Welcome to the regular meeting of the Newark Municipal Council on Wednesday, February fourth.

Please stand for the National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance, and Invocation by Bishop Rudy V.

Carlton.

Let us pray together.

Our Father which art in heaven, we thank you for the privilege as well as the opportunity to come at this meeting of the council for the city of Newark.

It is our prayer that you would indeed continue to hold us together and to watch over us as we discuss business and go through the agenda that has been established.

There's a word that says, Therefore, all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you, that you also would do unto them.

And so Father, we're asking now that we not only adhere to this word, but it allow it to resonate with us.

And we believe by faith that this is always going to happen.

And we look for an exciting meeting.

Orderly, respectful, and full of information.

That is in the name of our Christ.

Amen.

Amen.

In accordance with law, adequate notice of this meeting has been provided to the Star Ledger, the Jersey Journal, and the public at large, establishing the date, time, and location of this meeting.

In addition, the agenda for this meeting was disseminated on January thirtieth at the time of preparation and posted on the city's website.

Roll call.

Here.

Here.

Scott Roundtree.

Present.

President.

Present.

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

Item five reports and recommendations of city officers, boards, and commissions.

Council as a whole to adopt.

Roll call.

Council Council.

Bay.

Yes.

Council.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly?

Yes.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Brown.

Yes.

Yes.

Ordinances on first reading.

6PFA.

I'm sorry.

6FA is an ordinance authorizing the first amendment to original tax abatement granted to Cathedral Park Associates for an affordable housing project located in the North Ward.

Council as a whole to adopt.

Roll call.

Council members.

Bay.

Yes.

Council absent.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Incana.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Silva absent.

President Crump.

Yes.

The ordinances adopted today on first reading will be advertised in accordance with law.

And a public hearing will be held at a regular meeting on February 18th or soon thereafter in the council chamber.

Public hearing, second reading, and final passage.

6 PSFA.

Council as a whole to defer.

Roll call to defer.

Council members.

Bay.

Yes.

Council absent.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva absent.

President Crump.

Yes.

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

Roll call to return to administration.

Council members.

Bay.

Yes.

Council absent.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Titan?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva absent.

President Crump.

Yes.

C is an ordinance amending finance including the prohibition of the use of city funds for fossil fuel sponsored by Council President Crump.

Second by Councilman Council.

Is there anyone present wishing to be heard on this ordinance?

Good afternoon, uh President Crump, Council members.

If I may, just quickly, I do also want to just um say uh congratulations and the sense of retirement to Councilman Gonzalez.

Just want to express appreciation for all your years of service.

Ms.

Owens, I know we know you, but can you just state your name for the record?

Yes, absolutely.

Uh Dr.

Aliah Owen, South Ward Environmental Alliance.

Um, so we as SWEA Southward Environmental Alliance just wanted to again come and speak to say thank you for the city council and the administration for moving these two items forward because together they're about prohibiting the expansion of fossil fuels so that we can breathe clean air and be a healthy community.

Um at the same time, we just uh continue to stress that there have been some revisions that have been suggested based on the conversations that uh we've been able to have with administration just to provide some technical assistance and it's our understanding that like Ledger is kind of the Bible, and we don't necessarily see those uh suggested revisions reflected in Ledger.

So I just again just want to put that on the record just to make sure that the language reflects all of the concerns that were brought up by different council members in the administration.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

Seeing non public hearing is now closed.

Roll call.

Secondary.

Oh, he's not here.

Uh uh uh Councilman Gonzalez, or second.

Thank you.

Council members Bay, yes, Council absent Gonzalez, yes, Kelly, yes, yes, Ramos, yes, Scott Roundtree, yes, absent, President Crump.

Yes, D I'm sorry, before you move on, I just want to uh thank my colleagues for supporting this uh ordinance and uh this this ordinance is specifically dealing with using city funds to uh develop and push forward uh a fossil fuel plants so um you know as Dr.

Owen spoke about it we need to make sure that we provide a safe and healthy environment not just for our for today but for our future and so we have several children out here I shouldn't say children excuse me young folks out here today um and this this things that we do like this are for you for your future too and I also just want to thank the administration the mayor and all those uh as uh who helped get it through legislator get it through where we needed to be here today special shout out to uh South War Environmental Alliance uh Kim Gaddy Dr.

Owens and all the other uh partners involved in in making sure we provide a healthy environment for our community uh thank you thank you D is an ordinance amending parking stopping and standing by adding a new section dealing with parking or preventing from parking vehicles on the front lawn sponsored by councilman Ramos second by councilman Gonzalez is there anyone present wishing to be heard on this ordinance nope no one up no one appearing public hearing is closed roll call council members bay yes council yes gonzalez yes kelly yes quintana yes ramos yes scott roundtree yes silva absent president crump yes the president councilman raimos i want to thank um you know my colleagues for supporting the ordinance um seems like common sense but unfortunately uh there isn't an there wasn't an ordinance on the books in the city which clearly prohibits um residents from parking their vehicles on on lawns front lawns uh we we do have that as a growing issue in the ward and I would imagine throughout the city uh I would ask through your chair and the clerk if we can send a copy of the ordinance to the police division this this comes up pretty much at every second precinct uh community meeting that we have and I know the um officers are anxious to have some regulations on the books that they could utilize in order to enforce the parking restrictions send this over to director moranda and the chief if possible thank you absolutely thank you councilman resolutions 7R1A is a temporary emergency appropriation for the Broad Street phase two pedestrian safety improvement citywide council's a whole to adopt roll call council members they council yes yes yes yes Scott Roundtree yes present crump yes b through e are purchasing contracts b is for the elevator inspections c is for treated salt D is for salt conveyors and E is for water disinfectant council as a whole to adopt B through E.

Roll call council members they council yes Gonzalez yes Kelly yes Ramos yes Scott Roundtree yes absent president crump yes 7 R2 A through C are private sales A is council as a whole to return to the administration Mr Chair Councilman Council uh the item uh for that can we just defer and not return to administration discussion so let's let's just as a whole return to I mean uh motion or defer yes all right thank you councilman council as a whole to defer roll call council members bay yes council yes gonzalez yes kelly yes quintana yes ramos yes scott roundtree yes absent president crump yes b there's a motion to defer by councilman counsel second by councilwoman Scott Roundtree Rokal Council members bay yes council yes Gonzalez yes Kelly yes Ramos yes Mr.

I would like to.

Let's let's finish the roll call.

We'll come back to.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva absent.

President Crump.

Yes.

Councilman Council.

My apologies.

I thought we finished the roll call up on item six P F uh C.

I would like to be noted as a yes vote.

Which one I couldn't hear you.

Uh 6P S F C Okay.

All right, thank you.

And um we deferred A we deferred A and uh return to the administration B.

