City Council

NOTE: THE FULL TEXT OF ALL REPORTS, PETITIONS, ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS, MOTIONS, AND OTHER PAPERS WHICH APPEAR HEREIN BY SYNOPSIS ARE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FOR EXAMINATION AT THE CITY CLERK' S OFFICE DURING THE REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS. THESE MINUTES DO NOT PURPORT TO CONTAIN THE FULL CONTENTS OF THE MATTERS DISCUSSED. East Orange City Council Special Meeting Virtual Meeting Zoom Monday, December 30th, 2024 I. ROLL CALL PRESENT: Councilman Casim Gomez Councilman Sammed R. Monk Councilman Bergson Leneus Councilwoman Amy Lewis Councilwoman Alicia Holman Councilwoman Tameika Garrett- Ward Councilman Christopher Awe Councilman Christopher D. James Chairman Vernon Pullins, Jr. ABSENT: Councilwoman Naiima H. Fauntleroy The City Clerk determined there was a quorum and the meeting commenced at 6: 13 PM. CITY OFFICIALS: Ronald Hunt, Esq., Corporation Counsel Tony Jackson, Chief of Staff Solomon Steplight, Business Administrator Daphne Gamboa, Chief Financial Officer Maurice Boyd, Director, Public Safety II. SALUTE TO THE FLAG III. SILENT PRAYER Councilman Awe gave a moment of silence to the late President Jimmy Carter and all those who had passed away during this holiday season. IV. SUNSHINE LAW STATEMENT 1  THIS MEETING, WHICH CONFORMS WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS LAW, CHAPTER 213, P. L. 1975, IS A SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING. NOTICES HAVE BEEN FILED WITH OUR OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER WITH THE CITY CLERK AND POSTED ON THE REGULAR BULLETIN BOARD. THIS MEETING WILL BE CONDUCTED VIRTUALLY, STREAMING ON FACEBOOK LIVE AT FACEBOOK. COM/ EOCITYCOUNCIL. RESIDENTS WERE ALLOWED TO SUBMIT WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS VIA EMAIL TO CITYCOUNCIL( u EASTORANGE- NJ.GOV BY 5: 30 P. M. TO BE READ DURING THE OPEN HEARING OF THE CITIZENS PORTION OF THE MEETING. REPORT OF COMMITTEES A. FINANCE Councilman Leneus motioned for an executive session on personal, employment, litigation, and contractual matters. Councilman Awe seconded the motion. A roll call was taken: Aye: Councilman Gomez, Councilman Monk, Councilman Leneus, Councilwoman Lewis, Councilwoman Holman, Councilwoman Garrett- Ward, Councilman James, Councilman Awe, Chairman Pullins Nay: None Abstain: None Absent: Councilwoman Fauntleroy 9- Ayes, 0- Nays, 0- Abstentions; 1- Absent) Entered into Executive Session at 6: 15 PM. Exited Executive Session at 9: 05 PM. A roll call was taken: Aye: Councilman Leneus, Councilwoman Lewis, Councilwoman Holman, Councilwoman Garrett- Ward, Councilman James, Councilman Awe, Chairman Pullins Nay: None Abstain: None Absent: Councilman Gomez, Councilman Monk, Councilwoman Fauntleroy 7- Ayes, 0- Nays, 0- Abstentions, 3- Absent) X. HEARING OF CITIZENS 2  1. Alizette Mendez: Good evening, City Council Members, I am here today to address a serious issue regarding the city' s lack of proper monitoring and enforcement of Certificates of Habitability and how this has negatively impacted my case in court. Code Enforcement Inspector Hartfield, who has been assigned to my ward, conducted what I can only describe as a lackluster inspection of my unit. This inspection was recorded on camera and lasted a mere two minutes. Alarms were not checked, windows were ignored, and no thorough review of the unit was performed. This superficial inspection occurred just days after an application was rushed and filed exactly 24 hours before a court appearance. Despite this rushed process, I have yet to receive the certificate for my signature, as required by law, yet the Code Enforcement Department is honoring it as valid. Not only that, but when brought to the attention of Inspector Negron, no follow- up had been done, no one showed up as promised, and yet again, I was left in the dark. Does the city not follow its own laws? East Orange law clearly states that a Certificate of Habitability must be signed by both the landlord and the tenant to be considered valid. I urge the Council to refer to this law and explain why it is not being enforced in my case. Furthermore, illegal rent has been collected on my unit since before my arrival, and I have repeatedly asked the city to assist. Yet, as tenants, we are expected to pay this illegal rent in full before the city even reviews our complaints. Even after we meet these burdensome requirements, landlords are still given the opportunity to challenge decisions despite knowingly breaking the law. This creates an unfair system that favors landlords at the expense of tenants, especially for those of us in eviction- related cases due to this issue. It is unacceptable and disheartening to live in a city that appears to prioritize economic gain over the rights and well- being of the people who fuel its economy. The lack of accountability, transparency, and adherence to laws is not only unfair but deeply harmful to the tenants who rely on the city for protection and justice. I am attaching a video of the inspection in question for your review and urge the Council to take immediate action to ensure the enforcement of the city' s laws, accountability for rushed and inadequate inspections, and the fair treatment of tenants in East Orange. Thank you for your time and attention. 2. Cheryl M. Gandy: Good evening, Council. As you well know, in addition to the East Orange rent rolls being incorrect, there is a vast problem with ill-filed Certificates of Habitability and incorrect information being given to tenants. Records show that property owners are able to Rent apartments, Collect Rent, Raise the rent, and Evict tenants. All without having a properly filed Certificate of Habitability. Specifically, the form has three signature lines - one for the landlord, one for the tenant and the fmal for the inspector. In order for the COH to be valid the landlord and the tenant must sign first, then the inspector signs. Yet there are COHs on file as valid with only the inspectors signature-- to the detriment of the tenant. Unscrupulous property owners and receivers know that the City of East Orange is not paying attention, so they can freely usurp the law. When will this be addressed? 3. Simone Jelks- Bandison: Dear City Council Members, I am writing to bring to your attention the urgent need for a streamlined process for submitting and requesting documents from code enforcement and regulation in East Orange. As per the ordinance for Certificate of Habitability ( COH), the application for landlords clearly states that three signatures are required. However, it has come to my attention that East Orange code enforcement and regulation are not adhering to the ordinance' s stated requirements. This inconsistency is causing a lot of issues for tenants, as the ordinances are not being followed. Tenants are being held to a higher standard than landlords or even the city itself. We need clear procedures in writing that must be followed so that both tenants and landlords know how to navigate within the city and understand the guidelines. 3  Furthermore, East Orange needs to implement policies to hold its own staff and directors accountable for not following their duties. Just today, when researching COH, my own it was issued to my apartment without my knowledge and without any signatures. When I raised this issue with Superior staff at City.Hall, I was informed that it is considered issued and approved as long as they have a copy of a COH without signatures. This directly contradicts what is written in the ordinance and the documentation provided by the city. It is imperative that we address these discrepancies and ensure that proper procedures are followed to protect the rights of tenants and landlords. The people of East Orange deserve better. No. Also, I have not had proper hot water in over 2 years, went without an elevator for 1. 5 years, and yet there has been no movement on my rent leveling complaints. Thank you for your attention to this matter. XII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, Councilwoman Holman moved to adjourn. The motion was conded by Councilman Awe and the meeting was adjourned at 9: 21 PM. Cynthia S. Brown Verno ullin J. City Clerk Ci Co cil Cha an 4