1 1 HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF NEWARK 2 NEWARK, NEW JERSEY 3 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021 4 x--------------------------------x 5 IN THE MATTER OF: * 6 THE REGULAR MEETING * TRANSCRIPT 7 OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY * OF 8 OF THE CITY OF NEWARK * PROCEEDINGS 9 Commencing at 5:00 p.m. * 10 x--------------------------------x 11 HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF NEWARK 12 500 BROAD STREET 13 NEWARK, NEW JERSEY 14 B E F O R E: 15 HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF NEWARK 16 EDDIE OSBORNE, President 17 MARTINIQUE COSTA, Commissioner 18 FAUSTO BAEZ, Commissioner 19 NORMA GONZALEZ, Commissioner 20 BRIAN LOGAN, Commissioner 21 ALIF MUHAMMAD, Commissioner 22 23 24 ANTHONY HOFMANN, C.C.R. 25 LICENSE NO. XIO1854 2 1 PROFESSIONAL STAFF: 2 3 VICTOR CIRILO, Executive Director 4 KATIA OLIVEIRA, Executive Assistant 5 ELIO MENA, Counsel 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 3 1 I N D E X 2 PAGE 3 Opening Statement 5 4 Public Participation 5 By: Kim Barnes 8 6 By: Anna Bell 12 7 By: Myrna Brown 16 8 By: Dellon Garraway 20 9 By: Dr. Ronald Slaughter 25 10 By: Roosevelt Donat 33 11 By: Carolyn Whigham 36 12 By: Isaac Thomas, Jr. 39 13 By: Nyla Ham 42 14 By: Rev. Reginald Clark 43 15 By: Faith Edgar 46 16 By: Vivian Carter 47 17 By: Monroe Johnson 49 18 By: Kevin Waters 51 19 By: Nicole Smith 55 20 By: Wonder Henderson 56 21 By: Troyce Dunson 59 22 By: Josephine Horton 60 23 By: Cory Cuffee 62 24 By: Mack Brown 63 25 By: Teresa Burney 63 4 1 By: Jonnie Cannon 65 2 By: Gerald Pratt 66 3 4 Items for Approval 69 5 6 RESOLUTIONS PAGE 7 H-1-4 and H-6 71 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 5 1 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: The 5:00 o'clock 2 meeting will now come to order. Can I get a roll 3 call. 4 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, we will 5 read the Open Public Meetings Act. As required by 6 N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 known as the Open Public Meetings 7 Act, notice of this meeting was provided in the 8 following manner. On December 30, 2020 notice of 9 the meeting specifying the date, time and location 10 was transmitted to the Star Ledger, El Nuevo Coqui 11 and to the Clerk of the City of Newark. 12 The roll call is as follows, 13 Commissioner Logan. Commissioner Logan. 14 Commissioner Baez. Commissioner Baez. 15 Commissioner Costa. 16 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Here. 17 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 18 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Present. 19 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Muhammad. 20 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Here. 21 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 22 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Here. 23 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, we have a 24 quorum. 25 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Baez is here 6 1 too. 2 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: At this time we are 3 going to move into Executive Session. 4 MR. CIRILO: We will return. We will 5 pause the live feed and the Board of Commissioners 6 are going to go into Executive Session and we will 7 return after the pending matters. 8 We will entertain a motion to go into 9 Executive Session. 10 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Motion. 11 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I will second. 12 MR. CIRILO: On the matter to go into 13 Executive Session. 14 Commissioner Costa. 15 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 16 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 17 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 18 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Muhammad. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 20 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 21 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 22 MR. CIRILO: The matter passes. 23 (Whereupon, the Commissioners went 24 into Executive Session.) 25 (Whereupon, the Commissioners 7 1 reconvened into Public Session.) 2 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, we are 3 coming back from Executive Session. We will take 4 roll call. 5 Commissioner Logan. 6 Commissioner Baez. 7 Commissioner Costa. 8 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Here. 9 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 10 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Present. 11 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Muhammad. 12 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Here. 13 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 14 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Present. 15 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, we have a 16 quorum. 17 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: At this time the 18 matter of Saint James Church is under review and we 19 are not going to act. We don't have a legal 20 opinion, legal review completed. We need clearance 21 from the state and from HUD. We look forward to 22 your comments. 23 MR. CIRILO: We are going to move onto 24 public participants. 25 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Let's move to 8 1 public participants. 2 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the first 3 speaker that we have on the list is Ms. Kim Barnes, 4 147 Riverside Court. 