2026-10-21 - Municipal Council
Summary
Based on auto-generated captions; names, numbers and some item numbers may be misheard.
Time on topic (from transcript timestamps; approximate, includes side talk):
- Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
- Regular meeting of the Municipal Council.
- Called to order about 6:05 p.m. with seven members present; Griffin arrived at 6:30 and Ridley, the council president, at 6:33, so Gilmore presided at first as president pro tem.
- Adjourned at 10:32 p.m. The recording runs 4 hours 27 minutes with no recess captioned.
- About 90 public speakers were listed, most of them on Rent control exemption for new construction (Ord. 26-089), which its sponsors pulled before introduction.
- Late items need six votes and were added 7-0.
- All resolutions were approved except where noted below.
Rent control exemption for new construction (Ord. 26-089)
3:57-6:59, 48:16-51:45, 1:30:07-1:33:12, 1:35:31-1:44:03, 1:46:22-1:49:50, 1:52:55-1:56:21, 1:59:00-2:08:20, 2:12:37-2:52:50, 3:17:00-3:32:05, 3:36:00-3:38:54
- Pulled before introduction. The sponsors, Ephros and Little, did not move to add the ordinance (late item 3.4) to the agenda after colleagues and city departments asked for more time. Ephros said it will be resubmitted for introduction on November 12; Little said they would use the weeks to work with departments and colleagues. No vote was taken.
- Public comment was dominated by it: about 35 speakers, most of them Newport tenants (including seniors and long-term residents of the moderate-income units) and tenants of other towers. They described the moderate-income program ending, a one-year courtesy renewal quoted at a 3.5% increase, and fear of market-rate rents more than double what they pay. All urged introduction on November 12 and adoption before year-end; three regular meetings remain this year.
- Arguments for: a speaker said state law already gives new rental buildings up to 30 years of exemption (the length of the first mortgage), while the city exemption for redevelopment areas has no end date; others noted a 2019 council vote (reported as 0-9) to keep end dates in 54 redevelopment plans, a 2019 ordinance (19-128) to repeal the exemption that was tabled in January 2020, and a speaker's claim that a December 2023 ordinance (23-124) removed the Newport plan's 40-year limit. These historical claims come from public speakers and were not verified.
- Process argument: tenants' representatives said the council's own June rule makes timely submission, not administrative approval, the test for reaching the agenda, and that separation of powers argues against letting the administration gate a council ordinance. The council's late-item practice was described at the start of the meeting as requiring review by the business administrator and law department.
- Arguments against: a few speakers said the ordinance was rushed, had no cost study, and could cost the city about 30 million dollars a year in lost property tax revenue (rough resident estimates), and urged reviving a targeted tax-pilot deal that would preserve the affordable units. A councilmember corrected a speaker, saying it was the previous council, not this one, that voted down the earlier pilot ordinance.
- Council response (2:42:28-2:49:19): a councilmember, apparently Lavarro, said he voted to introduce the 2019 ordinance but was absent for the January 2020 tabling vote, and that he would have voted against adding 26-089 as a late item but would vote to introduce it if it is properly on the agenda. He said the rule he authored releases agendas about a week before the meeting for transparency. Ephros said the administration told the sponsors the exemption lasts only as long as the redevelopment area remains in effect.
- One speaker also proposed ending redevelopment benefits for new waterfront buildings and subjecting buildings to rent control 30 years after their certificates of occupancy.
Pershing Field ice rink chiller rental
6:59-8:32, 3:39:43-3:41:14, 4:15:43-4:16:00, 4:17:30-4:17:50, 4:24:58-4:25:20
- Late item 10.33 (resolution 26-715) awarding Herc Rentals (captioned "Herk") the chiller rental was added to the agenda 7-0 with Griffin and Ridley not yet present, then adopted 9-0 in the final block.
- A ten-year-old hockey player told the council the rink cannot reopen without the chiller and asked for a yes vote; the room responded warmly and council members thanked the child.
- Zuppa called it hopefully the end of a long saga that predates this council. Ephros hoped for a permanent chiller soon. Lavarro asked whether the permanent fix could use the Community Development Block Grant funds that must be spent down.
Acting chief financial officer appointment
8:32-11:32, 4:14:12-4:14:25, 4:16:00-4:17:17, 4:21:55-4:22:10, 4:25:20-4:26:31
- Two late items were added 7-0 (with Griffin and Ridley not yet seated): resolution 26-716 (item 10.34) appointing Staton as acting chief financial officer, and resolution 26-717 (item 10.35) designating the city's official signatories. A brief tie over who seconded the motion for 10.35 was settled in favor of Lavarro.
- Both were adopted 9-0 in the final block. Brooks and Singh congratulated Staton (captioned "Widia" and similar); Brooks thanked her for leading the Hispanic Heritage Month Committee.
- Zuppa and Lavarro said their concern was salary levels, not the appointee: they recalled that the council raised the salary ordinance to attract top experience, said paying less-experienced staff in a budget crisis is unwise, and urged the administration to be cautious on salaries and hiring. Lavarro suggested revisiting the salary ordinance.
Community Mental Health Crisis Response Contract
11:32-12:18, 2:30:07-2:30:25, 4:17:50-4:18:03, 4:18:50-4:21:07
- Late item 10.36 (resolution 26-718) authorizes competitive contracting for a contract to set up a community mental health crisis response to 911 and other calls where behavioral health is the reported issue. It was added 7-0 and adopted 9-0.
- Little presented it, saying the updated request for proposals reflects community meetings with faith leaders, mental health advocates, city health officials, and people with lived experience, including family members of Drew Washington. She said the item is late because the mandatory 20-day advertising window means the teams could not reach the field before the winter holidays if it waited a meeting. The resolution only authorizes competitive contracting; it does not approve the request for proposals.
- Ephros thanked Little, the administration and advocates who pushed for this for years. A public speaker thanked the council and hoped it is "a true step forward and not another false start."
Loading zone definitions
12:18-12:50
- Ordinance 26-086 (item 3.1) was introduced on first reading, 9-0. No discussion on the floor; see the caucus discussion above.
Powerhouse Arts District Redevelopment Plan amendment (Ord. 26-087)
12:50-13:20, 2:56:13-2:59:40
- Ordinance 26-087 was introduced on first reading, 9-0 (7-0 before Griffin and Ridley arrived, confirmed 9-0 later).
- During public comment a nearby resident argued that the 5-foot step-back on Morgan Street and ground-floor arts space are not enough for the added height (from 20 to 21 stories, which the speaker put at about 11,500 square feet of added floor area versus about 5,300 square feet redistributed by the step-back). She asked for the 10-foot step-back at the ninth story on all four sides required in the block's transition zone, and for measurable, enforceable community benefits. Figures are from the captions and may be misheard.
Standing Finance Committee (Ord. 26-088)
13:20-13:49
- Ordinance 26-088 was introduced on first reading, 9-0, with no floor debate; the second reading and public hearing come later.
Reserved disabled parking applications
16:07-17:41
- Ordinance 26-082 (reserved disabled parking spaces) had its public hearing with no speakers and was adopted 9-0.
Multi-way stop intersections
17:41-19:56
- Ordinance 26-083 was adopted 9-0 after a public hearing with no speakers. Singh said she looks forward to more all-way stops to make streets safer.
Snow removal equipment
21:29-23:00
- Ordinance 26-085 (a 200,000-dollar capital appropriation for snow removal equipment) was adopted 9-0 after a public hearing with no speakers; Ephros joked that no one wanted to talk about the equipment.
Monticello Avenue Public Safety Concerns
23:00-35:10, 1:16:02-1:30:07
- The West District commander (captioned as "Captain Joseph Bolzooski"; spelling uncertain) reported on police work on the Monticello Avenue corridor (captioned "Monaceel"), after residents criticized the council at the previous meeting. He said it followed a community meeting in June: added directed patrols, a federal grant-funded patrol car, an off-duty walking post, a camera, tree trimming that had blocked the camera, quality-of-life inspections and summonses to out-of-town property owners, and a motorcycle and street crimes squad.
- Figures he gave: about 17 to 20 arrests by October 1; about 300 tickets this year versus about 60 to 70 the year before; 18 vehicles impounded and 100 tickets in one day; a reported 100% drop in aggravated assaults, shots fired and weapons offenses, and drops of 40% in burglaries, 29% in thefts and 40% in harassment and domestic violence. These are the commander's numbers and were not independently checked.
- Gilmore said two things can be true: the area is better than years ago but still has quality-of-life problems. Another community meeting was set for the following Wednesday, and the commander and a councilmember discussed a larger meeting in 15 to 20 days and a block watch. A councilmember, apparently Brooks, asked about the September 25 shots-fired incident that ended near schools around dismissal time; the commander said it began elsewhere, both men involved were arrested, and charter schools now get alerts through a group text set up months ago, though the message did not reach one school that day.
- About six residents and a preschool director spoke later, describing an open drug market near schools, broken glass and drug paraphernalia, an armed incident at 11:30 on a Sunday morning, and fewer public trash cans. They asked for a written plan, a timeline and a named point of contact, and for enforcement of the 1,000-foot school drug zone. One said a recent meeting felt like "performance"; another said she had met Gilmore and Griffin about lifting the area's alcohol ban to encourage foot traffic.
Delivery Worker Protections
42:09-45:12
- A delivery worker said an email went to the mayor and council on September 10 about the need for local protection for gig workers and restaurants. The speaker asked the city to follow New York City's framework: a cap on app fees (15%), closing a tiered-fee loophole that pushes restaurants to pay about 30% for visibility, pay and charge transparency, and per-trip mileage disclosure. An example given was a 25-minute delivery that paid the worker 5 dollars while the customer was charged 27 dollars.
- Time ran out. Ephros had replied to the email; no council action was taken.
Hindu Heritage Month Proclamation Dispute
54:50-58:13, 1:03:42-1:07:00, 1:33:20-1:35:05
- A speaker who said a civic position is held but spoke personally said that in August the annual the annual Hindu Heritage Month proclamation and event was prepared with the city's cultural affairs office and council administration approval, and that on September 22 an email arrived from Singh's office saying it intended to organize the proclamation and event with community organizations. The speaker called the email disrespectful and said an outside organization had claimed the heritage month's trademark and logo without noting that its trademark application was rejected. These are one speaker's allegations; Singh did not respond on the record in the captions.
- Two other speakers backed the first speaker's participation, saying Hindu Heritage Month should welcome everyone and criticizing outside organizations; one of them said he had once supported such groups.
- No council action was taken.
Fire Prevention Enforcement Allegations
58:13-1:02:51
- A city firefighter and former fire inspector (speaking in public comment) alleged that, in decisions involving a fire official, penalties of about 433,500 dollars on rental properties were reduced to zero or treated as corrected without compliance paperwork, that properties were withdrawn from court, and that there was preferential treatment, retaliation and discrepancies in the fire prevention trust fund. He said he reported this to human resources, fire leadership and the state fire safety division in April, that an investigator on the matter was reassigned, and asked the council to investigate independently, preserve evidence and protect against retaliation.
- A councilmember asked how a possible whistleblower complaint is handled. The business administrator said there is an internal law department review and that she could not speak to this matter because it is an ongoing investigation. The acting corporation counsel said it is being reviewed and agreed to send the council a written description of the process within days.
- These are unproven allegations; no findings were made.
Christ Hospital Reopening
1:07:00-1:09:02, 1:10:33-1:12:06, 3:09:51-3:15:11
- Heights residents and members of the Save Our Hospital Coalition said the hospital has been closed about nine months with no emergency care in the Heights. They asked for a public plan to reopen it, why the previous zoning ordinance for the site is in legal limbo over procedural errors, why the city opposed the coalition's motion to intervene in the city's lawsuit with the operator, and why the mayor met the operator without telling the council or public. A neighborhood association representative described the group's role in getting ordinance 25-124 passed to keep medical use on the campus, but time ran out.
- The acting corporation counsel said the administration has not taken a position on intervention by any party at the moment but is in discussions with Ephros; Ephros said he had been in touch and asked to be included. Ephros also announced a Christ Hospital town hall on Tuesday, October 27.
- A speaker also criticized county plans to rent parking near the new county courthouse; Ephros said no city lots are involved and he plans to propose a resolution on the subject at the next meeting.
Public Trash Can Removal Pilot
1:12:54-1:16:02
- A resident described the department of public works pilot that removes public trash cans from residential streets because residents dump household trash in them. He said litter is worse, cited cans lost near a park and a taco truck on Johnson Avenue, and suspected budget motives. He proposed requiring landlords of multifamily homes to supply cans, using cans with small openings, and containerization like New York's pilot.
- Several Monticello Avenue speakers also said fewer public trash cans have made conditions worse. No council response was captioned.
Residential Building Uniform Security Exemption
1:44:03-1:46:22, 1:49:50-1:52:55, 1:56:21-1:59:00, 2:08:20-2:12:37
- Residents of Portside Towers asked the council to strike paragraph D of section 218-1 of the city code, which lets landlords of buildings with 100 or more units apply for exemption from the requirement of a uniformed security guard 24 hours a day.
- One resident said ordinance 07-153 requires building security to close the vehicle lane by the Korean War Memorial between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., yet he has found it open nearly every night and has filed 283 SeeClickFix reports since November 2025. Others described a building without uniformed guards or an on-site superintendent, broken or propped doors, strangers in hallways, and a dim, isolated route beside the park; one noted cameras only record harm.
- No council response was captioned.
Downtown Flower cannabis license renewal
3:15:11-3:17:00, 3:47:23-3:54:40
- An attorney for the business (Klein) urged adoption, citing the Cannabis Control Board's June 22 recommendation (confirmed during the vote as 6 yes, 0 no, 1 absent), written findings of no violations or litigation, and the council's 7-0 original support in 2022. He asked that any remaining concerns be named so the company could respond.
- Resolution 26-692 (item 10.10) was adopted 7-2. Ephros and Little voted no, citing worker reports of no heat or hot water in winter, an infestation, being made to work sick, and racial slurs. The corporation counsel cautioned members to state specific reasons on the record rather than relying on caucus remarks.
- Brooks, Zuppa, Gilmore, Singh (with reservations; she said she would ask the health department to look into the complaints and noted a church partnership), Griffin, Lavarro and Ridley voted yes, citing the board's unanimous recommendation, the lack of violations, and that employment disputes belong in other venues.
Police protective equipment donation
3:55:04-3:55:49, 3:59:35-4:00:22
- Resolution 26-700 (item 10.18) was adopted 7-2. Brooks and Ephros voted no. Brooks said officers should have the equipment but suggested another funding source, perhaps a capital request, and that there was discomfort accepting a gift from this entity. Ephros said there was discomfort taking donations from the donors on 10.17 and 10.18 given residents' concerns.
Senior Outreach Events Donation
3:55:49-3:56:20
- Resolution 26-699 (item 10.17), accepting a 3,000-dollar gift for senior outreach events, was adopted 7-2. Zuppa and Ephros voted no. Zuppa said he appreciated the gift but the donor is a developer who does not build union or affordable housing, and he would rather the money go toward those commitments.
Assistant municipal prosecutor appointment
3:56:20-3:57:00, 4:01:54-4:02:40
- Resolution 26-703 (item 10.21) was adopted 8-1, with Zuppa voting no. He said it was nothing personal against the appointee but the city is in a historic deficit and should freeze non-essential hiring.
- Little supported it, recalling testimony that the municipal court has a backlog of about 50,000 quality-of-life and housing violations and that more prosecutors could pay for themselves through collected fines.
Accelerated tax lien sale
3:57:00-3:58:05, 4:00:22-4:01:08, 4:03:27-4:04:58, 4:08:52-4:10:24, 4:11:09-4:11:54
- Items 10.22 and 10.23 were voted on after long caucus debate. Item 10.22, the accelerated sale, was adopted 8-0 with Gilmore abstaining on advice of counsel because of open liens on inherited family property; item 10.23, on how the sale proceeds, was adopted 9-0.
- Several members who had been inclined to vote no switched to yes. Zuppa said he was persuaded the sale is essential and will not hurt residents as feared. Ephros said the budget consequences of not holding it in 2026 would be large for the 2027 budget while homeowners would see only a slight difference in timing. Lavarro said he expects roughly 700 to 800 owner-occupied homes in the sale, that in last year's sale about 465 owed less than one quarter's average tax bill, and that without the sale about 7 million dollars of next year's budget capacity goes to uncollected taxes; he voted yes after the administration committed to work on installment plans.
- Gilmore and Griffin both said the word "accelerated" is misleading and should be changed next year. Lavarro noted that in 2022 no accelerated sale was held because the budget was adopted late in November, and the sale simply happened in February 2023.
Property tax installment plans
4:04:58-4:05:45, 4:07:30-4:08:05, 4:08:40-4:08:52, 4:10:24-4:11:09, 4:11:54-4:12:20
- Several members tied their yes votes on the tax sale to payment plans. Lavarro said the administration committed to work with his office and the council on whether installment plans can be approved one owner-occupied home at a time, not a citywide program. Singh asked the administration to expand payment plan options so homeowners get every chance to pay before a sale; Griffin and Gilmore asked for an application process to be in place, Gilmore calling it a missed opportunity this year.
- During public comment the first speaker described older homeowners at risk of losing homes over missed tax payments because they did not know about them.
Pershing Field Complex HVAC Replacement
3:58:05-3:59:35, 4:01:08-4:01:54, 4:06:33-4:07:18
- Resolution 26-696 (item 10.14), an HVAC contract, was adopted 9-0. Ephros noticed the resolution text mentions the pool while the council information response referred to the community center; a councilmember explained from the director's briefing and the resolution that it is one contract covering two systems, the community center and the lobby entrance room used by staff in the pool building.
- Singh and Ephros stressed it is separate from the Monday pool closures (see Pershing Field pool Monday closures).
CMAQ grant for bike share expansion
4:05:45-4:06:33
- Resolution 26-693 (item 10.11) was adopted 9-0. Singh said she is excited about the expansion and hopes to see more bikes in Greenville, the Heights, the West Side and Journal Square.
Downtown School Capacity
2:59:40-3:03:17
- A resident said a downtown school (PS 16) is at about 200% capacity, that a reported deal for 24 to 25 classrooms in a high-rise at 111 Washington Street would provide only about 600 seats, and that a previous 2020 developer deal for 400 seats fell through in 2022. He asked the city to plan a school for pre-K through 8th grade with about 2,000 seats instead. No council response was captioned.
Payroll tax data sharing MOU with the State
3:46:00-3:46:37
- Resolution (item 10.2) was adopted 9-0. Singh first said she would vote yes on all but 10.2, then confirmed yes on all, saying many businesses still do not pay the payroll tax and hoping the data will help register more.
Port Liberty Ferry grant expansion
4:08:05-4:08:40
- Resolution 26-706 (item 10.24) was adopted 9-0. Singh said she is glad the city is pursuing grant funding to keep the ferry because many residents rely on it and lack PATH access.
Hudson County Plaza redevelopment area designation
4:14:25-4:15:43, 4:18:03-4:18:25, 4:23:00-4:24:11
- Resolution (item 10.25) was adopted 9-0. Zuppa said the earlier council ordered the area-in-need study, the Planning Board found the county's surface parking lots qualify for redevelopment without condemnation, and the city's next role is to vote on a redevelopment plan. The next community meeting at County Plaza is at 6 p.m. next week (captioned as Tuesday, October 28; the day may be misstated), with more to follow.
- Little said she has advocated for social housing on this county-owned lot since early 2023. Griffin and Lavarro welcomed it, with Lavarro hoping for abundant affordable housing.
Homeless outreach MOU with Garden State Community Development Corporation
4:18:25-4:18:40, 4:21:07-4:21:40, 4:24:11-4:24:40
- Resolution (item 10.29) was adopted 9-0. Singh said the mobile hygiene unit gives vulnerable residents showers and dignity and asked to hear how many people it reaches; Lavarro thanked the director for moving quickly, calling it necessary to serve unhoused residents.
Tenant Right to Counsel contract amendment
4:17:17-4:17:30, 4:18:40-4:18:50, 4:21:40-4:21:55, 4:24:40-4:24:58
- Resolution 26-712 (item 10.30) was adopted 9-0. Ephros, Little, Singh and Lavarro supported it; Singh said more funding is needed because many people are losing homes as landlords pass on rent increases.
Other business
0:00-3:57, 14:36-16:07, 19:56-21:29, 35:10-42:09, 45:12-48:16, 51:45-54:50, 1:09:02-1:10:33, 1:12:06-1:12:54, 2:53:09-2:56:13, 3:03:17-3:09:51, 3:32:05-3:36:00, 3:42:02-3:45:50, 3:46:37-3:47:23, 4:07:18-4:07:30, 4:12:20-4:14:12, 4:26:31-4:27:16
- Opening: moment of silence for several former city employees and officials; notice under the Open Public Meetings Act; the pro tem presiding officer (Gilmore) explained what makes an item late (not on the agenda published about 12 days before the meeting, or lacking full administrative approval).
- Ordinance 26-081 (franchise for private improvements within the Newark Avenue public right of way, adjacent to 157 Newark Avenue) and ordinance 26-084 (after-hours fees at the city training facility) each had a public hearing with no speakers and were adopted 9-0.
- Resolution 26-685 (item 10.3, an honorary resolution) was withdrawn 9-0 because it had already been approved. Claims and addenda, petitions and communications, and reports of directors drew no comment. The block of resolutions 10.1 through 10.9 and 10.11 (grants, contracts and the late-added items noted above) was adopted 9-0; Zuppa said the mayor called him that afternoon about the vehicle audit he has been seeking and expected good news soon. Resolutions 10.12 through 10.16 (including ADA curb ramps, Arlington Park, municipal court HVAC and the public safety radio agreement) were adopted 9-0 and 10.19 and 10.20 (Filipino American History Month honors) 9-0; a celebration is planned at City Hall next Wednesday, October 28.
- Public comment also included: the first speaker, a longtime resident, on seniors losing homes to missed taxes and the need for youth jobs and training; a satirical presentation about city hall departures and consultant spending; a resident's complaints about police reports and a tenant's account of building conditions, with documents handed to the clerk; a request that the city publish a yearly dataset of every position's duties, reporting lines and salary; and a proposal to emphasize affordable home ownership, to which Lavarro replied that about 55 affordable condominium units with Gilmore are expected within a year.
- Adjourned at 10:32 p.m. on a motion by Gilmore seconded by Singh.
Agenda
First reading of Ord. 26-087 (Powerhouse Arts District Redevelopment Plan amendment), 26-088 (standing Finance Committee) and 26-089 (rent control exemption period for new construction); second reading of Ord. 26-081 to 26-085 (Barrow Street franchise, traffic, fees, snow removal equipment).
Sources
- Video: https://youtube.com/watch?v=pU8k5fNzx0c
- Agenda: https://cityofjerseycity.civicweb.net/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Id=374
Video
Transcript
These are auto-generated captions; names and numbers may be misheard.
Transcript
00:00Good evening everyone. We are on the
00:01record. Today is Wednesday, the 21st day
00:03of October in the year 2026. This is a
00:06regular meeting of the Jersey City
00:08Municipal Council. We had a scheduled 6
00:10p.m. start. The clock on my cell phone
00:12is showing 6:05
00:15p.m. May we have a roll call for the
00:17commencement of this meeting. Council
00:19person Brooks.
00:22>> Ah,
00:24Council Person Zupa
00:26>> present. Council person Efos here.
00:29Council person Little.
00:32>> Council Person Gilmore
00:33>> present.
00:34>> Council person Singh
00:35>> here.
00:36>> Council person Griffin.
00:39>> Not here yet. Okay. Council person
00:41Lavaro.
00:44And Council President Ridley will be
00:46with us soon. So, we have seven council
00:50members in attendance at 6:05 p.m. Can
00:54we kindly rise for a moment of silence,
00:55please?
01:06Wayne Ponder, former business officer of
01:09the Jersey City Public Library.
01:12Brenda Payton, former employee of the
01:14Jersey City Board of Education, teacher.
01:17Gwen
01:19Sanders,
01:22>> Barbara Net, former Hudson County Clerk,
01:26>> Pat Santino, retired Jersey police
01:29officer.
01:34>> It was said previously, but Senator
01:36Sandra Sandra Cunningham
01:38um was laid to rest.
02:13Thank you very much on behalf of council
02:15president proempt
02:18Gilmore and the members of the municipal
02:20council in accordance with the New
02:22Jersey public laws of 197 75, Chapter
02:24231, the Open Public Meetings Act, also
02:27known as the Sunshine Law. Adequate
02:29notice of this meeting has been provided
02:30by the posting on the bulletin board of
02:32the first floor of city hall, the annual
02:34notice, which is the schedule of
02:35meetings and caucuses of the municipal
02:37council for the calendar year 2026 and
02:40filed in the office of the city clerk on
02:42Tuesday, November 25th, 2025. In
02:45addition, at its time of its
02:46preparation, the agenda of this meeting
02:48was similarly disseminated on Wednesday,
02:50October 14th, 2026 at 10:10 a.m. to the
02:54mayor, municipal council, business
02:56administrator, corporation council, and
02:58the local newspapers and posted on the
03:00city's website so I can certify as to
03:02our total compliance with the sunshine
03:04law.
03:10So,
03:12council members, before we move on with
03:14our regular order of business, we have
03:16some late items
03:19to add to the agenda. And just so we are
03:22clear, I'll state for the record what
03:25defines a late item. So a late item is
03:28an item that is not published on the
03:31agenda when the agenda is published when
03:33it's supposed to be published which is
03:34the 12th day before the council meeting.
03:38the ag the any item that's added to IC
03:41compass in a timely manner also needs to
03:44be reviewed by the business
03:46administrator um the law department and
03:49depending on if it's a contract a
03:50resolution then you have a slew of other
03:53people that need to review such items
03:57items can be added in in a timely manner
04:00in the computer but until it gets full
04:02approvals it doesn't see the um agenda
04:06until it's fully approved D. So, with
04:08that being said, um, first item, I'm
04:12going to go in order as they're listed.
04:14First item, I need a motion to add item
04:173.4, 4, city ordinance 26-089
04:21to the agenda, which is
04:24an ordinance amending chapter 260, rent
04:27control of the municipal code to amend
04:29the period of exemption from rent
04:31control in the newly constructed
04:33multiple dwellings to the time specified
04:35in New Jersey's newly constructed
04:37multiple dwelling law, NJSA
04:402A, col42-84.1
04:43Exec. Do I have a motion?
04:46And um
04:48Councilwoman Little and I are not going
04:50to motion to bring this forward tonight.
04:52We've um spent the last couple days
04:55talking with primarily the tenants um
04:58who are in question a lot of this issue,
05:01but also with our council colleagues and
05:04the administration
05:05um and we've heard from colleagues in in
05:08the administration uh to have some more
05:11time uh to be able to review this. Um
05:14this is a matter of extreme urgency and
05:16I am so so grateful for the tenants who
05:18have come out to share their stories and
05:20ask for action, concrete deliberative
05:23action from the city tonight. So thank
05:25you and um we are not going to delay
05:29indefinitely. So I'll be making sure to
05:31put this on the November 12 next city
05:35council meeting for introduction. Um and
05:38we have a lot of work to do in between
05:40now and then to organize to fight and to
05:43win. So, thank you to the tenants for
05:44being out here tonight.
05:51>> Um, thank you so much, Councilman Efos.
05:53Uh, yeah, in in deference to our our
05:56colleagues and uh the various
05:58departments in the administration who
06:00requested more time. Um, you know, we
06:04are going to postpone this um and and
06:07we're pulling it for tonight. Um, but I
06:10I want to also take this opportunity to
06:12speak directly to the residents of
06:14Newport who are here with us. I know
06:15many of you turned out and and spent
06:17your evening to come here um to speak
06:21about the um affordable housing crisis
06:24you are currently facing due to the
06:26expiring affordable housing program in
06:28your buildings. Uh we hear you and we
06:30are taking your concerns seriously.
06:33Councilman Ephris and I placed a late
06:34item on tonight's agenda in the spirit
06:36of trying to get you help as quickly as
06:39possible. Um but as after receiving this
06:42feedback from our colleagues and the
06:43council and the various city departments
06:46um all of whom also care deeply about
06:48tenants in this community, uh we want to
06:51provide everyone with ample time to
06:53thoroughly review.
06:55And I just want to say that in the
06:57meantime, we are fully committed to
06:59working with all parties to pursue every
07:01available option to protect tenants in
07:03both the short and long term and find
07:05creative solutions. So this is not the
07:08end. We plan to use the coming weeks to
07:10work directly with city departments, our
07:11fellow council members and constituents.
07:14Uh so thank you for being here and for
07:16sharing your voices and you have my full
07:19support and commitment to continue
07:20working towards a solution.
07:28All right, with that being said, on to
07:30the next late item. Item 10.33,
07:34city resolution 26-715
07:37is a resolution awarding a contract to
07:39Herk Rentals, Inc. for the rental
07:42prevention, maintenance, ice making,
07:43installation, and breakdown of a chiller
07:46system uh for the Jersey City Ice Rink
07:48under state contract for the Department
07:50of Recreation and Youth Development.
07:52Council members, may I have a motion to
07:54add item 10.33, resolution 26-715
07:59to the agenda?
08:00>> Motion.
08:00>> Second.
08:01>> Motion made by council promp Gilmore.
08:05Seconded by council person Zupa. On the
08:08motion to add item 10.33 to the agenda.
08:11Council person Brooks.
08:12>> I.
08:13>> Council person Zupa.
08:14>> I.
08:15>> Council person Ephro.
08:16>> Hi.
08:17>> Council person Little.
08:18>> Hi.
08:19>> Council person Singh.
08:21>> Hi. Council person Griffin is not here.
08:24Council person Labaro
08:26>> I.
08:28>> And council president is not here yet.
08:30Council president proemp Gilmore.
08:32>> I.
08:33>> Motion carries 70 to add item 10.33
08:38to the agenda. Next item. Item 10.34,
08:42city resolution 26-716,
08:46is a resolution approving the
08:48appointment of Widia Sten as acting
08:51chief financial officer. Council
08:53members, may I have a motion to add item
08:5410.34, city resolution 26-716
08:58to the agenda.
08:59>> Motion.
09:01>> Motion made by council
09:02>> president proemp Gilmore, seconded by
09:05council person Singh.
09:08On the motion to add item 10.34 to the
09:10agenda. Council person Brooks.
09:12>> I.
09:13>> Council person Zupa.
09:14>> Hi.
09:15>> Council person Efro.
09:16>> Hi.
09:17>> Council person Little.
09:18>> Hi.
09:19>> Council person Singh.
09:20>> Hi.
09:21>> Council person Lavaro.
09:23>> Hi.
09:25>> And council promp Gilmore.
09:27>> I.
09:29Motion carries 70 to add item 10.34 to
09:34the agenda with council members Griffin
09:36and council president absent which was
09:38also the vote for the last item. And the
09:42last late item actually no we have
09:45another late item. Item 10.35 city
09:49resolution 26-717
09:52is a resolution designating the official
09:54signatorries of the city of Jersey City.
09:56Council members, may I have a motion to
09:58add item 10.35, city resolution 26-717
10:02to the agenda?
10:03>> Motion.
10:04>> Motion made by council president promp
10:06Gilmore. May I have a second?
10:09>> Second made by council person Brooks
10:13on the motion to add item.
10:15>> It wasn't it wasn't me. It was uh it was
10:17a tie between CM's Afro and Lavaro. I
10:20think no stolen valor here in Guy's got
10:24to be just a little louder. So,
10:27all right. So, I'm going to have to
10:30break that tie. I'll give it with the
10:32senior.
10:34No offense to the age cuz I'm a senior,
10:36too. Um, that'll be Council Person
10:38Lavaro.
10:42On the motion to add item 10.35 to the
10:44agenda, Council Person Brooks. I There's
10:47your voice. Council Person Zupa.
10:49>> Hi.
10:50>> There you go. Council person Efos.
10:52>> Hi, Council Person Little. I
10:55>> council person Singh
10:57>> I
10:58>> council person Lavaro
11:00>> I
11:01>> and council president proemp Gilmore
11:04>> I
11:05>> motion carries 70 with council members
11:09Griffin and council president absent to
11:11add item 10.35
11:14city resolution 26-717
11:17to the agenda and now the last item to
11:19add to the agenda item 10.36 city
11:23resolution 26 6-718
11:25is a resolution authorizing the use of
11:27competitive contracting to procure a
11:30contract to establish a community mental
11:32health crisis response to 911 and other
11:35calls where behavioral health is
11:37reported is the reported issue in order
11:40to help Jersey City residents access
11:42help. Council members, may I have a
11:44motion to add item 10.36, city
11:46resolution 26-718
11:48to the agenda?
