. Oh yeah. At New Generation, Kingdom of Power Ministry, 170 North Main Street, Patterson, New Jersey, where the pastor is, Pastor Thomas Prairie. and it's going to be featuring one of the best female gospel singers in the world, Ashley Mley of Patterson, New Jersey, and many others. For more information, you can contact me at 8628233895. And everybody that's watching, subscribe to my YouTube channel, Patterson NJ Good News. My YouTube channel Pacy NJ Good News. My Facebook page Elvis Good News Dur Ham M. God bless you and good night.

Thank you, Elvis. Next speaker, Madame Clerk. Next speaker is Sylvia Ferrar.

Good evening, Miss Ferrar. Peace and blessings, everyone. I'm trying to uh keep this uh video going. I want you to hear what we're we're experiencing in Brook Slope. Um I recorded it. Some of you may have already seen it where as the residents are coming out of their homes to go to work. Children cannot all summer last summer we went through a thing. The children couldn't even play outside. But as you come out of your home, you're here. You're under surveillance. It was warning. You're under surveillance. New Jersey surveillance, police surveillance. Your license plate is being read. You're under surveillance. Now, I've took the petitions down to the municipal courthouse and sat there a couple of days even, three hours at at a time to make sure that the P, you know, I had to swear that all the statements were true. The petitions were, you know, taken down there. Okay. the management crew that was let go recently abided by the court order. Now we have another fell that was put in the position that's not qualified to be in it. But being Brook Slope, it is how it is. They just anything illegal that can be done, they will do it. So um even with that being said, okay, well the court order is being violated as we as I speak right now, but as uh also um somehow in our last shareholders meeting uh the attorney for broke Brooks Slope, Mr. Calvin Sauler presented on the slide a form that was signed by the mayor that I don't know if it's been released to the public or how he said someone that they he know we know who he know uh gave it to him and it was shared with the shareholders the amount that the uh the

approval part and the amount of monies that it was approved for. So again, there was a breach in confidentiality from this office to the public. So um I'll let y'all deal with that however you want, but the attorney's name was Calvin Solder for Brooks Slope and the information was still supposed to be, as far as I know, confidential, but he's trying to say that it wasn't, but it was shared with the shareholders in Brooks Slope. Also, he was trying to make comments about our mayor that were untrue. I had to correct him and let him know it was unfounded that I was sitting in meetings at during that time concerning the sewers. This is going back to Jeff Jones. We are $22.7 million in debt for the sewage lines being cleared, which they had started, but now it's still being continued for sewer lines even being cleared, you know. But this is all whatever the little side campaign nonsense they're trying to do. But a breach of cont uh confidentiality has uh uh twice. I heard one tonight and one was witnessed at Brooks Slope.

Miss Farrar, your time is up. So I'll let y'all deal with that however you will. But we are paying for something that we are is sitting in someone's home and the shareholders are paying for it. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Far. Next speaker, Madam Clerk, Sonia Delves. Deliz. Okay. Sonia Deise.

Good evening everyone. Um, I did want to address something first of all to the uh, council president and vice council president, but they're not here in regards to the uh, cigarette licenses to see what was the status on it and uh, what we were going to be. I know that two months ago when I came in they were supposed to present it to legal and it was supposed to be edited or amended but I don't know if the politics and all this and is in place right now and it's on hold but if somebody can please rely the message that will be great but good evening everyone um today I am here to actually once again announce my candidacy for city council at large as a lifelong Pattersonian born Born and raised business owner of two businesses in Patterson and a property owner. My roots in this city runs deep and so does my commitment to its future. May 12th is very important. It is a very important date. It is the resident's opportunity to vote for change, to have your voice heard, and to help shape the direction of our great city. I am looking to fight for Patterson residents, support and fight for our hardworking city employees, stand tall and fight for our first responders, and finally uplift our small businesses, which are the backbone of our city. I have no doubt that together we can build a stronger, safer, and prosperous Patterson. On May 12th, I humbly ask for your support and I ask that you vote 5B Sonia Deise because we all know that together we are Patterson. Together, it is a together thing when we think of

elections. Patterson residents, you saw tonight's meeting. It's painful. It's it's painful. So May 12, make sure you cast your vote wisely. Uh once again, my name is Sonia Deise and I am 5B in the ballot. Thank you. Next speaker, madam cl. Next speaker is Abed Tharbach. The batha what? I just Yes, my name is Athaba. To be or not to be. Yeah, there you go. See, I like that a lot by Councilman. But now we got to get to the serious business. There you go. Last week he made announcements from your desk

from my wife on government time from Madame Chair to corporation council. Can you please review the ethics code violations about campaigning on the dasis on that side and how it actually violates the campaign um policies because you're you're on government time on the people's time. Freedom of speech. It's no not whenever you're an elected official. You don't have freedom of speech. Read it. I I did. It's the New Jersey State Ethics Board, but there's no back and forth anyway because now we're out of the We need the quorum. The quorum. Let's get back to the quorum.

