City Council

CITY OF EAST ORANGE THE EAST ORANGE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETING Monday, October 16, 2023 5:30 P.M. (Minutes from the Meeting of September 25, 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 25, 2023 The East Orange City Council met on September 25, 2023, at 5:30 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; Bergson Leneus; Alicia Holman; Amy Lewis; Christopher D. James; Christopher Awe ABSENT Mustafa Al-M Brent - arrived @ 5:40 pm Tameika Garrett-Ward - arrived @ 5:36 pm Vernon Pullins, Jr 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 Rupert Bell, Director Public Works Maurice Boyd, Director Public Safety 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. James Albert Chance – 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 Resolution Authorizing the Continued Acting Appointment for the Position of Director of Policy, Planning and Development Resolution to be presented Resolution Authorizing the Continued Acting Appointment for the Position of Director of Health and Human Services Resolution to be presented 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 #19 Resolution to be presented 309. Stop Payments In Committee 310. Legal Transfer In Committee 311. Tax Payment Plan In Committee 312. Tax Appeal Refund - $1,399.68 Resolution to be presented 313. Annual Tax Sale In Committee 314. Tax Abatement In Committee 315. In Lieu of Taxes In Committee 316. Bills, Claims & Appropriations (9/25/23) 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. Resolution of the City of East Orange, in the County Resolution to be presented of Essex, State of New Jersey Authorizing City Officials to Undertake Certain Actions in Connection with the Issuance and Sale of not to exceed $32,025,572 General Obligation Notes, 2023 Consisting of not to Exceed $31,695,572 Bond Anticipation Notes, Series 2023 and not to exceed $330,000 Special Emergency Notes, Series 2023  300 – FINANCE - Continued VERNON PULLINS, JR. – CHAIRMAN Lewis, Holman, Gomez 324. Resolution of the City of East Orange, in the County Resolution to be presented of Essex, New Jersey, Determining the Form and other details of its Phase V and Phase VI 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 $880,000 and $375,000, 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 Construction Financing Program 325. State of New Jersey, Department of Health Childhood Resolution to be presented Lead 2024 Grant 326. Resolution Authorizing to join the educational services Resolution to be presented Commission of Morris County, for Cooperative Membership Pricing for Various Good and Services needed throughout the City of East Orange 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  800 - PUBLIC SAFETY AMY LEWIS – CHAIRWOMAN Brent, James, Garrett-Ward 801. Police Department In Committee 802. Fire Department In Committee 803. Resolution Authorizing an Award of Non-Fair and Resolution to be presented Open Contract for the Vehicle Repairs to a 2022 GMC Yukon to Exclusive Auto Body for the Department of Public Safety 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 Designation of Resolution to be presented Restricted Parking Spaces 904. Resolution Authorizing Change Order No. 1 (Final) Resolution to be presented For Milling and Paving Various Streets, FY 2021 600 - LAW AND LEGISLATION ALICIA HOLMAN – CHAIRWOMAN Garrett-Ward, Lewis, Leneus 601. Ordinances on First Reading Ordinance No. 26 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 Stop Signs at N. 16th Street at the Intersection of Eaton Place and N. 18th Street at the Intersection of Eaton Place 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. The meeting was adjourned at 5:56 PM. Respectfully submitted by: Justin R. Brown, Deputy City Clerk