City Council

CITY OF EAST ORANGE THE EAST ORANGE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETING Monday, April 24, 2023 5:30 P.M. (Minutes from the Meeting of April 10, 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 April 10, 2023 The East Orange City Council met on April 10, 2023, at 5:41 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; Tameika Garrett-Ward; Bergson Leneus; Alicia Holman; Vernon Pullins, Jr. Amy Lewis; Christopher D. James; Christopher Awe ABSENT Mustafa Al-M Brent 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 Monica Reed, Director Human Resources Rupert Bell, Director Public Works Maurice Boyd, Director Public Safety Phyllis Bindi, Chief Police Department Bruce Davis, Acting Chief Fire Department Tina Sakajani Tax Assessor ALSO PRESENT 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. I-100 Senator Ronald L. Rice – Memorial Resolution to be presented 104. Barbara C. Jackson - 88th Birthday Resolution to be presented 105. Women’s History Month Alberta Daniels – Commendation Resolution to be presented 106. Pamela M. McCauley - Commendation Resolution to be presented 107. Lorrie A. Williams - Commendation Resolution to be presented 108. Susan Vezza - Commendation Resolution to be presented 109. Rose Maureen Williams - Commendation Resolution to be presented 110. Yvonne M. Nambe Roach - Commendation Resolution to be presented 111. Reverend Thurselle C. Williams - Commendation Resolution to be presented 112. Jodi Cooperman - Commendation Resolution to be presented 113. Cheryl Willis Hudson - Commendation Resolution to be presented 114. Lolita Cruz - Commendation 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 204. Resolution Designating Vida 31 Washington, LLC, Resolution to be presented as Developer for a Certain Property Located in the Transit Village District Redevelopment Area 205. Resolution Amending the Conditional Designation of Resolution to be presented 440 MLK, Dr., LLC for the Development of Block 370 Lots 2 and 2.01 to Include Lots 33.01 and 34 Located Within the Transit Village District 206. Resolution Designating Hill & Hur Inc., as Resolution to be presented Developer for a Certain Property Located in the Greenwood Redevelopment Area 207. Resolution Authorizing the Planning Board to Resolution to be presented Prepare an Amendment to the Scattered Sites Redevelopment Area 208. Resolution Authorizing the Planning Board to Resolution to be presented Prepare an Amendment to the Rutledge Avenue Redevelopment Plan 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 #6 Resolution to be presented 308. Payroll #7 Resolution to be presented 309. Stop Payments In Committee 310. Legal Transfer In Committee 311. Tax Payment Plan In Committee 312. Tax Appeal Refund In Committee  300 – FINANCE - continued VERNON PULLINS, JR. – CHAIRMAN Lewis, Holman, Gomez 313. Annual Tax Sale In Committee 314. Tax Abatement In Committee 315. In Lieu of Taxes In Committee 316. Bills, Claims & Appropriations (4/10/23) 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 - $9,858.05 Resolution to be presented 324. Duplicate Tax Payments - $19,290.02 Resolution to be presented 325. Resolution Fixing the Interest Rate on Delinquent Taxes Resolution to be presented 326. Authorize Payment of Accumulated Absence Resolution to be presented Liabilities to Former Employees - $1,676.62 327. Miscellaneous Refund - $81.00 Resolution to be presented 328. Resolution Authorizing the Rejection of Bid to Contract Resolution to be presented for Armed & Unarmed Security Guard Services for Various Locations throughout the City 329. Resolution of the City of East Orange, in the Resolution to be presented County of Essex, New Jersey, Determining the form and other details of it’s Phase II, Phase III, and Phase IV Notes, each entitled “Note Relating to the Water Bank Construction Financing Program of the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank”, to be issued in the principal amount of up to $665,000, $2,375,000 and $445,000, respectively, and providing for the Issuance and Sale of such notes to the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank, and Authorizing the Execution and Delivery of such notes by the City of East Orange in Favor of the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank, all Pursuant to the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank Water Bank Construction Financing Program 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 406. Resolution Supporting the Acceptance of a Grant Resolution to be presented from the Governor’s Council on the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Program for the time period Extending from July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024 407. Resolution Supporting the Acceptance of the Resolution to be presented Youth Leadership Grant from the DMHAS to the GCADA Municipal Alliance Program for the period extending from September 1, 2023 to September 30, 2025 408. Resolution Supporting the Acceptance of the Youth Resolution to be presented Leadership Grant from the DMHAS to the GCADA Municipal Alliance Program for the period extending from July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023  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 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 Authorizing the Purchase of Resolution to be presented Automotive Parts and Supplies from Samuels, Inc., dba, Buy-Wise Auto Parts43 904. Resolution Authorizing the Renewal of a Contract Resolution to be presented with Maintenance Mart, Inc. for Janitorial Services for Municipal Properties 905. Resolution Authorizing the Purchase of Equipment Resolution to be presented from Storr Tractor Company Through ESCNJ Co-Op #18/19-25 906. Resolution Authorizing and Award of Proprietary Resolution to be presented Computer System Installed by Automated Logic for Building Automated System for the Police Department Building 907. Resolution Proclaiming “Arbor Day” in the city of Resolution to be presented East Orange 908. Resolution Authorizing the City to Advertise for Resolution to be presented Seasonal Landscaping Services at City Parks and Municipal Properties 600 - LAW AND LEGISLATION ALICIA HOLMAN – CHAIRWOMAN Garrett-Ward, Lewis, Leneus 601. Ordinance on First Reading Ordinance No. 8 of 2023 An Ordinance of the City of East Orange, County, of Essex, State of new Jersey, Accepting Grant of Easement from Public Service Electric and Gas Company and Authorizing Execution of an Easement Agreement  600 - LAW AND LEGISLATION - continued ALICIA HOLMAN – CHAIRWOMAN Garrett-Ward, Lewis, Leneus 601. Ordinance on First Reading Ordinance No. 9 of 2023 An Ordinance Amending and Supplementing Article II Chapter 260-9 of City Code Entitled “Stop Intersections” to Provide for the Creation of Four-Way Stop Signs at Elmwood 602. Ordinances on Second and Final Reading Ordinance No. 5 of 2023 Ordinance of the City of East Orange, In the County of Essex, New Jersey, Authorizing the Execution of a First Amendment not a Financial Agreement with 14 Summit Street Holdings Urban Renewal Entity, LLC for Payments in Lieu of Taxes with Respect to Certain Properties Identified on the City’s Tax Maps as Block 361, Lot 16 (158 North Walnut Street) and Lot 22 (14 Summit Street) Ordinance No. 6 of 2023 An Ordinance Amending and Supplementing Chapter 5, Article XXV Entitled “Boards, Commissions and Authorities: Appointees” and Chapter 14A, Article V Entitled “Board of Water Commissioners” Ordinance No. 7 of 2023 An Ordinance Amending and Supplementing Park III of the City Code to Include Chapter 189 Entitled “Regulating Skateboards, Bicycles, Roller Skates and Scooters” 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 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. 1. Dorothy Barbour - Programs for Senior’s and what to know what happened to the Clean up program for Senior Citizens. 2. Tobbia Corbitt – Complaint about the Street Cleaning on Norman Street 3. Simone Jelks and Debra White – No elevator service and Hazzard conditions at 120 So. Harrison Street The meeting was adjourned at 6:53 PM. Respectfully submitted by: Justin R. Brown, Deputy City Clerk