City Council

CITY OF EAST ORANGE THE EAST ORANGE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETING Monday, September 25, 2023 5:30 P.M. (Minutes from the Meeting of September 11, 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 September 11, 2023 The East Orange City Council met on September 11, 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; T Mustafa Al-M Brent; Tameika Garrett-Ward; Bergson Leneus; Alicia Holman; Vernon Pullins, Jr.; Amy Lewis; Christopher D. James; Christopher Awe ABSENT CITY OFFICIALS PRESENT Solomon Steplight, City Administrator City Administrator Ronald Hunt, Corporation Counsel Law Department Dorothy Gallagher, CFO Finance Bruce Davis, Acting Chief Fire Department Jamal Pearson, Director Recreation Eladio Negron, Director Code Enforcement Monica Reed, Director Human Resources Phyllis Bindi, Chief Police Department Tina Sakajani Tax Assessor JP Porcaro, Director East Orange Public Library Lloyd Raheem, Acting Director Planning Rupert Bell, Director Public Works ALSO PRESENT Tony Jackson Mayor’s Office Muzammil Mohamed-Stevens Public Works Racquel Ferguson, Purchasing Agent Procurement Ritta Butts, Manager Senior Services 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. Thomas Lewis Brown Jr. – Memorial Resolution to be presented 104. Obi Cubana - 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 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 #18 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 313. Annual Tax Sale In Committee 314. Tax Abatement In Committee 315. In Lieu of Taxes In Committee 316. Bills, Claims & Appropriations (9/11/23) 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. State of New Jersey, Department of Community Resolution to be presented Affairs Lead Grant Assistance Program (LGAP) Grant 324. Duplicate Tax Payments - $7,882.79 Resolution to be presented 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 Authorizing the City of East Orange to Resolution to be presented Maintain its Lease Agreement with Central Suites, LLC for the Rental of Space to House its WIC Program  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 Award of a Professional Resolution to be presented Service Contract for HUD CDBG Homeowner Grant Assistance Program Extension 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 Awarding a Contract for Architectural Resolution to be presented and Engineering Design Services for a Recreation Center Feasibility Study 904. Resolution Authorizing and Approving an Award of Resolution to be presented Contract Through the Educational Services Commission of New Jersey (ESCNJ) for the Installation of a Rubberized Path at Soverel Park 905. Resolution Authorizing the purchase of Leaf Vacuum Resolution to be presented Equipment from Old Dominion Brush for the Department of Public Works 906. Resolution Authorizing the City of East Orange to Resolution to be presented Advertise a Request for Proposal for Global Positioning-Vehicle Fleet Management System 907. Resolution Authorizing the Renovation of the City Hall Resolution to be presented Planning Conference Room through the Hunterdon County Educational Services Commission CO-OP Purchasing Program 908. Resolution Authorizing the Approval of a Contract Resolution to be presented Award to TK Elevator for the Modernization of the Elevator Interior at City Hall Plaza 909. Resolution Authorizing the Award of a Non-Fair and Resolution to be presented Open Contract to Shauger Group for the removal of illegal dumping for the Department of Public Works  600 - LAW AND LEGISLATION ALICIA HOLMAN – CHAIRWOMAN Garrett-Ward, Lewis, Leneus 601. Ordinance on First Reading Ordinance No. 25 of 2023 An Ordinance Amending Ordinance No. 26 of 2022 which Legalized and Regulated the Sale of Recreational Cannabis and Cannabis Products within the City of East Orange 602. Ordinances on Second and Final Reading Ordinance No. 20 of 2023 An Ordinance Changing The Name of City Hall Plaza to Lt. Governor Sheila Y. Oliver Court In The City of East Orange, New Jersey Ordinance No. 21 of 2023 An Ordinance to Amend & Supplement Article III of the Municipal Code and Adopting Chapter 260-145.2 Entitled “Street Sweeping Schedule” Ordinance No. 22 of 2023 An Ordinance Amending and Supplementing Article II Chapter 260-9 of the City Code Entitled “Stop Intersections” to Provide for the Creation of Four-Way Stop Signs at Fair Street Ordinance No. 24 of 2023 Bond Ordinance Providing for Various 2023Capital Acquisitions and Improvements, By and In the City of East Orange, In the County of Essex, State of New Jersey; Appropriating $26,808.00 Therefor and Authorizing the Issuance of $25,531,300 Bonds or Notes of the City to Finance Part of the Costs Thereof 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. Alexis T. Miller – 315 S. Harrison Street, Issues are not being addressed, repairs are not being done, Code Enforcement is not responding and would like to know why they are not performing there duties and would like an investigation. 2. LaWanda McCombs – 49 Prospect Street, discussing the Rent Roll process, she states that she is owed mony from unauthorized/illegal rent increases, there was damage done to her property by building maintenance, infestation of mice. 3. Simmon Jelks-Bandison – 120 So. Harrison Street, No elevator in the building, repairs are not being made open violations and work orders are being closed without being repaired and Code Enforcement is not responding. 4. Andrew Parz – Requesting Ordinance and support for mini library boxes for the community in the 2nd and 5th Wards to impact the youth. 5. W. Khan – Tax increase of $1,000 and would like to know what Companies and Buildings are receiving a Tax Abatement and excessive stop signs. The meeting was adjourned at 8:25 PM. Respectfully submitted by: Justin R. Brown, Deputy City Clerk