Newark Municipal Council Regular Meeting – January 24, 2024

The Newark Municipal Council held its regular meeting on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, at 6:30 PM in the Council Chamber at City Hall. The meeting opened with the National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance, and an invocation by Rev. Dr. Johnnie D. Brooker. Council President LaMonica R. McIver presided. The agenda included ordinances on first reading, a public hearing and second reading for a 25-year tax abatement, numerous resolutions, and public comments. Key discussions centered on tax abatements, community violence intervention grants, affordable housing, and resident concerns about cleanliness, slumlords, and local hiring.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Lisa Parker criticized the administration for corruption, nepotism, and misuse of violence prevention funds, alleging that unqualified LLCs received contracts.
• Maryam Bey highlighted filthy conditions on Underwood Street, stating Newark ranked as the second dirtiest city in 2023. She called for accountability of landlords and tenants, and noted that slumlords were not providing heat in shelters.
• Munirah El-Bomani demanded a class-action rent strike, an independent fiscal monitor, and enforcement of the first-source hiring ordinance. She called the city’s container housing plan unacceptable and urged a moratorium on evictions.
• Linda McDonald Carter summarized a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report on Newark’s fiscal justice, noting 78% of residents rent, 27% live in poverty, and the city gave away $68 million in corporate tax abatements in 2020 while spending $69 million on public works and parks.
• Nadirah Brown asked for better communication from council members and evening town halls, and questioned the disparity between affordable housing definitions and residents’ actual incomes.
• Deborah Salters alleged that the sign-up list for public comments was artificially filled (for the prior meeting on 16-year-old voting) and questioned an ordinance removing special event parking without addressing resident parking problems.
• George Tillman Jr. argued that the city continues to grant tax abatements while the Newark Employment Commission (which enforces local hiring) is not enacted, citing Section 5 of ordinance 6S&F-a that allows for damages including revocation of abatements.
• Patience Roberts (New African Black Panther Party) criticized the police consent decree, the use of courts against activists, and the proposed “cop city” on public school property.
• Alif Muhammad alleged federal investigators told him “your whole town is corrupt,” and announced he would name specific corruption cases in future meetings.
• Multiple speakers (including Ché Colter, Opal Wright, Emily Aikens, and others) either spoke in support of these positions or were not present.

Discussion Items

• Ordinance 6PSF-a (25-year tax abatement for 303 Washington Street): The proposal to grant a 25-year tax abatement to Washington 303 Urban Renewal LLC for converting a five-story commercial building into a ten-story mixed-use building (74 market-rate and 18 affordable units) was debated. Council Member Ramos abstained, citing the project’s advanced construction status and developer compliance issues. Director Alison Ladd (Economic & Housing Development) explained that the abatement was brought after ensuring compliance on another project (45 William Street). The project will nearly double property taxes from $113,948 to $239,275. Council voted 7-2 (Ramos and Silva abstaining) to adopt.
• Resolution 7R1-g through 7R1-m (Community Violence Intervention contracts): Several sub-recipient contracts were deferred or adopted. Council Member Ramos abstained on 7R1-l (Bessie Mae Women’s Health Center, $675,000) due to unclear scoring in the selection process.
• Resolution 7R3-a (Dockless Vehicle Share Program): Deferred back to administration.
• Resolution 7R2-a through 7R2-i (Private sales/redevelopment): Mixed actions: some returned to administration, others adopted or deferred.
• Resolution 7R8-g (Food Insecurity Commission): Adopted unanimously.
• Ordinance 8F (Waverly Yards Redevelopment Plan Amendment): Adopted unanimously.
• Council motions: Council Member Kelly requested legal action against landlords of Underwood Street for repeated littering. Council Member Quintana requested engineering review of street lighting and traffic congestion on Broad Street. Council Member Council requested enforcement of the clear zone ordinance and an update on garbage can distribution.

Key Outcomes

• Adopted: Ordinance 6PSF-a (25-year tax abatement for 303 Washington Street) – adopted 7-2 (Ramos and Silva abstaining).
• Adopted: Resolutions 7R1-a,b,c,d (temporary emergency appropriations), 7R1-f (lead paint analyzers), 7R1-g (Inspired U LLC), 7R1-l (Bessie Mae Women’s Health Center), 7R2- (various redevelopment sales), 7R2-l (Partnership West BID budget), 7R2-m (Bergen Lyons Clinton SID budget), 7R2-n (Brownfield tax credit support), 7R4-a,b (petty cash, bond sale), 7R5-a,b (health grants), 7R8-a through f (board appointments), 7R8-g (food insecurity commission), 7R8-h (street designation), 7R8-i,j (IT contracts), 7R8-k (recognitions), 7R8-l (sorrow and regret, as amended), 8-a,b,c (municipal court judge reappointments), 8E (parking ordinance, first reading), 8F (Waverly Yards redevelopment plan amendment).
• Deferred: Resolutions 7R1-h,i,j,k,m (violence intervention contracts), 7R2-a,b (returned to administration), 7R2-c (deferred), 7R2-f (deferred), 7R3-a (dockless vehicles), and pending business items 9-a and 9-b (court judge appointments).
• Motions passed: Request for corporate counsel to investigate legal actions against slumlords on Underwood Street (Kelly). Request for traffic and lighting improvements on Broad Street (Quintana). Request for enforcement of clear zone ordinance (Council). Updates on garbage can distribution (Council). Letter to TapInto regarding alleged inaccurate article (Council).
• Council Member Silva requested an audit of handicapped parking spaces in the East Ward (motion passed).
• Council Member Crump requested a list of all tax abatements in violation and their dispositions (motion passed).