City Council

CITY OF EAST ORANGE THE EAST ORANGE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETING Monday, July 8, 2024 5:30 P.M. (Minutes from the Meeting of June 24, 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 July 8, 2024 The East Orange City Council met on June 24th, 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; Naiima Fauntleroy; Alicia Holman; Tamika Garrett-Ward; Christopher Awe; Christopher James; Vernon Pullins, Jr ABSENT Amy Lewis CITY OFFICIALS PRESENT Ronald Hunt, Esq. Corporation Counsel Law Department Solomon Steplight City Administrator Eladio Negron, Director Property Maintenance Dorothy Gallagher, CFO Finance Horace Henry, Director Health Department Rupert Bell, Director Public Works Raymond Garcia, Deputy Chief Police Department Lloyd Raheem, Acting Director Policy, Planning & Development Jerome Pearson, Director Recreation Monica Reed, Director Human Resources Davizael Sanchez, Deputy Chief Fire Department Racquel Ferguson, Purchasing Agent Finance ALSO PRESENT Luis Cabrera Human Resources Muzammil Mohammed-Stevens Public Works There were 9 Citizens in attendance. 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. Virginia Jeffries: Resolutions I-226, I-227, I-234, and I-235 do not have the monetary values associated with them. There is no information/agenda on the website for the Regular Meeting and is in violation of the Open Public Meetings Act. EO Board of Education President Andrea McPhatter disregards the First Amendment of the Constitution and the Open Public Meetings Act. She suppresses speech and uses threats to remove members of the public and intimidate them into not voicing their concerns about the East Orange School District. As a result, members of the public come to City Council meetings to voice their concerns and City Council does listen to their citizens with an open mind. 2. Brother Lamar Williams thanked Cynthia Brown (City Clerk) and her staff. He asked residents to remember young people that have passed away in East Orange since 1975. He’d like continued awareness of this topic. He attended 10 graduations including East Orange Campus on June 17th with keynote speaker Ms. Irene Nichols, first Principal of East Orange Campus. He congratulated all graduates and keynote speakers including Clifford Stem, Lawrence Ham, and Susan Bassett. He asked for assistance with helping Erica Villard, class of 2020 and senior at Kean, obtain work or volunteer experience. He apologized to Brittany Wallace for not attending the Miss NJ USA Pageant this past weekend. He asked that the City Council support Sydney McLaughlin Levrone during the Olympic trials which started June 21, 2024.  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. Dorothy Jean Vauss – Memorial Resolution to be presented 104. Resolution Authorizing the Renewal of a Contract Resolution to be presented with Nu-Way Concessionaires, Inc., 2024 Summer Food Service Program 105. Resolution Authorizing the Renewal of a Contract Resolution to be presented with Nu-Way Concessionaires, Inc., 2024 Child Abuse and Adult Care Food Program 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 300 - FINANCE BERGSON LENEUS - CHAIRMAN Lewis, Holman , Gomez 301. Personnel Resolution to be presented Resolution Denying Dorothy S. Gallagher’s Tenure and Confirmation as Chief Financial Officer 302. Tax Refund Resolution to be presented Duplicate Tax Payment - $2,085.45 303. Labor Negotiations In Committee 304. Tax Revaluation In Committee 305. Tax Sale Certificate In Committee 306. In Rem Foreclosure In Committee 307. Payroll No. 12 Resolution to be presented 308. Stop Payments In Committee 309. Legal Transfer In Committee 310. Tax Payment Plan In Committee 311. Tax Appeal Refund - $53.388.41 Resolution to be presented 312. Annual Tax Sale In Committee 313. Tax Abatement In Committee 314. In Lieu of Taxes In Committee 315. Bills, Claims & Appropriations (06.24.2024) 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. Resolution Authorizing a Special One-Day Only Resolution to be presented Event Fee for Vendors at the RnB in the City Festival 400 – HEALTH and EDUCATION NAIIMA FAUNTLEROY – CHAIRWOMAN Awe, Gomez, James 401. Child Guidance Clinic In Committee 402. Health Department In Committee 400 – HEALTH and EDUCATION (CONTINUED) NAIIMA FAUNTLEROY – CHAIRWOMAN Awe, Gomez, James 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 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 Authorizing the Purchase of Four (4) Resolution to be presented 2024 Escape Base AWD 4DR through ESCNJ CO-OP # 23/24-11 700 – 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 Resolution to be presented Resolution Authorizing the Renewal of a Joint Border Patrol (MOU) Between East Orange PD and Newark PD 802. Fire Department In Committee 900 - PUBLIC WORKS CASIM GOMEZ – CHAIRMAN Fauntleroy , Garrett-Ward , Monk 901. Capital Improvement Projects In Committee 902. Streetscape Resolution to be presented Resolution Awarding a Contract for Engineering Design Service for Main Street Streetscape, Phase II 903. Streetscape Resolution to be presented Resolution Rescinding and Repealing Resolution I-216 A Resolution Authorizing Change Order Number One for Main Street Streetscape 904. Resolution Granting Approval to submit a Grant Application Resolution to be presented And Execute a Grant Contract with the New Jersey Department of Transportation Milling and Paving MA-2025 600 - LAW AND LEGISLATION ALICIA HOLMAN– CHAIRWOMAN Garrett-Ward, Lewis, Awe 601. Ordinances on First Reading Ordinance No.18 of 2024 Ordinance to Transfer a City Property to Garden State Episcopal Community Development Corporation in the Greenwood Redevelopment Area Under the Auspices of N.J.S.A.40:12A-1 et seq Known as the “local Redevelopment and Housing Law” 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 Meeting adjourned at 7:40 PM. Respectfully submitted by: Cynthia S. Brown, City Clerk