Madame Clerk, you did an amazing job with the reformatting of the agenda of what it used to look like compared to what it looks like today. You outlined the city ordinance in each bullet point on how this meeting is supposed to be ran. If this actually happened before payment of bills, we would have heard the public, which would have been around what 8:00. But we have elderly out here. We have people that had to go because they have private arrangements that can't speak. Now, are we suppressing the voice of the public because we don't want to hear what they got to say? Just my opinion. You know, Shakespeare said to be or not to be. The the choice is to be. That's all. Political signs, right? Everybody's political sign is up. Everybody's freedom of speech, but not on state property. It's called dumping. $10,000 fine. Thank you, Councilman Alex Mendes. You propose a $10,000 dumping fine. Do you give a dumping fine for every single sign on state property? Cuz that's considered dumping because it's not in a garbage bag. It's still dumping. You cannot broadcast political campaign material, anything on state property. So to be or not to be, right? That's the biggest question for me. I don't know who else. I know I'm voting to be. I know my wife wanted to be. I got a couple other, you know, I'm the underdog dog in the race, but I bet they're trying to fight for justice, transparency, accountability. Man, just give a public public portion at 8:00 so everybody could talk, you know, 20 more seconds. You know, we just got to enjoy the TV time. It's free advertisement. That's why we come here.

Joe Keys, he's going to do a great speech. Dr. Fields. Thank you for uh your enlightenment talk about Reverend Clayton. And let's see what else this council got to say. Thank you. Oh, one more thing. There's no answers for any other questions from last week. Thank you. Next speaker, Madam Clerk. Next speaker is Rodney Addison. Good evening, Rodney. Good evening. Good evening. Good evening.

Pray all is doing well. First and foremost, I want to thank Councilman Jackson for bringing that point up to the BA about the DSI medical services. In all actuality, they do not have a site in Pake. They subcontract out to smaller companies. Uh after looking them up on the New Jersey business directory, they don't have a physical location for themselves in P County, only in Mammoth County. And this is a point point for me to bring up is because my mom and I, we have the only fully licensed specimen collection site in Patterson, New Jersey other than Lab Corp, which we offer more services than they do. Um, according to the RFP, the contract has to be within five miles and if they do subcontract, it has to be listed and provided. Uh other than that, city business Patterson uh Junth committee, we are coming up on our 4th annual Junth festival. Junth is in 66 days. So it is as always it will behoove you Patteradison African-Americans, black, however you identify that we as always make sure we put on the best festival possible because Junth is the first cultural activ cultural festival in the city of Patterson for the year. It is our responsibility to make sure that we set the trend for everyone who comes there after us. Aside from that, as you do or do not know, my mom and I own a own a school here in Patterson, Addison Institute of Healthcare Training. We are coming up on our oneyear anniversary really soon. In the last year, we have had the chance to graduate some amazing individuals in the alli health field across uh phabbotomy, EKG, CMA, EMR, MAVO and more to which we are now on the state's ETPL uh registry. so that if you if you do go through workforce, you can

come do through through the workforce funding to come to our school for free. Other than that, I want to thank the honorable council woman uh Ruby Cotton who donated sponsored a student to come to our school. He was actually a young brother who graduated from East Side High School. He's now premed at uh Rucker University in NORC. He came to our school to come get phabbotomy training so that he is well equipped, competent and competent competent as he goes into become a doctor eventually. Um, yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, Madam Clerk, we have Veronica Franklin. Veronica,

she left. Madam Clerk, next speaker, Joel Keys Jr. It was supposed to be we we I did tell them I did tell them I told them we cannot sign other people's names to speak. So next time if she comes we'll I'll give her an extra minute. I cannot add her. Her name is not here. Mr. Keys.

All right. Testament one, two. I stand before you tonight because our city is at a crossroads. For too long, Patterson has been trapped in a cycle of dysfunction, mismanagement, and what many residents describe as an organized crime syndicate that robs our community of opportunity. And the truth is simple. When leaders have no plan, the only plan left is the status quo. That is why I'm supporting Councilman Mike Jackson for mayor. I've listened to him lay out his master plan, clear, detailed, and transformative. A plan rooted in accountability, economic revitalization, public safety, and restoring dignity to every neighborhood in this city. a plan that doesn't rely on slogans or empty promises, but on structure, strategy, and measurable results. And let's be honest, the other candidates have not presented anything close to a plan. When given a chance twice with Senator Benji Wimbley, they dodged, deflected, and danced around basic questions about how they intend to lead this city. If someone wants to run Patterson without a plan, then what they're really offering is more of the same. More chaos, more corruption, more suffering for the residents who deserve better. Even worse, the incumbent mayor Andre Sey didn't bother to show up for Senator Wimbley's debates, not once, but twice. If the sitting mayor cannot show enough concern to face the grassroots, answer questions, or defend his record,

then what does that say about his commitment to this city? Meanwhile, Mike Jackson shows up. He answers every question. He stands firm in the fire and he brings forward a master plan that, in my view, has the potential to make Patterson a model for cities across the nation. Some have tried to make this election about personality conflicts or personal disagreements. But leadership is not about who you like. It's about who has a vision, who has a plan, who is prepared to do the work. And Mike Jackson is the only candidate who has demonstrated that. So tonight, I'm asking Patterson to choose substance over emotion, strategy over stagnation, a future over the status quo. Let's choose a leader with a real plan for real change. Let's choose Councilman Mike Jackson for mayor, my uncle Eddie Olive, Casey Melvin, our bed the Dave Whistleblower Gilmore for Councilman at large. Rest in peace to coach Alan Fields.

Thank you. Next speaker, madame clerk, council, next speaker. Next speaker is Latana Easter.

