Newark Municipal Council Regular Meeting - December 4, 2024

The Newark Municipal Council held its regular meeting on December 4, 2024, at 12:33 PM in the Council Chamber, City Hall, 920 Broad Street. Seven of eight council members were present (Council Member Michael J. Silva absent). The meeting covered a range of routine approvals and several major development proposals, public comments, and council motions. The meeting adjourned at 2:41 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Ordinances on First Reading (adopted by 7-0):
  • 6F-a: 20-year tax abatement for Rising Plains Urban Renewal LLC – 19-unit affordable rental building at 475-481 South 16th Street (West Ward).
  • 6F-b: 25-year tax abatement for Broadway Star Urban Renewal LLC – 206-unit mixed-income building at 686-688 Broadway (North Ward).
  • 6F-d: Seventh amendment to Newark’s River Public Access and Redevelopment Plan.
  • 6F-e: Vacation of existing utility easement on Block 17, Lot 1.02.
  • 6F-f: Acquisition of permanent easement for water and sewer maintenance.
  • (6F-c: Deferred by motion 7-0.)
• Ordinances on Public Hearing (all deferred to Special Meeting Dec. 10, 2024, by 7-0):
  • 6PSF-a through 6PSF-i: Including procurement card policies, multiple tax abatements (Springfield Avenue, Elizabeth Avenue, KSPG 39 Madison, BLC Special Improvement District amendment, police precinct license/lease at 468-498 Broad Street, bond ordinances for water treatment and refunding).
• Resolutions Adopted Unanimously (7-0) unless noted:
  • 7R1-a: Transfer of $186 CDBG funds for public facilities.
  • 7R1-b: Competitive contract with Justice Innovation Inc. (not to exceed $999,821) for Newark Community Solutions Program.
  • 7R1-c: Cooperative purchase of video/audio systems via GSA (up to $2,341,781.98).
  • 7R1-d: Fourth extension of emergency homeless shelter contract (total now $15,363,670; extended through Nov. 30, 2024).
  • 7R1-e: Acceptance of 24-passenger school bus from Newark Board of Education for donation to sister city Spilinga, Italy (adopted 5-0-2, Council Members Council and Ramos abstained).
  • 7R1-f: Bid contract for aluminum traffic sign blanks (up to $150,000).
  • 7R1-g: Memorandum of agreement with Rutgers University for Guaranteed Education Pilot Program (up to $1,200,000 over four years).
  • 7R2-d: Private sale to Veronica Mitchell for owner-occupied two-family home at 56 Palm Street (West Ward).
  • 7R3-a: Street use license agreement with Crown Castle Fiber LLC for small cell wireless facilities ($270/year per facility).
  • 7R5-a: Amendment to Immunization 2025 Grant (additional $215,627).
  • 7R5-b: Amendment to Health Center Program grant (additional $56,038, new total $4,110,810).
  • 7R8-a through 7R8-d: 2025 meeting dates, holiday schedule, recognizing/commending resolutions, and expressions of profound sorrow.
  • 7R9-a: Professional services contract with Institute for Forensic Psychology (up to $100,000) – previously deferred and failed.
  • 7R11-a: Memorandum of understanding with Visual Arts Center of New Jersey for bi-weekly art therapy sessions (value $1,780).
  • 7R12-a: Amendment to engineering services contract with Coastal Engineering LLC (increase of $79,804, new total $229,804).
• Communications:
  • 8-a: Re-appointment of Judge Yeneisha Renee Warrick (term to March 8, 2027) confirmed.
  • 8-b: Re-appointment of Judge Gisel J. Ortiz (term to August 7, 2027) confirmed.
  • 8-c: Re-appointment of Edna Rashid to Affirmative Action Review Council (term to March 22, 2027) confirmed.
  • 8-d: Ordinance for 25-year tax abatement to B9 Hyatt Ave Owner Urban Renewal LLC (warehouse/distribution building) amended to correct ward from South to East, then adopted on communications and advanced as 6F-g on first reading (all votes 7-0).
  • 8-e: Ordinance authorizing Amendment 2 to financial agreement for Terrell Redevelopment Partners (address revision and deadline extension) advanced and adopted as 6F-h on first reading (7-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Lisa Mitchelson-Parker: Criticized the administration and council for property tax increases (claimed 7%, later contested by Business Administrator), revaluation, lack of affordable housing, non-compliance with first source hiring, and conflicts of interest. Called for accountability and preservation of existing communities.
• Felicia Alston-Singleton: Repeated calls for a moratorium on city-owned property sales until affordable housing is addressed; accused the administration of corruption and failing to enforce first source hiring. She warned against intimidation of speakers.
• Linda MacDonald-Carter: Advocated for emergency preparedness at the grassroots level, referencing mutual benefit societies and the need for community education on water supply and disaster readiness.
• Lamont Vaughn: Defended the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery (Brick City Peace Collective), citing recent work including a safe surrender. Urged unity and solution-oriented discourse.
• Gee Cureton: Condemned landlords (specifically LM) at Georgia King Village for poor conditions; called for new management and highlighted the shortage of affordable housing for extremely low-income households. Noted that Vice President Harris's loss reflects Democratic disconnect with working class.
• George Tillman Jr.: Asserted that the city is non-compliant with its 2015 first source hiring ordinance because it failed to build a skilled workforce over nine years. Demanded a community benefit meeting and warned that developers may sue if the city itself is non-compliant.
• Alif Muhammad: Raised concerns about corruption in housing authority land deals (Baxter Terrace, truck depot) and lack of affordable housing. Accused the mayor of favoring certain developers.
• Deborah Edwards: Discussed the 1968 Newark Agreement protecting University Hospital and community benefits; called for a council presentation to educate residents. Supported continued enforcement of the agreement.