5 MS. BARNES: Good evening, 6 Commissioners, guests and extinguished audience, Kim 7 Barnes, 147 Riverside Court. I came before this 8 committee, this body last month with issues and 9 concerns with the mice infestation that I had and 10 it's been abated at the present. I did do a walk 11 through with Khalif Thomas and he seen some issues, 12 but now my concern is since they did my row they 13 need to move on to the rest of the complex because 14 they are complaining too. 15 The next thing that I wanted to say is 16 I want to know if the Commissioners are aware of. 17 Are we, is your agency a part of NAHRO? That is a 18 question that needs to be answered. 19 Secondly, I had questions that I had 20 put before this Board and it was saying that the 21 Commissioners are supposed to -- we don't supposed 22 to know who the Commissioners are. I think we do as 23 residents of the City of Newark. We need to know 24 who is representing us and the answer I got was that 25 NHA if you need to direct anything, direct it to NHA 9 1 staff and you can get that directly from the Board 2 of Commissioners individually. I don't think so 3 because I did invite everybody on this Board to meet 4 my residents. Nobody came -- they did come, but it 5 was disrespectful because y'all had a Board of 6 Commissioners meeting in the next room and I asked 7 would y'all come over. Y'all got out of the 8 meeting, y'all never came over. We need to know who 9 is representing us, that is a fact. 10 Thirdly, we have maintenance issues. 11 I know that there are some things going on in NHA 12 that beyond y'all control right about now, but it's 13 been stated that y'all going to start doing hiring 14 after the 30th and y'all need to really closely look 15 at those people that work at recreation centers for 16 Waterfront, the TREC, the Clubhouse who has no 17 benefits whatsoever. Y'all need to start with them 18 first and hire them full-time because they have 19 kids. They end up paying their income tax at the 20 end of the year and then, okay, what, but y'all not 21 compensating them for their time and they have spent 22 in this company for this agency over five years and 23 you still got them part-time. How does that work? 24 Come on now, fair is fair all the way around the 25 board. 10 1 Lastly, with my two minutes, lastly 2 Section 8. I have been getting complaints for not 3 just people -- I advocate for everybody, public and 4 private, okay and on the public side -- private side 5 I was standing here before you because of my 6 granddaughter who my son has moved into his own 7 apartment. They have no heat. It was inspected. 8 There is a baby, she's a year old now. She has to 9 come to my house because it ain't there. They don't 10 have no heat and no hot water. What is NHA doing to 11 compensate these people, the landlord and these 12 people y'all sending them money and the residents 13 are paying their part. Y'all need to go behind 14 these landlords and checking up on them to bring 15 them up to code because y'all allowing them to rent 16 these apartments and it is not fair. 17 Thank you. 18 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Ms. Brown. 19 MS. BARNES: I'm Ms. Barnes. 20 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I'm sorry, I 21 should know that. The Section 3 you are talking 22 about, the Section 3 workers? 23 MS. BARNES: Yeah, and they are rude 24 too. 25 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I am talking 11 1 about the Section 3 workers that you said are 2 working. 3 MS. BARNES: Yes, that is what I am 4 talking about. 5 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Somebody has 6 to sit down and explain to you what that is about. 7 It is like a stipend. 8 MS. BARNES: I know what the program 9 is about, but you have these people, you are hiring 10 them part-time and with the promise that you are 11 going to hire them full-time. 12 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I don't know 13 whoever said that. 14 MS. BARNES: Ask Marquese Lewis. 15 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: You said the 16 mice. E.D., I don't understand why, we just did the 17 row of people when we should do the whole thing 18 because if you don't do the whole thing, they are 19 going to come right back to you. 20 MR. CIRILO: We will follow up. 21 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: The Section 8, 22 Duane is here so he heard you. 23 MS. BARNES: I know. I get with him 24 too and I thank Khalif and Commissioner Gonzalez for 25 walking the property. 12 1 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Khalif I told 2 you is a good guy. 3 MS. BARNES: He's got to get to know 4 Ms. Barnes. I want to thank NHA security for 5 Halloween safety night. They were there and so was 6 Commissioner Gonzalez. Thank y'all very much. 7 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the next 8 speaker is Anna Bell at 839 Frelinghuysen Avenue. 9 She is on Zoom. 10 MS. BELL: Hello. 11 MR. CIRILO: Hi, we can hear you. 12 MS. BELL: Okay, this is Anna Bell. I 13 am very upset. I cannot trust no one in NHA. I had 14 an incident last month where I went to the super to 15 tell them about one of his workers. Do you know the 16 man brought the guys up to my apartment and only 17 thing they did with him was give him one day of 18 suspension. 