I all did these extensions 10 years, 15 years, 25, and 30 years.

For what reason?

When you haven't come up with a tax abatement extension for the people suffering in my community.

Seniors dealing with HOA fees, the increased property taxes.

Why are we not dealing with the people that are suffering instead of giving extensions to the people that already have tax abatements?

When is a moratorium going to come in place over anything over five years to come back to the table and reapply?

The city is broke.

Where is this money coming from?

When I become mayor, we become mayor.

I'm still the mayor.

Um did oh, both of these intelligent women came before you and asked and unanswered.

Where's this money coming from?

Why does the wealthy federal FBI get a tax abatement on the backs of minorities here in the city of Newark?

How does that work?

Where's my tax abatement?

I have a letter here demanding a tax abatement.

I'm going to present it to the clerk for each of you to have a copy, and I want to find out what office is given these abatements because I need an abatement ASAP.

I don't have the money that the Nazi regime of the Trump administration has.

Okay.

But I know you don't know what this is about.

You just got here.

Why are you even considering this?

And if you consider this and you pass this with this, yay, yay, yay, now we know where you stand and what you're about.

And you must be getting something from the FBI, because we're not speaking.

That's right.

No one here.

Oh, somebody gotta come up.

Good afternoon, Eric Pennington Business Administrator.

With respect to generally the questions that came about uh on this property, the applicant uh for the property clerm properties presented a request to extend the abatement.

In order to extend an abatement, there are certain criteria that have to be met, one of which is that there is a significant uh renovation to the property or additions to the property.

They have complied in all respects with the request for the extension, and those are the circumstances under which we have sought to have that uh approved.

There have been general statements about the city needs money.

This tax abatement is not a tax exemption.

The it may be listed uh technically as an exemption, but it doesn't mean that they don't have to pay, they do.

They pay a significant sum to the city.

Uh indeed the payment will be uh equivalent to, if not more, than what it would be if they were paid under uh ordinary taxes.

Uh to to address a couple of other issues quickly, uh there are requests here to indicate that the residents are not eligible for abatements, and that's just not true.

Any new construction is eligible for a five-year tax abatement, essentially as of right.

If a new construction comes before uh uh the tax assessor's office and asks for that abatement, it is essentially granted.

It still has to go before the council, but it's essentially granted.

There's also had been sort of a suggestion that Society Hill has not received an appropriate abatement.

Society Hill received a 30-year tax abatement.

That was more than 30 years ago, that tax abatement expired.

They have the right, like anyone else to request uh an extension of that tax abatement, and if they comply and if they qualify under the terms of the long-term tax exemption law or otherwise, uh, it would likely be approved if it came to the council.

That has not happened.

Um so the suggestion that the residents of the city are are being mistreated by this uh extension going forward just isn't true.

And if someone wants to present an application to extend an abatement, we consider it just like any other one.

I'm happy to answer any other questions.

Thank you.

Roll call.

Yes, council abstain.

Crump, yes.

Jackson abstain.

Kelly, yes, Ramos, yes.

Scott Roundtree?

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Kintana.

Yes.

B is an ordinance amending special improvement districts to amend various sections increasing the administrative fee retained by the city tax collector from one percent to two percent.

Is there anyone wishing to be heard on this ordinance?

The BA seems to have problems with percentages and who's eligible for what?

Uh Wesley Towers receive tax abatements when they owe taxes to the city, a retroactive.

We're talking about I know what we're talking about.

I know, I know tax collection.

Why are we increasing the admin fee on on the for the tax collector?

Why are we increasing it?

Any other speakers?

Now, Cantano.

Deborah Salters.

No, you already know.

I my question would be the same.

Why is it being increased?

Um, you know, there was no explanation about it, so we would like to know.

So any so when we get up here, that's what we're asking.

Why?

Can we get some details?

And there was no answer, the real answer to my question that I asked.

I heard what the BA said, but I didn't I don't think I got an answer to my question unless I missed it.

Um as you know, when we come up to speak, Kentana.

This is you understand the public form, and she was still talking about the taxes, tax abatements.

So when she started, you immediately started to cut her off.

Come on, now let's not do this.

You you know how this goes.

Come on.

Any other speakers?

Yeah, none.

All the row.

Roll call.

Pay?

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Yes.

Jackson.

Abstain.

Kelly.

Yes.

Ramos?

Yes.

Scott Roundtree?

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Kitana.

Yes.

C is an ordinance granting a 20-year tax abatement to 452 South Orange Avenue Urban Renewal LLC for a project located in the West Ward to construct a five-story mixed use building sponsored by Councilman Kelly, second by councilman counsel.

Is there anyone wishing to be heard on this ordinance?

Once again, I'm gonna ask the question.

Why are all the tax abatements starting with 20 years instead of a five-year?

We've already experienced all of these slum lords in this city that continue to receive tax abatement without doing the benefit of capital improvement or anything like that.

Why are we continuing to give these long-term tax abatements to these developers that every developer that has urban renewal LLC behind it starts at 20 to 30 year tax abatement that's gonna saddle my granddaughter in debt when the city is broke?

There have been tax abatements given to properties that haven't even expired their tax abatement for additional um tax years, namely high power gardens for one.

You have 1060 broad.

People didn't have no heat and hot water this and elevators this past winter, but you extended it so that they could do capital improvement and the people, the residents are living under deplorable conditions.

Let's talk about that.

Where's the quality assurance over all of these things to ensure that capital improvement is being done?

And that the residents aren't suffering.

Georgia King village, all these that's private.

Let me go back to the senior building, 1060 broad, and a number of other ones.

And what the BA needs to start doing is coming up here explaining how he's gonna get us out of the hole.

Instead of giving all of the the developers that donate to your campaign, let's talk about that to get special perks and conditions while we the residents of this city are suffering, Mr.

BA.

Good afternoon, Alif Mohammed.

Um the mayor finally confessed that the AMI is bad.

So if you look at this deal, this deal is horrible.

You got 80% AMI, you got 60% AMI.

Miles Berger showed you how to do it.

So my brother, Kelly, this is your ward.

Correct it now.

You don't have to wait for the city to change it.

You could just start demanding, hey, it gotta be no more than 20 to 50%, just like Miles Berger did it.

You don't have to go in and say, Oh, we gotta change it now.

We gotta make registration and all that.

You could do it now by on new development that's still sitting here.

And you could drop it down and say 20 to 50 percent.

Because this deal right here, it's got some 80 percent.

So uh man, this is gonna be a very expensive place.

So the mayor finally admitted it.

Felicia hollered about it for years.

Years the AMI is not right, the AMI is not right.

I think somebody said it's up to 130 something thousand now.

So you talk right?

Right?

So if you just talk, you talk 50%, you gotta make then there's 70.

I'm just you know, I was pretty good at math, but my mother owned the candy store.

So 70% or 60% is like, oh my god, you up to about uh 70,000 dollars.

70, 80,000 that you gotta live, that you gotta be in to live in these places.

Somebody said 40,000 or something like that.

No, they went up.

Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

But I think that's my problem.

I listen all the time.

You know, welcome, Mr.

President.

I'm glad you're here.

Thank Allah.

Anyway, it's a bad deal.

It's a bad deal, bruh.

You was whirling yesterday, you know.

She she lit a fire up under this councilman.

Even Pat was talking.

So what I'm saying, this is a bad deal.

This is just a bad deal.

60%, and they think you do Miles Burger, y'all call them all kinds of names.

Show the way.

And the Sissy, the city should set that example on any deals that you got coming up.

Hey, and you should be nice enough to write letters and see if the developers they got all these tall buildings that everybody think is affordable.

Would they change it?

Would they change it?

Thank you.

Well, I think Massalam.

This is straight nonsense.

And I don't know, Kelly, you might think you can do movies after you screw the pooch over here, and uh you don't have to uh be responsible for this.

The AMI was fudged.

Rasberacca in his election when he went down to the sports club, made an announcement, it was recorded that the AMI is wrong, that you're utilizing the Airbnb income folk that come through here to come and visitate and go to the prudential center, their income.

You have the sub letters that come through that these slumlords are uh charging $3300 a month, $3,600 a month, and you're utilizing their incomes.

They are not residents of Newark.

You have gone and you have usurped what the um the census indicated that the income is not even 30,000, it's not a hundred and eighteen thousand, so this is clearly not for black and brown people, the people who voted you and who you sit up there and that you're able to get the over 100,000 a year that you're paid for less than part-time work, and some of you don't have off, most of you don't have our office hours.

You don't answer your phones, and uh you have these new people coming in, they're gonna put you out.

You're not gonna be able to eat off of us for very much longer.

So I suggest that you go back and look.

This AMI is incorrect, and 80% of a hundred, what was it, a hundred, almost a hundred, and a hundred and twenty thousand, hundred and thirty thousand, is still nearly 50% more than what newarkers make.

So this is not for Newark residents.

There is a house in the ass crack of Newark that is near that uh uh studio that went for 1.8 million dollars.

Do you know what that means for the rest of the homeowners and the of the residents here that in order for them to make back on their 1.8 million dollars in this crappy house, they're gonna be charging 33, 36, 4,000 a month rent to the people coming in to do the movies who can afford that.

That pushes everybody sitting here looking at me right now out or sitting here watching this.

You do you have $4,000 a month?

This is ridiculous that you would even consider this.

So when I get off and sit down and nobody else comes up and say, what's it?

Yay, yay, yay, you're vote, yaying yourselves out of office, you're yaying yourself into an indictment.

She just got here.

Right.

Deborah Salters.

So you heard what was said, and it's interesting because yesterday Kelly was on fire talking about how is it that properties that are assessed for more is going for less than the West Ward.

Well, when that tour was being done in the West Ward last year, all these people that's not from here, but you're being showed properties and properties and properties.

So these deals being done again, and we talked about the mixed use.

Remember, we talked about that a year or two ago?

That was one of the things Gonzalez brought up a lot, but then he turned around and said, Yes, so it was counterproductive.

But the fact is the mixed use, we have a lot of spaces that are not being used.

We talked about perhaps we need to start talking to these developers about not making mixed use all the time.

We need more uh rental spaces, we need more housing than we need stores that are not being rented.

If you look at downtown New York, because these guys have come in like a wreck and ball, and they're charging so much for the rent today pushing the people out that have been here for 20, 30 years, all of my life.

It looks like a ghost town, and like we're in a third world country that been through a war, downtown North, because we have no businesses anymore, and the new ones that are coming in are the shishi, you know, niche poo-poo businesses.

Like, where's all of our shopping and things like this?

But yet, you say yes to every development that has mixed use, but when you go by there, there's nobody in the storefronts because the rent is too high, and the people that were here were pushed out.

What about the set-asides that we had years ago for the minority businesses?

Which was like 30%.

So, what is the incentive for these people to do the right thing when they come here and bully you all and tell you what they are and are not going to do, and they continually get away with it.

And listen, I understand that we come up here for the formality of it.

The deals have been made on the golf course or in the cigar lounge or outside on the corner before we get here.

But at some point, you all who say that you work for we, the people are going to have to stand up and exhibit some courage so that we can take our city back.

Otherwise, you're continuing to show us that this is counterproductive.

Well, we come here because we actually care.

We take our time out because this is our city that we're being pushed out of.

This is terrible.

And this goes into what I said before.

It's as if someone told you that a bad deal is better than no deal at all.

Where in the world does that make sense?

It doesn't.

So why would you vote yes on this?

If you do, it makes no sense.

But we've been saying this.

When are you going to do something to change it?

Any other speakers?

Adam Clerk, seeing other speakers.

Oh, yes, one more speaker.

Sorry.

Peace and blessings.

My name is Moussa Alame.

My concern about any development that's going on in the West Ward and Norfolk in general is that the employment that's been that's been gained off those represents the New York residents.

I want to make sure that if this development is coming on and they're getting whatever tax abatement, what representation do we Norkers have, and more specifically, black Americans?

Peace.

Yes, we can also.

Well, my concern is more so not for an order ordinance per se for tax abatement, is more so for booting license.

So I work for RTB Park and Boot Enforcement.

I stick to the ordinance.

Do you care about making New Yorkers homeless?

That's that's what I'm thinking about.

I'm listening, I'm reading this, and I'm saying, do you care about Newark residents and how this is in how this is affecting us?

Councilman Kelly, I just had one of my neighbors who went through some issues, Hispanic sister, and I referred her to you.

She said that you helped her, but the slum lord was trying to get money from her.

So my issue is the bottom line.

How do we feel about Newark residents?

That's the bottom line.

Do you care?

Because if you care, you wouldn't be doing this unless it's going to help us.

You know the issues that we're having here.

We're having some serious issues.

So let's do something that's going to help the residents when we make these decisions.

If it's not, we're the ethics that we're thinking about, if we're thinking.

How are we going to help our residents?

Get employment, get housing, because the rent is ridiculous.

And many cannot afford it.

So that means that you're helping New York residents to become homeless.

She didn't know with the speakers.

Bay.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Crump.

Yes.

Jackson.

No with an explanation.

No with an explanation.

Yesterday we discussed changing this AMI.

And because this is a new building, and so are the rest of them.

We discussed the income guidelines that too many in this community didn't understand back in 2017 when everybody was clapping for affordable housing.

I wasn't.

Because I knew the income guidelines then outpaced all of us.

And so it's only till recently that we realized that this city set the income guidelines from 89.5 to 135,000.

We didn't know this eight years ago.

I did, but we didn't.

And now we're in a housing crisis.

A housing crisis.

And we have got to do a change now.

I know yesterday I asked.

I know I have to stand on this.

This is in the West War, and God knows we need housing.

This is not an indictment, uh, Councilman Kelly against you personally.

But this city cannot continue with 400 families a day and that landlord tenant court and 200 of them being evicted to continue to erect housing that we are not eligible for.

Unfortunately, in my closing, our community gets stuck on words.

And you guys thought the word affordable meant you could afford it.

And you stopped saying low income.

I never have stopped saying low income.

And I never will, because I understand that even $60,000 for a family in North right now is low income.

And even though we've seen some income gains, they are not enough.

So unfortunately, I have to vote no to this and other stuff until we change this AMI.

We cannot, the buildings downtown are not full.

They got many vacant units down there, and they don't take Section 8.

So people are at a loss right now.

So I have to unfortunately vote no because I know my neighbors and I know my family can't afford to move in that building.

Kelly.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Yes.

President Kintana.

Yes.

Um, Council President, Council members, if I may, just as a reminder of Robert Rules of Order.

As we're taking the vote, you can make the comments out of that.

Right.

What it was your first way.

Yes.

Why not?

Just for the records.

Okay.

Item E is an ordinance granting.

D.

I'm sorry.

D.

D.

I knew that.

Excuse me.

