The mayor of the city of Passake, Hector Laura.

And today we are here at City Hall in our council chambers for a very special swearing-in ceremony.

This is a momentous occasion in the city of Passaic as it is a response to an outcry from our community and a collaborative effort between my administration, our city council members, and leaders within the community.

For over 15 years, the city of Passake has not had a functioning rent leveling board, a board where tenants, where residents, where landlords can come before the board and be heard in regards to concerns, uh, whether about the property, whether about rental costs, or anything having to do with the renter process.

The city of Passake consistently seeks to improve and enhance the services that we are providing to the community.

And over this last year, there's been a very strong push, as many of you know, uh, by my administration, to truly move forward on rent stabilization within the city of Passake.

I want to thank the city council for their full support and representation of the community as this year we were able to pass historic legislation regarding rent stabilization, creating a cap, which is now at 6% and limiting the amount of increases for rent from any property owner to tenant, unless they are extenuating circumstances or compelling or uh important justifications that would allow and would be agreed by the tenant and the landlord as well as our rent leveling board and the city, meaning that if there is significant improvement, and I'm not talking about general maintenance, painting of the walls, or fixing a leaky pipe.

If there is significant improvement or additional square footage, the individuals can come before the rent leveling board and make the case that they would like to increase the rent.

However, outside of any significant or extenuating circumstances that would justify an increase.

Again, I refer back to the law that has been passed in the city of Passake, which caps the increase at 6%.

This came on the heel of record and consistent approaches and ordinances that have been passed over the last year to ensure that we secure affordability within the city of Passake with recent passing of legislation or ordinances that support ADU's accessory dwelling units, which allow individuals to rent out their basement, their attics or garage apartments when qualified basements if they're over 50% above ground, garage apartments or attics as long as they're provide it as affordable housing and this assists families, especially when they're renting to their loved ones, their parents or their children, in order to help pay the mortgage or to save money and keep the family together, as well as a 20% set aside, 20% set aside, meaning any development anywhere in the city and in your development must provide at least 20% of it as affordable housing.

We've had a number of 100% affordable housing developments, including our VFW project on Summer Street, uh, which provided veterans affordable housing as well as rescue the VFW Hall, and also a 100% affordable housing project on Lexington Avenue, where through community development with our director Joyce Hunt, we recently were able to ensure that those 19 units went to family members who uh otherwise would not have been able to afford apartments.

We continue with record approaches.

I want to thank the business administrator, Rick Fernandez, community development, uh obviously all of our partners in City Hall who work so very hard.

But today we are honored to have the presence of two of our council members, and on behalf of the entire city council, which I'll mention the ones that are haven't arrived yet, our council president Gary Sher, and Councilman Dr.

Terrence Love, Councilman Joe Garcia, Councilman Hyan Monk, and Councilman Daniel Schwartz.

We also have with us again, as I stated, council uh women, councilwoman Maritza Colomb Montanez, and Councilwoman Tanya Mello.

So today we will be swearing in five commissioners to our rent leveling board.

Our rent leveling board will look to meet at the very least once a month, unless there is uh a number of cases, or rather unless they are a number of cases, and it may mean that there be additional meetings, but it will be once a month.

They weren't aware of that.

We're gonna surprise them now since they're here.

No, but we do have a reasonable expectation that uh all of the cases will be able to be heard.

We also have our rent leveling attorney who works for the city of Passake and will be present at the meetings to ensure that everything is appropriately heard and that the process works out exactly the way it's intended to be, according to the law and the ordinances that I've passed in the city of Passake.

I'm gonna take this opportunity to introduce our rep leveling attorney, Chris Rodriguez, who will come up and just say hello.

Come on up, Chris.

We won't put you on the spot, but you can share a little bit about this uh board.

Hello, everybody.

Uh Chris Rodriguez, I'm otherwise board attorney.

Uh this board is uh is it's pretty momentous uh for the city of Passake.

I know many of you have family members that have been affected by this.

I know many of you have heard some of the grievances and issues that have been presented at the city council by the mayor and by the business administrator.

Uh so those who are being sworn in today, this is a huge day for PSIC.

So welcome and congratulations.