19 Now, I talked to Mr. Tyrone Broner of 20 security. Now, what I said to him was supposed to 21 stay between me and him. He told his whole staff 22 everything I said including my name. I have been 23 fighting with y'all about this confidentiality 24 clause. These people are putting me in harm's way 25 and my sister is not going to stand for it. If 13 1 something happens to me down here, somebody is going 2 to have to answer to her. I cannot live in fear at 3 my own site. What is y'all going to do about it. I 4 want an answer now. I don't want nobody to get 5 suspended for one day. My life is at stake down 6 here. I don't have anybody to protect me. Is y'all 7 coming down here to walk me in and out when I have 8 to do what I got to do. I want answers and I want 9 the change and I want some change now. My whole 10 family is worried about me because NHA do not follow 11 their confidentiality code. Who is going to walk me 12 home tonight? Answer me. Hello, somebody needs to 13 answer me because I have to live here and I'm sick 14 and tired of putting my life on the line. I can't 15 tell them anything. 16 I have a right as a vice-president of 17 the tenant association to report anything that is 18 going on at my site. They cannot go back and say my 19 name. Who is going to protect me with NHA going 20 back and violating the confidentiality. People 21 coming up to my door. Are you guys serious, one day 22 suspension. I'm a sick black female and the super 23 and his worker comes to my door. Are you guys 24 serious. I want something done and I want it done 25 quick because now I'm on pins and needles because 14 1 Mr. Broner told his whole staff what I told him and 2 I had a right to tell him. This is my site and if I 3 can't tell it to NHA, who do I tell it to. Who is 4 going to protect me down here. 5 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Ms. Anna Bell, at 6 this time I will ask Captain Broner to come up and 7 investigate it and follow up and make sure that you 8 are safe. 9 CAPTAIN BRONER: Good evening, 10 Commissioners. Ms. Anna Bell, I really don't know 11 what she's talking about as far as discussing -- 12 MS. BELL: Excuse me, sir, I do not 13 mean to cut you off. Your guard from 4:00 to 14 8:00 that was in my building yesterday told me you 15 told your whole staff. 16 CAPTAIN BRONER: I don't know why he 17 told you that. 18 MS. BELL: He wasn't in uniform and 19 she was on the phone and I came downstairs to get a 20 food order and my neighbor called my name out and 21 she said, oh, you're the one told our Board that we 22 don't do masks, we are not signing in people and we 23 are sitting on our phones, directly what I told you. 24 You cannot deny that. Who is going to keep me safe 25 because you are not doing your job. I can't tell 15 1 NHA nothing. 2 CAPTAIN BRONER: Ms. Anna Bell, 3 firstly, I can speak with you every other day 4 privately and we talked and what you told me is 5 confidential. If it is a problem with the security 6 guard, I will discuss -- 7 MS. BELL: You told me and you know 8 you told it. That girl told me word for word and 9 that is the same thing I told you. 10 CAPTAIN BRONER: Ms. Anna Bell, if it 11 is a problem with the security guard, I will address 12 it with the security company and -- 13 MS. BELL: How does a guard even know 14 word for word what I said to you? 15 CAPTAIN BRONER: Ms. Anna Bell, I have 16 no way of -- 17 MS. BELL: You cannot give me an 18 explanation of that. You cannot deny that. 19 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Let us investigate 20 this and then we will get back to you, all right. 21 CAPTAIN BRONER: I will look into it. 22 MS. BELL: Who is going to keep me 23 safe? 24 CAPTAIN BRONER: I will look into it, 25 Ms. Anna Bell. We speak every day. We spoke 16 1 earlier today in reference to a community meeting 2 tomorrow. She never brought this up to me earlier 3 today and that is the first that I am hearing of it. 4 I will look into it. 5 MS. BELL: I am not having it. You 6 are going to keep me safe if it means you got to go 7 down with me, Bro. 8 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Thank you. 9 MS. BROWN: Myrna Brown, I'm right 10 here, good evening, everyone. I have a couple of 11 questions. First of all, I was listening to y'all 12 meet on live last week. It was very -- I was so 13 shocked. It was so un-- I don't even know what to 14 say. I was with my mouth open at home with the 15 conduct that the Commissioners, the E.D. what y'all 16 was discussing, that's not what we do to represent. 17 Y'all representing us and then y'all come when we 18 come up here like that. It is an issue, but then 19 you have to be a teacher. You are a teacher. You 20 put up there know how to conduct yourself and put in 21 order how to respect people and what needs to be 22 done. Y'all was publicly open. Nobody, no 23 disrespect to nobody what I am about going to say. 24 We are all grown here. We are all bosses. We our 25 boss, then you the boss, then the E.D., that is how 17 1 this stuff goes because I think that was very 2 unprofessional. 3 I don't know if she asked y'all about 4 NAHRO. I know last year I asked you y'all was going 5 to fail so you wasn't with NAHRO. Y'all need some 6 training and the first training y'all need is code 7 of professional conduct. Y'all supposed to be able 8 to sit down and discuss these things that is going 9 on in here. These resolutions coming in, these 10 people want property, these people want money from 11 you in a conduct situation that benefits us more so 12 and they are not here to just get this money. Some 13 of these resolutions I'm seeing I don't care if it 14 is from the City, from a private contractor, from a 15 sports person, you got to think about us as 16 residents. You removed us from places that we live 17 because you couldn't take care of the place. Now, 18 you are tearing it down paying somebody to come and 19 tear it down. Now, they building up, but they ain't 20 putting us in it. Now, one of them put a cineplex, 21 the stores, they ain't going to hire none of our 22 tenants. It is supposed to be to make them self 23 sufficient. How y'all going to make the tenants 24 self sufficient when you are not putting them in 25 those situations to do it. 18 1 Section 3 is good, but everybody need 2 a job. If y'all put people at work, you won't owe 3 so much money because the rent be so high they have 4 to pay. You are paying off more. Not helping the 5 people. The other thing is your special project 6 Woodlawn Village, you still got nine units that is a 7 forty-nine unit property. Ain't been done yet. It 8 take a year and a half for Local 55 to go in there 9 and re-do. What they doing? Who has that property? 