Item D is an ordinance granting a 20-year tax abatement to 518 South 16th Street, Urban Renewal LLC for a project located in the West Ward to construct a low-rise multifamily building.

Sponsored by Councilman Kelly.

Second by Councilwoman Scott Roundry.

Is there anyone wishing to be heard on this ordinance?

Yes, ma'am, Alif Mohammed.

Now this is a lot better.

This one is 30%.

But like you were talking about yesterday, who's gonna make sure they're complying with it.

Somebody said it's a deed or something like that.

And then I believe somebody said it was two people in the office to comply about the whole North on different things.

So this is a lot better, 30%.

But who's gonna comply?

And um Ramos and uh Mr.

President, you guys are the historians here.

Somebody said, or Allison makes up all the history that revert was the first time it happened with uh with Ros Baraka.

Shit, I remember Corey Booker, I was on UCC board, took back 400 lots from us.

Mash it Muhammad.

400 lots were taken back.

They always have reverted, but she makes up our own situation.

But you historians need to tell these people, don't let people just say anything.

We always had the 18-month revered, but this is a better deal.

You know, but I I'm relying on you historians to say it because you guys been there.

These other people don't know.

You know, but I remember they took back a lot of lots because Sharp was giving 400 lots and stuff to developers, and only developers that really worked out was the Portuguese guys down in uh neck.

They did their thing, mostly all these things that you see up here.

So this is a better deal of 30%, but it makes sense, and you don't have to wait to change it.

You could demand this now or go somewhere else, and they're not gonna go nowhere else.

When they go back to Jerry City, we're gonna go back to Hoboken.

They damn sure ain't coming back to New York.

And in a minute, East Arms is gonna start just up there too.

It's $2,700, $3,000 to want South Harrison.

So where are they gonna go?

You got them by the testicles.

You know, I didn't say the other thing, Mr.

President.

You know, so you can make your own deal.

You don't have to change the rule.

You could demand for no more of these deals now, unless they be like Miles Berger that everybody talked bad about things he didn't.

But let's talk good when he did something good.

20, 50 percent.

You want to do business in North?

20 to 50 percent.

Thank you.

Better is not good.

That's a little bit better than the atrocity that you just voted for.

But it's still not enough.

It's a drop in the bucket.

According to the climb report, we need 17,000 units of housing.

But since 1996, you have raised over 100,000 units.

The high rises are so bad.

People can't live in Print Street projects.

It's so bad.

And then you build another project.

You've been fighting, silver been fighting for the project at Iberia.

Another high rise, another empty high rise because the New Yorkers move in, they lose their jobs, they move out, the buildings are vacant because nobody can afford them.

The AMI, the average median income.

That means how much you make is a portionment of the rent you pay.

It's like a section eight for everybody.

So it's you're you make so much money, and that's what your rent is charged.

But nobody's making that income, so you don't get in the building.

They're not saying what you gotta have.

You have to have 30, 60,000 in the bank to qualify for the apartment.

Nobody is paying attention to that.

And then you're talking and saying things over people's heads, and they're not getting it.

And then you're like, well, we're not concerned about the people in the periphery, the ones that ambulate and come down here to uh city council and make complaints because you have your uh uh uh hostage voting stock in the senior buildings where you go and you threaten them into voting for you and bring uh uh jitnees over there to pick them up to bring them down to vote.

So you're not concerned about what we're saying, but you should be concerned, Ramos.

You are the director of welfare for Essex County.

You're increasing the people who are now gonna need those roles because they're gonna be put out.

None of you said anything about when Ms.

Bay brought those homeless people before you, a working mother who's living in her car, because you keep voting for things where they can't live.

I have an increase of homeless people, base heads, crackheads, itinerants, vagrants in my neighborhood because there's no place for them to live.

You keep closing down public housing, then you let public housing go to rot.

You put in that rad or something like that, where uh it's managed off site, and these management companies are a bunch of pimps and they're stealing from the people and not doing anything for the public housing.

No more abatements, no more nonsense developments.

The other should be good.

Once again, I'm gonna talk about the 20-year tax abatement, and none of these new developers should be given 20 years.

Why aren't you starting them at five years?

Why is that not the issue when it used to be done?

Ever since this administration came to office 13 years ago, this has been a ballooning of tax abatements.

You got the Halo building sitting over there 25 years tax abatement that's not even in compliance with your guidelines, and you haven't rescinded it.

They owe millions in taxes, never paid land, or they paid land, but delinquent in it, never paid assessment.

That buildings collecting dust, structurally unsound.

Let's talk about who these developers are that live in other countries, other municipalities, other states.

Nothing to have for the residents that reinvest that's gonna live here.

Why is it there a limitation on your favorite developers that they don't have to provide sufficient parking?

Let's talk about that for a minute.

And no place in this city that you could do municipal parking that's at a rate that people can afford, nor are we collecting revenues from parking meters and tickets.

This has a domino effect on everything here, and the fact that on all of these units, they're making the bedrooms like a closet.

But these developers don't live in a closet for a bedroom.

The square footage is disgraceful.

And yet, time and time again, no one that's doing these developments care about the residents here.

The bottom line is their bottom line.

How much profit they're gonna be making and creating general generational wealth for their families, but you haven't created general wealth for the residents here.

What you look like?

I'm talking pack counsel and the rest of you that's not paying attention.

Disrespectful.

At the end of the day, y'all all got paid in your in your coffers, your campaign coffers.

And we see the result of that at the plan and board and everything that got approved after the election.

Y'all are disgraceful.

You are supposed to be the gatekeepers to represent us.

Start doing your job.

Deborah Salters.

How you live in?

How you living?

Noorcas.

How you live in?

Council folk, how you live in.

You know, I saw today, and I see it every day.

Um people in the city who now have made their beds outside of where I live.

One on one side, cardboard boxes under them, another one on top.

These are new faces.

These are not the regular faces.

That's out of here.

We have the working homeless out here who are living in their cars.

They go to a job, come back, had to put their stuff in storage.

Some people don't have storage.

Because they can no longer afford this.

But you all know this.

We've been talking about this for years.

Um you passed the ordinance that would allow uh landlords to raise the rent up to four or five percent per year.

Some have tried to raise a 6.4% and above.

So the question is that we always ask who is enforcing, because that was one of the issues that were brought up in a pre-meeting yesterday.

Uh Ramos found out that a property that was sold was flipped four or five times.

Nobody's watching the candy store.

These people get these abatements and then they do what they want, but now it's no longer the city's property, so now you're on the other side looking at them mad, like Allison said, she was really upset when she found out they did this, this, and this.

But what are you doing to enforce the things that you said you put in place?

But again, we're being displaced off of deals that are being made and things that you're saying yes to, and the only ones benefiting, and they should not be, are the ones who you allowed to make the deal.

No one's enforcing it.

No task forces out there, and you'll probably do it because I'm saying it now, no task forces out there with a sledgehammer making these people do the right thing.

And you make these deals like you like she said, well, it's nothing we can do.

I mean, when we made the agreement, uh, they you know, they they turned around and did something else.

But now we all we can do now is is what round tree brought up clean and lean, absolutely.

That way they can't flip it.

But you all are not doing anything that benefits we the people.

Where's the legislation that is going to allow us to live in the city where our blood, sweat and tears and our mothers and fathers and grandparents, our ancestors, blood, sweat and tears.

We're here when nobody else was.

Yes, administrator.

Good afternoon, Council President, Council members, Eric Pennington, business administrator.

Just for all of the um abatements that are before council today.

I think that there are some general issues that should be brought forward.

One is that every abatement that uh is in front of the council today has gone in front of the city council tax abatement committee, where there is a fairly rigorous assessment of whether or not the tax abatement should move forward.

The council members uh make up that committee along with certain members of the administration, and they vet these applications to make sure that the residents of the city are not taken advantage of, to make sure that the inclusionary zoning ordinance is complied with, to make sure that the City of Newark residents have the first chance to uh uh to qualify for those uh apartments that are part of the inclusionary zoning ordinance.

Uh the administration uh person who is most responsible for putting forward uh the concerns of the mayor is Alison Ladd and her team.

They do an outstanding job in making sure that the internal rate of return is appropriate, that the information that is provided to the council through that committee uh satisfies the requirements of every tax abatement that goes forward, and that this full council uh I believe relies upon its tax abatement committee to get the information it needs to assess these applications and uh to vote on them.

Uh we recognize that uh council member at large Jackson is new to the council and may not have been privy to that information before now.

So to the extent she needs to abstain, I think it's uh fine.

The the information that she provides may not be as accurate as uh uh the information that other people have because she hasn't been privy to it.

Um I've getting comments from some of the people in the audience suggesting that I'm giving councilwoman Jackson the right to abstain or say what she wants to abstain.

I'm not giving her permission one way or the other.

She has to vote her conscience to do the things that she wants to do.

I want to make sure that she and all the other council members and the residents out here are aware of the information that we have and what the process is before the uh tax abatements come uh before this city council.

Uh if there are any specific questions with respect to this uh abatement or others, uh we'll answer them.

One of the final point is the issue that was brought up about the the uh the AMI, the area median income, uh pursuant to the direction of Mayor Baraka, which we discussed yesterday.

We are reviewing now through economic and housing development, changing the AMI that is applicable to these projects so they are more favorable for the residents of the city of Norwork, and we expect that this will be before the council within uh uh the short term uh and that's the information that is applicable to every tax abatement that goes before this committee, and I think you have sufficient information uh to vote on it, and you'll vote on it based on what you think is in the best interest of the residents of the city.

Thank you, thank you.

Roll call call, yes, council, yes, Crump, yes, Jackson, yes, Kelly, yes, Ramos, yes, Scott Roundtree, yes, Silva, yes.

President Quintana, yes.

E is an ordinance granting a 25-year tax abatement to Conciago Homes Urban Renewal LLC for a project located in the North Ward to construct a new five-story residential building, sponsored by councilman Ramos, second by councilwoman Scott Roundtree.

Is there anyone wishing to be heard on this ordinance?

Alif Mohammed.

Um, that was some BS that he just got up and said.

The FBI say you're political.

I didn't say it.

Your FBI said the deals are made here political.

I this ain't Alice saying it.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation say you in the pocket with somebody, you're gonna get a deal, you will get a friendly deal.

So let's cut the BS out.

This is better, but then it goes right back to 80%.

And really, 80% is a down low market rate.

You still paying market rate.

I don't know why I understand what y'all are trying to do with putting up apartments, but these people are not gonna afford it.

But there's no compliance.

There's no thing.

The person got up the other day and said there's no compliance.

Yeah, I have one person, now I got two.

So you gotta you have no compliance that these people are gonna do what they say do.

And these are business people, these aren't people of religion.

They swear on the Bible or the Quran.

These are business people.

They're gonna lie to hell with that, man.

You know, just like and and like Lisa said, it's so political that the lot across the street from my house.

Y'all voted no, no, no, and then at the election, you vote yes.

How do you get hung up in the hypocrisy?

That's why it's so good that she's up here.

She's gonna learn the rules, but you don't school her publicly.

That was she, you don't think she know what she's talking about?

She's been out here 30 years.

She ain't never been in.

She ain't never been in a New Jersey Supreme Court reprimanded.

You've been reprimanded by the New Jersey Supreme Court.

No.

You don't need to tell her.

She knows what she's doing.

She bright, she been out of here.

You ain't been out here.

It's embarrassing.

And y'all need to check him.

Because I will.

And it ain't physical, I'm talking about.

You know, I sue people.

Got one against you right now, don't I?

Thank you.

Any other speakers?

More nonsense.

Another 25-year-long term uh tax abatement.

And uh I was just surprised that you write poorly written deals.

So uh uh the uh deputy mayor comes up and goes, oh well they they they lied to us, and then we didn't because you wrote the deal wrong.

The mayor's private attorney who is our BA.

Uh, I don't know what law school he went to, but somebody needs to write these ordinances and these deals, these agreements better.

This is why they're able to flip.

How are they able to do that?

Because you wrote it wrong and they played you.

You got pimped like you're trying to pimp us.

Plain and simple.

This when if you don't want someone to sell the property, then they have to hold on to the property for 50 years without train changing ownership or reverts back to the city.

How long is that line?

That that's something you could just write.

If they don't agree to it, then they don't agree to it.

Nobody needs a 25 year abatement.

Senator Rice came up with the idea for abatements to lure developers to the city of Newark because nobody wanted to be here.

Nobody wanted to be in the ass crack, which is known as Newark.

Nobody wanted to be here, and you had to pay developers to come.

Now they're paying you to stay to pay you to have bad deals.

Poorly written deals.

You don't enforce code enforcement, you don't enforce sanitation, you don't enforce most of the uh uh laws that protect us and give us a quality of life.

Many of you don't live here in the city of Newark, so you're not concerned about the developers that come in that don't want to do right by the residents of the city of Newark.

So you think, oh, well, they're just standing up here talking, and no.

You have to be a prized.

I do it in the public forum, it's recorded, I write it down, I give it to you, and then we move later.

The same way Raz was very upset when the the Nazis came into his office and wanted uh information and uh uh just very upset that somebody called uh the Trump administration in.

Well, they're running the ordinance.

They don't want you ripping off the people because that's their job.

They want to rip off you can't you can't both all be stealing from us.

You gotta say you gotta talk about the city.

You're the only one who answers your phone and comes to work besides a round tree.

And Donna, I haven't called you yet, and uh Ramos, he don't come to um to the welfare department.

This is about abatements, it's a no, it's not necessary.

It was a tool.

Throw the tool out, it's rusty, it's not usable.

Next speaker.

20-year tax abatement.

There are developers here that haven't complied with community um agreements, benefit agreements.

You have for the last 10 years, had properties that wasn't accessible to Newark residents, only your cherry pick developers and the ones that you created over the years, and the ones that realize that they could get a sweetheart deal while the taxpayers, me flip the bill.

You have committees that you infiltrate with all your cherry pick people on these commissions.

Let's start with the planning board, the tax abatement committees that just cowtow and vote on whatever the administration puts forward.

No community engagement, even when people come to you to help us with our plight.

You haven't written the first piece of legislation on behalf of a resident in 12 years since this administration been in office.

And not one of you have come up with ideas to mobilize and create a real affordable housing for the community.

Every time the BA steps up here, he's giving with the protocol, the process, and everything else when his own math ain't mathing on our budget.

And yet we continue to give all the people, and I'ma say it again, shalom, people that live overseas and other parts of the state, everybody but the people that are here.

Allison lad for years.

Everybody asked her, where's the list of properties that Newarkers could invest in?

They could take stake in our communities.

Everybody here that you approving for this don't live here.

Not invested in here.

But yet the hard working people that invested that are retired, can't afford to stay here because you're gonna outprice us and property tax increase.