Thank you.

Thank you so very much.

Again, I want to echo the sentiments that the rent leveling attorney shared in regards to the individuals that are here with us this evening.

It is a volunteer position.

You do not get paid.

They just found that out right now.

No, that's they meet that it will volunteer as they put their names forth, and they were uh put forth actually by council members.

They put their name forth to the city council, and we're so excited to have them represent our city of Passake.

These are residents from the city of Passake.

They come with uh expert backgrounds, whether as tenants, landlords, or experts in the field.

So we're extremely excited.

Now, if some of you would allow, and just give me a little bit.

See, I remember all right, as I was saying, that's a personal uh time.

We'll let you guys in uh later on to why I said C.

And so as I was saying, we're gonna do the swearing in.

We're trying to keep it serious and short, and I promise I would be succinct, but uh I probably would have kept that word five minutes ago.

We're gonna do the swearing, and we're gonna go individually, and at this point, we're gonna do what we're here for.

We're gonna swear in the new commissioners to the rent leveling board.

It's been 15 years since the city has had a function of rent leveling board.

We've made some changes to the law, so the rent leveling board is gonna hear cases.

They're gonna have the attorney to refer to, and they are residents of the city of Passake.

They have vested interests in the city, and what happens in the city is diversely represented by uh our amazing wonderful leaders in the community.

So at this point, I'm gonna begin with our first commissioner be sworn in, Commissioner Arthur Soto, who's gonna come up with I believe his wife, uh Miss Yolanda Soto, unless she's gonna take someone's gonna hold the Bible.

Not sure if he's asking to take the pictures and please stand here and uh please take the Bible.

Well then he would take it because we got a man.

And our attorney is gonna struck you right in the Bible and then please repeat after me.

I state your name to solemnly affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey.

And then I will faithfully impartially and just perform all the duties of the office of regular commissioner, in and for the city of Passake, New Jersey, and for this city of the state of Passake, New Jersey, according to the best of my abilities and understanding, so help me God.

Ladies and gentlemen, we're first in this case.

Commissioner Sodi, if you can please sign.

Thank you very much.

Council members.

This is officially uh records.

You have strength to take on the role at no pay or compensation.

Russell and last now Jorge H.

Palacios to please come up with his family.

Why now are the family members that were not aware that they would be on camera?

That if Hollywood calls, we expect 10% of the contract if they see you and decide that they want you in the next movie.

I'm gonna stand right here.

Give it to Latter.

Okay.

Yes, I can't.

Please repeat after me.

I state your name.

I according to solemnly affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey.

And that I will faithfully, impartially, and just perform all of the duties of the office of regular commissioner in and for the city of Passaic, New Jersey, according to the best of my abilities, and understanding, so help me God.

Ladies and gentlemen, your newest commissioner for the level and board.

Do we have uh the microphone for them?

Here you are.

Yes.

Thank you.

Yes.

Thank you again.

We're gonna call up now, Commissioner Mary Ann Capercy.

So hold the mic.

Please get after me.

I state your name.

I Mary Ann Capercy.

Do solemnly affirm.

Do solemnly affirm that I will support that I will support the Constitution of the United States.

Of the United States.

And the Constitution and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey.

Of the state of New Jersey.

That I will faithfully.

And that I will faithfully impartially impartially and justly perform all of the duties.

Perform all the duties of the office.

Of the office.

Homeowner commissioner.

In and for and in for the city of Passaic, New Jersey.

The city of Passake, New Jersey.

According to the best of my abilities, according to the best of my abilities.

And understanding.

And understanding.

So help me God.

So help me God.

Ladies and gentlemen, newest commissioner for the right leveling board.

Jason, you want to sing?

Thank you.

My Jason wants to sing.

Somebody can please get the mic away from Jason.

We are live.

We are live.

You trying to get away from the year.

Commissioner, our future commissioner, if I'm Roman.

Please come up.

Please bring your family up.

Just want to highlight that future Commissioner Roman actually attended a council meeting advocating on behalf of the residents of the city of Passaic.

And then at that meeting, volunteered and said, I would like to serve this city of Passaic.

