Newark Municipal Council Regular Meeting – February 7, 2024
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Newark Municipal Council Regular Meeting – February 7, 2024
The Newark Municipal Council held its regular meeting on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, at 12:30 PM in the Council Chamber. The meeting included roll call (Council Member Ramos absent initially), approval of minutes, first reading of ordinances, public hearings, resolutions, and a public comment period. Key topics included tax abatements, community violence intervention grants, a dockless vehicle program, and a lengthy public comment session on lead in drinking water and a ceasefire resolution for Gaza. The Council also addressed the inadvertent broadcast of a prior executive session and moved forward with several redevelopment projects.
Consent Calendar
- Reports and recommendations from the Central Planning Board and North Jersey District Water Supply Commission were approved unanimously.
- Seven resolutions (7R1-a through 7R1-e) authorizing sub-recipient contracts for community-based violence intervention (totaling $517,381) were approved unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
Several members of the public spoke during the public hearing for Ordinance 6PSF-a (20-year tax abatement for 5 Merchant Management Urban Renewal, LLC) and during the Hearing of Citizens.
- Lisa Parker criticized the city's tax abatement practices, stating that the city gives abatements at a 2% rate instead of the 3.5–75% recommended by the DCA handbook, and argued that developers do not contribute to the Board of Education.
- George Tillman, Jr. expressed strong opposition to the tax abatement, claiming the administration was non-compliant with economic incentive ordinances and that Newark residents are not prioritized for construction jobs.
- Opal Wright spoke about the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and consumer financial protection.
- Lisa Mitchelson Parker accused the council of violating residents' rights, raised concerns about parking permit changes, and questioned the lead pipe replacement program, alleging mismanagement.
- Alif Muhammad criticized the mayor's handling of the lead water issue, stating that a public health emergency should have been disclosed immediately, not kept in executive session.
- Munirah El-Bomani called the mayor's administration corrupt and demanded forensic audits and investigations.
- Shakir MacDougald provided detailed allegations about the Apollonia family (vendor for refuse trucks), referencing a 2007 bribery case and questioning the company's suitability for a $5.3 million contract.
- Anthony Diaz (Newark Water Coalition) demanded a ceasefire resolution for Gaza, noting that 47 other cities had passed similar resolutions, and criticized the city's lack of transparency on lead lines.
- Latoya Tucker spoke about mistreatment of incarcerated individuals and asked for a compliance committee.
- Linda McDonnell Carter urged the council to add a civics education component to the ordinance allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote.
- Sala Edin Maksug (CAIR NJ) and Jennifer Wager and Charlie Bendick all urged the council to pass a ceasefire resolution, citing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Discussion Items
- Executive Session Leak: Business Administrator Eric Pennington addressed the accidental broadcast of a previous executive session, stating it appeared to be human error and that an investigation is underway. He clarified that three lead service lines were found improperly installed but that the city's corrosion control inhibitor is effective; eight consecutive water tests have been in compliance.
- Ordinance 6F-a (Fourth Amendment to Waverly Yards Redevelopment Plan) was adopted on first reading unanimously.
- Ordinance 6PSF-a (20-year tax abatement for 21-unit building at 5-7 Merchant Street) generated debate. Deputy Mayor Allison Ladd explained that the project will increase annual tax revenue from $16,848 to $40,897 and includes two affordable units at 60% AMI. Council members noted the developer's past compliance issues; the ordinance passed 7–0 (Councilman Gonzalez had earlier abstained but later voted yes).
- Ordinance 6PSF-b (removing parking surcharge zones on Lincoln Park, Clinton Ave, MLK Blvd) passed unanimously (with Councilman Crump later changing his vote to abstain).
- Resolution 7R1-f (purchase of 8 electric refuse trucks for $5,389,229.88) passed after BA Pennington assured the council he had investigated vendor concerns and found Apolloina capable; another vendor (Freightliner) will also be considered.
- Resolutions 7R1-g through 7R1-o (temporary emergency appropriations for HUD grants, SAMHSA, etc.) passed unanimously.
- Resolutions 7R2-a and 7R2-b (private sale/redevelopment for affordable housing) passed with several abstentions from Council Members Gonzalez, Quintana, Ramos, and Silva.
- Resolution 7R2-c (Roma Development, LLC) was deferred due to concerns about the sale price of a lot at 154 Ridge Street.
- Resolution 7R2-k (investigation for area in need of redevelopment at Franklin Avenue) passed.
- Resolution 7R3-a (competitive contracting for dockless vehicles with Veoride, Inc.) passed; the contract requires $125,000 permit fee and $0.25 per trip to the city.
- Added Starters (7R2-l and 7R2-m) : Authorizing Local Finance Board applications for redevelopment area bonds for Center Street projects—335 residential apartments (67 affordable) and 15 townhomes (3 affordable). Councilman Gonzalez highlighted a street extension from Mulberry to Rector as a community benefit. Both passed unanimously.
- Added Starter 7R6-a (pre-litigation settlement for condemnation, $1,950,800 to be reimbursed by Army Corps) passed.