And it's not just Society Hill, Mr.

BA, it's University Estates Homeowners Association that was was one of the first to create a society hill that none of y'all give a damn about that when one of your developers was boring in the land, created a sinkhole that we got structural damage that the city's not addressing.

So don't tell us about what you got going on that protects and we could be engaged in when we have not been engaged at all, other speaker, Deborah Salter, so very basic, which is one of the things I talk about all the time, and the BA said that the tax abatement committee um met and vetted these folk um thoroughly.

Did you all correct the tax abatement committee?

Because remember, you weren't in compliance with the number of members that were supposed to be on the board to you know handle the situation.

So was that handled?

Those people can, you know, were those people put in place?

Um, because I normally get the email for the tax abatement meeting, but I haven't been getting them lately.

You haven't had any meetings.

Okay, so when so if you haven't had any meetings, then how were these people vetted?

Was this done a year ago or two?

You know, you know what I mean?

So something's not mathing, right?

So if you haven't had meetings, but they're vetted in the meetings, which meetings were they vetted in.

So I digress.

So let me go to this parking issue that I always talk about because in one of the last tax abatement meetings, my questions were about the parking.

You're building these edifices, you want five stories, 20 stories, however many stories you have.

But those of us who live in the city who are the umers who have problems parking now, when these people come here and they're not giving adequate parking.

So this started out with what 52 market rate residential, and then there's an 800 foot square foot gym, a lounge, um, and a seven 778 square foot gym.

So you got the lounge and the gym, and then you only have what was it, 31 rental parking spaces.

So if you have 52 market rate residential units, and with the breakdown, who are these 31 rental parking spaces going to with the amount of rent that is being charged, which is a mortgage to live in the city of Newark at this point, and you're not giving adequate parking to those who live here.

Where's the handicap parking?

Where's the parking for the residents?

Because again, you have 800 feet square lounge and 778 square foot gym, 31 rental parking spaces.

Where are the parking spaces for the residents who are going to live there?

Because now you're in conveniencing in the northward, the northward.

Ramos, do I have to say anything about the northward?

Double parking is just you have to tell the people the street is not for the this is not double parking.

Double parking everywhere.

Double, triple, quadruple.

However, they feel they park.

And we need more of this in the North Ward?

Where it takes you 20 minutes to get down five minute ride.

And those speaker, oh what's another speaker?

Sorry.

I just want to um add to all the good things that are being said that in the North Ward, the recreation site that's me underutilized, even though I know that's HUD.

Is there any way that in the negotiation for the abatements that you can negotiate a space for the undeserved children that exists there?

Um I'm talking about that space right across from where um uh Grafted Avenue projects used to be in the townhouses now.

There's a dance space in there, it's not being used at all.

And um, I don't know if that's something that you can consider adding into the talks and negotiations when it comes to the abatements that perhaps they can bring, just to add on to what they were saying.

I didn't hear anybody mentioned that.

Thank you.

Roll call roll.

Yes, council, yes, Crump.

Yes, Jackson, abstain Kelly, yes, Ramos, yes, Scott Roundtree, yes, Silva.

Yes, President King Thana.

Yes, Mr.

President, yes, Council Ramos.

Um, you know, I just want to state for the record that you know, our office was not involved in the negotiations as far as the particulars of the deal.

Uh, I do know where the site is.

This is Summer Avenue and May Street.

Uh, this uh building will go up in um an abandoned property that used to be a small supermarket in that neighborhood some years ago, and the owner of this actually bought a house next to it that was um a local chop shop where they were illegally um converting stolen vehicles.

So this was an eye sore for that neighborhood for a long time.

Um the the residents had an opportunity when this went before zoning to to object and raise questions about you know the density.

I do agree with Ms.

Salters.

I think you know, we live under a fallacy in North that people don't drive, and a lot of these projects are getting approved with with minimal parking, and that's that's uh a headache for everybody.

Um, but but as far as the location and the fact that this was an emerging neighborhood some years ago, you know, I think a project like this is gonna bring some value to to the Summer Avenue and May Street area, and I know that area well because you know, we've we've walked that area a lot, we've talked to the residents, and between the abandoned supermarket and the uh chop shop that was uh next door, it was creating a lot of headaches for the people that live there.

And there, by the way, there was one time there was a lot of gang uh activity in that area, stolen cars and abandoned cars, and uh that is the whole area as a historian.

That was the area almost where the 77 steps came by uh when the 77 steps were mom prosper came over to Avonton, and which there was so many uh homicides in that area, and to see what Council Ramos alludes to see the change, it really means something because as a person as a young person coming growing up in that area to coming down those 77 steps to see it what it is now uh to a change.

Uh I mean, cars were we were there one Sunday, and people were just uh taking stolen cars and just put them apart to see something that's productive.

I think it it's a change.

I think in terms of recreation, I I know that there are recreational uh things that council Ramos is working right now in the uh North Ward on Lower Broadway, I mean on Broadway, next to the Louise Munoz Marine School, the Elwood Park.

So there is some kind of recreation.

What you're saying is that we should encourage the with the tax payments that they do something in terms of set some parks and and I we agree with that.

Right.

Okay.

Thank you.

F is an ordinance amending stopping, standing, and parking by adding a new section entitled Limitation on Parking of Motor Vehicles by Certain Commercial Establishments, sponsored by Councilman Ramos, second by Councilman Silva.

Sponsored by Councilman Ramos, second by Councilman Silva.

Is there anyone wishing to be heard on this ordinance?

Mr.

President, it's Councilman before the speaker, so that I could just get two seconds to explain this if it's okay with you, Mr.

Mohammed.

So we we get a lot of complaints about, especially in residential neighborhoods where we have mechanic shops, auto body places, you know, many of these places were zones many, many years ago, and they create a lot of quality of life issues as it relates to parking.

You know, many times some of these shops are parking vehicles on city sidewalks.

So through this ordinance, we're um stiffening penalties, making sure that the regulations are real clear that they are not allowed to park vehicles that they're working on on city streets, on sidewalks.

It threatens the mechanic shops, auto body places, auto dealers, uh places with uh license revocation if they fail to comply.

And um that that's essentially what it does.

Okay, just wanted to put that on the record.

Uh this is a good idea.

Um what one particular spot on Fabian Place when you get off 78?

I don't know if y'all are familiar with that in the Southwoods, you know what I'm talking about with Autumn Track Trailers, just gonna reflect them.

Is it going it's not gonna bother them?

Well, this is because you because you know they block it off and stuff, man.

You know, and uh gentlemen in the Northwood gentlemen, we wasn't talking about the idea of the building, excuse me, ladies.

We weren't talking about the building.

We I I was in North when it was 440,000 now people.

We're not talking about that, we're talking about the AMI.

That's our problem.

I agree.

That's our problems.

We believe you guys are gonna do a good job, but we're talking about the AMI.

But I like this one.

Please vote for it.

Any other speakers?

I get what what Mr.

Mohammed was saying, okay, but I need to see this ordinance because your ordinances, just like your deals, are poorly written.

We have just like Ramos said, quadruple parking, parking on the sidewalk, illegal chop shops, where people are fixing their cars and dumping the chemicals into the storm drains or leaving the chemicals and bottles in front of residents' homes.

Okay, so this is something that you need to revise throughout the city of Newark about parking, period.

But I'd like to see what this is.

You have a blurb that's one, two, three, four, five, six lines long that says nothing.

So you're you're making uh an amendment, an ordinance, doing what?

Because I'll call the police now because last time I checked, uh triple parking and quadruple parking and parking across the sidewalk was illegal.

So you have fights.

I had a fight on Sunday, Sunday morning, to get in and out of my driveway because uh the illegal conversion that's overcrowded, which are auxiliary housing nonsense, uh, has so many people, they're running a construction company, uh recycling stealing enterprise, um, and now uh they're renting garage storage, so you have all of these different entities, these different businesses that you ain't getting no tax dollars from coming through and impinging, infringing upon uh the ownership of other people's property and people's uh parking spaces, and when I say a parking space, I'm talking about my driveway.

So I had to fight a business that shouldn't even be.

I live in a residential district, a residential zone.

Why is there seven construction companies and a recycling stealing enterprise?

Two of them, and then they come and offload the bottles that they've stolen from the city in my driveway.

The police don't show up.

They don't you need 14 hours for them to come.

So what is this ordinance?

Is it going to address that, Ramos?

Is it gonna address the people uh illegally parking in your driveway and blocking your driveway?

When my mother needed an ambulance to come and take her in an emergency, she had a stroke.

There was a fight to get close enough to the house because of double triple parking.

I have a driveway that someone had parked across.

So people's lives are in danger.

It's not just parking, it's not just convenience.

The question I have for you is enforcement.

Who's gonna do the enforcement?

Every time I try to drive down Ferry Street between the bus traffic, commercial traffic, it takes you at least 20 minutes to get from one from Penn Station to the other side of Ferry Street.

Every morning when school is in session, and now when it's in session, court is in section.

Um blocks a landlock through commercial entities in schools, that there's no enforcement, that if you don't leave the block between 6 and 6 30 in the morning, we got gridlocked to get in and out of our block all around the schools, the traffic on South Orange Avenue, 13th Avenue, and the surrounding areas that the residents that live there can't get in and out of our blocks, and that goes for peak morning hours and in the evening time.

So the question for you all is while you making all these amendments, who's gonna be the person to enforce it, and what revenues do you have for the enforcers to ensure that this doesn't happen, Deborah Salter?

So I see what this is about the commercial establishments and the parking, but that was gonna be my first thing.

Who's enforcing this, right?

So as we're coming into the chambers, we're greeted with the sergeant and four police officers.

Just what we need all this brass up in here for.

Like somebody gonna pull out something and just start spraying.

Like what?

We need them in the street.

Okay, we we need them in the street, and we have a sergeant up here who I had to talk about last time refused to take a police report.

But he's up here in the chamber.

What are we doing?

Um, so enforcement is important, so we can make all the ordinances we want.

We have ordinances on the book that are not being enforced.

This is important because I remember I was driving for um this trucking company some years ago, and they didn't want to come to Newark because they weren't allowed to park in Newark, so I had to go everywhere else but Newark.

Now they're parking all over the place.

The same company I didn't work for years ago, or I did work for, but had to go to every other city because North wasn't having it.

Now these truckers and everybody else is doing whatever they want.

So I agree with this ordinance, but at the same time that we're passing these types of ordinances for uh these folk, also with the the auto mechanic shops with their cars all over the place.

I agree with that, but who is enforcing it because they're not stopping it?

You understand?

So this language here is just language, it's not very specific, it's not targeting anything specific, right?

So we need specific words in these ordinances to target people so that when you say, okay, this is what it says, bam, I'm slapping you with an $800 fine.

Every day that you do this, this, and that, and it's inconvenience in the residents, you're getting hit with this amount of money for this, this, this, and this.

It's too ambiguous, okay?

And we need enforcement.

We don't need enforcement in the chambers or outside the chambers, a sergeant and four police officers or more on a regular, and it's a day meeting.

What is the problem?

We got enough going on outside.

We need these officers outside, not up here.

You know what's up here.

Like, you know what I'm saying?

Like, what are we doing?

Wasted resources.

As soon as I got up here, I start fussing.

Because it makes no sense.

Like we're just going to wild out and jump up there, snatch you off the day.

Come on, y'all.

I mean, no, let me stop.

But no, like, what are we doing?

Right?

An example of wasted resources.

But yet we have ordinances upon ordinances, amendments upon amendments with no enforcement.

But then regular citizens are targeted for stupid things.

Any other speakers?

Roll call.

Okay.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Crump.

Yes.

Jackson.

Um, yes.

Kelly?

Yes.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree?

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Kintana.

Yes.

Gee, is an ordinance authorizing amendments to the bylaws of Invest North?

Is there anyone wishing to be heard on this ordinance?

Yes, I'll leave Mohammed.

In the hope of transparency.

In the hope of transparency.

Shouldn't the bylaws be connected to it so people can see what they're talking about?

Just say bylaws because I still trying to figure out what Invest Norweg do.

I know they almost gave the mayor's best uh wife's best friend for the street.

Yeah, them close to I don't know.

A couple million dollars and stuff.

Y'all didn't know about that.

Oh, okay.

Yeah.

The wife's wife's uh best friend.

Invest Newark.

And then you ride downtown, you mean you say and and and you ride downtown, and all you see is empty stores with art.

That's crazy, man.

Whoever thought about hot.

And I remember in 68 and 69, I used to hang out in the village, so I know about the art and everything.

They used to let us drink at 15.

You know, the village, the green village.

So what I'm saying is, I understand the art thing, but it's art.

All Broad Street is all art.

It's empty stores.

What is Invest Norweg doing?

Don't puckle your lips up at me.

What is Invest Nork doing?

What are they doing?

I mean, what are they doing?

Are they they supposed to?

My understanding, they're supposed to bring business in Norway.

Exactly.

That they were gonna bring and make Newark alive.

Your main street is empty.

Oh my god, I remember as a kid, we used to have to hold my hand.

My I used to hate it too, because I thought I thought I was grown and walked through so many people downtown.

So what do they do in Invest Norweg?

But we you should ask for a little transparency to find out what's going on and stuff.

But I know about the money they gave to the African lady across the street.

That was public.

That was public and stuff, you know.

That's the mayor's best friend, wife's best friend.

Thank you.

I'm in agreement with Mr.

Mohammed.

The devil is in the details, and you always come up with um open-ended with nothing in between on what you're what you're amending.

Now let's talk about Invest Newark or quasi-governmental agency that's supposed to be contributing into the revenue streams to the city.

We got a classic example of the Nina Simone building that was born out of Invest Newark that I haven't seen a revenue stream come out of.

We are not getting anything from no revenues, and they're operating in a silo and yet collecting off of our resources when they're supposed to be giving us resources, a percentage.

So can somebody answer what Invest Newark is doing and what revenue we are collecting from Invest Norweg.

Kudos to the two people that just stood up here and said succinctly some of the issues with Invest Newark.

I took uh a woman uh who has a handicapped son to one of the Invest Newark uh uh selection of properties that she had a house that she was interested in.

They wanted $50 for her to register.

You register and you don't get the house, you don't get nothing.

So who is this invest for?

You had a Newarker with a handicapped child who needed housing, who came to Invest Newark and got no invest.

Got nothing.

I've attended many, many Invest Newark uh functions.

I don't know what they do.

I got some potato chips and a sprite.

I don't see any benefit.

Okay.

I need to make friends with the mayor's wife, so I can get 50 million dollars too.

I need an investment.

Anyone else here needs 50,000?

Anyone need uh what was it?

Five 50 million, Mr.

Mohammed.