Good evening, Miss Eastern. Good evening. It's Lutonia. Can you start my clock at three minutes so I don't um I want to start with the zoning board. I went to the zoning board uh for the first time a couple of weeks ago and it was sad to see that there were no citizens of Patterson there. So whoever is listening out there, we need to get to these zoning board meetings. It'll tell us what's going on and where these buildings are going up because there's a building going up down the street from me and we're a residential so we need to be mindful. Go to the zoning board meetings. The other thing real quick about the zoning board meetings, I was sad because um there were some people there that were not paying attention to what was going on and then one person had the nerve to just get up and they weren't paying attention and as the person was walking out it was said, "Oh, I'm glad this meeting is over. I can go home and eat." That's not what we need. And like this gentleman said, we have to be careful who we're going to be voting for coming up. I want to vote for somebody not because of your personality, not because I may like you, not because you're the same race, not because you're the same culture. I want to vote for you because I want to know that you have my best interest at heart. And when I say my best interest, I also mean the citizens of Patterson. I don't care about your color. I don't care about your creed, whatever. I want somebody that's accountable. something that was said earlier that was disappointing and that was um Councilman Jackson, there's always an attack, but I do have to say, and I'm going to say this publicly, I appreciate you always asking questions. I have no problem with any council person up here asking questions. What I do like is the questions that are being asked, that you give each other respect, all of that back and forth.

Councilman Jackson was asking a question and there was a lot of cutting him off. I as a citizen, I don't care whether I agree with him or I don't agree with him. I want to hear the question so that I can hear the answer. And it's not just him. I don't care who it is. But Mr. Jackson, thank you for being an asset. I got on you a few years ago about something. So, I'm saying it publicly again. I do respect you. Back then, I fussed at you. So, I'm coming to you publicly saying thank you. The other thing is um there was some I found out earlier um that there was there was a debate at the Brownstone or something and you had to pay pay money for it. I don't have money to pay for these debates. Where are the debates that are made public to the citizens so that we don't have to pay just to hear you debate or give us your opinion so I know who exactly I want to vote for and and what's going on. Uh, I'm trying to talk fast because I don't want my time to run out real quick. Um, also, oh, going back to the zoning board, I also heard that, um, Trace Watkins was on the board of zoning and for what I understand, she was very good at her job and for whatever reason, she was removed from the board. We need people like that that's going to um, ask for accountability. Um, you work for me. If I ask a question, because I'm paying taxes, I expect answers. We expect answers, and we expect accountability and transparency. Have a good night. Next speaker, Madame Clerk.

Next speaker is Chanel Davis. Davis. Good evening.

Hi. Good evening, everyone. My name is Chelle Davis. Um I my husband and I, we live in the third ward. Um we're I'm here today to say that Councilwoman, Dr. Councilwoman Lisa Mens, we appreciate you for all the things you have done. Uh even before you became council at large, you did things for the city that a lot of people may not have known about. Uh we appreciate everything about you, being a mom, being a leader, being a teacher, being there. Your phone is always available 24 hours of a day. There's times that I may have called you maybe 1 2:00 in the morning. You were trying to rest, but you never denied me of my call. I appreciate that. I appreciate all of the other things that you have done in this city. You know, although you get a lot of backlash, a lot of people don't know the things that you have not done. A lot of your accolades, they speak for themselves, but you don't put a lot of things on the, you know, forefront that you've done. Um, again, like I said, all the backlash you get, people say things about you. I'm glad that you keep your head up. I'm glad that you do things with elegancy. Um, I'm glad that you you wear a lot on your shoulder, but I'm glad that you don't feed into a lot of this feedback. Um, we never grew up like that. You know, we were taught differently growing up in our home. And I appreciate you. We love you. And we will definitely be voting 13B on the ballot. And um, we're glad to be having you be reelected for your third term because what God has for you is for you. Regardless of what everybody else says, you keep your head up and you keep doing what you're doing. Excellent. That's what you work for and that's who you are. You're excellent person. Keep striving for that. I appreciate you.

Thank you. Yes. God bless. Appreciate you, too. Next speaker is Demetrius Davis. Yes. Good evening, council.

I say we just came to give our endorsement for Councilwoman Mims. I say there's been a lot of bashing of her lately. I always say if you want to up someone who you think would do a better job, then that's what you do. You don't have to put down the other person who's not your choice of people. I say um I know I've spoken with a bunch of the people who are running, not all, but some who are running for council at large. And to me, I don't think most of them have a actual plan

in place on what they're going to do. Everyone says, "Oh, we're going to do this. They're going to do that." But they don't say how. That's the most important thing. How are you going to get it done? Anybody can come up with uh a solution. Not a solution. You may say what you can do, but you have to have a plan on how to do it. I say I know one of the runners. I'm not going to say any names, but I'm quite sure we all know who. Uh they say there, excuse me, I'm sorry. I've been a firefighter in this city for 25 years. Someone has been endorsed by the fire officers by the fire officers and that's their running point. I can tell you off the top of my head, there are five fire officers who actually live in the city of Patterson. So that endorsement doesn't really mean much if only five of them can vote. But as I say in the firehouse 90% of the gentlemen that I speak with are with council president Mims. I say that's the talks that we have. That's the choice on those who actually live in the city to my knowledge to the people that I speak with. And just 13B is my vote for council at large. Councilwoman Mims.

Thank you. Yes. Thank you. Next speaker, Madame Clerk, Anthony Wheeler. He left. Madam clerk, last speaker is Chevia Sevdia Sharifi.