11:49>> Motion.
11:51Give that motion to the louder council
11:53president promp Gilmore. May I have a
11:55second?
11:57>> Second.
11:58>> Second. There you go.
12:00>> To council person Lavaro on the motion
12:03to add item 10.36 to the agenda. Council
12:06person Brooks.
12:08>> I.
12:08>> Council person Zupa.
12:10>> I.
12:10>> Council person Efos.
12:12>> Hi.
12:12>> Council person Little.
12:14>> Hi.
12:15>> Council person Singh.
12:16>> Hi.
12:18>> Council person Labaro. I
12:21>> and council president proemp Gilmore
12:24>> I.
12:24>> Motion carries 70 with council members
12:28Griffin and council president Ridley
12:30absent.
12:33>> All right. On to our regular order of
12:36business. We're going to start with the
12:38first readings if you would just allow
12:39me to read each one into the record.
12:42Item 3.1, city ordinance 26-086,
12:46is an ordinance supplementing chapter
12:48332, vehicles and traffic, article 3,
12:51parking, standing, and stopping,
12:52amending section 332-28,
12:55bus stops, taxi stands, and loading
12:57zones to clarifi clarify language and
13:00define permissible uses. Item 3.2, 2.
13:04City Ordinance 26-087
13:07is an ordinance of the municipal council
13:08of the city of Jersey City adopting an
13:10amendment to the powerhouse arts
13:12district redevelopment plan. Item 3.3,
13:16city ordinance 26-088.
13:18It's an ordinance amending and
13:20supplementing chapter A350, rules of
13:22order of the Jersey City Municipal Code
13:25to establish a standing finance
13:27committee of the municipal council.
13:29Council members going to be taking a
13:30vote on introduction of items 3.1 to
13:343.3. Council person
13:37>> I
13:38>> person Zupa
13:39>> I for introduction.
13:41>> Council person Ephro
13:42>> I for introduction.
13:44>> Council person Little
13:45>> I for introduction.
13:46>> Council person Singh
13:48>> I for introduction.
13:49>> Council person Lavaro.
13:52>> I for introduction.
13:53>> And council president proemp Gilmore.
13:56>> I for introduction.
13:58Items 3.1 through 3.3 are introduced 70
14:03with Council Person Griffin and Council
14:05President Ridley absent.
14:09On to our second reading ordinances.
14:13First second reading ordinances. Item
14:154.1, city ordinance 26-081,
14:19is a franchise ordinance granting
14:21permission to the Barrel Street LLC
14:23successors and assigns to construct
14:25private improvements within 60 square ft
14:28of Newark Avenue Public Right of Way,
14:31adjacent to lot 2.02, block 11405
14:36on the official tax assessment map of
14:38the city of Jersey City, also known as
14:40157 Newick Avenue. This is a public
14:42hearing on this ordinance. Any member of
14:44the public wish to be heard, please come
14:45up to the podium. State your name for
14:47the record.
14:49>> Motion.
14:50>> Motion to close the public hearing on
14:51city ordinance 26-081 was made by
14:54council president proemp Gilmore. May I
14:57have a second?
14:58>> Second.
15:01>> Second was made by council person
15:03Brooks. Did I get that right?
15:05>> You did.
15:06>> All right. On the motion to close the
15:08public hearing on city ordinance 26-081.
15:11Council person Brooks.
15:12>> I. Council person Zupa. Hi.
15:14>> Hi.
15:15>> Council person Efos.
15:16>> Hi.
15:17>> Council person Little.
15:20>> Hi.
15:21>> Council person Singh.
15:22>> Hi.
15:24>> Council person Lavaro.
15:26>> I.
15:27>> And council president promp Gilmore.
15:30>> I.
15:32Motion carries 70 with council members
15:35Griffin and council president Ridley
15:37absence to close the public hearing on
15:39city ordinance 26-081
15:42for final consideration and adoption of
15:44city ordinance 26081.
15:47Council person Brooks
15:48>> I.
15:49>> Council person Zupa
15:50>> I.
15:51>> Council person Efos.
15:52>> Hi.
15:53>> Council person Little.
15:54>> Hi.
15:55>> Council person Singh.
15:56>> Hi.
15:57>> Council person Lavaro.
16:00>> Hi. and council president proemp Gilmore
16:03I.
16:05>> City ordinance 26-081
16:07is adopted 70 with council members
16:10Griffin and council president Ridley
16:12absent. On to our next second reading
16:15ordinance. Item 4.2 2. City Ordinance
16:1826-082
16:20is an ordinance supplementing chapter
16:21332, vehicles and traffic, article 9,
16:24parking for the disabled of the Jersey
16:26City Code, designating reserve parking
16:28space at various locations throughout
16:30the city. This is the public hearing. On
16:32this ordinance, any member of the public
16:34wish to be heard, please come up to the
16:35podium and state your name for the
16:37record.
16:39>> Motion. Motion to close the public
16:41hearing on city ordinance 26-082 was
16:44made by council president proemp
16:46Gilmore. May I have a second?
16:48>> Second.
16:49>> Second by council person singing on the
16:51motion to close a public hearing on city
16:53ordinance 26-082.
16:55Council person Brooks
16:58>> I.
16:58>> Council person Zupa.
16:59>> I.
17:00>> Council person Ephro.
17:01>> I.
17:02>> Council person Little.
17:03>> I.
17:04>> Council person Singh.
17:05>> I.
17:06>> Council person Lavaro.
17:08>> I. and council president proemp Gilmore
17:13>> I.
17:14>> Motion carries 70 with council members
17:16Griffin and council president Ridley
17:19absent on the close of the public
17:20hearing on city ordinance 26-082
17:23for final consideration and adoption of
17:25city ordinance 26-082. Council person
17:28Brooks
17:29>> I.
17:30>> Council person Zupa.
17:31>> I.
17:32>> Council person Efro.
17:33>> Hi.
17:34>> Council person Little.
17:35>> Hi.
17:36>> Council person Singh.
17:37>> Hi. Council person Lavaro.
17:41>> Hi.
17:43>> And council president proemp Gilmore.
17:45>> I.
17:46>> City ordinance 26-082
17:49is adopted 70 with council members
17:52Griffin and council president Ridley
17:54absent. Onto our next second reading
17:56ordinance. Item 4.3, city ordinance
17:5926-083,
18:00is an ordinance supplementing chapter
18:02332, vehicles and traffic, article 2,
18:04traffic regulations, amending section
18:07332-9, stop intersections to designate
18:10various intersections into a multi-way
18:12stop intersections. This is a public
18:14hearing on this ordinance. Any member of
18:16the public wishing to be heard, please
18:17come up to the podium and state your
18:19name for the record.
18:21>> Motion. Motion to close the public
18:23hearing on city ordinance 26-083
18:26was made by council president proemp
18:29Gilmore. May I have a second?
18:34>> Second made by council person little on
18:37the motion to close the public hearing
18:38on city ordinance 26-083. Council person
18:41Brooks
18:43>> I.
18:44>> Council person Zupa.
18:45>> Hi.
18:46>> Council person Ephro.
18:48>> I.
18:49>> Council person Little.
18:50>> Hi. Council person Singh.
18:53>> Hi.
18:54>> Council person Lavaro.
18:56>> I.
18:57>> And council president proemp Gilmore.
18:59>> I.
19:00>> Motion carry 70 with council members
19:03Griffin and council president Ridley
19:05absent to close the public hearing on
19:07city ordinance 26-083
19:10for final consideration and adoption of
19:11city ordinance 26083.
19:14Council person Brooks.
19:15>> I.
19:16>> Council person Zupa.
19:17>> Hi.
19:18>> Council person Efro.
19:19>> Hi. Council person Little.
19:21>> Hi.
19:22>> Council Person Singh.
19:24>> I vote I and I look forward to seeing
19:26more old way stops to make our streets
19:28safer. Thank you.
19:30>> Council person Lavaro.
19:32>> Hi.
19:33>> And council president promp Gilmore.
19:35>> I.
19:36>> City ordinance 26-083
19:38is adopted 70 with council members
19:41Griffin and council president Ridley
19:43absent. On to our next second reading
19:46ordinance. Item 4.4 4. City Ordinance
19:4926-084 is an ordinance amending chapter
19:52160 fees and charges section 160-3
19:56public safety to include fees for the
19:58use of after normal work hours of the
20:01city's training facility located at 15
20:04East Lynon Avenue. This is a public
20:05hearing on this ordinance. Any member of
20:07the public wish to be heard, please come
20:09up to the podium and state your name for
20:10the record.
20:12>> Motion. Motion to close the public
20:14hearing on city ordinance 26-084
20:17was made by council president proemp
20:19Gilmore. May I have a second?
20:23Okay. Second made by council person
20:26Ephro.
20:28On the motion to close the public
20:29hearing on city ordinance 26-084.
20:31Council person Brooks. I.
20:34>> Council person Zupa. Hi.
20:35>> Council person Ephro. I.
20:38>> Council person Little. Hi.
20:40>> Council person Singh. Hi. Council person
20:43Laboro
20:44>> I.
20:46>> And council president proemp Gilmore
20:48>> I.
20:50>> Motion carries. Motion to close the
20:52public hearing on city ordinance 26-084
20:55carries 70 with council members
20:59Griffin and council president Ridley
21:01absent for final consideration and
21:02adoption of city ordinance 26-084.
21:06Council person Brooks. I.
21:08>> Council person Zupa. Hi.
21:10>> Council person Efro. Hi,
21:12>> Council Person Little.
21:13>> Hi,
21:14>> Council Person Singh.
21:16>> Hi,
21:16>> Council Person Lavaro.
21:18>> I
21:19>> and Council President Proemp Gilmore.
21:22>> I.
21:23>> City ordinance 26-084
21:26is adopted 70 with council members
21:29Griffin and Council President Ridley
21:31absent.
21:32For the last second reading ordinance
21:34item 4.5, city ordinance 26-085
21:39is an ordinance authorizing the
21:40acquisition of various snow removal
21:42equipment by and for the city
21:44appropriating therefore the sum of
21:47200,000 and providing that such sum so
21:50appropriated shall be raised from the
21:52capital fund balance of the city. This
21:54is a public hearing on this ordinance.
21:56Any member of the public wishing to be
21:58heard, please come up to the podium and
21:59state your name for the record. Motion
22:03>> motion to close the public hearing on
22:04city ordinance 26-085 was made by
22:07council president proemp Gilmore. May I
22:10have a second?
22:13>> Second. Second.
22:15>> Second was made by council person Brooks
22:18on the motion to close the public
22:19hearing on city ordinance 26-085.
22:22Council person Brooks.
22:23>> I.
22:24>> Council person Zupa.
22:25>> Hi.
22:26>> Council person Efos. Can't believe no
22:28one wants to talk about the snow removal
22:30equipment that we're about to get. Hi,
22:35>> Council Person Little.
22:37>> Hi.
22:38>> You know that was a joke. Council person
22:40Singh.
22:41>> Hi.
22:43>> And council person Lavaro.
22:45>> Hi.
22:46>> And council president promp Gilmore.
22:49>> I. Mo. Motion to close the public
22:52hearing carry 70 on city ordinance
22:5526-085 with council members Griffin and
22:58council president Ridley absent for
23:00final consideration and adoption of city
23:02ordinance 26-085. Council person Brooks
23:05>> I.
23:06>> Council person Zupa.
23:07>> Hi.
23:08>> Council person Efos.
23:09>> I.
23:10>> Council person Little.
23:11>> Hi.
23:12>> Council person Singh.
23:14>> Hi.
23:15>> Council person Labaro.
23:16>> Hi.
23:17>> And council president proemp Gilmore. I
23:21>> city ordinance 26-085 is adopted 70 with
23:26council members Griffin and council
23:28president Ridley absent.
23:30Okay, before we move on to our public
23:33speaking portion of the meeting, I
23:35believe I'm going to turn it over to our
23:38business administrator for a quick
23:41update or statement that she's going to
23:44make.
23:45>> Hi, good evening everyone. Um, I would
23:49like to introduce the um, West District
23:51captain to come up to give an update on
23:55um, their efforts at Montello Avenue.
23:58Captain,
24:00>> thank you very much.
24:01>> Captain, if you can just identify
24:02yourself for the record.
24:03>> Uh, Captain Joseph Bolzooski, West
24:05District Commander.
24:06>> Can you just spell your last name for
24:07our court reporter?
24:08>> OS Z as in zebra eki.
24:12>> Thank you so much, Captain. Um last
24:15council meeting uh the council was
24:17getting berated by people just make sure
24:20that that Monaceel posted. So basically
24:22what happened was on June 8th we had a
24:25meeting with the whole community at park
24:27on Monaceel uh Councilman Gilmore was
24:30there. So right after the meeting took
24:33place we decided to right what I had
24:35done immediately was added extra patrols
24:38to the area. uh when the grants came in.
24:41That was one of the areas that got a
24:43grant. When that grant expired, we got a
24:46SID program there. So, we have walking
24:48posts also there.
24:51People asked for an eye in the sky. As
24:53soon as one came available, we got that.
24:56We teamed up with other agencies.
25:00Uh Sergeant Ali is here from Quality of
25:03Life. We immediately went and did all
25:05the quality of life inspections.
25:08Not just this wasn't just police related
25:11stuff too. This was also empty lots uh
25:14filthy conditions. We took care of
25:15those.
25:17Then we when the tree where the camera
25:20was when the tree grew too much people
25:22complained. So I had for our street I
25:24spoke to Mr. Levy. He had the tree
25:26trimmed.
25:29Um we have also have engaged with the
25:32motorcycle squad and street crimes. Uh
25:35because one of the complaints was the
25:36drug dealing. So, street crimes as my
25:39numbers are as of October 1st had made
25:42about 17 to 20 arrests over there. Um,
25:46the tickets issued
25:48the year before was about 60 to 70.
25:51We're almost a little past 300 now. And
25:54that includes drinking in public,
25:57um any noise, loud music noise, uh motor
26:02vehicle violations,
26:05and any any other quality of life issues
26:07we could find.
26:09We what we also did was
26:13there was an issue with cars illegally
26:15parked. People complained cars were
26:18abandoned for a long time. On the 21st,
26:20we did an allout
26:24So we had the motorcycle squad come and
26:25go all out and issued uh we impounded 18
26:28vehicles
26:30and we wrote 100 tickets were written
26:32just that day.
26:35So now I want to just go over the
26:37numbers. So because every time you do
26:39something you have to have results.
26:42So since we've done this
26:45we've had a 100% decrease in aggravated
26:48assaults, shots fired and weapons
26:50offenses.
26:52Additionally, burglaries have decreased
26:54by 40%, thefts by 29%, harassment
26:57threats, and other domestic violence
26:59issues by 40% to the time previous to
27:02the time period before.
27:06Council me, you know the area better
27:07than anybody up there. Has it gotten
27:09better?
27:10>> Yeah, I mean, I think I think two things
27:13can be true. I think um the area have
27:17gotten a lot better compared to what it
27:22was some years ago. Um but I also I
27:26think people can still feel safe in the
27:29I mean not feel safe in the community.
27:31So I think I think two things could be
27:33true at the same time. Um I I just know
27:37that
27:39there there is still some lingering
27:42issues that have been processed. I mean
27:44progress. I don't want to be dismissive
27:46of the progress. There's community
27:49groups JCPD is working on the ground. Um
27:53but there for whatever reason there's
27:55still um a certain element of of quality
28:00of life if you will. Um but just just as
28:03it specifically relates to the the last
28:06meeting we had. Um so the implementation
28:11of the things you said. Can you give me
28:16uh um a recap of specifically what was
28:20done after that meeting as it relates to
28:23that corridor?
28:24>> All right. We upped directed patrols.
28:27Then when we had a BJ grant, that was
28:29another car we added to the area just to
28:31Monaceel again.
28:32>> You said you what kind?
28:33>> Uh it's a block a block grant from the
28:36federal government.
28:36>> Oh, a grant. Okay.
28:37>> So we able to add a car that just
28:39covered Monaceel.
28:42Then when that grant ran out, we have an
28:44SID. It's part of the offduty program.
28:47People take it. It's a threeman two to
28:50three man walking post and they walk up
28:51and down Monaceel.
28:54He added the eye in the sky.
28:56I said when the tree I got called that
28:58the tree was blocking the eye in the
28:59sky. I had the tree trimmed. We've went
29:02with um with code enforcement because I
29:05know there was a lot of empty there was
29:06actually a homeless camp set up on
29:08Monaceel in the back of cleared that out
29:12uh the quality of life team they issue
29:16the summones to the owners of the
29:17properties because some of these these
29:19owners do not live here. They live in
29:21New York, Austin. They're not from here.
29:24So, we have to issue them, start cases
29:26on them to bring them in court so they
29:27have to pay their fair share. But, um,
29:30and we're continuing to do mostly
29:32everything I said. So, we're not going
29:33to stop. We just didn't say it's over.
29:35We're going to continue it. But, I
29:37wanted you to know that everything has
29:39decreased.
29:40>> Okay.
29:40>> Can I Sorry, Council.
29:42>> No,
29:43>> thank you, Captain For. Uh, when was the
29:46last community meeting you had? I'm
29:48sorry I missed that.
29:49>> The last meeting I had was last month.
29:52We have another one next week when
29:54>> last month beginning of the month or
29:57>> what I try to do is I try to get it we
30:00have to move it around so people can
30:01make it.
30:02>> Okay.
30:03>> So last month I believe it was in the
30:06middle of the month because I don't want
30:07to do it in the first of the month
30:08because then you can miss stuff. So I
30:09try to like this we were supposed to do
30:11it this Wednesday this today but I was I
30:14had to be here today. So we moved it to
30:16next Wednesday and it's going to be at I
30:18believe St. house.
30:20>> So two weeks back when we had our
30:22council meeting, we have
30:24>> people from lot of residents from
30:26Monttoello, they came and then they
30:28showed their concern and uh so it was I
30:32believe before your meeting or after
30:34your meeting I don't know but it was two
30:36weeks from now
30:37>> that was after my meeting.
30:38>> Okay. So you feel that now if we
30:41>> and I'll be honest with you out of the
30:43meeting we had it was in the church on
30:45Bram Hall that was the last meeting only
30:47one person from Monaceel showed up. I
30:50was talking to councilman that let's do
30:53uh and other u at large uh council uh
30:56colleagues if they want to let's do a
30:58big community meeting to go over how do
31:00they feel now do they feel any you know
31:03better or they have the same things I
31:06think it would be wonderful in 15 20
31:08days to organize a meeting for all the
31:10community members
31:12>> that's fine just tell me when to be
31:13there we we're also trying what I'm
31:15trying to suggest to them also is like a
31:17citizens blockwatch association
31:20people have block associations where
31:22they can I'm going to try to I'm going
31:24to email them the friends of Monaceel
31:26and see if they want to get involved
31:27with that. I'll come in on my own time
31:28to set it up for them.
31:33>> Afterwards,
31:36>> May I ask a question?
31:38>> Go ahead. Um Joel,
31:39>> sure. Um Captain, thanks for coming. Um
31:42I know we have a packed agenda uh but
31:44can briefly speak to
31:48um the event both of September 25th and
31:52then I believe the other uh incident was
31:55Sunday
31:57um I can't I don't remember
31:59>> two Sundays ago
32:00>> two Sundays ago yeah so I guess with
32:02September 25th there was a um shots
32:07fired on Brinkerhoff and Monaceel and
32:10then the suspects were apprehended ended
32:12on Belmont and Kennedy Boulevard.
32:15>> Actually, it was further down on it. It
32:19was I don't want to say the address, but
32:21it was closer to Lincoln High School
32:23than to Monaceel.
32:25>> Okay. I'm sorry, I was mistaken.
32:26>> The whole cuz the cases already been
32:28closed. We both shooters were caught in
32:31the same well the guy we're chasing he
32:33was caught in about 7 minutes and then
32:36we found out the other guy who was
32:37allegedly a victim when we reviewed the
32:38video he was also shooting at him we had
32:41to go to the hospital to get the bullet
32:42to take care of the bullet and then once
32:44he was arrested too. Um that incident
32:47it's an isolate it started up in an
32:49incident up in another district and the
32:52guy came to front him about a prior
32:55incident and that's how that took place.
32:57>> Right. And you and I have been talking
32:59about this, but I think the location of
33:01this incident starting near a high
33:03school then um you know I guess kind of
33:07the route of the people that you were um
33:10attempting to apprehend came through
33:13near another school on Aster Place in
33:15Monaceel. Um Small Discoveries which is
33:17on Monaceel and then finally ending um
33:21you know passing by PS17 and um LCCS.
33:25So, this was all around school dismissal
33:27time and um I'm not telling anything you
33:30haven't heard, but you know, a lot of
33:31school parents were uh you know,
33:35understandably very upset that day.
33:37>> So, um I know you know we've spoken
33:39about this.
33:40>> When it comes to councilman, you have as
33:42well.
33:42>> When it comes to shootings, you can't
33:44predict them. If you have a a guy who's
33:46doing burgaries, you can timeline it
33:48when he hits, what time of day he hits,
33:49what day he hits. Somebody if guy A is
33:52going to shoot guy B, you're not there's
33:54no way tell us they don't announce it on
33:56Facebook. They don't you can't if you
33:58don't um stop and frisk so we just can't
34:01stop everybody. But with that incident
34:04the how it works is with the public
34:06schools they get notified. They have
34:08their own system. The charter schools
34:10don't. So we met with the charter
34:12schools about 5 6 months ago and we set
34:15up a system where we put them on a group
34:16text if there's some if there's an
34:18emergency.
34:20What happened was the girl who does the
34:21texting was chasing the individual with
34:24the guns. I didn't want her to stop and
34:26let him go so she could text the school.
34:28So, we chased him across uh Bergen onto
34:31Belmont. He went through the yards and
34:32we caught him and we recovered the gun
34:34also. Uh it never made it to the school
34:37on the boulevard, but we did notify the
34:39school on the boulevard and also the
34:40school on Belmont that they could
34:42reopen. When I spoke to the principal,
34:45he apologized because his staff never
34:47told them. So, when they had the
34:49meeting, they said, "We forgot to tell
34:50you they did tell us to reopen the
34:51schools." I talked to the principal. I
34:53said we called. He goes, "No, I by
34:56mistake. It was my my staff never told
34:58me."
34:59>> Um I sorry to interrupt. I know there
35:01might be other questions, but given that
35:04there is a lot on the agenda. Um captain
35:06might stay around for a little bit
35:08longer. If there are other questions
35:10that we could take offline would be
35:12great.
35:12>> Thank you.
35:13>> Just confirming your next captain's
35:15meeting is the not today obviously a
35:18week from today. Yep. Okay.
35:21>> More Wednesdays.
35:23every other Wednesday.
35:28>> All right. Before we move on to our
35:30public speaking portion, I just want to
35:32mark Council Members Griffin present at
35:356:30 p.m. and Council President Ridley
35:38present at 6:33 p.m. So, we have all
35:41nine council members present. And if you
35:45would like council members to cast your
35:47vote on the first reading ordinances and
35:50that's items 3.1 through 3.3
35:553.4 was not added to the agenda.
35:59Council Person Griffin.
36:02>> I all
36:04>> and Council President Ridley.
36:06>> Hi.
36:11>> First reading ordinances item 3.1
36:13through 3.3 are introduced unanimously
36:1790.
36:20And just to take your votes on the
36:22second reading ordinances item, excuse
36:25me, ordinance number 26-081,
36:28Council Person Griffin,
36:33>> I.
36:35>> Council President Ridley,
36:38>> I.
36:39>> City Ordinance 26-081
36:42is now adopted unanimously. 90.
36:48on city ordinance 26-082.
36:51Council person Griffin
36:56>> and Council President Ridley.
36:58>> Hi.
37:01>> City ordinance 26-082
37:05is now adopted unanimously
37:0890.
37:10Ordinance number 26-083.
37:14Council person Griffin.
37:17Uh,
37:19Council President Ridley.
37:20>> Hi,
37:22>> City Ordinance 26-083
37:25is now adopted unanimously
37:2990.
37:34Next, ordinance 26-084.
37:37Council person Griffin. Hi.
37:40>> Council President Ridley. Hi.
37:48City Ordinance 26-084
37:51is now adopted unanimously.
37:5490.
37:57On to our last second reading ordinance
37:59item 20, excuse me, city resolution
38:0226-085.
38:03Council person Griffin.
38:04>> Hi.
38:05>> And Council President Ridley.
38:07>> I. City Ordinance 26-085
38:13is now adopted unanimously.
38:1690.
38:19So, council members, you are all caught
38:21up and we are now moving on to our
38:25public speaking portion of the meeting.
38:27Everyone in attendance and everyone
38:29watching at home, please note that I'll
38:32be calling the number and the first name
38:34of the individual. With that being said,
38:37our first speaker 5.1 Lever,
38:43>> make sure you're nice.
38:44>> Councilman Griffin.
38:45>> Yes, ma'am.
38:46>> Attention for a minute.
38:47>> Yes.
38:49>> How long have your family been on on
38:51garden? About 60 years.
38:54>> You've been at house
38:55>> something 60 70 years something like
38:56>> Yeah.
38:57>> And I ask you that for a reason because
39:00in this city things are going on. people
39:03like your family, my family that been
39:05here for years, property owners, and
39:09things are going on where people don't
39:11know or alert like they had the canal
39:14crossing today, the 101 Pacific Avenue,
39:18they knew nothing about that. And then
39:20the other thing is people are losing
39:23homes because they old and they don't
39:28know about their taxes being missed and
39:30something. I have a family on Union
39:31Street been there about the same time
39:34your family been on Gardener and they
39:37losing their home. The two brothers I'm
39:38trying to get them in the senior citizen
39:40right now. They didn't know the sister
39:42didn't pay the taxes because she thought
39:45the brother had paid it. This is some of
39:47the stuff that we had old good homes.
39:51The families that been here 50, 60, 70
39:54years, they have gotten old and we're
39:56not keeping up with how to make sure
39:59that our seniors are taking care with
40:02all this new stuff. Everybody like me
40:05with my flip phone. I got I'm on I'm not
40:08on Facebook and all that stuff. I'm 78
40:10years old. I buy iPhones and stuff, but
40:13I don't use them. But I'm saying that
40:15that you council some of you are new
40:18here. Let's learn this community and
40:20let's help this community. And my and
40:22the other thing is like we got seniors
40:24here been down here for 30 years in
40:27Newport. They they they time has ran up,
40:30but we need to make sure that they stay
40:32in them apartments because they can't
40:35double that rent.
40:37And and and and my other thing is I gave
40:41you all some papers of what I do. Next
40:45month I'll be giving out clothes and
40:46turkeys. I've been doing this stuff 30
40:49years and I'm trying to get help in the
40:51community with our kids what you heard
40:53tonight with the cop. I'm trying to get
40:56jobs and more training. I work with can
40:58do back in the day neighborhood youth
41:00corp. I'm a child of the past but we got
41:03to get together and do more to save I
41:05could I was sitting in front of my
41:06church three weeks ago. They were
41:08shooting guns but I had to dunk down in
41:10the seat on Warner and MLK in the
41:13afternoon. the shooting running up and
41:15down by the chicken place on Wade
41:17Street. Then again on another block
41:20broad open daytime. We got to do better.
41:24We got to get more training for our
41:26young men. I'm fighting parents now. My
41:29grandsons playing football down here by
41:31the turnpike. They start the soccer
41:33family before the kids can finish. These
41:36high school kids got to get trained so
41:38they can go to college. I love soccer. I
41:40took the Jersey City kids over to the
41:41Rangers game 15 years ago and took our
41:45kids and stuff like that. I'm going by
41:55much better than last week uh last
41:57meeting.
42:00Next speaker 5.2 to Luna.
42:09>> Good evening, council members. My name
42:12is Luna Alago and I am a food delivery
42:15worker here in Jersey City.
42:18I'm standing before you tonight because
42:21I emailed the mayor and all the council
42:23members on September 10th and Jake was
42:27nice enough to return my email which I
42:29appreciate you Jake although you're not
42:31my council man but I do appreciate you
42:33responding to my emails.
42:38I emailed you guys regarding the urgent
42:40need to protect local gig workers and
42:43restaurants from predatorial app
42:45practices.
42:46Because I did not receive a follow-up,
42:48I'm here in person to ensure this
42:50community crisis
42:52is formally put on the record.
42:55While New Jersey is focused on the
42:57legalities of ABC tests, um
43:02this takes years obviously and right now
43:05delivery workers and small businesses
43:07need immediate local protection.
43:11I urge Jersey City to mirror the strong
43:13gig economy framework established by the
43:16New York City Mayor Mandani.
43:19He was able to in nine months he was
43:21able to retrieve $132 million from Door
43:25Dash alone. And in January 2026, another
43:30115 million for two for over $260,000
43:35delivery workers and just another 104
43:39million in additional tips since January
43:42of 2026.
43:44The apps are squeezing everyone. The
43:47mayor passed a 15% fee cap to help local
43:51businesses, but Door Dash and Uber Eats
43:53circumvented it using the tiered model
43:56app loophole.
43:58They offer a basic 15% tier, but strips
44:02away the search for visibility, forcing
44:05small businesses to pay 30% in premium
44:08fees just to be seen by customers. As a
44:12driver, we face the same lack of
44:14fairness. We need complete pay and
44:16charge transparency. We deserve
44:19comprehensive year-to-date data from the
44:22apps. Drivers must see exact miles
44:25required for their current location to
44:27the restaurant and then to the drop off
44:29before accepting the offer. We also have
44:32a right to see exactly what platforms
44:35charge the customers versus what they
44:38actually pay us. And I'll give you an
44:39example. I was in North Bergen and it
44:42took me a total of 25 minutes to pick up
44:44the food and deliver it. I got paid $5.
44:48They charged the customer $27.
44:52$27. And I can prove that that only not
44:56only he strips they strip away from the
44:57customer, but they strip away from us
44:59getting a tip. I did not receive a tip
45:01that night. I never receive tips. It's
45:03very few and far.
45:07Um,
45:09sorry I lost a little bit.
45:10>> Sorry, your time is up. Your time is up,
45:12Luna.
45:14>> That's three minutes.
45:15>> That was three minutes.
45:16>> It was 3 minutes.
45:18>> Well, can I end it with something?
45:20>> You cannot.
45:22>> Our next speaker,
45:22>> I'll email everyone once again.
45:24>> That's fine. Our next speaker, 5.3
45:26Kevin.
45:27>> Thank you.
45:28>> Thank you.
45:34>> Thank you.
45:35Thank you, Luna. My staff is going to
45:37come back with you. Let's organize food
45:39service workers.
45:44I'm excited to announce that my
45:46consulting firm, the budgetary impact
45:49group for advanced strategic solutions,
45:51known by its acronym, BigA Consulting,
45:54is expanding into a new practice,
45:57executive recruitment. Apparently,
46:00everybody in Jersey City government is
46:02updating their LinkedIn profiles.
46:05That's right. Big A consulting is
46:08launching its executive search division.
46:11And we've got some exciting career
46:13opportunities.
46:14First, CFO seeking a resultsoriented
46:18financial professional capable of
46:21balancing a municipal budget while being
46:23constantly undermined by the very city
46:25council responsible for approving it.
46:28Second, deputy mayor must demonstrate
46:32exceptional communicational
46:34communication skills and the ability to
46:37blame Steven Fulip for problems
46:39occurring three years from now. Third,
46:43corporation council
46:45seeking a legal professional with
46:47expertise in municipal law, crisis
46:50management, and packing personal
46:52belongings on short notice. Uh, oh, and
46:56you may have seen them walking around
46:58town. I've been actually posting some
47:00help wanted flyers throughout the city.
47:02Uh, I have this one for corporation
47:04council. Um, you may have seen them on
47:07telephone polls, on street corners. Um,
47:10and of other help wanted posters. Okay.
47:12The next position, senior adviser to the
47:15mayor. must possess outstanding
47:18interpersonal skills, strategic vision,
47:21and the flexibility to kiss whichever
47:23caucus currently is in charge. Hey,
47:26Yiddish profanities allowed. Fifth,
47:29communications director must excel in
47:32crossf functional collaboration with
47:34multiple communication employees and
47:37outside consultants, all delivering
47:39completely different messages. And I've
47:42already started our recruitment
47:43campaign. You may have seen these help
47:45wanted uh posters all over Jersey City,
47:48anywhere we can find qualified
47:49candidates. And the city loves hiring
47:52consultants so much I figured why
47:54shouldn't I send the city an invoice.
47:56I think I'm owed at least $10,000 from
47:58the city. I don't know what you think.