Uh uh, anybody want the 50 million?

We all want 50 million.

Where's our we'll take and Deborah says she'll take two?

Where is our investment?

This is ridiculous.

And then you're amending what?

What are the bylaws?

What what is this thing supposed to be doing?

And what are you amending it to?

Because you could put a little codicil and and and and put it out there just like you had that blue piece of paper that has additional information, you could have told us what this amendment is for.

Because so far, none of us have gotten any investments out of Invest Newark, any any facilitation, and like Mr.

Mohammed said, all these empty stores going to waste, and then they have some artwork.

So I got some art.

I could put in an empty store.

Can I have 50 million then?

Is that what Invest Newark does?

Because I'm down for that.

And then I'll take my 50 million and invest it and actually build some affordable low, low-income housing for my neighbors who are sleeping on a front steps and hanging out at uh uh Stephen Crane because their bid their apartments are unlivable, and we have Ramos, the director of welfare right here.

Why is this happening?

Don't laugh counsel, you're just as culpable.

It ain't all on Ramos.

This is ridiculous.

Invest in what?

I'd like to see the language.

So I'm going to uh what what do another uh request that doesn't get fulfilled the other speakers?

Y'all turned it off?

Oh, okay.

How y'all doing, my steam body of legislators?

Um, yeah, Invest Newark.

The mayor has given me a number to call somebody in Invest Newark.

Y'all know I'm a licensed cosmetologist.

I have different programs, all that stuff.

I never ever was able to really connect with anybody in Invest Newark.

When you go down there, it's like going into the police department when you're trying to make a complaint on the offices, and they say the person that you need to deal with is not there.

And that been consistent.

And y'all know I need money.

Like last year when my husband was locked up, my slogan was help me out.

I don't want to sell or sell drugs, you know.

So I definitely would qualify for some coins from Invest Newark if they would actually sit down with me and tell me how I could qualify.

I'm born and raised here, I need money, and I stood up for this particular reason because a lot of times when I say things, people move like the needle get pushed.

So we definitely need some clarification about what Invest Newark actually done, and I will piggyback on.

I want my 50 million too.

50,000.

50,000.

50,000.

Whoa.

Great day, Newark again.

How you living?

So I mean, I've been asked several times.

Listen, Invest Newark.

What are we investing in?

Is it in Newark?

Um the directors have changed so many times.

I could go through the list of names, but why?

Um there have been business people who have tried to bring businesses to uh the city of Newark who have attempted to uh partner with Invest Newark to work with small businesses and minority businesses to no avail.

So the the speakers that just got up here um I mean it is what it is.

So if we're amending something, it it's like we always ask, even with the tax abatements or uh tax, what do you call it?

Um exemptions and all of those things, and we asked for the actual documentation.

So with InvestNork, I mean it would be helpful to see the bylaws.

I mean, let's say somewhere we need to go look it up.

But we shouldn't have to do that, it should be attached so that we can say, oh, this is what they're amending.

Okay, that makes sense, or it doesn't make sense, and why is it here and why are we wasting time on it?

But that's not what we have, and it's the same thing we've been asking you about.

We've been attempting to work with you all, you know, um to get things done, but we can only do as much as you will do.

And so we're asking.

Investnork, is there someone here from InvestNork?

If you can get up here and just read your bylaws or have your say, and like I'm glad that Ramos did what he did before you speak, Mr.

Ali.

Let me let me let me have a few words.

I'm explaining this a little bit.

That's all we're asking for.

I don't like to waste words.

So if you can explain it, I won't even have to get up here and talk.

You know what I mean?

It's not it's it just make it make sense, is all we're asking.

And Invest Norc has received a lot of money.

The only thing we know about that came from InvestNork is this land bank that we have not benefited from.

So I don't know.

Help me understand.

Treat me like a fourth grader and break it down.

Not today's fourth grader, though.

I need you to go back old school and like actually teach something, break it down so I can understand what's going on.

That's all we're asking for.

Transparency, you know, reading is fundamental, but comprehension is essential.

We need that to piggyback here.

Um, before you rubber stamp this, do you guys know what these bylaws are?

If you don't, don't vote on it.

If you do, please explain it to us before you rubber stamp it.

Thank you.

Michael Louis.

Uh good afternoon, Council President, Council members.

So essentially, um, it's two parts of this dialogue.

Uh, the first thing is that you know the council members have been, what I understand, received a copy of the changes to the bylaws.

I know that was a request maybe about a week or so ago, so I believe everyone received it prayerfully.

I see people saying yes, so I think it's appropriate for you all to at least uh provide any intel that you want.

Uh I do have um Andrea Mason here from InvestNork, who can also shed light.

Uh, the deputy director, Allison Ladd will also go through the details of the amendment.

Um, I also think it's important.

I don't I don't think it's fair for us to sit here and let folks talk about InvestNork as if they don't do a good job, right?

Like we we have heard uh a number of praises from people, small businesses throughout the years that I've been here, actually, of folks who come to this podium and praise Investnorp for helping them through the process.

Uh and and it even goes further back from the last service line process, but that replacement process, a number of those vendors actually got their startup through the lead service line, and they're doing it throughout the state.

Um we we do know that when it comes to InvestNork, they help people uh when it comes to getting their paperwork right, they help people when it comes to uh getting their businesses open when it comes to some of these different restaurants that we have throughout the city.

Um there's a number of investors who've gone through that process.

Uh as a matter of fact, they actually participate in the men's meeting that happens, and I know there's a men's meeting, I think next week, where those folks are also there helping people through the process.

Um, as I said, I uh I did hear some comments about um a uh comment about they're calling it the mayor's the mayor's wife's friend, which I think is just wrong.

Uh and what I will say is that the young lady that they're talking about has been a developer way before she knew the mayor.

The unfortunate part about these comments is we all know that this young lady has had businesses in Irvington and Patterson and Passake and Maplewood and Norc as well.

We also know that the project that they're talking about across the street, in which she is a co-developer on, is involved with all three or four of the businesses, including IHOP and the other restaurants that across the street where Norkers work.

People from this community work at that location.

As a matter of fact, she came into the office the other day and talked about how proud she was about the fact that she can hire people from this community.

I'm sorry.

And you're speaking.

And it's correct for you to listen to you know, it's disrespectful to speak over to someone.

Continue.

I appreciate it.

I also think it's important the fact that they were able to develop a project across the street where people from people who work in this building, people who work throughout the city, live across the street.

And I mean, I can tell you that the beautiful the building is beautiful.

Uh is there is no doubt about it that no one in this space here cannot say they're not proud of the development across the street, that a young lady, a woman of color, who has come up in the ranks and is now known nationally for the work that she does.

And to sit here and say that she got this because of her relationship of someone who she knows is wrong.

And we know what's wrong.

We know what's wrong.

We talk about the fact that we want people of color, women to have an opportunity to develop, and she happens to be one of the people who are doing it well.

And as a matter of fact, I would tell you that she also bragged about the fact a few months ago about the fact that she's willing to help anybody else who wants to learn the business.

Now, what I will do is give Director Ladd an opportunity to talk about the details of the Invest Nork uh ordinance right now.

Deputy Mayor Hi, uh good afternoon, Allison Ladd, Director of Economic and Housing Development.

Uh there are um, as the corporation council stated, we did provide additional details, I know to the council uh about the Invest Newark bylaw changes.

The summary of them, which would be um probably helpful for the public, is one uh board composition.

Uh, there was a clarification that the board of directors is five to nine members, and that the mayor and the council does the nominees.

Um the second was that the terms there are no term limit term limits for ex-officio um members.

Um then there is also open public meetings.

Uh, wanted to ensure that they're following the open public meetings act and with notices and that anyone can participate.

Um, just a note on that the meetings are held by Zoom, so they are um easily accessible.

Um, next that there's an officers and succession plan uh to allow for um succession within the organization.

Uh the next one is the standing committees, and that there will be an audit committee, uh finance committee, um, and they will report to the full board.

And so that's a summary of the changes um of the bylaws that were presented for your consideration.

Thank you.

So much.

Thank you.

Any other question?

Councilwoman Bay.

Uh thank you, Council President.

I want to uh thank Deputy Mayor for uh giving us that explanation, and also to corporation council's uh point, which I appreciate that I know for a fact in the Central Ward, there have been several new businesses opened by black and brown people, specifically several from uh black women that were open that have been assisted by Best North.

We have Earth, um, we have the new spa on uh Center Street, we have Harlem Cycle on Halsey Street.

There's been several um businesses opened, and also corporation council mentioned the men's meeting.

We also have a women's meeting, uh, councilwoman uh Scott Rowtree and I, along with the first lady and others, and the administration hosts uh women's meeting in Invest Nork has been there on multiple occasions providing information to people step by step how to open up a business, how to uh put together a business plan, how to apply for funding for their businesses.

So there are tangible, measurable uh things that InvestNork has done to help uh Norkers in this community to become entrepreneurs and to expand their business opportunities.

So I just wanted to put that on the record, Council.

I just want to piggyback, thank you, Council President, on what um everyone is saying about Invest New York.

I think some of the issues might be connecting the dots.

So if there's a problem and you reach out to Invest Nord, people have called me and said I've had some of the issues that some of you are stating, and I will call an Andrea Mason or I'll call a Marcus Rudolph and say, listen, they have this available, and they will say what they can do, even up to bobbing them about the land bank and the properties that are available for people who are looking for buildings, people who are looking for lots, people who are looking to invest.

So there is an issue, I believe, with maybe we are not aware of maybe how we can connect those dots.

And Earth and Manny, and as Councilwoman Behe has stated, there are many.

We we talk about other nationalities opening up businesses here in the city of North.

Well, there are a lot of the people that look like all of you in this room that are also opening up businesses, and many of them have stated that you can contact them, they will help you, they will see what they can do.

Now, the young lady that just came up, it's about the cosmetology.

We have a conversation about that because we know your work, and I'm sure that because Andrea Mason is sitting in the audience, that she will have a conversation with you, and you don't have to go there asking, can I see somebody and can't put in your request because it's on record and they're in the house.

So once it's made known, but here again, invest new work, we can't have it, complain about what we don't have, and people are doing it, so it's almost like a knock to the young women and men that are of color that are opening up businesses and hiring Norkers to work in there.

It's like, what are you saying about them when you say that we are not doing that type of work?

So I do want to just add to everything that everyone has said about Invest North and with everything that you have to say about them that you're not happy with as a resident, and you need information, it is open record.

Someone will give you the information, and I am a big big advocate of sitting here having people.

I'm not a lawyer, nor am I an accountant, so I'll never try to legally advise anyone.

But if Invest North is in the house and they need to explain it, then they will come up to the microphone and have a conversation.

Miss Mason is ready to come to the mic.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you.

Name.

Good afternoon, Council members.

You state your name for the record.

Andrea Mason, Invest Nork.

Thank you.

So good afternoon, everyone, and I appreciate those comments that were made.

Of course, all of them being incorrect and inconsistent with uh what we do over at InvestNork.

So I as folks were speaking, I did take the opportunity to write down a few notes.

So I'm going to be reading from my notes.

So regarding the bylaws, um, InvestNork's bylaws hadn't been amended in 11 years.

So we're just trying to become current with what's going on with other nonprofits, well, as it compares to other nonprofits, and uh the primarily the updates reflect the work that InvestNork is during doing with the city.

Um, that allows us to also respond faster to business requests.

These bylaws have already been approved by our board as well as have been reviewed by the law department.

Um, as Deputy Mayor mentioned, the supporting documents were sent um as late as yesterday, but they've been sent over the last couple months several times.

Deputy Mayor also mentioned that the um some of the main changes that you probably would want to hear about.

The finance directors now added to our board as required by the land bank ordinance.

There are term limits on board members not appointed by the mayor, um, and that would be like a tenure max.

We are subject to the open public records meetings act, and regarding Invest Nork as an organization, the nonprofit CDC of the City of Nork, which I'm assuming, and what I'm hearing from the public you don't know about, which means you haven't actually gone to the website.

I pride myself on being honest and transparent in all my doings, as I was when in my um past position.

So InvestNork primarily focuses.

We have three public-facing um departments, small small business development, real estate development, and then we also have a lending arm.

And I'm um I should be facing forward, right?

Not who should I be addressing?

Because I'm like excuse me.

Okay.

So excuse me, I'm not sure.

So excuse me, I'm out of order, and that you're you were given an opportunity to speak.

It's not going back and forth.

No, no, no.

Sure, you're out of order.

You're out of order.

She's speaking.

You had your time to speak.

I applaud.

You had your time to speak.

You have to let her finish.

You had your time to speak.

It is appropriate for you to listen to the speaker.

Listen to you prior.

Thank you.

Council President, that was my fault.

I apologize.

I was asking a question.

Who should I be directing the responses to?

And it's to you out.

To the governing body.

I I didn't realize that's why I was sort of turned around and speaking.

Mr.

President.

Yes, counselor.

Let me make a suggestion.

I think we're getting more information than what's on the um the ordinance requests.

And I think at some point we should have investment or come in, uh, do a very detailed presentation, go over all the loans that they've given out, you know, or how many of those businesses are are still open or where are these loans going by ward, you know, how many businesses in the northward have invested have uh benefited from their investment.

But I don't think today's uh work the time to go through all that.

Council Ray Moves alluded to.

Can we call for a meeting of presentation on a given day so that also the public can come and listen to the whole presentation?

I'm happy to oblige.

Sure.

Thank you.

Next week.

It did good.

Not next week.

Somebody said next week, not next week.

It did good.

Roll calling.

Next special.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Crump.

Yes.

Jackson.

Abstain.

Kelly.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Kintana.

Yes.

With the next special.

Right.

Yes.

A invitation.

So the public would know that at a pre, there will be these first the presentation will be done.

And there'll be some questions.

Thank you.

Yes, Council President.

Allow me to uh just add three words for my abstention.

Um, I am well aware of what I need to do up here.

Be clear about that.

I do not have a copy because I was not here at the time.

So Donna Jackson is not voting on anything that I haven't been presented with.

So let's be clear.

I know what my job is.

I know what I'm supposed to do.

I understand everybody's concern, but I'm well aware of what is going on.

If it's not in front of me, I'm not voting on it.

There's no need for any other comment here, there, out in social media land, because Donna's gonna continue to be Donna, and I'm not gonna answer if it's not in front of me.

There's no pressure from any council colleague, no pressure from Mr.

Pennington, Mr.

Um.

Thank you so much.

I was gonna change the name Mr.

Stewart.

Um, no pressure.

It's it's me, right?

So if it's not in front of me to the peanut gallery out there in social media world as well, I'm not gonna vote on it, and nobody's gonna make me because it's not in front of me.

