City Council

CITY OF EAST ORANGE THE EAST ORANGE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETING Monday, August 9, 2021 5:30 P.M. (Minutes from the Meeting of July 26, 2021) CHRISTOPHER D. JAMES City Council Chairman First Ward Second Ward Christopher D. James Christopher Awe Amy Lewis Brittany D. Claybrooks Third Ward Fourth Ward Bergson Leneus Casim L. Gomez Vernon Pullins, Jr. Tameika Garrett-Ward Fifth Ward Alicia Holman Mustafa AL-M. Brent Like Us on Facebook: @EASTORANGECITYCOUNCIL The following minutes are of necessity, condensed and abridged and do not purport to contain the full contents of the matters discussed. The items referred are subject to legal opinion as to validity. MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETING July 26, 2021 The East Orange City Council met on July 26, 2021 at 5:36 P.M. in City Council Chambers, 44 City Hall Plaza, East Orange, and New Jersey. Adequate notice of such meeting was duly given in accordance with law, by publication in local newspapers and by posting on the bulletin board outside and within City Council Chambers. On Roll Call the following Members of Council were present: Casim L. Gomez; Jr.; Mustafa Al-M Brent; Vernon Pullins, Jr.; Tameika Garrett-Ward; Alicia Holman; Amy Lewis; Christopher Awe; Brittany Claybrooks; Christopher D. James ABSENT Bergson Leneus CITY OFFICIALS PRESENT Solomon Steplight, City Administrator City Administrator Ryan Linder, Corporation Counsel Law Department Andre Williams, Chief Fire Department Dorothy Gallagher, CFO Finance Mark Barner, Director Property Maintenance Carolyn R. Reed, Director East Orange Public Library Monique Griffith, Director Health and Human Services Daniel Jennings, Director Planning Mabelteen Tucker, Director Human Resources Jerome J. Pearson, Director Recreation ALSO PRESENT Muzammil Mohamed-Stevens Public Works Tony Jackson Mayor’s Office Richard Pisacane City Council Office OPEN HEARING OF CITIZENS Pursuant to Article IV, Section 3 of the Rules of City Council, each person wishing to address the Council, shall step up to the microphone, shall give his/her name in an audible tone for the record and unless further time is granted by the Presiding Officer, shall limit remarks to three minutes. All members of the public are expected to conduct themselves in a proper manner. Any derogatory, abusive or threatening statements will not be permitted. The Chair will immediately rule such conduct out of order and terminate any further comments. 1. Silvia Avila and Diego Patino – Complained about 227 NWST, how they treated employees terrible especially the housekeeping staff and did not want the City to do business with them. 2. Catherine F. Willis – Wanted the administration to put former Mayor Bowser’s name back on the Senior Building and update former Mayor Hart’s signage on Hart Middle School. Said the City should honor the African American Trailblazers from the City. COMMITTEES 100-ARTS, RECREATION & CULTURAL AFFAIRS 200-BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND ZONING 300-FINANCE 400-HEALTH AND EDUCATION 500-HOUSING, LICENSING AND INSPECTION 600-LAW AND LEGISLATION 700-PLANNING AND GRANTS 800-PUBLIC SAFETY 900-PUBLIC WORKS 1000-COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE  100 - ARTS, RECREATION & CULTURAL AFFAIRS TAMEIKA GARRETT-WARD–CHAIRWOMAN Pullins, Brent, Lewis 101. Recreation Department In Committee 102. East Orange Public Library In Committee 103. Fire Captain Vincent Jay Intiso – Memorial Resolution to be presented 104. Maria Armwood Johnson – Memorial Resolution to be presented 105. Kevin Daniels – Memorial Resolution to be presented 106. Samuel Pointer – Commendation Resolution to be presented 200 - BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND ZONING CASIM GOMEZ – CHAIRMAN Awe, Claybrooks, Brent 201. Brick Church Mall In Committee 202. Brick Church Urban Renewal In Committee 203. Economic Development Corp. In Committee 204. Board of Adjustment In Committee 205. Community Development Corp. In Committee 206. Sanford Evergreen Connector In Committee 300 - FINANCE CHRISTOPHER AWE – CHAIRMAN Lewis, Pullins, Holman 301. Personnel In Committee 302. Tax Refund In Committee 303. Labor Negotiations In Committee 304. Tax Revaluation In Committee 305. Tax Sale Certificate In Committee 306. In Rem Foreclosure In Committee 307. Payroll No. 14 Resolution to be presented 308. Payroll No. 15 Resolution to be presented 309. Stop Payments In Committee 310. Legal Transfer In Committee 311. Tax Payment Plan In Committee 312. Tax Appeal Refund - $49,828.93 Resolution 313. Annual Tax Sale In Committee 314. Tax Abatement In Committee 315. In Lieu of Taxes In Committee 316. Bills, Claims & Appropriations – 7/26/2021 Resolution to be presented 317. Tax Sale Assignment In Committee 318. Tax Lien In Committee 319. Tax Lien Redemption In Committee 320. Budget Insertions In Committee 321. Status of Women In Committee 322. Auction In Committee 323. Duplicate Tax Payments - $635.15 Resolution to be presented 324. Resolution Authorizing the Cancellation of Trust Resolution to be