Good evening. Hello. All right. I've been meaning to come to this mic for a while, but the way you treat the public just makes me not even want to talk to you. But the time is now, so here it goes. So, election season is here and it's really entertaining. It's comical to see some of you highlighting and campaigning on improving the conditions of the city that you are all responsible for making. All of you with the exception of one or as the fifth word promoter because you're not a councilman likes to take credit for the eight of us who vote yes to move forward the city. You all can take credit for Patterson being in the worst condition it's ever been in. The homeless population, the drug addicts are all a result of you and the administration. The overdevelopment, the lawlessness, the streets, the infrastructure, all all are all all are a result of you all being complicit with the mayor.

None of you ask questions. None of you ask for reports. You just show up behind the podium and make sure you're there to hold the ribbon. It's funny because you all claim to be transparent. Yet, not one of you, with the exception of Councilman Jackson, have the heart to keep it real. Not just to the people of Patterson, but to yourselves. The AI photos and flyers full of lies are evidence of that. We have a drunk driving councilman saying he cares and loves Patterson, yet he ran a red light while intoxicated and hit two residents. Still no transparency or accountability. We also have a city councilman who's also a realtor who claims to love the great city of Patterson and wants to help the taxpayers. Yet, I saw that he sold three lots to a developer. That to me is wicked work, and none of you speak against it. Ever since you all voted to cut the meetings down to two, all I've seen is you all campaigning for someone in your click. I have yet to see city business conducted in a more robust fashion as Councilwoman Mims and Udine said would happen when you cut the meetings. The city has gotten worse and the people are suffering. and when they show up to express themselves, they are silenced. I also want to know why is the public not allowed to comment on the city hall Facebook page. While you all go to parties and celebrate failure, taxes continue to rise, rents are unaffordable, and the city is sinking. You are voting to borrow money and have the audacity to say that you are fiscally responsible. The state of the city is unbelievable, and it really makes me sad to see our city in the condition it's in. It is in desperate need of love. It reminds me of Gotham City. And you all remind me of the villains teaming up to attack Councilman Jackson and take over the city. Literally moving the great city of Patterson off of a cliff. Patterson, I urge you to meet us tomorrow at Tormina's Pizzeria on the corner of 7th Avenue in Madison at 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. to rally for Mike Jackson to be our next mayor. Come out for a chat and chew

session and get to know him and hear his plan for the city. Thank you. Thank you. There are no more speakers. Seeing none. Move to close. Move to close by council. Second by second by councilman. Council president. Councilman Mendes. Council president. What? Councilman Jackson.

So I I understand the uh policy in which you have adopted. In fact, the young lady had left. But the young man who's a high school student has been sitting here the entire time. He came in well before public portion. He was been here in the entire time of the meeting. Had made a request to speak. He didn't understand the process of uh signing the list. We have a young man, high school student who's been interest who's interested in in asking council's uh questions. And I think it would be robbery to deny him an opportunity before we close public portion. Allow him an opportunity to speak. That's if he still wants to speak. Yeah. But he

so councilman Jackson I asked him was he okay earlier and he didn't say anything as the council president you reached out to the council president or the secretary motion on the floor there is a motion on the floor I'll give you my said it's fine he said it's fine I Elijah I'll talk to you I know him personally I'll talk to him there's a motion in the second on the floor we'll we'll have a conversation come on let me speak would you you would you like to go ahead Elijah you want to speak Elijah yeah come Huh? Like we know him. He He got his own He got his own business. We love We love Elijah. Elijah is my nephew, right? We know Elijah. Elijah all the time for No,

just if you could state for me for the record. Elijah, your first and last name only.

Is Oh, hello everyone. My name is Elijah Pipkin. Um I seen in the uh the paper the agenda uh just retracting I'm sorry to take up your time about the taxis. My grandmother did have an issue back uh past tense about the taxis uh just taking up um space in her her street and stuff like that. And I did want to bring that up. Um that that's that was really much it. And I did wanted to give my my my graceful uh thoughts for everybody in this room. I'm proud of everyone here.

You know, the impact that you guys made um personally, physically, mentally in the community is great. I've also made an impact in this community, too. Um receiving multiple awards like uh construction awards because I do have my own business. Um but I do I do think that Patterson is hurting. Honestly, I I think Patterson is hurting because I view things like this. I walk around the city and I see garbage. And it's not just about garbage. It's about the people. I see a lot of people suffering. I see a lot of people going through things. And Patterson has a bad bad uh way of communication. Um I walk around the city and people won't speak to each other. I walk around the city and people shooting, gun violence, and I've also was in front of a person that was shooting. Um, and again, as the council and citizens of my people, we have to make a change together because if we don't, nobody else will.

Um, and I just want to say God bless to you guys and keep doing what you're doing. Councilman Jackson, you're doing a great thing. President, you're doing a great thing. clerk. I've been seeing you put up with a lot of different things throughout because I've been watching a lot of different videos on YouTube. Congratulations to you too. Yes. Um and God bless you guys. Thank you a lot. Thank you, Matthew. Motion to close. Motion to close. Councilman Khalik. Second by Councilman Mendes and Ibby Omar. I mean Ibrahim Omar. Roll call to close the public portion. Good job.

Council member Cotton. Thank you, Madam Clerk. I just want to say to everyone and those that are watching out out in the audience, thank you all for coming out and um sharing your concerns and some of the things that are happening in the city. Um I just want to say to um do it for her.