48:01And unlike some consultants, I actually
48:03go out into the community and engage
48:04with them. So, Mayor James Solomon, Big
48:08A Consulting is ready to help because in
48:11Jersey City, the only thing growing
48:13faster than the consulting budget is the
48:16number of job openings at city hall.
48:19Jersey City, it's time to wake the hell
48:21up.
48:25Our next speaker, 5.4, for Ivonne.
48:32>> My remarks is about the proposed rent
48:35control ordinance. So here is my
48:36question.
48:38What will it cost the homeowners? Unlike
48:41Hobok and the other towns in Hudson
48:43County, Jersey City prohibits
48:47t taxes, new taxes to be passed on to
48:50tenants. It prohibits it. Any increase
48:53on tenants, they can't have it. It goes
48:56to the landlord who then goes to Hudson
49:00County tax court or state courts and
49:02they win an appeal which is passed on to
49:04the small homeowner like me. So my
49:06question is if you expand this what will
49:09it cost me because no one gets a free
49:11ride. Someone's going to pay the bill.
49:13Let me give you the history of Jersey
49:15City rent control laws.
49:18former councilman under the Coochie
49:20administration named Buddy Brooks had a
49:23disagreement with his landlord Bob Saxs
49:26of St. John's Apartments. He didn't like
49:29the idea of his rent going up even
49:31though taxes went up. So Buddy Brooks
49:33used his chair to pass a law that the
49:37rent control orders would be amended in
49:40which tenants could not have a tax
49:41increase because he was upset with Bob
49:44Sachs.
49:46Brooks. Um, the increase goes to the
49:49landlord, the land go to tax court, and
49:51then he goes to either state or local or
49:54or county tax court. But I want to give
49:56you example how strange this this is.
49:59Here's an example of our rent control
50:01laws. 336
50:04New York Avenue in the Heights. The
50:06tenants claimed the landlord put a dead
50:09fish the smell to drive them out. The
50:12story even made the New York Press and I
50:14actually saw it on Channel 7. But what
50:18came in that article that did not hit
50:21Jersey City Press was a they were paying
50:24$540
50:26a month in rent. This was like November
50:29of 2024.
50:31That's the rent from the 1980s.
50:36This is the reason why people like me
50:38are paying for other people. So, I want
50:41to know what will it cost me. I actually
50:44like to know what will affordable
50:46housing cost me because there are no
50:47free um stuff. And by the way, LFRA
50:52never asked for a tax abatement.
50:54Couldn't be back to over here. Lfra came
50:56here because he got a $40 million you
50:58dear grant. It was the Coochie
51:00administration who asked for affordable
51:01housing. They were never going to put in
51:04affordable housing. So I want to know
51:06when you are saying we're going to
51:08expand this, what will it cost me?
51:10Because the city's currency is property
51:12taxes and if you you exclude a certain
51:16group of people from the tax increases,
51:18then that comes to me and other people
51:20who are one family homeowners. I want to
51:22know what it cost. There are no free
51:24lunches.
51:25So you know, it's nice to be I'm going
51:27to give this to you. I'm give that to
51:28you. It cost somebody. And you know how
51:32there's people that came here and said
51:33they pay a lot of money in tax.
51:34>> Thank you, Ivon.
51:35>> Thank you.
51:39>> Our next speaker 5.5 Melissa
51:44>> Melissa W.
51:50Okay.
51:515.6 Six. Tina.
52:01>> Yes, my name is Tina. No. Yes, I do work
52:04for Education of Gilmore, but I'm
52:06speaking upon myself because I live in
52:07the community. Justice for Drew.
52:11JUSTICE FOR DREW.
52:14SO, I had came up with my boss because
52:16when again after he won, it was a thing
52:19for us to ride around our community to
52:21find out exactly what was going on in
52:23our community. Meaning that if somebody
52:25was getting pushed out their community,
52:27we would know. But I see as a freeze
52:29that we have not been doing that as um
52:32counselors or the mayor. Also, I see
52:35that some of my friends are here from
52:37Newport more. I remember when
52:42I remember when some of the teachers
52:43that I worked with at the school when
52:46she first moved in there to see her
52:48sitting right here and about to lose her
52:50apartment is ridiculous because that's
52:52what we should have been working with
52:54the first thing when y'all got in
52:55office. It should have been mental
52:57health and it should have been homeless.
52:59To see that we talking about bridges, to
53:01see that we talking about 15% and 5%
53:03taxes. and just show y'all where y'all
53:05mind at because y'all don't care about
53:06no one else. Y apparently care about y
53:09yourself because reality we would to
53:11start now trying to make sure we don't
53:14have people out this winter time from
53:16homeless but we haven't even started
53:18doing that. All I see is laughing going
53:20to events and stuff like that. It's a
53:23shame these people got to be here
53:24tonight with us to talking about if
53:26they're going to be able to have
53:27somewhere to live. It's not cute that
53:29y'all sitting up there and we are losing
53:32people. It's a shame that these teachers
53:34might have to leave our community
53:36because they don't have nowhere to go.
53:39We need to start doing better and going
53:40in our community, going into the
53:42buildings, going into the houses,
53:44walking around the street, having your
53:45boots or your heels or whatever you
53:47decide to put on to go into these
53:49community and find out what's going on.
53:51Another thing, what is the trash cans
53:53at? It's a shame that we keep going
53:56backwards.
53:58Why are we going backwards? We should be
54:00going forward. Did y'all hear what the
54:02mayor did in New York? He helped out the
54:04nonprofits. I've been talking about this
54:05for about
54:0710 years. We should be doing better for
54:09our community. But to see that we not we
54:12on our phones, we in these business, we
54:14in these parties, we don't have time to
54:16help our community. But I'm going to ask
54:19again. We're going to see again which
54:22ones is who going to take control of
54:24this not having these 15, this 5%. Who's
54:28going to take control of our mental and
54:30our homes? Who gonna make SURE WE ARE
54:32SAFE? THAT SHOULD BE OUR SAFE SPOT. WE
54:35should not be sitting here worried about
54:36we ain't got nowhere to go. Let's get it
54:38together. Let's come on. Let's show
54:40these community that we are here for
54:42them, not for yourself.
54:52Next speaker 5.7
54:55Edward
54:57Thank you. Next speaker 5.8 Ariman.
55:12Good evening council members and beloved
55:14residents. Even though I serve as
55:15council but I am speaking in my personal
55:18capacity. I stand before you today with
55:21gratitude and hope. When I spoke
55:23publicly on October 7, many Jesse City
55:25residents stood beside me. Your support
55:28reminded me that when we speak up for
55:30what matters, we do not stand alone.
55:33Thank you to everyone who listened,
55:35encouraged me, and added their voice,
55:37especially the Hudson County Chronicle
55:39and our community leaders for supporting
55:41me, sharing information, and raising
55:43awareness. I would like to continue the
55:45remarks I began on October 7th. In
55:48August 2026, I again approached the
55:50mayor's office to help organize the
55:52annual proclamation resolution and
55:54community uh event for Hindu heritage
55:57month. The office of cultural affairs
55:59approved moving forward. I prepared the
56:01resolution, secured the council
56:03administration approval and was
56:05preparing to submit it through I
56:06compass. On September 22nd, just eight
56:09days before Hindu Heritage Month began,
56:11I received an email from council women
56:13atlash Ma Singh stating that she
56:15intended to organize the resolution,
56:17proclamation and event with HHS, HSS and
56:20other organizations while emphasizing
56:22that she was Jessic City's first elected
56:26Hindu elected official. I found that
56:28email tone deeply disrespectful. I
56:31understand council women sing's office
56:34and her right to participate. I respect
56:37every organization right to contribute
56:39but leadership should make room for
56:41people who have served their communities
56:43not pushed them aside. Public office
56:46should amplify community work not
56:49appropriate it. No one should need to
56:51erase another person's contribution to
56:53prove their own leadership. There is
56:56room for elected officials, grassroot
56:58leaders, organizations and every Hindu
57:01voice, not only those with the most
57:03influence, resources and our political
57:05connections
57:07regarding Dr. J. Bunel's open letter
57:10said, "VHPA sent me a letter on its
57:12letterhead claiming ownership of the
57:14trademark and logo, but omitted that its
57:17application was rejected, dead, and
57:20abandoned. Why present that claim
57:23without this important contest? Jersey
57:26City deserves transparency, accurate
57:28information and accountability. And here
57:30in New Jersey, October is designated by
57:32state law as Hindu heritage month. That
57:34law recognizes the month. It does not
57:36grant any organization ownership of
57:38Hindu heritage. VHPA may celebrate,
57:41organize and take credit in its
57:43contributions, but the celebration
57:45belongs to the wider Hindu community and
57:47to every person who helps preserve and
57:50share that heritage. The council woman
57:53at large falsely claims to a few
57:55community leaders that the mayor's
57:57office approached her and insisted her
57:58to conduct this event. This clearly
58:01shows that she is misusing her power.
58:03council at large for making me more
58:06powerful by posting my picture and your
58:08false claims on VHPA website viewed all
58:11over the world by the extremist and
58:13making me and my
58:14>> Thank you very much. Your time is up.
58:16>> Thank you so much.
58:19>> Stay tuned. Our next speaker 5.9
58:23Tariq
58:255.9.
58:38Good evening, council, council
58:40president, council members, and the
58:41residents of Jersey City. I'm Tariq
58:44Walker, a Jersey City firefighter,
58:46licensed fire official, and former
58:48Jersey City fire inspector. To the
58:50people of Jersey City, your safety
58:53matters. Your family matters. Your home
58:55should never become dangerous because of
58:57someone failed to enforce the law. A
59:00fire official must protect the public,
59:02not simply close violations, but ensure
59:04dangerous conditions are corrected. My
59:07concerns aren't with the fire prevention
59:09division. They're with the decisions and
59:11actions of the fire official entrusted
59:13to protect the city's residents. I'm
59:15raising concerns about the enforcement
59:17decisions involving an alleged sport for
59:18signature and abatement document. Fines
59:21reduced to zero and properties withdrawn
59:23from court and questionable extensions.
59:26In April 2026, I attended a meeting with
59:29six bur rental representatives and the
59:32fire official concerning $433,000
59:35500 in recorded penalties. I witnessed
59:38these violations treated as corrected
59:40without supporting compliance
59:41documentation being presented. Who
59:44verified compliance? Where was the
59:47documentation and were the residents
59:49protected?
59:51We reported alleged abuse of power,
59:53preferential treatment and harassment,
59:55intimidation, retaliation, and fire
59:57prevention trust fund discrepancies.
59:59Human resources, senior fire prevention
1:00:01leadership, and the New Jersey fire
1:00:03division safety were all notified in
1:00:05midappril. 6 months later, we still have
1:00:08no resolution.
1:00:10Who knew?
1:00:12When did they know? And what did they do
1:00:15about it? I thank Mayor Solomon, the
1:00:18acting EEO officer, and the special
1:00:19investigator for their assistance. That
1:00:22investigator was transferred. I haven't
1:00:24been told why, who's continuing his
1:00:26work, or what happens to the
1:00:27investigation. Now,
1:00:30these matters include JCPD file
1:00:3326-10709.
1:00:36Council members, residents entrusted you
1:00:38with oversight. I'm asking you to
1:00:41independently investigate these
1:00:42allegations, review fire prevention
1:00:44trust from the council for 2026 and
1:00:46previous years, and provide answers. On
1:00:49May 11th, this council examined housing
1:00:51enforcement. Shouldn't fire prevention
1:00:53retain the same the same scrutiny where
1:00:55lives are at stake? I request
1:00:58preservation of evidence and protection
1:01:00against retaliation. I'm not asking
1:01:02anyone to pres to presume guilt. I'm
1:01:05asking for the facts and accountability.
1:01:07You deserve a fire official who serves
1:01:09you, inspector supporting and protecting
1:01:10you, and landlords who follow the law.
1:01:13Your safety is not a favor. It is a
1:01:16responsibility.
1:01:17When fire court enforcement fails, it is
1:01:20just not paperwork at risk. It's your
1:01:22homes, your families, your lives. Thank
1:01:26you.
1:01:31Um Mark,
1:01:33>> I have a quick question for just in
1:01:35terms of nothing of substance related to
1:01:38the allegations, but the process if um
1:01:43the BA or corp council could speak to
1:01:46and I know you're back. You're the clerk
1:01:49is going to tell you you're not that
1:01:50you're not we're not going to have a
1:01:51back.
1:01:51>> Oh, no. I don't know if
1:01:53>> Go ahead.
1:01:54>> You can listen, but it's not a question
1:01:55and answer. I'm just letting you know.
1:02:00>> Yeah, these are serious allegations.
1:02:02We're in a public forum. What what
1:02:04what's what what are the next steps in
1:02:06this process or in a process where
1:02:08someone comes forward as a a possible
1:02:11whistleblower?
1:02:13>> So, um Lisa, feel free to jump in, but
1:02:16there is an internal process of
1:02:18reviewing this um within our law
1:02:21department. there are specific depending
1:02:23on what the complaint or allegations
1:02:25are. It gets fielded through the
1:02:27appropriate channels. Um I cannot speak
1:02:30to this um allegation because it's an
1:02:34ongoing investigation. But depending on
1:02:36what the complaint is, depending on what
1:02:38the allegation is, there are different
1:02:40policies and procedures that we follow.
1:02:43>> I could say it's being reviewed.
1:02:47I'm aware of that. So,
1:02:50>> right, this is being reviewed, but I
1:02:51think the question was what the process
1:02:53is, right?
1:02:55>> Right.
1:02:55>> It depends on the allegation, depends on
1:02:57what the the complaint is. So, can we
1:02:59get um you know, when you have time, can
1:03:01we get the law department to write up
1:03:03what I guess the process is when the
1:03:05council receives these sort of requests
1:03:07so that we'll know moving forward? I'll
1:03:10send something to the council in the
1:03:11next few days. Thank you.
1:03:22Okay, our next speaker 5.10
1:03:25Raj
1:03:29M.
1:03:35Okay, not here. 5.11 emit.
1:03:42Emit m
1:03:485.12.
1:03:51>> Yeah.
1:03:55>> Your name?
1:03:56>> My name is uh Raju Barut.
1:03:59P as in boy. A R O T.
1:04:01>> Thank you.
1:04:02>> Good evening. Uh respected council
1:04:04members. Uh today I'm here to support
1:04:08Dr. Arjumant Jaria for her requirement
1:04:11which is uh well focused by all the
1:04:14speakers in the house.
1:04:17Every nation's dream is and that
1:04:21forefather's dream is to have a communal
1:04:25social and democratic harmony in that
1:04:29country. America is one of that great
1:04:32nation where we are exercising
1:04:34communal religious harmony and I'm proud
1:04:38for that. Uh I would like to mention
1:04:41here that Dr. Arjuman Jawaria she is a
1:04:47Muslim woman. She is well-known person
1:04:50in Jersey City. She's doing great work.
1:04:53I know about all her work, her medals,
1:04:55her certificates, her achievements. And
1:04:58when as a Muslim woman she's trying to
1:05:01work with Hindu community. I am a Hindu
1:05:04person and when she is trying to work
1:05:06with Hindu community it should be a
1:05:08welcome change because we are looking
1:05:10for a communal harmony in the nation not
1:05:13like other nations where the
1:05:14disturbances are going on. Now based on
1:05:18uh institutes from India when they
1:05:22directed their rules and regulations
1:05:25to American organizations and trying to
1:05:28control Dr. Arjuman that not to
1:05:31participate in Hindu heritage month
1:05:33which is not acceptable. This is a clear
1:05:36case of discrimination. We are we cannot
1:05:38tolerate these type of things. And I
1:05:41since I I born in India I know this
1:05:43organizations called RSS Rashria Syam
1:05:47Zak
1:05:49VHP
1:05:50Vishwa Hindu Parishad and VHPA which is
1:05:54established in America and HSS um I not
1:05:58much I'm not knowing much about them but
1:06:01RSS is notorious for their proceedings
1:06:04in India lot of disturbances in India in
1:06:07the current days Since freedom of India
1:06:11they have tried to destabilize Indian
1:06:13democracy and infamously they nose for
1:06:18the great Mahatma Gandhi's killing. So I
1:06:21I condemn their interference in America.
1:06:25Here in America we cannot allow such a
1:06:28element that can control and disturb our
1:06:30communal harmony. I again I'm backing
1:06:33Dr. Rajan Jawaria. come and work for
1:06:37Hindu heritage month, Hindu Hindu
1:06:39community. No one can stop Arjuman to
1:06:42work for Hindu community because he is
1:06:44trying to bridge the gap between two
1:06:46communities, two two religions and this
1:06:49is a welcome change. I think in the
1:06:51house everybody will applaud that
1:06:54particular uh gesture from the Arjuman
1:06:56Jawaria. So I wanted to say only these
1:06:58things about Arjuman's efforts and uh
1:07:02let's uh give her a big round of
1:07:04applause.
1:07:06>> Thank you very much.
1:07:10Next speaker 5.13 Sherry
1:07:14Sherry M
1:07:185.14 Frederick.
1:07:26Nope.
1:07:29Hello. Thank you. Uh you can call me
1:07:31Rick. Um
1:07:34two things. One,
1:07:36it's been nine coming on 10 months since
1:07:39Christ Hospital has officially
1:07:42bold word closed and the Heights is
1:07:45still not have emergency care. And this
1:07:49impacts the city as a whole because
1:07:52we're just broadly short. Sorry, I'm out
1:07:54of breath. I rode my bike over here. Um,
1:07:57we're broadly short of medical access
1:08:01and I'm here to ask, what is the city's
1:08:04plan to restore care in the Heights,
1:08:06open the hospital, and to hold HR
1:08:09accountable? Myself and my neighbors, I
1:08:12know, are here to demand that the city
1:08:14provide us with a plan and to reinstall
1:08:16medical care and hold HR accountable. as
1:08:19it stands, or at least my understanding,
1:08:22the previous ordinance to reszone the
1:08:24land under Christ Hospital sits in some
1:08:27legal limbo because of errors or what
1:08:31have you, and the administration and
1:08:34council have yet to provide an update.
1:08:36And so I stand here to call on James
1:08:38Solomon to explain why the procedural
1:08:41mistakes have not been fixed, why there
1:08:43has been no public insight into the
1:08:45city's plan to reopen the hospital, why
1:08:47the city has rejected coalition's
1:08:49movement to intervene, and to explain
1:08:51why it seems like he is meeting with HR
1:08:54on the side. This is an emergency that
1:08:57endangers the entire city and the county
1:08:59and needs to be addressed. HRH is
1:09:02laughing in our faces while we sit here
1:09:04and do nothing.
1:09:06Now, I want to talk about the county
1:09:08courthouse.
1:09:11Uh, got my notes here. I'm reading that
1:09:15Charles Harrington, whoever that is, and
1:09:17county uh, officials are complaining
1:09:19that the new courthouse doesn't have
1:09:20enough parking locations
1:09:22or that maybe they knew that from the
1:09:24beginning when they designed the
1:09:25facility.
1:09:27And there's apparently discussion to
1:09:29repurpose existing parking garages or
1:09:31surface area parking to subsidize them.
1:09:34I don't think Jersey City residents
1:09:36should be subsidizing the county by
1:09:38offering up our parking, street side,
1:09:41and just general surface area. You're
1:09:43telling me there's 460 employee spaces,
1:09:4640 juror spaces, and that's not enough.
1:09:48They claim they need 700 more.
1:09:51It's a hard sell.
1:09:54And I get it that we are the seat of the
1:09:56county, but people live in Jersey City.
1:09:59There's only so much surface area to go
1:10:00around.
1:10:02Maybe the county sheriffs can take the
1:10:04bus to work like the rest of us.
1:10:08There's existing.
1:10:11Thank you.
1:10:15And just quickly a few uh to the
1:10:17inevitable, you know, what is your
1:10:19solution? Uh if I were dictator for a
1:10:21day, there'd be a lot of other things,
1:10:22but boring solutions like commuter
1:10:24buyouts for jurors and employees are
1:10:26options. Look into it. Thank you.
1:10:32I just ask a question of the
1:10:33administration uh to to to our acting
1:10:37corp counsel. Lisa, did the
1:10:39administration take a position on the
1:10:41intervention of the of any parties in
1:10:44the lawsuit?
1:10:46>> At the moment, we have not, but we are
1:10:48in discussions with um Councilman Ephro.
1:10:52Someone from my team is speaking to him
1:10:53about that as well.
1:10:54>> I'd appreciate if you also spoke about
1:10:56me. Christ Hospitals in W C.
1:10:58>> I'm sorry. I appreciate you also loop me
1:11:00into those conversations. Christ
1:11:02hospitals in WC and I may have been in
1:11:04court once or twice in my career too. So
1:11:06if we can uh
1:11:09>> Councilman Efro has reached out to our
1:11:11office so what
1:11:12>> fair enough. Well I'm doing so now. So
1:11:15>> I will make sure you're included
1:11:16>> and and before Sean yells me. Hey Rick
1:11:19the um about courthouse parking. It was
1:11:22uh none of the city lots are being imp
1:11:24where's Rick implicated? He left
1:11:27outside. Not the city lots are being
1:11:28implicated. The uh county was talking
1:11:30about um renting spots in a new
1:11:32development which will have public
1:11:34parking.
1:11:36>> Yeah, I know that there's going to be a
1:11:38number of other uh speakers on on the
1:11:40hospital tonight. So, I'm happy to save
1:11:41more of an update for later. Just a
1:11:44couple things. I intend to put forward
1:11:46um a resolution pertaining to exactly
1:11:49what Rick was mentioning um at next city
1:11:52council meeting and I would love the
1:11:53co-sponsorship of uh my colleagues on
1:11:56that effort. I've I've already reached
1:11:58out to Councilman Zupa and Councilman
1:12:00Lavar about this. Um and uh next
1:12:03Tuesday, October 27th is a town hall on
1:12:06Christ Hospital, so please be aware, but
1:12:08I want to let other public speakers make
1:12:10their comments tonight.
1:12:17We ready to call the next speaker?
1:12:23Going to have to say yes. Okay.
1:12:27And just for the record, I try not to
1:12:29yell at any of my council members, but
1:12:32um next speaker, 5.15, Taylor.
1:12:38Taylor is not here. 5.16 Charlene
1:12:44Lean is not here. 5.17 Jonathan.
1:12:54Hi. Good evening, council. I'm here
1:12:56tonight to talk about the DPW pilot for
1:12:59removing trash cans.
1:13:02I would like to start off by saying that
1:13:04my comments are meant to address the
1:13:07departmental policy and should not be
1:13:09seen as a criticism of any of the
1:13:11hardworking employees of DPW.
1:13:14Um, I know that a lot of council members
1:13:16have been engaged on this. You know,
1:13:18I've spoken to the president and her
1:13:20staff a few times on this. A lot of
1:13:22other members are too, and I really
1:13:23appreciate that. So, for the people who
1:13:25don't know what's happened, the city has
1:13:27been removing a lot of the public trash
1:13:30cans. uh from what they claim are
1:13:32residential streets and they when they
1:13:35do this they're citing that residents
1:13:37are throwing away their personal trash
1:13:39um in these cans which I have seen it it
1:13:42is happening and I will concede that
1:13:44what they're doing probably will reduce
1:13:47that problem but at the cost of you know
1:13:50we're already having a very bad litter
1:13:52problem around the city and we're seeing
1:13:54with this it is getting much much worse
1:13:57on my street Johnson Avenue in Ward A
1:14:00Over the past few years, we've already
1:14:02lost a few cans. Um, and that's a pretty
1:14:04major thoroughare. You know, it's near
1:14:06the park. Um, you know, a lot of
1:14:08businesses on it. And there was a can
1:14:10right by a taco truck. They removed it.
1:14:13I know in my um conversations with the
1:14:16council president and her office, you
1:14:18know, they had, you know, we had been
1:14:20talking and they actually helped me
1:14:22organize a cleanup of Lena Edwards Park
1:14:25and we were able to do that. I thought
1:14:27it went pretty well. But a few days
1:14:29later, uh, the park honestly was full of
1:14:32litter. Again, this kind of speaks to
1:14:34we're not really getting the support
1:14:36from the city that we need. In fact,
1:14:38we're going backwards. My suspicion is
1:14:41that this is probably driven more by
1:14:44budget. And if it is, I'd appreciate if
1:14:46the administration would just say so.
1:14:49Uh, but otherwise, I am not help happy
1:14:52with this pilot. I'm not happy that it
1:14:55appears with a lot of basic public
1:14:56services, we're going backwards. It's
1:15:00it's not it's not good. It's not what I
1:15:01expected. And you know, there are some
1:15:04ways to solve this. We need to enforce
1:15:06with these multif family homes uh that
1:15:08the landlords need to provide cans to
1:15:10their residents uh for the uh public
1:15:13cans. You know, we need ones with
1:15:14openings where you can't put in
1:15:16household trash. And honestly, you know,
1:15:19New York is starting to pilot a
1:15:20containerization program. you know, they
1:15:22have a little bit more sophisticated
1:15:24versions out of of those in like Europe
1:15:26and and Asia. U you know, are is
1:15:29everyone here sick of seeing the trash
1:15:30bags on the street every Sunday? That
1:15:32shouldn't be happening. We're like us,
1:15:35New York. There's only a few cities that
1:15:36that do this. This is not right. So, I
1:15:39really appreciate everything the council
1:15:40has done so far. I hope we can get some
1:15:43answers from the administration. I hope
1:15:45we can work towards better policy on
1:15:46this. Thank you very much.
1:15:51Our next speaker 5.18 Veronica.
1:16:02>> Good evening, council. My name is
1:16:04Veronica Deleó Caraman and I am the
1:16:07director of Small Discoveries Preschool
1:16:09and the co-founder of Little Milestones
1:16:11for Small Discoveries Therapy Clinic.
1:16:14I'm standing before you again because
1:16:17there was another dangerous incident at
1:16:19approximately 11:30 in the morning on a
1:16:22Sunday on the corner where our school is
1:16:25located. An altercation involving
1:16:27someone using a gun to break into a
1:16:29store. 11:30 in the morning, a time when
1:16:32children are playing in the park or
1:16:34walking around the neighborhood with
1:16:35their teachers. They should be exploring
1:16:38the community, enjoying fresh air, and
1:16:40their parents should be able to trust
1:16:41that they are safe. What headline are we
1:16:44waiting for before this becomes an
1:16:46emergency? Child get shot outside of
1:16:49preschool. Teacher struck by gunfire
1:16:52while protecting students. Parents shot
1:16:54while picking up their child. There are
1:16:57not these are not reports of what
1:16:59happened. These are the headlines I am
1:17:01terrified we will read if this
1:17:03continues.
1:17:05I do not want one of our children,
1:17:08teachers, or parents to become the
1:17:10reason we finally say we should have
1:17:11done more.
1:17:13We are here now. We are telling you
1:17:15there is a problem now. We are asking
1:17:17you to act while you still have the
1:17:19opportunity to prevent that tragedy.
1:17:23Our teachers should be focused on
1:17:25helping children learn and grow. Parents
1:17:28should be able to walk to our doors
1:17:31without wondering whether they are
1:17:32putting their families in danger. And as
1:17:35a director, a clinic co-founder, and a
1:17:37mother, I carry the responsibility of
1:17:40keeping children safe every day. But I
1:17:43cannot control what happens on the
1:17:45sidewalk outside of our doors.
1:17:49We need the city and our police
1:17:50department to take responsibility for
1:17:52the safety in our neighborhood.
1:17:56We need a clear plan
1:17:59and we cannot keep coming back to this
1:18:01microphone after another incident
1:18:04involving a gun repeating the same
1:18:06concerns and hoping this time somehow we
1:18:09will act. Please do not let next time
1:18:12you hear our school's name be in a
1:18:15headline about a child we could not
1:18:17protect. Thank you.
1:18:23The next speaker 5.19 Marie
1:18:3119 Marie G. No.
1:18:34Oh, sorry.
1:18:39Hi everyone.
1:18:42You can hear me. Yeah.
1:18:45Good evening, council president and
1:18:46council members. Two weeks ago, like my
1:18:49neighbor Veronica, I stood here for the
1:18:52first time and spoke about the quality
1:18:54of life in Ward F. I said I would be
1:18:57brief, and I'm back tonight. I'm here
1:19:00again as a resident, a parent, a
1:19:02homeowner, a taxpayer, and a neighbor to
1:19:04many. I am here again as I am tired,
1:19:08disappointed, and frankly disgusted by
1:19:11the way this city has neglected our
1:19:13neighborhood. We are demanding safe,
1:19:17clean streets.
1:19:20There is no logical reason once again
1:19:23Monos Monaceel Avenue should not receive
1:19:26the same level of attention and care as
1:19:29Grove Street or Central A in the
1:19:32Heights. Property values have risen. New
1:19:35development has surged. Yet the basic
1:19:38quality of life in our neighborhood is
1:19:41something we have to fight for. Empty
1:19:43lots filled with garbage, vacant
1:19:46storefronts, illegal activity, traffic
1:19:49violations.
1:19:51Residents are doing the work and we need
1:19:53to see you all doing the work as well.
1:19:56We report trespassing. We organize
1:19:58cleanups daily.
1:20:02We spoke to Captain O a little while
1:20:04ago. That was convenient. We will be
1:20:07relentlessly engaged with him.
1:20:09Councilman Gilmore, we need your
1:20:11engagement as well. Residents are paying
1:20:14taxes, reporting problems, cleaning up.
1:20:18Outside of the police department, what
1:20:20is our plan and by when? Tonight, we
1:20:24want three things. A plan of action, a
1:20:27timeline, and a designated point of
1:20:29contact.
1:20:34I want more than acknowledgement. I want
1:20:36action. I want accountability. and I
1:20:39want commitments that the residents can
1:20:41hold you to.
1:20:44We are demanding safe, clean streets.
1:20:48Thank you.
1:20:52>> Our next speaker, 5.20, Megan.
1:20:59>> Hi everyone. Um, thank you for the time.
1:21:04Um, I would love to see us move beyond
1:21:09checking the boxes of saying what's been
1:21:13done to seeing real action on the
1:21:15street. I think that there's a
1:21:17disconnect between data and what
1:21:21residents see every day. And I'm not
1:21:23sure where the disconnect is. Um, I do
1:21:27think that um, our captain O is doing
1:21:30what he can. However, that doesn't
1:21:33change the fact that every day when I
1:21:37walk home with my child at 3:00 p.m.
1:21:40that there's an active drug market
1:21:42happening on the way home at 3:00 p.m.
1:21:46on the way home at 5:00 p.m. from
1:21:48tutoring. Um,
1:21:51we need more control. We need more
1:21:53authority.
1:21:55And there's actually a law in New Jersey
1:21:57that there's a,000 ft
1:22:00um no drug zone in the proximity of
1:22:04schools.
1:22:05Literally all we're asking for is for
1:22:08that safe area for kids to travel to and
1:22:11from school 1,000 ft within all
1:22:14daycarees, all schools to be enforced.
1:22:17Um I'm I'm literally a little bit at a
1:22:21loss for words right now. um because
1:22:24it's just so disheartening.
1:22:27I walk my child to school every morning
1:22:29and what I love about the neighborhood
1:22:32is a friendly hello to a neighbor. Um
1:22:36neighbors that are like friends
1:22:39um and the overall sense of community.
1:22:44However, what I don't love is in the
1:22:46morning zigzagging through broken liquor
1:22:49bottles, crack pipes,
1:22:52uh, drug baggies, um, and I have to tell
1:22:55my child like, "Don't pick up anything
1:22:58that's dangerous."
1:23:00How do I explain that to a child? Why
1:23:02there's so many dangerous things on the
1:23:04ground in the morning on the way to
1:23:06school?
1:23:08When I'm coming home from school, it's
1:23:11excuse me, can I please walk on the
1:23:13sidewalk to pass so I can get to my home
1:23:16amongst a big group of people? It's It's
1:23:19just not safe.
1:23:24What I would love is to see leadership
1:23:27would love
1:23:30would love an action plan, not just
1:23:33defense.
1:23:35really want to see visible signs of
1:23:37safety for the children on the street
1:23:39during school drop off, during school
1:23:42pickup, during after hours,
1:23:46using the existing infrastructure we
1:23:48already have within the city. Safe
1:23:50streets, be able to use our playground.
1:23:52We're not asking for anything new or
1:23:54shiny. We're just asking for the bare
1:23:56minimum basics. Thank you for your time.
1:24:03>> Our next speaker, 5.2. 21 Lily.
1:24:07>> Good evening. Can you hear me?
1:24:09>> Yes.
1:24:12>> Here we are again. I had a whole speech
1:24:14and I had to drop it because I am also
1:24:17lost for words. Um I truly don't know
1:24:19what kind of performative Captain O
1:24:24performance was that I I really don't
1:24:26understand.
