On Thursday, September 4th.

Please stand for the National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance, an invocation by Minister Najia Bailey of Ruth Fellowship Ministries.

Let us pray.

Oh Lord, our Lord, how excellent is your name in all the earth.

Lord, we thank you for this is the day that you have made.

We shall rejoice and be glad in it.

We thank you for the sun shining this morning.

We thank you for a new day of life.

Father, we invoke your presence into this meeting right now.

And we ask right now in advance for the spirit of unity.

We thank you, Lord, for the spirit of love.

We thank you, O Lord, for the spirit of peace.

We ask for a special blessing over our mayor Raz Baraka and his entire family, Lord.

We thank you right now for blessing every governing official that is here today and represented on today.

Father, we ask right now that you would keep your hand of protection upon the city of North.

We ask right now, Lord, that you would pour out your spirit and your favor and your love upon this city and its residents.

Lord, we know that only you know the plans that you have for us, and so God, I ask for divine wisdom, divine strategy for all those that serve willingly, Lord.

I ask even Lord that you would strengthen them for the journey, and I ask, Father, that you would just be with us a little while longer in this place.

We thank you, and we seal this prayer and blessing by faith because you're able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we could ever ask or think, according to the power that works in us, in your son's name we pray, amen.

In accordance with New Jersey law, adequate notice of this meeting has been provided to the Star Ledger and 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 August 29th at the time of preparation and posted on the city's website.

Roll call.

Council President Gonzalez.

President Kelly.

Council President, Council members, we are on page three of the agenda.

Item five.

Reports and recommendations of city officers, boards, and commissions.

Mr.

President, if I may before we start.

Okay, before we start, Councilman Gonzalez.

Yes, Saturday.

We have a the budget hearings.

Today, Thursday, almost one o'clock.

We don't have the books.

Say what time are we going to receive the books so that we can ask uh intelligent questions during the questioning on third on Saturday?

So when the business administrator comes in, we'll follow up with that question.

Yes.

All right.

Oh, we just walked in.

I give him a chance to have a moment.

Yeah, uh, I'm sorry, Mr.

B.A.

Yeah, I don't know if you heard the question from Councilman Gonzalez.

I did not.

Good uh Mr.

BA this is we are having the the tax day the the budget discussions on Saturday today's Thursday almost one o'clock and we don't have the books so in order for us to make intelligent questions we need to have the books as soon as possible preferably to have in a couple of days before the meeting it takes place.

Yes, sir.

We are in the process of pulling them together and uh you should have them shortly president.

I I some people said they couldn't hear me, so I'll put the microphone.

I couldn't hear you.

Said some of the people in the audience said they couldn't hear me.

I said that we are pulling them together and we should have the books to you shortly.

All right, Councilman Gonzalez.

It depends what shortly is because uh let's say if we're going to get the books on a Friday to discussions on the Saturday, I believe it would be better for us to postpone the hearing uh until we have time to review uh the books so uh I I would hope that we could get these books today, if not all, a majority of them, so that we can at least prepare for what we have, and then if there's an issue with that, we'll discuss it.

Sure.

I'll get you an update shortly.

Thank you.

Back to the agenda on page three, item five, reports and recommendations of city officers boards and commissions.

Roll call.

Council, yes, Gonzalez, yes, Kelly, yes, Quintana, yes, Ramos, yes, Scott Roundtree, Silva, yes, President Crump, yes, Mr.

President.

Councilman Gonzalez.

I'm sorry that it's uh been disruptive, but let's say we requested copies of the minutes of the committee that uh Mr.

Tillman has always uh complained that the the committee is not working.

I was uh chastised because I was absent at a meeting of the tax agreement committee meeting.

I would love to to hear that we've received the minutes of the six months that we requested, Madame Clerk.

How we receive them?

We have not, Councilman Gonzalez, Mr.

President.

Can we invite uh Ms.

Rashidi to a special meeting so that we can discuss uh the workings of that committee?

Yes, absolutely, we can do that.

Let's let's what we what we'll do is let's talk offline regarding that.

I know we have a an agenda already set for Tuesday, but let's see if we can add that to it.

Yes, thank you, Jesus Ordinances on first reading.

6 FA is an amending ordinance providing for additional filters at the Pequanic Water Treatment Plant.

Council as a whole to advance the second reading, roll call council, yes, Gonzalez, yes, Kelly, yes, yes, Ramos, yes, Scott Roundtree, yes, Silva, yes, President Crump, yes, B is an ordinance providing for the Green Parks project.

Council as a whole to advance the second reading.

Roll call council, yes, yes, Kelly, yes, Quintana, yes, Ramos, yes, Scott Roundtree, yes, Silva, yes, President Crump, yes, C is an ordinance amending the multi-way stop intersections by designating 2nd Avenue West and North Seventh Street as a multi-way stop sign intersection in the north ward.

Council as a whole to advance the first, I'm sorry, to advance the second reading.

Roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

D is an ordinance regarding the container lot license.

Council as a whole to defer.

Roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes to defer.

The ordinances adopted today on first reading will be advertised in accordance with law, and a public hearing will be held at the regular meeting on September 17th or soon thereafter as practical in the council chamber, second floor, city hall.

Public hearing, second reading, and final passage.

Council as a whole to defer.

Roll call.

Council.

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silver.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

C and D are both ordinances to increase the threshold for the QPA and the Corporation Council as pursuant to state law.

C is regarding increasing the threshold for the QPA.

And D is the threshold increase for our corporation council.

Is there anyone wishing to be heard on these ordinances?

Lisa Lisa Parker.

Can somebody explain?

Maybe the BA can explain what the bidding requirements are and who these public contracts are for.

It's an informal quotation.

Well, here's what y'all do.

Y'all pass the ordinance, and when it expires, you don't bring them back to start the bidding all over again.

You just extend the contract.

How is that legal?

Extension and amendments to the original contract instead of bringing them back to the table to bid again.

Maybe somebody could break this down and explain it.

Thank you for a comments next speaker.

Good afternoon, Alif Mahomes.

Good afternoon.

That 44,000 is low.

It's been low for a long time.

It's been that number with the housing authority and everybody else.

So inflation has gone up.

So it makes sense to move it up.

And if the person can't operate as a general counsel or whatever.

44,000 is not enough.

It's just not enough.

So please pass it.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments, next speaker.

Good afternoon, uh, council.

Felicia Austin Singleton.

So the disrespect and playing in our faces is about over with.

You just deferred for the fourth time on something, the last ordinances, and you're supposed to return it to administration.

Not have five deferrals, and then the public don't get to respond of why you're deferring it.

We're going by Robert Rules of order in government.

We're gonna be checked on our rationality and what we supposed to do.

You're robbing the people of their speaking time because you're not returning it.

You're just coming back to defer it enough until you get enough votes up there together to go ahead and pass it.

Did you ever get the information, Gonzalez, that you requested yesterday?

Because I can't see why you are putting a threshold on any department when we don't have a budget.

Yet you he comes up here and calls people liars about deficits.

He calls Alifa coward, but he can't even present a budget.

And you want us to say okay to a threshold or an increase on something, or you're gonna go vote back to 2024 to do something that you already did, festivals you did last month.

How do you want us to come and have public comment on this?

Y'all gonna stop playing in our face?

Unbelievable.

Eric Pennitton said that Lisa was lying, and then he comes up here and acts to borrow money from the state to complete the budget.

It's a deficit.

When you get that payday loan, and you know they come take their stuff off the top.

That's what the state is gonna do.

House authority about to go on to receivership because y'all can't get it together.

Y'all can't tell the commissioners what to do no more, I guess.

It's all got to do with the corruption and city hall, not balance and checking the books, but you always want to go up on the threshold when it's convenient for you.

Never convenient for the residents or put to just represent the oath that you took in office to represent and advocate for the people because you'd you're not doing a good job.

Letting these clowns come up here and throw us scraps.

Saturday Gonzalez.

What you gonna do with viewing in an hour?

Unbelievable, unacceptable.

It was due in April, and you want to now up a threshold on something?

You had a budget that was due in April.

It is now September, and you're still asking for a budget, Gonzalez.

Unbelievable, unacceptable, and right.

I am mad.

It's unacceptable.

We are your boss.

If you can't produce, put vote them out.

Come 2026, 2025, do the right thing because we see they are failing the city.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

Um I remember when this conversation first started some months back.

Um, even with the finance guy, uh giving him more power to do stuff so he doesn't have to come before you all.

Everyone needs to come before all the people all the time.

Yes, everyone.

We do not have a budget.

We're in a hundred million dollar deficits.

Um to up this, to allow him to do anything is unconscionable at this point.

Because again, we don't have a budget.

Because we've borrowed from the year before for the last five years.

And we're gonna allow someone to come and do what they want to do without any checks and balances to you that might make sense.

But to a normal person who understands finance, a fourth grader, knows that this does not make sense.

Because we don't have any recordables, any notables to show that we have faith in anything that you do.

Because you do not have the residents first.

I mean, you say words, you say words, but your actions speak so loudly we can't hear what you're saying.

You show us every day.

You pass things that make it look like you're doing something, and the people are suffering.

Whatever deals you made, whatever conversations you had, because this was brought up before.

And you'll sit here, you'll hear what we're saying, you know what we're saying is right, and then it's yes, yes, yes, yes, because of what's been talked about already and what you've been told to do.

Now, when are you going to stand up and say, hmm?

I know what this is saying, and it doesn't seem like the people are gonna really benefit from it, but you know, I know we talked and we gotta do this.

Who are you serving?

Who are you serving?

That's always the question.

I understand you want the corporation council to be able to do things and not have to come before you.

No, we want him to come before us.

We want him to ask.

We want him to say this is what the money's being spent on.

Because we have a set.

Deferring things that should have gone back, like uh Felicia was saying until you get it done and we don't get to say anything.

We're tired of it, y'all.

So we want everybody to come before us because we want to hear it, we want to have something to say.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

We're saying good afternoon.

My name is Dorothy Rod.

Good afternoon.

I live in the case.

I'm sorry, can you hold the mic down?

Maybe pull it a little down so we can hear you.

Okay.

I live on South A Street between 11th Avenue.

I'm sorry, what was your name for the record?

Dorothy Riles.

Okay.

And I pay to register my home, have it inspected, make sure the tenants are livable, or that outside of the community looks horrible.

Garbage.

Miss Iris, I have to tell you that uh what we're talking about at this moment is based upon the two ordinances.

So all comments were based upon the two ordinances.

I don't have anything to say about ordinances because I'm not familiar with you.

So are you are you on the list to speak later on?

Oh, I gotta wait too later on.

Yes, I am on the list.

Well, I'll tell you what, if uh Ms.

Daniels, uh somebody speak to Miss Iris about how she can be able to speak about her issue.

Okay.

I have to wait.

Oh, she's on the list?

Yes, okay.

You are on the list.

So your name, you're on the list.

Okay, I'll be right back.

Yeah, we'll call you up when it's time for you to speak, okay?

I apologize.

That's no problem.

All right, thank you.

Next speaker.

So it was a few people that came here.

Where who is the purchasing agent?

Who's the purchasing agent?

Because there's a few people that came here and asked them to explain what was the reason for almost a ten thousand dollar increase for public contracts.

And none of y'all didn't get make a phone call, do a text message, ask whoever coming in and in place of that person to explain so everybody can stop getting up here trying to figure out why you increasing uh uh bidding for public contract to almost 10,000.

Everything's going up for everybody.

This is public.

The public is us.

Right?

For those who in the public.

Okay, so y'all gonna make a text message?

You do it, text, text to anything else?

Can you text them?

Can you get somebody up here to explain?

What is the reason for this increase?

Do you know?

Do you know the reason?

Why you raising the uh increase to almost what is it, 44 to 53,000?

Is that the increase?

That is this this too much to be increasing.

So who is the once again?

And you're up there looking like stooges.

Look, just looking.

Who is the purchasing agent?

BA Penitant, you gaslight anything else?

Come on behind here and uh speak for them or uh request them to come up here and do some explaining to the people who pay your salary and the and the increase.

That people just don't have it.

You just you just putting debt on the public and the people, and just everybody, and you you just don't think we'd have uh expl you have no reason to explain to no one why you're doing it.

And then you sit there, you got three or four jobs, and you look like this, and you're living in your uh mansions and all that stuff.

Triple and double dipping and all of that, drinking uh, what you got?

Uh Dunkin' Donuts over there.

Two and three jobs, but nobody can explain.

Why is this increase?

And then you wonder why we can come out mad on this mic, right?

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

Gail Cheneyfield Jenkins, 88 Richmond Street, Newark, New Jersey.

The frustration you hear is typical.

And you all need to pay attention to it.

You're giving the opportunity for two departments to be able to draw down or allocate more money without having to come before this council.

But you guys have given away a lot of your power already.

And it's going to hurt the city.

In Best Newark, $3.2 million going down to Symphony Hall to tear down the TV station and build a cafe and a memorabilia shop.

That's your job to understand that.

And how is Invest North taking money that you all give them to fund to keep them open?

And then they're transferring the money, making those kinds of decisions.

Maybe you all know about it and you don't care.

Same thing with the homeless are and his staff, misusing funds.

I'm just saying the reason why the issue is a problem.

I understand because the transparency is not there.

And when you have your turn to speak about anything, you can, but as you know, but the public hearing is about the certain ordinances.

So is there a reason in particular?

I'll even mention that 54 53,000 was not unusual.

Is similar to what they did at the housing authority.

So is there any reason in particular why there is a request for the law department as well as purchasing to get a an increase so that it doesn't have to come before this body?

Yeah, thank thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

Please do not yell out, Ms.

Monty.

Good afternoon, Deborah Maps.

And I just have a quick question, so I don't need the whole um three minutes.