10 Who the nine people paying rent to because if they 11 living free, we all need to be living free. Who is 12 getting their money? Who collects their rent? I 13 don't think it's fair to the people and it is not 14 fair, not thinking, I know it's not fair. 15 Bergen Street Village. Move Bergen 16 and Foushee Towers. Y'all told them people I can't 17 take care of it. Y'all got to move. Section 8 will 18 put them somewhere else, but now you got someone 19 invested in it and the people are just at a loss. I 20 have to go somewhere else and find me somewhere. 21 That is unacceptable. That is unacceptable. Who is 22 building on Bergen Street? Last month y'all said 23 the City was helping you tear down Seth Boyden. You 24 never mentioned Bergen Street Village because that 25 was part of the project that you sent to HUD for 19 1 those four sites that you tore down, took out, but I 2 would like to know and I have a right to know. 3 I will let everybody know Anna Bell is 4 my sister, sure enough right. I'm telling y'all and 5 said it before everybody whether it is my sister or 6 another tenant, that is unacceptable. Your staff 7 has been going on too long that they have been 8 giving out people confidentiality stuff. That is 9 what the association do, they help you to make sure 10 the property is right and what needs to be done. 11 You don't go back and say, oh, Mr. Muhammad said you 12 didn't pay your rent. That's not it. I go to the 13 manager, we do have confidential rights and, yes, 14 y'all know the areas that is bad down there. That 15 is a bad area. Like I told Mr. Rouse, I will be 16 there before the police and anybody else. My sister 17 is sick and I'm going to call her. She need to get 18 off this because y'all not going to kill my sister 19 or have someone else do it. You get with your 20 staff. Since she been there, every staff been there 21 had a situation where they tell somebody to come 22 back to her. What she go and tell them whether it 23 is a personal problem or being an advocate for 24 residents. If it happened to us, it is going to 25 happen to somebody else, but that person may not 20 1 speak up. So we need to do something and I want to 2 know what was the decision that y'all came to about 3 my sister. So you all know who I am. You can give 4 me a call because I will be following through and it 5 is another level to go through. We ain't got to be 6 balance. There is too much going on in the City 7 now. Let's not have that to be. We should be able 8 to straighten it out in a better manner in a better 9 way. I am not saying somebody should lose their 10 job, but maybe put them somewhere else, not just put 11 them somewhere else, teach them how to do what they 12 are supposed to do, respect, conduct and how to 13 carry yourself being in these positions you are 14 putting them in. 15 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Thank you, 16 Ms. Brown, your time is up. 17 Who is the next speaker? 18 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the next 19 speaker is Dellon Garraway, 445 Mount Prospect 20 Avenue. 21 MR. GARRAWAY: Good afternoon, 22 everyone. For the last time I was here I was really 23 concerned. I had a lot of concerns just about the 24 way our living conditions were being perceived. I 25 didn't feel like there was enough urgency and after 21 1 I met with you last time, Mr. Duane Knight has 2 literally I believe done everything in his power to 3 try to bring some solution. Mr. Duane Knight 4 provided an abundance of resources to start the 5 search process because it is really a danger being 6 in the apartment. But it's really been hard because 7 both Duane Knight and myself has come to the 8 conclusion that the unit that we need is just not 9 available. As you know, my mom is disabled and I 10 have a nine year old sister so we need a specific 11 type of unit and it is not a good time. Of course, 12 we are continuing to look. 13 The situation is we are still in this 14 current unit Section 8 has abated since August. 15 Since that abatement, no repairs has been done, not 16 one. The management company has not been in contact 17 with us, nothing at all. But what has happened is 18 the unit continued to deteriorate so at this time we 19 have separating walls. The walls are literally 20 separating. The ceiling is caving. We have hanging 21 light switches in my sister's room, in the bathroom, 22 just a continuum of life threatening situations that 23 could cause a catastrophe. 