Now, when I have the data my colleagues have, you're gonna hear me.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

Next H is an ordinance establishing the accessory dwelling unit assistance program and authorizing the use of federal pro housing grant funds.

Is there anyone wishing to be heard on this ordinance?

Alif Mohammed in uh Mr.

President, you definitely gonna monitor me.

The Kenyatta, you know better than coming at me.

The woman only owned five percent of the building over there, she's a front.

The FBI says she takes drug money.

If somebody came to me saying, could I lighten up on her?

So don't mess with me.

All right, now please don't mess with me.

Plus, I was in the housing authority, so you know I know the real deal.

Okay, this four million dollars instead of us taking the big houses and making better.

Why can't we take the four million dollars that we have and build 15 modular houses?

Y'all know what modulous houses they home they made already and they come in.

You could build, they used to call them uh um what they used to call them, but it's they're they're actually called modulus with two families, and then we can sell those houses on the empty lots that we have instead of dropping four million dollars in somebody's backyard, and then sell those houses or rent them to the neighborhood instead of dropping four million dollars in somebody's house that probably is worth about a million dollars now because most of the houses back there in uh Forest Hills is doing pretty good.

So, what I'm saying is instead of spending four million dollars on that, how do you say helping the rich with the rich?

Why don't we make sense of that four million dollars and take it and take some of these empty lots that we're giving away and put a modular house on them, two families or one three bedrooms, one family makes sense.

We can rent them out the people with low income, or we could sell it.

And Andrea, she's you to join, you know.

I don't have no problem out here.

You know, she's wonderful.

But uh, please, Kiada, you my God, don't come at me.

You ain't ready for this, bruh.

The FBI says she takes drug money, and I know and mean you could go down there and convince with a drugstore, FBI card.

I know you you can't, we can't talk about it.

You can't do with the thought that you're gonna monitor me.

I'm gonna still got it.

I'm gonna take the monitor.

I know whether the FBI or whatever that has nothing to do with the city.

Well, he didn't want to jump up to them.

I don't even know what I was talking about.

We should just stick to the ordinance.

Well, you should tell him that.

You should tell him that.

She only owned five percent of the deal over there.

I'm done.

But I'll take your monument.

I will abide by your rules.

Okay, you welcome okay.

This accessory unit nonsense.

I was wondering why the mayor jumped all over this.

The accessory unit concept came about by the former governor who um intended this for Princeton Junction, uh Colt's neck, and other uh parts of the state that have estate sized lots.

There are no estate size lots available here in the city of Newark.

You have people who have shanties, lean twos built in their backyards where they're uh housing the immigrants that don't have paperwork.

That's what these these units are.

You have people digging out their basements and shoving people down in there, digging like if it if they're trying to find um El Chapo, they're digging holes, and and now the new thing is building units on top of already old established houses, homes that were built in the 1920s, in the 18 late 18 uh hundreds, early 1900s, and you're building without inspection.

There's no certificate of occupancy, there's no investigation, no code enforcement, no uh uh uh construction code uh being utilized.

Uh the the prudential, no, the Pfizer building in New York City had a collapse because they were trying to build additional housing units, and I'm pretty sure that the Pfizer building is built better than most of the buildings on North Fifth and North 7th Street, but you have people digging out the foundations, putting people underneath, digging out the roofs, and putting them on top of the roofs.

This ordinance allows for that, and now you want to utilize federal housing funds so that grandma can live in a shack in the back of the house like a dog.

Who wants that?

And we we already have overcrowding.

I just told you about the fight for parking.

These are already established buildings, they don't have parking.

They're old, and you're digging them out underground, and you're building on top of them.

Now, let's build something in the backyard too.

What is wrong with you people?

I know most of you don't live here, but the few that do contina Ramos.

Like, do you care about any of the people in the community that vote for you?

This is why you're here.

Nobody wants to live in a house in a backyard like a dog.

Once again, using federal.

I'm sorry.

Take your name for the record.

Oh, Lisa Parker.

Once again, using um grant funds to supplement your developers of choice.

There was there was uh uh uh a property in the South Ward that the person said that they were expanding their car port, their driveway.

They turned around and converted it into a building that they were selling for almost one million dollars that you had no oversight over and allowed them to do it.

And I got the paperwork, so don't question me on it because I bought it here.

Once again, this is another way for developers and people that have land to expand on it to make money.

This is another way for those people that are getting properties through tax sales, and we know who they are to expand and develop to put properties there that they could charge rent on.

At the end of the day, when are y'all gonna use resources to really enrich and build and secure our communities that's already established?

Because this isn't in it.

This is another way for developers to benefit, and for property owners to expand to do more development so they could enrich themselves at the end of the day, y'all need to start working for us with all of the grants that come in here that's not being utilized in the appropriate fashion, and we've seen enough of those grants that doesn't manifest to the improvement and the betterment of our people.

Why do you continue to allow these people to have loopholes?

And thanks for mentioning that because in that development across the street, the average newer worker only made $17 an hour versus their counterparts that were white that made double that.

So let's stop pretending, and I got the paperwork on it from DOL.

So you could challenge me all you want.

I'm coming with receipts.

Stop with the nonsense.

So yesterday when Allison Latt came up, and I believe she said this was from 23 to 4 million.

I was like, oh, wow.

So we've had this money, like I said earlier, we've had this money, and I remember um when the ADU thing came up, uh, it was voted on about a year ago.

And you know, so I see people all over this city that are building no permits, no one's overseeing it, there's no uh OSHA requirements being handled.

I'm taking videos and like, okay, this is what what's happening here.

Not one time has anyone rolled up on them to uh ask for paperwork or to ask them what they were doing, and this is happening, but we have four million dollars.

So yesterday, Donna asked a very specific question, which was my question as well.

And you also you all need to have someone monitoring the chat so you can answer those questions because they're also very good questions, but because people are working and watching.

This is why we need to go to evening meetings because people want to be here, but they're working.

So the question was asked, how much does it cost?

I think Ramos brought that up.

But the point is, how much does it cost to build an ADU dwelling?

We have four million.

So if we're doling this money out to people, she's like, oh, there are requirements, but then was asked.

Well, do you know how much?

Uh yo, y'all had Allison's, and I'm saying y'all, I'm saying it correctly, had her stuttering yesterday.

I said, Oh my.

First time.

But anyway, she had no answer for you.

She said she would have to ask someone who has illegally built one to, or I think that was Rampshire to find out because you have you don't know.

So if you don't know how much it costs to build an actual legal ABU, how do you know how much of this 4 million you're gonna be doling out to people?

And who are the people that are gonna be receiving this $4 million?

And we have no space.

We don't have estates around here in Newark.

You're building on top of us, on top of us, on top of us.

So let's put this here.

We got a space.

Let's put this here.

We got space, let's put another five-story, let's put a 25-story over here.

Well, can we get eight stories?

There's no room.

So we have people already with people living in their garages or like was told you.

This is what we're seeing and videoing and taking pictures of illegally throughout the city.

And it it uh encroaches upon our living conditions because now you've added more people, more noise, more cars illegally to our our quality of life.

So we're our enforcers for that because she said, Oh, you've been doing walks through the city, and we saw some and we shut them down.

But the ones you haven't seen are still active.

But again, how are you gauging this money being given to people who are building ADUs?

And why do they need to build that with four million instead of building housing?

Any other speakers.

I don't care, she didn't know the speakers.

Okay.

Councilwoman.

Yes.

So yesterday, um, thank you, Council President.

I believe uh Deputy Mayor Allison Ladd gave a very uh thorough uh description of how the money, where it came from.

Um they've been in at least three boards with which are the R zones.

I don't want to really explain this, but you did give a specific explanation of they're only an R1 zones if these ADUs can be, and I think that's in the north, the west, and the south.

And those are the three boards that meetings were given to the public.

I'm not sure of who attended those meetings.

I was at at least three of them briefly for one of them.

And the money is limited.

It's not like four million is just going out and everybody can grab it.

It's 40,000, a cap on that.

And whatever that 40,000 is, I think the requirements include whatever you can use that 40,000 for.

There are some other um costs affiliated with that, associated with that, but those meetings lined out as a matter of fact, at the women's last women's meeting, uh, which we had over a hundred women at, they went through uh the presentation slide by slide, and I think it was about an hour and a half.

So it's kind of difficult to give you all of the information.

The women's meetings are public, they happen once a month.

They're on social media.

I announce them in the council meetings.

Some of you might leave if you're not in the council chambers.

When I make the announcement, you might not watch the end of the meeting.

It's on our Facebook, it's on our city website.

So we might want to start looking at even I don't know what I don't look at everything that's on the city website.

I know I share, and the other council colleagues share their information for their events.

So it's not like we're not telling you when we're having these things, so you can come to these meetings and really voice your opinion about what you feel about what they're presenting.

It's kind of difficult to present something to you and then in three minutes give you everything you need after you make that three-minute remark because you can have a 15-minute remark at the public meeting that they have when they're presenting these things.

So I'm hoping that maybe we will do our best, or you will engage more in seeing the end of the meeting or playing back the end of the meeting, or calling our offices, saying, how can we get more information about this?

Because they definitely get in meetings.

And the truth is that four million dollars is assessed, and only 40,000 is that's the cap.

So whoever applies to do this ADU, that 40,000, you can't build too much of nothing but fees and and contracts, but but it's something to assist you because if you don't go through the city, I don't know how many of you do what some of us do with in each ward, because there are many people.

We walked in blocks where people are building cardboard accessory dwellings, and now we're um we're confronted with the situation or the circumstances of code enforcement and other entities and other services, telling people you gotta take that down because that that's illegal and it might be a fire that's gonna burn up the house next door.

So now that's what we're confronted with now.

The city and the officials are going through the city, finding these AD illegal ADUs, and they don't qualify.

If they've done it illegally, please know public, they do not qualify for this 40,000.

Am I correct, Deputy Mayor?

Okay, I just want to make sure.

Any other questions you you have?

Thank you, Council President.

Please, is she is thank you.

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

Um, I'll be brief because I do know we spoke about it yesterday.

Um, but uh first the four million dollars is for a variety of programs.

The amount for the ADU program is about 1.3, so it'll help about 30 homeowners.

So that's the second piece.

The only people that can apply for the funds have to be Newark residents that live in their house.

So the only people who can apply for the funds are Newark residents that live in their house.

Uh next, it can only be in R1 zones, as Councilmember Roundtree mentioned, so it's only in three of the five wards.

And if you're in a historic district like Weak Wake or Forest Hills, you also have to get landmarks and historic approval.

And then I'll just close by saying that for uh for these, they have to again the funds can be used for uh fees, can be used for architect, can be used for engineers, but they cannot be used for construction costs.

So that'd have to be funded by the person who's building it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

ROCO.

Bay, yes, Council.

Yes.

Crump?

Yes.

Jackson.

Abstain.

Kelly?

Yes.

Ramos.

Abstain.

Scott Roundtree?

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Quintana.

Yes.

Resolutions.

7R1A through E are temporary emergency appropriations.

A is for Broadway Park.

Sponsored by Councilman Ramos.

Second by Council President Quintana.

B is workforce investment.

Sponsored by Councilwoman Bay.

Second by Councilwoman Scott Rountree.

C is for the operating expenses.

D is for women's health.

Sponsored by Councilwoman Bay.

Second by Councilwoman Scott Rountree.

And E is for the summer youth employment program.

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

Rocal.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Crump.

Yes.

Yes.

Jackson?

Yes.

Kelly?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree?

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Quintana.

Yes.

Councilwoman Jackson.

F through L.

Hold on.

She has a question.

I'm gonna make one quick comment.

Um I need to publicly let you guys know as one of the biggest critics of the budget.

And I am, I know.

Um, on that side of the aisle and up here, that I did vote yes to item C for the emergency appropriation of 67 million dollars for the month of July, because I do not want the employees that work for the city of Norfolk to not be able to meet payroll.

Um, Mr.

Pennington did give me some explanations yesterday in terms of why this has to be.

Um, but that is going to be one of my goals why I sit here, and we will not have to continue to do these emergency appropriations.

I like I say, I as I criticize, and we did talk yesterday.

Mr.

Pennington went into some detail with me.

Um, I do understand that if this does not happen, we will not be able to meet payroll for July.

Um, I do not need to see us looking like the federal government where people are working without money, and I want you to publicly know that's why I did vote for this, but we are also pushing hard as my council colleagues are to get this budget done in a timely fashion with enough input so that we can make it happen.

So I did vote yes, don't throw anything up here.

Um, but I do want people to be meet the payroll this month.

Thank you.

F through L are purchasing contracts.

F is for medical supplies, G is for communications equipment, H is for communications equipment, I is for computer equipment, J is for leak repairs, K is for concrete mix, sand and gravel, and L is for fire extinguishers.

Council as a whole to adopt F through L, please.

ROCO.

Bay, yes, Council?

Yes, Crump, yes, Jackson, yes, Kelly, yes, Ramos, yes, Scott Roundtree, yes, Silva, yes, President Kintana, yes.

M and N are grant agreements.

M is to improve Lincoln Park, sponsored by Councilwoman Bay, second by Councilman Crump.

And N is for the Newark Literacy Initiative, sponsored by Councilwoman Bay, second by Councilwoman Scott Roundtree.

Council as a whole to adopt M and N with sponsors.

ROCO.

Bay.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Crump.

Yes.

Jackson.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree?

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Quintana.

Yes.

7R2A is construction of a new two-family residential dwelling in the South Ward.

Sponsored by Councilman Council.

Second by Councilman Kelly.

Rocco.

Bay.

Yes.

Council.

Yes.

Crump?

Yes.

Jackson.

Yes.

Kelly?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Quintana.

Yes.

B through D, there's a motion to defer these items sponsored by Councilman Council.

Second by Councilwoman Scott Roundtree.

Roll call.

B.

Yes to defer.

Council?

Yes.

Crump.

Yes.

Jackson.

Yes.

To defer.

Kelly.

Yes.

To defer.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Quintana.

Yes.

E through H all moving forward.

E is new construction of a two-family home.

In the South Ward, sponsored by Councilman Council.

Second by Councilman Kelly.

F is to rehabilitate an existing two-unit property in the South Ward, sponsored by Councilman Council.

Second by Councilman Crump.

G is construction of a new mixed-use building in the South Ward, sponsored by Councilman Council.

Second by Councilwoman Scott Roundtree.

And H is new construction of a two-family home in the South Ward, sponsored by Councilman Council.

Second by Councilwoman Scott Roundtree.

Council to adopt E through H with sponsors, please.

Roll call.

Bay.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Crump.

Yes.

Jackson.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree?

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Quintana.

Yes.

Aye.

There's a motion to defer by Councilman Council.