So I'm okay.

All right, yes we're vote.

Thank you, Council.

Thank you.

Everything.

C is new construction of a mixed use building.

And there's an amendment on the floor to change grocery store to convenience store.

So council is a whole to amend on the floor to change the word grocery store to convenience store.

And there's a motion motion on the floor to uh amend a resolution to change grocery store to convenience store.

Council members they council Gonzalez, yes, Kelly, yes, Quintana, yes, Ramos, yes, Scott Roundtree, yes, Silva, absent president Crump, yes.

Second by Councilman Quintana, Roll Call, Council members Bay, yes, Council, yes, Gonzalez, yes, Kelly, yes, Quintana, yes, Ramos, yes, Scott Roundtree, yes, Silva, absent, President Crump, yes, D and E are professional service contracts for planning consultants.

Council as a whole to adopt D and E.

Roll call.

Council members Bay, yes, Council, yes, Gonzalez, yes, Kelly, yes, Quintana, yes, Ramos, yes, Scott Roundtree, yes, Silva absent, President Crump.

Yes.

F is a resolution authorizing the reduction in the number of subsidized and designated home assisted units for property in the South Ward.

Council as a whole to adopt.

Rocco.

Council members Bay, yes, council, yes, Gonzalez, yes, Kelly, yes, Quintana, yes, Ramos, yes, Scott Roundtree, yes, Silva absent, President Crump.

Yes.

7R3A through C are engineering resolutions.

A is for the local freight impact fund, B is for the Central Avenue Bridge project, and C is for the Riverfront Pedestrian and Bicycle Access Project.

Council is a whole to adopt A through C.

Roll call.

Council members B.

Yes.

Council, yes, Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva absent.

President Crump.

Yes.

7R4A through C are finance resolutions.

A is for the Petty Cash Fund.

B is for the Urban Enterprise Zone Project.

C is for the cash management plan.

Council as a whole to adopt A through C.

ROCO.

Council members.

Buncil.

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Absent.

He's here.

Silva.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

7R5 A through C are health and community wellness resolutions.

A is for the HIV aid support.

B is for emergency preparedness.

And C is for the electronic medical record system.

Council as a whole to adopt A through C.

Roll call.

Council members.

Bes.

Council.

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

7R6A through G are professional services contracts for the law department.

A and B are for litigation defense.

C is for working workers' compensation matters.

D is for labor and employment matters.

E is for litigation defense matters.

F is for workers' compensation matters.

And G is for the per diem attorneys in the municipal court.

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

Roll call.

Council members.

Buncil?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

7R8A through C are whole harmless agreement for municipal council events.

A is for the annual mass dedicated to Roberto Clemente.

Sponsored by Councilman Quintana.

And second by Councilman Gonzalez.

B is for the annual Easter Egg hunt.

Sponsored by Councilman Quintana.

Second by Council President Crump.

And C is for the North Ward Job Fair.

Sponsored by Councilman Ramos.

Second by Councilwoman Scott Roundtree.

Council is a whole to adopt A through C with sponsors, please.

Rocal.

Council members.

Buncil.

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

D and E are resolutions regarding public meetings operations.

D is for the codification of our ordinances.

And E is for the legislation management software.

Council is a whole to adopt D and E.

ROCO.

Council members, they.

Yes.

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 is a whole to adopt F and G.

Rocco.

Council members.

Bay.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

7R9A is the appointment of special police officers.

New York residents.

Council is a whole to adopt.

Roll call.

Council members.

Bay.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

Communications.

Item 8A.

Council is a whole to defer.

Roll call to defer.

Council members.

Bay.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

The defer.

Quintana.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

B through D are reappointments.

B is a reappointment of Mr.

Purdy to the Central Planning Board.

C is the reappointment of Councilman Council to the Housing Authority Board, sponsored by Council President Crump.

Second by Councilman Gonzalez.

And D is a reappointment of Miss Cooper to the Newark Board of Trustees.

Council is a whole to adopt B through D with sponsors.

Roll call.

Council members B.

Yes.

Council.

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

E is an ordinance of the municipal council of the city of Newark providing for a CAP ordinance to exceed the municipal budget appropriation limit and to establish a cap bank.

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

Roll call to advance and adopt.

Council members B.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

F is an ordinance authorizing the city to enter into a five-year lease agreement with Norwick Beth Israel Medical Center for a rental of space within the city owned property at the Health Department to provide a food pharmacy.

Motion to advance and adopt on first reading as six FC sponsored by Councilman Council.

Second by Councilwoman Scott Roundtree.

Rokall.

Council members Bay.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

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 February 18th or soon thereafter in the council chamber.

Item 10A is the approval of the raffle licenses.

Council is a whole to adopt.

ROCO.

Council members.

They council.

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Groundtree.

Yes.

Silver.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

Added starters.

7R1 F A S and G A S are both purchasing contracts.

F is the purchase of OEM automotive parts and accessories for light V light duty vehicles.

And G is the installation of pre-engineered buildings to house assault and maintenance vehicles.

Council as a whole to adopt F and G.

Before we do that, Councilman Gonzalez.

Yes, uh on G, the amount is 2,500,000 and 88 cents.

I don't think the 88 cents belonged there.

My apologies, Councilman Gonzalez.

We will treat this as a scrivener's error and make the correction immediately.

Thank you.

When you're gone, what are we gonna do?

Roll call.

Council members, Bay.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

702 G AS The Redevelopment of Land in the Subordination Agreement for Covenant House.

Sponsored by Councilman Gonzalez.

Second by Councilman Kelly.

ROCO.

Council members.

Bay.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Quintana?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Crump.

Yes.

Hearing of citizens.

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.

The first speaker is Alif Mohammed.

Appearing.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Alif Mohammed Court Towers.

Alif Mohammed, the president of Alif Mohammed Near School at Salamalekum.

I'm going to start off.

I'm going to deviate because of Gonzalez and Pat.

Pat um.

When I was talking to the FBI in November of 2023.

And I was telling them that you had hired Spicer and that things was going to change because of Spicer.

And three months ago when it was in my office, the FBI.

He said, You right, Alive.

Things did change.

He stopped a lot of corruption.

So I'm happy that you're going back in an appointment.

Um I learned a lot from you.

Matter of fact, they they might call you in from teaching me some stuff.

But you know, my problem always with you, you would deviate, and I would ask Rachman Lee.

I mean, uh Muhammad.

I said, why did he deviate?

He said he's part of the team.

I said, what team?

Team Baraka.

I said, no, no, that's not good.

For instance, he taught me Raymonds where somebody came in a landscaper, no pest person, and they got a contract for a bid for 150,000.

And they came back and got they wanted another 200 additional.

So I said, okay.

So he said, you can't do that.