But I was asking a question in the back.

Um, and I got an answer, but I'm still a little confused.

My question is who sets the threshold?

Is it the city or the state?

Um, I'm gonna try to hang out and get that answer when it's all said and done.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

Seeing none hearing none public speaking is now closed.

So I uh I will say this, and if the administration wants to well, okay.

I I will say this, and and the clerk even mentioned it, and it was mentioned before and in the uh previous meetings.

This is based on uh conforming with state statute.

Um, as as Madam Clerk just said, it was to conform with state law.

So that's why the reason for these ordinances uh anything from the council?

Not even follow the law.

Anything from the administration?

Anything additional?

Okay.

I'm sorry, councilman.

Yeah, it's available.

Uh good afternoon, uh store City of North Corporation Council.

So, as you just indicated, Council President, um, uh, this is essentially the city will be following the state law.

Uh, as mentioned earlier, um, the school district housing authority, most public entities have an opportunity when they have a QPA, a qualified QPA purchasing agent to increase their threshold before our threshold was 44,000, and it would have been 17,000 if we didn't have a qualified purchase agent.

Uh, now we have one urebe, uh, who is the head of purchasing who's been here for more than a year at least.

Um, he is the qualified purchasing aid, he has the authority to uh follow this mandate.

My office is also involved in this process because sometimes, council president, we get lawsuits from you know, small accidents, uh, you know, different contract negotiations and things of that nature that uh lead to the need to pay folks instead of coming to the council on every single time we have that type of situation.

Uh this gives us the authority.

I'll tell you all that, you know.

If if we did not change this, uh the difference between the 9,000 now isn't the biggest deal.

But yesterday we went from the 17,000 from where it was five years ago.

Uh we will be before the council on a booklet of of just items that have to be resolved because the threshold wasn't the number it is now.

Uh, this gives us an opportunity to do what we have to do in a more speedy way.

Thank you.

Any comments from the council?

Questions?

Uh Mr.

President.

So Kenyatta with the um litigation.

What's what's the threshold now?

So right now it's 44,000.

So you're you're going from 44 to 53.

Yes.

Okay.

Thank you.

Any other questions from the council?

Say none roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Tana?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Crumb.

Yes.

E is an ordinance granting a 25-year tax abatement to Central Point Urban Renewal LLC for a project involving the demolition of the existing one-story commercial structure and construction of a new six-story multifamily building in the central ward, sponsored by councilwoman Scott Roundtree.

Second by Councilman Kelly.

Is there anyone wishing to speak on this ordinance?

Alif Muhammad again.

Um I like this deal.

And uh Pastor, you know what I like this deal?

Remember, you used when you were teaching me.

Um the affordable is 16 affordables on this, which is the ordinance, which's the ordinance, was the ordinance.

But what I like, Pastor, and you taught me this, was they got two studios, six one bedrooms, and they have eight two bedrooms.

Because you still we say, everybody giving you one bedroom as a student, a studio, but it's not for a family.

Right.

So you will propose it for two bedrooms.

So I like this deal.

You know, it's on Central Avenue.

And if anybody knows that that car placement sitting there for a long time, and it's a great area because you're right there by the train station.

So, you know, we got to get back to middle class.

That we were when I was a little boy.

You gotta have middle class, you know, like the weekway session with middle class and the South Ward, you know, uh North Ward was middle class, even though they didn't allow us over there.

You know, certain things.

We gotta get back to middle class.

So this is a good thing because it's right next to the train station, and they really they followed the ordinance there, and uh they don't have the AMI there now.

I don't know about that.

I just want to be able to come home tonight.

Thank you very much.

All right, thank you for your comments next speaker.

Y'all don't get confused by our leaf, Felicia Austin Singleton.

You do not have an AMI up here.

So at the end of the day, is it gonna be 80%, 60%, 40%, or should it be 30%?

Really of what, or maybe even a 20% that the state, then um New Jersey Supreme Court said you must do.

You must do 20% set aside and 20 to 80% of the AMI.

You never put that in there, but you came down to 40%, so we're a little grateful for that of the AMI, but you don't even have it up here.

It's not even up here to be transparent with the residents who already have a hard time looking for a two-bedroom that's $3,900, and you just not preparing us.

Y'all going ahead with these tax abatements, trying to get stuff done in a central ward where there's no representation, empty seat up there, and at the end of the day, you guys don't see nothing wrong with it.

Y'all just so happy, go lucky.

And look where it's up.

The house of cards is crumbling down right in front of your eyes.

Wake up, stop being so arrogant.

Stop acting like you all in control and got it.

You have lost it, just like you lost the budget.

You sitting up here, sitting up here, the inclusionary zoning, and don't they supposed to be in compliance with the inclusionary zoning for the tax abatement, George?

Because I'm yes, so you don't even have a percentage, but you're gonna vote yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Residents, they do not care about you.

They could have made the inclusionary zone in any way they found pleasable that fixed the city, and you didn't.

It should have been 80% set aside.

It should have been 30 to 20 percent of the AMI, and yet y'all give the developers a dream every time they ask for a tax abatement.

Matter of fact, y'all gave them money back, 1.5 million dollars, and you sitting up here shutting people's lights off, shutting their water off, not picking the trash up, and all of a sudden y'all want to follow state law when it comes to upping the threshold on somebody's contract.

You kidding me.

What school did y'all go to when history was taught?

Oh, business administration was taught.

I need to see these degrees.

Thank you for your comments, next speaker.

Lisa Parker, anything that has urban renewal LLC is an automatic 25-year tax abatement, while you got the Halo building sitting over there with a 25-year tax abatement collecting dust that you haven't rescinded their tax abatement because they're not in compliance.

Where is the project labor agreement on this?

Every single developer here is shortchanging the people that live here to work here.

Where's the affirmative action?

Where's the project labor agreement to give people a decent wage and health benefits?

And let me go back to combining B and C together with the law department that has subcontracted out the entire Lord Department to law firms.

You ain't even got a staff of lawyers in your law department.

You shouldn't even call it a law department.

We bring it in-house.

No, you outsourcing all the work to other law firms, the work that you should be doing.

Please speak to the ordinary.

Now I'm speaking to the ordinance, and if I had the opportunity, I would have, but you combining the ordinances together.

You're supposed to read them individually for public speaking, not A, B, C, and D together.

Stop violating my right to speak to an ordinance.

Where's the affirmative action?

Where's the project labor agreement?

Where's the fair share for the newer cases that live here and the workers that can't even afford to pay for their apartments without being subsidized and housing vouchers?

And yet you continue to give these developers that don't want to give newer a job.

But they can make profit off of us.

While we, the hard working people and the retirees are footing the bill with this 24% tax increase.

14.8 from last year to this year.

9% when the revalus here.

How are you justifying this?

How?

Those that contribute to your campaigns, those that give you a paper bag to approve it at the Board of Adjustments, the Planning Board, and the tax abatement committee.

Thank you for your comments, next speaker.

I'm continuing to say that your tax abatement program is dysfunctional, outdated, and a complete failure.

No other way to describe it.

Whatever happened to your campaign promise, uh Raspberacter when you came in, and Rainbows, who co-signed it, that you was gonna do assessment on a tax abatement program.

Right?

When are you gonna do that?

Because we ain't getting no return on investment, no shape form or fashion with this tax abatement that y'all keep giving anybody.

We ain't getting no fair share of the jobs, we ain't getting no fair share of the housing, we ain't getting no fair share of the uh pre-post-construction.

We ain't getting a fair share of nothing, no return on investment for anything.

And then we don't know whoever a ministry giving the uh housing, and then the stuff that's in law when you gotta give it to the fund.

One year you gave 3.5 million dollars of revenue to invest in work for them to restart their investor from BC DC that was supposed to go back into the community, but then you wonder why we get up here as we're gonna continue to do, and it comes out mad, and we call you failed leadership, no other way to describe you pathetic, no other way to describe you and vote you out, all of you, no other way to the only solution, the only solution.

You have no voice, you have no testastical fortitude, whatever that, whatever.

You know what I'm talking about.

The only one who had it on there is who we try to get back on there.

It's no checks and balance, it's no nothing.

Is this yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, give away tax abatement, give away this?

You don't even have no kind of uh a job plan or anything, nothing.

We don't even see nobody holding the flag outside for traffic uh uh for the construction.

You are just a disgrace to give out tax abatement and anything else in this city.

But you don't care because you got two and three uh salaries.

You live in your millionaires, your nose up in the air.

You sit on this board, you sit on that when you get this and you get that.

Why people is homeless sleeping on the bridges, sleeping on uh 21 and eviction tsunami that you never went to go visit, disgraceful.

Thank you for your comments, next speaker.

Deborah Salters.

So I remember when Tillman and I were in the tax abatement meeting for this project, along with some others, and I had several questions that were not able to be answered.

One of which was the parking situation.

Um, you know, what was said was there's plenty of parking, but when you look at the area, which is what I brought up that day, you have houses that are there.

You also have another brand new development that's down the street, who also assumes well, there's parking in the neighborhood.

So we're already overpopulated.

We keep telling you this, we're overpopulated, um, we're inundated with vehicles already.

So now we have this project coming.

Um, and we're going to add more people, and we're gonna add more cars.

So the traffic is ridiculous already, right?

And when you make these projects and you say yes to them, you all do not take into consideration what we go through on a daily basis during school time, during coming home from work, trying to find parking.

It is insane, right?

That's the first thing.

Second thing is um when Ms.

Bark was talking about automatic when you use urban renewal, automatic 25 year tax abatement.

And I brought up last time about the failed um Kuwaita Towers, and we gave them five million dollars of our CBDG funds.

Where's that money?

Did that come back to us?

Does that did that come back to us?

Because we're in a deficit, but we gave a tax abatement to a developer for 1.8 million because of inflation, but they owe us 10 million.

So here's the thing.

We're giving out these tax abatements like they're Skittles in a Halloween giveaway when we can balance our budget, fix the deficit if you act like Rihanna and go get our money.

Get our money, better have my money.

Where's my money?

So who's going to stand up and get our money?

Because that would plug the hole in the deficit, and then you won't have to break the backs of the people with these tax increases.

When do you fight for we the people who have been here and held this city together when no one else was here?

Our mothers and grandmothers and grandfathers, that legacy.

They are Newark, we are Newark, but you're doing this for the outsiders, and it does not benefit we the people.

14.8% increase taxes, right?

Then the reval.

Yeah, oh, let me tell you, my mother's went up 4.25, 14.25% with no renovations, with no improvements.

How do you do that?

Because the mayor said, oh no, some people's will be decreased and some people's will be increased.

Thank you for your comments, next speaker.

Peace and blessings.

My name is Muta Alameen.

We're giving out 25-year tax abatements.

Okay.

We're trying to attract new business to the city.

We want new development in the city.

We want a beautiful city.

What does what do we build that beautiful city over?

Do we keep continue to build this city over bones?

Because that's what we have here.

We have an emergency.

That's not just the phrase that's you've been used.

Weekly, hundreds of people are getting evicted.

Where are they going?

Have we seen the South Orange Avenue corridor from Sanford Avenue to Stuyvesant at night?

It's ugly.

The building that goes up.

I don't understand how you people are saying that nobody wants to work.

Recently, I just did a job, a job experiment in Bradley Court from the outside contractors.

I pressed these dudes because they didn't have any black faces in the entire facility.

So I say we need some people in the community.

And I put out my own applications.

And I came and I ran down on the general contractor.

Listen, we're gonna need you to do something.

So you're trying to tell me me as an individual at one site could get about four people hired.

A hundred and something people came in for applications.

People want to work, people want to get trained.

We want to work, we want to get trained.

As a part of hood, it says that you're supposed to be training those people first in order to stimulate the echo the economics.

So if you get the people that's doing bad, you get them doing well, they begin to contribute.

Uh-huh.

That's what we looking for.

We looking for you guys to think forward for the people, not business as usual.

Peace and blessings.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

You've got to do that for all the speakers.

No other speaker.

Public hearings now closed.

Anything from the council?

Anything from the administration.

Roll call.

Mr.

President.

I'm sorry, Councilman Gonzalez.

Can we get the apartments that are at 40, 60, and 80 percent from the administration?

The AMI for you.

Yes, they are not here.

So Deputy Mayor is here.

Is that what you're asking?

Yes.

Okay.

Deputy Mayor.

Good afternoon, uh, Council President, Council members.

Allison Ladd, Director of Economic and Housing Development.

Um uh Councilmember Gonzalez's question, I believe, is what were the AMIs at the project?

Yes, yes.

Um, yes, sir.

So the project is uh 77 residential units, 61 will be market, and 16 will be affordable, which does legally comply with inclusionary zoning ordinance.

Four will be uh at 40 percent of AMI, um, and also four will be at 60 percent of AMI, and sorry, uh forgive me, bear with me one second.

I'm gonna start over.

I'm sorry, it's not written well, so forgive me.

Um so uh I'm sorry, Council President.

Um, this project uh again is the 77 residential units, 61 are market, 16 are affordable.

Um, and of that, um four units will be restricted to 40 percent of area median income, and those will be studio apartments, one bedrooms, and two two bedrooms, four units will be restricted to sixty percent of AMI, and that'll be one studio, one one bedroom, and two two bedrooms, and eight units will be restricted to eighty percent of AMI, four will be one bedrooms, and four will be two bedrooms.

And so um as was stated earlier, there are several units that are actually affordable for two bedrooms and one bedrooms and a few studios.

Thank you, Deputy Mayor.

And we have the same for the the next two attacks abatements.

Let's let's vote on this one and then uh uh Deputy Mayor, just stay close and we'll bring you back up.

Yes, Council President.

My pleasure.

Roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez, yes, Kelly, yes, I can't?

