City Council

MINUTES COUNCIL CONFERENCE MARCH 13, 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 March 9, 2007. A Conference of the City Council of the City of Trenton, New Jersey, was held on the above date at 5:08 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: Docket Review Appearance: Renee Haynes, Chief of Staff Jane Feigenbaum, Business Administrator Council President Pintella – I would like to formerly introduced Mr. Anthony P. Carabelli, Jr. City Council Aide and welcome him on board. Council President Pintella – Congratulated Trenton High and Trenton Catholic Academy schools girls’ basketball teams for the success they are having this year. The following Ordinances were introduced and discussed: ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 132 ARTICLE 10 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF TRENTON WITH REGARD TO REQUIRED INSPECTIONS FOR NON- OCCUPANT OWNED STRUCTURES Regarding inspections of rental properties on a yearly basis to ensure compliance with the Housing Code. Council President Pintella – Asked for a roll call to move the Ordinance on first reading. Councilman Coston, motioned to move the above Ordinance for straw purposes, and it was second by Councilman Bethea. AYES: Council members Bethea and Coston NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: Council members Lartique, Melone, Segura, Staton and Pintella MARCH 13, 2007 Motioned was made by Councilman Coston to withdraw the Ordinance regarding the rental fees. ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 132 ARTICLE 10 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF TRENTON WITH REGARD TO REQUIRED INSPECTIONS FOR NON- OCCUPANT OWNED STRUCTURES Motion was made by Council President Pintella and second by Councilman Bethea to go into public comment. PUBLIC COMMENT: Donald Brokate, 104 Cornwall Avenue – I like to thank, Council for abstaining from voting on the Rental Ordinance until you have more information. I am a landlord and we need to make sure that the law is behind us to be able to do this some of these landlords have deep pockets. I follow the Law to the T and there are other landlords here that do too. The sewer ordinance that was in the newspaper, with regards to digging done between the curb and the house and the problem is in the street it is the City’s responsibility. The part with the reimbursement for expenses needs to be reviewed. Bea Perry, 26 Sylvester Avenue – I want to thank the Director of Housing and his staff for demolishing a property that was very dangerous. I have a concern with properties in Trenton having one entrance and exit, not two. I want to thank Mrs. Dickson for having Pritchard Street clean. Can Sylvester Avenue be added to the paving list? Council President Pintella – Asked Mrs. T. Laird the Executive Director of TDA to say a couple of words about TDA. Mrs. T. Laird – Mr. Pecci, Executive Director of the Trenton Parking Authority faxed me some information regarding the Liberty Parking Lot downtown. The Lot starting immediately will be open until 11:00 pm on Friday nights and Saturday nights until 12:00 am. Eddie Baldassari, Baldassari Regency – I want to say hello to all City Council members. I agreed with Mr. Brokate regarding the Landlord issue. I would like to make a suggestion, enforce another 100 police officers. They could walk around knock on door and let people know they have to clean their area. When landlords rent out a property to a Section 8 tenant and it passes inspection. A year latter they go and do a new inspection the same tenant lives there and they find violations. Why is it the landlord responsibility to fix these violation and not the tenants? Something has to be done with this type of problem. Dion Clark, 323 Walnut Avenue – First of all I would like to apologize to Councilwoman Lartigue for speaking out of line but this is very important to me. I have to go back to Walnut Avenue every night. I went to Senator Shirley Turner a month ago regarding this problem. Today I received a letter from her. She is putting in two bills regarding this so I know something can be done. I have some articles here to give Council. I have been doing some investigating of my own. Mr. President, the Department of Inspections needs to be revamped just like Mayor Palmer did with the Police Department. You need to act on this. How long do we have to keep waiting? MARCH 13, 2007 Patricia Stewart, 679 Lamberton Street – Mr. Clark said it very well I can’t add a whole lot to it. I agreed with Councilwoman Lartigue in which the community needs to stick together. Mr. Allen from Public Works was out cleaning Hill Alley in 1 week it looked like they were never there. The City should make it illegal for landlords to put signs on there properties that read FOR RENT. Landlords