Second by Councilwoman Jackson.

Roll call.

Bay.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Crump.

Yes.

Jackson.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Quintana.

Yes.

J is to build a new construction of a two-family home in the West Ward.

Council to adopt?

Yes.

Okay.

Roll call.

Bay.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Crump.

Yes.

Jackson?

Yes.

Kelly?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree?

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Quintana.

Yes.

K is construction of a new two-family home in the West Ward.

Council as a whole to adopt?

Bay.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Crump.

Yes.

Jackson.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Quintana.

Yes.

L is to rehabilitate a two-family home in the West Ward.

Council as a whole to adopt?

Yes.

Roll call.

Sorry.

Bay.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Yes.

Sorry.

Jackson.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree?

Yes.

Sova?

Yes.

President Quintana.

Yes.

New construction of a free.

I'm sorry.

M is new construction of a three-family home in the West Ward.

Sponsored by Councilman Kelly.

Second by Councilwoman Jackson.

Roll call.

Bay.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Crump.

Yes.

Jackson.

Yes.

Kelly?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Quintana.

Yes.

Yes.

And is new construction of a three-family home in the West Ward.

I said this item be deferred.

Motion to defer by Councilman Kelly.

Second by Council President Kintana.

Roll call.

Bay.

Yes.

Council.

Yes.

Yes.

Jackson.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Kintana.

Oh.

I'm sorry.

O and P are both to be deferred.

Oh is the motion to defer by Councilwoman Bay.

Second by Councilman Crump.

MP is to defer.

Sponsored by Councilwoman Bay.

Second by Councilwoman Scott Roundtree.

Oracle.

A.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Crump.

Yes.

Jackson.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Raymond.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silver.

Yes.

President King Dana.

Yes.

Mr.

President.

Yes.

Councilman Ramos.

Yeah, you know, we had a bit of a fire sale here today with city-owned properties.

But um, you know, I I I strongly suggested that at some point the administration consider creating some kind of process for people who are interested in buying city-owned properties to to apply and compete.

You know, most of these sales that are on the agenda today were done as a result of uh letters of intent, which is a very individualized process.

It doesn't, in my opinion, uh level the playing field in order for people who are interested in buying city-owned property to effectively compete.

And besides it being a clean process, I think it puts the city in a better position to negotiate more pricing and more affordability as a result of some of these sales, even though they appear to be at 20, 25 a square foot more competitively priced than what we were getting in the past.

If you know what city owned what property is selling for in North these days, even at 20, 25 a square foot, uh is well below the market.

So I I would I would definitely through your chair and the clerk have some kind of conversation with the administration and see if we could agree on a process.

It doesn't have to be all the properties, but at least a group of the properties that are city owned to create a open process that that would set criteria and at the same time publicize a list that the public can apply for.

As noted by Councilman Ramos, administrator, administrator, and then one Jackson.

Let me let me all okay.

So let me also add as our campaign and in this community for a long time.

One of the major, major issues with not only homeowners but North residents, is the failure to be able to buy the house right next to them.

That is a city-owned property that has sat vacant 10, 15 plus years, and they wanted to either purchase that home, move their family in there, and or purchase that home and make a little junk and playground, like grandma right here for the kids, so we know where they are in the neighborhood children.

So I think that um councilman raimos's request, as we did talk about some of this stuff yesterday, is spot on.

Um, but the we want the administration to understand in this request that we are serious about shifting what has been incorrectly and unbalanced in our community in terms of Norkers having opportunity.

I think that's one of the things that we are resounding loudly today, um, even in the items that we did defer, some in the south, some in the west.

We are talking about the prices that are being charged after something is being assessed.

That also rolls into that as well.

If the house doesn't have any windows, if it's been sitting dormant for some time, most of those units also need to come down, so we can't overburden the NORC homeowner and or resident that wants to purchase this property with the cleanup of that, and then another $100,000 for the empty vacant building.

So I totally agree.

I hope we move with that expeditiously because every day we wake up when we go out in this community, somebody's doing construction on a house either sitting there or a vacant lot.

So a lot of Norkers don't feel we have an opportunity to be a part of this thing.

So I think we need to move quickly in having the administration present that, make Nork um affordable, but not only that to have Norkers participate.

Everybody's not gonna go to the men's meeting, everybody's not gonna go to the women's meeting, everybody's not gonna come to the council meeting.

But if we create a level field where people can get their name in the hat and just not pull it out because it's Donna and just not pull it out because it's Aniba or Louise, excuse us, first names will be talking about community now.

We we just have to have we need to see some more transparency and some more acceptance of regular Norkers, regular Norkers in the process because we want to be business owners and homeowners as well.

Thank you, sir.

Good afternoon, Eric Pennington Business Administrator.

Council President, uh the points that were raised today by both Councilman Ramos and Councilwoman Jackson, as well as residents have also brought up these issues on a fairly regular basis, are uh good points in my opinion, and uh certainly should be considered by the administration and have been the properties uh that are city owned are listed on the city's website on the EHD website, so people can go on there and look at them.

The process for uh obtaining one of those properties is as councilman Ramos indicated to submit a letter of intent.

Uh, there is a criteria by which the economic and housing development department reviews those letters of intent, particularly when there is more than one.

They look at that criteria to make a determination as to which uh applicant is best suited to purchase a property based on price, the intention of what they want to do with it, and if it's an adjacent property owner, they have uh uh uh some special consideration if it's for a side lot or otherwise.

Uh there are deed restrictions which may be imposed if it's a side lot acquisition.

Uh that addresses one of the issues I think councilman Ramos brought up yesterday based on individuals who purchase a side lot, supposedly for a side lot and should be de-restricted, then they've combined it and sold it.

Um if that is brought to our attention, we will certainly uh address it and and seek to recoup that property.

Um in addition, if there are properties that such as uh what councilwoman Jackson indicated, somebody wants to purchase, they can reach out directly through uh EHD, even if they don't see the property on the list, inquire as to whether it is available.

Uh you can typically determine who the owner of the property is by calling the tax uh the tax collector's office or the tax assessor, either one, and they can tell you who the current owner of that property is if it's city owned, you can immediately submit a uh letter of intent to EHD.

The process for that letter of intent is on the website as well, and it will be it would be considered um with respect to councilman Ramos's request that there be some other process so that it goes uh to all of the uh residents equitably fairly, not exactly sure which uh we encourage that process to be submitted, and the administration would be happy to consider that and and certainly work with you and any other council member to make sure that we have an equitable process in place.

We believe the process that is in place now is equitable, but everything can be strengthened, and we uh are happy to engage with you or any others to to pursue that.

Mr.

President, you know, I appreciate the the willingness to consider a better process, and you know, just as an example, I understand what you're saying that some of these city-owned properties are listed on the city's website.

If person X is interested, they submit they they submit a letter of intent.

But when we get the recommendations, we only get the information on the person you're selecting.

So there could be 15 letters of intent that may have been submitted for property X.

You know, there's no evaluation process that's summarized in the attachments here, so we don't know why um this particular developer or owner is being recommended as opposed to the others who may have applied for the same property.

So that's the only reason why I think you need to have a better process.

And I and I under look, some of these LOIs are a year old, a year and a half, and I know this the city's trying to unload some of these properties, but moving forward, um, I'd like to see a better process.

So be happy to work with you on it.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

If you can convene a meeting as soon as possible, certainly.

Ramos yourself, the business administrator, any members of council.

And and I I'd like to uh finish if I could just by saying that the city does not want to own any of these properties.

We want the properties to be on the tax rolls, we want them to enhance the neighborhoods.

We want them to be available for housing stock.

We want people to uh develop these properties, have people rent them, own them, purchase them, and live in them.

It doesn't serve anyone to have properties in the city's inventory that are not paying taxes and are not available for residents uh to own.

We need 16,000 units of affordable housing.

Each one of the properties that is sold, particularly if it's uh for affordable housing reduces that number by one.

That is not enough, but those are the things that we need to do.

Thank you.

Thank you, as loaded.

Q and R are acceptance of grant funds.

Q is for the workforce innovation and opportunity act, sponsored by Councilwoman Bay, second by Councilwoman Jackson, and R is for the summer youth work experience.

Sponsored by Councilman Kelly, second by Councilman Scott Roundtree.

Council as a whole to adopt Q and R with sponsors.

Roqua Bay.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Crump?

Yes.

Jackson?

Yes.

Kelly?

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree?

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Kintana.

Yes.

Excuse me.

I'm so sorry.

Uh Council President.

Yes.

Um I just on page 29.

I just need to go back.

We need to make a correction.

Um, actually, the address, the 419 15th Avenue, that's actually Central Ward, not West.

You know, we have a lot of border properties that you go across the street, and it's one of the other.

So we just did a check.

That's actually essential ward.

It's at the border.

Yeah.

At the border.

Council President, Councilmember.

Central Ward.

We will make the correction under Scrivener's error.

Um is a subordination agreement in order to permit the redeveloper to obtain the financing necessary for the correct.

Sure.

The the actual entity where the address is for page 29 is the is the is there in the central war.

But where they're doing the property is actually in the West Ward, which is 81 North Month.

81 North Munn, which is across the street from Riley Court.

Okay, so no correction.

Let's keep it the same.

Okay, okay.

Correct.

Councilman Ray Kelly.

You just want to know.

Thank you, Kelly.

That's correct.

Thank you.

S is a subordination agreement in order to permit the redeveloper to obtain the financing necessary for the development of a three two family homes for sale in the South Ward.

Sponsored by Councilman Council.

Second by Councilman Kelly.

Row?

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Crump?

Yes.

Jackson.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Kintana.

Yes.

T is investigation for an area in need of redevelopment in the South Ward.

Council as a whole to adopt.

Roko.

Bay.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Crump?

Yes.

Jackson?

Yes.

Jackson.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Crump.

Oh my goodness.

I'm sorry.

President Quintana.

Yes.

You messaged me up.

She messaged me up.

It was bound to happen one time, right?

President Quintana.

Yes.

Okay.

7R3A and B are both change orders for the Department of Engineering.

A is for the Iron Bound Roundabout Safety Project.

And B is for cities matching funds on a project.

Council as a whole to adopt A and B, please.

Roll.

Bay.

Sorry.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Crump.

Yes.

Jackson.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Pintana.

Yes.

C through G are professional service contracts for engineering services on our ass needed basis.

Council as a whole to adopt C through G.

Roco.

Bay.

Yes.

Council.

Yes.

Crump.

Yes.

Jackson.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Kintana.

Yes.

H through K are applications and or acceptance of grant funds.

H is for the safe streets to transit program.

I is for the sub-regional transportation program.

J is for street resurfacing and paving.

Sponsored by Councilman Kelly.

Second by Councilwoman Scott Roundtree.

Roco.

And K.

I'm sorry, one more time.

K is for the five ward paving project.

Sponsored by Councilman Kelly.

And second by Councilwoman Scott Roundtree.

Council as a whole to adopt H through K with sponsors.

Roll Call.

Bay.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Crump.

Jackson.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Quintana.

Yes.

Council President?

Yes.

Council.

Just if the engineering department could send us a notification on what actual streets are getting paved in 2026.

Because this becomes complicated.

Because you have this one's for 2027.

And then we have others to go down the road.

But actually, for 2026.

What streets in each ward are going to be paved?

That's all.

Not about 2027.

The remaining this year up until October, November, whenever the weather permits.

So just so that we are all clear.

We all know we have Ms.

Green come from the South Ward yesterday and talk about that little piece right in front of Avon Avenue School.

But we all know we have lost at least a tire, a rim, a boat on our tire, the undercarriage of your car.

We've all lost that.

Current company included.

And so we are very uh meticulously watching what's going on and did ask the engineering department to do better oversight when this paving is being done.

Um we all live here.

Um we all see sometimes a little too quick.

Uh the paving on Monday, and by the next Monday it's leaving.

Um so we need to make sure that these contractors that we're giving these dollars to as well are doing a job that we paid them for.

The paving that they do in North, the paving that they do in Cherry Hill.

You want to make sure it looks the same, because we're paying the same money.

So we were very um robustly discussing yesterday what the paving looked like.

I had questions about why we only paved one side of the street.

So council as a whole, we will deal with PSE and G with that.

Um, because you know you ride down one side, it's okay, then when you're coming back to go home after you leave your family's house, you know the whole tide is down on broad market.

So we did yesterday go through this extensively.

So I don't want us to continue to think that we are not asking for accountability because we did do that yesterday across the board.

Okay, Mr.

President, yes, Council Ramos.

Yeah, I I just want to um chime in on the paving too.

Um I know it's part of the resolutions that we're considering today.

Uh the 2027 application includes Heller Parkway from 6th Street to Forrest Hill Parkway, and anyone that's driven in that area knows that that street is in desperate need of repair.

I ran into uh former councilman Corchado this morning at a funeral, and he lives near there as well, and you know I'm I'm just I I don't know if there's any way that if there's money available to to expedite the paving of that because the 2027 application based on what Mr.

Adams explained to us a few meetings ago, this may not get paved until 28 or 29.

So, you know, I don't know how we're gonna be able I may have to rent a bike or something and ride around the neighborhood because it's it's gonna be impossible to get through Hella Park with so if the administration could sit down with the engineering director and see if there's a way we may be able to swap this street out and get it done quicker.

I would definitely appreciate it.

Or find some funding in the budget in the budget here, you know, hearing presentation.

We may be able to find some funding.

Okay, sound good to me.

L is exception to public bidding to provide the services of a municipal engineer, council as a whole to adopt roll call, Bay, yes, council, yes, Crump, yes, Jackson, yes, Kelly, yes, Ramos, yes, Scott Roundtree, absent, yes, okay Silva, yes, President Quintana, yes, 7R 7R5A and B are applications acceptance of grant funds for the Department of Health and Community Wellness.

A is for the women's health outcomes and B is for the HERSA grant.

Council as a whole to adopt A and B.

Roll call.

B.

Yes, Council?

Yes, Crump.

Yes, Jackson, yes, A and Kelly, yes, Ramos, yes, Scott Roundtree.

Yes, Silva.

President Quintana.

Yes.

C and D are an acceptance of a gift for the Health Department.

C is implement implementation of the electronic medical record system.

And D is the maintenance of the electronic medical record system.

Both are sponsored by councilman council.

And second by Councilman Crump.

Roll call.

Bay.

Yes.

Council.

Yes.

Crump.

Yes.

Jackson.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree?

Yes.

Sova?

Yes.

President Kintana.

Yes.

7R6A is settlement agreement.

Council as a whole to adopt.

Roll call.

B.

Yes.

Council.

I thought we were going to defer to that.

Yeah, point you.

I thought we deferred.

Yes.

Changed it.

Yes.

Crump.