He said, that's a way, Ali, where you cheat on the bid.

You go low and then you come back.

I said, I didn't know that.

Now federal stuff he don't know.

I taught him the federal stuff.

I mean, we had a big argument one time in a special meeting about Wanda Wilson, the mayor's sister, and it was about La Monica's sister, that La Monica, when she found out that she was on working for the House, I thought that she made a resign.

And we was he we was going at he was he was going, he was going at me so hard that the email had to say, calm.

I say, shut up.

You might be elden, he did.

You know, so he didn't know about that, that that was illegal, but I'm good for that.

But I think I'm gonna have to go with Trent.

Trent is a good man.

I think I'm gonna have to go with Trent Ramos, because I I watched him with Eddie.

He was Eddie's office.

You know, I want to go with you, but you know you were team rocker, and Gonzalez, brother.

And Gonzalez, brother, I am devastated.

You are the voice of this council.

You are the voice of this council.

You don't even want to really really speak up.

And what you do, you're so good.

You whoever taught whatever whoever taught you how to be a lawyer.

Even if you lose, you still put it on a record.

You still create a record.

But I understand, I think you're a couple years older than me, where you need to have the rest of your life.

We almost hit the end of your life, and you deserve it.

Because I had a call in and I opened up a school 30 years ago.

And if I don't open a school, I'm working for about 10, 15 million dollars right now.

I wouldn't do it over again.

I ain't by it.

You know, but I I appreciate you, man.

You know, I just, you know, we got the gentleman over in the East Ward.

He don't say nothing unless it's the East Ward.

But that's in the vein of Amador.

And then my little sister, she has to understand, not just going to people and seeing them.

You gotta solve the problem.

See what she does.

She runs up there, she's there, and I'm with you.

But the problem's the same.

Like Lisa Parker.

Come back and say, no, y'all can't get no, you can't get it.

Then tell her.

Or somebody does, you gotta learn that you can't just be there.

You gotta solve the problems.

I go back with Grant and all that.

Well, he solved the problems.

You know, I go back a little further than that and stuff, but you know, solve the problems.

So I was with the OIG one time in the office of Investigator General HUD.

Every major federal agency has an office, and it's the investigator.

And I was telling them, come on, man, Harry up, man.

I can't hold this thing down.

I said, You got MIDI already.

They said, Yeah, we got MIDI.

I said, I know you got it, but we want Ross.

I said, But if you get MIDI, you got Ross.

Because Roz is the introvert.

He's gonna go sit in the corner somewhere.

But Mitty is the guy to go out and get it.

So again, well, I couldn't win that.

I said, come on.

So people say, why they ain't been here?

It's been years.

And I said, Because every time they tell me, every time something comes up, some new stuff come up.

There's so much corruption here.

That new stuff, they don't, you know.

So I'm gonna be on my live.

I could talk about it a little better.

Remember, I told you Felicia lied.

Because I want to talk about Shakur, how much Midi and them love Secor, but they took the gym from him.

Right, Pat?

The gym with Secord's name.

Remember?

You was on a board with me.

The gym with the kids' name.

They took the gym while they come by Salama.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

Deborah Salters.

Is not appearing.

Anthony D'Angelo.

Uh yeah, up here.

Did you give them everyone?

They're supposed to get him sorry.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, President of the Council, Mr.

Trump and City Council members.

I Anthony D'Agro, the owner of Tony's Service Center for over 80 years at 267 16th Avenue in the West District.

Also purchased the three-story multi-dwelling with a retail store on the first floor.

The reason why I'm here last March, I had an issue with a tenant that changed his lock on his apartment.

And uh what ends up happening, I notified the authorities, and the authorities ended up which you have a picture of the uh two units came with four officers, all professional.

I want to make that clear.

All the professional, they're all the officers are professional.

They spoke to the tenant.

As you see on the door, it's a brown lock, it's a pin pad.

He changed it.

You have a copy of the lease, it's a state ordinance.

Paragraph 18 that you cannot change any locks and so forth, okay.

So the officers asked the tenant for a key.

He refused to give the officers a key to give him in in case there's a fire or whatever have you, all right.

They refused to give them a summons.

All right.

So within this, I went, you have a copy of the summons at 319 2025 that I went to issue a complaint against a person.

They refused.

They called me the second time.

They said, Mr.

D'Angelo, we can't see the statue.

We can't understand it.

I went down there so they could type it up so I could sign it.

I went there, called them several times on the paper.

You'll see the woman's name, Nicole on one of it.

That's the municipal uh court that called me up.

I took the phone number, and within that, they refused to file a complaint against it.

All right.

You'll see I did everything legal.

A notice deceased to the tenant to take the lock off.

Now, my thing is it's the statute of limitations, I believe, is one year.

I like to know if the city could put pressure on the municipal court and ask them to reinstate that complaint from 31925, all right.

And I have multiple uh properties throughout the state, okay, in different um counties.

I never ran across this in my life, dealing with this with my father, okay.

I believe the reason for this is because this is a sanctionary city, okay, and it's a woke city because this is the second time in 2007.

I had bold chains cut on the locks of the shop, and a 40-foot excursion was towed out.

The person had the vehicle stolen out of my property.

And I came to the city council.

I still have the pictures, okay, and the police report stating, be advised.

There was no force entry.

The one lock was still hanging with the chain, and the other chain was on the ground with the police unit with the lights on, and I took a picture of.

Okay, I figured maybe that was, and I said to the cop, the cop said I've taken orders.

They told me to write it as that.

Now here I am.

The police are telling me that their office, their superior told them that they can't sign a complaint.

I go to municipal court, meet the owner of the property to file complaint, they refuse to sign a complaint.

Type up a complaint.

It's right there.

It's received March 19th, 25.

Everything is documented.

They refuse to type it up for me to sign it to send the tenant to complain to go to court, and to tell I got all the officers' badge numbers and names in the file.

They were all professional.

I want you to all to know that they're all professional.

I'm not throwing them under the bus.

This was their orders from their superior.

They asked the tenant for the key for the apartment.

He refused.

Mr.

D'Angelo, we can't do nothing else.

So I went and I signed a complaint.

I want this guy to go to court, tell why I can't go in there.

Okay?

I just want to know if you could give pressure to the municipal court and to see if they could reinstate that.

Mr.

D'Angelo, unfortunately, your time has expired.

Yes.

Thank you for your comments.

Have a have a seat.

And I will somebody should address you.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Lisa Mitchelson Parker.

Not appearing.

Queen Danisha Claiborne.

Appearing.

Queen Danisha Clyburn 38 A 14th Avenue in New York, New Jersey.

Good afternoon.

To everyone.

Good afternoon.

Before I say anything, I just want to say this because I just received this.

We still need Justice Wally Bay.

