Newark Municipal Council Regular Meeting – March 20, 2024
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Newark Municipal Council Regular Meeting – March 20, 2024
The Newark Municipal Council held its regular meeting on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at 6:30 PM in City Hall Council Chamber, presided by Council President LaMonica R. McIver. The meeting covered public comments, ordinances on first and second reading, a consent agenda of resolutions, and motions. Key topics included housing conditions at Georgia King Village (GKV), police-related issues, tax abatements, and budget matters.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Emily Aikens raised concerns about dangerous traffic signal changes at First and Orange Streets and asked about how citizens can be nominated to city commissions.
- Debra Salters criticized police presence and enforcement, especially during events at Prudential Center, and questioned approvals for LM (a large landlord) given poor living conditions.
- Lisa Mitchelson Parker accused the council of failing to pass a ceasefire resolution for Gaza and of silencing activists; she also criticized the water quality and the honoring of former Mayor Sharpe James.
- Munirah El-Bomani demanded a forensic audit of city budgets and contracts, citing corruption, contaminated water, and a housing crisis.
- Nadirah Brown expressed frustration with lack of follow-up from officials and poor landlord registration enforcement.
- George Tillman Jr. emphasized that African Americans remain the most disenfranchised despite four African American mayors; he called for enforcement of the Newark Employment Policy and affirmative action ordinances.
- Denise Crawford described severe living conditions at GKV (rats, mold, broken elevators) and accused LM of false inspection reports.
- Glenn Hamilton (tenant president of GKV) demanded better security, infrastructure repairs, and respect from LM.
- Fahkeira Bradley detailed being attacked by a neighbor and mistreated by police, calling for help.
- Alif Muhammad alleged corruption in a city land deal involving a developer who is the mayor's wife's best friend.
- Ché Colter (Gee Cureton) called for a halt to LM construction projects until GKV conditions improve, and urged council to scrutinize tax abatements.
- Donna Jackson criticized the lead pipe replacement program, 911 center staffing, police response, and the city's fiscal management; she argued against the cap ordinance.
- Latoya Jackson called for a joint committee with the county to address returning incarcerated individuals and urged respectful communication.
- G. Cureton reiterated demands to halt LM construction and called the developer a slumlord.
- Sarena Watson (GKV resident) described two years without a lease, roaches, mold, unpaid back rent, and eviction threats.
- Ricky Braen (X2 Duty Solutions) presented a program for managing police off-duty employment; council members later criticized this as an improper venue for solicitation.
- Cassandra Dock criticized the council's women's empowerment events and police department composition.
Discussion Items
- Ordinances on First Reading: 6F-a (smoke shops) and 6F-b (commercial motor vehicle parking lot licenses) were adopted unanimously.
- Public Hearings (Second Reading):
- 6PSF-a (waiving construction fees for city-occupied properties): Adopted after clarification that it only waives fees, not inspections. Unanimous.
- 6PSF-d (third amendment for NJ SDA land conveyance): Adopted after debate about recreation needs and school land use. Unanimous.
- 6PSF-e (cap ordinance to exceed budget limits): Adopted despite public criticism; allows 3.5% budget increase until 2024 budget is adopted.
- 6PSF-f (reinstating five-year tax abatements): Adopted; supporters said it helps small developers, opponents argued lack of compliance with hiring ordinances.
- Resolutions: Many resolutions were adopted on consent, including:
- 7R1-a through m (temporary appropriations, emergency shelter contracts, Brick City Peace Collective grant).
- 7R2-c (private sale for 67-unit senior affordable housing at 295 Lyons Ave).
- 7R2-d through f (need for housing, IBID budget, brownfields support).
- 7R3-a,b (engineering – dockless vehicle trust, Riverfront study).
- 7R4-a,b (Pequannock water treatment plant financing).
- 7R5-a,b,c (HIV/AIDS service contracts).
- 7R6-a,b,c (legal settlements).
- 7R8-a through i (ceremonial street designations, commendations, and expressions of sorrow).
- 7R12-a,b (water treatment plant engineering amendments and closeout change order).
- Added Starters:
- 7R2-g-AS (notice in lieu of deed for PSE&G remediation).
- 8-h-AS (ordinance for acquisition of property for a training site via federal workforce grant) – adopted on first reading.
- 24-0383 (Brantford Street area in need of redevelopment) – adopted as a resolution after late arrival; some council members expressed concern about process but supported the project.