Sylvia Far, she left. I really did have no idea what Sylvia was talking about. Like I don't understand what was happening, but I'll give her a call. I just want to say to um um Eddie um Rodney Addison, you know, I always been a big believer of helping helping people and I don't need to really know you to help you. And that's why I did what I did because you know what? We have to try to do our best to help help start jumpstart someone career. We have to do our best. We can't sit here and and talk about not nothing getting done when we ain't put like I would say put your money where your mouth is. If I can get someone get started with a career, that's what I should be doing. That's what we all should be doing. If I can promote a business or something, and I know Elijah, you was honored about a month ago and I was there and you were honored because of your entre entrepreneurship that you have. You own a construction company, a contracting company. And so, you know, we want to recognize people who who are doing business and who are doing their best to to so when you can reach out and grab someone and help them to get things done, that's what that's what you do. And I want to say to Dee Addison, I mean, we go way back school 13. I politics was nowhere near in my mind. I was just a community person helping out, doing, helping people, showing them the right way, making sure kids go to college, making sure they go to trade school, making sure and that's what so I want to make a commitment again today to the Addison Institute that I will build, I would be doing another student that can jumpst start their career, they can jump start because you actually when you go other parts of this country, they really make good money doing that stuff. So, so I want to say we need to do more than what we can and I know we all do here, but let's do what we can to help each other to do what we have to do. With that being said, Madame Clerk, I love you, Madam Clerk. My vote is yes,

Council Vice President Davila. Uh, Madame Clerk, we really appreciate you. I can say I appreciate you. Okay. Um, this is your second meeting. Yeah. Please don't leave us. Let's take a meeting. But with that said, I want to uh thank every speaker that came before us. Uh listen, I'm going to keep it very short. I want everyone to have a good evening. Uh elections have consequences. Yeah, they're coming up.

Uh I've already stated it. I will stand firm on what I believe is right and what I think the the city needs. Uh I am in full support of my mayor. He is 3A on the ballot. Uh I believe that the work that he's done, uh there's still more to be done and we've spoken about that. I'm in full support of my council president because she has done the work.

So, um as stated, many will come to say what they want to do and that's great because I think that that's democracy and you have the right. Uh so I won't speak ill on anyone. I can just stand on my record and what I want to continue to do as born and raised resident of this city where um I've lived all my life. This is the only home I've ever known. So, uh to all of my colleagues, to Councilman Mendes, you know, wishing you good luck. Uh to your family, I'm very happy for your children and your wife uh and your team. Um, and to all of my colleagues, uh, thank you, Councilman Velis, for all of your support, uh, throughout, you know, this this this coming election. And my brothers, Shaheen and Ebby, and my sister, the woman on fire, Councilwoman Cotton, if anybody knows, just go to the insider NJ.

Uh, but anyway, thank you, Patterson. Thank you to every person that has come here to speak their mind. It is okay. We accept it. To uh the firemen that came before us, Chavevel, we love you, too. Thank you. My vote is yes to close. Council member Jackson.

Thank you, Madame Clerk. Um, let me start by uh congratulating um, Councilman Mendes and really you and your family and and everybody else involved in this um, witch hunt. Um, it was unfortunate, you know, that the mayor continued to uh, try to throw stones even after you were um, proven to be innocent at a at a debate. But that's that goes without saying. But anyway, she left for I have no idea what she's talking about. You should close your mic council. So, uh, Madame Clerk, I appreciate you as well.

Um, and and I it's disappointing when people try to make it seem as if there's some something personal. But what I'll do is I'll lay a challenge on your desk as well as I've laid on every single one of these council members. I challenge you to find where I have done anything to ingratiate or advance myself. Any one position that I've taken for my own personal greed or well well-being. I advocate on behalf of the of the public all the time, 100% of the time. If there's one time you can ever prove, Mr. Ba, I challenge you with the same task. prove where I've done something personally selfish that has something to do with me or my p my family, I'll resign. I'll resign. You won't have that trouble anymore. Unfortunately, you won't find that because I don't. And I'm standing firmly on making sure that I hold you equally accountable. There was a lot of things that we may have allowed to slide, but now we will not do that any longer. I'm prepared each and every night. And uh unlike anyone else, I can speak firmly about my record and talk about why. I don't just say, "Hey, I've done a lot. All the I know the work that I've done. I'm just committed and convicted on what I say. I don't care what you say. You can't ask me no questions." Brother Elijah, I answer any question any time, any time of the day.

All right. Clerk, my vote is yes. Councilman, colleague.

Thank you, Madame Clerk. Um, Mr. Bier, um, there was a gentleman spoke about the cigarette licensing fee. We did have a discussion here like a month month and a half ago or so. I would like to get an update on the where we stand on that ordinance. Also um couple of constituents from the second word came about about a month and a half ago or so about a company on Barkshshire and Crossby Avenue I think he concrete wash out company according to my knowledge also I spoke to the constituent services director Javier Fernandez they don't have proper licensing CI knows about it and the neighborhood is very concerned about it. I want to see some action done there and I would like to get a report on it as well where we stand on that issue and um if we don't meet before the election I want to wish all my council colleagues a best of luck. Everyone knows who I'm supporting. I'm not going to mention the name again, but I want to wish everybody a best of luck. May the best men win and whoever win, we should work together to move this city forward. My vote is yes to close the public uh portion. Madame clerk,