Yes, Ramos?

Yes, Scott Roundtree?

Yes, Silva?

Yes, President Crump.

Yes, Deputy Mayor, I'm sorry, read it first.

Go ahead.

Sponsored by Councilman Council.

Second by Councilwoman Scott Roundtree.

Deputy Mayor, if we can get the same information.

Yes, uh, Council President, Council Members, Allison Ladd, Director of Economic and Housing Development.

Uh, this project before you is located at 824-830 South 20th Street.

I'm sorry, I look at the right one.

And this is 100% affordable as stated when it was read into record.

Uh there'll be 25 units here, and um three will be restricted to 30% of AMI, nine will be restricted to 50% of AMI, and 13 will be restricted to 60% of AMI.

Um, all of the units are below 60% of AMI, which actually exceeds inclusionary zoning affordability requirements.

Um, and we are excited to bring 100% affordable housing project to the council.

Thank you, Deputy Mayor.

Public hearing.

Boom, Felicia Austin Singleton.

So 30 to 50 percent, it was on the other one too, Allison.

Look, look at the tax for that last tax abatement.

30 to 50 percent was on the other thing, but y'all voted on it, so you didn't know the percentage.

But you can hear that.

I said, make sure you tell the percentage 30 to 50 percent.

So this proves that they can flex you can fluctuate your percentage on your AMI, and it also proves you can fluctuate the percentage on inclusionary zoning participating and contributor to the original inclusionary zoning.

You scammed us and gave us 80 percent for three years, three years, and now we get this.

We don't want to hear our leave come up here, so it's I think this is a very good project.

You should have been doing it all along.

This is why I said you failed the people, rent three thousand nine hundred dollars, two thousand dollars.

You got a single mother on welfare trying to go to school or work at Buckers Security Building and getting kicked out with no help from incompetent people because you don't know what your city needs.

Stay right here, you could have been doing it.

Dude, since 2018, they could have been doing it.

You were too busy being self-controlled, getting them side deals with Carmelo Garcia and Joe.

I'm glad he got he sentenced.

Well, he's about to get sentenced.

I'm glad he pled guilty.

This is what we're talking about.

Wake up, open your eyes.

They were able to keep those partners at 80% of the ANI.

She just now told you 30 to 50 percent you could have went on the AMI.

Just told you.

No, they didn't know it.

That's the problem.

They never tried to know it.

I told you.

Y'all came up here and said I was lying, I wasn't telling the truth, I had it mixed up, they can't do it because it inspired, because HUD affiliated, you just did it.

Y'all better stand for what's right, people.

We don't need another four years of this.

We don't need another four months of yeses.

We need pure leadership.

Resident of the West Ward, our support Gail Chain, Phil Jenkins for the November 4th election, because you have given us no confidence, no voice.

The only one up here screaming about property and budgets is Gonzalez.

We need a forensic audit before y'all do anything else in this city.

Any tax abatement, any budget hearing?

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

Alif Mohammed.

Um Deborah, when I was a young man, this the city had 440,000 people.

So we lost 100,000 people, so we got a lot of room here to grow.

It was 440,000 people.

480,000?

I'm older than you.

How do you know that?

Well, anyway, this is a trick here.

This is really a sweet deal because you got three bedrooms in there.

And then for y'all that's a little younger than me, South 20th Street.

I went to Madison in 66 and 60, between 68 and 66.

60s, 1966, 68.

I was in Madison.

And that's a middle class area.

This address is a former middle class area.

But it's a trick in this that y'all don't see.

And it says long term tax abatements.

This is a good thing.

And you know what a long-term tax abatement is?

Okay.

What it is is that the person pay in the taxpayer pay in.

They pay in lieu.

Instead of paying taxes, they pay a certain amount of money.

Look it up.

So these are long-term.

This is good.

You're getting some money.

Is this not a tax abatement?

Like this uh with my office is there's one on Halsey and uh uh not mean Raymond Boulevard Halsey is a building.

They pay in their in their loop that they pay 10% of what their gross rent is.

So this is guys, we know that the tax abatements gotta stop, but a lot of these was in the in the loop.

It was in the pot already.

You can't go in the pot and pull them out.

You just gotta make the best of them.

Like what Gonzalez said, from now on with the new stuff coming in.

Let's hold up on it until we get it together.

But if you got something in the pot and it's cooking, you can't go in and stick your hand in there and pull it out.

You burn your hand up.

But but but it's called long hit your phones, guys, long-term tax abatements.

Look the statues up.

That's a good thing.

That's a good thing because we do get some money.

And some tax abatements, you don't get no money.

But this is a good thing, and that was a middle class when I was a young man in the seventh grade, eighth grade.

That was a middle class area.

Now, being that you live up there, Larry, it's a high middle class area.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

Lisa Parker, here we go.

Another urban renewal LLC with an automatic 25 years.

First of all, any new construction that occurs now should have a washer and dryer in every unit.

Not the landlord having a common area in the basement for you to wash your clothes.

Any new construction should have a washer and dryer inside of it.

I beg to differ with Mr.

Mohammed about a good thing for a tax abatement.

Because the first thing, you sell the property at less than the assessed value.

So therefore, you start now not paying your fair share.

And then if he doesn't have a hundred percent occupancy, he gets to write off all of those taxes for not having um full occupancy.

Half of these developments you have in this city right here and now are not even three quarters full.

So you're giving them a tax abatement, they ain't paying Jack for the property to start with, and you got people that have properties that should be assessed at $2 million that's only paying $600 and $900 a year because of these tax abatements.

What excuse do you have for all of you sitting up there to not rescind the 25-year tax abatement on the Halo building who couldn't complete their project?

They're in non-compliance.

That was 816 apartments that the developer who's in court now because he ain't pay nobody, the vendors and everybody else, and you allowed it.

That building is sitting, but guess what?

He gets to write off the taxes or the money that he's not making.

No tax abatement extension, because you all don't have the political will to make the justification that says homeowners are facing a hardship with these increased taxes, nothing for the people, everything for urban renewal LLC, and you're not even making them live up to the standard of giving these apartments a washing a dryer.

How dare you?

No respect for the community, none.

Not for the people that were here in the lean years, but you're giving it to everybody in the green years so they could be here and we're gentrified.

Thank you for your comments, next speaker.

Deborah Salter.

So we asked in the tax abatement meetings about, and I believe this was one of the projects.

And when the question was asked with a couple of the developers, okay, so because we were pressing the issue.

Is this going to Norkers?

When you're building, how what are you gonna sell for?

And they looked at each other, a couple of them weren't even from here, looking at each other.

Well, the question was asked Well, will this go to Norkers?

Will you give is this gonna be built for Norkers?

Oh, well, that's something we could talk about.

And they actually said, and they were honest.

Um, well, when we build, we're going to sell for 900,000 to a million.

Thank you.

And you all were okay with that.

So when Alive talks about um 480,000 people, 400 and however many thousand people, it was done differently.

It was built for the low to moderate income housing.

It was built for for we the people to be able to afford to live here.

That's the difference.

So we have doctors, lawyers, actors, chefs, everybody's leaving because they cannot live where they would love to live, right here in the city, because of deals like this.

And so people say, well, why don't you get it?

Well, because there have been several of us who have tried to get these properties and have been told no for 23,000, 29,000.

And it's it's a constant battle for those of us who are here.

So what I'm saying to you is you're giving these tax abatements to the outsiders, they're selling for 900,000 to a million, and they're telling you up front, and you still say yes to it, instead of working with your community to own the community and build the community from which we come from, and that's okay with you all.

I don't care what deals are made.

The people are supposed to be put first at all times, and that is not what is happening here.

So, Alif, I understand how many people we had, but again, the housing was built so that we can live amongst each other without being overpopulated with those from the outside.

So, I got the history lesson, and I understand it, but it does not benefit we the people because the people who are coming here are simply renting here or buying here because it's cheaper than doing it in New York.

And I have testimonials.

They're like, oh, I can't complain.

Thank God they're doing it this way.

I'm I'm losing, I don't have to pay a thousand dollars plus more.

So they understand what's happening, just like you understand what's happening.

We don't matter enough to you.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

Excuse me, it's closed.

Uh come on.

I'll give it to them.

Peace and blessings, Mutawame.

And I want to address 20 25-year tax abatements.

And what I was expecting after hearing that there would be a moratorium.

I didn't know there was like a big list of properties that still had to come through.

I thought that we understood that the system was broken, and we needed to come up with things to fix it and make it equitable for residents.

If we're not doing this, then we're just gonna keep going on a broken track.

Until we can fix it, we just going along to get along.

We just continually go in the wrong direction.

I'm a truck driver.

I understand that sometimes when I'm out on the road, I get lost.

At the point of me getting lost, instead of continuing to go, I must stop, find my coordinates, find the true direction I should be headed in, and make whatever decision I need to make to go in that direction.

That's what we're asking.

We're asking that when giving out 25 year tax abatements, that the jobs accrue from these tax abatements be norkers.

We're asking that it be assessed whether these buildings, these developments are actually stopping the evictions that are going on, are actually housing newers at a high percentage.

Peace and blessings.

Thank you for your comments.

No other speakers.

Public hearing is closed.

Anything from the council?

Yeah, Mr.

Chairman.

I'm sorry, council and council.

Just real quick, someone made note about uh the property.

Property was uh private property.

It wasn't city property, investor new work had nothing to do with the property uh in that area where it's being developed with all of the two and three bedrooms.

Uh the development is needed uh and uh to be able to sit down and negotiate when the property doesn't belong to the city uh to ensure that the residents of the city have affordable and decent places to live, I think is critical and important.

And I'll always stress again uh the amount of pressure uh and and even myself as a commissioner that was placed on housing authority, the amount of pressure uh that we should put on housing authority for their responsibility to build low and affordable housing in this city.

And I think that's critically important for us to talk about and not miss that point uh because many folks who uh come uh in this area in terms of developing and wanted to develop uh really are our capitalists.

Like at the end of the day, their fundamental job is to try to make money.

Our job is to take care of human capital and make sure that we are dealing in the best interest of the people of the city, the residents of the city uh to do what is needed.

And so uh I'm in full support uh of this project in the area uh that is needed.

I heard a couple of speakers talked about uh, you know, the historical landmark of it about you know, back in the day it'd be in the middle class area uh through the rebellions and some things that have happened, it dissipated and now it's trying to revive itself.

Uh, and we should you know be at the forefront of trying to make it revive and also uh be able to put stuff in the best possible situations that our residents can take advantage of.

So to have this many two and three bedroom uh uh apartments that are available and to be a hundred percent affordable, uh I'm in total support of it.

Thank you.

I think roll call on this.

We we already got she gave us that information.

She did give us that information on that one, right?

Not the second.

We're good.

Roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez, yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Ramos, yes.

Got round tree?

Yes.

Nova?

Yes.

President Clump.

Yes.

G is an ordinance granting a 25-year tax abatement to 300 Garside Management Urban Renewal LLC for a project to construct a new five-story residential multifamily dwelling consisting of 25 affordable housing residential units in the North Ward, sponsored by Councilman Ramos, second by Councilman Quintana.

Yeah, before you come up, Mr.

Mohammed, if we can have the Deputy Mayor come up.

I'm just trying to do that.

I know you're eager to tell us how good the project is, right?

All right.

Uh good afternoon, Council President, Council members.

Allison Ladd, Director of Economic and Housing Development.

Um, the project before you is at 300-304 Garside Street.

Uh, the project will build five-story residential building with 25 affordable rental housing on this site.

Uh the area median income is between 30% of AMI and 60% of AMI, and the unit count is for 30% of AMI, it'll be three.

Uh, for um 50% of AMI will be nine, and for uh 60% of AMI, it'll be 13 units.

The total project cost here is 8.7 million dollars.

And um I didn't want to add that this was uh privately purchased property, it was not uh formerly city-owned property.

Um, and also um in closing, I wanted to say that uh the project came to us with this affordability, and we were happy that it exceeds inclusionary zoning.

Um, but not only does it exceed inclusionary zoning, it also complies with inclusionary zoning.

So I think that's great for people who are listening to know that projects and developers sometimes come to the city and want to do different projects and have greater affordability for the residents.

And so this is one developer in particular who's doing uh this project in the North Ward, and I know that we're excited about that.

Um, I will just close and say that as a note, and I think that one of the speakers mentioned it, uh, long-term tax exemptions are payments in lieu of taxes.

So every project pays taxes.

It's just a different amount that we have to negotiate so that we can have affordable housing in our city.

The second part is that tax revenue is actually what helps us balance a budget.

If we do not have additional taxes that are generated through development activities, then we have a greater budget deficit.

And then in closing, we do ensure that inclusionary zoning projects have 90 days first rate for Newark residents.

Um since that law was changed about two years ago, we've had about 13 projects, and now 80% of those affordable housing units are going to Newark residents because of that law change.

Prior to that, couldn't speak to the facts, but now today we can tell you with certainty that 80% of our units that we are funding are for Newark residents, and they are accessing them at a higher percentage.

So thank you for the time.

Thank you, Deputy Mayor.

Alif Mohammed again.

Good afternoon.

Revenue sharing under long term.

Under Apollo, a larger portion of tax revenues stays with the municipality, with 5% being remitted to the county.

This contrast with standard property taxes where school and district typical receive a significant share.

And must demonstrate that the project will be financially unfeasible without the abatement.

This is another good deal.

That knows what I'm saying to you, and you smart enough.

They have to prove that if they don't have this tax abatement, they can't build a project.

So that's why you see affordable, a lot of affordable because you're getting the tax money.

Where market, you could go and do everything else.

You got it.

I know you got it.

You just be so what I'm saying is this is a good deal.

And this is even this is good, man.

We're having a good day today, man.