- Other Communications: Reappointments and appointments to various commissions were confirmed.
- Motions: Several motions were passed, including requests for a feasibility study on historic tours, organizing park tours for seniors, a pothole reporting process, traffic safety measures on North Sixth Street, and a letter of congratulations to Sheriff Armando Fontoura.
Key Outcomes
- Votes: All votes on consent items and most ordinances were unanimous (9-0). On 7R1-m, Councilman Crump abstained; on 8-g, Councilman Crump abstained; on 8-h, President McIver abstained; on the added starter (24-0383), Councilman Santos and Silva abstained.
- Deferrals: 7R2-a and 7R2-b (private sales), 6PSF-b and 6PSF-c (deferred), and 7R6-d were deferred.
- Directives: Council President McIver directed staff to send traffic signal concerns to engineering and police; also requested a report on pothole reporting procedures. Councilman Silva requested information on pothole crew numbers.
- Follow-ups: Councilwoman Scott-Rountree and Councilman Kelly committed to addressing GKV conditions and meeting with tenants. Business Administrator Eric Pennington stated code enforcement would revisit GKV the next day.
- Upcoming Dates: The next regular meeting (including public hearings for first reading ordinances) is scheduled for April 10, 2024.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. Good evening. Welcome to the regular meeting of the Newark Municipal Council. Good evening. Welcome to the regular meeting of the Newark Municipal Council on Wednesday, March twentieth, twenty twenty-four. Please stand for the National Anthem and Pledge of Allegiance. And according to what 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 March fifteenth, twenty twenty four at the time of preparation and posted on the website of the City of Newark. Roll call, please. Kelly. Once your name is called, please approach the podium and address the council. The first speaker this evening is Emily Aikins. Hi, I'm actually excited. I'm first. Next to North Star. Um I also want to bring to your attention first and Orange Streets. Um the traffic signal. Um the traffic is horrible. The pattern has changed, and I'm not sure whose bright idea it was to change it, but they didn't stick around to see if it actually is working. I'm telling you right now that there's going to be accidents. We have people who are making illegal turns, cutting people off, and you know that we have trucks and we have other different types of vehicles, and I understand that people are trying to go home, but school children are still crossing the streets, and the real issue is the crossing guard. It's not safe for people crossing the street, and it's not safe for the crossing guard. It is actually even more dangerous than it was before. So if somebody could look into that. Also, um, I notice you have these commissions or these committees. Um, and I realize that people are appointed by way of nomination, but I just wanted to know, and it's not just me, other people have been asking exactly how do you get nominated? And when do these vacancies become public and known? Um, it seems like the people that are nominated know somebody. And if they do, then for the people that don't know anybody, how do they get to know somebody so that they have an opportunity to either apply or to become nominated and to be a part of the city by way of being on a committee and feel like they have their voices being heard? And that's about it. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Aikins. Next speaker, Deborah Salters. Good evening, Miss Salters. Good evening, Deborah Salter, City of Newark Worry for the people. So the way that I was getting ready to go in tonight on the parking, I was advised to perhaps I know Miss Roundtree and I are supposed to have a meeting, right? So I'm gonna wait for that before I do all of that, okay. Um, but our quality of life in the city of North is what I'm concerned about. Um we have police officers, and trust me, that we have great ones, um, but they seem to get penalized for doing their job, you know, um, make a report, and they're asked, Well, why did you take the report? And officers have to be like, well, because she showed me video, she showed me proof, and then they're sent to West Bumble somewhere, and we've got these newbies down here who stay on their phones on TikTok, or they eating or conversing, people making left and right turns, speeding up on your bumper, doing whatever they want, and nothing is being done. And the police are sitting in their cars, their car is their casket, because thank God nobody's out here on a rampage, because that's where they would be found, but they are not doing the jobs that they are hired for. This past the week that we had was it last Thursday when we had the uh school board forum that particular night, I have never in my life seen downtown the way that I saw it. I called uh Councilman Silver, I sent him about 60 pictures. I called Ms. Roundtree. When I tell you, and and I'm going to say this because it's the truth. When the non-melanated come to our town, they do whatever they want. The police officer was right there. The group of police officers that were behind the barricades in where prudential are, I guess they were hanging with the stars or whatever. When I tell you the way that traffic was going, people were parked everywhere.
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