council member Mendes,

thank you, Madam Clerk. Um, first of all, uh, I just want to say I want to I want to thank God tonight. I just want to say thank you, Lord. Thank you, God. And um listen, I I learned uh prayer. God listen to to your prayer. When you pray, God listen to you. Um the case, my case was dismissed. Um I'm I'm totally free, exonerated. It's a very important uh the community get this new news and I'm so excited. First of all, I want to thank God and also want to thank my wife, my family for always being on my side. Yesterday I cried when when I got out of court for because of the emotion that I that I've been going through in the last six years. I went through hell for this case. But God is great. Um I want to thank uh to my community, to the entire city of Patterson. Uh that never that always stay there behind me supporting me every step of the way. Uh especially all my supporter, all my voters, all my constituents. Um and also uh I I never lost faith on the justice system. uh they took the time to make the right decision and and I'm here. I'm ready to serve and I feel I feel very blessed. The community never lost fa faith in me. They elect me after May when this whole case start. They elect me in November again with the highest number. They elect me in 2024. They reelect me in 2024. Numbers don't lie. 2022 I was the second highest voc as a mayor with that case on top on my shoulder. And I want to take the time. I want to thank this council because they elect me as a council president twice in a row for two years in a row and I take pride of that. I'm the only councilman I'm the only candidate on this mayor race that bring people together in the city of Paris. Numbers don't lie. Action speak louder than word. This city needs somebody who's going to bring everybody together. This city doesn't need a liability. This

city needs somebody who's going to fight for the right reason in the city of Patterson. We're going to bring the the community together. And I I just want to say thank you to all those supporters. And I'm here. I'm ready to fight. And if God and the resting elect me as the next mayor, you will see a real change in the city of P. So, God bless you all. Thank you, Madam Clerk. My vote is yes. Council member Omar. Thank you, Madam Clerk. I'm just going to say this. It's good when we can end with someone like uh the young brother. What's his name? Elijah. Elijah. Elijah, you should speak last every time and keep us all on a good note. and Council Mendes, I'm happy for you and your family. My vote is yes, Madam Clerk. Council member VeZ,

you going to say this is a public portion. Closing me. Okay. So, I I just want to remind the speakers uh uh and the public uh that comes to the public portion. We have a new clerk certified by the state of New Jersey that pass and certify and qualify with all the testes that the state could give. We are the this is the only position in the council that we appoint okay and we hire and it goes through different various uh interviews with a committee. I just want to tell the resident that come here get used to conduct meetings properly the right way. Don't take it personal when she trying to say the the clock stopped and she said next speaker because she's trying to and putting rules Robert rules on order in place and putting this meeting in order regarding other individuals that came here and spoke those that came highly and praised me with your neg negative words against me. God bless you. God bless you. I'm going to continue doing my work. The fifth ward resident knows for the third term that I've been in that ward, they have a presence of a councilman. Last but not least, I had to admit it. I had to admit it to the gentleman. Please tell me 25 years in the fire department. You had to tell me that secret. You look great, man.

You look great. Healthy, right? A spinal cord. Your wife. Um, madame clerk, um, there's other things that that was saying in the public. I took note, Mr. gentleman back there, uh, was I forgot his name in a minute. Council, yes. Sorry, I didn't realize I didn't start the timer, but I need your vote. Oh, I could start all over again. Thank you, Council President. That's No, I'm just kidding. Uh, my vote is yes to close the public portion.

Council President Mims. So, to the public that is present and is that are viewing, thank you. You always say take the thank you for taking the time out to sacrifice being here presently or watching everything that goes on in the council chambers and I'm sure it allows you to be wise in your voting selection. Councilman Mendes, you know, your wife knows. Omar, my buddy in the back, knows I've been praying for you and you know I've said that many times and I'm glad that God saw fit to dismiss uh the charges. Move forward, keep looking up and let God lead the way. I just want to say to our clerk, thank you. You're doing an excellent job. And to everyone here, and I want to say a special thank you um to Senator Benji Wimberly, Assemblyman Abdelaziz, Congresswoman Ellie Poe, Councilwoman Cotton, Councilwoman Davala, Councilman Khalik, Councilman Ibrahim Omar, and Councilman for endorsing my reelection. I am so excited and I know people have stated it over and over the attacks that happen as a woman of God and a woman of faith. The Bible says in Exodus 1:12, the more they afflict me, the more I grow. So I want to say to all of you critics, thank you for giving me free publicity because when people start looking at identifying and researching, they will see all the work that I've done and they call me apologizing on some of your behalfs. I know sometimes people want me to respond when things are said and done and some egregious things have been done. But I believe that vengeance is the Lord's and I don't have to take those matters into my own hands and deal with it. God will do that. My revenge will be on May 12th at 8 after 8:00 p.m. when I'm reelected as your councilwoman at large. Patterson, thank you so much. Don't forget 13 be on the ballot. Me has always been a voice

crying out in the wilderness. Madame clerk, my vote is yes. Eight yeses. When absent, public hearing is hereby closed. Madam cler to close. Post. Motion to close by Councilman. Second by Mendes and Councilwoman Davala. Roll call. Madam clerk.

Councilwoman uh Cotton. Thank you. I just want to say um thank you madam clerk. Um you know I know it's almost it's election season and I just want to know I was here Casey. Wait one minute. I was here as my own by myself for two years. Um only female on the city council. And what I find sometimes is that I think we put a different um spectrum on women that's are elected that I think that you know women, we have more u we got families, we got husbands, we got children, we got houses, we got mothers, we got fathers, and we got the constituents. We got all of you out there um to care for. So that's why I'm clearly and I said it before and I said it at a meeting. I don't care who becomes mayor.