We don't need to be quiet because somebody is saying this might happen or that may happen.

But we need the family to have something inside their heart, include mainly the kids.

He has kids.

We need his kids to be thought about.

Because if we allow whoever this officer is to get away with this killing, the next killing is going to be your family member.

Then what are you gonna do?

Now for what I came for.

So I have a McDonald's and all the wars except for the South.

So this is for all y'all except for one council member.

We have a crisis.

When I say crisis, I need y'all to understand the word crisis.

Crisis of homeless individuals that cannot be placed in homeless shelters.

These individuals have mental issues.

They are critically on drugs.

I mean drugs that's making them transform into something unimaginable.

I don't care how much money you make in a business, whether it's a restaurant or a warehouse.

You should not be paying for broken windows, broken tables.

Nobody should be jumping over your counters, and nothing being done.

So at Westmarket, I have a live that went viral, has over a hundred thousand followers, people following it.

A lot of people have some disturbing things to say, and that's cool because we don't we always get good people to say something.

But when it comes to what I do, I need proof.

My proof and my weapon is my phone.

My other weapon to that phone is my Facebook Live.

Because I need the world to see that we are dealing with a crisis that need all hands on deck.

And I'm starting with the municipal.

I'm worried about my city, my town first, because it's not just in North.

These people cannot be housed in a moment of silence for their subrenior.

Another one.

Homeless.

We have so many homeless people, individuals within this city.

It's is on the rampage.

It's too much.

I helped the homeless in 2018.

There was over 300 something of them then.

Most of them were placed.

But again, I need y'all to I have a solution.

If y'all are ready to work with me, I have a solution.

Trust me, it's gonna work.

Because if you can't get these people off the street, they're either now dying being frozen from cold, they're dying from these drugs that people were hand making in their kitchen or their bathroom.

They're also dying from mental illness.

And then when something happened to them, it's when the family wants to get out here and start saying, My family, my cousin, my auntie, no, we need you to worry about them now.

Because I embarrassed them by going live, because that's what they said.

I was bringing awareness to the situation.

My employees was running out the back door when he hopped over the counter because they were afraid, not knowing what this individual is gonna do.

I am not the police, and when we do call them, they barely come.

So who knows what's gonna happen?

And we're talking about the West Ward.

So West Ward, the pre-Kelly, and anybody else that's at large, Cantana, Gonzalez, you could do a lot because you're about to leave.

Please come help me.

You could do so much, and they ain't gonna hold you accountable because you're leaving.

So I really need your help.

This is really critical.

The kids in the in the north ward rainbows, they're out of control.

They're smoking blunts as big as I can't even the mic.

Spinning them on the floor, people are walking nasty, homeless people, they don't care.

It's spinning a blunt on the floor in inside the stores.

So I gotta go and correct that.

We need help, sir.

The same way you vote in on the whatever it is with the parking, because your parking is crazy down there.

They do what they want.

But let us do that up here, and we park and double park and go to sleep.

We get tickets, we get our cars sold.

They don't do that down there.

I got a ticket down there, and I'm like, oh, this is surprising.

I got a ticket, finally.

We need help in this city.

This city has many challenges.

You guys are running again.

I am hosting a meeting the 20th of February, and you all are welcome.

All I don't care who team you on.

I don't click, I don't care if you individually, you all are welcome.

The people of the community need to know and see who you are, because they still don't know who you are.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

Sahir Minate.

Sahir Minnete.

Not appearing.

Yasmin Bay.

Yasmin Bay.

Not appearing.

Opal R.

Right.

I don't think I saw Miss Wright not appearing.

Latoya Jackson Tucker.

Not appearing.

Darnella Lee.

I don't think I saw Miss Lee.

Not appearing.

Amira Harrison.

Mira Harrison.

Not appearing.

Lamar Gong.

Appearing.

Good evening, Council.

Good evening, council people or afternoon, council people.

Still thinking we're at the last night meeting.

Good evening to the residents of Newark, to those in the audience here, and to our youth who I also see in the audience here.

And that you guys who sit on the municipal council would even begin to help his family and this community get the answers that we're looking for with respect to this situation.

We understand the process, the bureaucracy, the takeover from the attorney general and them telling Newark police hands off and everything going to the attorney general and all.

That doesn't mean that you guys can't reach out to the attorney general and let them know that the people here in Newark, the family member of Mr.

Bay, uh is urgently seeking answers to this to this situation, this tragic situation.

And I'm urging and asking you all to do that because again, Mr.

Bay, no matter how you look at him, no matter what the reports were that you heard of him, no matter any of that, was somebody who did for people in this community, and who was somebody that we who work in the streets of this community to better this community every day could call on to help resolve issues in the streets of this community.

That is a valuable asset.

That is a community servant.

That is not the stuff that you all probably were reported to with.

And if whatever you were reported to with, whatever they're talking about him, saying about him.

Look at me like that person, too.

Because I am Wally Bey.

And I'm speaking for him right now.

The same record he might have had, I got.

So if the cops could shoot him and murder him right on our streets, they can do the same thing to me.

And then people will still be able to come to you and say he's just a criminal.

He's just, and guess what you'll do?

Sit back the way you do in your chair and say, well, you know, his record says some of these things.

You got a point.

We need to stop that.

Life is life.

And if you believe in life over death, stand on what you believe.

Justice for Wally Bay.

Swift.

People need to get involved.

And as Darisha just mentioned, this is an all hands-on deck season.

That's with respect to many of the issues in this community.

And that's what we're seeing needs to happen today.

We need to stop questioning organizations like OVPTR and BCPC and the collective organizations around them.

And we need to start expanding them.

Really pouring dollars into them because we see that it works.

And guess what?

These are the guys who and women who we can put in the McDonald's in the hot spots in our community where we're seeing an uptick in violence or fighting amongst the kids and the youth.

These are the people that we should be putting in these spots.

Let's think about those things.

These streets are a mess.

It is a shame that we can't even walk on the sidewalks in our community right now.

They're ice walks.

Week later.

Week and some change later.

The sidewalks still look a mess.

People can still fall, hurt themselves, and in some spaces, emergency vehicles really don't have access the way that they should.

Our youth that are in our programs can be employed right now with DPW to go put salt down right now.

Let's start using the resources we have and stop coming up with excuses as to why we can't deliver.

Peace.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments, next speaker.

Ricky Robertson.

Ricky Robinson.

Not appearing.

Appearing.

Justice for Wally Bay.

Um I am Wally Bay.

Good afternoon, Count.

Good afternoon, Council President, honorable members of the New York City Council.

My name is Fakira Brantley, and I stand in front of you as a community servant, and I'm tired.

I appear before you today respectfully in full compliance with New York City Council decorum.

I stand before you as a returning citizen.