1:24:28Let me give you a little bit of a
1:24:29background on me. So, I was born and
1:24:32raised in Eastern Europe. I'm Bulgarian.
1:24:34I came in 1999 as a fully formed, you
1:24:39know, grown-up individual. I grew up
1:24:42with performance theater. This is
1:24:45exactly what this is. It is checking
1:24:48boxes. It is making sure that we're all
1:24:51as residents and taxpayers placated. I'm
1:24:55looking at you, Councilwoman Gilmore. I
1:24:57would love to see you on the street.
1:24:59I've not seen you once, twice maybe, but
1:25:02I see you anywhere else in any other
1:25:06ward where there's an opportunity to
1:25:09show how much you care for the residents
1:25:12in the streets.
1:25:14I would like to see meaningful change.
1:25:16It's not that hard.
1:25:19The fact that the captain just pulled
1:25:21two people outside trying to explain how
1:25:25there are disconnect. I I truly don't
1:25:27understand where is that coming from. I
1:25:30mean, it's 2026 and Jersey City is in
1:25:34close proximity to one of the greatest
1:25:36cities in the world. And what amateur
1:25:39hour? Like how how much more we need to
1:25:43endure? How much more the city need to
1:25:45go through in order for us to get it
1:25:47together? Ward F, particularly around
1:25:50Monteello Avenue, is a dumpster fire.
1:25:55And I mean it. I don't say this lightly.
1:25:58On Sundays, there's liquor consumption
1:26:01on the streets openly at 300 p.m. On a
1:26:05Tuesday morning, on the way to drop off,
1:26:08there's a Harley-Davidson
1:26:10going down my street on the sidewalk.
1:26:13You know why people do that? Because
1:26:15they can get away with it. Because no
1:26:18one will seek accountability. Because no
1:26:21one takes us seriously. Because no one
1:26:24thinks that there will be serious
1:26:26repercussions.
1:26:28Presidents, citizens, taxpayers are
1:26:30tired. We get involved. We show up. No
1:26:34one else meets us halfway. The meetings
1:26:38are just checkboxes.
1:26:40The next step action items are
1:26:42performative. And we run in a cycle. We
1:26:45run in a circle. We're going to have the
1:26:47exact same conversation. I'm starting to
1:26:49lose hope. Quite frankly, I think that
1:26:51this conversation will be going on until
1:26:53the day I decide to move out with my
1:26:56family of Jersey City because I haven't
1:26:59seen any change. Like we can blame the
1:27:01previous administration the same way the
1:27:03following will blame you. So let's come
1:27:06together, hold hands. There's a time for
1:27:08come to Jesus. Thank you.
1:27:09>> Thank you.
1:27:12>> Next speaker 5.22 22 Britney.
1:27:20>> Good evening, council. My name is
1:27:21Britney Mosa. I live near Monaceel
1:27:23Avenue and I'm here with the friends of
1:27:25Monaceel and the traffic reform
1:27:27warriors. I stood here about a year ago
1:27:30advocating for more public trash cans
1:27:33along Monaceel and dog poopy bags. Fast
1:27:37forward a year and somehow things have
1:27:39gotten worse. As everybody else here has
1:27:41been saying tonight, property taxes have
1:27:44gone way up while the services and
1:27:46conditions in our neighborhood have gone
1:27:48down. There's more trash on the streets,
1:27:51empty beer cans, smoking paraphernalia,
1:27:54smash glass, and somehow we actually
1:27:57have fewer public trash cans than we did
1:27:59a year ago thanks to the citywide pilot
1:28:02program.
1:28:03So, more taxes, fewer trash cans,
1:28:06dirtier streets, and a general feeling
1:28:08that our neighborhood is becoming less
1:28:10safe. Firstly, this is clearly
1:28:12unacceptable. But secondly, it's just
1:28:15confusing because over the past 2 years,
1:28:17we've participated in so many meetings,
1:28:20listened to plans, heard about studies
1:28:22and initiatives aimed at improving and
1:28:24revitalizing Monaceel.
1:28:27We recently met with council council
1:28:29members Gilmore and Griffin to discuss
1:28:31the possibility of lifting the alcohol
1:28:33ban in the area with the goal of
1:28:35encouraging more foot traffic and
1:28:37supporting local businesses and bringing
1:28:39some positive energy and life back into
1:28:42Monaceel.
1:28:43Those conversations are so encouraging
1:28:46and people are certainly engaged.
1:28:48Everyone seems to agree that Monaceel
1:28:50has enormous potential and that we
1:28:53should be investing in its future.
1:28:56But then you walk outside and it's
1:28:58obviously a completely different story.
1:29:00We're having all these conversations
1:29:02about revitalization while moving
1:29:04backwards on the basics.
1:29:06How can we seriously talk about
1:29:08attracting more businesses and foot
1:29:09traffic when we can't maintain clean and
1:29:12safe streets? I'm not suggesting that
1:29:14nothing's being done. I recognize all
1:29:16this takes time. But at some point, I'd
1:29:19really like to understand how or when
1:29:21all these meetings and studies translate
1:29:23into action. Right now from where we're
1:29:26standing there's a big disconnect
1:29:28between the progress we're discussing
1:29:31and the conditions that we're living
1:29:32with. So my question is simple. What is
1:29:35the actual plan to improve the
1:29:38day-to-day conditions on Monaceel Avenue
1:29:41and when should residents expect to see
1:29:43those results? Thank you.
1:29:49>> Our next speaker 5.23 Stephanie
1:30:07really didn't want to have to come here
1:30:09tonight,
1:30:11but I decided that the people who are in
1:30:14the four buildings in Newport, the
1:30:16LFrack properties, deserve someone to be
1:30:19honest with them and to tell them that
1:30:21the people in their government who say
1:30:24they want to help them, who say they're
1:30:26advocates for them. I strongly consider
1:30:30that you
1:30:33consider if they really have your best
1:30:35interest at heart or if they have simply
1:30:39printed the walk materials for their
1:30:41next campaign and want rent control to
1:30:44be on it.
1:30:49December 5th, 2025, this council
1:30:52reviewed a proposal, an ordinance to
1:30:55extend a pilot to LFrack for these
1:30:58properties. It would have maintained the
1:31:01affordable housing and it would have
1:31:03improved upon it when someone in an 80%
1:31:06AMI unit moved out. That unit would have
1:31:08converted to 50 or 30% AMI, would have
1:31:12created even more affordable housing,
1:31:14would have created 16, I believe,
1:31:15additional affordable housing units. I
1:31:18believe the price tag on that
1:31:21even 3 million I'm I'm going to didn't
1:31:24prepare anything tonight but what this
1:31:27members of this council have prepared is
1:31:29a uncosted ordinance last minute that is
1:31:34overly broad that would include
1:31:36buildings into Mcinley Square would
1:31:39include the beacon
1:31:42buildings that have hot tubs pools
1:31:44rooftop decks rooftop pickle ball I
1:31:46think one of them may
1:31:48and they want to extend to those market
1:31:50rate tenants a subsidy paid for by
1:31:55homeowners of Jersey City. Instead of a
1:31:59surgical tool, which would be a pilot
1:32:01that would cost probably around 3
1:32:03million to the schools, the city would,
1:32:05as pilots do, give the city more money.
1:32:08Instead, they want to
1:32:11create a a deficit that would need to be
1:32:13made up by taxpayers in excess of 30
1:32:16million, which I believe LFR has
1:32:19informed the city of that and the city
1:32:21is in agreement with them that that
1:32:23would be a major issue in balancing next
1:32:26year's budget.
1:32:29I don't know
1:32:32what some members of this council are
1:32:33here to achieve.
1:32:36If they are really interested in
1:32:39performing their duties,
1:32:42they're they're not great. They're
1:32:44balancing a municipal budget, providing
1:32:45oversight, it's not really exciting.
1:32:49or if they're just trying to create
1:32:53enough buzz headlines,
1:32:57make them seem like a champion of the
1:32:58people when they're really just out to
1:33:02advance their own interests.
1:33:05>> Thank you.
1:33:12>> I'd like to factually correct the
1:33:14record. This council did not vote down
1:33:16the abatement. That was the last
1:33:18council. Thank you.
1:33:25>> Next speaker 5.24 VJ.
1:33:32Hello.
1:33:35Good evening council member and
1:33:37respected resident. My name is Vijay. I
1:33:39was one of sporter of BJB but over time
1:33:43beginning cons was saying my eyes open
1:33:46concern about cast hate and division
1:33:49link to RSS
1:33:51and weather network today believe we
1:33:54most speak equality and respect for all
1:33:57Hindu heritage month should we bring
1:33:59together no d's
1:34:03Hindu heritage is belong to everyone if
1:34:07HSS speak about peace and peace in
1:34:10America. Should we also speak with
1:34:13Christian, Muslim, Delhi and other siks
1:34:17and other communities and violation in
1:34:20India? Report of hate speech against
1:34:22religious minority in India are serious.
1:34:27We must we speak against hate no matter
1:34:29who is the behind it. Here the New
1:34:32Jersey Hindu heritage month should
1:34:34welcome everyone. No one we should be
1:34:37left because of their faith, background,
1:34:40gender, cast and color. Let's stand with
1:34:44peace, truth and respect. No group one's
1:34:47heritage, no faith should we be used for
1:34:50spread hate. Hate no we should we have
1:34:53proved they belong to stand uh actual
1:34:57stand with Dr. Arjuman. Uh thank you so
1:35:00much.
1:35:05Next speaker 5.25 Lumise
1:35:135.25 not here
1:35:175.26 Michelle
1:35:20Michelle A
1:35:235.27 27 Deepka
1:35:31here 5.28
1:35:34Galoo
1:35:39no
1:35:425.29 29 AL
1:35:50530 Kevin.
1:35:56>> Oh, there's the law. There's the
1:35:59attorney.
1:36:14She removed that. Sure.
1:36:18At this point, I think you're more than
1:36:20an attorney.
1:36:32Evening.
1:36:36Kevin Weller, president of the Portite
1:36:37Towers East Tenant Association.
1:36:40Ordinance 26089 did not move forward
1:36:43tonight. I want to say plainly why I
1:36:46believe it should have. On October 7th,
1:36:50we promised the Newport tenants that we
1:36:52would come back here with them. We kept
1:36:54that promise.
1:36:56around the room. These are families,
1:36:59seniors, and working people who have
1:37:01lived in these same apartments for 20
1:37:02and 30 years. Talked to one almost 40
1:37:05years, paid taxes for 40 years while a
1:37:08frack did not during the same 40 years.
1:37:11They paid their rent. They raised their
1:37:12children. They built a neighborhood on
1:37:14the river. And now they open renewal
1:37:16letters and wonder whether they can
1:37:18stay.
1:37:21The Newport exemption was written in 19
1:37:24sorry the redevelopment exemption was
1:37:26written in 1983.
1:37:28Newport exemption had
1:37:32an expiration date. You'll find out
1:37:33later why that disappeared.
1:37:37In June, all nine of you voted for
1:37:40ordinance 26039,
1:37:42which makes timely submission the test
1:37:48for making the agenda for a council
1:37:49meeting. Now, I know Sean addressed this
1:37:51earlier before I got in the room, and
1:37:52I'm sure the corporation council and the
1:37:55clerk will be able to work this through,
1:37:59but we did some research.
1:38:02And the reason why the law, including
1:38:04the Faulner Act, gates
1:38:08new ordinances by submission of the
1:38:11council and not approval is because if
1:38:14you gate it on approval, the separation
1:38:16of powers evaporates. Because then the
1:38:19administration's approval decides
1:38:21whether or not something can be first
1:38:23read and introduced rather than the
1:38:26submission of the council which is the
1:38:28only legal entity that can submit a new
1:38:31ordinance because you guys write the
1:38:32laws, the administration does not, the
1:38:34mayor does not. They cannot. there is a
1:38:35separation of powers and that's why we
1:38:38emailed everybody
1:38:40about the first reading tonight and I
1:38:43hope corporation council will look into
1:38:46it and see what may be proper if there's
1:38:49a reason to make a change
1:38:53but we didn't say it lightly on October
1:38:5616th's own lawyers wrote that this
1:38:59exemption is what keeps these towers out
1:39:01of rent control the owners and the
1:39:04tenants agree
1:39:05on where the decision sits. It sits with
1:39:08you. A first reading is where the
1:39:11answers begin. On September 23rd, the
1:39:13administration asked you to pass a first
1:39:15reading of its own ordinance and get its
1:39:17answers before the second reading. We
1:39:20asked for the same courtesy for four
1:39:221499 households, not just the affordable
1:39:24housing units. Jersey City has always
1:39:27been a place where working families
1:39:28could make a home and stay, and that is
1:39:31what this ordinance protects. Thank you.
1:39:57I'll call the next speaker. 5.31 Suzanne
1:40:085.32 Deepa.
1:40:13Okay.
1:40:155.33 Jess
1:40:195.34 Mabel
1:40:235.35 Johnson.
1:40:32Well, we can't see. That's
1:40:38good evening ladies and gentlemen. Thank
1:40:40you for all coming.
1:40:42Good evening members of the council.
1:40:46I thank you for the opportunity of
1:40:48sharing this of my concerns and all of
1:40:52our concerns in Jersey City, not just
1:40:55Newport, but in Jersey City, New Jersey
1:40:57as a whole, where I have been living
1:41:00here for 40 years, coming from Hunts
1:41:02Point, the South Bronx, Puerto Rico,
1:41:05coming back into New York, and my
1:41:08parents made up their minds to come out
1:41:10of New York City and live in Jersey
1:41:12City, New Jersey that we discover due to
1:41:14other family members.
1:41:16I grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey the
1:41:18past 40 years going through high school,
1:41:21going through college, Georgia City
1:41:22State College, BMCC at night, studying
1:41:24economics and communications. Then I
1:41:26learned in Jersey City, New Jersey,
1:41:29Newport development that I moved into 10
1:41:32years ago. I had the opportunity to
1:41:36connect with everyone,
1:41:39school, jobs in New York City. My first
1:41:42job in Jersey City was the uh the bank
1:41:45in the corner of Jersey City where I
1:41:48grew up
1:41:50x amount of experience.
1:41:52I have lived in Jersey City most of my
1:41:55life and I'm I am
1:41:58I am less than two years of retirement
1:42:03planned to retire. I am concerned about
1:42:06how I will afford an rent increase
1:42:10depending on the bracket of our of our
1:42:13income three or six or 8%. Uh that's a
1:42:16little scary because what happens after
1:42:21the rent increase? What happens to my
1:42:23miscellaneous expense?
1:42:26Gasoline, food, uh cost of living, tra
1:42:30transportation. You see what's going on
1:42:31around the world right now. You see
1:42:33what's going on in France with
1:42:34education. You see what's going on with
1:42:36the with the local and state and federal
1:42:39government. Everything is a big mess.
1:42:40And this is a domino effect. I speak
1:42:42about this every day in my job. But I
1:42:44have to be careful because in the stock
1:42:46market where I'm at is a federal
1:42:48government institution. I don't want to
1:42:50mix things around
1:42:53with raising the rent every day living
1:42:56cost. I worry that I may need to work
1:43:00additional years rather than retire as
1:43:03planned.
1:43:05I am concerned that a modest pension and
1:43:11social security income may not be enough
1:43:13to cover my housing and the other and
1:43:16necessary expense. I'm trying to push
1:43:19for all of us the 260 rent control
1:43:22program. Thanks to Jake over there. I'm
1:43:25glad you're here tonight because I feel
1:43:26a lot better.
1:43:29My health adds to these concern
1:43:32for more than 7 to 10 years I've been
1:43:36suffering with chronic pain has it has
1:43:38become more
1:43:40um worse. I just finished
1:43:43>> I just finished having
1:43:44>> Thank you. Your time is upon speakers.
1:43:51>> Thank you, Johnson.
1:43:55Next speaker 5.36 Daniel
1:44:03uh first off I am disappointed that
1:44:06ordinance 26-089
1:44:09was not introduced tonight. Please
1:44:11introduce it on November 12th. I stand
1:44:14with the tenants of Newport. That being
1:44:17said, two weeks ago, I asked this
1:44:18council to consider removing the
1:44:20exemption provision in section 218-1D of
1:44:23the Jersey City Code of Ordinances,
1:44:24which allows landlord landlords of large
1:44:27residential buildings to apply for
1:44:29exemptions from the requirement to
1:44:30provide uniform security personnel. And
1:44:32tonight, I want to follow up on that
1:44:35request using the Korean War Memorial at
1:44:37the end of Washington Street as an
1:44:39example of why I believe this provision
1:44:41needs to be reconsidered. Since November
1:44:432025, I've submitted 283
1:44:47CC click fix tickets concerning the
1:44:49Korean War Memorial. Nearly every night,
1:44:51I go outside, usually around 10 p.m. or
1:44:53so, and find the entrance still open to
1:44:55vehicular traffic. I take a photograph,
1:44:57submit another report in cicklic fix,
1:44:59and the following night, the same
1:45:00problem is there. Now, Ordinance 07-153,
1:45:04adopted in 2007, requires that the
1:45:06vehicular access lane on the westerly
1:45:08side of former Washington Street be
1:45:10closed and changed between 8:00 p.m. and
1:45:128 a.m. each day by Portide Tower
1:45:14Corporation security personnel. Yet,
1:45:16Portide Towers does not have the uniform
1:45:18security personnel contemplated by the
1:45:20ordinance, and the entrance continues to
1:45:22be left open. Which brings me back to
1:45:24chapter 218. Section 218-1A of the
1:45:28Jersey City Code of Ordinances requires
1:45:30residential buildings with 100 or more
1:45:32units to have at least one uniform
1:45:33security guard per building 24 hours a
1:45:35day, 7 days a week. But section 218-1D
1:45:39allows landlords to apply for exemptions
1:45:41from that requirement. So, I'm asking
1:45:43this council to again consider removing
1:45:46that exemption provision. And the Korean
1:45:48War Memorial illustrates why this
1:45:50matters. When the city adopted ordinance
1:45:5307-153,
1:45:55it assigned a specific responsibility to
1:45:57port side security personnel. And nearly
1:45:5920 years later, residents are still
1:46:02documenting that this responsibility is
1:46:04not being fulfilled. And it's not just
1:46:05about the Korean War Memorial. Uniform
1:46:08security personnel have responsibilities
1:46:10relating to the safety and security of
1:46:12residents, their guests, and the
1:46:14surrounding property. So tonight, I am
1:46:16making two requests. First, I am asking
1:46:19this council to review section 218-1D
1:46:22and consider introducing an amendment
1:46:24removing the exemption provision.
1:46:27Second, please introduce ordinance
1:46:3126-089
1:46:33on November 12th for Newport and for
1:46:35every tenant in this city. Thank you for
1:46:38your time.
1:46:41Our
1:46:44next speaker, 5.37, Gabrielle.
1:46:52>> Good evening, council. I'm Gabrielle
1:46:54Wise. I've gratefully been in the
1:46:56Newport Moderate Income Program for
1:46:59nearly 15 years now. When I first got
1:47:01into the program after a period of some
1:47:04personal tribulation, I thought I had
1:47:06hit the proverbial jackpot
1:47:10uh to land the affordable home, the safe
1:47:12harbor to restore and keep me.
1:47:16Newport has an uncommon serenity and
1:47:19living steps away from the mighty Hudson
1:47:22River and uh the stunning waterfront
1:47:25walkway with the picturesque seascape
1:47:29plus the large s of amenities and all
1:47:31the other wonderful things the area
1:47:33offers are blessings that those of us
1:47:37who don't fall into the wealthy income
1:47:40brack bracket have a right to as well.
1:47:45In this wildly transient Newport area,
1:47:49where many of the buildings serve as
1:47:51obscenely high-priced corporate
1:47:53dormitories
1:47:55for those with limited visas to work in
1:47:58the surrounding conglomerates
1:48:00who often sparingly
1:48:03or sometimes, as I have seen, not at
1:48:05all, furnish their places with pieces
1:48:08from IKEA
1:48:11or other such Spartan objects so easy to
1:48:14part with because they don't expect to
1:48:16stay for long.
1:48:18I see the moderate income community,
1:48:21people who have called this place home
1:48:23for decades, raise families, lovingly
1:48:26furnish their apartments with objects of
1:48:28aesthetic pleasure and sentimental
1:48:31meaning. as an invaluable group and
1:48:35perhaps the main one that adds a sense
1:48:38of roots and warm familiarity and
1:48:40character to the neighborhood.
1:48:44And now in typical brutal casualness,
1:48:48the moderate income program has been put
1:48:50on the chopping block.
1:48:53The shock and devastation of which I and
1:48:56I'm sure many of my fellow tenants have
1:48:58yet to recover from in process.
1:49:01For those who conveniently need to cling
1:49:03to the illusion that displacing the over
1:49:06200 of us in this program is a mere
1:49:09inconvenience for us, know that such an
1:49:13act is catastrophic and potentially life
1:49:16stealing for us on many levels. It could
1:49:21be a wrecking ball to the good life as
1:49:24we've known it. In an age where many of
1:49:27us live paycheck to paycheck with
1:49:30dwindling savings because of the
1:49:32exorbitant costs of just about
1:49:34everything, financing a move can be an
1:49:38impossibility.
1:49:40To name one of so many hardships the
1:49:42death of the moderate income program
1:49:44would inflict on us. to name another
1:49:48hardship of many. For those of us who
1:49:50have enjoyed the dignity of being able
1:49:52to live affordably in our own
1:49:54apartments,
1:49:55>> your time is up.
1:49:56>> Oh, okay. All right.
1:50:02>> Next speaker 5.38, Sylvia.
1:50:09>> Good evening. Uh my name is Sylvia Louu.
1:50:11As you know, I I'm a resident in Borsai
1:50:15Tower and I am standing today again and
1:50:20again and again since the last four
1:50:23years and I want to second my fellow Dan
1:50:27about the security. Uh we don't have we
1:50:30are currently living in a apartment or a
1:50:34building virtually abandoned by
1:50:37management. We when it come to basic
1:50:40safety or oversee we currently not have
1:50:44uniform security personnel neither uh
1:50:48superintendent in inside on site even
1:50:52without the two essential safety um just
1:50:56notice only inconvenient it has created
1:51:00really um atmosphere of insecurity that
1:51:04impact our daily life without the
1:51:07visible security Present our building
1:51:09has become vulnerable. We have in
1:51:12invited individuals freely wandering or
1:51:16our in on our hallways and entering
1:51:20secure doors that are frequently broken
1:51:24or propet open. residents, especially
1:51:28those who live alone like me, elderly
1:51:30neighborhood like me, and parents with
1:51:33young childrens are walking into their
1:51:36building um feeling anxious and unsafe
1:51:40returning home late or dark at 400 p.m.
1:51:44that is coming. Erh no it's not uh
1:51:48comfortable that we need to look in our
1:51:51shoulders before to unlock our own door
1:51:56compounding the security vacuum is
1:51:58totally absent of knowledge where is the
1:52:01leave in the livein superintendent
1:52:05when a door lock break lighting or a
1:52:08stairwells or any other fault
1:52:12happens when the fire exit is jammed
1:52:15there is no one, no one that to fix it
1:52:18except 9 to5. But physically, we are
1:52:23only communicated with an artificial
1:52:26intelligent
1:52:28scoring our urgency in our calls.
1:52:31Physical security depends of proper
1:52:34maintenance.
1:52:35Right now a small maintenance issue
1:52:38quickly escalated into sever severe
1:52:41safety hazard because there is no
1:52:43superintendent on duty to me the
1:52:46property integrity is 20 seconds out and
1:52:50I asking again and again and again.
1:52:53Please review our ordinance and don't
1:52:58allow the exception. Thank you.
1:53:04Our
1:53:07next speaker 5.39 Sarah
1:53:16um I guess I want to ask you all to this
1:53:18is my mother Glattis Herrera. We're both
1:53:20tenants at Newport. Um I want to ask you
1:53:23all to consider the impact of permanent
1:53:27um exemptions from rent control for
1:53:29buildings and redevelopment zones. um
1:53:32that the consequences of that is a
1:53:34long-term permanent real disconnection
1:53:37of those developed communities from the
1:53:40heart of Jersey City. Uh
1:53:44the um it turns like the investments
1:53:47that we Jersey City need gets from
1:53:49developers into a form of extraction
1:53:52from the heart and vitality of Jersey
1:53:55City. Uh developers get decades to make
1:53:59their money, right? They love they
1:54:01compete with one another and the rents
1:54:03escalate wildly and they sell they make
1:54:05they do what they can to make their
1:54:06money and at some point for most of
1:54:09Jersey City
1:54:11uh the city council wisely decides let's
1:54:14pump the brakes a little and keep you
1:54:17connected in some way to the rest of the
1:54:19community by putting some control over
1:54:22the rate of increase of the rents. But
1:54:25for these developers in these
1:54:26redevelopment zones decided in an
1:54:28extremely different economy of the
1:54:31post70s
1:54:33and Jersey City's desperation for
1:54:35development, right, undervaluing its
1:54:39amazing resource that it is actually to
1:54:42developers,
1:54:44right? um they're allowed to just
1:54:47continue this escalation of rents in the
1:54:50real development zones wildly inflating
1:54:52and creating a a false market rate,
1:54:55right? And that's the market rate that
1:54:57they have told all of us that they're
1:54:59going to try to like they're
1:55:01celebrating. Hey, now you're all market
1:55:03rate. Ideally, they would love us to
1:55:05leave. Go up to that market rate
1:55:07immediately. My mother's apartment, the
1:55:10equivalent one in her building is 129%
1:55:13higher rent per month. 139, sorry. Mine
1:55:17is 117%
1:55:19for the same apartment in my building. A
1:55:22rate increase. That's market rate. That
1:55:24market rate isn't even connected with
1:55:26the heart of Jersey City that it has a
1:55:29tremendous impact. So, it turns like a,
1:55:33you know, Jersey City is like a a mine
1:55:35for developers, right? They put in some
1:55:38risk, they build some stuff. We're
1:55:40giving away a lot. We end up allowing
1:55:42them to strip mine us um in exchange.
1:55:47Um we moved in in 1988.
1:55:50I My mom still has the piece of paper,
1:55:52the ad that she cut out of the paper
1:55:55that I carried with me when we came to
1:55:58Newport when there were four buildings
1:56:00and no Washington Boulevard even going
1:56:02through. It transformed our lives.
1:56:06She a postal worker who is now retired
1:56:09was able to provide a home for her
1:56:12teenage daughter. I went on to
1:56:13>> Thank you.
1:56:14>> Thank you all.
1:56:21>> Our next speaker 5.40 Nitpia.
1:56:31We have our next speaker.
1:56:365.40.
1:56:41It's coming.
1:56:48>> Good evening everyone. Um, good evening
1:56:51ladies men and
1:56:53>> bring the microphone a little closer
1:56:54please. Thank you.
1:56:56>> Is this better? Okay, great. Good
1:56:58evening ladies and gentlemen and members
1:57:00of the city council. My name is Niv.
1:57:03Thank you for giving me an opportunity
1:57:05to raise a concern about pedestrian
1:57:08safety along the stretch of road between
1:57:12General Nathan Neil Green Park and the
1:57:14Portside West building and the areas
1:57:17surrounding the Korean War Memorial.
1:57:20This stretch is relatively isolated and
1:57:24dimly lit and in certain sections the
1:57:27tree canopy further obstructs
1:57:29visibility. As someone who walks along
1:57:32this route both during the early hours
1:57:34of the morning and in the evenings after
1:57:37dark, I often feel unsafe. Whether I am
1:57:41taking a casual stroll or simply
1:57:44commuting to work, the lack of
1:57:46visibility and the isolated surroundings
1:57:49are a genuine concern. I understand that
1:57:53this is a public road and I appreciate
1:57:56that managing security in such areas
1:57:59requires coordination and resources.
1:58:02However, I believe that the presence of
1:58:05uniform security personnel at portside
1:58:08towers could make a meaningful
1:58:10difference. Their visible presence could
1:58:13deter potential wrongdoing, provide
1:58:17reassurance to pedestrians, and help
1:58:19people feel safer using this route.
1:58:23Ultimately, public spaces should be
1:58:26accessible, not only in principle, but
1:58:28also in a way that allows residents and
1:58:31commuters to use them with confidence
1:58:33and peace of mind.
1:58:35I hope the council will give this uh
1:58:38concern due consideration and strike
1:58:41paragraph D from section 218-1
1:58:44to make areas surrounding the port side
1:58:47west building safer for everyone. I also
1:58:51want to support the Newport tenants who
1:58:53are asking for help. Kindly take action
1:58:56to repeal the redevelopment zone
1:58:58exemption. Thank you for your time and
1:59:01attent and attention.
1:59:03Our
1:59:06next speaker 5.441
1:59:09Aniha
1:59:155.41.
1:59:16>> Okay, that's me.
1:59:19Distinguished public servants, my name
1:59:22is Anna E. Galante.
1:59:26I am 71 years old. I moved to the Thomas
1:59:31Jefferson building 30 years ago with a
1:59:36broken heart and financially broke.
1:59:42The middle income rental program was
1:59:45something that I barely could afford,
1:59:48but by the grace of God, the paperwork I
1:59:52presented showed that I qualified.
1:59:57Living at 30 Newport with a secure roof
2:00:01over my head helped me accomplish a few
2:00:06important things in my life. At the age
2:00:09of 56, I graduated with my American
2:00:13bachelor's degree. Affordable housing
2:00:17anchored me. At the age of 60, I
2:00:21graduated from NYU with my master's in
2:00:24social work.
2:00:27And six years later, And six years
2:00:30later, I received my master's in
2:00:33divinity and I was ordained a priest in
2:00:36the Episcopal Church.
2:00:39Affordable housing allowed me to meet my
2:00:43destiny and affordable housing has
2:00:47allowed me to care for all others.
2:00:51Without affordable housing, my
2:00:54professional and vocational life will be
2:00:58completely disrupted and probably
2:01:01destroyed. At my age, I cannot start all
2:01:05over.
2:01:08We the people have kept New York Newport
2:01:12alive for all these years. We the people
2:01:17supported local visitors, contributed to
2:01:21the data of New Jersey Transit Services,
2:01:25and our statistics helped Newport become
2:01:29what Newport is today.
2:01:33We the people brought care and support
2:01:36to the buildings staff, particularly
2:01:40when management treat them unfairly.
2:01:44We the people have added colors, sounds,
2:01:49diversity and humanity to the caloscope
2:01:53of the human story of survival and
2:01:57resilience despite differences.
2:02:00We are it. This is about our lives and
2:02:05what make us all be one. I am appealing
2:02:10to your hearts, your conscience and to
2:02:13the dignity still breaming within you to
2:02:18do the right thing. I am speaking up in
2:02:23support of expanding it.
2:02:24>> Thank you.
2:02:29>> Our next speaker 5.42 David
2:02:43Good evening, Council President Ridley,
2:02:46members of the council.
2:02:50I'm here tonight to speak about the
2:02:52ordinance that has not moved forward,
2:02:54ordinance 26-89.
2:02:58Um,
2:02:59and so I'd like to ask you to complete
2:03:03the work that the council began several
2:03:05years ago. I'm going to take us through
2:03:07a little history here.
2:03:10In 2019, the city's own administration
2:03:13proposed repealing the rent control
2:03:16exemption for New uh that would address
2:03:19Newport. In ordinance 19-128,
2:03:23it came from the business
2:03:24administration. and it went to the
2:03:26council
2:03:28in 2019. The council voted 7 to1 to
2:03:32start this exact repeal and the council
2:03:35president and council member Lavaro were
2:03:38among the seven who voted yes.
2:03:41It was tabled in January 2020 and it
2:03:45never came back.
2:03:48No record that we have found explains
2:03:50why the appeals uh the repeal stopped.
2:03:53It simply stopped.
2:03:55And in the seven years since, Newport's
2:03:58tenants have signed renewal after
2:04:00renewal without any relief.
2:04:04Ordinance 26-089
2:04:07would finish that work. And a first
2:04:10reading is how a council gets its
2:04:12questions answered. The council
2:04:14president mentioned back said back in
2:04:16January that a first on a first reading
2:04:21your vote is not the final vote. This
2:04:24was starts the process
2:04:26on September 23rd. The administration
2:04:29asked this council to pass a first
2:04:32reading of its own ordinance so that in
2:04:34the words of the council at the time,
2:04:37corporation council Sarah Lavine, we can
2:04:40continue the conversation, get you the
2:04:43information you're looking for.
2:04:47So, please introduce this ordinance
2:04:5026-089
2:04:52on November 12th. and so the the work
2:04:56that started in 2019 can be finished.
