City Council

COUNCIL CONFERENCE MEETING MINUTES OCTOBER 23, 2007 CITY HALL - 5:00 PM A Conference Meeting of the City Council of the City of Trenton, New Jersey, was held on the above date at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Conference Room, City Hall. The meeting was called to order by Council President Paul M. Pintella. Council President announced that adequate public notice had been provided to the public specifying the time and place for this meeting in accordance with the Open Public Meeting Act. Said 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 June 21, 2007 by Resolution No. 07-316. The agenda for this meeting was mailed, posted and filed on October 19, 2007. ROLL CALL: PRESENT: Messrs. Bethea, Coston, Ms. Lartigue, Messrs. Melone (arrived at 5:43 pm), Segura, Ms. Staton, Mr. Pintella – 7. PRESENTATION: 1. STREET LIGHTS: Appearance: Eric Jackson, Director of Public Works Director Jackson read and handed out a written presentation on the City Street Lights Plan that included a detailed description of the plan to increase the wattage on the street lights and the monthly service charge increase. PSE&G will be replacing and repairing the lights. A detailed discussion was followed by a question and answer period. Director Frisby, Recreation, Natural Resources & Culture spoke on the tree trimming around the street lights. Council meeting recessed at 6:24 pm. City Council members had their photo taken with the Acting City Clerk. Council meeting reconvened at 6:37 pm. All members were present. 2. EXPLANATION ON THE RESOLUTION FOR THE REPAIRS AT THE TRENTON MARINA Appearance: Dennis Gonzalez, Assistant Business Administrator Mr. Gonzalez gave an explanation of the 99 year lease agreement the City has with NJEDA for an 18 acre parcel on (Trenton Marine Terminal) Lamberton Street. The agreement was entered into on July 8, 1983. A detailed discussion was followed by a question and answer period. Director Pucciatti, Department of Inspections explained that at the back end of the Marine Terminal part of the sea wall collapsed and the park will be closed until the problem is taken care of. 3. POLICE ISSUES: Appearance: Jane Feigenbaum, Business Administrator Ms. Feigenbaum discussed the projected cost for new police officers based on the 2005 rate for the hiring of 10, 20 or 30 new police officers. She also distributed a Police Overtime Expenditure Comparison sheet comparing last year’s overtime to this year. A detailed discussion was followed by a question and answer period. City Council Conference: Minutes October 23, 2007 1 4. EXECUTIVE SESSION PROCESS: Appearance: Joseph Alacqua, Special Counsel Mr. Alacqua distributed a copy of Chapter 11, Public Meetings, New Jersey Practice Series TM, Michael A. Pane, Local Government Law. Mr. Alacqua described the rules and regulations of executive session and what may be discussed in an executive session. A detailed discussion was followed by a question and answer period. CIVIC MATTERS: Councilwoman Lartigue 1) Asked for some comments in the near future regarding contracting prosecutors. 2) She asked to subpoena the Board of Education with regards to their investigation report for the incident at the Sherman Avenue School. She asked the City Clerk to prepare subpoenas for every member of the Board of Education. She asked Council President to call them and if they do not respond by next Tuesday to subpoena every one of them. Councilman Coston 1) Restated his request to have a representative from the police department at every meeting. 2) Problem property on Lamberton Street; something has to be done. Councilman Segura 1) Asked for the report from the Trenton Board of Education’s investigation on the Sherman Avenue School. 2) He stated that something had to be done about teacher getting promoted when they did not qualify. Councilwoman Staton 1) Stated that Council should have a regular conversation with the Superintendent of School. Mr. Alacqua notified Council of an appeal received from Quil-To, Inc., t/a El Rancho appealing the restrictions placed on their license. They are appealing the requirement to provide security on Thursday nights and on Karaoke on the premises. Councilwoman Staton made a motion to go into public comment, seconded by Councilman Segura. PUBLIC COMMENTS: Shaheed Morris, 229 Pearl Street – spoke on several issues: He complimented Director Eric Jackson on the street lights; Police Staffing issue needs to be look at critically. Lee Ingram, 102 Brown Street – spoke on several issues: On Franklin and Brown Streets on Dayton Street drugs are being sold there because the lighting is bad; he complained about the camera on Stuyvesant and Hoffman Avenue not working; he blamed the lack of lights and police patrol for the two shootings that occurred on Sunday; he presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Councilman Segura; the Fathers and Men United for a Better Trenton had their 1st picnic on September 1, 2007 at Cadwallader Park 1,500 people attended. Bea Perry, 27 Sylvester Avenue – spoke on several issues: she stated that we should elect our Board of Education members; we need to change the way we do business in this town. We must do something in the best interest of everybody. Dion Clark, 323 Walnut Avenue – spoke on several issues: he thanked Councilman Bethea for a great job on the Chess Game at PJ Hill School on Friday night; he stated that Mr. Gonzalez, Assistant Business Administrator was out of line when he called him racist; the statement that was made about Councilman Melone resigning was out of hand; it been six months since he filed his complaint about the police department and he has not heard anything regarding it. City Council Conference: Minutes October 23, 2007 2 Patricia Stewart, 679 Lamberton Street – spoke on several issues: the Chess Tournament was wonderful; we need more lights; she complained about a tenant on Lamberton Street that has their garbage can outside on a daily basis; she said that she hoped she misunderstood when she read that the Mayor wanted to privatize the Municipal Court; she filed a complaint on the property on Lamberton Street; she stated that the employees at the police department were out of control and the building needed to be clean. Nicholas Stewart, 679 Lamberton Street – spoke on several issues; he stated that the kids at the Chess Tournament were sharp; he said that he called in a complaint on a property on Lamberton Street being vandalized and had a problem with a police officer for calling it in; he supports more police officers if manage properly we will see a change with our economy new businesses will move in. Councilman Pintella made a motion to close public comment, seconded by Councilwoman Staton. Councilwoman Lartigue 1) stated that there is a problem with the Police Department especially the Municipal Court area. Council President Pintella asked the Business Administrator what the proposal was with regards to the Prosecutors. Business Administrator, Jane Feigenbaum stated that there are three full time prosecutors and some contracted part time employees. What was proposed is to review both the Prosecutor and Public Defenders Offices which has no full time employees to oversee it. The intention is to maintain a full time person to oversee the operation of both. Councilman Segura asked the Business Administrator if they were doing improvements to the building. The meeting Adjourned at 9:31 p.m. Respectively submitted ___________________________ __________________________ PAUL M. PINTELLA JUANITA M. JOYNER CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT ACTING CITY CLERK City Council Conference: Minutes October 23, 2007 3