City Council

CITY OF EAST ORANGE THE EAST ORANGE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETING Monday, February 27, 2023 5:30 P.M. (Minutes from the Meeting of February 14, 2023) CHRISTOPHER AWE 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 February 14, 2023 The East Orange City Council met on February 14, 2023, at 5:35 P.M. in City Council Chambers, 44 City Hall Plaza, East Orange, and New Jersey. Adequate notice of such a 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; Brittany Claybrooks; Mustafa Al-M Brent; Bergson Leneus; Alicia Holman; Vernon Pullins, Jr.; Amy Lewis; Christopher Awe ABSENT Tameika Garrett-Ward (arrived @ 5:37 pm) Christopher D. James (arrived @ 5:36 pm) CITY OFFICIALS PRESENT Solomon Steplight, City Administrator City Administrator Ronald Hunt, Corporation Counsel Law Department Dorothy Gallagher, CFO Finance Yvonne C. Blake, Acting Director Health and Human Services Tiffany Harris-Delaney, Director Planning Jamal Pearson, Director Recreation Eladio Negron, Director Code Enforcement Tina Sakajani Tax Assessor Monica Reed, Director Human Resources Rupert Bell, Director Public Works Phyllis Bindi, Chief Police Department Bruce Davis, Acting Chief Fire Department Maurice Boyd, Acting Public Safety Director Police Department ALSO PRESENT Racquel Ferguson, Purchasing Agent Procurement Tony Jackson Mayor’s Office Muzammil Mohamed-Stevens Public Works 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 BERGSON LENUES - CHAIRMAN James, Brent, Lewis 101. Recreation Department In Committee 102. East Orange Public Library In Committee 103. Juanita Rowe - Memorial Resolution to be presented 200 - BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND ZONING CHRISTOPHER D. JAMES – CHAIRMAN Leneus, Pullins, Jr., Brent 201. Brick Church Mall In Committee 202. Brick Church Urban Renewal In Committee 203. Economic Development Corp. In Committee 300 - FINANCE VERNON PULLINS, JR. – CHAIRMAN Lewis, Holman, Gomez 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 #2 Resolution to be presented 308. Payroll #3 Resolution to be presented 309 Stop Payments In Committee 310 Legal Transfer 2022 In Committee 311. Tax Payment Plan In Committee 312. Tax Appeal Refund In Committee 313. Annual Tax Sale In Committee 314. Tax Abatement In Committee 315. In Lieu of Taxes In Committee 316. Bills, Claims & Appropriations – 2.14.23 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 - $15,121.44 Resolution to be presented 324. Resolution Amending the Gas Mileage Resolution to be presented Reimbursement Rate for City Employees 325. Authorize Payment of Accumulated Absence Resolution to be presented Liabilities to Former Employees 326. Authorize Temporary Emergency Appropriations Resolution to be presented Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:4-1 ET SEQ (The Local Budget Law) 327. Resolution Awarding Professional Service Resolution to be presented Contracts for Tax Appeal Defense Counsel 328. Authorize Payment of Accumulated Absence Resolution to be presented Liabilities to Former Employee  400 – HEALTH and EDUCATION MUSTAFA AL-M. BRENT – CHAIRMAN Claybrooks, Gomez, James 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 500 – HOUSING, LICENSING AND INSPECTION BRITTANY D. CLAYBROOKS – CHAIRWOMAN Holman, Leneus, Pullins, Jr. 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 TAMEIKA GARRETT-WARD – CHAIRWOMAN Gomez, Claybrooks, Holman 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 706. Resolution Authoring the City of East Orange Resolution to be presented to Apply for a Grant from the Bloomberg Philanthropies for the 2023 Public Art Challenge 707. A Resolution Authorizing the Award of Home Funds Resolution to be presented to Sierra House Community Housing Development Organization for an Affordable Housing Project in the Greenwood Redevelopment Area Located at 70 Chestnut Street 800 - PUBLIC SAFETY AMY LEWIS – CHAIRWOMAN Brent, James, Garrett-Ward 801. Police Department In Committee 802. Fire Department In Committee 900 - PUBLIC WORKS CASIM GOMEZ – CHAIRMAN Pullins, Jr., Garrett-Ward, Claybrooks 901. Capital Improvement Projects under Construction 902. Streetscape In Committee 903. Resolution Accepting the Bid of A.B. Resolution to be presented Contracting, LLC for Columbian Park Improvements- Field House and Swimming Pool 904. Resolution Authorizing the City of East Orange Resolution to be presented to Enter into a Right of Entry Agreement with PSE&G  600 - LAW AND LEGISLATION ALICIA HOLMAN – CHAIRWOMAN Garrett-Ward, Lewis, Leneus 601. Ordinances on First Reading Ordinance No, 3 of 2023 An Ordinance to Transfer a City Property Upper Greenwood Realty LLC, In the Greenwood 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. 4 of 2023 Municipal Budget Appropriation and Establish a Cap Bank Pursuant (N.J.S.A. 40A:4-45.14)- to be transferred to Finance 602. Ordinance on Second and Final Reading Ordinance No. 1 of 2023 An Ordinance Authorizing the City of East Orange Purchase for a Public Purpose the Improvements and Property Located at 18-20 Ashland Avenue, identified on the Tax Maps as Block 541, Lot 14, East Orange, New Jersey 603. Bingo/Raffles In Committee 604. A.B.C. In Committee 605. City Council Rules In Committee 606. Settlements In Committee 607. Comcast/Suburban Cable Contract In Committee 608. Taxi Cabs vs. Livery Licenses In Committee 609. Resolution Waiving the Twenty Day Effective Resolution to be presented Period on Ordinance No. 1 of 2023 1000– COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE 1000. East Orange Parking Authority In Committee 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. NONE The meeting was adjourned at 6:10 PM. Respectfully submitted by: Justin R. Brown, Deputy City Clerk