Like the pastor said, like the pastor said, the housing authority is responsible for low income.

The housing authority, and I'm telling you, I sat there for five years, and I'm telling you that back's a terrorist, they're gonna turn this around, sat there because of the mayor got a relationship with developer.

But you could get 800 units here right now.

It's the responsibility of the housing authority to do low income.

No has to have a middle classroom.

I grew up, we have middle class.

You're not gonna make it over middle class.

Yes, it's Nork benefit because of New York and Brooklyn.

Yes, so did Maplewood.

Maplewood done double, triple because of the midtown, you know, it's pressed you know about that because you work that way.

Maplewood, South Farms.

You used to buy a house there 30 years ago for 170, it cost you 700, and that came from it's so expensive in New York, it's so expensive in Hoboken, it's so expensive in Jersey City.

But these are affordable, these are for people that's making 40, 50,000.

A couple.

This is good stuff, man.

And we gotta have that kind of person because my mother said she owned the restaurant.

But she was a, you know, she didn't make a whole lot of money, but she owned the restaurant.

She wasn't like Miss Stewart.

You know, but you know, affordable, affordable.

This is a good day, man.

This is a good day.

All these projects is a good day.

God, you can't say everything is bad.

You gotta say amen when it's good.

Oh my god.

Amen.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

Peace and blessings, Muta Lame.

Speaking of reference to affordability.

The median household income in Newark, New Jersey is 48,000 a year.

That means half the residents earn more.

Half the residents earn less.

So that's a household.

This is mother, father, daughter, child, roaches, rats, pets.

This is everybody in the entire household who has to try to survive off of 48,000.

And that's at the top end because we said half earn more, but half earn less.

And now I want to talk about our perpetual house surfers and our perpetual homeless who don't make that list.

So really those numbers are way more staggered.

And I want to I want to I want us to emphasize who those people is.

So when we're talking about affordability, we must remember that four years ago, $700 of rent was a struggle for most families in Newark, New Jersey.

Incomes have not gone up.

The cost of food, the cost of clothes and the cost of electricity, the cost of everything has increased, except the cost, accept the income.

We need to assess where we're going as a city, as a state and as a country.

We're in a state of emergency.

Peace and blessings.

Thank you for your comments, next speaker.

Lisa Parker, I don't know all the gibberish.

Some people come up here and speak, but at the end of the day, what we're not seeing, and here we go once again, another 25 year tax abatement for urban renewal LLC.

What we're not seeing are the thousands of five-year tax abatement that don't even come before this council that without approval.

That's what we're not seeing.

So we're we're paying the debt for that too.

And when you talk about invest Newark, right?

Um you have properties there, and for instance, Smitty, who owns owes 1.2 million dollars in property tax.

Ms.

Parker, please speak to the I'm speaking to the tax because this is in reference to tax abatement.

So Mr.

President, don't correct me and tell me what context is speaking about what I'm referencing.

That's number one.

Invest Newark gave the Riviera millions in dollars.

And they and how is it that we keep not collecting money from Invest Newark?

That's a quasi-governmental agency.

Um not paying back anything into our system and revenues.

Let's talk about all of the people that don't pay their fair share that you're taxing the residents here with this burden by giving them 25 year tax abatement.

Let's talk about the Halo building once again.

Rescend their tax abatement because they haven't even complied with your laws.

Why are we continuing to give uh these groups, these urban renewal groups, all these tax abatements when the people in New York can't rent there?

They can't afford it.

If their income median is 48,000 a year.

And I'm gonna say it again.

Affordable is if you make 87,500 to 120,000 a year in income.

That's what affordable is.

Not using that money to help developers develop these these projects.

Where's the housing trust fund money at?

Thank you for your comments, next speaker.

Good afternoon, Felicia Singleton.

Umright when he said the housing authority contributes to the low-income housing authority in affordable housing on the inclusion Arizona.

But I just want to say is that the city that's giving the developers a dream deal, has also taken 200 apartments for the path home from our low-income families off of the housing authority stock.

So now we're getting sliced because we have to put the homeless in and out, and I thank God for that program for many of my residents who received it and helped.

But it still takes away from the people that are not homeless or about to be homeless.

Where you're now saying we got 30 to 50 percent.

We still, this is a uh ordinance, and and this tax abatement has to be in compliance with the inclusionary zoning.

So to say what they they're doing now, they could be doing 20%, because I'm gonna keep going lower, okay?

We're gonna get to 10% at some point.

30% is okay, because that's bringing that's a person that's making 40,000 or 60% is making about $60,000 of it.

You're not telling the people that, but I'll teach y'all on Facebook how to read this.

At the end of the day, y'all still got work to do.

Put a rent cap in on these tax abatements.

You cannot exceed so much in certain years, because I asked y'all before, I need the person who collects the money from tax abatements to come down here and give us a presentation on that budget.

Put that red lipstick on, baby, and come on down here and let us know which developer is not paying their taxes.

So guess what?

They don't get these tax abatement.

These developers owed 105, 100.5 dollars, right?

And they say, forget that, we're gonna still give you another 25-year tax abatement, right?

We need that person before you give any other tax abatement to come to tell us which developers should not be getting the tax abatement because they owe money to the city.

We'll wait.

You don't have a budget, you're not in compliance with tax abatements, but you're giving these developers what did they vote for you?

Did them developers vote for you, or did we vote for you?

We're telling you to stop giving these tax abatements out.

I'm gonna start an online podcast.

I've been saying it, y'all.

It's coming.

We're gonna go over this tax abatement, meeting by meeting.

And I'm gonna break down to the residents how you fumble the money for developers, and then you throwing people out of their homes, and then they want to go up on rents.

Every renter, you a taxpayer.

This tax abatement does you, because for every money they save, they're going up on a rent with these new developments.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments, next speaker.

You attack.

So the word affordable means inexpensive, reasonably priced, cheap, economical, and low cost.

Affordable means inexpensive, economical, reasonably priced, cheap, and budget friendly.

So these developments that we're giving tax abatements to are saying affordable, because that's the new hot button word.

Affordable.

Everybody's saying affordable.

Oh, it's affordable.

Affordable for whom?

So originally the area median income for Norkers was 16 to 36,000.

So now I'm hearing it's 48,000.

I'm gonna look at that.

But not because of the jobs that we get in this city, it's because of who comes here from outside of the city, the transplants, and those of us who have to work outside of the city where we pay our taxes and pay the water bills and pay everything else, the parking, the tickets, because again, we don't get our parking decals for our neighborhood because we're not friendly enough with the people who's passing it, passing the stuff around.

So the word affordable needs to be replaced because what is being developed and built here is not affordable for the residents of the city of Newark.

It's affordable for those who are coming in from the outside, enjoying the benefits of the rents that we have, because don't forget you all passed an ordinance last year, because we're in 25 yeah, February, that gave the slum lords and landlords the right to raise our rent up to 5%.

If it's not 5%, it's 4%.

I'll go pull up the ordinance.

I was just looking at the other day.

But you gave them the right to do that.

That doesn't benefit we the people, and people have lost their homes because of it.

So when we're talking about these tax abatement and affordable, again, we have 60 and 70-year-old women living homeless on the street with their carts because they had to leave their residences because it is no longer affordable, according to the actual definition.

Economical, cheap, budget friendly.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

Seeing none, public speaking is closed.

Public hearings closed.

Roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Kelly.

Yes.

Donna?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

H is an ordinance of the Councilman Ramos.

Yeah, let me just say for the record, you know, this project is in the North Ward, and you know, the site that the developer is putting this project, and they easily could have came to the council for long-term abatement for a market rate project.

You know, we've approved a plenty of long-term abatement deals with a whole lot less affordability attached to it than this project.

Here we have a project, doesn't have a 30 years, got a 25-year abatement, and it's 100% affordable.

So you know, we we can't have it both ways sometimes.

We can't criticize the city for not attaching enough affordable units to an abatement.

And then when we do have a project that is a hundred percent affordable, but does have an abatement attached to it, you know, also criticize that project.

So that's my my point.

Thank you, Councilman.

Next item.

H is an ordinance authorizing a corrective deed for property in the West Ward, sponsored by Councilman Kelly.

Second by Councilwoman Scott Roundtree.

Is there anyone wishing to speak on this ordinance?

But before you speak, Mrs.

Parker, like let me just say that it's real quick.

All this is is correcting an error with the legal description.

That's all this ordinance does.

That's fine.

Okay, I just want to put that on the record.

Go ahead and speak now.

Um at the end of the day, you making corrections on deeds, and so who is the deed to be corrected for?

Because I've looked at some of the deeds here, and some of the owners in Jerusalem in Israel.

So I want to know who's on this deed.

And let me ask you a question, um Westward Councilman.

Is this the property that you got your billboard with your face outside of the development for the West Ward?

New development, is this one of them?

I saw the billboard because they sent me the picture of it.

I just want to know is this one?

All right, don't answer.

Um you do a correction, and nobody's against tax abatement for new development.

The problem is the length of your tax abatements without any accountability.

So we have the Halo building sitting here with 25 years.

How long is that supposed to collect dust?

Ms.

Parker, you should have given a 10 year tax abatement.

So please speak towards the ordinance, which is just simply a okay.

You're interrupting my time.

I'm speaking to the deeds.

Who's on this deed and why are they correcting the what is it?

The conveyance of the property located at 520, 526, South 16 Street.

Who is who is the new owner of this property?

Mr.

McSay.

Thank you for your comments, next speaker.

Okay, Deborah Salter.

So uh Alif just asked me or sent me the comment about the correction.

So you're saying that this is just a correction of the name on the deed.

No, it's a correction of the legal description.

The legal description, okay.

So I'm I'm with Ms.

Parker on who is the person, who is this deed, who's on the deed.

Um, how do we benefit?

Um I'd like to say to you, uh, Councilman Ramos, it's it wasn't about coming against your or the project.

The thing is the affordability.

So it wasn't about that project.

Like Ms.

Parker said, we're not against development, but when we use the word affordable, what are we saying?

So, yes, so if we can get an explanation about this deed and the project.

Thank you for your comments, next speaker.

Y'all go slow.

I got I'm on another call with her, because I'm I'm telling on y'all.

So, if y'all had gave us the description like Amador had asked long time ago, remember he said put a picture up there with a description for the people, maybe somebody, because we knew Gonzalez would have caught the correction.

But no, y'all want to be so brief and so back behind things that since 2009, y'all got legal documents that have errors.

I feel I have legal documents since 2014 and some folks that's errors.

So we outsource into all these legal departments, we outsource into all these nonprofit departments, we outsource into all these other, and nobody looked over the oversight.

Nobody corrected the correction.

We know it's human.

We make mistakes.

Maybe I stopped trying to cut descriptions out and be more transparent.

You wouldn't you wouldn't make that mistake.

We are sick of the mess ups.

Corrections.

I got something to say about everything on this agenda, I promise you.

It's ridiculous.

People are tired.

Y'all need to correct some of these applications and positions that y'all hire people, because we sick of those errors too.

Correct them while you at it.

We tired.

Y'all got a whole thing on here for us to talk, and I'm gonna talk my one minute and 18 seconds.

Y'all got a whole three minutes, everybody gonna talk about your mistake.

Well, Nork, it was our mistake to keep putting our trust and fail leadership.

Guess they got some corrections to do on that budget too, huh?

I can't wait for that forensic audit.

This whole agenda is gonna be about 700 pages of uh corrections on the budget.

How many pages on that budget?

Because I know we're gonna have some corrections on it, Gonzalez, huh?

Follow the money.

Follow the descriptions.

We know they can't tell us a legal description on some because they gotta correct it right here.

See, that's your problem.

No, I can't tell y'all nothing.

Nobody can't tell you nothing.

You can't take you are a public figure to a us.

We are the employees.

Stop looking at me like I'm wasting your time.

You have wasted 14 years of our time.

From the Southport Council all the way to mayor, you have wasted our time.

It's time for corrective procedure, residents of the city of Newark.

Thank you for your comments, next speaker.

I'm so sick of them.

Let me get on my phone.

See, non-public hearing is closed.

Councilman uh Council President, um, through you, can we have um Deputy Mayor come up and explain what the correction is for the for the residents, please?

I was gonna do that.

Deputy Mayor, come on up good afternoon, Council President.

Oops, sorry, good afternoon, Council President, Council members, Allison Ladd, Director of Economic and Housing Development.

Uh the deed correction is including the meets and bounds properly and the legal description.

Two lots were merged, and it was just omitted.

So we're making sure the legal description is accurate, and there are two lots that are merged to have the proper meets and bounds in the legal description.

Thank you, Deputy Mayor.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Anything else?

Roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez?

Kelly?

Yes.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silver?

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

I is an ordinance authorizing the assignment and assumption of the financial agreement to amend the project description and amend construction schedule for a project located in the central ward.

Sponsored by Councilwoman Scott Roundtree.

Second by Councilman Kelly.

Is there anyone wishing to be heard on this ordinance?

Lisa Parker.

Amendment to the amendment to the amendments.

Let me ask y'all a question.

Isn't it so that when a developer comes here, they get all kind of approvals?

They're supposed to have 18 months to start construction.

Isn't that one of your requirements?

So tell me why you need to amend the construction and the scope of the project without community engagement as to what those changes are.

Are you not supposed to do that?

Another urban renewal, LLC, that has no restrictions, no guidelines.

That's how these developers been operating in our city.

And I've seen it time and time again.

Y'all will re bring something back to life going all the way back to 2017.

And now they're ready to do some work.

And Queen Latifa building is a prime example of that.

That didn't use union workers and having problems in that building now.

One in New York's own.

And for for a lack of anything better to say, um, why are you two sponsoring something in a central war when we've been void of a council person?

Seriously.

At the end of the day, the people deserve better.

