Newark Special Council Meeting: Dockless Vehicle Program & Resolutions – Dec 12, 2023

The Newark Municipal Council held a special meeting on December 12, 2023 at 10:00 AM in City Hall. The meeting covered four resolutions, one ordinance, and a detailed presentation on the permanent Newark Go dockless vehicle program. No public comments were received. The council adopted all agenda items and passed a motion regarding police outside employment data.

Consent Calendar (Resolutions & Ordinance)

• 7R2-a (23-1833): Authorized the Central Planning Board to conduct a preliminary investigation to determine if Blocks 2835, 2836, 2837, 2838 and properties on Sussex and Nesbitt Streets (Central Ward) are in need of redevelopment. (Unanimous vote)
• 7R4-a (23-1807): Approved stipulations of settlements for tax appeals involving Rutgers University, Penn Federal Savings Bank, Maria Almeida, 634 Frelinghuysen Assoc., Frelinghuysen Newark Corp, Valley National Bank, 814 Broadway Realty, Mt. Prospect Estates, and Christian Saguay & Marly Mattos. Total refunds: $589,414.51. Councilman Crump requested a follow-up letter summarizing all 2023 tax appeal settlements. (Unanimous vote)
• 7R7-a (23-0745): Authorized a grant sub-recipient contract with the YMCA of Newark and Vicinity (600 Broad St.) to provide emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, and rapid rehousing assistance. Amount: not to exceed $74,900 from HUD funds. (Unanimous vote)
• 7R8-a (23-1844): Authorized a professional service contract with Samuel Klein and Company, LLP for statutory auditor services for calendar year 2024. Amount: not to exceed $509,250. (Unanimous vote)
• Communication 8-a (23-1814): Introduced an ordinance to amend Title II, Chapter 10, Section 2 (Municipal Employees Housing Assistance Program) to increase the grant amount from $10,000 to $20,000, matching the Live Newark down payment assistance program. Director Alison Ladd clarified the program applies to any municipal employee purchase, not just auctions. (Unanimous vote)

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public spoke. Council President McIver noted it was a first for the council.

Discussion Items: Newark Go Dockless Vehicle Permanent Program

• Director Wuton of Engineering presented the transition from the 2021-2023 pilot to a permanent program. Key statistics: 100,000 individual accounts, 1.4 million rides to date, 79% of riders are Newark residents, 60% of trips to schools/work/local businesses, and Newark ranks in the top 10 cities worldwide for ridership. The permit fee is $125,000 per operator plus $0.25 per trip. Projected annual revenue: ~$312,000 for a future infrastructure fund (trust fund not yet created). Bird and VO were selected for the permanent program with renewable two-year permits.
• Council Concerns:
  • Councilman Ramos raised issues of abandoned scooters, safety compliance, underage riding, and response times. Representatives from Bird (Austin Marshburn) and VO (Joe Bott, Jeff Hoover) responded: city-reported complaints have a 2-hour response; citizen complaints have a 6-hour response; a 48-hour idle vehicle pilot is being discussed. Companies committed to quarterly council updates and ward-level community meetings.
  • Councilman Kelly questioned penalties for improper parking (e.g., blocking driveways). Companies use escalating fines ($10–$100) and bans. Facial recognition to verify age is not yet used in Newark but is available.
  • Councilman Crump asked about accident tracking: 3–5 incidents requiring medical attention out of 1.4 million rides, zero fatalities on shared devices. Companies conduct internal investigations and cooperate with NPD. Councilman Silva challenged the 99.99% safety rate, citing unreported accidents from his law enforcement experience and the lack of insurance information for scooter-involved collisions. He requested safety training in Spanish and Portuguese.
  • Councilwoman Scott-Rountree criticized the lack of prior community ward meetings (companies attended festivals but not ward meetings) and questioned the adequacy of staffing: VO has 23 employees, Bird has 12 (including a local entrepreneur with 10 staff), working three 8-hour shifts. She noted that some relationships with NPD and the trust fund are not yet finalized.
  • Councilman Council also raised concerns about broken motors and vandalism; companies stated they remotely disable and retrieve damaged scooters using onboard diagnostics.
• Revenue and Oversight: Director Wuton clarified the permit fees and per-ride fees will fund a trust for transportation infrastructure (not yet created). Corporation Counsel stated that the Engineering Director has authority to revoke permits for non-compliance; the council can also bring complaints to the administration, which can terminate the contract.

Key Outcomes

• All four resolutions and the ordinance were adopted unanimously (with Councilman Gonzalez absent and Councilman Crump, Councilman Kelly, Councilman Ramos, Councilwoman Scott-Rountree, Councilman Silva, Council President McIver voting yes; Councilman Council and Councilman Ramos recorded yes after joining late).
• A motion by Councilman Ramos (seconded by Councilman Kelly) requesting a list of top earners from police outside employment and a report on the distribution process was adopted unanimously.
• Councilman Crump requested a written summary of all 2023 tax appeal settlements.
• The council will hold its next regular meeting on December 19, 2023.