2:05:00Thank you.
2:05:06>> Our next speaker 5.43 Nelson.
2:05:11>> Yes. Hello. On November 25, 2025,
2:05:16ordinance one or ordinance 25126
2:05:20was a proposal by LERA which
2:05:22unfortunately was defeated by the
2:05:24council from the last administration.
2:05:26There were 160 units accumulatively
2:05:30altogether for those four buildings.
2:05:32That is 271 units. This represents my
2:05:37unit.
2:05:38That's unit 501.
2:05:41This represents the person in that unit.
2:05:43My name is Nelson Morales III. What we
2:05:47have to do is humanize these people
2:05:48because when people sign off, they
2:05:50really don't care about whom is
2:05:52impacted. You guys had made a cause and
2:05:56this is directly the effect. 260 is put
2:06:01in place so that we can end up making
2:06:03sure that there's amend to that
2:06:05redevelopment and we can get rent
2:06:07control into the city. We need something
2:06:09in order to make sure that other people
2:06:12that are the faces to these units such
2:06:15as Barbara, such as Sarah, such as so
2:06:19many other people, Eileene,
2:06:21Unique, all these other individuals who
2:06:23I really care for such as Mr. Smith from
2:06:26my who is my fellow coworker who is the
2:06:30one that got me into Newport. I'm
2:06:32connected to these people. This is not a
2:06:34game. This is not machine politics. I
2:06:37work in proximity to politicians, but I
2:06:39would rather take the Catis approach to
2:06:41local governance and have some sort of
2:06:43empathy. The way how Mr. Efforts and the
2:06:46efforts on Miss Little and as well as
2:06:48Miss Brooks has come in here and know as
2:06:51tenants because they are that what we
2:06:53are doing right now is something that
2:06:55can help all people in Jersey City, not
2:06:57just Newport. But that being said, 70%
2:07:01of this city are renters. The vast
2:07:04majority of people on that council do
2:07:07not rent. Last week when they were told
2:07:09people to stand up in solidarity with
2:07:11us, only a few were renters. And that
2:07:13that put a scratch in my head cuz I'm a
2:07:15public servant. I only make 54,000,
2:07:17right? I can't even buy a house. I'm
2:07:21lucky that I'm right now in Newport and
2:07:24now my living situation is compromised.
2:07:27But not only me cuz I'm very robust and
2:07:29I can make things happen. As a Chilltown
2:07:32Jersey City representative pre and post
2:07:34911, we stand firm and strong and in
2:07:36solidarity. But there are others that
2:07:39are the elderly. There are those that
2:07:41could not be present because they have
2:07:42walkers and wheelchairs and breathing
2:07:44apparatuses. And we are the voice of
2:07:47those people.
2:07:52>> I mean, there's no chill town without a
2:07:54Iceman, right? Jersey City is now on the
2:07:57rise and said to be something that could
2:07:59be a presence even across the water to
2:08:00New York. And just the audaciousness of
2:08:02these buildings is the way we are
2:08:04standing in unification for what we
2:08:06want, which is to help the residents of
2:08:08Newport make sure they stay in their
2:08:10units. I love you guys.
2:08:23Our next speaker 5.4 44. Barbara,
2:08:27>> that's going to be a hard act to follow.
2:08:31Oh, Newport.
2:08:32Good evening, city council. I'm here
2:08:34tonight to urge you to strike paragraph
2:08:37D from municipal code section 218-1
2:08:42to remove the exemption from the uniform
2:08:44security requirement.
2:08:47I chose to retire to Jersey City because
2:08:50it's a great location with so much late
2:08:53night fun. It's a virtual United Nations
2:08:57of affordable restaurants from Italian
2:09:01to Bangladeshi
2:09:03to African to Mexican and so much more.
2:09:08There's great free music and night spots
2:09:11like Moore's Place and Bright Side
2:09:13Tavern and many more gems across New
2:09:17York Jersey City.
2:09:19It's wonderful to know that enjoying
2:09:21these nighttime adventures means
2:09:23supporting the local economy.
2:09:26That to me is a bonus. I like to know
2:09:29I'm supporting my community.
2:09:32But in order to enjoy these nighttime
2:09:34adventures, I would end up coming home
2:09:37in the dark.
2:09:39And without uniform security in place in
2:09:42the building I now call home, I don't
2:09:45feel safe coming home in the dark. I
2:09:48live alone. I am a small person with an
2:09:51even smaller voice.
2:09:53And I am not a black belt in karate.
2:09:57Jersey City has so much to offer to
2:09:59residents of all ages.
2:10:01who want to support their local
2:10:03restaurants and night spots, but that's
2:10:06only if those residents can head out to
2:10:09enjoy the fun with the feeling that
2:10:11they'll be safe coming home in the dark.
2:10:16City council, please strike paragraph D
2:10:19for municipal code section 218-1
2:10:24to remove any possibility of an
2:10:26exemption from the uniform security
2:10:29requirement. Thank you.
2:10:35>> Our next speaker 5.45 Suvi.
2:10:43>> Good evening uh members of the council.
2:10:46My name is Sui Huikuri and I'm a
2:10:48resident of uh Portide Towers and I also
2:10:50stand with the Newport.
2:10:53Over the past months, property
2:10:55management has responded to resident
2:10:57concerns primarily by expanding
2:10:59surveillance.
2:11:00We now have dozens of security cameras
2:11:03monitoring hallways, courtyards, and
2:11:05entryways with even more added recently.
2:11:08While we understand that the intent
2:11:10there is a fundamental flaw in the
2:11:12relying of technology alone, cameras
2:11:14only document harm. They cannot prevent
2:11:17it. A lens cannot deescalate a heated
2:11:20argument. It cannot walk a nervous
2:11:23neighbor to their door. When an
2:11:25emergency happens, a camera simply
2:11:27records the incident in high definition.
2:11:30And for the residents facing a threat in
2:11:32real time, fage uh after the fact is not
2:11:34protection. It is called comfort. What
2:11:38our community actually needs is an
2:11:39active human presence. We need dedicated
2:11:43uniformed security personnel on site.
2:11:47Uninformed personnel provide immediate
2:11:49deterrence that no passive camera can
2:11:52match. More importantly, they offer
2:11:54real-time response. When a disturbance
2:11:57occurs, a trained security officer can
2:11:59intervene immediately, assist residents
2:12:01in distress, and coordinate directly
2:12:03with local emergency services.
2:12:06True public safety is not a passive. It
2:12:08is proactive. It requires people who are
2:12:11not empowered to act in the moment, not
2:12:14just hard drive storing footage after
2:12:16damage is done. I urge the council to
2:12:19recognize the limitation of unmonitored
2:12:22surveillance and push property
2:12:24operations to invest in the human
2:12:25resources necessary to keep portite
2:12:28towers residents genuinely safe. Thank
2:12:30you.
2:12:37>> Next speaker 5.46 46. Joy.
2:12:44>> Good evening, Jersey City Council. My
2:12:46name is Joy Wilson and I am a 38-year
2:12:49resident of Newport Housing under the
2:12:51moderate income program. I'd like to
2:12:54just share a little bit about my
2:12:55personal story to explain why this issue
2:12:57means so much to me. I moved to Jersey
2:13:00City in 1988 when Newport consisted of
2:13:04four buildings, a few businesses, the
2:13:06management office, and the cable company
2:13:08operated out of trailers along what is
2:13:11now our beautiful redesigned waterfront.
2:13:13As a single parent, this program gave me
2:13:16the opportunity to raise my son in an
2:13:18environment where I felt comfortable and
2:13:20safe. It gave me peace of mind knowing
2:13:22that we lived in a community where
2:13:24people knew us, looked out for one
2:13:26another, and cared about our children. I
2:13:28felt reassured knowing that there were
2:13:30people around us who knew my son and
2:13:32would look out for him. That is what
2:13:33makes a community. It is not just the
2:13:36buildings we live in. It is the
2:13:38relationships we build, the memories we
2:13:39share, and the sense of belonging we
2:13:41developed over the years. Many of us
2:13:43have lived here for more than 20, 30
2:13:45years. We have watched Newport grow and
2:13:48we have invested in this community, not
2:13:49only financially, but personally. I
2:13:52worked with then councilman, now mayor
2:13:54James Solomon to advocate for speed
2:13:56bumps on the Newport Parkway to help our
2:13:58children feel safe when crossing the
2:13:59street. My son had his first job at
2:14:02Morton Williams, our local grocery
2:14:04store, and spent countless summers
2:14:06working at Laura Derl's Pizzeria, where
2:14:09we developed a friendship with the
2:14:10owner, Lorraine. These are more than
2:14:12memories. These are examples of the comm
2:14:15connections that make a neighborhood
2:14:17feel like home.
2:14:19Newport has been home for my son for
2:14:22more than 38 years. I cannot say how
2:14:24different his life might have been had
2:14:26we lived somewhere else in Jersey City.
2:14:28What I can say is that this community
2:14:29gave us stability, security, and a place
2:14:32we could proudly call home. This is
2:14:34something I'll never take for granted
2:14:36and is one of the reasons I start I
2:14:38stand here today. I want to thank
2:14:41Councilman Elena and Jake for being
2:14:43boots on the ground for us from day one
2:14:47and standing with our community since
2:14:49our first meeting.
2:14:52However, it's going to take more than
2:14:54just you two
2:14:57to get this audience 26 passed. It will
2:15:00require the support of every member on
2:15:02this council. I respectfully ask each of
2:15:05you to take a close look at our petition
2:15:07and truly consider what is at stake. We
2:15:09are more than a tax abatement order
2:15:11audience. We are people. We are
2:15:13families. We are seniors. We are
2:15:14retirees, working residents, and
2:15:16long-term tenants who have built our
2:15:18lives here. The possibility of losing
2:15:21our homes, of being forced to pay market
2:15:23rents with little notice threatens the
2:15:25stability we have worked so hard to
2:15:26maintain. For many of us, this is about
2:15:30far more than housing. It's about our
2:15:31livelihood, our security, and our
2:15:34future. We have invested our lives in
2:15:36this community. Living in a
2:15:38redevelopment zone should not mean
2:15:40having fewer rights. Redevelopment
2:15:43should benefit the people of Jersey
2:15:44City, not leave them vulnerable for
2:15:46displacement.
2:15:47>> Thank you.
2:15:52>> Next speaker.
2:15:545.47 47 Brendan.
2:16:05>> Good evening. Good evening, council.
2:16:07Brendan Coglin, um member of Port Side,
2:16:10in case you forgot, I have not moved in
2:16:12the last 3 years. Still, ordinance
2:16:1426-089
2:16:16did not move forward tonight. I'd like
2:16:18to explain why moving it forward helps
2:16:20everyone including the members who still
2:16:22have questions and concerns. I I'm here
2:16:25with the Newport tenants at today at
2:16:27Monday's caucus members asked for the
2:16:29law department's memo the
2:16:31administration's numbers and headex view
2:16:34fair questions. Every question asked at
2:16:37Monday's con caucus can be answered
2:16:39before November 12th. A first reading is
2:16:42how they get answered. It's the first of
2:16:45two votes. It sets up a public hearing.
2:16:48Gives the law department administration
2:16:49time to report and leaves room for
2:16:53meeting with the tenants themselves at
2:16:55the second reading. State law requires a
2:16:57public hearing before any votes. Some
2:17:00have asked whether an owner might refuse
2:17:02to renew tenants to get ahead of the
2:17:04rent renewals and state law answers that
2:17:08question for us. No. Landlord may evict
2:17:11or fail to renew any lease of any
2:17:14premise on any pre covered by section
2:17:16two of this act for except for good
2:17:18cause. Waiting works against the
2:17:20tenants. Only three regular meetings are
2:17:23left this year, the 12th, the 25th, and
2:17:25the 9th. Each month of delay means more
2:17:28renewals signed without rent control,
2:17:30and each of those leases stand it for
2:17:32its full term. Please introduce it on
2:17:35the 12th so every answer can come
2:17:38forward before a final vote this year.
2:17:40Thank you.
2:17:46>> Next speaker 5.48 Cassandra.
2:17:50>> May we ask to switch a sevenyear-old who
2:17:54is going to be
2:17:55>> You have to be listed on the speaker
2:17:57list in order to speak.
2:17:58>> Thank you very much.
2:18:00>> Welcome. She is listed, but she's listed
2:18:02much later in the
2:18:04>> That's the council president's call. I
2:18:05don't I don't That's not my call.
2:18:08>> Council president.
2:18:09>> Yes, she's on the list.
2:18:10>> We so appreciate you, sis.
2:18:18>> So before before she speaks, if you open
2:18:21up the cabinet, there's like a little
2:18:24booster
2:18:35Just make sure you help her up or help.
2:18:39>> So, she we're going to replace um we're
2:18:42going to replace Brooklyn with the
2:18:43person who's not here. The next person
2:18:45is Cassandra. She's ready to go.
2:18:47>> Okay.
2:18:48>> Thank you kindly.
2:18:52>> So,
2:18:55>> good evening. My name is Cassandra
2:18:57Riches and for 30 years, Newport has
2:18:59been my home. I came here from my
2:19:01parents' home in the Bronx. This is my
2:19:02first home of my own. I raised my son
2:19:05here. He attended St. Peters Prep and
2:19:07graduated from NGIT. But before the
2:19:10diplomas, before the accomplishments, he
2:19:11was simply a little boy
2:19:14growing up in the neighborhood where we
2:19:16believed would always be home. When he
2:19:18learned we might lose that home, he was
2:19:19devastated. And I ask you tonight to
2:19:21understand why. For 30 years, I have
2:19:23paid my rent, care for my home, built
2:19:25relationships, and contributed to the
2:19:27community. Newport may have been built
2:19:29by developers, but it was made a
2:19:31community by people like us. And now,
2:19:33after three decades, we face the
2:19:35possibility of being priced out of the
2:19:36very community we helped build. I
2:19:39understand that agreements expire. I
2:19:41understand that decisions have financial
2:19:43implications, but an agreement can
2:19:45expire on paper without the lives built
2:19:47around it becoming disposable. An
2:19:49expiration date does not increase a
2:19:51senior's pension. It does not increase a
2:19:54family's paycheck. And it certainly does
2:19:56not create affordable housing for those
2:19:57who may be forced to leave. We are not
2:20:00asking for charity. We are asking for
2:20:02consideration, accountability, and a
2:20:04meaningful path forward. What what
2:20:06happens after a courtesy renewal
2:20:08expires? What happens to the senior who
2:20:10cannot afford market rent? What happens
2:20:12to families who have nowhere else to go?
2:20:14These are not hypothetical questions.
2:20:16These are these are people's lives. I
2:20:18respectfully ask the council to work
2:20:20with the appropriate agencies and
2:20:22property owners to secure lasting and
2:20:24force affordability protections in a
2:20:26clear plan before pam families are
2:20:28displaced before housing stability is
2:20:31not simply about having a roof over your
2:20:33head. It is about dignity, security, and
2:20:35the peace of knowing that tomorrow you
2:20:37will still have a place to call to call
2:20:39home. When this meeting ends tonight,
2:20:41each of you will leave this room and
2:20:42return to your homes. I ask you to think
2:20:45think about what that means. The comfort
2:20:46of turning your key in your own door,
2:20:48knowing you belong there. That is all I
2:20:51want. To grow or o older with dignity in
2:20:53the community where I raised my son and
2:20:55where I have spent 30 years building a
2:20:57life. Please don't let the expiration of
2:20:59an agreement become the exploration of
2:21:02our place in this community. Thank you.
2:21:12So the young person that's coming up
2:21:17Oh,
2:21:19all right. 5.49 mark.
2:21:25First, I want to thank councilors Little
2:21:27and Afro for their efforts on 089. We
2:21:30didn't see it today, but hopefully we
2:21:31will. Now, the story.
2:21:3540 odd years ago, the Jersey City
2:21:37waterfront had plenty of only two
2:21:39things. Abandoned rail yards and tumble
2:21:42weeds and drunks looking for a path
2:21:43station. Back then, establishing
2:21:46redevelopment zones was a reasonable
2:21:48life raft. We needed statebacked
2:21:50incentives, custom zoning, and tax
2:21:53shields to convince developers that
2:21:55building along the Hudson River was not
2:21:57an act of financial insanity.
2:22:01When we look towards the Hudson these
2:22:02days, those life rafts have turned into
2:22:04super yachts.
2:22:06Our waterfront now commands Manhattan
2:22:09rents, Manhattan Pride, and let's be
2:22:11honest, Manhattan martini prices. Yet
2:22:14somehow, decades later, we're still
2:22:16treating the most lucrative stretch of
2:22:18real estate as if it were a fragile
2:22:21brownfield in urgent need of an
2:22:23emergency rescue package. It's time to
2:22:26state the obvious. The waterfront is
2:22:28redeveloped. The mission was
2:22:30accomplished years ago. So, what should
2:22:32you as a council do about it? First,
2:22:36effective immediately, no new waterfront
2:22:38building should receive redevelopment
2:22:40benefits. Future projects should follow
2:22:42ordinary zoning rules. Developers can
2:22:44still build luxury towers. They just
2:22:47shouldn't need the extra special welcome
2:22:49map rolled out by city hall.
2:22:52Second, sunset our oldest reelterfront
2:22:55redevelopment plans within the year and
2:22:57fold them back into the standard land
2:22:59development ordinances. Borders and
2:23:02owners had decades to redevelop. Surely
2:23:04by now they've succeeded. Making this
2:23:07change may cause some zoning issues, but
2:23:09nothing the city cannot overcome. But
2:23:12you must expect outrage from the
2:23:14landlords.
2:23:15Third, other existing waterfront rental
2:23:18buildings should become subject to rent
2:23:20control 30 years after their cos were
2:23:22issued. 30 years gave developers three
2:23:25decades to make their investment work.
2:23:27That's a generous runway. If they
2:23:30haven't made money in that time, perhaps
2:23:32they should consider a different line of
2:23:34work. Developers
2:23:39promised that if we gave them
2:23:41multi-deade shields, they'd build
2:23:43worldclass housing. We held up our end
2:23:45of the deal. Now those 30 years are up.
2:23:48Landlords should not get a forever pass
2:23:50on municipal rent control while legacy
2:23:53residents pay the bill. It's time to
2:23:56take the training wheels off the
2:23:57waterfront, protect our long-term
2:23:59renters, and bring our housing policy
2:24:01back under standard city oversight.
2:24:04Thank you.
2:24:12Do we have the the number that she's
2:24:15listed as?
2:24:16>> 78. I believe it's 78.
2:24:19>> Brooklyn.
2:24:20>> Brooklyn. Oliver.
2:24:23>> Okay. Floor is yours.
2:24:27>> Good evening, council members and
2:24:30neighbors. My name is Brooklyn Oliver
2:24:34and I'm 7 years old. I want to live here
2:24:38because I was born and raised here and I
2:24:40love living here. This is our home. We
2:24:44all love being here. That's why we are
2:24:47here today.
2:24:50To save our home and stay in the
2:24:53community we love so much. When I grow
2:24:56up, I want to represent and make our
2:25:00community a better place for everyone.
2:25:08Please help us stay in Newport. I may be
2:25:12little, but this is my home, too. I
2:25:16deserve a chance to grow up here and one
2:25:20day
2:25:22be I
2:25:26able to give back to my amazing
2:25:29community. Thank you for listening. I
2:25:32love my community.
2:25:42>> Good job.
2:25:44Yes.
2:25:45>> Well, I just want to say something to
2:25:48Brooklyn. Um, that was amazing. 7 years
2:25:51old. You should be very proud of
2:25:52yourself coming up here and speaking in
2:25:55front of a lot of people. That's not an
2:25:56easy thing to do. I'm going to be
2:25:58retiring in four years. So, you can
2:26:00definitely apply for the job hopefully
2:26:02when you get old enough to do so.
2:26:05You could if you want to start now book
2:26:07in 10
2:26:13Clint.
2:26:18>> All right. Our next speaker 550 Lawrence
2:26:24>> left. Oh, okay.
2:26:29I didn't know. Um 5.51 redneck.
2:26:34Okay, Ranada. Thank you.
2:26:385.52 Jeremiah.
2:26:4691 speakers and I have to go after
2:26:48Brooklyn.
2:26:50>> Nice job, Brooklyn.
2:26:52>> I feel you.
2:26:56>> Good evening, council members. Uh, my
2:26:58name is Jerry Coggins and I live at 40
2:27:00Newport Parkway. In the interest of
2:27:02protecting renters and promoting
2:27:04diversity in all of our neighborhoods,
2:27:06I'm asking you when the time comes to
2:27:07move to end the exemption from rent
2:27:10control buildings and redevelopment
2:27:12zones. A month ago, the first wave of
2:27:14residents of the moderate income program
2:27:16in Newport, including my partner's
2:27:18mother, Glattis, who you've actually
2:27:19already met, um, who first moved to
2:27:22Newport 38 years ago, received notice
2:27:25that the program was ending and the
2:27:26apartments could now be rented at market
2:27:28rate from Boston. Sorry. The I heard it.
2:27:32The notice the notice mentioned a
2:27:34one-year courtesy rate, but not much
2:27:37more. The letter was very unsettling.
2:27:40Imagine a senior on a fixed income
2:27:42receiving this message. It might as well
2:27:44have said start packing. We didn't know
2:27:47what courtesy meant or what uh an
2:27:50indefinite time meant. We know what
2:27:53market rate means and in our case that
2:27:55represents an increase of well over
2:27:57100%. It was only through the help of
2:28:00public officials that we got any numbers
2:28:02like the one the one-year courtesy rate.
2:28:05The latest communication sent to Senator
2:28:07Mukerji says Newport is committed to its
2:28:09long-term residents and will not apply
2:28:12an unconscionable increase. What does
2:28:15committed mean? Definition of
2:28:17unconscionable depends on several
2:28:19conditions. So there's nothing
2:28:20particularly reassuring or predictable
2:28:22about that.
2:28:24So there's just too much unknown and it
2:28:26leaves the people here with little
2:28:28leverage and a lot of insecurity.
2:28:30And it's more than just about our unique
2:28:32situation.
2:28:35Developers are not social workers in in
2:28:38general. They build to make money, not
2:28:39community. Market rate rents are
2:28:42extremely high in Newport and are
2:28:43untouchable for a large percentage of
2:28:45Jersey City residents. Without the
2:28:47protection of rent control, places like
2:28:49Newport will be affordable only to a
2:28:51select few. Jersey City is currently one
2:28:53of the most diverse cities in the
2:28:55country. Do we want homogeneous
2:28:57communities?
2:28:59One last note about the participants in
2:29:00the moderate income program. Thanks to a
2:29:02few catalysts, and you guys know who you
2:29:04are. We met as a group in light of the
2:29:06notice that was sent. Prior to this, I
2:29:09didn't know who was in the program. We
2:29:11don't introduce ourselves that way. But
2:29:13was I surprised by who was there? Not at
2:29:16all. These are the people I associate
2:29:18with Newport, the people I see most
2:29:20often and exchange greetings with. These
2:29:22are the folks who are friends with the
2:29:23building staff and who bring them and
2:29:26and panadas and pirania and pooada and
2:29:29pastes and coito.
2:29:31Sorry about my pronunciation. I can't
2:29:34speak for the staff, but I'm willing to
2:29:36bet they'd say the same. These are the
2:29:38people who don't just call Newport home,
2:29:40they make it a home for themselves and
2:29:42others. They're not transients, they're
2:29:44long-term nesters. Isn't that what we
2:29:46want for Jersey City?
2:29:48>> Thank you.
2:29:56>> I have to say I think you did a pretty
2:29:58good job following Brooklyn. Um 5.53
2:30:01Joel.
2:30:07>> Good evening, council. As a preliminary
2:30:10matter, I really do want to note that
2:30:12you passed resolution 26718 regarding
2:30:15the community mental health um crisis
2:30:18response. I deeply hope that this is a
2:30:21true step forward and not another false
2:30:23start. Justice for Drew.
2:30:26>> Justice for Drew.
2:30:28Um, ordinance 2689 did not move forward
2:30:32to tonight. Um, but I'm asking you to
2:30:34bring it back on November 12th. I'm here
2:30:36in support of the Newport tenants and
2:30:38for every tenant in Jersey City because
2:30:41this rule reaches far beyond Newport.
2:30:44The current exemption in section 260-1
2:30:47covers any new building of 25 or more
2:30:50apartments in any redevelopment area
2:30:52that has an approved plan. Jersey City
2:30:55has dozens of redevelopment areas. A
2:30:58city ordinance in 2018 listed 54 devel
2:31:02redevelopment plans.
2:31:06Under the current rule, any new tower in
2:31:09any redevelopment area in Jersey City
2:31:12can stay outside rent control forever.
2:31:17Think about the tenants who will move
2:31:19into those buildings 10 or 20 years from
2:31:21now or even now. And under this rule, as
2:31:25it is written today,
2:31:28there is no year when their protection
2:31:29begins.
2:31:31In January 2019, the Jersey City
2:31:34Municipal Council voted 0 to9 against an
2:31:38amendment re removing end dates from
2:31:41those 54 redevelopment plans. That vote
2:31:44kept those end dates in place.
2:31:48Newport Towers have stood for 38 and 39
2:31:51years. After that long, they should
2:31:54follow the same rules as older buildings
2:31:55around them. Ordinance 26089
2:31:58makes that true act across the whole
2:32:00city with one vote. Please introduce it
2:32:04on November 12th and adopt it before the
2:32:07end of the year. Thank you very much.
2:32:15Our next speaker 5.54 Claudia
2:32:22You here? No. Okay.
2:32:275.55. Joyce,
2:32:33is Joyce here?
2:32:36No.
2:32:38Thank you. 5.56. Michelle,
2:32:41is Joyce here? Okay.
2:32:47I will not mark her as did not speak.
2:32:51Hey Joyce, the floor is yours.
2:32:54>> Evening everyone. My name is Joyce of
2:32:57course and I've lived in Newport
2:33:0040 Newport for 18 years. Okay. Me and my
2:33:04daughter resided there. My daughter's
2:33:07here no longer. She
2:33:10died in 2022 of November with lupus.
2:33:13Right.
2:33:15But
2:33:16that is why I myself,
2:33:20it's like a memory to me to live in
2:33:22Newport. And I was able because she was
2:33:24disable to afford to live in Newport.
2:33:29And now that they're telling us that the
2:33:33Affordable Act is gone. All right. And I
2:33:37just don't know what I'm going to do
2:33:38right now. And I know a lot of us feel
2:33:40that way. I mean, for the rent to go up
2:33:43so high that we can't stay and we have
2:33:45to leave, I don't feel it's fair to
2:33:48anyone to have to go through this here
2:33:50and every day go home and wonder
2:33:53tomorrow if you're going to have some
2:33:54place to live. So, I'm just asking you
2:33:56all to consider, all right, what all of
2:33:59us are going through right now because
2:34:00we don't know what tomorrow holds, how
2:34:03we going to where we're going to live or
2:34:05are we going to be able to afford where
2:34:07we're living at now. And that's what I
2:34:09had to say. Thank you very much.
2:34:17>> Our next speaker 5.56 Michelle S
2:34:22you 5.57 Shannon.
2:34:29>> Good evening. I'm Shannon Ray. Um I am
2:34:32sorry that ordinance 26-089
2:34:35did not move forward tonight. I live at
2:34:37Portide Towers. I came tonight because
2:34:40the Newport tenants asked for our help.
2:34:43The Joyic's and the Brooklyn's and all
2:34:45of them that I'm now in love with. And
2:34:47because every tenant knows what it means
2:34:49to wait for that renewal letter.
2:34:53Rent control does one simple thing. It
2:34:57limits how much the rent can rise when a
2:34:59lease renews. It doesn't lower anyone's
2:35:02rent. It lets people plan.
2:35:06For a family, that means knowing your
2:35:08children can finish school in the same
2:35:10building. For a senior, it means staying
2:35:12in the home where you have lived for
2:35:14decades near the doctor and the
2:35:16neighbors that you know.
2:35:20A family simply should not have to plan
2:35:23life one lease at a time.
2:35:26When the rent can jump unpredictably and
2:35:29unfettered at every renewal, people make
2:35:31choices no family should have to make. a
2:35:34longer commute, a different school, or
2:35:36leaving a city they love. The Newport
2:35:39Towers hold, 1499 homes, including 271
2:35:43apartments that the state's housing
2:35:45finance agency lists as moderate income.
2:35:49Many of those families came to Newport
2:35:50under that program. LFRA says the
2:35:53program has ended. Rent control is the
2:35:56protection that remains.
2:35:59Tenants in older Jersey City buildings
2:36:01already have this. The Newport tenants
2:36:03are asking to be treated like their
2:36:05neighbors. Please introduce it on
2:36:07November 12th and give these families an
2:36:09answer before the year ends. Thank you.
2:36:17Our next speaker, 5.58, Susan.
2:36:21Thank you.
2:36:235.59 Grace.
2:36:28Yes. And 5.60, Jessica.
2:36:34Good evening, city council. My name is
2:36:36Jessica Bran. Um, I'm disappointed that
2:36:39ordinance 26-089 did not move forward
2:36:42tonight, but I do appreciate Councilman
2:36:44Ephesus and Councilwoman Little pushing
2:36:46forward and I hope that we will see it
2:36:48on November 12th.
2:36:51Just want to make a few remarks tonight
2:36:52on a couple of things. Um, some people
2:36:55worry that ending this exemption will
2:36:57slow down new construction. That's a
2:37:00fair question and the New Jersey and New
2:37:02Jersey answered it in 1987.
2:37:05Under state law, a developer building
2:37:07new rental apartments can claim a
2:37:09construction incentive. The owner files
2:37:12a written claim with the city's
2:37:14construction official at least 30 days
2:37:16before the certificate of occupancy is
2:37:18issued. Those apartments are then exempt
2:37:22from rent control, rent controls limits
2:37:24on increases for as long as the
2:37:27building's first mortgage. And I think
2:37:29we keep hearing 30 years. Just a note
2:37:31that that's up to 30 years. It's the
2:37:34length of the first mortgage up to 30
2:37:36years. It could be four years.
2:37:41The legislature even wrote down why so
2:37:43that rent control would quote uh quote
2:37:46would not deter the new construction.
2:37:48Ordinance 26089 keeps that state
2:37:51incentive for every new building. It
2:37:54ends the only the city's extra
2:37:57exemption. This one with no end date.
2:38:00The state already gives new buildings up
2:38:02to 30 years. Jersey City's exemption
2:38:06gives them forever.
2:38:09Think about what forever means. A tower
2:38:11finished this year in a redevelopment
2:38:13area could still be outside rent control
2:38:15in 2126.
2:38:18The Newport Towers were finished in 1987
2:38:20and 1988, and the question tonight is
2:38:23why they still need help in 2026.
2:38:27Please keep rent control first in your
2:38:29mind. A tax break asks the city to give
2:38:31up revenue, and it protects tenants only
2:38:34as long as the deal lasts. A tax break
2:38:37or a pilot isn't the only path to
2:38:40affordable housing. And if someone tells
2:38:42you this is true, they're lying.
2:38:46And I have to keep hearing this phrase
2:38:49for years now that there I just want to
2:38:52say there is no such thing as market
2:38:53rate. It's a fiction that landlords use
2:38:57to set rents at rates that take more and
2:39:00more money out of all of our pockets
2:39:02when all of us are living paycheck to
2:39:04paycheck.
2:39:07Last November, this council voted 1 to6
2:39:10against a 30-year tax break for the two
2:39:12Newport Towers. Today, LFRA offers a
2:39:15three and a half% increase for one year.
2:39:18And its own lawyers wrote that neither
2:39:20offer nor the deadline is required by
2:39:22any law or agreement. You can fix this.
2:39:26Please introduce ordinance 26089 on
2:39:29November 12th. Let no new tax break take
2:39:31its place and keep rent control first in
2:39:34your minds. And first,
2:39:35>> thank you.
2:39:40>> Our next speaker, 5.61, 61 Michelle.
2:39:51>> Most unfortunate for the people
2:39:55tonight, the council did not move
2:39:57ordinance 26-089
2:40:00forward. Let me close with how we got
2:40:03here and how you can fix it. The Newport
2:40:08redevelopment plan was adopted in
2:40:10February 1985.
2:40:12and it carried a 40-year limit. That
2:40:15limit would have reached 40 years in
2:40:17February of 2025.
2:40:20In January 2019,
2:40:23the council voted 0 to9 to keep that end
2:40:27date and the end date in 53 other
2:40:30redevelopment plans. But then in
2:40:34December 2023, the council adopted
2:40:37ordinance 23-124.