You can't do nothing by yourself. You got to have a team. You got to have someone on the state level. You got to have someone on the federal level. You got to know people in all different levels. And I said that before, Casey, that you need more than just And just remember, and I come to city hall every day and I I visit different departments. I go see how they doing. You got to remember one thing. You still got 1,500 employees that you don't get rid of. You only bringing in 10 department heads or maybe 15, but you still got 1500 employees. And you still got to think about the 1500 employees that we have out there and how we can do for them and how we can help them and what can we make it better. And it's we and we getting ready to be into a tough time. Really tough time, you know, with pension going up, health benefits going up. Uh but people raises are not going up. We're not getting more money. So I'm here today to to say that I endorse my two women. Councilwoman Marissa Dabler, Councilwoman Dr. Lisa Mims. You know, you have to work together to do things. And I know that's so important to work to what I what I find is that you don't get mad with somebody cuz you don't like we don't vote for the same person. You don't get mad with no one because you have different thoughts. But it's about working together. And my last endorsement is for Casey Melvin. I've been with Casey for over 25 years. You don't throw people to the curb that you work with for over 25 years. And that's what we need to learn to do. With that being said, I'm ready. May 12th is coming. I also endorsed Mayor Andre Seya is coming and let's let's get it down. You ready to say as back in the day they would say you ready to rumble.

I need your vote. Let's ready to rumble. My vote is yes. Thank you. Council Vice President Davila. Let's get ready to rumble.

Oh my god. Thank you so much, Councilwoman Cotton. Uh I truly do agree uh on what you stated. you know, uh, I did come on board when she was here alone and I came to keep her companionship and, uh, a term after that, Councilwoman Mins came on board and we have been titled the leading ladies. Um, you know, I always say if you want something done, give it to a woman. Not putting anything down. I'm not putting my man down cuz you know I was also taught that the man is the head but the woman is the spine right and that head doesn't stand straight and can't move if you don't have a good working spine right but with that said um I just once again just want to say thank you thank you to Patterson the walks you know going out there the people who open the doors the people who are angry angry about the garbage absolutely I've always said this once you tell someone, you know what, you are right. We have an issue with garbage. We have an issue with dumping. We made a mistake. What else can you say after you accept and you own it? And so with that said, you know, this this next coming term, I believe that it's it's it's the year of the cleanliness. We got to clean this city. And I'm looking forward to the last 12 years of what I've done and what we're going to continue to do for our city. This is the city that I love. And you know, Mr. Ba, I'm so looking forward to working with you next term and with all of my colleagues. So, with that said, uh my vote is yes to close. And like I said, I am 13B on that ballot. I'm sorry, 13B is council president. I am 15B on the ballot. And for those that can't remember, all you got to remember is sweet 15, right? La. So, with that said, God bless you all.

Good night. My vote is yes. Council member Jackson. Thank you, Madame Clerk. First, I want to start by saying by correcting some some misnomer that was stated earlier about us having a new clerk and get used to the uh rules. Um I don't want to par well, I'm paraphrasing rules being enforced.

That is a direct insult to people like Jane Warren Williams. a direct insult to Sonia Gordon and a direct insult to Jackie Murray as this to to imply that now get used to how the rules are going to be enforced. I mean, sadly enough, I I would love to have consult Miss Warren right now about how tonight's meeting went relative to Robert Rules. But, um, listen, young brother, let me tell you something. People could tell you they scored 100 points. Go back and look at look at the scorec card. Look at the look at the stat sheet. They tell you about what they've done for the last 12 years. And when the city's in in these kind of conditions, forget the garbage. How about residents that's being illegally charged for parking in facilities that's not lawfully allowed to charge for parking? Right now, the new facility on Pennsylvania Avenue, they put out a brochure and posted publicly that they're charging for parking in addition to the rent and it's made it made it clear, but yet in the city code it says it's unlawful for any facility to charge for parking. Not one council person has stood with me shoulder-to-shoulder on that. So when you got residents being taken advantage of, understand who's fighting for you, who's advocating for you. Lastly, this whole notion about you got to have friends. Before um this late, this new mayor got elected into New York, the president was threatening him, if you guys vote for him, what happened in the very next day, they were sitting down and now all of a sudden they're in alignment. Doesn't matter if you don't have a a friend in the governor's office. Doesn't matter if you don't have a uh a current seated council person. Guess what? The public will see what's

going to happen and we'll replace those that don't want to move in the direction of the public's best interest. Madame clerk, my vote is yes. Council member colleague. Thank you. Um Madame Clerk, Councilman Mendes, um what I'm going to say is I told you so. From the beginning we've been talking. I told you they have nothing on you or anybody else who has been charged with this nonsense witch hunt witch hunt from beginning I've been telling you my family went through the same process God is great that not sleeping

for six year four year five years thinking about your family it is unbearable Um, I want to congratulate you and your family best of luck. I hope I hope Councilman Jackson get off his that shenanigan going on as well. I wish everybody best of luck. I want all the resident we've been hearing all the negative from some of the I'm not going to me some of the candidates or whatnot. Just take a moment, pause back for last eight years. Think about it. Where were we eight years ago? I did not vote for him lift stadium, but I'm glad it got done. Look at the falls. Look at all the abandoned properties that we had in city of Paris. You will not find one in second word. If you want to rent a campaign headquarter, you want to find a store phone in the second world, good luck. You will not find one. Think about where were we eight years ago.