I have been incarcerated.

I paid my dues.

I took responsibility for my past, and I completed my reentry.

Committed to growth, accountability, lawful civic engagement.

I did not return to society to disrupt public order.

I returned to rebuild my life and participate constructively in my community.

And I do it well.

Since my reentry, I have been an upstanding citizen, have not engaged in criminal contact conduct.

I have exercised restraint and respect in the public forums, including this chamber.

I have never cursed in the city council meeting, never threatened anyone, and never acted violently or disruptively while addressing this body.

I'm here to address a matter that has serious implications for my civil rights and my integrity of civic participation in Norwich.

In October 2025, an individual present in this council chambers made false allegations of harassment and theft against me.

Those allegations were later escalated beyond this forum.

I want you to correct the record carefully and responsibly.

I apologize, and I've never done it again.

And that was because of what was done to me.

Most of us know.

I did so because accountability matters to me.

Growth matters.

I also forgave her.

That context mattered because prior to these allegations, I supported this individual in good faith.

I canvassed for her without getting paid.

And I got all the proof, right?

Um, offered assistance and showed up believing in civic engagement and mutual respect when I later set boundaries and refused to remain silent and let people run over me.

My character, my conduct became their focus.

What follow was escalation resolutions.

I'm currently scheduled to appear at municipal court at 31 Green Street on March 3rd and March 24th, 2026.

The charges were strumped up on me here in this change at October.

I remember it vividly.

What allegation relies on a single momentary hand gesture?

There was no threats, no word smoking, no physical contact, no pursuit, and no repeated contact.

If I ration, why would you come get me to canvas for you?

And West Orange and North and so forth.

Under the New Jersey law, harassment requires intent conduct means to threaten, seriously alarm, or repeatly targeting another person.

Criminal law is not intended to punish isolated, not non-threatening expression where expressive conduct is mischaracterized as criminal behavior.

It creates chilling effects, especially for returning citizens as myself.

This raises a broader civil rights concern.

The First Amendment protects free speech and expressive conduct in public forums.

The Fourth Amendment guarantees equal protection under that law.

And 42 USC 1983, the Civil Rights Act of 1871 exists to prevent the misuse of the authority under color of law.

Reissory does not mean permanent punishment.

Reissury does not mean selective enforcement.

And re entry does not mean silence.

I want to be very clear.

I am not asking this council to adjudicate my case.

I'm asking the council to recognize and rectify the public record.

This is my life.

Right.

You know, yo, it's not criminalizing it.

So return to citizens who do everything right, are not punished, speaking truthfully and respectfully.

I will not silence my voice, and I will not accept violations of my rights because of one individual's feelings towards me.

Disagreement is not harassment.

Expression is not the and accountability should never be confused with retaliation.

I paid my debts to society.

What I am now asking is for my constitutional rights to be respected as a human being.

Continue to live responsibly, continue to do community work lawfully and openly in the city of North.

Thank you for allowing me to be around.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker.

Zariah Hagler.

Not a bear.

Council President, Council members, that concludes the agenda for this meeting.

Anything from the council?

Yes.

Want to wait till motions?

Want to talk about the if I'm what you think you're talking about.

Okay.

Council McKelly.

Thank you, Council President.

Uh, I just want to um address uh Miss Queen about the West Ward uh McDonald's.

I have an aid in here.

I wanted to make sure that we could set up a time to meet, talk about how we can assist you.

I would love to hear your solutions that you have.

Um, and then um refer those solutions and to our director of our homeless are so we can just try to get some, you know, bring this matter to, you know.

The matter is the mayor has been dealing with it with the homelessness in our city, and we've been making some leadway, but there's still a long way to go, especially during these cold times and you know, uh the weather, the inclement weather that we have.

So if you have some solution where all over is, and I'm sure that the council at large up here as well, and any other council members with McDonald's and their wards will love to hear what you have to say and see how we can partner and work together to bring some solution to it.

Thank you, councilman.

Uh anything else from the council?

I'm sorry.

Councilman Scott Brown treat that.

So I too want to speak to um Miss Queen.

Stated she worked for the homeless population, and I worked with her very closely uh through the health department when we were actually housing homeless, especially in Clone Blue at JFK.

We had an operation, and I am with um Councilman Kelly.

I don't I think that whatever your proposal is that I mean should be set up with our director that deals with this.

There's some homeless commissioners.

The truth of the matter is we found out even when we were working with the homeless.

The mental situation is a whole nother operation.

There's there's there's various layers of homelessness.

People come to the council and say, why don't you just build a big building?

You can't put them all in the same place because they all have different issues.

Some of them, it took us maybe two or three days to convince them not to sleep in Penn Station.

You have people that are chronically homeless that have been homeless for 10 years, staying in pensation.

Then you have some that might have just had a domestic case that just left, and you have you have homeless people that are literally making a living dealing drugs.

I mean, so there's so many, which means that once you do find the solution, whatever that is, or however that comes together with what we already have in place, uh, it's going to require services, services cost money, unless we have professionals that are willing to spend their time doing that.

The thing with the businesses and people doing that is so unfortunate that a lot of businesses can't afford security on their businesses.

If you go up to Wendy's on Chancellor Avenue, I don't know whether they have the homeless problem, maybe we have people standing on Fabian Place.

I don't know that they're homeless, but they have a security guard.

That's another expense.

Um, but for various reasons, they have them, not just for the homeless.

If it's a chronically homeless situation, I think that those addresses that you have when you meet with Councilman Kelly about the West Ward operations or any of the other wards, then those addresses should be documented in your proposal with a receipt of where these issues are, and let them come out to an assessment one by one to see what can be done because they're all gonna be different.

There are people that there's a young lady if you know, and I'm gonna close with this.

Everyone should know Shani.

Used to stand on 16th Avenue, Bergen Street, Councilman Crumb, and people would call me.

You know what I'm talking about.

She walked with blankets.

They would call me, and I would go running to get her, and by the time I get to her, I could not make her go nowhere.

She would start walking away.

Now there's some people, but you got to keep going.

We have to we have to keep going.

Some people wouldn't come with us the first day.

If it's drugs, I've had people in Blizzards that told me when the blizzard was on the way.

I ain't even not read here because they're gonna check me.

I mean, there's various mental states.

So the up the people that are dealing with the homeless population have to be equipped to deal with all of that when they're going out there to speak to them in order to win.

So I don't think we've done and homeless keep coming because they keep dropping them in the city of North, or they put them on buses and bring them here, or they know that Newark is one of the only places that has so many services for homeless that it's easy accessible until we find out they came from Virginia.

Now they have nowhere to go.

We even offer them money to get back if they have somewhere.

So there's there's so many facets to that.

The mental illness is a whole nother operation.