24 In addition to that, on October 24 our 25 water for the entire building was shut off which was 22 1 agreed upon by the Board of Utility. So it seems as 2 though the management company is over ten thousand 3 dollars in debt with utility so they shut off our 4 water for the entire building for an entire day. 5 These are the continuing situations that we are 6 living in and, of course, I am looking for a unit as 7 hard as I can. Mr. Knight, I include him in the 8 e-mails when I am reaching out to the landlord and 9 the management companies. He's helped me create 10 like a family profile so when I reach out they know 11 exactly who we are and what we are looking for and 12 he can attest to that, but the fact of the matter is 13 I feel like my family's life is really in danger. I 14 feel like the walls can come cave in or the ceiling 15 can come falling at any time. My sister is nine. 16 She's using the bathroom, she has to constantly 17 remember not to touch the light switch kind of 18 thing. We have holes in the wall, literally holes 19 where I think it would be Sheetrock behind. I am 20 not a professional, but there is dust consistently 21 coming out of all the holes in the wall. 22 Now, Mr. Knight has gotten me to 23 understand that Section 8 has done everything they 24 can and the landlord is not budging. So now I need 25 some assistance with really getting code enforcement 23 1 involved because it seems like that is the only 2 option I have to really get something moving because 3 I absolutely do not believe the building I am living 4 in should be operational. It shouldn't even be 5 open. I have been trying so hard to get the right 6 agencies involved to do the correct assessments to 7 make sure that my walls wouldn't fall on me while I 8 am inside and that's been so hard. It's gotten to 9 the point where code enforcement hasn't even been 10 responding to my recent complaints. The last time I 11 heard from code enforcement was the beginning of the 12 summer. At that time they informed me that my 13 building had accumulated over eleven hundred 14 complaints for the year in the beginning of the 15 summer. Not once have I been followed up with a 16 report or outcome for any of the complaints that I 17 filed with code enforcement. 18 So I really need some help I guess to 19 get this ball rolling and see what kind of answers 20 code enforcement could provide and really just 21 assure me that this building should be operational 22 and open. So that's why I am really here. I am 23 looking for additional help in addition to 24 everything Mr. Knight has been able to do for me. 25 Finally, as you know we have been 24 1 looking, right, and coming up on December 12 will be 2 the final extension for my mother's voucher which 3 means if we don't find a unit by -- December 29, I'm 4 sorry, we will lose the voucher completely. So that 5 is another concern of mine because the resources 6 provided by Section 8 clearly states that they won't 7 have units available until January of 2022, February 8 and this is the information I have been provided. I 9 received from the contacts I was provided by Mr. 10 Knight. So knowing that units won't be available or 11 the unit we are looking for won't be available until 12 January or February of 2022, the expiration date on 13 my current voucher is really alarming especially 14 since we have exceeded the extension date. 15 Thank you so much. 16 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Chairman. 17 Duane, what happens in that situation with the 18 voucher? 19 MR. KNIGHT: Commissioners, thank you. 20 So I informed Mr. Garraway that we would extend, you 21 know, extend the voucher as needed just given the 22 unique situation of the challenging circumstances 23 that his family is in and the difficulty with 24 finding a suitable unit. Yeah, I mean so we are 25 willing to do what is needed here to support the 25 1 family. I think the teeth of code enforcement I 2 think as Mr. Garraway mentioned would be helpful. 3 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Mr. Knight, I 4 have a question. So the apartments that are in this 5 building, are they receiving HUD subsidies? 6 MR. KNIGHT: Mr. Garraway's unit has 7 been in abatement since August and soon after that 8 is when we first connected with code enforcement and 9 so I had code enforcement go in behind Section 8 so 10 we haven't paid our landlord since that date. 11 COMMISSIONER COSTA: The other units 12 also, do we have other units in that building? 13 MR. KNIGHT: I will have to check. I 14 don't think the other tenants are Section 8 in that 15 building, but I will confirm and get back to the 16 Board with that. 17 Thank you. 18 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Next speaker. 19 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the next 20 speaker is Dr. Ronald Slaughter, 588 Dr. Martin 21 Luther King Boulevard. 22 MR. SLAUGHTER: Good evening, Chairman 23 and Commissioner Gonzalez, Commissioner Muhammad and 24 Costa and all that might be joining us online. I 25 have this on the phone because I'm a preacher so I 26 1 can get all over the place so I am trying to make 2 sure I stay on the script. 3 For the last forty-nine years Saint 4 James has been the primary caretaker of the parking 5 lot that is at question tonight. Saint James has 6 spent approximately 1.7 million dollars and more 7 than that over this time frame. The lot was 8 initially gravel and it moved to grass and then 9 finally the church paid for it to be paved. That 10 was during the days before I was born, Commissioner 11 Muhammad. The lot had no sidewalk, no fencing and 12 the church installed all of that. The retention 13 wall that now separates the parking lot from Shipman 14 Street, the church paid to have that installed as 15 well. 16 Commissioners, I want to apologize to 17 you all sincerely tonight for wasting your time on a 18 parking lot when there are so many other matters as 19 we hear tonight that need your concern and needs 20 your attention. I not only have members that live 21 in Housing Authority properties, but I also serve 22 the community. I believe that I am a community 23 activist. I know about the mold at Bradley Court, 24 the rat infestation at Bradley Court and even 25 Riverside and the weak floors at Kretchmer 27 1 Townhomes, but we are talking about a parking lot 2 tonight. 