The Newark Municipal Council held its regular meeting on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, beginning at 6:34 P.M. The meeting was dominated by public concern over the Newark Housing Authority (NHA) receiving a substantial default notice from HUD, confusion over a city lead abatement letter, and scrutiny over several property transactions. The Council adopted ordinances prohibiting certain tenant brokerage fees and updating the West Ward Redevelopment Plan, while deferring major housing portfolio transfers pending developer presentations.
Good evening. Welcome to the regular meeting of the Newark Municipal Council on Wednesday, September 23rd. Please stand for the National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance, and the Invocation by Pastor Axel Garo in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Let's bow our heads. This is a prayer of invocation. Gracious eternal God. We come before you with grateful hearts gathered here in the city of nowhere to celebrate all the Hispanic Heritage Months and to honor the faith and the resilience and the rich culture of Hispanic and Latino brothers and sisters who have helped build the city we call home and all of our brothers here together. Lord, your words tell us in Psalm 16. The Lord is a portion of mine inheritance and of my cup. Yeah, I have a godly heritage. Today we thank you for the pleasant places you have given our community, the neighborhoods, the churches, the businesses, and the families who make up the beautiful inheritance of this city. We remember every mother and father who cross the borders, rivers, and oceans in search of place to call home. And we ask you to continue bless this land, Newark, this state, this nation, as a place of refuge, opportunity, and belonging for all people. Lord, we lift up Mayor Raz Baraka, all the members of the city council, public safety, and all who serve the city. Grant them wisdom, courage, and hearts that seek justice for peace for every resident, no matter what they where they were born, what language they speak first, protect our police officers, firefighters, and every responder as they serve and protect our streets. Let unity, not division, mark the city future. Lord, as we celebrate the heritage, we ask you that you continue to write their history in the story of this city, a story of faith and hard work, family and hope. A story of faith and hard work, family and hope. Bless every family represented here. Bless our children, and they may know their roots and walk boldly into their future. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. In accordance with New Jersey law, adequate notice of this meeting has been provided to the Star Ledger and the Jersey Journal and the public, establishing the date, time, and location of this meeting. In addition, the agenda for this meeting was disseminated on September 18th at the time of preparation and posted on the city's website. Roll call, please. Present council. Jackson. Kelly. Absent. Scott Roundtree. President. Here. Council President and Council members. We are in the hearing of citizens portion of this meeting, where each speaker will have five minutes to speak. Once your name is called, please approach the podium and address the council members. The first speaker is Mr. Alif Mohammed. Alif Mohammed Court Towers, Alif Mohammed, President and Founder of Alif Mohammed Dear School as Salam Alaykum. Good evening. The first thing I want to give you is a letter that Spicer sent to the uh the commissioners. And I want to talk about this. The letter says, as my conversation with the general counsel today, LHA has not received adequate information related to a required information to notice the public for a special meeting. He says also that the progress must be followed. If you do not feel comfortable communicating with me, that's Picer, I have directed the general counsel to act as any of the directors of the Board of Commission related to the call room. So we know this is all about Spicer. And then what it says in the other thing, he says that this has been immediately a cease and a defense. No Housing Authority is a public enemy. And he says that I'm hearing that you guys are having a meeting, uh, engaged in a meeting with uh two or three meetings with the whole council, which we know is a sign-shine law, that's illegal, even up here. Three is okay, but four is illegal.