City Council

CITY OF EAST ORANGE THE EAST ORANGE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETING Monday, July 24, 2023 5:30 P.M. (Minutes from the Meeting of July 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 July 10, 2023 The East Orange City Council met on July 10, 2023, at 5:39 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 Awe ABSENT Mustafa Al-M Brent Christopher D. James 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 Jamal Pearson, Director Recreation Eladio Negron, Director Code Enforcement Monica Reed, Director Human Resources Maurice Boyd, Director Public Safety Phyllis Bindi, Chief Police Department Tina Sakajani Tax Assessor JP Porcaro, Director East Orange Public Library Lloyd Raheem, Acting Director Planning ALSO PRESENT Tony Jackson Mayor’s Office Muzammil Mohamed-Stevens Public Works Racquel Ferguson, Purchasing Agent Procurement Captain Sanchez Fire Department 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. Dorothy Hamilton Darden - 80th Birthday 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 #13 Resolution to be presented 308. Stop Payments In Committee 309. Legal Transfer In Committee 310. Tax Payment Plan In Committee 311. Tax Appeal Refund In Committee 312. Annual Tax Sale In Committee 313. Tax Abatement In Committee 314. In Lieu of Taxes In Committee 315. Bills, Claims & Appropriations (7/10/23) Resolution to be presented 316. Tax Sale Assignment In Committee 317. Tax Lien In Committee 318. Tax Lien Redemption In Committee 319. Budget Insertions In Committee 320. Status of Women In Committee 321. Auction In Committee 322. Duplicate Tax Payments - $284,231.85 Resolution to be presented 323. State of New Jersey, Department of Agriculture Resolution to be presented Child, and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Grant 324. State of New Jersey, Department of Environmental Resolution to be presented Protection Memorial Park Improvement Grant 325. U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, Federal Resolution to be presented Emergency Management (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Grant 326. State of New Jersey, Department of Human Services Resolution to be presented National OPIOD Settlement Proceeds 327. Resolution Authorizing Application for the New Jersey Resolution to be presented Department of Community Affairs Lead Grant Assistance 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 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 Authorizing the Execution of the Resolution to be presented Community Development Block Grant Third Party Contracts 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 Granting Approval to Submit a Resolution to be presented Grant Application and Execute a Grant Contract With the New Jersey Department of Transportation For the City of East Orange MA-2- 2024 East Orange City 00415 Various Streets Improvements Project 600 - LAW AND LEGISLATION ALICIA HOLMAN – CHAIRWOMAN Garrett-Ward, Lewis, Leneus 601. Ordinance on First Reading Ordinance No. 19 of 2023 An Ordinance of the City of East Orange, County of Essex, State of New Jersey, Granting a Deed of Easement to Brick Church Urban Renewal I, LLC, Brick Church Urban Renewal II, LLC, Brick Church Urban Renewal III, LLC, and Brick Church Urban Renewal VII, LLC  600 - LAW AND LEGISLATION - Continued ALICIA HOLMAN – CHAIRWOMAN Garrett-Ward, Lewis, Leneus 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. 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. Melinda – Problems that were reported in her apartment and building (49 Prospect Street) have yet to be addressed. 2. Lisa Rodgers – Upset that the polling location has changed from her building with no notification and also, there is a traffic issue on Freeway Drive and Halsted Street. 3. Lorraine Alexander – 49 Prospect Street, owner is not addressing the issues in the building. 4. Biana Clark Cooke – Claiming that there is abusive behavior in the Mayor’s Office, no communication from Rent Control on the rent issues. The meeting was adjourned at 6:45 PM. Respectfully submitted by: Justin R. Brown, Deputy City Clerk