3 Mr. Executive Director, this is a 4 failure of leadership of not only Commissioners 5 because Commissioners employ people and hire people 6 to lead and to carry on the work. Over the 7 forty-nine years we repaved, salt removed, drainage 8 and when the lot was sinking, literally a sink hole 9 it was sinking, the church paid to have that 10 elevated. The church paid for all of that and some 11 time ago had a conversation with the Executive 12 Director and he had no issue deeding the lot over to 13 the church because even he recognized the 14 contribution of the church over a period of time. 15 But, you know, the number when he came back from the 16 appraisal, that is when the whole conversation 17 changed. 18 The appraisal came back and it was 19 over eight hundred thousand dollars then this became 20 a matter. In fact, it was such a matter that the 21 Executive Director then took out insurance on the 22 property. He knew for a year and a half it didn't 23 have insurance. He knew the property was in the 24 Housing Authority name, but never took out insurance 25 until that appraisal came back, until that title 28 1 search came back and the dollar signs started 2 clicking in the minds and say, hey, we can make some 3 money off this property. We shouldn't give this 4 property for a dollar and so I ask the question 5 tonight, why did it take an appraisal to put 6 insurance on the property. You have been the owner 7 for forty-nine years. Whose been paying the 8 insurance, whose been dealing with the liability, 9 whose been dealing with the accidents that have 10 happened on that property. You know the answer, the 11 church has been dealing with that. 12 This is an American history nightmare 13 all over again -- two minutes three seconds -- it is 14 a nightmare all over again. Just like America came 15 and took what didn't belong to them, they didn't 16 take care of it, came and snatched it. That is what 17 the Housing Authority in essence is trying to do 18 tonight. They have never taken care of it in 19 forty-nine, fifty years, but say, hey, we own this. 20 Once again, I want to apologize 21 sincerely for wasting your time on a matter such as 22 a parking lot, but apparently something that a new 23 building on the lot is sufficient. I ask the 24 question tonight, why do we need a new building when 25 we have six hundred vacancies now. Why we can't 29 1 fill the vacancies. We can't fill the vacancies and 2 homelessness is at a rate that has never been in 3 this City, epidemic proportion and we have six 4 hundred vacancies in the Housing Authority property. 5 You know, Commissioner Muhammad, you know about 6 basketball. I feel like Allen Iverson tonight. We 7 are talking about practice. We ain't talking about 8 a game. We are talking about practice. We talking 9 about a parking lot. Not the major issues, not city 10 blocks, but a parking lot that you hear tonight many 11 members thought they owned anyway. I employ the 12 Commissioners to read the deed restriction that was 13 sent to our attorney by the Housing Authority 14 attorney. The deed restriction explicitly declares 15 that the church cannot sell the property. The 16 church cannot build anything on the property and if 17 the church desires to build anything, it must get 18 the Housing Authority's permission, in other words, 19 that deed restriction says we are going to allow 20 y'all to put your name on it, but the Housing 21 Authority still calls the shot on the parking lot. 22 Once again, I apologize for wasting 23 your time when so many members of the community need 24 your attention. With so many of us just want 25 equity, what we see in the North Ward, we want it in 30 1 the South Ward. We want it in the Central. We want 2 it in the West Ward. The new senior citizens 3 building over there that you renovated, we want that 4 in the Central Ward too. All we are talking about 5 is equity. Equity in hiring. Equity in the 6 contracts, not just in your friends, but to people 7 that live in this City, that live and were born in 8 this City. We just want MLK on our end to look like 9 MLK on the other end. People talking about 10 rebuilding a building. Don't you know 11 eighty percent of new buildings we are trying to 12 build is community space, ain't got nothing to do 13 with the church. It is a transformative center and 14 so, again, I know my time is out. I apologize, I 15 just want to do what is right. Saint James is not a 16 taker, we are givers. We have been giving forever 17 in the community. I just want to do what is right, 18 commissioners. Thank y'all for your time, but can I 19 say, we didn't need a lawyer's opinion when the 20 Executive Director said how much we should pay for 21 it. We didn't need a lawyer's opinion then but now 22 we need a lawyer's opinion. 23 Thank you, sir. 24 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Pastor, 25 pleasure meeting you. 31 1 MR. SLAUGHTER: Likewise, sir. 2 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Wait a minute, 3 one minute. The E.D. is on your side so I want to 4 vindicate him. I like the idea that you know we 5 have problems. We are a troubled agency. You know 6 we came up with another idea of maybe putting a 7 building there and still allow you to park under the 8 building because the whole thing is about parking. 9 You need parking. Maybe we can put a building there 10 like the one you see across the street from the eye 11 hospital, you know, where the eye hospital building 12 on Broad Street and you can put parking because it 13 is all about parking with you. Our situation -- 14 MR. SLAUGHTER: How many spaces are 15 you talking about? 