Noorcas, you deserve better, and you deserve answers.

I'm not talking to y'all now.

They are gentrifying all of the people out of this city giving favor to developers to do anything they want in this city without any kind of obligation to the people or return on our investment.

But we're paying these tax abatements.

Thank you for your comments, next speaker.

So when I pull up the project at the address at 296-306, Martin Luther King Jr.

Boulevard, it's coming up under University Heights, and it's showing the new development that they have, which go for 3,000 to 4100 a month.

So is this the project that's already on the land?

Because normally I would have seen it, or is this what they're going to put there?

But it's giving university heights.

That's already there.

Um, which leads to my question as to when things are already built, and we give them, they come up and they ask for a tax abatement.

We haven't had norkers on the job site.

It's already built.

So my question is, how do we the people benefit if it's already built?

We've lost out on a hundred construction jobs or however many jobs that would have been available.

It's already built, it's established, they have their management team.

No nurkers are in there.

How do we the people benefit from projects that are already built?

And then they come and ask for tax abatement.

Can you explain that?

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

They would have had to be in compliance.

They would have to be in compliance with the tax abatement in order to come there.

So when the union, like Bear Stadium, they come to say there's no PLA, there's no this, there's no that, there's no affordable housing schedule.

That's when you're supposed to say, if you don't come in in compliance, don't come back to the tax abatement committee or put an application in or anything.

It's failed.

It's failed.

We know that y'all don't know everything y'all talking about when y'all get up here.

We know everyone know it either.

It's a um puppet master, the wizard of oz.

We know y'all don't know when y'all better take heed to what I'm telling you, because the FBI is here and he don't give out subpoenas.

So at the end of the day, see I they laughing, but they know me because they know I'm serious, is I don't know what y'all think it's a joke.

Too much is being exposed.

You're not doing nothing for the people.

And then people say, You supposed to be a Christian, Felicia.

I am a Christian.

I love God, God loves me.

But I tell you one thing, he put people in the spiritual battle.

He put them in there so I could fight you.

Because it ain't you, I'm fighting, I'm fighting that demon.

You know the ones that's filled up over there.

I'm fighting the demon.

Y'all say y'all love the people, then do right by the people.

Do right by the people.

You won't even say nothing about the 30% AMI, because you knew you bamboozled these residents with affordable housing.

You knew you did it.

And then you won't don't even ask about it when you have properties, but you saying yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, to a to a tax abatement.

That's for the developer.

I'm starting to believe that y'all putting this money taking them vibes like Carmelo Garcia.

I promise you, I believe it.

Y'all got a TikTok construction LLC.

Did y'all know that?

Right there on Second Avenue.

I'm telling.

TikTok.

We're gonna have a Facebook, uh Instagram construction, urban renewal, TikTok.

Go look on Facebook, it's right behind the goats.

Right behind the goats.

Somebody is not even this political world, say the TikTok construction.

Y'all do so much playing in somebody's face.

This is not government.

This is not the government that I learned in high school.

We the people for the people by the people.

Who are you representing?

Thank you.

We saying no, and y'all consistently say yes.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

Saying non public hearing is now closed.

Anything from the council?

Anything from the administration?

Council President.

I'm sorry, Councilwoman Scott Round.

I would like she's here.

I don't know.

Speak to the audience.

Uh yes, ma'am.

Uh Council President, Council members, Allison Ladd, Director of Economic and Housing Development.

Uh, this project is located at uh Central and Martin Luther King uh Avenue, and it is a project that was stalled unfortunately during the pandemic.

And the developer then was able to get funding, opportunity zone money that actually will allow us to complete the project now.

Um it is New Jersey-based funding that is coming to our city.

Um, and we are excited about the opportunity to provide affordable housing, um, but also some market rate housing here.

Um, and in addition, these units will also be furnished, and that will also help some of our residents who are trying to find housing that has furnished um uh furniture as well.

Um, I do just want to say in closing is is that um when all of our tax abatements and protocols follow legal um protocol and the statutes.

I strongly encourage anyone who is listening today to actually understand the laws and the statutes that we have to follow because the things that have been said today are just untruths and are not accurate.

And I think that if we are going to govern by public opinion, we all should have public opinion that is accurate.

And so my hope is is that as we continue to go forward that we'll be able to have speakers who are also speaking to facts and that we can move forward to what we have to do.

So I I thank you for the time.

Thank you, Deputy Mayor, Ms.

Chair, Councilman McCouncil.

Yeah, I do want to add on to uh what uh deputy uh director said the job was a prevailing wage job, they had to come back uh through the tax abatement committee, met with them, met the 20% IZO uh requirement.

They also met with uh affirmative action.

Yes, uh, and so uh, you know, they were in alignment with all of the things that that that needed to happen and will continue to stay in alignment with the remainder of the completion of work that has to be done.

So I just wanted to share that uh with with the folks out there so they know what it is is the former St.

Michael's building, mixed use uh student, young professional.

Um so those those those were the things.

Thank you, Councilman Council.

Councilman Scott Roundry.

And and while um uh councilman council has stated thank you, Council President.

Um, I heard someone say that why were we sponsoring it?

Well, while we're waiting on the seat to be filled, you can't have it both ways.

People do say we're at large, and that we should be covering down in the interim, so being at large, we're able to cover some of these things that are coming forward, otherwise, all progress would stop.

So people do say, are you at large?

Why are you not here?

Why are you not there?

So we're there, and there's some things that are going to come forward that we're not going to sit and wait until November, even though November is very soon, but for the last six months we've been going into other areas, trying to hold it down the best we can as at large until the seat is filled.

We can't sit here and just not do nothing, not as at large people.

So thank you very much, Council President.

Thank you for your comments.

Roundtree.

Uh roll call.

Council Gonzalez.

Yes, Kelly, yes, Quintana?

Yes, Ramos, yes, Scott Roundtree.

Yes, Silva, yes, President Clump, yes, J is an ordinance authorizing a special emergency appropriation.

The public hearing will be held on this item on September 9th.

We are on page 10 resolutions 7R1A through C are temporary emergency appropriations, A is for the anti-violence for out of school youth project, B is for the sub-regional transportation planning program, and C is for the Clean Communities Program.

Council as a whole to adopt A through C.

Roll call.

Uh let's go back at that.

Okay, my apologies, Council President, Council members.

We can go back to the item that was advanced and adopt last week during the budget hearing.

Item J Ordinance authorizing a special emergency appropriation, council as a whole to defer until the public hearing next week.

Roll call to defer.

Council, yes, Gonzalez, yes, Kelly, yes to defer.

Quintana, yes, Ramos, yes, Scott Roundtree, yes, yes, President Clump.

Yes.

I'm sorry, now roll call on items A through C.

Roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez, yes, Kelly, yes.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Sova?

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

D is a bid contract with fire hydrant tools.

Council as a whole to adopt.

Roll call.

Council.

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Sova?

Yes.

President Clump.

Yes.

E is a use and occupancy agreement.

Authorization to utilize the parking lot owned by the Newark Housing Car Housing Authority located on Arlington Avenue for the Health Department.

Council as a whole to adopt.

Roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Soba?

Yes.

President Clump.

Yes.

F is the execution of a labor agreement with the Newark Police Deputy Chiefs Association.

Council's a whole to adopt.

Roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly?

Yes.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Sova?

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

7R2A is a professional service agreement.

Council is a hold to defer.

Roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Ramos.

Absent.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Sova?

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

B is a private sale redevelopment agreement for the South Ward.

Motion to defer by Councilman Council.

Second by Councilman Ramos.

Can we get another second?

A second.

Councilman Gonzalez.

Seconds.

Council.

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Yes.

Raymo's absent.

Scott Roundtree?

Yes.

Sova?

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

C is the executive community benefits agreement.

Council as a whole to return to the administration.

Roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Yes.

Ramos.

Absent.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Sova?

Yes.

President Clump.

Yes.

D is reading and adopting the 2025 annual budget for Newark Downtown District.

Is there anyone wishing to speak to this budget?

So y'all building some buildings.

Felicia Austin Singleton.

Y'all building some medical buildings.

This is 7 R2D.

Wrong one.

D, right?

Y'all building some medical buildings.

This is the annual budget for the North Downtown District.

Y'all can't even get a budget together.

And you worried about some downtown district budget.

But you can get her over there that can now put 30 to 50% on the AMI to come up here to try to say what people saying at this place.

Haven't I been saying for years it should be 30%?

But we don't know what we're talking about.

If you was on your job, who overcites that?

Who oversees that we get the 30 to 50%?

Since she wants to get up here and be so smart.

Because I'm not playing with her.

She worked for me.

She's supposed to do what is best for the city of New York for the people not to come up here and clap back at anyone.

I'd appreciate you speak towards the NFL.

In a minute, y'all gonna need some medical buildings.

Because what y'all about to endure is gonna be some emotional and mental pain for y'all.

I don't know if somebody, somebody is going to jail or the hell, I don't know.

I don't know, but you're going there.

You're gonna sit up here and I'm gonna keep saying it.

Never disrespect a resident.

Never never be snooty.

You maintain professionalism.

I don't care how nasty we come up here.

You work under our tax dollars.

If she don't like a teller, go back on to Corey Booker.

Congratulations to him.

Go back on to Corby Booker, because we already told y'all he was controlling Noah.

Don't play, because I can play a hit below the belt as well.

All y'all have done is lied for years.

Lie.

Y'all need to build more medical buildings because we're gonna need it.

We are emotionally, physically, and spiritually broken in this city.

And you want to sit up here and clap back at somebody.

No more disrespect.

No more.

She should always come up and read what it's about.

That's being transparent.

Y'all can't even get university hospital together.

Don't he sit on the board and y'all want to put some more medical buildings up?

Ms.

Austin Singleton.

NBD budget.

And that's the medical buildings, right?

No.

Oh.

Oh, now you don't want nobody to be confused.

I'm not confused.

I knew what I was talking about.

I just wanted to say something about the medical buildings.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

No, no, I'm so Deborah Salters.

Um I'm looking at the dates here.

It says from January 1st, 2025 through December 31st, 2025.

So has this 8 million already been spent?

Because now they're combined with two other entities.

Newark Downtown District.

So I'm, you know, I it's not making sense.

And someone asked me.

I'm like, I see the same thing you see.

I underlined it.

The reading and adoption.

The reading and adoption, reading and adopting the 2025 annual budget of the Newark Downtown District for 8 million 325,000.

We are in 25, a couple months away from December.

We're now hearing the adopting of the budget.

I mean, am I asking a ridiculous question?

But I need some clarity on this.

Because we're about to move into 26.

And again, they've just partnered with two other entities.

So now it's a different thing.

So can someone please explain this?

Again, has this money been spent?

It said it was adopted.

Budget introduction authorized by resolution 7R2P adopted on August 6, 2025.

So if this was a authorized by a resolution on August 6, 2025, and the budget period is from January 1, 25 through December 31st, 25.

Show me the money.

Has it been spent?

Or are we waiting for this to say, okay, now we're going to spend this money?

Because I've seen the new trucks and all of this.

They've hired more people.

They do a great job.

I'm not gonna knock that.

But I'm just trying to understand these dates and times and how this makes sense now.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

No other speakers appearing public hearing is closed.

Can we just just for the benefit of the uh audience here and audience watching just a brief explanation?

I know we've talked about it before, but your explanation of why we're here today.

Yes, good afternoon, Eric Pennington Business Administrator.

Council President Um the NDD was brought under the auspices of Newark Alliance.

This is the budget that they would have uh adopted as a separate entity, but now it's being adopted and passed through to the Newark Alliance.

The reason it's a separate, still a separate entity is because they have bonds outstanding that require that the entity remain in place and exist.

Uh but this eight million dollars will be allocated to the NORC or NORC Alliance will have responsibility for overseeing uh this eight million dollars, and they have been doing so now for several months.

Thank you, Mr.

B.

Anything from the council?

No, thank you.

Roll call.

Council, yes, Gonzalez, Kelly, Intana, yes, Ramos, yes, Scott Round trees, yes.

Silva, yes.

Yes, President Crump.

Yes.

E is introducing and approving the 2025 annual budget of the Newark Alliance Council as a whole to approve.

Roll call.

Okay, Councilman Gonzalez.

We can't hear you.

Your mic is off, Councilman.

Line three from the bottom of the page.

I believe we have a management corporation twice on that line.

Do we need to amend it?

You want to amend it on the floor?

Yeah.

Council as a whole.

Ray says no.

I don't think there's any to admit.

It's a scriptur's error.

We'll go with that.

Roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Intana?

Raymo.

Yes.

Scott Round tree?

Yes.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

Mr.

President.

Councilman Ramos.

Yeah, I missed uh 7R2A through C.

I'd like to be known as a yes for those three items.

702A through C, so noted.

Thank you.

Oh, well, 7R2A was a deferment.

Yeah, yeah.

Yes to the deferment.

A subsidy to the USA.

7R3A through D are all resolutions from the Department of Engineering.

A is an application acceptance of grant funds for the local aid infrastructure program.

B is a support resolution which adopts procedures for administration inspection of federal aid highway projects.

C is an exception of public bidding to provide the services of a municipal engineer.

And D is a bid contract to provide structural repairs to two firehouses.

Council is a whole to adopt A through D.

Roll call to adopt Council.

Yes.

Gonzalez?

Yes.

Kelly?

Yes.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree?

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

7R4 A and B are finance resolutions.

A is for the confirming bond sales.

And B is for the alternate method of calculating the reserve for uncollected taxes.

Council is a whole to adopt A and B.

Roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

7R5A through D are all resolutions from the Department of Health and Community Wellness.

A is an open end of contract for the animal sheltering.

B is application acceptance of grant funds for dental care for uninsured residents.