2:40:41Its fact sheet described it as adjusting
2:40:44boundaries and updating permitted uses
2:40:46and standards.
2:40:48It also, however, deleted the Newport
2:40:51plans 40-year limit. Council President
2:40:55Ridley, Councilman Gilmore, and then
2:40:58Councilman Solomon all voted yes along
2:41:01with five members who have since left
2:41:03this council.
2:41:05Did the members who voted for it know
2:41:08that it deleted the 40-year limit? The
2:41:11fact sheet never said a word about it.
2:41:14On October 6th, the city wrote to a
2:41:18Newport tenant that the exemption quote
2:41:20will remain in effect so long as the
2:41:22area is a classifi is classified as a
2:41:25redevelopment zone. End quote. With the
2:41:2840-year limit gone, the plan has no end
2:41:30date anymore. It's been removed. For the
2:41:33families in these towers, it felt like
2:41:35the floor moved out from under them. You
2:41:38can fix it for Newport and for every
2:41:41redevelopment area in Jersey City.
2:41:43Ordinance 26-089
2:41:46ends the exemption once and for all.
2:41:49Council persons Ephros and Little did
2:41:52their part and so have the tenants of
2:41:54Newport and Portide. They've read the
2:41:57records. They filled the room. They told
2:41:59you the truth. And now it's your turn,
2:42:02the rest of you, to help out. Please put
2:42:05it on the November 12th agenda as a
2:42:08regular first reading, introduce it, and
2:42:11adopt it before the year ends. If
2:42:14there's ever been a great reason, this
2:42:17is the one that warrants taking a leap
2:42:19of faith. We'll be there on November
2:42:2212th. Thank you.
2:42:28Before
2:42:32we Hey,
2:42:34>> before we continue, I'd just like to
2:42:35make a comment if I may, Council
2:42:37President. So, to to everyone, um we're
2:42:40much has been said tonight about uh the
2:42:43ordinance that did not get make it to
2:42:44the agenda as well as passed the
2:42:46ordinance, Ordinance 19-128. I just want
2:42:49to clarify for the record. So, um what
2:42:52what the facts are about ordinance
2:42:5419-128. Um, I was on the city council at
2:42:58that time for ordinance 19-128.
2:43:01Um, it was introduced, as has been said,
2:43:05um, by the city council. I voted to
2:43:07introduce it at that time. Um, it was
2:43:09tabled on January 2020. If folks check
2:43:13the records, you're probably not going
2:43:14to find a record of the vote. I've asked
2:43:17the city clerk who looked into it
2:43:19himself directly. Um
2:43:22for for some reason I am not uh I was
2:43:25absent from that vote um for January
2:43:292020. I don't even recall um that that
2:43:32time. It was 6 years ago uh more than
2:43:34six years ago. But um so it was tabled
2:43:37in in January 2020. Um for the record I
2:43:40was not on that vote um at that time for
2:43:44this ordinance. Just to be clear about
2:43:46where my position stands on that is that
2:43:48uh um I'm the guy who passed who
2:43:52introduced the ordinance that changed
2:43:55the release time for ordinances here in
2:43:58Jersey City. So, prior to today, back in
2:44:02several months ago, in May or June or
2:44:04thereabouts, um the city council
2:44:06literally had received the agenda and
2:44:11ordinances and resolutions on Friday
2:44:14before a Monday caucus. So, we would
2:44:16have an entire weekend to review over a
2:44:21thousand pages of documents. So, I
2:44:23changed that to make sure that the
2:44:25ordinances and every item on the agenda
2:44:28uh would be released a full six days
2:44:30before the caucus. And so, now agendas
2:44:32are released 6 days prior to caucus and
2:44:36and more than 7 days a week before the
2:44:38actual council meeting. Um, the reason
2:44:41for that is for transparency's purposes
2:44:43so that everyone, the public, but also
2:44:46city council can be able to see all of
2:44:48that information when it's uh released
2:44:50and so we all have ample opportunity to
2:44:52be able to react to it and be able to
2:44:54ask questions and work with the
2:44:56administration um in in addressing any
2:45:00sort of questions whether it's an
2:45:01ordinance from the council, an ordinance
2:45:03or resolution from the administration
2:45:05and most of them come from the
2:45:06administration. Uh so for for my part
2:45:09and I think probably from me members of
2:45:11my my colleagues in the council um while
2:45:15it's maybe in dispute as to whether or
2:45:16not it was properly uh or timely uh
2:45:21added to the agenda um it was submitted
2:45:24prior to the deadline but it didn't meet
2:45:26the approval standards to get on the
2:45:28agenda um at the time of the release of
2:45:31the uh agenda.
2:45:33Um, why? Because I I I don't know the
2:45:36answer to that, but my understanding is
2:45:38it was it was it was submitted
2:45:40approximately a day or two before the
2:45:43deadline. Um, and the corporation
2:45:47council didn't have the opportunity to
2:45:49thoroughly review the ordinance to be
2:45:51able to um do a final approval. I'm not
2:45:54going to speak for the administration or
2:45:55corporation council on that. Um, but it
2:45:57wasn't on the agenda, right? So, uh, so
2:46:03using the same standard that was that
2:46:06was established to be able to which we
2:46:09wanted to be able to give more people
2:46:11more time. The the ordinance was not in
2:46:14the agenda. And for my part, um, I
2:46:16wasn't prepared to add it. If it had
2:46:18gotten added to the agenda, as I told
2:46:20the the sponsors of the legislation, I
2:46:22would have voted no to add it to the
2:46:24agenda. But if it was on the agenda and
2:46:27and it got passed by a majority of the
2:46:29members of city council, just like I did
2:46:31in January of 2019, uh September 11th,
2:46:342019, I'd vote to introduce it. Um but
2:46:37it's not in the agenda. Now, if there's
2:46:40a question as to whether it'll be on the
2:46:41agenda for November 12th, it's been
2:46:44it'll be duly submitted, I assume,
2:46:45resubmitted um now with ample
2:46:48opportunity for and there's no reason it
2:46:50should not make its way onto the agenda.
2:46:52Um certainly there may still be there
2:46:54will certainly still be questions I'm
2:46:55certain because we've already seen kind
2:46:58of a preview of that at the council
2:47:00caucus. If people want to watch that,
2:47:01you can watch the video. There were a
2:47:03lot of questions raised. Um but that
2:47:05being said, there will be ample
2:47:07opportunity between the release uh of
2:47:09that agenda um for council members to
2:47:12ask their questions and for
2:47:13administration to be able to review it
2:47:15um and for all of us including the
2:47:17public um both those for and against uh
2:47:20to be able to chime in and be able to
2:47:22weigh in on the entire uh on the
2:47:25ordinance and the process. Um so I just
2:47:28wanted to clear it up for the record for
2:47:29folks. Uh there there are other council
2:47:32members on this. Um it's not necessarily
2:47:34just that uh we're that we're opposed to
2:47:37um protecting residents and being able
2:47:39to ensure that Jersey City is
2:47:41affordable. Uh but there were certain
2:47:44rules that we had wanted to abide by and
2:47:46um you know it's if we make the
2:47:49exception for one then we got to make
2:47:51exceptions for every kind of ordinance
2:47:53that comes forward. Uh and so we'll
2:47:56we'll see it on November 12th and I'm
2:47:57looking forward to the the discussion
2:47:59and debate um with the public as well as
2:48:02my colleagues and the administration and
2:48:04having that conversation about how best
2:48:06to handle uh this situation. Um thank
2:48:10you for your time. Just one other
2:48:16um one note uh just thank you so much to
2:48:20all of the the tenants who came out to
2:48:22speak tonight. Um, you know, I made some
2:48:24comments earlier, so I'm not going to
2:48:25reiterate too much. One thing to note,
2:48:28though, is that, um, Jersey City, this
2:48:30administration, uh, wants to be very
2:48:33clear, and this was communicated to
2:48:35myself and Councilwoman Little earlier
2:48:37today, um, that the exemption from rent
2:48:42control for uh, buildings in
2:48:44redevelopment areas is in perpetuity
2:48:47only up to the end date of that
2:48:50redevelopment area. And so if the
2:48:52redevelopment area is no longer in
2:48:54effect, then that building is no longer
2:48:58exempt. Um, so the forever exemption,
2:49:01and I could have been maybe more clear
2:49:02about this in previous remarks I've
2:49:04made, the forever exemption for
2:49:06buildings in redevelopment areas is only
2:49:08forever as long as the redevelopment
2:49:09area is forever. Um, so I think some of
2:49:12you have made that point as well. I just
2:49:13want to clarify. Um and I appreciate the
2:49:17uh administration um housing
2:49:19preservation uh office for making that
2:49:22very clear to me today as well. So just
2:49:25to note
2:49:42okay we have our next speaker 5.62 62
2:49:44IVA.
2:49:48>> Good evening.
2:49:50I am here to speak against the rent
2:49:52control measure proposed last minute and
2:49:55added to the agenda just hours before
2:49:58the meeting tonight, which is not cool.
2:50:00There's no studies posted, no
2:50:02explanation, and zero discussion about
2:50:04how this can impact the city's finances
2:50:07in a time where the city is still facing
2:50:10serious budget issues. I want to make it
2:50:12clear while it might be well intentioned
2:50:15as far as we know the absolute truth is
2:50:18that the that this will lower property
2:50:20values for these buildings and therefore
2:50:23lower the tax revenue by by
2:50:25approximately 30 million. Take a guess
2:50:29who has to pick up the tab for that
2:50:31revenue gap. All the other residents who
2:50:34will have their rent skyrocket or
2:50:37property taxes. Yet again,
2:50:40this will be guaranteed to hurt those
2:50:42who cannot afford more increases, and
2:50:45this will cause massive displacement by
2:50:47pricing out both longtime residents and
2:50:50newer ones who are not lucky enough to
2:50:53make enough money to cover the increases
2:50:54as well as we saw this past summer with
2:50:56the tax increases. In short, this rush
2:51:00and ill advised ordinance achieves the
2:51:02exact opposite of its stated goal.
2:51:04forces hardworking class residents
2:51:07across the city to subsidize luxury
2:51:10buildings. Last year I stood with other
2:51:13advoc advocates to support standing the
2:51:15tax abatements which we are a lot
2:51:17cheaper for the Newport Towers residents
2:51:20precisely to protect affordable units
2:51:23from sudden market spikes. I also have
2:51:26proudly supported this council's strong
2:51:29stance against ICE and in defense of our
2:51:32immigrant communities which is also why
2:51:34I find baffling that we are even
2:51:36consider counterproductive policies that
2:51:38will risk displacing the same immigrants
2:51:41families and vulnerable residents that
2:51:43we swore to protect. Good intentions
2:51:45weren't cut it when a year or two from
2:51:47now we all see these families displaced
2:51:49because oops we messed up with our
2:51:51policym because we rushed this policy
2:51:53last minute. This is not a beanie game
2:51:55and many people will be affected. So
2:51:57please don't draft ordinances so likely.
2:52:00I also want to point out important here.
2:52:03We jam to ordinances that could
2:52:05potentially yield disastrous outcomes.
2:52:08No questions asked, but we somehow spend
2:52:10years and countless meetings for
2:52:12something as simple as parking reform or
2:52:15adding a bike lane. So why have a double
2:52:18standard? we can think things through
2:52:20and see if this is the right approach to
2:52:22help the city. So, let's just pretend
2:52:25this never happened, that this ordinance
2:52:27was never proposed and work on actual
2:52:29solutions to help residents, not just
2:52:32the wealthy. This is a nice city with
2:52:34lots of culture, diversity, and great
2:52:36people. So, why not try to make things
2:52:38better for everyone and keep working on
2:52:40improve it on improving it. Thank you.
2:52:51Uh, our next speaker is 5.63 Koji.
2:52:58Okay. 5.64 Zachary.
2:53:04Zachary.
2:53:09This is
2:53:12Thank you.
2:53:18Zachary Premiere malpractice JCPD
2:53:22request for expedited Oprah updated
2:53:25police reports and police reports
2:53:27amended. Jersey City Council, my name is
2:53:29Zachary Premiere. I first spoke in front
2:53:31of Jersey City Council October 7th,
2:53:342026, number 46, regarding unresolved
2:53:37property, unresolved property management
2:53:40issues, issues with department family
2:53:42services, malpractice by Jersey City
2:53:44Judicial System, including JCPD parking
2:53:46authority, not limited to the municipal
2:53:49garage. Today, I'm here to make the city
2:53:51council furthermore aware of
2:53:52malpractice. The South District of
2:53:54Jersey City Police Department is guilty
2:53:57of inaccurately recalling verbal
2:53:59statements and entire events,
2:54:01withholding information, failure to
2:54:03state rights for and on police reports
2:54:06and regarding entire situations that
2:54:08should have have an ongoing
2:54:10investigation. Cases have been
2:54:11prematurely closed without any verdict.
2:54:14While reading the police reports, four
2:54:15of them, I noticed multitudes of glaring
2:54:17in inconsistencies leading to a lack of
2:54:20advisence as a base value to pursue
2:54:22legal actions.
2:54:24Help compensate my time and energy and
2:54:26honor my safety to know that the
2:54:28suspects and perpetrators and people
2:54:30accountable will be held accountable for
2:54:32the crimes against me. A police report
2:54:34is an official written document created
2:54:36by a law enforcement officer to record
2:54:38the facts, observations, and statements
2:54:41surrounding an incident, crime, or
2:54:42accident. List of events follow. Police
2:54:45report number 261805.
2:54:50Incident 2619078.
2:54:54Police officer Frank L. Gregory III
2:54:573063. And Sergeant Shawn Butler, an
2:55:00event that occurred Wednesday, September
2:55:019th, 2026. A report made on 9:22 2026.
2:55:06South PD classification was robbery.
2:55:09Weapons was an action and the type of
2:55:11premises was a road in the street and a
2:55:13sidewalk and it was an incorrect
2:55:14spelling of my name with no value of
2:55:16stolen property. They said that there
2:55:17was miscellaneous metal stolen and the
2:55:19value was $1. The correct classification
2:55:22is vandalism, assault, robbery, and the
2:55:25orange bandage workers assaulted me with
2:55:27work tools and wrenches and robbed and
2:55:29vandalized my home and broken the
2:55:31windows. I lost 350 cash in a 24 karat
2:55:34gold chain. Another police report was
2:55:37186 396. It happened on 916 2026. The
2:55:42report made was on 917 2026. Marksme B.
2:55:47Henry 3181 and Sergeant Ravina T. Weeks
2:55:51South police classification was
2:55:52terroristic threats with no description
2:55:54of the suspect. The false information
2:55:57was accurately recorded in that event
2:55:59and the correct is that it happened at
2:56:01the same location in a week previous.
2:56:04The description of the person I gave
2:56:06them the suspect of the home address and
2:56:08the approximate whereabouts. They
2:56:09threatened my life with a concealed
2:56:10weapon and now the place is closed.
2:56:13There's no way to pursue legal rights.
2:56:15Another police report is 26188336.
2:56:19Police officer Sincere Rivers.
2:56:21>> Thank you very much.
2:56:22>> All right. Yo, y'all got to help me with
2:56:23this case or you feel me? I'm going just
2:56:25keep legal rights, guys.
2:56:28>> Our next speaker, 5.65, Katherine.
2:56:43Hi, this is Katherine Moore. I'm back
2:56:44here again to talk about setbacks
2:56:47community benefits for this uh
2:56:52now ordinance 2687.
2:56:54Residents have brought up that
2:56:55affordable housing and previously
2:56:57discussed ground flooror space for an
2:56:59art-centric nonprofit are not sufficient
2:57:01compensation for the additional
2:57:04development rights being requested. City
2:57:06council has the ability to write the
2:57:08following bonus. Transition zone block
2:57:1013002.
2:57:12A minimum 10-ft setback is required at
2:57:15the top of the ninth story for all
2:57:17facads. This was not included in the
2:57:19bonus.
2:57:21Including the mandatory ninth story
2:57:23setback of a minimum 10 feet on all four
2:57:26sides in addition to the 20th floor
2:57:28setback is the right thing to do. The
2:57:31existing residential and rehabilitated
2:57:33warehouses 100 feet and town houses 45
2:57:36feet on Morgan and Stuben made it
2:57:38necessary for city planners to add the
2:57:40transition zone setback requirements
2:57:43that require a minimum 10-ft setback on
2:57:46the ninth floor on all four sides
2:57:48whenever something was built over 12
2:57:50stories. The JC confirmed this
2:57:52requirement in their 2020 review of
2:57:54these vacant and underutilized lots
2:57:57remaining in the transition zone. The
2:57:59latest amendment states the inclusion of
2:58:01a 5- foot setback, not 10- foot, only
2:58:04for Morgan Street. And the developer now
2:58:06gets an additional floor from 20 to 21
2:58:08stories. This translates to an
2:58:10additional 11,000
2:58:13485 square ft, but the 5ft setback only
2:58:17redistributes 5,290
2:58:20square feet, giving this developer
2:58:2356 uh 5,610
2:58:26more feet than they had last week. If
2:58:29they actually did the minimum of 10 feet
2:58:30required in this block's transition
2:58:32zone, it would be an equitable square
2:58:34footage tradeoff.
2:58:37The developer will still have an F of 15
2:58:40to1. The city will get its 15%
2:58:42affordable units, and the community will
2:58:44maintain light and air, a quality of
2:58:47life that should not be a community give
2:58:49back, but should be part of a rec of
2:58:51constructing a new high-rise building
2:58:53adjacent to R2, R3, and rehabilitation
2:58:56zones. the neighborhood impacts.
2:59:00The proposal could affect light, air,
2:59:02privacy, and open space for nearby
2:59:04buildings. All structures within the
2:59:07redevelopment plan shall be situated
2:59:08with proper consideration of the
2:59:10relationship to other nearby buildings,
2:59:13including those that are existing or
2:59:15approved inside or outside the
2:59:17redevelopment plan in terms of light,
2:59:19air, usable, open space, access to
2:59:22public, and private rights away. The
2:59:25overall message is this oppos is not
2:59:27opposition to development but a request
2:59:29for a better deal for the neighborhood
2:59:31and if the developer receives
2:59:32substantially more from the existing
2:59:34plans allow the community should receive
2:59:36substantially more in measurable
2:59:38enforcable benefits. Thank you.
2:59:45>> Our next speaker 5.66 Patrick
2:59:59Good evening. It was with great interest
3:00:01that I read the article New Jersey City
3:00:04Times titled new downtown classroom
3:00:07space possible but talks very
3:00:09preliminary says school district.
3:00:12So everyone here knows uh PS16 over here
3:00:15is about the most crowded school in New
3:00:17Jersey. Um it's currently at 200%
3:00:19capacity with preschoolers bust across
3:00:21town to a building which itself is at
3:00:23capacity. Um the situation is as absurd
3:00:27as it was foreseeable. In the Jersey
3:00:30City Times article, we learned that
3:00:31there are 24 25 classrooms as part of a
3:00:34high-rise deal. Um and doing some math,
3:00:38uh that gives us about 600 seats. That's
3:00:40fewer seats than we need as of today is
3:00:43my point. Um, we should not be making
3:00:45deals with developers to give us fewer
3:00:47seats than we need right now, let alone
3:00:505 years from now.
3:00:53Uh, we've been here before.
3:00:55Uh, the PS16 annex um was built for 200
3:00:59students and opened with 150, now has
3:01:03over 420.
3:01:06Um, that inadequate building was built
3:01:08by a developer. In 2020, the city made a
3:01:10deal with the developer for 400 seats on
3:01:12Marin Boulevard, which then fell through
3:01:14in 2022 due to various political
3:01:17considerations, which, as a reminder,
3:01:19political considerations are still going
3:01:21to exist and pertain to this building
3:01:23we're talking about here. Just last
3:01:26week, Mayor Solomon was on Instagram
3:01:27talking about suing a developer who
3:01:29couldn't even build some dinky corporate
3:01:31park.
3:01:35What's up with that?
3:01:37And now we're in very preliminary talks
3:01:40for what looks like another bite at a
3:01:42thoroughly rotten apple. What are we
3:01:44doing?
3:01:48Um, we have the opportunity to address
3:01:51education around here properly. Uh,
3:01:53there's no reason we need to be beholden
3:01:55to private developers if they won't make
3:01:56a serious proposal. I don't think we
3:01:58need a new high-rise at 111 Washington.
3:02:00I think we need a school. I would love
3:02:03to ask everybody here,
3:02:05who thinks we need a high-rise at 111
3:02:07Washington with a stupid name and a
3:02:08dinky rooftop pool and a wait room that
3:02:12nobody uses? No.
3:02:16By contrast, who thinks we need a school
3:02:18for prek to 8th grade with 2,000 seats
3:02:21enough to actually cover the current and
3:02:23future need considering the many
3:02:25thousands of residential units that are
3:02:27currently uh in planning or
3:02:28construction?
3:02:30Yeah. Yes, we need a school.
3:02:33We can figure this out. I think we just
3:02:35need the will. Um, we can, you know,
3:02:39while we're figuring out PS16, we can
3:02:41figure out, I think, other school
3:02:43buildings as well, many of which were
3:02:44built during the days of Mayor Otto
3:02:46Witpen and Frank Hey, good old Frank
3:02:49Hey, really good mayor for education,
3:02:51quite frankly.
3:02:53Um, they were built by people uh who
3:02:55lived through the Civil War. Anyway,
3:02:56make it a whole big package. Take care
3:02:58of schools. at the very at the very
3:03:00least preliminary talks to address
3:03:02education.
3:03:05>> Our next speaker 5.67 Jordan.
3:03:17Hello members of the council. You are
3:03:20asked every day to answer for a
3:03:22government you cannot fully see. A
3:03:24resident calls your office with a
3:03:26problem and your staff has to figure out
3:03:28which department owns it, which role
3:03:30inside that department is responsible
3:03:32and what that person is actually
3:03:34supposed to do. You vote on a budget
3:03:37with hundreds of positions, but you
3:03:39can't easily see what each one is for
3:03:42and the actual job description. Maybe
3:03:44it's 15 years stale.
3:03:47I'm writing to ask you to sponsor an
3:03:49ordinance that fixes this. The ordinance
3:03:52would require Jersey City to publish a
3:03:54description of every city position once
3:03:56a year covering duties, title,
3:03:59department, salary, and which role
3:04:01reports to who along with disciplinary
3:04:04actions when fail when one fails to
3:04:06actually do their job. It would be
3:04:08posted as one free downloadable data
3:04:11set. No login or record request. With
3:04:15that in place, you and your staff could
3:04:17ask AI like Claude or Chat GPT playing
3:04:20questions about how your city works.
3:04:23Which department in which role handles
3:04:25this resident's complaint? What is this
3:04:28position supposed to actually do and who
3:04:30do they report to?
3:04:33Here's what it means for you. Faster
3:04:36constituent reser. Your office routes
3:04:39every issue to the right person the
3:04:41first time. Stronger budget oversight.
3:04:44You can see what each department is
3:04:46staffed to do before you vote on funding
3:04:49and clear accountability. When a service
3:04:51fails, you can point to the
3:04:53responsibilities role, not just a
3:04:55department. The ordinance requires each
3:04:58department director to certify every
3:05:00year that their descriptions are simply
3:05:02accurate and they're not stale. It's
3:05:04work they're probably doing already.
3:05:07Residents benefit as well. People want
3:05:09to help the city work, but most of us
3:05:12have no idea how to do it, and it's
3:05:14extremely timewasting to do opra
3:05:16requests.
3:05:18Today, this information is just nearly
3:05:20impossible to find. With the new
3:05:23administration, focus on transparency.
3:05:26This is the right moment to use AI to
3:05:28your benefit. It will save you time.
3:05:30It'll help you find solutions to
3:05:32problems faster. And it benefits
3:05:34everyone. Thank you.
3:05:41our next speaker. 5.68 Erica
3:05:46not here.
3:05:495.69 Moren.
3:05:55No, she she's coming. Okay.
3:06:36Hello, my name is Moren Rios.
3:06:40This right here is documentation. I've
3:06:43been documenting stuff for the last 38
3:06:46months.
3:06:49And what I'm giving y'all is all my
3:06:53violation, notice of violations for this
3:06:55building. Still today, I'm going through
3:06:58notice of violations for this building.
3:07:01They just gave him summons yesterday.
3:07:05The second paper, the third paper,
3:07:09I had complained about the heat for the
3:07:11days that it been cold. The young lady
3:07:14has not um the property manager has not
3:07:16given us heat. And that was the respond
3:07:19that I got from cold compliance to tell
3:07:22me that I need a written notice
3:07:24agreement with my landlord. How he know
3:07:28I don't have a lease that say he and how
3:07:30water included.
3:07:34This door was pocked.
3:07:38This is the basement door. Alarms went
3:07:40off on a Saturday. This Saturday, the
3:07:43fire department came and they broke the
3:07:46doors.
3:07:47As you could see, they broke the door.
3:07:50Her father, the one that she said that
3:07:52is the landlord and he has dementia. He
3:07:55was driving. He came to the building
3:07:59and he pocked the door back up after the
3:08:02fire department broke it because the
3:08:04fire alarms were going off.
3:08:09This is the brick outside our building
3:08:16is all crap.
3:08:18And I get mold in my home.
3:08:22And according to her, this is not mold.
3:08:25This is dirt.
3:08:27But I want Tsh Mahal fixing in my
3:08:29apartment. Tell me if that's Taj Mahal
3:08:32fixing. We just want a livable place to
3:08:34live.
3:08:37The state came to our building today and
3:08:39left us noticed because they coming to
3:08:41check those fire escape that been
3:08:43dangerous as you can see how our
3:08:46firecape look they are falling they are
3:08:49rust
3:08:51and the state came there three times and
3:08:54even the city has as you can see my
3:08:57notice the fire skates on there I don't
3:08:59have no monoxide alarm no fire alarm in
3:09:02my apartment
3:09:04the other paper. It's the sewage water
3:09:08goes right into the sidewalk in front of
3:09:10our building and you got a daycare next
3:09:13door. So, if the kids are going to
3:09:15school, they have to step on that nasty
3:09:17water every day. And this is sewage
3:09:20water that come out of the basement
3:09:22every day cuz the basement gets flooded.
3:09:25Again, no soup. We haven't never had a
3:09:27soup in that building.
3:09:30And they don't they haven't registered
3:09:32this building since 20 what you call it.
3:09:34This is blood that we got in the
3:09:36building. We walk up to blood in the
3:09:38hallway.
3:09:38>> Thank you.
3:09:51Our next speaker 5.70 David.
3:10:00>> Hi there. Uh my name is David Gerggas. I
3:10:03am a member of the Saber Hospital
3:10:05Coalition, which is working to reopen
3:10:07Christ Hospital and hold HRH, the illeg
3:10:10uh the operators who illegally closed
3:10:11that hospital accountable. Uh we're I'm
3:10:14here because we're about 9 months into
3:10:16the closure of Christ Hospital and we
3:10:18still have no emergency care in the
3:10:19Heights. Uh the city, in particular, the
3:10:22mayor's office isn't being part
3:10:23transparent about what their plan is to
3:10:25restore our care, reopen the hospital,
3:10:27and hold this um hold accountable. And
3:10:30as coalition members, we're curious
3:10:31about why, right? This is unacceptable.
3:10:34This is a city of over 300,000 people
3:10:36being relegated to um just about 300
3:10:39emergency room beds with only one
3:10:41hospital in the whole city. That's not
3:10:43okay. Right.
3:10:45Right now, the city is in a lawsuit with
3:10:47HR over the zoning of the land. And um
3:10:54we inter we we filed to intervene in the
3:10:57lawsuit and joined the lawsuit as
3:10:59codefendants in order to help support
3:11:00the city. Right. But the city has denied
3:11:05our motion and actually has called us a
3:11:08quote unelected faction trying to quote
3:11:10rest power away from Jersey City
3:11:12officials. That doesn't seem right or
3:11:14fair. We're just trying to get our
3:11:15hospital reopened. In fact, it
3:11:19since we're asking these questions, we
3:11:21should really be trying to figure out
3:11:23why there's been no public discussion
3:11:25really at all about the city's plans to
3:11:26reopen the hospital, why the city
3:11:28opposed our motion to intervene, and why
3:11:31very specifically the city only opposed
3:11:33our motion to intervene after Mayor
3:11:35Solomon had a meeting with HR that he
3:11:37didn't tell the city council about and
3:11:39he certainly didn't tell the public
3:11:40about, but HR felt comfortable telling
3:11:43us about.
3:11:45That's not okay. And we're opposing
3:11:46parties in this suit. If we want to make
3:11:49sure that our care is restored and
3:11:51Christ Hospital reopens, every actor in
3:11:54the government, the state, the county,
3:11:56and the city have to be working together
3:11:58and they have to be working
3:12:00transparently.
3:12:01So, we just want to know what's going
3:12:03on. Thank you.
3:12:06Our
3:12:09next speaker 5.71 Norris.
3:12:16>> Good evening. Um, I'm speaking on behalf
3:12:19of the Sergeant Anthony Park
3:12:20Neighborhood Association. I want to
3:12:23share our long history of involvement in
3:12:25land use matters concerning the Christ
3:12:28Hospital campus. And I'm going to ask
3:12:30you to take this history into
3:12:32consideration and look upon us and the
3:12:35Save Our Hospital Coalition of which we
3:12:37are members as allies and partners.
3:12:42So we have a longstanding history and
3:12:44involvement in land use matters in the
3:12:47Christ hospital campus. We have
3:12:50witnessed the various owners of Christ
3:12:52Hospital buy and demolish homes on
3:12:55Palisade Avenue for over 30 years. We
3:12:59also have two members who own property
3:13:02and reside in the medical district. And
3:13:06these members have been approached
3:13:07numerous times through the years by
3:13:10executives at Care Point and exhorted to
3:13:13sell their homes which they have owned
3:13:15since the 1970s.
3:13:17They have refused to sell and they still
3:13:20live in these homes.
3:13:23I'd like to speak about ordinance 25124
3:13:27because our organization was
3:13:29instrumental in
3:13:32getting that ordinance passed.
3:13:33Specifically, we urged the council to
3:13:36take action to ensure that the hospital
3:13:38and the outpatient medical services
3:13:40would remain available on Christ campus
3:13:43and that medical services would not be
3:13:45replaced with housing. Several members
3:13:48of the coalition spoke at the first and
3:13:50second readings of the ordinance.
3:13:54Our current involvement in the
3:13:56protection of the medical district was
3:13:58sparked in January of 2024 when GN
3:14:02management, which is a developer,
3:14:04brought forth a plan to build a 10-story
3:14:07building at 214 216 Palisate, which is
3:14:11in the medical district. They planned
3:14:13market rate units for seniors 55 and up.
3:14:17Our association vigorously opposed this
3:14:20development and we promoted this through
3:14:22petitions, email, social media and local
3:14:25media awareness campaigns and we
3:14:28communicated to council members at the
3:14:30time. Our concern was that the developer
3:14:33was subverting
3:14:35both the intent of a medical zone and of
3:14:39senior housing with this proposed
3:14:41project. In March of 2024, we hired
3:14:45Colleen McGherk, a professional planner,
3:14:47at a cost of $1650
3:14:50to represent Sapna at the planning board
3:14:53meeting on April 30th. Despite our
3:14:55intervention, the plan for 21426
3:14:58Palisade was approved. However, the
3:15:01board upheld that senior housing had to
3:15:03be for persons 62 and older, not 55 as
3:15:07that developer wanted. On March 14th,
3:15:112024, SAP, we we met with Ward
3:15:14Councilman Richard Boiano and we urged
3:15:17him to draft ordinance.
3:15:22>> Our next speaker, 5.72, Corey
3:15:30Good evening, council president, members
3:15:32of the council. Cory Klein from Sils
3:15:35Kummus and Gross, and I'm here for
3:15:36downtown Flower, the cannabis retailer
3:15:38at 141 Newark Avenue on its renewal of
3:15:42local support. On June 22nd, the
3:15:45cannabis control board recommended
3:15:46renewal. Six commissioners voted yes and
3:15:49none voted no. Board made written
3:15:51findings. No notices of violation from
3:15:54any enforcing authority, no litigation,
3:15:57a continued positive community impact,
3:16:00and quote, "no negative aspects,"
3:16:02unquote, to the application.
3:16:05This council decides, but a
3:16:07recommendation from the specialized body
3:16:09charged with reviewing cannabis
3:16:11businesses with no commissioner opposed
3:16:13and no adverse findings deserve
3:16:16substantial weight. This council
3:16:18approved downtown Flower's original
3:16:20resolution of support in 2022 7 to zero.
3:16:24The question is not whether allegations
3:16:27have been made against Downtown Flower.