And then after being told that there was no pay, she had considered and said, I still want to serve.

So we appreciate it.

Please repeat after me.

I state your name.

I Damaj Roman.

Do solemnly affirm.

Do solemn do solemnly affirm.

That I will support the Constitution of the United States.

Of the United States.

And the Constitution.

And the Constitution.

Of the State of New Jersey.

Of the State of New Jersey.

And that I will faithfully.

And that I would faithfully.

Impartially.

Impartially.

And Jesse.

And just perform all of the duties.

Perform all of the duties of Commissioner.

Of commissioner.

The city of Passake, New Jersey, according to the best of my abilities, according to the best of my abilities and understanding and understanding.

So help me God.

So help me God.

Ladies and gentlemen, your newest alternate commissioner, Levin and Borough.

What do I get this to have to sign?

Yes.

There you go.

When I used to be alive about a phone in my hands, just do it.

Thank you.

I congratulate if we can call up future commissioner Lewis W.

Cologne.

Pardon?

You gonna hold it?

Okay.

Okay.

Council.

Okay, please repeat after me.

I state your name.

I Louis W.

Cologne.

Do solemnly affirm to solemnly affirm that I will support that I will support the Constitution, the Constitution of the State of New Jersey, the state of New Jersey.

I'm sorry, the Constitution of the United States.

Of the United States, the Constitution of the United States.

And of the Constitution of the State of New Jersey and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey.

And that I will faithfully and that I will faithfully, impartially, impartially, and justly perform all of the duties of the office, of the office, of commissioner, of commissioner, and in for and in for the city of Passake, New Jersey, the city of Passake, New Jersey.

According to the best of my abilities, according to the best of my abilities and understanding and understanding.

So help me God.

Ladies and gentlemen, you knew all the slaves to the government.

The mic.

Council members, if you have something you want to share.

Mr.

Roger.

Yeah, I'll go first.

That's all right.

They do that purposely for me, so I don't give long speeches.

I give short speeches, so I wish I had his talent.

I just want to say thank you and congratulations.

This is a very important to be commissioner for the rent leveling board, like he said.

It's been 15 years, and we look forward for you helping our citizens.

Thank you.

Well, I just want to say congratulations to all because um you guys really stood up and said, Here I am, because as we've the men um the mayor mentioned, this is volunteer, but this is a testament of how much you care about the city and moving forward after 15 years.

We live in this.

This is very important, especially because of everything that's happening.

And just want to say thank you again for volunteering and standing up for our citizens.

Congratulations, all God bless you.

Do any of the future commissioners want to say anything?

No.

If not, I will sing.

If you guys don't want to say anything, I will sing.

No problem.

With that said, I want to once again congratulate all of the new commissioners.

Uh, I want to thank you for volunteering.

It is an awesome responsibility to hear the concerns and the issues that occur within our city.

Um not many are willing to take on that responsibility to spend Friday nights or Monday night or uh different days during the week.

We're still working that out people.

It's all based on the no pay, so you know we have to work that out.

But all jokes aside, in all seriousness, to take time out.

It's a reflection of your character, your genuine commitment to this community.

Our city cannot operate, cannot progress, cannot move forward without the work of the residents in the city.

The work cannot be done alone.

So we thank volunteers like yourselves that are willing to help government move along and ensure that we're protecting and serving the interests of the residents of this city.

There are many landlords that are responsible, and there are many landlords that are doing what they're supposed to.

However, we understand that also there are some that are not that have unfortunately taken advantage of vulnerable individuals who have uh for whatever reasons and none justified uh allow for extraordinary rent increases and thought they could get away with it.

The city of Passake collectively, with the city council, my administration and our community come together to say that we will not allow it.

These individuals will be the voices of those that are suddenly heard.

They will stand up for those that perhaps some may view as too vulnerable to stand up for themselves.

To the residents of Passake, I cannot stress enough my admiration, my appreciation, and how inspired I am by these individuals to come together and say that you are not alone, that they are here for you, and that together we will ensure that the quality of life and the opportunities are available for all equally and appropriately within the city of Pesake.

Thank you guys.

Thank you.

Have a good evening.