presented Fund Reserve Account Unexpended Balances 324. Authorized Contracts with Certain Approved State Resolution to be presented Contract Vendors for Contracting Units Pursuant to N.J.S.A.40A:11-12 for use by Municipalities  300 – FINANCE - Continued CHRISTOPHER AWE – CHAIRMAN Lewis, Pullins, Holman 325. Authorized Payment of Accumulated Absence Resolution to be presented Liabilities to Former Employee 326. Resolution to Amend Budget Resolution to be presented 400 – HEALTH and EDUCATION BERGSON LENEUS – CHAIRMAN Garrett-Ward, Holman, Claybrooks 401. Child Guidance Clinic In Committee 402. Health Department In Committee 403. Mental Health Board In Committee 404. East Orange General Hospital In Committee 405. East Orange Board of Education In Committee 406. Resolution Authorizing a Special One-Day Resolution to be presented Licensee Fee Exemption for Vendors at the Seniors’ Farmer’s Market and Flea Market 500 – HOUSING, LICENSING AND INSPECTION ALICIA HOLMAN – CHAIRWOMAN Claybrooks, Gomez, Leneus 501. Rent Leveling In Committee 502. Affordable Housing Program In Committee 503. Housing Authority In Committee 504. Housing, Planning & Coordinating In Committee 505. Private Parking Rentals In Committee 506. Senior Citizens Housing In Committee 507. Housing Summit In Committee 700 – PLANNING and GRANTS BRITTANY D. CLAYBROOKS – CHAIRWOMAN Gomez, Leneus, Garrett-Ward 701. Community Development In Committee 702. Safe and Clean In Committee 703. Small Tools Library In Committee 704. Green Acres Grant In Committee 705. Women’s Summit in Committee In Committee 706. Resolution Approving the Submission of Resolution to be presented the Five-Year Consolidated Plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 800 - PUBLIC SAFETY AMY LEWIS – CHAIRWOMAN Brent, Garrett-Ward, Pullins 801. Police Department In Committee 802. Fire Department In Committee 803. Resolution Authorizing the Purchase of High Resolution to be presented Risk Entry Body Armor for Police Department 804. Resolution Authorizing the Purchase of Two Resolution to be presented Additional Mobile Neighborhood Public Safety Camera Units 805. Resolution Authorizing the City of East Orange to Resolution to be presented Use the Competitive Contracting Process to Secure the Services of a Vendor to Install Equipment for New Police Vehicles  800 - PUBLIC SAFETY - Continued AMY LEWIS – CHAIRWOMAN Brent, Garrett-Ward, Pullins 806. Resolution Authorizing the City to Purchase Resolution to be presented Portable Radios for Police Aides, Ticket Writers and New Police Officers 807. Resolution Authorizing the City of East Orange to Resolution to be presented Advertise a 2021 Gun Buy-Back Event on August 7th and Allocate Funds for the Cash Disbursements 900 - PUBLIC WORKS MUSTAFA AL-BRENT – CHAIRMAN Holman, Awe, Gomez 901. Capital Improvement Projects under Construction 902. Streetscape In Committee 903. Resolution Naming the Corner of South Maple Resolution to be presented Avenue and Central Avenue in Honor of Former Councilwoman Sharon Fields 904. Resolution Authorizing the Designation of Resolution to be presented Restricted Parking Spaces 905. Resolution Accepting the Bid of Flanagan’s Resolution to be presented Contracting Group, Inc., for Columbian Park Improvements - Site 600 - LAW AND LEGISLATION VERNON PULLINS, JR. – CHAIRMAN Leneus, Lewis, Awe 601. Ordinance on First Reading Ordinance No. 29 of 2021 An Ordinance Legalizing and Regulating the Sale of Cannabis and Cannabis Related Projects within the City of East Orange Ordinance No. 30 of 2021 An Ordinance to Transfer a City Owned Lot to New Life Construction & Property Management LLC in the Transit Village Redevelopment Area under the Auspices of N.J.S.A.40:12A-1 et. seq., Known as the “Local Redevelopment and Housing Law” Ordinance No. 31 of 2021 Ordinance of the City of East Orange, County of Essex, New Jersey Vacating Brick Church Plaza from South Harrison Street to Halsted Street, Subject to Entering into a Memorandum of Understanding Ordinance No. 32 of 2021 Ordinance of the City of East Orange Authorizing the Execution of a Financial Agreement with 227 NWST Urban Renewal, LLC for Payments in Lieu of Taxes with Respect to Certain Properties Identified on the City’s Tax Maps as Block 351, Lots 4, 5 and 21 Commonly Known as 227 North Walnut Street, 235 North Walnut Street and 216 North Clinton Street, Respectively. Ordinance No. 33 of 2021 An Ordinance Amending Sections the East Orange City Code to Provide for the Creation of One-Way Signs at Various Intersections 602. Ordinances on Second and Final Reading In Committee 603. Bingo/Raffles In Committee 604. A.B.C. In Committee 605. City Council Rules In Committee 606. Settlement In Committee  600 - LAW AND LEGISLATION - Continued VERNON PULLINS, JR. – CHAIRMAN Leneus, Lewis, Awe 607. Comcast/Suburban Cable Contract In Committee 608. Taxi Cabs vs. Livery Licenses In Committee 1000– COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE 1000. East Orange Parking Authority In Committee Meeting adjourned at 6:15 PM. Respectfully submitted by: Cynthia S. Brown, City Clerk