C is to extend a grant period for COVID related expenses.

And D is the acceptance of a food truck donation for the National Health Centers Week.

Council is a whole to adopt A through D, please.

Roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez?

Yes.

Kelly?

Yes.

Quintana.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree?

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

7R6A and B are settlements from the law department.

Council is a whole to adopt A and B.

Roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Abstain on both.

Kelly?

Yes.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree?

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

7R8A is a ceremonial street designation for Verdell Uri.

Sponsored by Councilman Quintana.

Second by Councilman Kelly.

There's a motion on the floor to amend to approve the date of October 4th, 2025 for the ceremony.

Roll call to amend.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

Now motion to adopt as amended, please.

Oh, we still I'm sorry.

We got one more vote for it.

We got one more vote for it.

We got to amend that adopt as amended.

Roll call to adopt as amended.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

Now you can clap.

Next item.

I'm sorry.

My apologies.

B through E are waivent fees with sponsors.

B is waiving special event application permit fees for South 13th Street Block Association Party.

Sponsored by Council President Crump.

Second by Councilman Council.

C is the 18th Avenue block party.

Sponsored by Council President Crump.

Second by Councilwoman Scott Roundtree.

D is the Tillinghas block party sponsored by Councilman Council.

Second by Councilwoman Scott Roundtree.

And E is de la Baron Quintus.

Barranquita.

But I apologize.

I came closer today than yesterday.

Sponsored by Councilman Ramos and second by Councilwoman Scott Roundtree.

Council as a whole to adopt B through E with sponsors.

Roll call.

Council.

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

F is recognizing and commending resolutions.

And G is expressing profound sorrow and regret.

Council as a whole to adopt F and G, please.

Roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez?

Yes.

Kelly?

Yes.

Quintana?

Ramos?

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

7R9A is amending resolution to increase grant funding for the purchase of two or more fire trucks.

Council as a whole to adopt.

Roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

7R 10 A is application acceptance of grant funds to provide litter control and education.

Council as a whole to adopt.

Roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly?

Yes.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

Communications.

Item 8A is an ordinance granting a 20-year tax abatement to Gomes Green Urban Renewal LLC for a project to construct 28 residential rental units in the East Ward.

Sponsored by Councilman Silva.

Second by Councilman Kelly.

Roll call.

Council President.

Can we advance and adopt this?

By Councilman Silva.

Can we advance and adopt this?

Yep.

Advance and adopt.

Motion to advance and adopt on first reading is item 6FA.

Roll call.

Did we skip something?

We already have a 6FA.

You pick up on what we left on first reading.

So technically it's 6 F E.

Yes.

Okay.

My apologies.

My colleague has advised me that we already have an A.

So this item will be known as 6 FE.

Okay.

Roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

B is an ordinance authorizing an agreement with Tiger 31V LLC to exchange land in the South Ward.

Council as a whole to advance the first reading.

Roll call.

We haven't received it.

You didn't get it.

So how about we do this today, Councilman?

We just said just advanced first reading.

And I believe the EHD had said that they were going to provide it to you to us and to you specifically.

So let's make sure we get that information as quickly as possible.

But today we'll just advance first reading.

I'll spy a little bit.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez?

Yes.

Kelly?

Yes.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

C is an ordinance granting a 30-year tax abatement to 1007-1009 broad development urban renewal LLC for a project to construct a new six-story building consisting of 48 market rate residential rental units and eight affordable housing rental units in the central ward.

Council as a whole to advance to first reading.

Roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly?

Yes.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

D is an ordinance amending and supplementing supplementing soil erosion and sediment control by adding definitions and fees.

Council as a whole to advance the first reading.

Roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly?

Yes.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree?

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

E is an ordinance providing for the Green Street projects and other related expenses and appropriating $6,500,000.

Council as a whole to advance and adopt on first reading as 6F.

Roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Absent.

Quintana.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silver.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

The ordinances adopted today.

Your first reading will be advertised in accordance with law, and a public hearing will be held at a regular meeting on September 17th or as soon thereafter as practical in the council chamber.

Pending business on the agenda.

Item 9A.

Council as a whole to return to the administration, please.

Roll call to return administration.

Council.

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly absent.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silver.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

10A is the Raffle license approval.

Council as a whole to a doctor.

Roll call.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly absent.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silver.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

Council President, Council members, we are now in the hearing of citizens portion of this meeting where each speaker will have five minutes to speak.

When your name is called, please approach the podium and address the council members.

The first speaker is Gail Cheneyfield Jenkins.

President.

Good afternoon, Gail Cheneyfield Jenkins, 88 Richmond Street, Newark, New Jersey.

Congratulations to all the candidates for getting their numbers for the Central War special election November 4th.

I am going to be asking for an audit of first of all.

Because we're going to be the ones harassed.

This young man, unfortunately, has been harassed already by those from the administration and telling employees that are campaigning that they have to work for various candidates.

Also, we're going to be asking for an audit of all the city departments.

An independent audit because you all don't even realize how much is going on.

I think you don't realize.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars that is an uncollected revenue.

And you all should be getting a report from the tax abatement committee because we used to get one, Councilman Quintana.

When you were on the tax abatement committee, councilman, you got those kind of reports to show quarterly how much was being collected from each of those buildings and developments.

Why aren't you getting those now?

You have investor giving money to Symphony Hall.

Why are they taking our money and they're supposed to be becoming self-sufficient?

Just like they're supposed to be coming self-sufficient with these festivals.

We put on praise fests.

We raised 300, the city output $360,000.

Bessie Walker and myself and the rest of the council, we raised that $360,000 to put back into the city coffers.

It's time.

People, the silent majority is waking up, has woken up.

They're tired of not seeing transparency in government.

They're tired of their being mistreated when they call to get a person on the phone or come into the office in City Hall looking like Gotham City.

People are tired.

And they're expecting you all to bring them the answers and bring them the representation that you were voted in to do.

If you all are serious, you have to understand the budget is the most important thing that you do as a council person.

And you all have a right and a responsibility to demand it happen.

Councilman Counsel, you made a statement about we have to tell the developers where they can build.

I mean we have to be accepting where they can build.

And that's that's correct.

Especially if it's private property.

But one of the things we did in 1998 before anybody could get a tax abatement.

They turned around.

Mayor James said you can't get a tax abatement in the East Ward and North Ward if you don't build in the Central and South and West.

You all have the power to do that.

The citizens are only asking for you all to understand that the Falkland form of government is a strong council, strong mayor.

You can shut down things you don't want to have happen as a legislative branch.

Don't be labeled as the Congress and Senate is right now, where they just go along to get along.

You all have the power within your body to make sure that you take care of the people.

I'm gonna make sure I stay within my five minutes because I'm not gonna ever put anybody in harm's way, contrary to how I was portrayed at the last council meeting.

Because when you turn around and have workers and residents not feeling safe, not feeling protected, you're the one putting them in harm's way, not me.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

Lisa Milcherson Parker appearing.

Good day, criminal cult that's running our government.

Newarkers, pay attention.

The city of Newark is broke.

At the last meeting, the BA is requesting $52 million in loans from the state to cover 2024 and 2025 expenses while increasing property taxes in two years at the rate of 14.8% and proposing another 9% at the completion of reval.

Renters, homeowners, and businesses will pay.

Hard working families will pay, but not the developers, not the friends, and not the donors.

The budget submitted since 2018 through 2023 to DCA by the city was in a $680 million deficit and debt.

It is the negligence negligence of the mayor and the BA.

Where has all of the revenues to be collected disappeared to?

24 hours of foolishness.

Now y'all are selling t-shirts.

Where's that money go to?

OVP, code enforcement.

Where's the collection from code enforcement?

The law department, parking authority, Airbnb, cannabis, the list goes on of churches, businesses, and everybody else that is not paying their fair share in taxes.

Why isn't the city of Newark and receivership by the state for their negligence of the budget?

How is the council approving an agreement with the Riviera with five deferments and not return to the administration?

40 million dollars in 10 years for homeless.

Why isn't the Riviera paying their own renovations?

Millions spent there.

Silva, what information did you get to call while you were on vacation in Portugal to call in to change your vote to a yes on this ordinance that failed to pass five times.

That's what you call illegal and lawless.

And I asked you before whose man you are, but I now know Baraka and the man that owns Ferry Street.

I'm not gonna call his name, but I'm gonna I'm gonna call you out on it.

Um we are asking that you join me in petitioning a forensic audit from the AG in Washington of our budget, uh a petition to remove the business administrator, Eric Pennington for failure to be responsible for our budget.

I am once again submitting to all the council members the legislation on tax abatement that you've given out, and I've included in there for the homeowners and Society Hill and University Estate Homeowners Association.

The legislation on tax abatement that you've given out, and I've included in there for the homeowners and Society Hill and University Estate Homeowners Association.

One of the justifications the former counsel made was to not hurt the homeowners with substantially high property rates.

That was the justification.

It's called political will, not that it's illegal.

I am against submitting this.

Those representatives that did nothing, the right legislation at the state.

It's called political will.

Central ward, please join me in supporting Gail Cheneyfield Jenkins for the council seat on November 4th.

Don't talk about the change if you don't vote for the leadership that is for the people.

Let me go back to some of those tax abatements and that gibberish Allison Ladd came up here with.

The assessments you're using is from 2004.

It's 2021 years past that.

Everybody needs to pay their fair share.

And I gave y'all those documents on tax abatement so that the hard working homeowners and retirees of Society Hill and University of Estate Homeowners Association will be made whole and not gentrified out of here with a 24% property tax increase.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

Appearing.

Felicia Austin Singleton.

So we don't have a budget.

We don't have the correct directors for each apartment.

Kareem done flipped like three times in sanitation.

Is he gonna do the budget too?

Are we gonna get a sanitation budget?

Because we y'all need to give us some type of budget and some get them to explain what they're gonna be doing for the rest of this year with our tax dollars because they haven't been picking up trash in the beginning of the summer.

I wanna know fire evacuations for senior buildings, Georgia King Village, NCC.

What fire evacuation plans have been sat down with these senior citizens to actually go over what they should do in case of a fire.

We all know that fires happened at NCC, and y'all need to stop that tax abatement for um what is it, George?

Homes, court.

Mm-hmm.

Stop that tax abate.

Don't give them the NCC nothing until they get them residence right in new community.

Give a fire evacuation plan.

Remember back in the day used to have that little sticker when you had to put it up there for the tax, find a tie in this room.

They had the same thing to hook on the door.

You put them door knockers on at election time.

Why don't y'all get them something that disabled person is in this apartment?

Y'all have nothing to give the residents in response.

Back in the day, going up South Orange Avenue.

Y'all know them little white and and blue signs.

It said evacuate route, evacuate route.

And you keep on driving.

One day I put my little kids in the car, this years ago, they grown now.

And I said, we're gonna just ride this one day.

Ride it.

I was all the way past the Livingston Mall, going past the golf course of East Storm.

I was going all the way past, what was it?

What did we hit?

We passed um at the time, we roll Gail, um, Sam's Club and stuff all the way going up.

And we ain't find no evacuation place.

We ain't find nothing.

You used to have schools and shelters, the housing authority building used to be for all-out shelters.

You have nothing in plan.

That's because you put no no working John over there in emergency services.

People, it's time we stop this nonsense.

They playing right in our face, right in our face, ain't doing nothing for the residents, not one thing.

But come up here and tell us we lying.

Tell us about that loan amount you're getting from the state, Eric.

Why are you getting a loan amount for the budget?

And Allison Lash, she better not ever, ever, ever, ever come back to this mic and tell me nothing or say anything about what a resident said.

Or say anything about what a resident said.

She just went 80% to today, 30, 50%.

So you could have been doing it all along.

How y'all playing with somebody?

Oh, I guess we got it because of you, rainbows.

It's in your boy.

Yeah, I guess you're showing out over there.

Hmm.

Y'all gotta stop it.

Pereira.

Y'all supposed to be working for us.

I want to tell you thank you, um, Councilman Silver, for your help on my East War elderly.

We still working on not getting touch with you about that.

But you know, at the end of the day, I give credit where credit is due.

I give credit where credit is due, and I will tear each one of you down.

If it's if you ain't right, y'all know it.

We working for the residents because Felicia can advocate for herself.

I don't need not a soul up there to advocate for Felicia Austin Singleton.

Not one.

I'm on the phone right now with her.

All y'all sitting up there, these are the folks right here with the 50 states.

This is what y'all doing.

Y'all not supplying our housing needs.

Y'all don't care.

Third party vendors.

I just want to tell y'all something real quick.

They ain't had no problem when Victor Cerrilla was over there hiring marquees.

That's saying he's running for something.

I don't know what he is running for.

Where is he running?

He ain't running nowhere.

We'll have another Barackier.

He the pastor at my church.

A pastor.

It's time to get serious.

We do not need someone to go along to get along.

It's ridiculous.

Y'all let Victor Cerrillo come in and hire all these incompetent people, and now y'all want to be mad at Mr.

Spicer for over there shutting it down.

It's 2026, babies.

If it gets shut down, your votes are lost, your votes are lost, your votes are lost, your votes are lost.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

Alif Muhammad.

Appearing.

Don't do it.

Don't don't.

Good afternoon.

I salamalykum.

Alif Muhammad.

Uh Court Towers, Alif Muhammad, the president of Alif Muhammad Near School.

Um I used to meet with the federal authorities, the criminal federal authorities, but I still meet with them.

So they used to always tell me about anybody intimidate you, anybody try to threaten you.

And you know, I'm like, get the hell out of here.

Who wants to threaten me?

And they like Ali, you an OG.

But they threaten people.

And I just found out with this election, the special election.

They're threatening people.