And where are we today? And where are we moving toward moving forward? Is not all negative in city of Patterson. Do we have work to do? Definitely we do. Definitely we do. Can you give me a minute? So like I said, good luck everyone. My vote is yes. Uh Madame Clerk, sorry for going 10 second uh more. Council member Mendes.

Uh thank you, Madam Clerk. Uh so before my vote, I would like to just uh inform the community that we continue doing our tax appeal. We continue helping our residents uh that have been going through this uh whole assessment um and increasing their taxes to appeal. The taxes are totally free. We already help around 140 family appeal the taxes totally free at no cost. My entire staff in my office at 414 Broadway is helping all Patterson resident only. If you want to appeal your taxes, you have until May first to appeal the taxes and we're going to be waiting for you to uh give you an assessment. Appeal fill it out the application, get all the compatible totally free. You just going to have to drop it out the county. Uh, and we're going to continue serving the community. That's what I love Patterson. Pison is a great city with a great potential. Patterson one day was a the first industrial city in the nation because our location, we're 20 minutes away from New York City. We just have to clean the city of Patterson, make Patterson, organize the city of Patterson, and open opportunity for a Patterson resident. And I'm ready to do that. Patterson, we're 27 days away from election day. Just 27 days for election weight, election day. You have until April 21st to get registered to vote. If you're still not registered, please register to vote. And I'm I'm only asking just for one opportunity to be the mayor of the great city of Patterson to bring people together to put the right plan in place to make sure everybody call Patterson home. I'm Alex Spendis. I'm 1A to be your next mayor of the city of Patterson. Second highest vote. Get it twice. The third time is the time. God bless you, Patterson. My vote is yes, man. Clerk,

council member Omar. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Uh, I just want to wish everybody a good night and to remind everybody that May 12th we do have an election. Uh, elections have consequences. Uh, I'm going to say this again and I'm going to reiterate what Councilman Kik said. The past 8 years we have been in growth mode and we do need to continue that growth mode and this is not against a bad to say anything about anybody else but I believe in the person that's in charge. So get out and vote on May 12th. and to my uh my two leading ladies, my uh my two vice my vice president, my council president, you have my full support. You're welcome. With that being said, my vote is yes, Madam Cler. Good night. Council member,

Council Member,

thank you for the clock. To the residents of Patterson, as we approach the oncoming election for mayor and councilman at large, I want to share a message rooted in responsibility, integrity, and conscience. This moment is not about personality, noise, or empty promise. It's about the future of our city, our neighborhood, our family, and the quality of life that we all deserve. Patterson needs serious leadership. Leadership that understand the different between what can we promise and what actually we can deliver. Leadership that respect the process, tells the truth and put be people before politics. I urge every candidate, every candidate speak with facts, not fiction. Offer solution, not slogan. Respect the intelligence of our residents. and and and to the voters of Patterson, please do not mis do not be mislead be by a realistic promise or political theorotic ask question demand ask question demand accountability understand who's prepared to lead and who is simple campaigning your vote is your voice use it wisely let us move forward with conscious clarity and commitment to to a better Patterson communication, action, and result. And yes, I'm endorsing still my two beautiful ladies in the council, Councilwoman Marissa Davila and also Councilwoman Dr. Leliss Amen. The remaining God bless you.

Thank you. My vote is yes, Council President Ms.

I approve those messages. So, in closing, um, as we go to leave, um, here, I just want to say thank you. Um, you know, I'm in full support of my vice president, Marissa Davala. Um, she is 15B. I'm 13B on the ballot, and we are running based on the progress and the work that we have done. Um, I know there's so much that could be said and or or said or said about what has been done and what has not been done, but the fact of the matter is you cannot deny the work. When you go around the city, you can't deny 180 plus streets are being paved and have already been paved in the city. You can't deny that River Street will be completed by August. You can't deny that Hensliff Stadium has rehabilitated an affordable housing for our seniors in a wonderful nursing uh afterchool program and a nursing facility, early child learning center, which we heard yesterday that they said is one of the best. We heard that from some of the parents on yesterday. And a nice parking deck. You can't deny the work that's been done, the river walks and all the amenities and the parks, the baseball fields. Come out tomorrow to the Johnny Briggs event 11:00 in the morning. There's so many great things that have been done. Is there still more to do? Absolutely. But you cannot say nothing has been done. It is impossible to say that unless you voted no. Those that voted in favor of it, they can speak to the work of the progression and say it absolutely happened. You can stand on the field. You can stand in the street. You can go through every department with all the new equipment and resources that we voted on to make sure our police, fire, DPW, and everyone had resources, trucks, equipment, tools, and everything. We've been doing the work. So, Patterson, make sure you vote responsibly. I am supporting Mayor Andre Seya 3A, and I am supporting myself, 13B, and my council vice president, Marissa Davala, 15B. Let's get it done.

Let's make sure we make the vote that counts and bring us back to the seat. As you already know, we will return. Madame clerk, my vote is yes. Thank you, council members. This motion has passed. For the record, tonight's ordinance uh will have a public hearing and second reading at the council meeting of May 14th. With that, this meeting is adjourned at 10:58. Good night, Patterson. Good night Patterson.