City Council

CITY OF EAST ORANGE THE EAST ORANGE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETING Monday, January 22, 2024 5:30 P.M. (Minutes from the Meeting of January 8, 2024) Vernon Pullins, Jr. City Council Chairman First Ward Second Ward Christopher D. James Christopher Awe Amy Lewis Sammed R. Monk Third Ward Fourth Ward Bergson Leneus Casim L. Gomez Vernon Pullins Tameika Garrett-Ward Fifth Ward Alicia Holman Naiima H. Fauntleroy Like Us on Facebook: @EASTORANGECITYCO UNCIL 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 January 8 , 2024 The East Orange City Council met on January 8, 2024 at 5:40 P.M. in City Council Chambers, 44 City Hall Plaza, East Orange, and New Jersey. Adequate notice of such 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; Sammed Monk; Bergson Leneus; Amy Lewis; Naiima Fauntleroy; Alicia Holman; Tamika Garrett-Ward; Christopher Awe; Christopher D. James; Vernon Pullins, Jr CITY OFFICIALS PRESENT Ronald Hunt, Esq. Corporation Counsel Law Department Eladio Negron, Director Property Maintenance Solomon Steplight Business Administrator Lloyd Raheem, Acting Director Planning & Development Tina Sakajani Tax Assessor Dorothy Gallagher, CFO Finance Rupert Bell, Director Public Works John Porcaro, Director East Orange Public Library Horace Henry, Acting Director Health Department Jerome Pearson, Director Recreation Phyllis Bindi, Chief Police Department Bruce Davis, Acting Chief Fire Department ALSO PRESENT Tony Jackson Mayor’s Office Muzammil Stevens Public Works There were 18 Citizens in attendance. 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 SAMMED MONK – CHAIRMAN James, Fauntleroy , Lewis 101. Recreation Department In Committee 102. East Orange Public Library In Committee 103. Resolution Recognizing January as Muslim Heritage Resolution to be presented Month In The City of East Orange 200 - BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND ZONING CHRISTOPHER D. JAMES – CHAIRMAN Leneus , Awe, Fauntleroy 201. Brick Church Mall In Committee 202. Brick Church Urban Renewal In Committee 203. Economic Development Corp. In Committee 204. Confirmation Confirming the Re-Appointment of Resolution to be presented Merolyn Kelly to The East Orange Zoning Board for A Period of (4) Years 205. Resolution Confirming the Appointment of Resolution to be presented Marilyn Jones (Alternate #2) to The East Orange Zoning Board for A Period of (2) Years 206. Resolution Confirming the Re-Appointment of Resolution to be presented Nadia Moses (Alternate #4) to The East Orange Zoning Board for A Period of (2) Years 207. Resolution Confirming the Re-Appointment of Resolution to be presented Shirley McClinton to The East Orange Zoning Board of Adjustment 300 - FINANCE BERGSON LENEUS - 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 No. 26 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 In Committee 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. Resolution Amending I-327 of 2023 Confirming Resolution to be presented the Appointment of Rhea Moore as A Municipal Court Judge 323. Resolution Extending 45 Days for Horace Henry Resolution to be presented As Acting Director of Health and Human Services 324. Resolution Authorizing the Continued Acting Resolution to be presented Appointment for the Position of Director of Policy and Planning – Lloyd Raheem 400 – HEALTH and EDUCATION NAIIMA FAUNTLEROY – CHAIRWOMAN Awe, 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 Confirming the Appointment of Resolution to be presented Tonya X. Cook to The East Orange Board of Health for a Period of (3) Years 500 – HOUSING, LICENSING AND INSPECTION CHRISTOPHER AWE – CHAIRMAN Holman , Monk, Leneus 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 508. Resolution Confirming the Appointment of Resolution to be presented Hafeezah Abdullah to the East Orange Rent Control Board for a Period of (3) Years 700 – PLANNING and GRANTS TAMEIKA GARRETT-WARD – CHAIRWOMAN Gomez, Leneus , 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 Monk, James, Garrett-Ward 801. Police Department In Committee 802. Fire Department In Committee  900 - PUBLIC WORKS CASIM GOMEZ – CHAIRMAN Fauntleroy , Garrett-Ward , Monk 901. Capital Improvement Projects Under Construction 902. Streetscape In Committee 600 - LAW AND LEGISLATION ALICIA HOLMAN– CHAIRWOMAN Garrett-Ward, Lewis, A w e 601. Ordinances on First Reading In Committee 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 609. Resolution Confirming the Re-Appointment of Resolution to be presented Shekera Lucas to the East Orange Water Commission 610. Confirmation of the Appointment of Arianna Moure’ Resolution to be presented To Fill the Unexpired Term of Theresa Pollard – Cannabis Board 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. Curtis Bynum stated the elevator at 55 S. Munn Avenue has been shut down for three months and the building is no longer a senior citizen building, roaches and bed bugs are all over the building. 2. Cheryl Gandy and Simone Jelks gave their appreciation to Councilman Awe for his tenure, his service and dedication. 3. Ms. Sandalwoods asked if Councilman Awe can go to court with her next week. 4. Virginia Jeffrey stated the agenda that was printed for tonight’s meeting was incomplete and had minutes from last December so the public could not follow along with tonight’s agenda. 5. Joe Harris voiced his frustration regarding the tennis court net, located directly across from his home on Dodd Avenue, being out of order. He stated he now must go to another town to use their tennis court which is an inconvenience to him. 6. Brother Lamar Williams asked if the city could recognize our young people that passed away in EO since 1975 including Derek Humphrey, Lindsay Adams, Julia Hernandez, Nicholas Edwards, etc. He also asked if the city could raise awareness for our youth and people that passed away. Meeting adjourned at 7:31 PM. Respectfully submitted by: Cynthia S. Brown, City Clerk