Midi is riding up and down dry places when Gail is having an affair, telling people that if you do something with her, you ain't gonna get no donation.

They're going down a sanitation.

So I want to make a statement.

A lot of Muslims came to me because I support Gail Cheneyfield and I mean as a Muslim who I knew since she was born.

And they like Alive.

We ain't just be nice to her because you know you're hard on people, and I am gonna be nice to her.

But I'm with Gail.

I'm with Gail Cheneyfield.

But if anybody knows anything about me, if you remember, when I was with Ross in La Monica, I ran my own campaign.

I never was inside.

I done spent more time with Gail than I ever spent with Ross and Middle Sitting in the meeting.

I do my own thing.

I spent my own money and I do my own thing.

So I'm talking to you, Pastor.

Tell them, because you only want sense around here, that's team LaRocca.

And I'm gonna tell you why you got sense is because you brought spice in, and that was a big move.

Uh no, that was a big move.

Tell them that I leave safe, play fair, or we won't play fair.

Tell them I'm not playing.

Louise, you always say, uh, everybody has uh history, everybody has problems.

I know a lot of people's problems on the other side.

So tell them to play fair, Pastor.

Uh Slide.

Hand us out for me, please.

Slide, hand this out for me.

I'm sorry, just want to say that.

Play fair.

Let the best person win.

But you better not intimidate her.

Huh.

I'm coming for you.

And I don't have to come by myself.

I could come with 500 Muslims.

Now, what I'm giving you is I want to go back and prove with the beginning of when I fell out with the Barackers.

And you got a letter there, and the letter talks of February 23rd.

And the letter is saying to the mayor and the brother, I am suggesting that we place Vincent Rouse's directly occupy.

Occupation.

He has no more, he's an apprentice director of operation in a major position, probably the second most important in the staff of the House Authority.

He has no knowledge of public housing and redevelopment, and he he has to protect the best interest of North.

So I'm asking that.

This is way before we fell out, guys.

That I came and said, hey man, you got people down here that you hire.

And the reason why I found out he was hired because he's in charge of the 50 uh religious people in the South Ward.

Then I came back what we really fell out on was the landscape.

And I wrote a letter to them and saying, I'm suggesting that the landscape is not done right to bring it in house.

11 peoples.

The landscaping is not doing a good job.

And in the conversation, me and Middle had, and I said, Middle, they would tell you that the landscapers are doing not a good job.

He said, everybody knows they're not doing a good job.

Dick, this is your teeth with staff, a meeting.

Remember, this is a tape.

So don't play games, everybody.

Um everybody know that they're doing it wrong.

This guy go down to Atlantic City, this guy giving me wine, I don't even drink.

So Middle said that's a normal practice.

I said, a normal profits, it's a conflict.

So I put I'm putting down to show you where we started at because a lot of people see me.

I'm like a celebrity now.

I go, I can't go, I can't walk down the street, pastor.

People stop me talking about boy, you that guy, you that guy, you that guy, you know.

And um, but on the real side, pastor, please tell them.

Now, hey, Louie, let me tell you what the pastor, he made one bad deal.

When Spider came, I told him, I said, if you become the chairman of the housing authority, I won't come down the city hall no more.

Because I knew Norman couldn't do the job, and he could do the job.

He made a big mistake.

He didn't take my deal.

Right, Pastor.

Well, Legal Masala, he's embarrassed now.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

Alonso Haran Jury.

Uh, not appearing.

Fakira Bradley.

I believe she's appearing, yeah.

Good afternoon, council members.

My name is Fakira Bradley.

I would like to please leave my address off the record, please, and thank you.

Um, my name is Fakira Bradley.

I'm a resident of New Jersey.

I am right and so for me, bring to your attention the matters of serious injustice and mistreatment that has left me both financially and emotionally devastated.

I was attending at 200 George King Village, apartment 4G 07114, under the management of CSC management.

Due to what I believe to be negligence, mismanagement, and unlawful actions by this management company.

I have endured the file with illegal eviction from my resident, resulting in the loss of a stable home.

I'm stable now, thank God.

Unpaid security deposit, and an amount of 1,250, which I am legally entitled to.

Please recover my money, please.

I need it.

My grandson is in town.

Pain and suffering due to the trauma, emotional stress, and instability caused by being forced to enter homelessness.

A total of a claim of $4,779 and 32 cents and damages and financial loss directly sides of this situation.

Despite my efforts, the resolve of this matter through the appropriate channels I have received no compensation, explanation, or accountability from CSC management.

This lack of injustice highlights the broader issue that affects many vulnerable residents in our community.

I respectfully respect the respectfully ask this counsel.

Investigate the practice of the CNC management at 250 Georgia King Village, hold property managers accountable for legal illegal evictions and withholding of security deposit, assist or direct me to appropriate legal aid, city resources to recover my money.

I am old and to seek justice.

Implement or strengthen tenant protections to ensure others do not suffer similar injustices.

I believe North is a city that stands up for his residence, especially for those who are most vulnerable.

They help me.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

Deborah Mapson.

Appearing.

Hey, hey, good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Council members.

Fakira threw me for a loop.

She finished too quick.

Deborah Mapson.

I'm gonna read something real quick.

Council members have duties, including legislating by voting on and creating city laws, ordinances, managing the budget by negotiating and improving the city's financial plans, overseeing city agencies to ensure they're serving the community, representing constituents by meeting with residents and local businesses to discuss concerns and planning the city's future by deciding land use and development.

There's a whole lot more, but there's a reason that I read that.

Um I thought I lost my intelligence and my smarts, right?

Um, because nowhere does it say, nowhere, that council members are to host a forum for former disgruntled councilwoman and disruptive councilman woman who comes out to these chambers and behaves the way she does.

It is absolutely disgusting.

I'm speaking to Gail Cheney Phil Jenkins.

Nowhere does it say that council members are to um host a forum for anyone who wants to campaign because all that's going on here is campaign, wasting council time, our time, people like us who really do want to come here and bring some serious issues to you guys' attentions, and I wish she would have stayed, right?

Never on God's green earth would I ever support her.

I would support a cockroach for that central war seat before I would ever support her.

That woman is evil, and I'm speaking from a space that I know, okay?

It is absolutely horrible.

Now, she came here at the last council meeting and first councilman cross.

I love you, council president, but how much are you gonna tolerate?

How much disruption, right?

Because I had left the other council meeting, but I watched it.

Her behavior was awful, awful from affording uh a former sitting council member.

First of all, she's running in and out of council chambers, and it may be for former council members can do that, I don't know, right?

But then she's enticing the police.

These guys are here to do their job, which is protect and serve.

Because these council meetings get bad.

And if there was no presence, you can imagine what would happen.

And then you all would be yelled at because you have no protection for residents here, okay?

But she sits here and she mentions some of our greats, right?

Mama Mildred, your mother.

But at the same time, while this disrespecting her son, who's a sitting council president, Papa Sharp, but I was reminded of at least two occasions when she was a sitting councilwoman and he was the mayor.

Now she didn't only stab him in the back, she turned it.

Okay.

Then she talks about a newer she remembers while reading something and fumbling and bumbling while she reading.

If you remember it, you remember it.

And then how she sends her sidekick, Lisa Parker, out here.

I remember her sending her here to torture Congresswoman McGyver because she knew as long as McGyver had that seat, she didn't have a chance in H E double hockey sticks to get it.

All right, campaigning, stop wasting our time.

There are residents that come up here with some serious issues, and whether I I care about, you know, uh um how they present it, they're right.

They have some things that need addressing, right?

So that's not what these council um chambers are for.

It is absolutely disgusting.

I I was removed by the police, right?

So I was a little upset.

So I had to call and find out why she didn't get a letter that she was, you know, suspended.

All right, but I would argue you extended the grace that you always extend.

The police didn't remove her, so that probably didn't warrant that, but please, council president, I am begging you, I don't care who you are.

Everybody is held to the same standard.

Okay, if you're being disruptive, it applies.

And it should apply.

Okay.

There are two people that that I like for central ward.

One I'm supporting, hands down a million percent.

The other one I would like to think I can support in the future, because you know, I like him.

I think he's pretty smart.

Amina Bay for Central Ward, but I would support Judge Tillman.

I can't this round.

But I I like a lot of what he's saying, and people may not agree with it, and I may not agree with everything, but I, you know, I don't have nothing.

I told George we need to have a conversation, right?

Um, because there's a lot moving forward.

But please, there's so much more I want to say.

Forgive me for going over time, everyone to the same standard.

Please.

God bless you.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

Opal are right.

She's appearing.

Yes.

Good afternoon.

My name is Opal R.

Wright.

I reside at Vanderbilt Street in Newark, New Jersey.

And I would like to speak on the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

The Title 11, the Federal Reserve System.

I believe that I would like to just um begin with a study of the FOIA Exemption Impact.

That is the uh the Freedom of Information Act.

And it states that the study, the inspector general of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, shall conduct a study on the impact that the exemption from Section 52B of Title V, known as the Freedom of Information Act, established under the paragraphs under paragraph six, has had on the ability of the public to access information about uh administration by the board of governors of emergency credit facilities, discount window lending program, and open market operations, and make and make any recommendations of whether the exemption described should remain in effect reports the later not later than 30 months after the date of enactment of this uh section.

The inter the inspector general of the board of governors of the federal reserve system shall submit a report on the findings of the study required under paragraph sub uh underparagraph A to the Committee on Banking Housing and Urban Affairs of Senate and Committee on formal on Financial Services of the House of Representatives and publish the report on the website of the board.

The next section is section eleven oh four liquid event uh determination.

I wanted to read also.

I I would like to do that next time.

I if I have permission, if I have approval to um speak on the next uh hearing, citizens uh hearing.

And five, in title five, there's a study, it's called the G section five twenty six.

And General, the Comptroller of the United States shall conduct a study of the non-admitted insurance market to determine the effect of the enactment of this part on the size and market share of the non-admitted insurance market for providing coverage, typically provided by the admitted uh insurance market.

The content of the study uh shall determine and analyze the changes in the size, the extent to which the insurance coverage typically provided, provided by the admitted insurance market, and it just goes on, and I think it would be important to read about any of our uh insurance to any New Jersey resident.

I would like to just mention that I only have four seconds, so I just like to mention that I would like to see that we don't return to our dancing ban.

I believe that was in 18 uh 1800s, uh and it it ended somewhere in the 1900s, but we certainly did not have in 1970.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker, Deborah Salters, Deborah Salters, warrior for the people.

Good morning, council uh council member Benjamin Jusmana's record.

Uh yes, this ordinance for the special emergency is for contractual obligations of severance liability, uh, and this will give us the opportunity to be able to, by doing special emergency, if need be, uh, authorized special emergency notes, therefore bringing some alleviation to the city's uh budget and being able to uh account for that.

So, in essence, instead of having to budget the entire amount in a particular year's budget, we can spread it over uh number of years, and if need be, we can't sell special emergency notes to cover those costs and pay them over a five-year period.

Thank you for your question.

So we're still in some additional documents.

So that was the business uh guy speaking about the budget, and when he made the statement on being able to sell our bonds to the next person if we can't pay it, which will be coming up in September, I believe that was said, um, another clip with the BA.

So I I listened to it several times, and sometimes when I'm not here, I watch the meetings with business people.

And the way that I saw it, I said, You mean to tell me we're being passed off for a carton of cigarettes, and I'm saying it that way as not to be vulgar, and vulgar simply means common, the common man's language.

So instead of using a 50 cent word, you use a five dollar word.

So it says if I'm holding on to Tillman's pocket because right now he holds my notes.

I owe him.

So the time come for me to pay, I can't pay, so I gotta pass you off to somebody else.

Like I gotta pass here.

Now you hold hold her pocket because now she got control of you because I can't pay my debt.

So we're just being passed along with these notes because the city cannot meet its obligation, and now when we are uh getting another $30 million loan to close the gap on the budget, last year was $22 million, before that was $22 million.

So now it's so bad that they had to rescind the 22 to go back and get a 30, and then the other 22 will be re-imagined next year.

How are we as a people going to ever get ahead because we're in debt every year, and I'm talking years out.

So now this is going out to 27.

So no matter who gets an office next year, there's a debt and a burden that must be handled because it's been mismanaged, malfeasance, theft, all of these things.

I do want to say thank you for uh sending that parking mess back to the administration because I was speaking to residents yesterday, and they were like, we're not gonna pay these tickets.

If they put these things up here, we gotta pay meters by where we live.

If we could afford that, then we could afford to live somewhere else.

So I'm glad you realized the foolishness of the parking authority wanting to put meters in residential areas to tax our pockets.

When it's bad enough, we have to pay these astronomically high rents.

So thank you for that, returning that to the administration.

And I would not like to see this come back our way ever.

Because right now you all approved, raising the overtime meter rates to $85.

But then there's no parking for the people by the time they pay, they they diminish the time.

Y'all also voted on that.

By the time they get back to their car, you have a ticket now because the time it took you to get to where you were going, that's why the shopping and the dollars are not coming into the city that way.

Because people don't want to frequent the restaurants.

Because why do I have to pay for a ticket and I'm trying to just have a drink, a cocktail, have a meal.

Now I'm paying for the meal that costs me $300.

The residents are not kept in mind.

And I'm telling you, the residents are saying.

So again, thank you for that because they said we're not paying it.

You put this in our neighborhood where we live, we are not paying the tickets, which now increases the problem because now you're gonna put warrants out for their arrest.

If they didn't have the money for the ticket, why are you issuing a warrant?

So now how is the money going to be paid?

You're you're compounding the plight and the pain of the people in the city.

So I'm saying to you to acknowledge more of this when these things come before you, and you need to revisit that ordinance about the rent increases.

Thank you for your comments, next speaker.

Dorothea Rylance.