Jumping over counters, a whole nother, even we can't go down there and protect no protect you if they jump over the counter.

Miss Clyber, no, we can we can't have it.

So what I'm saying is that your life is in danger based on them, but we have to find solutions for each situation.

If you're if your McDonald's is chronically mental, then that means that's gonna be the focus of whoever comes down.

So the real, the real, the real queen, is to talk with the director.

You have your own proposal, your name is on it.

So can't nobody take it if you wrote it.

Just see what we can do collectively to see how we can resolve the problem.

Because it's not gonna be done by you by yourself, it's not gonna be done by us by yourself.

We can collectively come together and see what we can do to help you.

So I'm gonna work with Councilman Kelly, Councilman Ramos.

You you should sit councilman, you said you'd have no problem in the South.

So the largest will work with the ward council people, and maybe we can have a collective meeting with the wards and the director to address all of your issues and then see what we can do to pull and set up a timeline of how we're gonna address it in my dates with the letter.

Okay.

Well, yeah.

No, but I'll let you thank you, councilwoman.

Councilman, council.

Yeah, real quick, Mr.

Chair, to uh Mr.

Vaughn's point about uh the sidewalks downtown.

If there are addresses that he has, and I'm quite sure the BA will speak about it, but if there's addresses that Mr.

Vaughan has because the North Downtown District is responsible for making sure the properties uh in front of their businesses are taken care of, then we should give that information to them so that we can send code to and and enforce violation or abatement.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilwoman.

Councilman, uh anything from Councilman Crumb.

I need to ask one more question.

Okay.

In reference to sidewalks, bus stops, those areas.

Now, is New Jersey transit, I believe, is responsible.

Now for bus shelters, if they're not responsible, it is our responsibility to clean those shelters.

If we do not know, and no one is called us to take care of where New Jersey transit buses stop to pick you up.

I don't believe there's a council person up here that don't have a staff member that answers the phone.

And some of us should have our personal lines.

I believe that aside from coming to the council meeting, that we get emails all the time, but just in case you don't get an immediate response, if there's a track record that you call, not 4311, that's a whole nother.

That's a great source.

But I know I work on the third floor and I walk by everybody's desk and have somebody sitting there.

Call them.

That's your receipt that you called your council person or you're at large.

That's your receipt.

I called you five times.

I called the office, nobody picked up your office phone.

So make use of the services that you've hired us for personally.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilwoman.

And I have to add, just speak uh on on top of what you said, Councilwoman.

I think it's important for those here and those uh watching to understand that a lot of times if we don't know, we don't know.

It's important that instead of just throwing something on Facebook to address us, reach out to us, hold us accountable.

You can throw your hands in the air all you want.

If I don't know about it, I can't help you.

So no, it's not a talk back and forth.

It's not, it's a reality.

A lot of things happen, and you know better.

A lot of things happen that we may not know, but you have to reach out directly.

And if we're not responsive and we don't respond, then hold us accountable for that.

But but don't just put something on Facebook and just think that we're gonna know what's going on, and and we're gonna be able to address it.

That's just not reality, and that's just not how it should work.

Uh, with that being said, is there anything from the administration?

Good afternoon, Eric Pennington Business Ministry.

I was actually hoping that our um interim director of DPW is here to give an update on snow removal.

He's on the back.

There you are.

Looking for you.

So I will say this.

I I know we had a full briefing yesterday about the snow removal, but um I'm not sure what he may want to say today.

I you might want to.

Yeah, he looked, he looks like he doesn't know what we had a full briefing yesterday, but this afternoon we're gonna post a list of the streets that we'll be cleaning in the next couple of days.

Some of the ones that we are that that's we're that's with public safety on the cars removed your roll.

Could you say that again so that we can do it?

So snow covered road.

The sign says your car shouldn't be parked on the door snow cover.

BA was asking, do we need the cars move?

I was telling most of us is snow covered roads.

So you should move.

That's not okay.

That's for the public safety to get that message out.

Not so we're working together to remove the snow.

Thank you.

All right.

That's what you're talking about.

Uh all right.

We're gonna wrap it up real quick.

We're gonna let uh councillor Kelly.

Thank you, Director.

Um, I just got a call too.

I I would love for you to say that so the people can see it.

I know that the signs are there, you're a thousand percent right.

But some people don't know that they should be moving their cars.

Please, people move your cars.

So, councilman, council president, councilman Kelly.

When the police come out, the bullhorn.

When the police come out, they turn on the horn, they just they make the noise and say, Move your car.

It says snow cover road.

Most of us out there, we've heard it.

If you're out there doing a snowstorm, you do hear the police telling people to move their car, right?

Before it gets ticketed and told.

They say that.

Although I know the signs out there, before they even attempt to tow you or remove your car, they go up and down the street telling you to move your car.

They let you know hours ahead of time.

So, just for clarity, the list is on DPW site.

I said we just finalized the list by this evening.

We'll put the list up on the site.

Okay, you'll put the list on the site.

And this is a new list.

You already had the other list on there.

So this is the list of remaining stuff that we can what we completed and what we're gonna finish on the door.

Thank you.

Cool.

Thank you, Director.

You are all right.

Now we're going into motions.

Uh I will start with councilwoman Day.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, we want to welcome the students and faculty and staff of Great Oaks Legacy Charter School.

They are here participating in council member for the day and our central ward council office, and we just want to thank them for being here, and hopefully, our council colleagues will uh agree to take a picture with them.

And so we just want to thank them for their participation today.

Um, today, councilwoman uh Scott, um Louise Scott Roundtree and I are in partnership with University Hospital, sponsored a mobile mammogram and cervical screening at JFK Rec Center.

It's still going on right now from 9 a.m.

to 3 p.m.

So we want we are striving, we want everyone to be healthy and cancer free.

Early screening and detection is the first step.

Um the sent our situal office is also partnering with University Hospital on their supplier engagement series.

We invite you to join us at a supplier engagement event where we aim to build uh lasting partnerships, explore opportunities, and support the growth of small local and diverse businesses in our community.

February 17th at 4 p.m.

at Abyssinian Baptist Church, 224 West Kenny Street, doors open at 3 30.

Also, we want to give kudos to Science Park High School on their pan African flag raising on Monday, February 2nd.

I was honored to be the keynote speaker there.

And also wanted to give note that the students there, many people don't know, authored a book.

It's an anthology with different students giving their stories of immigration to this country.

And so we really want people to acknowledge and pick it up and support the students of Science Park High School.

And the last thing is that we are sponsoring our pre-Valentine's Day Senior Soire brunch next Wednesday, February 11th at 11 a.m.

at the Robert Treat Hotel.

It is free of charge.

And anyone can call the city's Office of Senior Services to register 973 733.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilwoman.

I do not believe there were motions.

All right.