- New Ordinances (8-b-as and 8-c-as) : 30-year tax abatements for CSO Townhouse Developer (15 units, 3 affordable) and Center Street Owners (335 units, 67 affordable) were introduced on first reading.
- Appointments: Karla Y. Garcia and Rachel Y. Marshall (Municipal Court Judges) were confirmed; Marshall replaced Hon. Roslyn Holmes Grant. Elizabeth Adebisi was appointed to the African Commission.
Key Outcomes
- All agenda items voted on passed, with specific abstentions recorded for several private sale redevelopment resolutions.
- Councilwoman Scott-Rountree announced she will sponsor a ceasefire resolution for Gaza to be introduced at the next meeting (February 21, 2024). The Business Administrator stated the administration supports a ceasefire.
- Councilman Council moved to request information on the relocation of the motor vehicle inspection center; motion passed unanimously.
- Councilman Silva requested a review of the city's bulk pickup policy, suggesting weekly pickups of fewer items.
- Councilman Crump moved condolences for former city employee Sharonda Ali Khan and Ted Judkins.
- Councilman Gonzalez requested follow-up on an OPRA request regarding ABC licensing.
- Councilman Ramos requested a briefing on the lead line situation (additional details not shared in executive session) and a review of the city's tree removal process.
- Councilman Kelly requested a meeting with administration to address repeat slumlord violations.
- Council President McIver directed a letter to the administration regarding delays in housing court cases, demanding faster resolution for code enforcement violations.
- Councilman Quintana expressed gratitude for prayers regarding his grandson's health and requested enforcement of new traffic signs.
- Adjournment: The meeting adjourned after nearly four hours; next meeting scheduled for February 21, 2024.
Meeting Transcript
Thou who has by thy might let us into the light, keep us forever in the path we pray. We ask now, O eternal God, that you would bless this meeting. We ask now for your blessing that you would not only bless this meeting, but we are praying now that you would allow the agenda to be accomplished. We allow that you would we ask that you would not only bless us, bless our mayor, bless our city officials, and bless now this uh uh official meeting. We pray now that uh that as we are standing here today, that you would allow every governmental official who has been ordained by you for office to realize their purpose. We ask now that you would bless not only this city, bless our mayor and bless, oh God, those who will stand in this meeting and sit in this meeting. We ask now for your peace, for your protection, for your guidance, for your guaranteed mercy, for this and the saving, soothing name of our Savior, we pray in the name of the Lord. Amen. In accordance with New Jersey law, adequate notice of this meeting has been provided to the Star Ledger, the Jersey Journal, and the public at large, establishing the date, time, and location of this meeting. In addition, the agenda for this meeting was disseminated on February 2nd at the time of preparation and posted on the website of the City of Newark. Roll call, please. Council. Present. Present. Ray Mos. Absent. Scott Roundtree. Here, present. Silva? Here. President MacIver. Present. Just for note, Councilman Ramos will be joining us today. He's just running a few minutes behind. Council President, Council members, we are on page three of the agenda. Before we go to the agenda, I believe there is a quick comment or statement from the administration. Certainly. Good morning, Council President, Council members, Eric Pennington Business Administrator. Just wanted to address briefly what occurred with respect to the executive session yesterday. And to let the uh the public and others know that the purpose of executive session is to give the council and the administration and others involved the ability to have a confidential discussion based on either litigation, personnel, or some other emergent matter that needs to be discussed uh openly and fully at the time after the executive session when the information no longer needs to be confidential, it will be made available to the public. Uh for some reason, uh, which we will investigate. The portion of the executive session was allowed to be broadcast. Uh it appears that it was human error. We hope it was only human error and not by uh some intentional act on the part of someone who just who wanted to disrupt the uh deliberative process that goes on between administration and the council. If it is determined that there was some intentionality involved or gross negligence, the parties responsible will be held accountable. Um we can't have situations like this happen. It's unfair to the public, it's unfair to the council, and it's unfair to to the administration. Um I have spoken with the clerk's office already to uh help us determine what happened so that we can uh avoid a recurrence. Um we take this very seriously, and the issues that came out as a result of it accelerated uh information that we made available to the public. We wanted to be deliberate and make sure that we had appropriate information fully between the council and the administration before we made more information uh public. We have, of course, had a press conference uh yesterday led by the mayor, uh the commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the Director of our Water and Sewer, Karim Adim, uh, to make the public aware that there were uh some I think three led service lines that were not fully uh installed properly. We have addressed those issues. There will be a continuing um QA assessment throughout the city. We uh the mayor's indicated that he believes that uh the vast majority, if not all the rest of the lines have been installed properly, but we'll make sure of that. The other most important factor is that during the pendency of the lead line replacement, and now there is a uh procedure in place where we have orthophosphate, which is a corrosion control inhibitor that prohibits lead from leaching into the system that is still working. The city has said eight consecutive periods of water testing by the state and federal government where we have it been in compliance. That continues to be the case. We will uh take the um the health safety and welfare of the residents seriously at all times, and that will drive what it is we do uh from this point going forward. All of that being said, it is still critical that when we have an executive session, it is handled properly, and that information like this is not allowed to leak out to uh provide the residents with an undue uh concern, and there is no cause for concern at this time. Thank you uh so much, BA.
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