I'm sorry.

We're in a roll call.

Can we do that?

Just wait.

I know you're in the middle of the roll call, but my understanding was we were we were going to uh return that to administration so that the law department can review that should have been a vote.

That's what I thought.

The uh can review the items that were I think that there were 13 items on the list that he wanted to verify that the amounts were accurate.

Reconsideration.

So we just you know you don't have to return, we just defer it.

Yeah, defer it.

Right.

Well you gotta change.

Mr.

BA, do you want to return it or defer it?

Defer it.

Defer, please.

So you were on a roll call, by the way.

So yes, continuing to reconsider we we're doing a motion to reconsider item 7R6A.

Right.

Okay.

Okay, but we have to continue our initial vote.

Okay, so we'll say no.

Oh, we're still bringing it.

Vote wasn't final.

We were in the middle of it.

Yes, okay.

That's what I'm saying.

So we continue, then we do a motion to reconsider and then do a motion to defer.

Excuse me for one second.

Can't do both.

So just let it fail.

Okay.

No, whatever you want to do.

Council president, council members.

We are gonna record no for the item.

Now we're gonna do a motion to reconsider where we're going to be reconsider items 7R6A.

Can we do the roll call?

No, no, no.

But we know it failed.

Reconsider, right?

And because it failed, we'll do the motion to reconsider it and then take a vote.

Okay.

Motion to reconsider 7R6A.

Council roll call, please.

Bes Council?

Yes.

Crump.

Just to confirm this is a motion to reconsider.

Yes.

A vote we never finished.

Yeah.

Yes.

Jackson.

Yes to reconsider.

Kelly.

Yes to reconsider.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Quintana.

Yes.

Now Council as a whole to defer item 7R6A.

There you go.

Roll call.

Here we go.

B.

Yes to defer.

Council?

Yes.

Crump.

Yes.

Jackson.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes to defer.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree?

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Quintana.

Yes.

7R8A is authorizing the reading at the City of New York's 2026 municipal budget.

Is there anyone wishing to be heard on the budget?

What?

What was that?

So I have a question.

Tabra Salters.

Right.

So the question is being asked.

Is there anyone here that has something to say about the budget?

But is aren't there supposed to be some presentations or something?

Are we just supposed to go off of what the summary or whatever was just thrown out there?

Because having something to say about a budget?

Yep.

Yeah.

And the okay.

This seems like it's putting a cart before the horse.

Is it me?

Or were we supposed to just go and get a budget from somewhere?

No.

Like I don't understand.

Is it me?

Okay.

Authorizing the reading.

Authorizing reading the city on 26 budget.

Yeah, this is the first meeting.

Yeah.

So the public hearing.

Right.

Okay.

I didn't want to take up.

I didn't want to jump in on the time.

You want me to respond?

I have nothing to say if there's nothing present.

Oh doctor.

Andy Santana, I'm second her.

You know, you gotta have to do that.

All right, all right, right.

How are you introducing a budget with a summary with no details for the public?

How is that part of a council meeting?

The budget hearing is separate and apart on a day, on a night, and on a weekend.

You don't have no details for a budget, and you can't give a summary without a detail per department.

There is a schedule that is being put together.

Uh we're putting it together for there to be representation.

Let me introduce a last meeting.

You supposed to have a budget hearing if the the BAD introduced it last month.

You're supposed to come back with a hearing for it.

Not approve nothing.

All right, madam, Madam Clerk.

So for the for the audience, the budget was introduced last month.

The public hearing is just on the introduced budget.

There are amendments, there are public hearings, and the whole traditional cadre of procedures before adoption.

This is not an adoption meeting.

What is it?

What is it?

It's a public hearing on the budget that was introduced a month ago.

Define that.

All right, let's say go ahead.

You're playing games.

You think that you're dealing with stupid people here?

You know, I came here specifically for this.

So you're telling me that you're reading the uh uh whatever the hell it is you're reading, but you're not defining what reading is.

Please explain it to us.

We're not stupid.

Tell us we're gonna read it.

So basically they're telling you we're authorizing the reading of the that's it?

That's it?

We came here for nothing?

Yeah.

What does that mean?

Because nobody's reading anything, nobody's gonna read anything, nothing has been distributed.

I haven't gotten anything.

As a matter of fact, when I called the city clerk's office, I was told to reach out to the budget office and the wonderful Miss Tay did send me something.

But that was the only reason why.

That was the only reason why.

And I was told that you guys, each and every one of you guys received the summary budget.

Did you?

So we sat here for nothing.

So to be told that you're gonna do a reading on what?

Come on, you guys gotta be clear.

You get you get paid very well to be clear.

Thank you.

PJ, we're gonna I want to see the budget.

No, we're gonna do it.

Can we can we cancel the public speaking and to we get an answer?

That's an administration question.

Can the administration well saying I want to get a I want to get a copy of the budget?

I want to know what the tree slushy fund, how much is in the tree slushy fund?

Excuse me.

I want to know hold on, Miss Freeman.

We're gonna try to we're gonna because we're gonna go back and forward, and let's just let them get together and figure well how we were gonna go move forward.

But for you to start, you know, let's see.

Let them put it up.

Okay.

I want to read it.

Okay.

Okay.

Oh, excuse me.

Can we have some order?

Council president, council members, we were advised by our consultant that we had to have this hearing on this date that doesn't deter us from having additional hearings, but statutorily and in order for the city to report to the state, we need to have a hearing on what was posted in June.

Not acceptable.

Not acceptable.

Not acceptable.

Mr.

Businessman.

So what are we in?

What do we do here?

Did they see what was posted in June?

They see what was posted in June.

Don't ask like before.

Council, this is your chance.

Are we gonna we're gonna have all the department heads give us their presentation?

And then there will be a public hearing.

Is that is that the problem?

Because that's not what I recall of the years.

Yes.

So what I'm saying is, what's going on here today?

What happens is that all the department heads will have to be come before this body, and then there will be a public hearing.

Is that correct?

Corporation counseling or business administrator.

Yeah.

Let me uh do that.

And uh have something to say.

Excuse me, sir.

But I'm not gonna say, no, no, no.

We're gonna take threats from anybody in the audience.

No, no, that's certain that's not gonna happen.

But can I just be a there has to be some order here, you see?

We can't just start screaming.

Look, we're trying to do the best for the people and the government's business and the people's business, but we cannot be disrespectful because he sat there and listened to you, and it is important that we listen to each other.

You know, we we gotta run a government.

This is a government, this is not just a place you just go and and this is sir, you're out of order.

The business administrator will you're out of order.

So what I'm thank you, Council President.

What I would suggest we do for purposes of meeting the statutory requirements of the budget that we move forward, we treat this as a required public hearing.

We have the presentation from all the department heads, and the council can have another public hearing.

You can certainly have a hearing afterwards in which the public can comment on what we say, have objections to what we say, and make their uh positions known to the council before we uh actually introduce the budget.

You can certainly do that.

So we're gonna do is you know, actually, she uh Ms.

Parker's right, not introduce the budget before you adopt the budget.

We have we will have we will have a public before the adoption, it will be a public hearing before the adoption of the budget, as what the business administrator indicated.

So that's what we're gonna do because we don't have all the departments, so to go into a hearing to talk about something that we have not been presented yet.

Councilman Crum.

And Mr.

President, if I could uh add, and so there will be uh and through the clerk's office, I'm so there will be notification of this hearing for the public, right?

So everybody will have an opportunity to speak after we have our our budget meeting.

Today still is a technically appropriate.

We'll have another.

Right.

Okay.

So moving forward, madam clerk.

Thank you, Mr.

VA.

I think I think at this point, since there's such an objection to speaking on the budget that we can reflect for the record that we attempted to have it and submit that to the DCA for their consideration.

Okay.

All right, excuse me.

Wait, yes, Council Jackson, then Councilman Brown Tree.

Let me just put your mic on that.

There you go.

Let me let me just let me say this.

Because I know we are all on pens and needles, and let's understand that this today is being forced on the city, as is every hold on.

As is every other municipality, Boba Governor.

The state has done their budget.

That's right.

Now they want us to do our budget.

Our budget is not, and be assured, I don't think any of the other council colleagues are gonna do it, but you know, Donna is not doing this, Councilwoman Jackson, without proper public hearings.

Now, in order for us to get any additional aid, this is the law.

That's right.

Unfortunately, today, as prepared as some of you are, because let me just say this to you.

It's a public hearing, right?

You'd like to see dollars go into other areas, right?

Well, get up there and say it.

That's right.

Without the paperwork.

I want to see five more million dollars in pavement.

I want to see six million dollars less in recreation and put it over here with senior services.

I'm I'm just, I'm not saying that's what we're doing.

I'm just saying you have a it's unfortunate, but but you this it's an opportunity.

Ms.

Daniels, our city clerk is going to send a letter to DCA.

But I think we should not miss this opportunity to give some input.

So get up, as I'm instructing your councilwoman, and once we fin once uh councilwoman round tree finish and give some input into what your North budget looks like.

Because at this point, that's all we can do.

And then when we have the budget hearings and the departments present, when Mr.

P presents his office of I was gonna say public defender, so you just mind me because I'm all over the place.

But just let's give this process the opportunity that we need to give it, and then we still have time to fight, wiggle around, take two dollars from Larry, give seven dollars to me, eight take eighteen dollars from uh councilman Quintana.

Just I'm playing, y'all.

Give Councilman Kelly two more dollars, Councilman Ramos will deduct seven, etc.

So please give some input after Councilwoman Round Free, but this statutorily by the state, we must do today.

And you guys already know we are not trying to pull the wool over because we're still in the preparation stage, but give us your budget.

So, so thank you, um councilwoman Jackson and Councilman.

I think my real concern is that I don't know if everyone has access to what was proposed in June, because what I looked at in June, even if you know what was given to us in June, even if you don't agree with it, this is the opportunity that if you notice, and those who are really sitting in the audience and that are really concerned about the city issues and the funding and the budget, just like you're speaking about this particular item that we're getting ready to vote on about reading.

June, it was proposed.

So did anyone, I'm hoping that some individuals like the gentleman called uh director Tate and got a copy.

It was on, it was it was public.

So what councilwoman Jackson is saying is correct, and what the um clerk is saying is correct, and what the VA is saying is correct, that we do need to vote on this based on state statutory um request, but at the same time, June it was proposed, and maybe you don't agree with where the money is going.

Maybe you do have some concerns, and you should state them today.

If you looked at what was proposed in June, there's some things we're probably not going to agree with and going to vote on, or say money should go other places, and that will come.

We have our schedule already of the hearings, which will be public.

So for every department, and there's some day and some evenings I see.

So I'm thinking that will get out to the public by the clerk.

Am I correct?

Uh madam clerk?

Okay.

So as soon as I'm sure they are available to the public, they had to first get us all on one page to make sure these meetings happen.

Um, and the departments come before us.

But they're all going to be made available.

This schedule of the budget, and as she stated, there's going to be another hearing.

And I think that's very important because we all want to make sure that as we go forward that the transparency and that the community and the public's involved.

Thank you, Council President.

Right, thank you.

Madam Clerk.

We have some speakers.

So we're going to put some of the speakers.

Go, Ms.

Reming and state your name for the record.

Yes.

When I become I'm still the mayor.

I'm Mike's Freeman.

Story made extremely short.

What I'd like to see is the budget.

What's what's being done with the slushie budget?

What is being done with uh the developers uh that kick in dollars to the city when they when they pay not to adhere to code.

I'd like to see that.

I'd like to see more money given to code enforcement and to sanitation, but then to communication that you establish transparency, that there's some uh website with transparency and communication so that we can see what is being done with code enforcement so we can follow up.

You have a uh uh uh stagnant static website that offers no information.

I'd like to see transparency.

Um you have an infestation and an outbreak at the Humane Society.

The only thing keeping most of us who live in residential zones safe is the feral cat population that's eating up your rats.

Okay, I'd like to see better protections for them because the vagrants and itinerants have been killing up the cats.

Uh so I'd like to see more money spent with the humane uh uh society and then be able to track that budgeting.

I want to be able to see through uh transparent website like they have in Baltimore, Maryland.

If you don't know what you're doing, call Baltimore, because they can let you know how it's done, and then we can see when we put in complaints, what's the status of that complaint?

Who's the officer taking care of that complaint?

That is not being done now.

I'd like to be able to see that.

I'd like to see where um our street sweepers are new sweet streets sweepers.

We need new garbage trucks, and you sent eight trucks to Africa, get them back, buy new ones because the street sweeper that's been coming down my street is not doing a good job.

And then I'd like to see money given to sanitation for the storm drains, because uh I'm in a flood zone that never was a flood zone before because of all the illegal development and all of the garbage that a Deem's men can't possibly handle with all the illegal conversions, you have piles and piles of garbage that these men cannot handle, and your garbage trucks can't handle it either.

So I'd like to see uh money given to uh new equipment.

Your police need better communication equipment, uh Wi-Fi in the uh fire departments and in every precinct, and a better phone system because I don't have an onyx and I don't have a code.

Your p your phones aren't picking up speaker Lisa Parker, how do you have a debit, a debt of a loan in 294 million that's a principal with an interest rate of 75.35% to the sum of 22 million?

That's a higher rate than a loan shark.

Where is the line item for back pay to the pension fund?

Where's the union on this?

You have a resolution for a dual position for water and sanitation with no salary.

That's a blank check.

Why hasn't the city hired an engineer in two years?

Yet every month we're paying millions of dollars for emergency funds for engineers as needed.

That is a job for that Al Zach used to have.

That's a job.

Not one person managing two department.

No disrespect to the person I'm talking about.

This is called ill responsible malfeasance.

The city has a zero surplus that you're supposed to have three years of surplus in the event of emergency.

You are in a compounded deficit and debt of $600 million and no accounting or the revenue streams that should be collected, like the the um the parking meters.

You got cash parking um lots in this city.

You have now increased our property tax by an estimated 5% after you already increased our property tax over the last three years for 24.8% and adding another five.

That's 30%, and you're getting ready to hit us next year with a revaluation.

Tell us we all the money streams are coming from.

The cannabis, invest new, all the places you're supposed to collect money from.

Where's the where's the career, the career development, and I want to call it training that our offices and our fire department is supposed to have training every year to stay current on the on the latest um crisis?

Where is the crisis management money?

Thank you.

Let me tell y'all something.

The BA here has been lying.

All of y'all have been complicit and going along with it that has caused us to be in debt like this.

Because you yes, yes, yes, everything, and never question anything until Miss Jackson came yesterday.

Y'all are disgrace, but you better be doing this orderly and asking the question and telling us where you're getting the money from.

Next speaker.

Reside at Vanderple Street in New York, New Jersey.