should go to a real estate companies and advertise their properties. I still don’t know how many people live at 683 Lamberton Street. Paul Harris, 137 Centre Street – First I would like to say to Councilwoman Lartigue this is the second time I come here and I don’t know her from a can of paint but she is very passionate about what she is doing. I hope in the future we can work together. I have a printout on the videotaping of Council meeting decision that was passed. I walked into the building today and there was no security guard at the desk. I think that it is very disrespectful to have conversations on the side when people are talking because we can’t hear what they are saying. I run meetings and when I am speaking I am the only one speaking and talking. City Council members, have any of you giving tours to the State Senators of your wards? This is the state capital I would think that as the governing body you would do this to get their help with funding. Councilman Manuel Segura left the meeting at 7:38 pm. James Fouse, 13 Cavell Avenue – I agreed with Councilwoman Lartigue we have to partner. The whole city has to partner. This starts in the home. We need to get these parents to teach their children to clean up after themselves. Sometime we do sidebar but not to disrespect the Council. I control my meetings but if you hold people down and not let them speak I know I would leave and never come back. Donald Brokate, 104 Cornwall Avenue – We used eminent domain for new development in the City why not use it for redevelopment and use the Abandon Property Law to take properties from people who buy them for a profit and do not repair them. James Fouse, 13 Cavell Avenue – Slum landlords in the north ward, we have a problem with too many rentals. We don’t need more rentals, we need affordable housing for homeownership. ABC MATTERS: Mr. Joseph Alacqua, Special City Counsel – You will be receiving a copy of Club XL Appeal. They are appealing your decision not to renew their liquor license. There was a request for a transferred with Mem Tavern there are outstanding charges. I suggest before the City approves the transfers we bring the buyer in to discuss the matter. CIVIC MATTERS: Council President Pintella – Asked Mr. Carabelli to extend an invitation to Mrs. Taiwanda Wilson who was nominated for the Parking Authority position by Councilman Melone and Mr. Harry Reyes who was nominated by Councilman Segura for the same position to come to the next Council Conference meeting. There are some e-mails going around for the position of City Clerk position. We are not soliciting resumes at this time. Any that may come in will be disregarded. MARCH 13, 2007 Councilwoman Staton – The Street Paving Program please take a look at North Clinton Avenue (from E. State St. to Lincoln Ave.) to be considered for paving. I read an article in the paper regarding four of our firemen being down in Mississippi helping to rebuild. Can we find out when they are coming back? They need to be commended. Administration, at some point can you put a presentation on grants for the city. I think some people don’t realize how important grants are to our City. Councilman Melone – I would like to commend Mr. Jackson for increasing the lighting through out the City. Council may recalled a while ago when Mr. Jackson came to us requesting our help regarding PSE & G doing their job because they were backlogged and we did a letter on his behalf. I want to commend you on the great job you are doing on the streets with the equipment that we purchased. How much money have we saved? Councilwoman Lartigue – I would like an update on Joyce Kilmer School with regards to the violence and the destruction of property and the lack of leadership there. I would like them in here for an update on their plan to protect these kids and provide a good education. Councilman Coston – With regards to the taping of Public meetings, I would like for us to start doing this before people start coming in with their hand held cameras and video cam. Also with regards to the Presentation for April 10, 2007 on Housing Policies and RCA I understand that some people would like to come in and speaking on it. I would like to suggest with your blessing Mr. President that anyone who is interested in doing so submit something in writing. There are some folks I want to hear from. It’s been 6 weeks since I asked for a list of open positions and salary ranges and 2 weeks since I asked for utilities bills. I would like an update on the Hotel. Councilman Bethea made a motion to adjourn. Meeting Adjourned: 8:18 p.m. Respectively submitted ___________________________ __________________________ PAUL M. PINTELLA PENELOPE S. EDWARDS-CARTER CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT ACTING DEPUTY MUNICIPAL CLERK