3:16:29It is whether the record shows that
3:16:30Downtown Flower fails a standard in the
3:16:32Jersey City Code or state law. The only
3:16:35findings in this record are the boards
3:16:37and they support renewal. Unverified
3:16:40posts and press reports are not findings
3:16:43and they should not be the reason for
3:16:44withholding support. If concerns remain,
3:16:47please identify them and the standard
3:16:49they relate to and give us a chance to
3:16:51respond.
3:16:53We respectfully ask the council to adopt
3:16:55the resolution tonight. I thank you for
3:16:57your time.
3:17:02Next speaker 5.73 Dario.
3:17:09Um almost a year ago, I stood at this
3:17:11podium uh as Megan Wilkkey, a Better
3:17:14Blocks board member and former tenant
3:17:15attorney who has saved dozens of tenants
3:17:18from eviction, um laid out the case for
3:17:21why the council should protect 160
3:17:23tenants at risk of displacement at 30
3:17:25and 40 Newport Parkway. Um some of the
3:17:28port side activists that you heard
3:17:30today, including the president of the
3:17:32Portside Tenants Association, spoke
3:17:34forcefully against this ordinance.
3:17:37It was a deal that was negotiated and
3:17:39instigated not by the building's owner,
3:17:41but by the city's housing director, Ania
3:17:43Solomon Chalong, who communicated to us
3:17:46just how much work it was to drag uh
3:17:49LFrack, the building owner, to the
3:17:50table. Now, those same activists who
3:17:53helped manufacture this crisis are
3:17:55coming before you and demanding a cure
3:17:56that is worse than the diseased. Because
3:17:59now it is a crisis, you are being asked
3:18:01to make hasty decisions without thinking
3:18:02and considering, but you have a great
3:18:05responsibility to get things right for
3:18:06the 300,000 residents of Jersey City.
3:18:09Um, using data provided by my friend
3:18:12Ryan Williams, uh, Ian Cochen and
3:18:15another Jersey City resident did some
3:18:17rough uh, calculations on the lost
3:18:19revenue um, for the city from this
3:18:21ordinance. And the numbers are
3:18:22eyepopping. Even at first, you're
3:18:24talking $30 million lost revenues per
3:18:27year, but that number grows and grows
3:18:29two to four times over the years as more
3:18:31buildings get put under rent control.
3:18:34In total, the rent control ordinance
3:18:36would cost the city about 30 times as
3:18:38much revenue overall when looking at a
3:18:40time discounted net present value basis
3:18:43compared to a targeted pilot agreement
3:18:45that would pay for the income restricted
3:18:47affordable housing to stay.
3:18:49I don't have to tell you that the cost
3:18:51would fall disproportionately on
3:18:53residents outside of downtown while
3:18:55mostly benefiting wealthier renters in
3:18:57downtown towers. This rent control
3:18:59ordinance is the equivalent of using a
3:19:01shotgun to swat a fly.
3:19:04Take these rough estimates with a grain
3:19:05of salt. Um but you know hire some
3:19:09economists to do the math and definitely
3:19:11study the issue carefully before you
3:19:13make a big mistake. Um I I believe you
3:19:16have the leverage right now. You have
3:19:17the initiative. you have um all the
3:19:20tenants uh behind you to find a
3:19:22solution. So now is the perfect time to
3:19:25end this crisis that never needed to
3:19:27happen. Um revive the previous deal. You
3:19:30know, try to push harder, do something
3:19:32to preserve the affordable housing in
3:19:33Newport. Um vote for a Newport deal, but
3:19:36not this ordinance. Thank you for your
3:19:38time.
3:19:47Next speaker 5.74 Terrence
3:19:52Terrence M
3:19:56not here
3:19:585.75 Ray
3:20:04are you Ray Okay.
3:20:18Good evening, council. I'm here with the
3:20:20Newport tenants. My name is Ray Cologne
3:20:22and I'm f from 55 River Drive South.
3:20:27I have been a resident of Newport for
3:20:29more than 30 years. When I first moved
3:20:32here, I was beginning my career as a
3:20:34computer operator in New York City. The
3:20:37moderate income program made it possible
3:20:39for me to afford my own apartment while
3:20:41establishing
3:20:43myself in the workforce. I have always
3:20:46appreciated the opportunity this pro
3:20:48this program provided and the stability
3:20:50it was it has given me throughout the
3:20:52years. When I originally signed my
3:20:55lease, I was advised by the management
3:20:57office that residents participating in
3:20:59the program could remain in their
3:21:01apartments as long as they maintain good
3:21:03standing. Based on that understanding, I
3:21:06made Newport my home and plan my future
3:21:09accordingly.
3:21:11As I approach retirement in the next few
3:21:13years, I'm beginning to prepare for the
3:21:16financial realities of living on a fixed
3:21:18income. My goal is to remain in my
3:21:21apartment and continue living in Newport
3:21:23community that I have called home for
3:21:25more than three decades. However, an
3:21:28increase in rent to the current market
3:21:30rate would create a significant
3:21:33financial hardship and could force me to
3:21:35leave Newport. This is something I have
3:21:38never
3:21:40anticipated, especially after so many
3:21:42years of residency and in light of my
3:21:44original understanding of the moderate
3:21:46income program. Newport has been my home
3:21:50for more than 30 years and I sincerely
3:21:52hope to remain part of this community as
3:21:54I enter the next chapter of my life.
3:21:57Thank you.
3:22:02Our next speaker 5.676
3:22:04Deborah.
3:22:10Is Deborah here?
3:22:14Okay.
3:22:165.77 Nichollet.
3:22:24>> Hello. It's hard to follow up after my
3:22:26daughter, but I'm going to try. Um, I
3:22:29just wanted to come out here like all of
3:22:31my neighbors and put a face to the
3:22:33apartment. Um, someone before said that
3:22:35we live in close proximity to the
3:22:37greatest city, and I would like to think
3:22:39we live in the greatest city. Um, we
3:22:41have a lot of work to do, but one thing
3:22:42that we do have is a strong sense of
3:22:44community. And I think that all of us in
3:22:47this room working together as a team can
3:22:48be one of our city's greatest strengths.
3:22:51I'm a product of Jersey City. I was born
3:22:53and raised here. My daughter as well.
3:22:56I've never lived in any other city. I
3:22:58went to St. Peters College, now
3:23:00university. I've worked my entire
3:23:02career, 11 years as an elementary school
3:23:05teacher in Jersey City. Um, that comes
3:23:08with its own challenges, but I
3:23:09absolutely love being able to give back
3:23:11to where I come from and teach kids that
3:23:14come from the same city that I'm from.
3:23:16Um, I would not be able to do that if I
3:23:19was pushed out of my own city. As
3:23:21mentioned before, we are not here
3:23:23looking for a handout. I'm a hardworking
3:23:25single mother and I make an honest
3:23:27living and I would like to be able to
3:23:29afford living in the city that I have
3:23:31poured so much back into which
3:23:34>> I cannot do as a single mother with the
3:23:35teacher salary in the area of downtown.
3:23:40Um I love Jersey City and the community
3:23:41that we have built and my hope is that
3:23:43we can come up with some sort of
3:23:45resolution that does not displace all of
3:23:47the lifelong residents of Jersey City.
3:23:57and the great Brooklyn spoke earlier.
3:24:01Uh, next speaker 5.79, Princess Bri.
3:24:15>> Hello. Good evening, uh, city council
3:24:17and council president. I'm going to read
3:24:19a letter from my mom um as she couldn't
3:24:22be here tonight. My name is Brenda
3:24:24Robinson. I currently live with my
3:24:26daughter, Princess Haynes, at 30 Newport
3:24:28Parkway. Although we have lived in all
3:24:29four buildings of Presidential Plaza for
3:24:31the last 30 years. She grew up living in
3:24:34Newport since she was 2 years old. She
3:24:36went to school in Jersey City and was
3:24:37able to make friends and find a
3:24:39community here. Newport and Jersey City
3:24:41were a safe and stable place for me to
3:24:43raise her. Once she was old enough, her
3:24:46first job was babysitting other kids in
3:24:48Newport, whose families needed the help.
3:24:50This has become more than our home. It
3:24:52holds life for us. And now, with the
3:24:54birth of my first granddaughter, I was
3:24:56looking forward to raising her in this
3:24:57neighborhood as well, just as I did with
3:25:00my daughter. My grandchild lives with
3:25:02her parents in the Heights and her
3:25:03mother, my other daughter, who also grew
3:25:05up here and found community in Newport.
3:25:07met her husband after receiving her
3:25:09doctorate from NJCU, which she was able
3:25:11to do while living with us in Newport.
3:25:15Because of the Newport Moderate Income
3:25:16Program, so many families were able to
3:25:20experience living in a great place and
3:25:22safely raise their kids and enjoy
3:25:23community and all its amenities. That
3:25:26cannot be just snatched away like that
3:25:28with no consideration for us. I have
3:25:30lived in this community 30 years due to
3:25:32the moderate income program. I cannot
3:25:34afford to look for anything comparable
3:25:36to this neighborhood that I've become
3:25:37accustomed to and especially not within
3:25:39the timeline being given us to us
3:25:41residents. My heart is heavy knowing
3:25:43that with the strike of a pen, we can no
3:25:45longer exist. But we have clearly laid
3:25:47down roots, built relationships, and
3:25:49have become the backbone of this
3:25:50community. We brought more than just our
3:25:53rent payments. We brought our cultures,
3:25:56our traditions, our families, and a
3:25:58genuine sense of community. We have
3:26:00built relationships with our neighbors,
3:26:02supported local businesses, and helped
3:26:04transform this area into a place people
3:26:07are proud to call home. Forcing us out
3:26:10would mean losing far more than
3:26:11affordable housing. It would mean
3:26:13destroying a community that has taken
3:26:15years to build and returning this
3:26:17neighborhood to a revolving door of
3:26:19short-term residents without the
3:26:21stability and connection that make a
3:26:23community thrive. We deserve the
3:26:25opportunity to remain in the homes and
3:26:28community we have helped build. I ask
3:26:30that you pass ordinance 26-089
3:26:32to ensure that Newport residents receive
3:26:35the same meaningful tenant protections
3:26:37as other Jersey City residents. We are
3:26:39asking for fairness, accountability, and
3:26:41the opportunity to remain in the
3:26:43community we have helped build so that
3:26:45we may continue to raise our families
3:26:47without the anxiety, trepidation, and
3:26:49unpredictability that comes with rent
3:26:51increases.
3:26:53I'd also like to add that I love growing
3:26:55up in Jersey City, especially Newport.
3:26:57Um, I met my best friend there. Um, I've
3:27:01worked there and the people that have
3:27:02shown me what it means, these people
3:27:04have shown me what it means to be a good
3:27:05neighbor and a good person in general.
3:27:08Um, so I asked the council to work with
3:27:10us, the working-class families, the
3:27:11stable residents of this community. Um,
3:27:15and the people that go out and vote.
3:27:17Thank you.
3:27:17>> Think of the resident's best interests.
3:27:19Thank you.
3:27:24>> Our next speaker, 5.80, Lara Hey. Hey,
3:27:27Sean. I just have a quick question for
3:27:29Calvin.
3:27:30>> Do you?
3:27:33Never mind. Go ahead.
3:27:35I like the side.
3:27:37>> Are you asking it?
3:27:38>> No, no, no.
3:27:39>> Okay.
3:27:42>> Good evening, council. My name is Lara
3:27:44Cave. I currently live at 55 River Drive
3:27:46South, which is the George Washington,
3:27:48but for many years, my home was 40
3:27:50Newport Parkway, which was the James
3:27:52Madison. Those of us who've been here
3:27:54long enough still call them by those
3:27:56names cuz when we started coming here it
3:27:58was Presidential Plaza. To give you a
3:28:00sense of how long we've been here, what
3:28:02you see now is Target. Before that, it
3:28:04was something
3:28:07we called Fumart International.
3:28:09Before that, it was Bradley's. We've
3:28:12been here before Newport was fully
3:28:14developed. Living in Newport gives us a
3:28:16peace of mind, a sense of stability and
3:28:18safety. We can walk around our many
3:28:20neighborhood any time of day or night
3:28:22without worrying the way too many other
3:28:24neighborhoods in this city unfortunately
3:28:26have to. Newport opened doors for not
3:28:29only myself but my family. I went to
3:28:31some of the top schools in the city and
3:28:32I don't mean public OLC on Marin
3:28:35Boulevard and St. Mary's before it ended
3:28:38its year run as high school on third. My
3:28:41brother went to Hudson Catholic all
3:28:43while my mother worked strong and hard
3:28:45on Wall Street to build a wonderful life
3:28:47for the two of us. And within all of
3:28:49that, a community was created. Not just
3:28:51by the people, but that also are in
3:28:54Whoop, I'm so sorry. That also includes
3:28:56our dorm men, which have also become
3:28:58family. They've not I'm sorry. They've
3:29:01not only watched me grow up, but they've
3:29:02watched my daughter grow up as well.
3:29:04They're family. The community I keep
3:29:06mentioning is standing tall behind me
3:29:08tonight. I'm here for the people who
3:29:10built Newport into a community, but
3:29:12we're currently being pushed out. We
3:29:15didn't leave 40 Newport Parkway by
3:29:17choice. A boiler failure leaked water
3:29:20down 34 floors and forced my family out
3:29:23of our childhood home. That wasn't a
3:29:25freak accident. Leaks in that building
3:29:27happened every quarter. That one was
3:29:30just the worst of it. Year after year,
3:29:32these buildings get more neglected and
3:29:34the tenants absorb the cost of that.
3:29:36Now, on top of that, Leftrack is raising
3:29:38rents 3.5 to 8% and soon it'll be market
3:29:41rate. To a billionaire landlord, that
3:29:44might seem like chump change. to the
3:29:46families in the moderate income program.
3:29:48It's a difference between staying and
3:29:49leaving. So, I'd like to personally ask
3:29:51you, could you, any of you up there
3:29:53afford a marketer rate on your own in
3:29:55Newport? Let that sink in. Here's what
3:29:58doesn't make sense to me. Newport has
3:30:00massive resident turnover. The one thing
3:30:03that has stayed consistent all of the
3:30:05years is us, the moderate income
3:30:07residents.
3:30:11We are this we are the steady revenue.
3:30:13And since we've since we're looked at as
3:30:15money instead of people, look at at us
3:30:17as your best ROI, your return on
3:30:20investment. We are the people who've
3:30:22held this together for 30 years. And
3:30:23we're being treated like we're
3:30:24disposable. Living in redevelopment area
3:30:27shouldn't mean having fewer rights as a
3:30:29tenant. Redevelopment was supposed to be
3:30:31the benefit for the people who live
3:30:33here, not priceless out. I'm asking
3:30:35council to eliminate the redevelopment
3:30:36area exemption and extend rent control
3:30:38protections to tenants like me and my
3:30:40neighbors in my community. This was
3:30:42built brick by brick and that is pun
3:30:44intended. Thank you.
3:30:50>> Our next speaker,
3:30:56it's going to be hard to follow up. Uh
3:30:595.81, Denise.
3:31:02>> Hi,
3:31:04my name is spelled my last name is
3:31:07spelled wrong. My name is actually
3:31:08Denise Huggin. I'm a lifelong Georgia
3:31:11city resident. However, I've been in
3:31:13Newport.
3:31:13>> Could you bring the microphone a little
3:31:15closer, please?
3:31:16>> I'm a lifelong New Jersey resident, but
3:31:18I'm been living in Newport for 15 years.
3:31:27I'm 61 years old. I want to retire, but
3:31:30you can't retire if you plan on getting
3:31:32rid of my moderate income. Where am I
3:31:33going to go?
3:31:36Where am I going to go? Like I'm barely
3:31:38struggling to make it just stay there
3:31:40where I'm where I'm at. Like I'm not
3:31:43understanding if it's possible
3:31:46you can possibly
3:31:48pass the ordinance to keep us a moderate
3:31:51income program. Thank you.
3:31:59Our next speaker 5.82 Bianca
3:32:05not here.
3:32:085.83 as
3:32:18>> 5.84.
3:32:20Oh,
3:32:22I don't even want to try to pronounce
3:32:23that.
3:32:25>> There you go.
3:32:305.85 85 Jackson.
3:32:37>> You Jackson.
3:32:38>> Yes.
3:32:39>> Bravo.
3:32:44>> Bring the mic up to you. Jackson.
3:32:46>> Good evening, council. Um, my name is
3:32:47Jackson Bravo. I'm a resident of
3:32:50Greenville and the policy director of
3:32:54Friends of Affordable Housing. I'm here
3:32:56to talk about um actually just listening
3:32:59to all these stories is actually really
3:33:00touching and really upsetting as well.
3:33:03I'm thinking um for us to just be
3:33:06preventative instead of reactive uh
3:33:08which is the position that we're in now
3:33:11uh making this decision to try to help
3:33:12all these good people that have been
3:33:14serving this city. And our proposal uh
3:33:18my proposal right now is uh to consider
3:33:21affordable housing home ownership. It's
3:33:24a way to be able to create a tax break
3:33:28for five years for a homeowner, be able
3:33:30to fill up those units and create a tax
3:33:33revenue to close the tax debt. Uh, it
3:33:36makes perfect sense. And it's not u
3:33:39these tax breaks, these long-term tax
3:33:41breaks are not made to capitalize on the
3:33:45profit um of these developments,
3:33:48specifically to the developments that
3:33:50are taking place on county land. Um, so
3:33:53going forward in any new development,
3:33:57Hudson County Plaza, um, if they're
3:34:01going to be using county land,
3:34:04it should benefit the public greatly.
3:34:07Uh, the residents here that have been
3:34:09living um, and serving this community.
3:34:12And the medium home income is just not
3:34:15what it really reflects as far as what
3:34:17teachers get paid, bus drivers,
3:34:19custodians, people that actually service
3:34:21this community every day. Um, they
3:34:24should also have an opportunity for home
3:34:26ownership and equity to close the wealth
3:34:27gap that we have here in the city. And I
3:34:30think uh in this moment we're not doing
3:34:32enough to promote for home ownership and
3:34:35be able to create these affordable
3:34:37housing um in a different light. So that
3:34:40way people have the dignity and and the
3:34:42ability to create generational wealth.
3:34:45And it's only not for rich people but
3:34:47for people that make everyday income.
3:34:49Myself, I'm an educator right here in
3:34:51Jersey City. And um yeah, I just think
3:34:55that we should reconsider how we
3:34:57approach affordable housing. is clearly
3:34:59not working. These long-term uh benefits
3:35:02are not working. These people are here
3:35:03are begging for help and um I feel for
3:35:06them dearly. So, I just think we should
3:35:07be proactive instead of reactive. And
3:35:10when any new um thing gets proposed as
3:35:13far as home ownership should be put uh
3:35:15to the forefront instead of just taking
3:35:17rentals cuz um you have nothing to leave
3:35:20behind uh instead of just paying rent
3:35:23all the time. So, thank you for your
3:35:25time.
3:35:30Uh Jackson, uh thank you for that. I
3:35:32just want to let you know um you know uh
3:35:34Councilman Gilmore and I we we've been
3:35:37working with um developers in his ward
3:35:40and ward F. So um in about a year we're
3:35:45going to have some um affordable condos
3:35:48online. Um it's something that um I've
3:35:52worked on in the past. We have them on
3:35:53Monaceel, but this one is a a bigger
3:35:56project. What is it? 60 units,
3:36:01like 55 units. And we'll continue to
3:36:04work with developers like that that can
3:36:06uh bring that on so we can help build
3:36:08generational wealth and give people
3:36:10something to be proud of that they can
3:36:13own on their own. So, thank you.
3:36:18>> Our next speaker,
3:36:22>> it's Morin Kay.
3:36:24>> Thank you. I've seen you all recently. I
3:36:27came to talk to you about rubs at the
3:36:28annex just a couple of weeks ago. I'm
3:36:31coming here today to talk to you about
3:36:33the ordinance 1912 128 chapter 260. And
3:36:37I'm calling on you all to eliminate the
3:36:40redevelopment
3:36:41uh area exemption and extend rent
3:36:45control protection to all tenants in
3:36:48Jersey City. So I live at 23 University
3:36:51Place Boulevard. So, none of the
3:36:53buildings represented here today. Um, I
3:36:57am an educator. I am not a wealthy
3:37:00person. Um, and I would appreciate in a
3:37:03time of rising cost, inflation, rising
3:37:08gas prices due to the illegal war in
3:37:10Iran, um, that we give our residents
3:37:14some relief by not increasing their rent
3:37:18in unpredictable ways. Obviously,
3:37:21housing is a human right and when people
3:37:24are forced to relocate because their
3:37:27rent has been increased in an exorbitant
3:37:29manner. Um, it prevents people from
3:37:33being able to live a steady life um to
3:37:36take care of their children and become
3:37:39productive, you know, be productive
3:37:41members of society. I also think that
3:37:43this is an equity issue. I should not
3:37:46have less rights as a tenant because of
3:37:49the building I live in. My rent is
3:37:52already expensive enough. I pay an
3:37:54amenity fee. I pay for my outdoor space.
3:37:58I pay a lot of rent. I would like to
3:38:02keep that at a sustainable pace.
3:38:05Furthermore, I think about I'm a New
3:38:07Yorker. I've lived in Jersey City for
3:38:09about 3 years. One of the biggest issues
3:38:13I have with Jersey City is the way the
3:38:15municipal government is run. Obviously,
3:38:17New York is not perfect, but we do have
3:38:21services and that are more complete than
3:38:23here, like our composting. I understand
3:38:26the budget, but in these deals that
3:38:28y'all are making with developers and
3:38:30other things, I think many of them are
3:38:32shortsighted where you're not looking at
3:38:35the big picture or long-term things and
3:38:37there's things to get quick. um uh
3:38:41income for the city that may not be
3:38:43necessarily beneficial in the long run.
3:38:45I think that not prioritizing your
3:38:48Jersey City city residents that you have
3:38:50now with um these big developments that
3:38:54really are an incentive for gentrifiers.
3:38:57Um it it does not help your community
3:39:00that you have currently. So, I would say
3:39:03let's strive to be equitable and make
3:39:06sure that all tenants have the
3:39:08protections they need because housing is
3:39:09a human right. Thank you.
3:39:14Our next speaker 5.87
3:39:17Hugh
3:39:22Hugh is not here.
3:39:255.88 88 Emily
3:39:32that Emily. So you can use the step and
3:39:43just help her up on it. Okay, there you
3:39:45go.
3:39:49>> Hello, my name is Emily Diller. I'm here
3:39:52to talk about the Persian Field Ice
3:39:54Rink. I love playing hockey and skating
3:39:57very much. I mean, most of my friends
3:40:00there. At that rink, I want to grow up
3:40:04to be a fashion designer for all women
3:40:06hockey gear. That dream cannot come true
3:40:08if I can't get ice time. I always spend
3:40:11weekends there at that rink all winter
3:40:14long, especially when they have fun
3:40:15events. Especially when Miss Rosemary,
3:40:19the leader, well, in charge, has all
3:40:22girl events. I learned how to play
3:40:24hockey with hockey New Jersey, a free
3:40:27program for all kids. They even give
3:40:29gear that you don't have to pay.
3:40:32Everyone is like a family there. It's a
3:40:34fun and safe way for kids to learn and
3:40:36play hockey. Today, you are looking at
3:40:38Resolution 26-7. I learned how to play
3:40:41hockey with hockey in New Jersey, a free
3:40:44program for all kids. They even give
3:40:46gear that you don't have to pay.
3:40:48Everyone is like a family there. It's a
3:40:51fun and safe way for kids to learn and
3:40:53play hockey. Today you are looking at
3:40:55resolution 26-715,
3:40:59which means approving a rental chiller
3:41:01for the ice rank. Without it, it cannot
3:41:04reopen. I hope that you all please vote
3:41:06yes. Thank you for your time.
3:41:13>> Emily,
3:41:14>> Emily, how old are you?
3:41:17>> 10.
3:41:19>> Amazing. Amazing.
3:41:22I got another potential replacement for
3:41:24my job. It's excellent.
3:41:28Always have to have a retirement plan.
3:41:30Uh 5.89. Jim
3:41:34Jim's not here. Sean, how old are you?
3:41:38>> What was that?
3:41:39>> How old are you?
3:41:41>> Do you want me to tell you? No,
3:41:43>> you don't have to.
3:41:44>> I'm going to be 56 this year.
3:41:47>> Oh, you're going to have his job real
3:41:48soon.
3:41:52Did you say 66?
3:41:54>> Um 5.90 and 5.91
3:41:58are duplicates of 5.81 and 82. So that
3:42:02will conclude our public speaking
3:42:04portion of the meeting.
3:42:06>> A motion.
3:42:09>> I wish it was that easy. Um all right,
3:42:13on to our petitions and communications.
3:42:15Any questions or comments on item 6.1
3:42:18through 6.20?
3:42:21Hearing none. Any questions or comments
3:42:23on office communications 7.1?
3:42:27Hearing none. Any com questions or
3:42:28comments on reported directors 8.1
3:42:30through 8.4?
3:42:34Hearing none. We are now on our claims
3:42:36and addendums number one and number two.
3:42:39We're going to be taking a vote on
3:42:40claims and addendums number one and
3:42:42number two. Council person Brooks. I and
3:42:44all.
3:42:45>> Council person Zupa.
3:42:47>> Hi.
3:42:48>> Council person Ephro.
3:42:49>> Hi.
3:42:50>> Council person Little.
3:42:51>> Hi.
3:42:52>> Council person Gilmore.
3:42:54>> Council person Singh.
3:42:55>> I.
3:42:56>> Council person Griffin.
3:42:57>> Hi.
3:42:58>> Council person Labaro.
3:42:59>> Hi.
3:43:00>> And council president Ridley.
3:43:02>> I.
3:43:03>> Claims and addendums number one and
3:43:04number two are approved unanimously. 90.
3:43:09Before I move on to the resolutions, I
3:43:12believe we're going to have a motion to
3:43:15withdraw 10.3 city resolution 26-685.
3:43:20Is that correct?
3:43:22>> 3.
3:43:25>> Are we withdrawing that or are we moving
3:43:27forward?
3:43:30>> Is is
3:43:32>> okay?
3:43:34I was
3:43:34>> out where the
3:43:35>> I was made aware that we were doing
3:43:37that, but if we're not, I can not take
3:43:39that motion.
3:43:42>> One second, Sean. I'm trying to see who
3:43:44submitted it. No, I know. But that
3:43:48Councilman Griffin, do you have a desire
3:43:50to remove it? It's yours,
3:43:52>> Elder. This one's mine.
3:44:02I I don't I don't recall wanting this
3:44:04removed.
3:44:05>> Okay. So, let's move forward. Sean. Oh,
3:44:08one second.
3:44:10>> Is a duplicate?
3:44:12>> Did it already?
3:44:13>> Oh, so Billy's informs informing us that
3:44:16we actually approved this resolution
3:44:18already. Re
3:44:19>> Okay. Motion. A motion to withdraw item
3:44:2310.3 city resolution 26-685 from the
3:44:26agenda was made by council president
3:44:29Ridley. I didn't hear who made the
3:44:31second.
3:44:32>> Gilmore.
3:44:33>> Gilmore.
3:44:36>> On the motion to withdraw item 10.3 from
3:44:38the agenda. Council person Brooks.
3:44:41>> I.
3:44:42>> Council person Zupa.
3:44:43>> Hi.
3:44:44>> Council person Ephos.
3:44:50Council person Ephro.
3:44:52>> Hi.
3:44:54>> Council person Little.
3:44:55>> Hi.
3:44:56>> Council person Gilmore.
3:44:58>> I.
3:44:58>> Council person Singh.
3:44:59>> I.
3:45:00>> Council person Griffin.
3:45:01>> Hi.
3:45:02>> Council person Labaro.
3:45:04>> I.
3:45:04>> And council president Ridley.
3:45:06>> I.
3:45:07>> Motion carries unanimously 90 to
3:45:10withdraw item 10.3 from the agenda.
3:45:13Okay. Council members, we're going to be
3:45:15taking a vote on items 10.1
3:45:18through 10.9 and 10.11
3:45:22with the exception of 10.3 which has
3:45:24been withdrawn. 10.10 is going to be
3:45:27we're going to take that vote
3:45:28individually on that one resolution.
3:45:33So again, it's 10.1 through 10.9 and
3:45:3610.11 with the exception of 10.3 which
3:45:40has been withdrawn. Council person
3:45:42Brooks. Um before I vote, I just want to
3:45:44thank all the tenants for coming out uh
3:45:47today. We heard you loud and clear. Um
3:45:50and I also want to thank uh prevailing
3:45:52centrist for coming out to defend
3:45:54landlords. Um I vote I on all. Thank
3:45:57you.
3:45:59>> Council person Zupa.
3:46:03>> Uh I'll vote I on all. Just want to say
3:46:06uh thank you to Mayor Solomon. He called
3:46:08me this afternoon before our meeting uh
3:46:10regarding the vehicle audit that I've
3:46:12been seeking for several months. Uh and
3:46:14I I understand we'll have some good news
3:46:16uh on that front very soon. Uh so I do
3:46:20vote I on all of the resolutions.
3:46:24Council person Efos,
3:46:26>> I vote I. Council person Little
3:46:29>> I.
3:46:30>> Council person Gilmore.
3:46:32>> Council person Singh.
3:46:34>> I vote I on uh all but 10.2. I want to
3:46:37say that there are a lot of businesses
3:46:39that are still not paying the payroll
3:46:41tax and I hope that the information uh
3:46:45will allow us to register more
3:46:47businesses and increase the amount
3:46:49collected. Thank you.
3:46:51>> You voted I on all correct?
3:46:53>> Yes.
3:46:53>> Thank you. Council person Griffin
3:46:55>> I.
3:46:56>> Council person Lavaro
3:46:58>> I.
3:46:59>> And Council President Ridley
3:47:01>> I. Items 10.1 through 10.9 and 11 are
3:47:06approved unanimously 90 with the
3:47:09exception of 10.3 which has been
3:47:11withdrawn.
3:47:13And on to item 10.10 city resolution
3:47:1626-692
3:47:18which is a resolution concerning the
3:47:21renewal renewing local support for
3:47:23downtown Flower LLC previously
3:47:25Oceanfront Holdings LLC to operate a
3:47:28class 5 retail cannabis business.
3:47:30Council Person Brooks.
3:47:33Um,
3:47:38uh, I appreciate the attorney
3:47:40representing the the business coming
3:47:42down tonight, um, and explaining the
3:47:44procedural history. Before I vote, um,
3:47:47can I just can we just get a fact check?
3:47:49Are the numbers in terms of the
3:47:51approvals? It was uni a unanimous
3:47:53approval from the cannabis board to to
3:47:55renew. That's accurate.
3:48:04Sorry, can you hear me? I believe that's
3:48:06accurate, but I we can do a quick quick
3:48:08check. Um I remember that is accurate,
3:48:11but let me double check.
3:48:13>> Okay. And
3:48:23>> Okay. Uh I'm going to I'm going to vote
3:48:26I to renew. Um, and my reason is,
3:48:30um, I see no reason on the record,
3:48:33publicly stated record to to oppose it.
3:48:38>> Council person Zupa,
3:48:39>> going to vote I. I appreciate the, uh,
3:48:41comments we received regarding um,
3:48:44workplace
3:48:45issues. Certainly encourage anyone
3:48:48feeling agrieved by the workplace to go
3:48:51uh, take leave of the legal system for
3:48:53which is the proper form for employee
3:48:55disputes.
3:48:57Um, I reviewed some Reddit posts, which
3:49:00of course is not gospel that we should
3:49:03rely on. Um, and also I'm sure there are
3:49:08many business owners whose
3:49:11political backgrounds and leanings are
3:49:13different than what I would prefer, but
3:49:15it's not for this council to to vote
3:49:17purely on that. So, I'll vote eye on on
3:49:19the renewal.
3:49:21>> Council person Efos.
3:49:23>> Um, I will still vote no. um based on
3:49:27the um you know not just one or two but
3:49:31multiple uh
3:49:33issues that and concerns that I
3:49:36perceived um that my council office
3:49:38received from uh workers alleging some
3:49:41really really concerning uh problems at
3:49:45the workplace. Um I raised this at
3:49:47council caucus on Monday um publicly and
3:49:52um yeah I I do not feel comfortable
3:49:55lending support based on those factors.
3:50:00>> Council person Little Corporation
3:50:01Council may have
3:50:02>> oh sorry a word on that.
3:50:05I I would just caution the council
3:50:07members to be specific in their reasons
3:50:10on the record for rejecting or um voting
3:50:14against this application. Um I wouldn't
3:50:17rely on your reasons on the record on
3:50:20Monday at caucus to transfer over to
3:50:22tonight.