Yes, thank you, Dorothy Riles.

I live on South.

Good afternoon.

Make sure you got the mic close so we can hear you.

Good afternoon.

Can you hear me now?

Good afternoon.

Yes.

Um, my concerns are I'm a homeowner, and I have eight units, and I have to pay $50 per unit to register my home, eighty dollars for inspector inspection to make sure it's livable for my tenants, and then when I go outside the community, it looks a mess.

Garbage everywhere, um mattresses on empty lots.

It's just it's just a mess.

Landscaping is not kept up, it's horrible.

Mice running everywhere, and I'm not gonna even also blame it on sanitation.

I think it's also our fault, because we don't take care of our garbage.

And if the tenants don't take care of the garbage, it should be the homeowners to make sure that garbage is taken care of so the sanitation collectors can collect the garbage correctly.

Because it's not being done.

People putting garbage on the side of their fence, they don't pull it to the curb.

It's a complete mess on the number streets, 7th Street, 8th Street, 9th Street, 10th Street, 11th Street is a mess.

It's unbelievable.

I'm too shame even walk my community.

Also, North Star School on A Street.

When I get off of work, I can't even go to my house.

It's like George Washington Bridge and Lincoln Tunnel and uh and the Newark Airport put together.

Takes me an hour and a half to get into my house because of North Star School.

Nothing is being done.

We've been complaining for years.

Nothing is being done.

It's unacceptable.

It's not right.

And you went up on my taxes, and I don't go up on my tenants' rent.

It's coming out of my pocket because they have children.

And then when they pay their rent, they gotta live after they pay their rent.

And y'all went up on my taxes, and we living in a and we living in a zoo.

Did you see that block?

You just see that area.

Debrie Kelly don't even come around.

It doesn't make any sense.

And half the people on the block are not homeowners, they're renters, so they don't care.

So it's a homeowner's responsibility to make sure that garbage is taken care of.

Yeah, yeah, they come around and give them a ticket.

But this garbage is still there for three or four months.

They don't pull their garbage.

Mice everywhere.

But yet you make me pay $50 to register my apartments.

$80 to make sure the apartment is livable.

And the outside looks a mess.

Unaceptable.

And I can't get to my home when I get off of work.

It's just, and everybody back in the day, we lived in a community where we went to school.

Yes, ma'am.

Everybody that comes to North Star, they've been living living in Irvington, live all over the place.

Can't even get on our blocks.

Cops don't even come around and even move them.

Amalance come to get the elderly personal of the day.

Can't even can't even amalance can't even get through.

What about if there's a fire on the block?

They can't, fire trucks can't get through.

That's unacceptable.

And y'all charge me $50 per unit and $80 to have my apartment insured.

Make sure that it's registered correctly.

And then the state come in, they want to charge me.

It's unreal.

And a block looks a mess.

A block never look like that.

Ronald Rice will have a fit right now.

The way our blocks look.

Y'all don't care.

And I'm not even blaming it on the sanitation because they do their job.

It's the residents that don't do their job.

They come around and pick that garbage up.

They leave it because they don't pull it to the curve and they leave it there for weeks and weeks at a time.

Unreal.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Ms.

Rowls, can you stay until the meeting's over?

So I'm gonna have to talk to you.

Is that possible?

All right, thank you.

Next speaker.

Not appearing.

George Tillman Jr.

Appearing.

Good afternoon, George Tillman Jr.

I do want to say I agree with Ms.

Mapson regarding this microphone.

Uh coming to this microphone is some very serious, very serious business.

And um thing that I don't do is come to this microphone and talk about the campaign, but I'm gonna talk about it because two people came and made some comments about it.

And that's the only reason why I'm gonna discuss it.

But first, um Councilman Gonzalez, I want to thank you once again for taking an initiative again to bring and councilwoman round tree and councilman Crump that we have a special conference to address this affirmative action review council and to get some serious answers to uh what direction so that's what we need, and I'm glad we came to this point.

Um it's been a long time coming, and we've got to this point where no um still discussions going on, but answers has to we have to have some answers to what's being done, how it's gonna be be done going forward, who's gonna be involved, what that process looks like, and what's it's gonna look like going forward.

So I look forward to that uh special conference and um uh it was it was uh a good thing.

Speaking of of the election, um first of all, for myself, I'm in no way intimidated.

I've never been intimidated by the mayor, I've never been intimidated by the Barackas.

Um I was uh babysit sat by Amina Baraka, I went to African free school.

The Barackas are my brothers.

When I come to this microphone, I don't come to this microphone about anything personal.

I come to this microphone to deal with the business of Newark and the residents and everything that's going on with our city.

I've not been contacted in any kind of way, being intimidated out there in those streets.

Um I've not had any encounters whatsoever with uh any any of those sorts of tactics.

I've never experienced that at all with with my brothers.

I don't anticipate having any problems with my brothers out there uh on this campaign.

So uh I'm speaking for myself.

If anybody else is experiencing that, then that's that's their that's their experience.

That's not mine.

Um that's it.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker, Maria Alejandra Torres, Miss Torres, not appearing, Colleen M.

Fields, not appearing, Sheila Montague, not appearing.

Blair AR Nelson.

Appearing.

Good afternoon, esteemed council members and everyone listening.

My name is Blair Nelson, and I'm executive director of Water Spirit, a spiritual ecology nonprofit centered on water as the source and sustainer of all life.

We are sponsored by the Sisters of St.

Joseph of Peace, and we act throughout the state of New Jersey.

I am here speaking not just to oppose the renewal and extension of the incinerator deal with Reworld, but to urge you, New York City Council members, to consider the spiritual, ethical, and environmental harm that this facility has inflicted on the ironbound and greater newark community for the past 35 years.

In doing so, I believe that you will find that the only path forward is to renegotiate the agreements and secure the funding that the people of Newark deserve.

Neither the Port Authority, which owns the land, nor ReWorld, formerly Covanta, have paid taxes on that incinerator property.

Meanwhile, surrounding communities have borne the toxic costs found in their air, their soil, their water, and their bodies.

Since 2005, ReWorld has amassed 800 air permit violations.

This is a pattern of disregard for environmental law, public health, and the sanctity of life itself.

This is an act of environmental injustice.

The iron bound is already overburdened by pollution and industrial infrastructure, and recognized as such by the state of New Jersey's own definition.

New Jersey has a cumulative impacts environmental justice law.

Yet Newark children still have some of the highest asthma rates in the nation.

Now these children and their families are being asked to sacrifice their health, that a fellow residents, neighbors, and ecosystems for the profit of a corporation that continues to fail to pay their fair share.

Pope Francis in his encyclical letter La Dato C writes, the earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor.

He calls us to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.

And the people of Newark are crying out, and so is the earth, choked by toxic emissions, poisoned by ash, and dishonored by this ongoing legacy of exploitation.

Under the current agreement, an annual payment of six to seven million dollars could support education, public health, and community longevity.

This community has been dumped upon long enough, and the time for justice is now.

So we urge you do not extend this deal, do not perpetuate the injustice, and do not reward a company that has profited off pollution while evading any accountability.

Instead, move us toward a just transition, toward a time when no community is sacrificed for another's convenience.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak, and I'm glad to provide these comments in writing and to be of support for this community going forward.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

Melissa Miles.

Thank you.

I'm sorry.

Mr.

Chair.

Marvin, Marvin can help you right here, Miss Raoul.

Thank you.

I'm sorry.

Uh back to it.

Melissa.

Was it Melissa Miles?

Is that what you said?

Uh Madam Claire.

So I I have to tell you this.

I I cannot go back.

Once once it once the name has been called and have them in, and no one was present at the time.

We can't do that because this is something that is part of our uh uh uh rules, council rules.

And if I do that for you, I'll get in trouble for other people I haven't been able to do that for, and going forward.

So we have to be consistent.

I apologize.

I'm not sure where you were at the time, but that that's how we have to move forward.

I believe Melissa Miles is there.

I don't think she's appearing.

All right, so not appearing.

Next speaker.

Edison Battles.

Good afternoon.

I'm the investor.

You know, I come here from New York City because I believe in this city.

I, you know, I believe you guys work hard for each neighborhood.

I'm talking about for West area.

I'm talking about for weekway sections.

So you know, is I I don't mind for the taxes increase the taxes, but give it the service, you know, better service for South Area, where I'm talking about, you know, like I say, between seven, uh 18th Street, between 17th Avenue and 18th Avenue.

I have a few properties.

And it's every time, you know, like I say myself, I have to clean the street because people throw the garbage every thing, 12 times unless you know, do something for guy for me guys, you know, because like I say, I don't want to say this, but you know, for five weeks, they didn't pass last week the broom in West area.

Five weeks, and when the stupid excuse saying over there in the um foreign high school area, they say, you know what, we don't have enough trucks.

So I have to do this my job for for for you guys.

I mean, for those guys who's supposed to do the job.

So if you have if they have a few trucks, at least put the signs in the street and the streets, don't park the cars all day alone.

So that's the reason, you know.

I can understand, you know, like I said, increase the tax for me, it's okay, but give a good service for my tenants.

Now I'm planning to rent, I'm planning to rent people.

Say South South Ada, I don't want to go.

No, I'm looking for the neighbor which other guys represent like uh what is it, fairy, fair Iron Bown area, North North?

Of course, because those guys doing the job properly.

But what about my neighborhood?

I come here because I believe in my neighbor, uh my neighbor.

I want to change, but I want you guys to work together for this.

I don't know who I have to speak because I need signs to myself.

I can do that in the trees, clean the keep clean the or send you guys like a once.

I have other property in 15th Avenue.

I see one one once in a while, I see the people cleaning with the hands, which is good.

But other neighbors, why not?

Like 18th Street, or the property have a 10 avenue, same problem, worse.

The you know, the guys who cleaning the um the broom, it's not enough what they're doing.

If they're gonna do, I saw like a last year or maybe eight months ago, the broom passing like uh on the Saturdays, which I feel happy sometimes, but I don't know, they have to keep pushing you guys to force them to do the job correctly.

Also, the other thing I'm planning I'm talking about is the garbage trash.

You know, it's almost ending the uh 2025.

I don't have the garbage trash for the week for the west side area and weakway sections.

The other thing is about the like the other mice is around because people they don't clean it.

The people throw the whatever they eat, throw.

And it's I I don't want I don't want this.

I wanted the city change.

I mean the South Area change.

Thank you.

That's all I need to know.

Please, guys, I need your help because it's emergency.

This is emergency, my neighborhood uh where am I?

Thank you so much.

Thank you for your comments.

Uh next speaker.

I'm assuming, well, let me before we go to next speaker.

I'm assuming uh deputy clerk is trying to get a statement from Ms.

Torres.

Okay, all right, great.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

Latrina Hilton.

Trina Hilton, not appearing.

Latoya Jackson Tucker.

I know she is here appearing.

Good afternoon, council.

Good afternoon, and all of the assets that's still in the room.

Um I want to first thank you.

Um councilman at large, um, councilman rounds for the pre Kelly, Councilman Kelly, for helping me with my event.

This was the eighth year that I did it.

I thank you also, Mr.

DeSilver for calling me and trying to help.

Um this was my eighth year, it was very important.

I worked this summer with the mayor's office of special events.

We went all around the city doing different events.

Um I paid attention because my first job is a community activist, but one that supports you all.

I was a little uh disappointed by not seeing in the different wards the different councilmen, like when we was in the Iron Bound and also in the north and the different places that we went.

Um I didn't see everybody come out.

Y'all know I campaigned all over the city for unity in the community.

Um also with my event that I had, I had different organizations that didn't want to cross outside of the ward, but that supported me.

I have an issue with that.

It kind of feels like the street stuff, like I don't want to go here, I don't want to go there, I'm not doing this.

I need everybody to work together on initiatives that the city give.

I thank you because you was at all of the South Ward events that we gave.

We seen you, you came out, sir, food played, you did what you were supposed to do on your ward.

But in the other wards, for the mayor's special events, I didn't see the other council people.

I did talk to a lot of people in the community because they see me up here and they see that I'm not, I don't want to fight with y'all.

So people did come to me with a lot of different concerns that I jotted down.

Um but one thing I asked, y'all see me.

I'm one of the people within the community that want to get along with everybody.

I feel like I could work with everybody because we are from here, and you should be able to work with everybody.

So I would like to see the council work with each other because that's one of the reasons why we have an empty seat because for some reason y'all couldn't work with each other to appoint someone or didn't like who the mayor was appointing.

And the people still need a representative.

Although y'all pick up the slack, y'all have other jobs to do.

The other thing is I asked the North Police Department about the CCRB.

Um, basically an oversight committee because I needed to know or wanted to know what oversight the Office of Violence Prevention had.

I know one thing don't have nothing to do with the other, but I would really want the council to look into kind of overseeing the office of violence prevention.

I do believe they do a great job with the things, the initiatives that they trying to establish, but I have some issues with some things that's going on that I would rather us talk on another level about, but it's definitely a concern of mine.

My son made it to Kentok.

I'm thankful because we don't have to go through dealing with the New Jersey Department of Corrections, but dealing with them halfway houses, I'm an advocate for that now.

It's a whole nother fight, and I asked the supervisors and everything.

We got a lot of work to do.

My concern is with the young men that I've been saying for the last two years that are incarcerated, that's coming home with these dip paroles and all of these different obligations they have.

I understand that y'all don't govern certain things, but these are the people coming back into our community that deserves a second chance and last but not least.

Um direction.

I don't like what is being done to them.

I also had a conversation with, because I'm very bold.

I don't take no T for the fever.

If I have something that I feel like need to be spoken about, I will.

I spoke to uh the union people because I had conversations with them before they even came up here talking about y'all wasn't paying a people.

I think that that situation through new direction under the bus.