And I would just like to uh like for you, the council people, to consider uh I understand that the libraries uh I think the budget there is rather low, but going in, we've purchased um plenty of equipment there, but they're saying that the equipment is not uh like you can't use certain parts of that equipment.

Well, that's either that's part of the, you know, if we purchase these uh items, if they're not going to be used, if they only gonna be used for just say a specific duty, then that's exactly what we need to probably just monitor or check, see exactly what's going on into the building, and also it needs some of the uh the years of boarding up areas in that building.

It seems like that can also be um addressed.

Either there's more money from the budget, just a little bit more to open up some of the rooms there, and I also noticed that when we're dealing with the I don't think it has to do with the uh department of sanitation, but our the uh maintenance of our uh low-income housing, the areas, say two years ago, we had a full um, you had a full there were a lot of people who were coming in and and just taking care of the landscape.

Now they've decided that it looks fine, just hack it and and everyone will be okay, it's paid for, it's done, and it's it's I just think that if we're uh we're hiring people, whether or not they are hired to remain in our country, but if that's the case, they deserve to keep these jobs, and if they're doing a job that is uh particularly rather, you know, keeps the area nice and um cared for.

Why go and uh hire the ones that's gonna just hack wood, throw it everywhere, leave you walking across it.

So some of the money should be spent according to uh maybe we can go back, look at what we had, or we can look forward what we need.

So I thank you for this time.

Thank you.

Next speaker, Andy Sanrod.

I just want to say that I know that my composure was out of control, and I acknowledge that.

I just want to make sure that you guys understood that.

But you also have to understand why it is.

You know, uh a couple of months ago, I requested an OPA request for the GL.

Journal entry book for those that don't know anything about finance, right?

I wanted to see every single journal entry that um was done for the uh at fiscal 23, 24, 25.

There was tons of discrepancies, many discrepancies.

Some with the description of salary being charged to hyper, you know, just an example to paper account code.

So, you know, so and then when I added up the the totals for specific account code which is supposed to represent to in the budget to the state, it was off.

Some of them were some of them, you know, were right, but some of them are off.

Come to find out why?

Because the the it was done on a spreadsheet, and instead of applying that in a journal entry, no, it was recorded on a spreadsheet.

It should have been a journal entry, and a journal entry represents every single penny, and it's supposed to represent that way when I do a database and I do um a report on it, I'm supposed to get the same exact figures, but I didn't.

So that's discouraging that the BA and the business and the finance office is not doing well, right?

So that's very discouraging.

You know, you guys are supposed to, the state has a account codes, right?

And then we have our account codes, right?

And you're supposed to be able to summarize them to where the state is supposed to be able to allocate them correctly so that way it can be tracked.

How can you do that if the numbers are not right in the journal entry book?

So that's why I'm a little bit pissed off because I came to expect numbers to understand what they're doing in this year.

Like for instance, it was saying that we're supposed to be cutting six million dollars off the police department.

Well, we asked for 96 to be four.

Where's that coming from?

Because I want to know whether these were these are positions that were never filled, FTEs that were never filled, and it's just decreasing that, or what's being done.

You know?

But how am I supposed to know that when no transparency is happening?

So that was my frustration.

I hope you guys understand.

It's not directed, you know.

I don't know any of you guys at all in person.

But I know what I know.

Thank you.

You know, thank you.

Thank you so much.

How y'all doing?

Eric Adams.

Um, I just want to reiterate the importance of having uh additional uh street sweepers.

Uh the street sweeper that came through my neighborhood the other day was woefully inadequate.

It left almost as much trash as picked up.

Okay.

So I'm embarrassed when people from out of town come to my house and the street is filthy.

Okay.

And you should all be also.

Uh in addition to that, perhaps we should train some more people who can operate these this kind of machinery.

All right, because I don't think we have enough people in sanitation that know how to operate those machines.

Okay.

Uh secondly, uh, I'd like to see new elevators in City Hall.

I was here about two weeks ago, and an elevator was down.

All right, makes no sense to me.

We have a billion dollar corporation here, and we can't get an elevator fixed, or we can't get an elevator, new elevators.

Those elevators are the same elevators that I since I've been coming to council meetings since 74.

Same elevators.

Okay.

Yeah, I'm that old.

67.

But that's my point.

It's no reason to have visitors coming to our town and not having decent elevators.

Okay.

Thank you.

Any other speakers?

How y'all doing today?

Uh, my name is Mark Tompkins.

I'm the CEO of a Hansel Hope Community.

Uh, we are I'm trying to see if we can put some funding towards like emergency grassroots, because we out in the community, uh, we do a lot of work in like in all the neighborhoods.

Uh we enhanced a whole um community government and wellness company.

We provide neighborhood, uh anchor providing our mobile research.

Uh we do peer support, growing wellness, harm reduction, food, clothing.

We work with the community.

Uh, we also start an initiative where we're teaching kids while we're out there working with them, uh barber training.

So we get them barber skills so they can get certified in that.

I'm also a supervisor while I train in the peer internships.

Um, I just see if we could try to find some way we can allocate some money for grassroots emergency fundings.

Like I say, I started my initiative my own, and I'm out here, I resigned from my job, and now I'm out here in the streets, and I do a lot of work me and my team and we work with the communities.

If y'all can support some type of way with grant funding for that, we are greatly appreciated.

And I want to give a special shout out to Pat Council.

He actually did help us out a little bit, and we appreciate that.

Thank you, Pat.

Appreciate you much.

Thank you.

Any other speakers?

Latoya Jackson.

So I think um environmental uh environmental funding is very important, and I'm gonna tell you why.

If you've been seeing me come to this podium, you have seen a change in me.

Uh work in the South a lot with Kim Gaddy and them, and they do a lot to empower the people.

Now, I've been going to training programs since I was 16 years old.

I dropped out of Shabbaz and started at Corea Works downtown under Mr.

Fox years ago.

But I never been to a program that actually had, and that's what I know the mayor wants with the Office of Violence Prevention to have wrap around services like that.

When I went through her program during the time I was, you know, supporting my family, I didn't have money.

I didn't want to compromise myself.

And I was in it, I stumbled upon this program just going to a Southwood meeting.

They had, they fed us every time we went, they had transportation, they even even gave us hours and made sure we had transportation back and forth to work.

So a lot of things that we struggle with in our city is with the resources, like we don't have enough resources when ecosystems like the South Ward Environmental Alliance and also the Office of Violence Prevention give out grants and funding.

The work, if we get paid, they can never pay us in either ecosystem.

But we is just a different field that I see over here in the South Ward with people actually trying to empower their people the right way.

So I think we need funding in the different departments, not just environmental services, but also like OVP, the grassroots organizations.

We need to put funding in our budgets that will allow people to properly do the work because all the work is stressful.

And a lot of times when we sit and we have grassroots organizations, we are building a plane while we're flying it because we don't have the necessary tools to give the people the information that they actually need to function properly.

So I believe if we give the necessary groups the right type of funding, they can really help our community and begin to spark a motivation and people that want to do better, want to change, want to love that type of stuff.

But when you stressed out and we thinking about finances and we can't actually get the things that we need, it's trauma with the people that make decisions, they take it home, it's trauma all around.

So I think y'all should allocate money to the organizations and give them enough money to be able to operate and function the right way.

That's what's important to me as a North resident.

Thank you.

Another speakers.

So for me, I would say the miscellaneous items that are uh constantly put.

We need definitions for the miscellaneous, right?

We need names and numbers put to the miscellaneous items, and then the rest of that money needs to go be directed towards those who are breaking their backs, doing the work who don't have adequate health care, who are not being paid a livable salary, you know, those types of things, you know, the the mothers and the others who can't afford to get child care and where they live and things like this.

So if we define the miscellaneous funds, then maybe we can put the funds where they need to go instead of it just being miscellaneous.

So we're asking for transparency.

So for me, that's what I would like to see.

I mean, in addition to other things, I can't find my note disappeared because I was ready, you know, with some things, but I'll be ready for the next time.

But uh, and I believe I saw in the summary, someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Did I see that we now have a surplus for 26?

Did I see that in there somewhere?

Minus.

Oh, okay.

I'm just I I thought I saw that.

I was looking for my paper, but I can't find it.

But um, yes, so I did want to say that.

Uh we need to be specific, okay, and transparent.

Um, as Ms.

Jackson said yesterday, maybe not down to the penny, but down to the quarter.

I'm gonna go to the nickel, okay?

Maybe not the penny, but the nickel.

But we need to be transparent so that we can properly put the money where it needs to go.

Because we have many needs in this city.

And um, in addition, she's saying the library over here, but even with the workforce for the youth.

I know we're doing, we're talking about getting more funds for the workforce.

So if it's extra over here, maybe it can go over there because there's a need for jobs.

It's a need for training that is going to guide us into an industry that we need to be ready for.

We gotta, we gotta do it because right now we're not ready.

So these funds need to go where they need to go, but we need to see what they are.

Any other speakers?

Okay, thank you, Shillamontayu.

Just a few things I wanted to itemize that I'd like to see in the butt budget.

Uh okay, so property tax relief for homeowners.

Um, I would like to see that.

Um, roads, sidewalks, and infrastructure.

I heard somebody mention, I think yesterday at the pre-council meeting, um, I think the question was asked by councilwoman um Donna Jackson, I believe, about why is one side of the street being done in the other is not.

Um, I would like that to be finished done as well.

Um, tree canopy and neighborhood unification.

Um, we need that to lower the temperatures to kill off the carbon dioxide because a lot of our um kids and grown-ups as well are still dealing with a lot of um um environmental racism issues, and um that's not being addressed at all.

So I was happy to be a part of the South Ward um uh meeting that they had recently to see people were actually involved in that.

Um I think there was only like I was the only person that showed up for the one we had in the West Ward, and that was like two years ago.

Um, that I know about uh affordable housing prevention with emphasis on um helping existing new residents state in Newark because too many people are being pushed out.

There doesn't have to be people just need some type of help, and there needs to be um a greater um emphasis on accessibility for that to happen.

Small business assistance.

Um, I used to have a lot of people that I could go get my hair done now.

Right now, that's not the case.

Many people have been pushed out in there in um Atlanta, um North Carolina in different places.

We need to try more um to do something in the budget to help small business um in terms of that block association.

I've been a block association president now in my neighborhood for literally years, and um we haven't had any um access to funds to help us beautify our community, and I would like that to be a consideration in the budget, public safety through prevention.

I talk a lot about prevention, including recreation, jobs, constructive activities for young people.

Um, they are out in the street, they're organizing on Instagram to do things that are very dangerous in our communities, and that is growing.

So, again, an ounce of intervention is worth a pound of cure.

Um community benefit requirements tied to large development projects so that neighborhoods receive tangible benefits, not just promises.

Um, we the the reason why people are down here is because they don't see what they're getting out of the deal, and we live here.

That's insane for everybody to be so ultra and hyper defensive when people are coming down here asking questions.

And I just want to say I am so happy and just congratulations to you, Donna Jackson, first and foremost for being our new council person, but also um our council president.

I really love how you dealt with that situation that you didn't make it personal as a teacher.

Like I've been cursed out plenty of times over the course of 25 years.

I have never got up and cursed out a parent.

That is insane, and I applaud how you did that um and how you demanded order without um disrespecting anybody and in both parties holding them accountable.

Thank you.

Any other speakers?

Any other speakers for roll call?

Roll to offer one thing to already speak.

I would offer my no no, but you're thinking to follow the process.

It is not right to the process, no.

We gotta follow process.

You already spoke.

You had your time, and it is not right for others that I appreciate that.

Thank you so much.

Adam Clerk.

Roll call they council, yes, Crump.

Yes, Jackson, yes, Kelly, yes, Ramos, yes, Scott Roundtree, yes, yes, President Kintana.

Yes.

7R8B is a reappointment of Councilman Ramos to the joint meeting commission.

Councillors a home to adopt Roll Call Bay, yes, Council, yes, Crump, yes, Jackson, yes, Kelly, yes, Ramos, yes, Scott Roundtree, yes, silver, yes, President Quintana, yes, C through F are additional council resolutions.

C is a ceremonial street designation for Frederica Bay, sponsored by Councilwoman Bay, second by councilman Crump.

D is a ceremonial street designation for Deacon Eugene Vick Jr.

Sponsored by Councilman Council, second by councilwoman Scott Roundtree.

E is a ceremonial street designation for Ryan and Charity Haygood, sponsored by councilman council, second by councilman Kelly, and F is a whole harmless for movies under the stars, back to school night, sponsored by Councilman Ramos, second by council president Gintana.

Council to adopt C through F with sponsors.

Roll call.

Bay.

Yes.

Council.

Yes.

Crump.

Yes.

Jackson.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Keintana.

Yes.

G, Council as a whole to return.

G to the administration.

Roll call.

Bay.

Yes.

Council.

Yes.

Crump.

Yes.

Jackson.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes, to return.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silver.

Yes.

President King Thana.

Yes.

H through J are additional council resolutions.

H is waiving the special event application permit fees for the Clinton Hill Community Action Farmers Market.

Sponsored by Councilman Council.

Second by Councilwoman Jackson.

I is waiving special event application and permit fees for the Meeker Avenue block party.

Sponsored by Councilman Council.

Second by Councilman Crump.

J is a resolution supporting Sebastian's Law for Window Guards.

Sponsored by Councilman Councilwoman Bay.

Second by Councilman Council.

Council to adopt H through J with sponsors.

Roll.

Bay.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Crump.

Yes.

Jackson.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Browntree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Kintana.

Yes.

K is recognizing and commending resolutions.

And L is expressing profound sorrow and regret.

Council as a whole to adopt K and L, please.

Roll call.

Roll call.

A.

Yes.

Council.

Yes.

Crump.

Yes.

Jackson.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Quintana.

Yes.

Council President, Council members.

I just need to consult the business administrator for one second.

Okay.

My apologies.

Okay.

We are on page 56.

7R11A.

Is the recreation center program to provide STEM?

Science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, summer enrichment program.

I'm sorry, steam.

Sponsored by Councilman Council.

Second by Council President Quintana.

Roll call.

Bay.

Yes.

Council?

Yes.

Crump.

Yes.

Jackson.

Yes.

Kelly.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva?

Yes.

President Kintana.

Yes.

7R12 A and B are resolutions from the Department of Water and Sewer Utilities.

A is a change order for the water treatment plant.

And B is a professional service contract for professional engineering services.

Council as a whole to adopt A and B.

Roll call.

B.

Yes.

Council.

Yes.

Crump.

Yes.

Jackson.

Abstain.

Kelly.

Yes.

Ramos.

Yes.

Scott Roundtree.

Yes.

Silva.

Yes.

President Quintana.

Yes.

Communications.