3:50:24It doesn't present a clear record. So if
3:50:27you could be more specific with that.
3:50:30Um, just to to be clear, uh, what was
3:50:34alleged by a number of workers that
3:50:36reached out to our council office were
3:50:38patterns of abuse of management, abuse
3:50:40of of staff. Um, I note that I was
3:50:44public about this on on Monday. uh just
3:50:47to say that this is not the first time
3:50:48I'm bringing this up, but this issue has
3:50:50been raised publicly before. And if um
3:50:53there's an opportunity for management to
3:50:55to reach out to me um to try and correct
3:50:58the record, I I've not received any um
3:51:02note from anyone in management to try
3:51:04and correct any of that. Uh so I I stand
3:51:07by this reasoning.
3:51:12Council person Little.
3:51:15Um, you know, I I have also received um
3:51:20multiple members of the community
3:51:21reaching out in concern about this as
3:51:25well as a few in support of the
3:51:26business. Um but uh ultimately I I felt
3:51:31that the concerns raised by um by
3:51:35workers about conditions um being forced
3:51:38to work with no heat or hot water in the
3:51:41winter um with a with an infestation
3:51:44being forced to work while sick um being
3:51:46subject to racial slurs on the job. Um,
3:51:49these are allegations that I'm very
3:51:51deeply concerned about and um, so I'm
3:51:53I'm going to vote no because of the
3:51:55community concerns that have been
3:51:56brought to my attention.
3:51:59>> Council person Gilmore,
3:52:01>> I vote I um, the CCC uh, CCB board um,
3:52:07unanimously approve this um, renewal
3:52:10application. Um, I am a bit concerned as
3:52:14it relates to these alleged allegations
3:52:17or infractions, but I think there's a
3:52:20venue to address those. I don't think
3:52:22that's really uh within the preview of
3:52:24the council. Um, for those reasons, I'll
3:52:27vote eye on an application for renewal.
3:52:31>> Council person Singh.
3:52:32>> Um, I'll be voting yes on this renewal.
3:52:35And um the cannabis control board found
3:52:38that downtown flower has had no
3:52:40violation and no lawsuits that it
3:52:44continues to have positive impact on the
3:52:46community. It has opened
3:52:49uh 14 it is open on 141 Newark Avenue
3:52:53since council first supported it in
3:52:552022. I've heard a few complaints from
3:52:59staff members and I'll reach out to the
3:53:01health department to investigate those
3:53:03complaints about working conditions at
3:53:06the store. But when this business first
3:53:08came to the city, it promised to partner
3:53:11with Miracle Temple Church and my office
3:53:13spoke to the pastor Cherry today and she
3:53:16told us that downtown Flower has been
3:53:19great partner to Miracle Temple. Since
3:53:22there was no violation found and having
3:53:25confirmed their positive commute
3:53:26community impact, I vote yes with uh a
3:53:30few reservations. Thank you.
3:53:34Um, sorry. I just want to share the
3:53:36question um from council and Brooks. The
3:53:40cannabis control board um voted on June
3:53:4522nd, 2026. Um a vote of 601.
3:53:50So 6 yes, zero no, and one was absent.
3:53:54So majority. Yeah.
3:54:01Council person Griffin. Hi. Council
3:54:04Person Lavaro,
3:54:06>> I vote I.
3:54:07>> And Council President Ridley,
3:54:10>> I vote I. And um similar to my
3:54:13colleagues, uh I don't see uh reason for
3:54:17the city to um vote based off of the
3:54:21information provided uh from social
3:54:23media postings and from a lot of the
3:54:27what I'm reading seems to be former
3:54:29employees. Um, so I'm going to vote I
3:54:31along with the fact that um they have
3:54:34been diligent with communicating with
3:54:36their nonprofit uh partner.
3:54:40>> City resolution 26-692
3:54:43is approved 72 with council members Efro
3:54:46and Little voting no.
3:54:50Next set of resolutions items 10.12
3:54:53through 10.24.
3:54:55Again that's 10.12 through 10.24.
3:54:59Council Person Brooks
3:55:04>> first vote. Okay. Um before I vote, I
3:55:07just want to speak on item 10.18.
3:55:10Um I
3:55:13it's important that our um officers are
3:55:17safe and they have all the required
3:55:18equipment that they need. Um I'd like to
3:55:20see us find um potentially another
3:55:23funding source for this. Um I don't feel
3:55:27comfortable receiving um a gift from
3:55:32uh this particular entity. Um I know
3:55:35that the sergeant said that this may
3:55:37come back as a capital request. Um and
3:55:40maybe you know maybe that's more
3:55:42appropriate. Um so I am going to vote.
3:55:47Uh Sean, what are it's 10.12 through
3:55:49what?
3:55:50>> 24.
3:55:51>> 24. Um 10 point I'm going to vote I on
3:55:55all except for 10.18.
3:55:58>> You're voting no on 10.18.
3:56:01>> Correct.
3:56:03>> Thank you. Council person Zupa
3:56:05>> going to vote I on 10.12 to 1016.
3:56:10Voting no on 1017.
3:56:13I I I appreciate the developer wanted to
3:56:15give us $3,000, but this is a particular
3:56:18developer who uh doesn't build union,
3:56:21doesn't build affordable, and I'd rather
3:56:24him save his money so that he can pencil
3:56:26in affordable housing and union labor in
3:56:28his jobs. Uh I on 18, ION 19, I on 20.
3:56:32Congratulations to Councilman Lavaro and
3:56:34our Filipino community. Looking forward
3:56:36to celebrating uh October in perpetuity.
3:56:40Uh
3:56:42no on 21. This is not not a personal
3:56:45attack on this particular individual. I
3:56:47don't know this individual. Um his or
3:56:50her resume seemed impressive. I
3:56:52appreciate his willing to serve. We are
3:56:54in a massive historic deficit
3:56:59and crisis in Jersey City. We should
3:57:01have a hiring freeze on on new
3:57:03non-essential hires. Uh I will vote yes
3:57:06on 22, 23, and 24. But on 23, I will say
3:57:11that um I I know tax sales are are
3:57:15routinely done. I know they're part of
3:57:20the speaker said earlier are our that's
3:57:21how we make our money as a city is
3:57:22getting our our taxes paid, but we are
3:57:25not in usual times. Uh and while I did
3:57:27want to vote no, I am convinced based on
3:57:30the information provided today and
3:57:31throughout this week that uh the tax
3:57:33sale
3:57:35will be essential won't won't hurt our
3:57:37residents in a way that we feared. And I
3:57:39appreciate uh those of us up here,
3:57:42Council Navaro namely for trying to find
3:57:44ways to alleviate some of the burdens on
3:57:47our residents.
3:57:51Council person Efos
3:57:54>> before I just wanted to clarify on 10.14
3:57:57resolution 26696
3:58:00um there's a discrepancy between uh
3:58:03whether this is about the community
3:58:05center or the the pool at Persingfield
3:58:08um in the purpose of the resolution uh
3:58:12it references the Persingfield's pool
3:58:15but um in the council info request uh
3:58:19response um it looks like it's just
3:58:21relevant to the community center. So,
3:58:23could we just get clarity um on the
3:58:26record uh for where the HVAC uh repairs
3:58:30are actually going to be?
3:58:34>> So, you're asking about 10.14.
3:58:38>> Yes,
3:58:38>> there's another resolution that is
3:58:4010.33.
3:58:43Um
3:58:45I'm sorry. Um not the right one. You're
3:58:48asking about 10.14.
3:58:50>> Yes.
3:58:51>> If that is for the pool or if it's for
3:58:54>> I I believe based on the council info
3:58:56request, this is about the actual
3:58:58community center itself and not about
3:59:00the pool, but the purpose says the pool.
3:59:02So, I just wanted to be to be clear, we
3:59:05know where the money is going to which
3:59:07facility and we're not either doubling
3:59:10up on one facility or collecting the
3:59:13other.
3:59:17This is for the facility. Um, but let me
3:59:20What was the other information that you
3:59:22received that reflected the pool?
3:59:25>> Ju just to clarify
3:59:27um the discrepancy between whether this
3:59:29is the Persingfield
3:59:31Community Center as as was indicated
3:59:35um in the council info request or
3:59:37whether this was the pool. And if you
3:59:40need a minute, I'm happy to to take my
3:59:42vote on a couple other items. Um,
3:59:45>> yeah, let me just double check. I'm
3:59:46sorry.
3:59:47>> I Yeah, I I'll be voting no on 1017 and
3:59:51and 1018.
3:59:53Um,
3:59:55similar reasons, just don't feel
3:59:57comfortable taking these donations uh
3:59:59from these individuals. There's a lot of
4:00:03issues going on um that residents have
4:00:06concerns about. I don't feel comfortable
4:00:08uh taking donations from Cfield or or
4:00:12Lord Abeno at this time these reasons.
4:00:17On the rest I will vote I and um on the
4:00:22accelerated tax sale just similar uh to
4:00:25what my colleague Councilman Zupa said.
4:00:28Um
4:00:30yeah, I I understand that the
4:00:32accelerated language is very shocking
4:00:34language to some and um it is a yes
4:00:38routine and though this is not a routine
4:00:40year um I I think that it's necessary to
4:00:44budget for this in the 2026 budget um
4:00:47and I think we need to stick with that
4:00:50and and hold ourselves to that. Um I
4:00:53also have been trying to understand the
4:00:56consequences if we don't and um it seems
4:00:59like the consequence to the city would
4:01:01be pretty massive in terms of the
4:01:04fallout for you know what we would have
4:01:06to rebudget in for next year's um in
4:01:082027. Whereas for homeowners it it would
4:01:11make a very slight difference um when
4:01:14that tax sale could happen as soon as
4:01:16January as opposed to in December. So um
4:01:18I will vote eye on on the rest. No. On
4:01:2017 and 18. Um,
4:01:24but if there's an answer on 1014, it's
4:01:27great.
4:01:28>> Um, uh, council member, uh, based on my
4:01:32recollection from Director Donath, but
4:01:33also looking at the resolution, I
4:01:35believe it's one contract for two
4:01:38different things. One is the community
4:01:39center, but also the lobby entrance room
4:01:43where the staff are in the pool
4:01:45building. So it's it's two different
4:01:47systems but the same contractor.
4:01:50>> Thank you. Any clarity on communication
4:01:52is is very appreciated. We are getting a
4:01:54lot of questions about the um the new
4:01:57Monday closures of the Persingfield um
4:01:59pool. So I'm I'm voting yes. I want to
4:02:02get the HVAC systems set set up here and
4:02:05um get everything on Persing Field up
4:02:06and running as soon as possible.
4:02:07>> Yes. Just to clarify, it is separate.
4:02:09It's a separate matter from the closures
4:02:11on Monday.
4:02:12>> Understood. Just wanted to make sure
4:02:13that was clear to the public, too.
4:02:17Council person Little.
4:02:20Um I'm going to vote I for all. Um, for
4:02:24the municipal court, um, I want to, uh,
4:02:27note that in a previous rental
4:02:28protection special investigation
4:02:29committee hearing, we and I believe
4:02:31again in the budget hearings, we heard
4:02:33from the acting municipal prosecutor
4:02:35that, um, probably six more municipal
4:02:37prosecutors could pay for themselves um,
4:02:40or assistant municipal prosecutors um,
4:02:42because we have a backlog of something
4:02:45like 50,000 um,
4:02:48quality of life and housing violations
4:02:50in in our municipal court system. And so
4:02:52this could potentially be a revenue
4:02:54generating position. Um, you know,
4:02:57allowing the city to to follow through
4:02:59on enforcement and collect fines from
4:03:01bad actors. Um, and I also want to
4:03:05recognize the incredible uh
4:03:06FilipinoAmerican community here in
4:03:08Jersey City and wish everyone a happy
4:03:10Filipino American History Month.
4:03:14Council
4:03:15>> Person Gilmore.
4:03:21Um
4:03:23just just for clarity as it relates to
4:03:2722. Um so the word accelerate
4:03:32would essentially mean in this context
4:03:35to collect tax that was generated or due
4:03:38in the current year.
4:03:46>> Yes. I think y'all should um refrain
4:03:50from using that word because I I don't
4:03:52see anything associated with accelerate
4:03:55that means to have paid in the same
4:03:58year. Um but even given all of that um
4:04:03for I mean I'm taking my taking my
4:04:06council advice. I have to abstain
4:04:08because I have I have open leans on um
4:04:13family property that inherit or
4:04:15whatever. Um, I wanted to really vote
4:04:19no. Um, I still feel like going against
4:04:22my council advice. Um, because I
4:04:24honestly feel that if you're a
4:04:27homeowner, you have skin in the game
4:04:29regardless you vote for or against it.
4:04:31Like it it's the fault. So, um, in light
4:04:35of all that, out of pure caution and
4:04:39following, um, the council's attorney
4:04:42advice, I'll abstain from that. But I
4:04:45will say this, um, I think it's becoming
4:04:47of good government to have policies and
4:04:51procedures put in place as it relates to
4:04:54these different type of payment plans
4:04:56that should be afforded to the
4:04:58residents. When we're in unprecedented
4:05:01times, we have to take unprecedented
4:05:03measures. Um, and I think the
4:05:07administration u missed out on
4:05:09opportunity here as it relates to really
4:05:13homing in on trying to find every
4:05:17possible way for homeowners to um be
4:05:22able to
4:05:24afford the cost of living in Jersey
4:05:27City, namely via uh property taxes. Um
4:05:32so I will continue to work with
4:05:33administrations and my colleagues to
4:05:36ensure for if not this year definitely
4:05:39next year we have some form of
4:05:42application process in which residents
4:05:45can take um advantage of um so in light
4:05:50of all that I'll abstain on 22 23 is
4:05:55just a matter of how the actual sale is
4:05:58to transpire.
4:06:00Um, so I mean I I'll vote yes on that.
4:06:05Um, so I'll vote I on all and um
4:06:10abstaining on 22.
4:06:16>> Council person Singh. Um, I vote I on
4:06:201011 and I'm excited to see an expansion
4:06:23of the city bike share program and hope
4:06:26to see more city bikes in Greenville,
4:06:28Heights, Westside, and JSQ. I vote I on
4:06:3312 and 13.
4:06:35Um,
4:06:37I vote I on 10.14 and I want to be clear
4:06:41because I got couple of texts and emails
4:06:45about Persingfield.
4:06:47So um this project has nothing to do
4:06:50with pool being closed on Mondays. This
4:06:53is a separate issue and the decreation
4:06:56department told my office that Monday
4:06:58repairs are not are needed so that small
4:07:01problems do not turn into big ones that
4:07:04could shut the pool down for weeks and
4:07:06months at a time. And then I vote I on
4:07:0910 15 16 17
4:07:1318 19 and 20. Um, congratulations,
4:07:18Councilman Davaro. Um, I'm happy that
4:07:21you don't have to fight to celebrate
4:07:23your heritage. Um, and I vote I on 21
4:07:2822. Before I vote I, I
4:07:32I want to just say that I don't want to
4:07:35leave a hole in this year's budget that
4:07:37would have to fill with debt or another
4:07:40tax increase next year. But I know many
4:07:43homeowners are struggling with this
4:07:45year's increase. So before anyone's home
4:07:48ends up in tax sale, we should give them
4:07:51every chance to pay. I'm asking the
4:07:54administration to expand payment plans
4:07:57options for homeowners and I look
4:07:59forward working with them on it. I vote
4:08:02I on 1023
4:08:05and 1024.
4:08:07I'm glad to see the city pursuing grant
4:08:10funding to keep the Port Liberty Ferry
4:08:12because many of our residents actually
4:08:14rely on that ferry as we do not have
4:08:16path access there. Thank you, Sean.
4:08:19>> You got it. Council person Griffin.
4:08:25>> I'm going to vote I on all um and I just
4:08:28want to say 10:22, there's two things we
4:08:31need to work on. We need to work on
4:08:32changing the language for next year.
4:08:35um
4:08:37you know, accelerated is just not a good
4:08:40word for that. Um it shouldn't be in
4:08:43there. And um also, you know, like the
4:08:46councilman uh said, we need to, you
4:08:49know, we're we're counting on the BA, uh
4:08:52the mayor's office, and a tax collector
4:08:54to, you know, create a system to where
4:08:58people can um pay on a payment plan. Um,
4:09:03and you know,
4:09:06we got to at least, you know, show care
4:09:09for our residents in Jersey City. So,
4:09:13I on all Sean,
4:09:15>> Council Person Lavaro,
4:09:17>> I'm going to start with 10.22.
4:09:20Um,
4:09:22I raised a lot of questions and concerns
4:09:24and, you know, my I came into this
4:09:27really just uh concerned about the
4:09:29families that have been impacted by the
4:09:32recent tax increase. Um
4:09:36so so I want to start by just thanking
4:09:38the administration for their information
4:09:41and cooperation and working together on
4:09:42this um over the last two meetings and
4:09:48I estimate that roughly 700 to 800 owner
4:09:52occupied Jersey City homes will go into
4:09:54the tax sale. um
4:09:58in last year's sale about uh 465 of them
4:10:02owed less than one quarter average tax
4:10:05bill.
4:10:06Um
4:10:08and I also just want to say that I
4:10:10understand what is at stake for the
4:10:12city's budget. So without this sale,
4:10:15about $7 million of next year's budget
4:10:18capacity goes to covering taxes we
4:10:20didn't collect this year. Um,
4:10:24and I came into this thinking I was
4:10:26going to vote no. And um, but I
4:10:28appreciate the work and uh, that the
4:10:31administration um, and their
4:10:36expressed intent to continue working on
4:10:39this. So, tonight I will vote yes uh
4:10:42because the administration committed to
4:10:44working with uh, my office and the city
4:10:47council to see whether installment plans
4:10:49can be approved. um and for my
4:10:52intentions for owner occupied
4:10:53homeowners, one home at a time and not
4:10:57um an up to the date of the sale or the
4:10:59legally allowable deadline. Um and to be
4:11:03clear, not looking for a citywide
4:11:04program, just a path for individual
4:11:07families who are who may be falling
4:11:09behind. Um and so I thank the the
4:11:11mayor's office for that commitment. Um
4:11:14and I'll be following up on this. Um and
4:11:16and I just want to say one other thing
4:11:18is talked about the impacts and I think
4:11:21aware that there's an impact but I
4:11:23should also point out that in all the
4:11:26research found that there was no tax
4:11:28sale done in 2022 and uh and discovered
4:11:33that the budget did not get adopted till
4:11:35November 2022. Um um and so there was
4:11:39there was no tax sale there. no no
4:11:42accelerated tax sale because you can't
4:11:44accelerate it any faster than that,
4:11:45right? So, um so it fell into February
4:11:482023 as just a standard tax sale and
4:11:51kind of the sky didn't fall in uh fall
4:11:54down um in that case. Um that uh just
4:11:58something I kind of just discovered
4:11:59towards the end there. Um but but I do
4:12:02believe that the families in Jersey City
4:12:05um who may be uh a little behind here
4:12:08deserve a path to finding that out and
4:12:11not going through an investor who will
4:12:14buy their lean. So I'll continue to keep
4:12:16on working on that with the
4:12:17administration and thank them and vote
4:12:19yes on that. Um, and with that, I will
4:12:23say I vote yes on all and invite
4:12:25everyone to come out on next Wednesday,
4:12:29um, September 28th, uh, here in city
4:12:32hall to celebrate Filipino American
4:12:35History Month.
4:12:37Who I and all
4:12:39council president
4:12:40>> October 28th.
4:12:40>> October 28th. Yeah.
4:12:44>> October 28th, if you didn't hear that.
4:12:46Council P Council President Ridley. Uh I
4:12:49vote I for all and happy to celebrate
4:12:52with uh Councilman Lavaro Mabouhai.
4:12:59Okay, I'll try to recap. Um
4:13:04on items 10.12
4:13:06through 10
4:13:0817, no excuse me, 16 are approved
4:13:12unanimously 90. Item 10.17 is approved.
4:13:1672 with council members Zuper and Ephro
4:13:19voting no. Item 18 is approved also 72
4:13:25with council members Brooks and Efro
4:13:28voting no.
4:13:30Um items 10.19 and 20 are approved
4:13:34unanimously. 90. Item 10.21
4:13:38is approved eight.
4:13:42Nope. Yeah. 81 with council person Zuper
4:13:46voting no. Item 10.22 is approved. 8 01
4:13:53with council person Gilmore abstaining.
4:13:56On 1022 and items 1023 and 1024 are
4:14:00approved unanimously. 90.
4:14:04On to the balance of our resolutions.
4:14:06Items 10.25
4:14:09through 10.36.
4:14:12Council Person Brooks.
4:14:14>> Um before I vote, I before I vote, I
4:14:17just want to say um thank you to our
4:14:20hopefully uh incoming acting CFO Widia
4:14:24for her leadership on the Hispanic
4:14:27Heritage Month Committee. Um I vote I on
4:14:30all
4:14:32council person Zupa.
4:14:34>> All right. On 10:25,
4:14:36um just by way of background, the prior
4:14:38council voted to do
4:14:41an area of needs study. This is the
4:14:44result of that which the planning board
4:14:46determined that their county plaza which
4:14:48consists other than the county building
4:14:50itself consists of surface parking lots
4:14:53is in fact an area in need of study. I'm
4:14:55sorry in need of redevelopment uh
4:14:57without condemnation. Uh this is county
4:15:00owned land. The city does not own any
4:15:03any inch of this land. Uh, so this is
4:15:05our our role would be to to review and
4:15:09vote on a redevelopment plan, which is
4:15:10the next step. I got some comments both
4:15:13on social media and by email with
4:15:15concerns about this. Um, there have in
4:15:18fact been community meetings. I
4:15:20co-hosted two of them. Uh the fourth one
4:15:23will be next Tuesday, October 28th,
4:15:26after which we'll come celebrate
4:15:27Filipino Heritage Month with Councilman
4:15:29Lavaro, but it'll be at County Plaza at
4:15:326 p.m.
4:15:34Uh and I'll I'll post a flyer. I know
4:15:36the county executive's office is also
4:15:38highlighting that there will be many
4:15:40more meetings to come. So yes on 25, yes
4:15:43on 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32,
4:15:50uh just on 33. Hopefully this is is the
4:15:54end of a long saga to keep the ice rank
4:15:56open. Uh which has gone on for many
4:15:59years which preceded this council. Uh so
4:16:01thank you to the administration for
4:16:02putting in the the effort there. I on
4:16:0533.
4:16:07Uh I'll also vote I on 34, 35, and 36.
4:16:10But I I do
4:16:13>> 36. Yeah. Next page. Um I I I do want to
4:16:17note some disappointment not with with
4:16:19Wakitty as our our next or acting CFO,
4:16:22but more so that uh when this council
4:16:25voted on the salary ordinance increase
4:16:27in increase the the salary in the
4:16:29ordinance at the beginning of our term,
4:16:32it was very specific that we were we
4:16:34were to attract not just top level
4:16:36talent but the top level talent that
4:16:38that our past CFO and finance director
4:16:40Bill Vicaro brought. Uh again, this is
4:16:43nothing against our our new new acting
4:16:45finance director over whom the council
4:16:47does not vote. Uh but but to pay anyone
4:16:51who does not have those years of
4:16:53experience or those relationships with
4:16:54the state or with DCA in a time of
4:16:58crisis
4:17:00is is foolish to do and and bless you.
4:17:03And and we're not prepared for for the
4:17:05the budget crisis that we're going to
4:17:06see next year. Uh and again I encourage
4:17:08administration to be very cautious with
4:17:10our salaries and with hiring practices.
4:17:17>> Council person Ephro.
4:17:20>> I am voting eye on all on uh 26712.
4:17:25Really excited anytime we get to make
4:17:28sure right to council program gets
4:17:29funding. Um 26715.
4:17:34Um, Emily, excited for you to get some
4:17:36ice time this winter. So, thank you for
4:17:38coming out to speak and staying this
4:17:39whole time. So, um, but I agree with
4:17:42Councilman Zupa. Really hoping that this
4:17:44is the kind of end of the rental period
4:17:46of the chiller and that we can get a
4:17:48permanent one as soon as possible. Um,
4:17:51thanks I believe Councilwoman Little and
4:17:54administration for working on 27 uh
4:17:5626718
4:17:58um for the community mental health
4:18:00crisis response and to all the advocates
4:18:03who have been pushing for this for years
4:18:05and years this past two. I on council
4:18:10person little
4:18:12>> um I'm going to vote I on all um for
4:18:1410.25 25. Um, I've been advocating for
4:18:18building social housing on this
4:18:20county-owned parking lot since early
4:18:222023, and I am so thrilled to see the
4:18:27county administration moving this
4:18:28forward. Um, I think it's a much better
4:18:30use of the land. Um, and you know, look
4:18:33forward I've been to some of the your
4:18:35public community meetings already and
4:18:36look forward to attending future ones as
4:18:38well.
4:18:40Um, 10.29 and 1030. um you know, happy
4:18:44to support uh you know, our our social
4:18:47workers and and outreach for for
4:18:50unhoused and vulnerable populations as
4:18:52well as um right to counsel for for
4:18:55eligible tenants.
4:18:57Um for 10.36,
4:19:00um I did I I I wanted to say I'm I'm
4:19:04proud to present this resolution
4:19:05authorizing competitive contracting for
4:19:07our community crisis response
4:19:09initiative. Um, this updated RFP will be
4:19:13a direct reflection of our community's
4:19:15voice. We took the time to hold
4:19:17extensive meetings to integrate feedback
4:19:19from our local faith leaders, mental
4:19:21health advocates, city health officials,
4:19:23and lived experience representatives and
4:19:25family members, particularly of Drew
4:19:27Washington. And once we wrapped up those
4:19:31community meetings and set our path
4:19:32forward, it simply took time to work
4:19:34through the final contract and release
4:19:36mechanics with HHS corporation council
4:19:38and the business administrator. I want
4:19:41to address the reason this is a late
4:19:42item is that um there is a sense of
4:19:45urgency because uh we cannot wait till
4:19:47the next council meeting to hit this
4:19:49strict timeline. This RFP must be
4:19:51released as soon as possible to allow
4:19:53for its mandatory 20-day public
4:19:55advertising window um and still have a
4:19:58start time that will get these response
4:19:59teams out in the field, ideally before
4:20:01the winter holidays, which is a known
4:20:03peak season for mental health crisis and
4:20:06which was a timeline set in consultation
4:20:08with the community. Um so that is our
4:20:11goal. Um and that is why this is a late
4:20:13item tonight. So um I thank my council
4:20:15colleagues for considering it. Um I
4:20:18would like to highlight that this
4:20:19resolution is only authorizing the use
4:20:21of competitive contracting for this RFP
4:20:24which is a necessary step in releasing
4:20:26the RFP. Uh this resolution is not for
4:20:29approval of the RFP itself. Uh we have
4:20:33worked with HHS legal and the BA and I I
4:20:36thank you for your efforts on this and
4:20:39um they have had a chance to vet this
4:20:40resolution and they are behind it. So, I
4:20:43respectfully ask for your support and
4:20:44your vote tonight. And um I thank my
4:20:47council colleagues for for your
4:20:49consideration. I thank the community for
4:20:51your advocacy. Justice for Drew.
4:20:55>> Council person Gilmore.
4:20:58>> Council person Singh.
4:20:59>> Um I vote I on 2526. Councilwoman
4:21:04Little, congratulations. Uh and thank
4:21:07you for the work. Um sorry Sean. I vote
4:21:11I on 2728
4:21:1429 um 29. I want to say that um of
4:21:18course I'm voting yes that mobile
4:21:19hygiene unit gives our most vulnerable
4:21:22neighbors a shower and a little dignity.
4:21:25Garden State CDC already runs housing
4:21:27program for the city. So I hope this
4:21:30partnership helps u move more people
4:21:33from the street into stable homes and I
4:21:35look forward to hearing how many people
4:21:38this program reaches. I vote I on 10:30
4:21:42and I want to say that we really need
4:21:45funding more money for uh for uh right
4:21:49to council especially around this time
4:21:51because lot of lot of people are losing
4:21:55their houses and because landlords are
4:21:58passing the rent to the tenants. So I
4:22:00think we really want to make sure that
4:22:02they have enough funding. I vote I on
4:22:0431, 32, 33. I want 33 and 34. And I want
4:22:10to say congratulations to Widia. I have
4:22:13seen her working really hard and um I
4:22:16really wish her good luck.
4:22:19And I'm done.
4:22:23>> 35 and 36
4:22:27>> for that one. I would know
4:22:29>> I on 35 and 36. I vote no for wait no no
4:22:34no Sean don't
4:22:37Frank's broker
4:22:41sold it
4:22:42>> yes 35 yes I don't see 36 on my
4:22:46>> said yes the next page
4:22:49>> she has an agenda like mine I don't have
4:22:5036 items
4:22:51>> I put a brand new agenda on um yes for
4:22:5436 somehow I lost that page okay
4:22:58>> item I on all right council person
4:23:01Griffin Yeah.
4:23:02>> Um for 1025, I'm going to vote I. Um I
4:23:08think this is a a a great step forward,
4:23:12especially um in a community that that I
4:23:14advocate for
4:23:16um a lot. Um
4:23:20good to see you back, Jeff. Um Jeff and
4:23:24I, we
4:23:26studied that that uh property a long
4:23:29time ago. Um, so this is a great day uh
4:23:33for that. Um, everything else I'm going
4:23:36to vote I. Um, thank you Lena for
4:23:39pushing forward this um, say Lena Elena
4:23:43for pushing this uh, resolution forward.
4:23:47Oh,
4:23:51and I said I I I I congratulations
4:23:54Wakita.
4:23:57Council President Lavaro.
4:24:00>> Yeah. On 10.25, Bill, Jeff. Uh, and
4:24:04congratulations. Looking forward to
4:24:06working with you. Um, and we'll see
4:24:08what, uh, we can do here. And um I'm
4:24:11looking forward to an abundance of
4:24:13affordable housing come out of this this
4:24:15development opportunity. Um on 10.29, I
4:24:19just uh want to say thank you to the
4:24:22director um for moving swiftly to work
4:24:25closely with uh and establish this um
4:24:28with Garden State CDC. Um it's
4:24:31absolutely necessary if we're going to
4:24:33provide um services to address our
4:24:36unhoused population here in Jersey City.
4:24:38Um on 10.30 30. Glad to see this uh
4:24:43contract going through an amendment and
4:24:46providing the necessary resources to
4:24:48protect our tenants here in Jersey City
4:24:50and provide them the right to council
4:24:52program. Um
4:24:54and then um on 10.33
4:24:58I just want to say um I I believe this
4:25:01is a temporary fix. Is that right? So
4:25:05looking forward to a permanent fix here
4:25:07and finding the the capital dollars. Um
4:25:10and I don't know if I know the broken
4:25:13record thing on CDBG if the permanent
4:25:17fix is possible to get in that uh that
4:25:19CDBG 11 million that we have to spend
4:25:22down. Um and then on um 10.34
4:25:27um ju just a comment about uh uh I'll
4:25:31reiterate what what Councilman Zupa said
4:25:33which is uh the salaries and wages um
4:25:36while certainly the combined salaries
4:25:38and wages are less than the CFOs uh the
4:25:41outgoing CFOs total um
4:25:46I think we need to be more um judicious
4:25:49and just look at these opportunities to
4:25:52be able to um save money. I think uh
4:25:56numbers may may have come in a little
4:25:57high. Um but I'm not going that doesn't
4:25:59affect this appointment. It's uh um but
4:26:03we should probably be looking at again
4:26:04the uh the salary ordinance to um look
4:26:09at trying to curtail our salary
4:26:13expenditures here in Jersey City as we
4:26:15have another trying budget cycle. Um,
4:26:18I'll vote yes on all the rest.
4:26:21Everything.
4:26:25>> I on all.
4:26:26>> I know all.
4:26:27>> Thank you. Council President Ridley.
4:26:31>> I will add for all.
4:26:35>> Items 10.25 through 10.36 are approved
4:26:39unanimously. 90.
4:26:42>> Can I say Emily Diller? Congratulations.
4:26:47This magic happened because you came
4:26:49tonight to speak about it, right?
4:26:55>> Second.
4:26:55>> Okay, we have a motion. Kids are the
4:26:58best.
4:26:58>> What?
4:26:59>> I said word be kids are the best.
4:27:01>> Motion to adjourn at 10:32 p.m. was made
4:27:05by council person Gilmore. Who made the
4:27:08second?
4:27:10Council person Singh. on the motion to
4:27:13adjourn at 10:32 p.m. All council
4:27:16members present by acclamation, please
4:27:18say I. I.