Councilman Silva.

No motions.

Councilman Council.

Yes, sir.

Just want to do a motion of acknowledgement commendation for the South Ward Young Youth Landscapers.

Sean Williams, Michaela Williams, Myron Mead, Jalen Freeman, Jayvon Swain, and Noah Teller.

These young people have uh started uh South Ward Youth Landscapers with their entrepreneurial spirit, and they have been going around uh the South Ward uh working and helping folks, shoveling uh bus tunnels and paths, uh, as well as helping to assist down at Symphony Hall, cleaning out the parking lot.

And so if individuals are interested in the services that are provided through the Southworth Youth Landscapers, uh you can reach them at Weakway Park.com or call 973 8772.

Uh but again a motion acknowledging uh and commending their entrepreneurial spirit uh in starting this endeavor, uh looking at solution-oriented uh opportunities to get out uh and create uh a branch of uh economic development for themselves, and so we are encouraged about what they are doing and wanted to uh make sure that we uh acknowledge that.

Uh also on this Saturday, uh doors open at 2 p.m.

The show starts at 3.

Uh our pre-Valentine's Day concert that will be hosted by myself, uh Mayor Rasperaca at George Washington Carver Elementary School.

We look forward to all of you coming out in the spirit of Valentine's Day, love, participation, and oneness uh as we celebrate uh in comedy and RB uh music.

Uh special guest will be Freddie Jackson, uh, and we also have some wonderful comedian talent uh is uh one of our uh comedians as well as Jay, uh, who will be the host.

And so we're looking forward to folks come out, doors open at 2 p.m.

Uh show starts at 3 p.m.

Our pre-Valentine's Day concert, and so we want to thank each and every uh one of you uh and wish folks a happy Valentine's Day.

Thank you.

I'll second that one.

Roll call council members, yes, council, yes, Gonzales, yes, Kelly, yes, Dana, yes, Ramos, yes, Scott Roundtree.

Yes, President Clump.

Yes, Councilwoman Scott Roundtree.

Okay, we're gonna start with tomorrow.

Um, thank you, Council President.

Uh tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m.

here in City Hall, the mayor will be hosting along with the North Principal Council, uh Black History as Councilwoman Bay said pan African, pan-American, African American, uh, black history flag uh that will be raised tomorrow at 4 p.m.

celebrating Black History Month.

Even though we know we celebrate it all year long.

Um, someone questioned what flag are we raising?

Well, I believe it was 1920, Marcus Garvey.

Um started out on a mission, and then in 1967, there was someone from North that started out on another mission, and then I believe in 1990.

So if you look up the history, there is a flag.

It's red, black, and green.

And it will be raised tomorrow evening at 4 p.m.

here at City Hall.

We raise all flags.

But if you're not proud of the person that you are and where you've come from, you don't know where you're going.

That's the real truth.

Okay.

And on, that's tomorrow, February 7th, 2026.

Um, I started a couple of years ago with casting calls for the great artists in the city of North, young and old, uh, between the ages of seven and seventy.

There's a casting call for an up-to-upcoming production of one of Newark's musicians called Victory, Professor Albert Lewis.

Initials entertainment will be uh hosting a final casting call on February 7th here at City Hall in the press room from 1230 to 3.30 p.m.

And myself, along with initials and the North Interfaith Alliance and Communities Incorporated with Pastor Pam Jones are sponsoring this for this production.

Um next, the same day, and I'm doing both.

Uh I'm gonna stop over with Councilman Council at George Washington Carver and see our beloved Freddie Jackson and those other guests that he had, and then I'm gonna make it to the church house, Clearview Baptist Church, where myself and Councilman Crump are a part of a sponsorship of the Urban League and some other entities, and it's called the New Jersey Gathering, a celebration of HBCU voices, featuring Virginia Union University Gospel Choir and Hampton University Concert Choir and Voices in Harmony, hosted by Terrell Bell.

Anybody that knows the Bell family knows Regina Bell.

You know those songs.

Well, this young man is from Regina Bell's family, and they're also related to Reverend Dr.

Curtis Bell.

This is going to be held Saturday at February on February 7th, 2026.

Uh, doors will open at 4 o'clock.

So I'm going to do both.

And there's over 400,000 residents in this city.

So there's something to do for everybody.

Tickets are free for both events.

There's no cost.

I don't know whether Councilman Council has any more tickets left.

We have no more tickets.

We didn't even have tickets.

They started registering.

Um, it's not too late if you have not registered, but we have about 275 registered.

I'm not sure of the final amount of how many seats.

Clearview holds, but I'm sure it holds more than 275.

And this is at Three Clearview Baptist Church.

Saturday, February 7th, 2026, 4 p.m., free admission.

RVP RSVP is required.

But if you call my office, 973-733-3794.

On February 25th, 2026, uh, we've been doing a Black History program along with the Department of Recreation, myself, Bishop Ronald Jones, Interfaith, and the North Interfaith Alliance.

This year, again, we are continuing to move North forward, remembering our past and embracing our future.

This will be a Black History program partnering with our Department of Recreation and Senior Services, again, and the North Interfaith Alliance, uh, Mayor Baraka and the North Municipal Council.

Our speaker this year will be Minister Hilton Rawls III.

He's a 15-year-old phenomenon.

If you don't know who he is, take a look, look him up.

Minister Hilton Rawls of the Third.

We will also have Junius Williams speaking.

He is our city's historian.

He will be coming as someone to give a historic perspective.

And then you can't do nothing without young folk.

You got to have young people involved.

There should never be a program where you don't represent young people or have representation for our young individuals.

So Dorian Murray, Vice President of the Commissioners for Essex County, will be also speaking at this event.

If you do need tickets, I do have a couple left.

973-733-3794.

We changed.

Yes, I do have a few left for this.

Definitely have a few left for this.

So please, please do not hesitate to call my office.

On that same day, on February 19th, the mayor was sponsoring our MLK celebration.

Of course, we had a snow event that prevented us from moving a whole lot of places.

I'm just going to throw this in for free.

In 1996, I wonder does anybody remember that we couldn't move in the city for three days.

Never mind move snow.

1996.

My son was a year old in January.

The snow was so bad, they shut down 280, the parkway, the turnpipe.

Council members, do you remember that?

There was no movement.

I don't even remember when they started removing snow.

So my prayer is that as we do better right now.

We didn't expect a snowstorm with ice coming on top of it.

And as Councilman McCrump said, call us with the addresses.

Lamont Bourne has my personal cell.

Text me, text me, say, just like you text me about it.

Text me and say, look, I need to get through such and such, and we'll handle it.

That's it.

So that night, February 25th, the mayor is sponsoring his MLK event.

That's a new date.

It's going to be attorney Ben Crump is the speaker.