16 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Wait a minute. 17 You know our thing is we have low-income housing and 18 we have to be very careful, careful what we do. Our 19 counsel don't just say we can't have a conflict, 20 they said we can't have the appearance of a 21 conflict. So what I am saying is I would like to, 22 you know, work with you if we can work with you and 23 everything, but we got to still take care of the 24 business because I remember the story when I was 25 building on Bergen Street, Hawthorne Avenue and 32 1 Sharpe James was the mayor and he was a different 2 kind of mayor. He was trying to give it to us for a 3 dollar, but the state laws couldn't do it. It was 4 only a couple ways to do it. He wanted to give it 5 to us for a dollar, he couldn't do it. 6 So just be patient with us, you know 7 what I mean. You got the Chairman that is favoring 8 you. We just want to do it right and maybe we can 9 come up with a situation where we can still -- you 10 guys still could park and we can put forty, fifty 11 apartments there or something like that. That is 12 just a thought. I am not negotiating with you now. 13 I will catch you later. 14 MR. SLAUGHTER: We can talk later. 15 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I know a lot 16 of your church members and stuff like that. I see 17 my big sister out there. 18 MR. SLAUGHTER: I investigated that 19 trying to figure out how that happened, but then 20 come to discover, it is a historic building so you 21 can't put things next to it. 22 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Let's just see 23 if we can negotiate. I just want to say nice 24 meeting you. I heard so much about you. 25 MR. SLAUGHTER: I heard so much about 33 1 you. 2 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the next 3 speaker is Roosevelt Donat, 558 Martin Luther King 4 Boulevard. 5 MR. DONAT: Good evening, Mr. Chairman 6 and members of the Board. I would like to reserve 7 my public comment time to address the procedural 8 matter. I don't know if counsel is here, however, 9 given that this meeting is governed by the Sunshine 10 Law, as a matter of course the nature of Executive 11 Session and the time frame within which the minutes 12 for Executive Session are to be released should have 13 been addressed. So I'd like to know, Mr. Chairman, 14 was there a secretary inside recording minutes 15 regarding the Executive Session? 16 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Chairman, is 17 our lawyer here? Is Elio here? Elio should speak. 18 MR. MENA: Good evening, sir. 19 MR. DONAT: Good evening, counsel, how 20 are you? 21 MR. MENA: I requested during the 22 Board meeting and we will comply with the 23 requirements of the Open Public Meetings Act. 24 However, you know as soon as they are available, we 25 will forward you in compliance with the Open Public 34 1 Meetings Act. 2 MR. DONAT: Do you have a time frame, 3 Counsel? 4 MR. MENA: I will have to speak to 5 staff first thing tomorrow morning and we will get 6 it to you as soon as possible. 7 MR. DONAT: Thank you very much. 8 Good evening, Mr. Chairman and members 9 of the Board. My name is Roosevelt Donat, counsel 10 for Saint James and AME from the law firm of Murphy, 11 Schiller and Wilkes, L.L.P., 34 Commerce Street, 12 Newark, New Jersey. This evening I respectfully 13 request that the Board vote on resolution 14 H-21-18-11-05. I'd like to provide you some context 15 regarding this matter. Since approximately 1972 16 Saint James, as Pastor Slaughter alluded to, has 17 been a custodian of 582-586 MLK Boulevard. As well 18 as 101-105 Shipman Street. In doing so, Pastor 19 Slaughter is actually inaccurate, Saint James has 20 expended in excess of two million dollars so I know 21 we talk about parking, but there is also a 22 discussion about reimbursable fees. It is not just 23 parking. Documentation regarding the expenditure 24 has been provided to NHA counsel. This has been a 25 multi-year, multi-administration matter and it is a 35 1 little concerning that we are now again, as Pastor 2 mentioned, talking about opinions. We have been in 3 constant conversation with counsel for NHA. We 4 provided all the information that has been 5 requested. So we respectfully request that we move 6 forward to vote. 7 In good faith Saint James has been 8 working to secure ownership of the site and as 9 discussed as part of securing ownership, there would 10 be a deed restriction in that the church would not 11 be able to sell the site for profit and would only 12 be able to use the site for church purposes. So 13 with that, I remain available to answer any 14 questions this evening. 15 Thank you for your time. 16 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Thank you. 17 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Can I ask you 18 a question real quick. If you sell the church, what 19 happens, what is proposing if you sell the church, 20 hypothetically sell the church. If you sell the 21 church, the deed, the parking lot is part of the 22 sale, right? 23 MR. DONAT: Correct -- no, it will not 24 be. The parking lot would not be part of it. The 25 parking lot is deeded and separate lot and block. 36 1 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Our 2 Commissioners were saying that because I knew you 3 guys are building across the street a big church so 4 I just wanted to know. 5 MR. DONAT: Correct. 6 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Thank you. 7 Next speaker. 