Discussion Items

• Homeless Services (7R1-d): Director Luis Ulerio explained that the city is shifting from emergency beds to transitional housing, with a new partnership with the housing authority for seniors and those with behavioral health conditions. Council members Ramos and Scott-Rountree asked about the reduction in emergency beds and the plan for individuals not qualifying for new programs. Ulerio assured no hard discharges and coordination with the county.
• Revaluation and Tax Concerns: Business Administrator Eric Pennington corrected misinformation: the 2024 tax increase was ~2% (not 7%), the city has consistently passed balanced budgets, and the revaluation is an equalization process, not a tax increase. Council Member Council requested community meetings in multiple languages to avoid confusion.
• First Source Hiring Compliance: Deputy Mayor for Workforce Ragma Mohammed challenged George Tillman’s claim that the city admitted non-compliance. She stated developers are responsible for compliance; the city’s 51% skilled trades goal is aspirational and cannot be achieved quickly due to systemic underrepresentation. She presented a 2021 study on the issue.
• Traffic and Parking: Council Member Gonzalez moved to stop DPW from using residential driveways as temporary garbage collection sites (adopted). Also, free two-hour holiday parking announced Dec. 7–Jan. 1, 2025.
• Elevator Issue: Motion by Council Member Council for Engineering to investigate inoperable elevator at 130 Chancellor Avenue (adopted).

Key Outcomes

• Votes on ordinances and resolutions: All consent items passed as listed above. Unanimous votes were 7-0 except where noted.
• Deferrals: Several private sale/redevelopment agreements (7R2-a, b, c, e) and litigation settlements (7R6-a, b) were deferred by unanimous consent.
• Motions adopted:
  • Expressions of profound sorrow for Helen Hughes, Jennie B. Oliver, Christy Davis Jackson, and Morris M. Fields (all adopted with 5 yes, 3 absent).
  • Directive to DPW to cease using driveways for garbage collection.
  • Request for Engineering to inspect elevator at 130 Chancellor Avenue.
  • Request for list of delinquent tax abatement properties.
• Next Steps: Public hearings for ordinances on second reading will be held at a Special Meeting on December 10, 2024. Council will also host community meetings on the revaluation and on the Newark Agreement with University Hospital.