City Council

MINUTES COUNCIL CONFERENCE JANUARY 30, 2007 CITY HALL 5:00 PM Council President Paul M. Pintella, announced that adequate public notice has been provided to the public specifying the time and place for this meeting in accordance with Chapter 231, P.L. 1975, approved on October 21, 1975 and effective January 19, 1976. The FY 2007 annual notice was mailed to the Times and the Trentonian Newspapers, posted on the first floor bulletin board in City Hall, and filed in the City Clerk’s Office on July 1, 2006 and amended on July 21, 2006 The agenda for the said meeting was mailed, posted and filed on January 26, 2007. A Conference of the City Council of the City of Trenton, New Jersey, was held on the above date at 5:10 p.m. in the Council Conference Room, City Hall. The meeting was called to order by Council President Paul M. Pintella, on roll call, the following Council Members were present: Messrs. Bethea & Coston, Ms. Lartigue, Messrs. Melone & Segura, Ms. Staton, Mr. Pintella – 7 A portion of this meeting will be set aside for public comment. 5:00 p.m. Subject: Police Update Appearance: Joseph Santiago, Police Director Joseph Juniak, Police Captain Pedro Medina, Sergeant Paul Messina, Police Captain Fred Reister, Police Captain – Not present James Scaringelli, Police Captain 5:30 p.m. Subject: Docket Review: Appearance: Renee Haynes, Chief of Staff Jane Feigenbaum, Business Administration 6:00 p.m. Closed Session for Club XL Deliberations Council President Pintella – Welcome Director Santiago and wish him a speedy recovery with his health problem on behalf of City Council. Director Santiago – Thanked, Council for their get well wishes. He introduced his staff members and gave a power point presentation report on the 2006 crime statistic for the City. Crimes in Trenton declined 27% in 2006 from 2005. He gave a break down of the crimes committed in the City by the following categories: Homicide, Rape, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Burglary, Larceny/Theft, and Motor Vehicle Theft. He also, gave a break down on the Trenton Police Department Response time goals base on the importance of the crime committed. He stated most of the violent crimes are being committed usually by gang members. Drugs are the reason that gangs are here, he spoke regarding gun seizures. He provided a scale on crime comparison on the five (5) best years in history and the five (5) worst years in History for the City of Trenton. JANUARY 30, 2007 He further stated the Police Department had open two (2) new district headquarters in the City, one in the East Ward and the other in the West Ward, they are also getting new equipment to communicate easier with one another, new cameras and Laptops for the police cars. City Council members asked Director Santiago questions regarding his report and personnel matters. Council member Segura left the meeting at 6:45 p.m. PUBLIC COMMENT: Mr. Dion Clark, 323 Walnut Avenue – The slum landlord issue on Walnut Avenue is getting out of hand they are renting these houses to drug dealers and gang members. Mr. Pucciatti told me that there is a gentleman around here that owns 300 properties in the City of Trenton and when you have someone like that they do what ever they want to do. CIVIC MATTERS: Councilman Coston – Marriot Hotel sale and Hovnanian update Council President Pintella – Update with Mr. Greenwall, Director Housing & Economic Development on going on Projects in the City. EXECUTIVE SESSION Motion was made by Council President Pintella seconded by Councilman Bethea to go into executive session Pending Litigation, Hovnanian and ABC Matter Club XL. Because the discussion involved Club XL, Council members Lartigue and Melone recused themselves from the proceedings. Appearance: Peter Cohen, Assistant City Attorney Dennis Gonzalez, Assistant Business Administrator RESOLUTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION BE IT RESOLVED, that pursuant to N.J.S.A. 10:4-12 et seq. the public is hereby excluded from the following discussions; Hovnanian and ABC Matter, Club XL Concerning the deliberation of a public body occurring after hearing that may result in the imposition of specific civil penalty upon the responding party. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the contents of these discussions will be disclosed to the public at the conclusion of the deliberations. Motion was made by Council President Pintella seconded by Councilman Coston to go into open session. JANUARY 30, 2007 Council is voting on whether or not to approve the application for the renewal of Club XL Liquor License based on the hearings and the evidence presented, the testimony, the closing statements, and the written closing arguments presented by both council. Motion was made by Councilman Bethea not to renew the License for Club XL, second by Councilwoman Staton. The motion was carried by the following vote of the Council members present: AYES: Council member Bethea, Coston, Staton and Pintella NAYES: None ABSENT: Council member Segura ABSTAIN: None Meeting Adjourned: 8:25 p.m. Respectively submitted _______________________ __________________________ PAUL M. PINTELLA PENELOPE S. EDWARDS-CARTER CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT ACTING DEPUTY MUNICIPAL CLERK