Uh attorney Ben Crump is the speaker.

Vincent Bohannan is going to be one of the musical guests.

And then there's another musical guest, Rich Talbert.

And that's going to be again February 25th, 2026.

I think it's the 38th annual MLK celebration, hosted by Mayor Baraka.

And of course, our North Municipal Council is always supporting and a part of every event that the administration puts forward.

And this will be happening again, February 25th at 7 p.m.

I do have a few tickets left for that.

Not many.

You can call 973 733-3794.

Again, the guest speakers are Attorney Ben Crum and guest speaker for that evening, along with some musical guests.

Okay, this is my last one.

Councilman Crump.

Sixth statewide meeting for the Black Agenda.

Being held Thursday, February 26th in Montclair, host Mayor Rasma Rocca, Faith Leader, Dr.

Bernadette Bernadette Glover, Pastor of St.

Paul, Charles Boyer.

This is going to be held in conjunction with Ryan Haygood, Congressman Lamonica McIver, Victorian Commissioner Dorian Murray, Mayor Wayne Smith, and a representative from Montclair.

We're asking you if you have any concerns or if you want any information on that.

You can also call my office 973-733-3794.

I can give you what has been discussed in the last five meetings as we move forward.

Last but not least, I want to extend condolences, express sorrow and regret for Hansbury Avenue family member that uh her sister transitioned, and that is Sister Barbara Hughes.

Um celebration is tomorrow.

Sisters are long serving usher of Good Neighbor Baptist Church.

So I am expressing, sending out an express uh profound sorrow and regret for that family.

And um that concludes my announcements uh with the exception of uh thanking Nort for speaking out and having things to say to us that we need to hear.

That that is important.

I don't think that God appointed me or that I was elected to not have an open ear, open door, or an open heart to the remarks in the comments of the people.

Um are we all perfect?

I want you to introduce them to me, because I'd be honored to meet someone who has reached perfection.

Um I was told because I am spiritual that uh there's only one perfect, and that's the father.

But can we make some corrections?

Absolutely.

All of us should be teachable, and every one of us up here has to be reachable.

So I just want to thank Newark for all that you've done, all that you continue to do to hold us accountable, to say what you have to say at the microphone.

That's your space.

What you do with it is your place.

How it affects us is what we're supposed to do to accommodate you.

So thank you, Newark, for letting me serve you.

Thank you to my colleagues, and happy.

I don't love day is every day for me, so I'm not gonna say happy Valentine's Day.

I'm gonna say this.

Every day we should be saying happy love day.

And when you wake up in the morning, first thing you should be loving is yourself, and then you move on because if you don't love yourself, you sure can't love nobody else.

God bless you and thank you.

That concludes my announcements for today, and it's back in your hands, Council President.

Thank you, Councilwoman.

Sir Second.

Second by Councilman Katana roll call.

Council members Bay.

Yes.

Gonzalez.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Clump.

Yes.

Councilman Gonzalez.

No motions.

No motions.

Councilman Ramos.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Just a few.

First is want to thank all the organizations that participated in our resource event for the victims of the multiple fires that we had.

One fire was Sunday night during the uh the night of the storm.

It impacted five properties on Wakeman Avenue.

I think like 32 residents were displaced.

And then a few nights later, we had another fire, multiple two fires on North Fifth Street.

So we hosted an event this past Monday.

We had representatives from the Red Cross, County Social Services.

But it did provide at least some temporary relief to some of the families who face uh very difficult situations.

So I just want to say thank you.

Uh tonight actually is our university hospital uh supplier engagement forum.

It's from five to seven at the Cherry Blossom Center, located in Branch Rook Park.

We we did get a lot of registrations.

Yeah, we expect a pretty good crowd.

I know there's a lot of interest on behalf of small businesses on how they can partner with University Hospital, not only in the construction of the new facility, but also in providing services to the patients and the staff there.

Uh we're hosting our our senior Valentine's Day event next week on Friday at the Waterfront Recreation Center.

Just want to thank my colleagues who partner with us in sponsoring this event.

We always get a really nice turnout.

And um that's it on my end, Mr.

President.

Just thank you, thank you.

No motions, right?

Thank you, Councilman.

Councilman uh Kelly.

Thank you, Council President.

Um first I want to I want to thank uh 211 Community Impact and the Sidewalk Soldiers who uh David Como as well, who actually volunteered and went out and shoveled some spaces uh that some of the seniors needed in uh in the West Ward.

Uh I really want to thank them.

Um also I want to I want to say thank you to the administration and GKV's management and ownership for meeting with us yesterday to come to a solution over this heat situations that we have going on at GKV.

Um I actually want to make a motion that we do a uh a follow-up and update um within a week to find out where we are, actually a couple of days to find out where we are with um those complaints that we all received so that we can make sure that our residents are those issues and concerns are being mitigated.

Um I also want to say happy birthday to a lifelong NORCA who's also uh Lords of the Underground's manager, Hafiz Faree always says I'm from 8th Street.

I want to say happy birthday to the Newark Legend.

And I also want to inform everybody, our seniors in the West Ward that once again we are having uh love day, a great love day on February 19th at Westside Park Community Center.

Um from 10 a.m.

to 2 p.m.

This is our fourth annual senior love day.

And if you would like any tickets, please if you would like to attend, call 973-7364-27.

And also, one more thing back to um GKV.

If there's any concerns or issues, please contact the management office at GKV.

And if you if you're not able to get through at GKV, please contact my office at 973-733-6427, so we can try to mitigate and debate whatever issues you are having.

Um, yeah, and that's about it.

Thank you.

I don't think there were any motions in there.

No, okay.

You know, I gotta look to you right.

One more, one more.

I do want to I do want to uh make a motion to for to congratulate Newark, New Jersey's own Shakur Stevens for his win.

You know, um just to say congratulations from the entire city of Newark and the and the best for the West Ford Second Uh second by Councilman Gonzalez roll call council members bay, yes, council, yes Gonzalez, absolutely yes Kelly, yes Quintana, yes Ramos, yes, Scott Groundtree, yes, Silva, yes, President Crump, yes, Councilman Quintana, no motions?

All right.

Uh and I don't have any motions.

Oh, geez.

So wait, let me think of some things.

We've been leaving here too early today.

Mr.

Chair, want to wish a speedy recovery for Kys and Dixon, who works in the DPW, has surgery on his knees, but we're always in contact with him.

He's out there always doing a Herculean job, and sometimes people have surgery and things, and we don't want to be remiss to watch folks speedy recovery.

So speed of recovery.

All right, with that being said, motion to adjourn.

Rocco.

Council members Bay, yes, Council, Gonzalez, yes, Kelly, yes, Ramos, yes, Scott Roundtree, Silva, President Crump.

Yes, Councilmember.