8 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the next 9 speaker on the list is Diane Johnson, 588 Martin 10 Luther King Boulevard. 11 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Ms. Johnson. 12 MR. CIRILO: Diane Johnson. 13 MR. SLAUGHTER: Mr. Chairman, she's 14 not here tonight. 15 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the next 16 speaker is Carolyn Whigham, 580 Martin Luther King 17 Boulevard. 18 MS. WHIGHAM: Good evening, 19 Commissioners and thank you for allowing me this 20 opportunity to come before you and share a little 21 bit of my thoughts. For you to be aware that across 22 the street from Saint James which is located at 588 23 is the original funeral home, 581 through 583 MLK 24 Boulevard. Next to that is 577, 579, those are two 25 apartment buildings that originally was owned by my 37 1 parents. I converted them. There in those 2 apartments are housing for the homeless. The 3 Housing Authority is part of the entity that pays 4 the funds. So I hear tonight that you are concerned 5 about putting a possible building with underground 6 parking. Let me share this with you. You have the 7 Krueger building right now that they are 8 constructing sites for residents. It is going to be 9 an issue on parking there and a traffic concern. If 10 you put a building on Saint James property which is 11 next to my funeral home, now there is going to be 12 chaos when I am conducting funerals and you have 13 tenants trying to come in and out, whether it is 14 from Shipman Street which is right now how we egress 15 our funeral down the parking lot onto Shipman 16 Street, either down Court Street or up Court Street. 17 So what you are going to have in that block radius 18 is nothing but complete conflict. 19 So as a member of Saint James, let me 20 tell you what I know. I was born in 1949. I'm 21 seventy-three years old, thank God. And in that 22 time I have been a living witness as to how the 23 church has maintained that parking lot which is 24 directly next-door to my funeral home. Now, some of 25 you, Brother Osborne, you have been there, Brother 38 1 Muhammad, you've been there. I am not sure about 2 the young lady, but let me say this to you. We take 3 great pride in our facility. What we do not want, 4 not to say that what your dream is good or bad, just 5 take your dream elsewhere. Just, you know, kind of 6 relocate it because we are going to have a real 7 problem trying for me to service my community, your 8 community, our community when there is a death that 9 occurs with all of the confusion of the traffic. 10 I don't need five minutes. I just 11 expressed to you how I feel and I hope you take it 12 under consideration, that Saint James should not pay 13 anymore additional money based on what they have 14 invested in the property. 15 Thank you. 16 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Carolyn, hi, 17 how you doing? 18 MS. WHIGHAM: I'm good. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: This is the 20 best, this is a true Newarker. I just want to say 21 that to you. You are the best of the best. You are 22 the best in New Jersey. 23 MS. WHIGHAM: Thank you so much. 24 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: If I told you 25 I was a Muslim. 39 1 MS. WHIGHAM: That is all right, I 2 will still come get you. 3 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Mr. Baez. You want 4 to say something. 5 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: I just want to say 6 thank you and God bless to her. Beautiful lady, 7 thank you. 8 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Next speaker. 9 MR. CIRILO: Yes, Mr. Chairman, the 10 next speaker is Dr. Edith Churchman, Churchman 11 Funeral Home. 12 MR. SLAUGHTER: She's not here. She 13 sent a letter, but can't read that. 14 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the next 15 speaker is Isaac Thomas, Junior, 14 Eastern Parkway, 16 Isaac Thomas, Junior. 17 MR. THOMAS: Good evening, 18 Commissioners. 19 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Good evening. 20 MR. THOMAS: My name is Isaac Thomas, 21 Junior. I've lived at 14 Eastern Parkway for more 22 than forty years. Before then 2053 for twelve 23 years. I am not going to go through everything, I 24 will just echo and support what was said earlier 25 with Brother Slaughter and by Sister Whigham. I am 40 1 a retiree. I was an employee of Newark Housing 2 Authority. I became employed in 1965 with Newark 3 Housing Authority and I retired in 1994. As an 4 employee of the Newark Housing Authority I was a 5 manager of now Oscar Miles Village, then was Scudder 6 Homes and I was the manager of Scudder Homes. I 7 also was an employee of Newark Housing Authority. I 8 was an administrative assistant to Daniel Boom. 9 Just a brief history and during that time there were 10 three administrations. Gibson 1970, Mayor Sharpe 11 James and the current Mayor Ras Baraka. Those 12 administrations have been supportive with the 13 community synagogs and community organizations. 14 There has been a harmonious relationship with the 15 churches and things that have happened all the 16 things that going on now with hostility and the 17 things that is going, we never did that when I was 18 part of the Newark Housing Authority and proud to 19 have been. Proud to have served and worked for the 20 Newark Housing Authority. 21 With some of the Commissioners, the 22 first one who was appointed by Ken Gibson was Pearl 23 Beaty. She became the chairperson, just a brief 24 history. That's all I wanted to say and I want to 25 echo and repeat what Reverend Slaughter has said, 41 1 what Carolyn Whigham has said and I appeal to you, 2 ask you. I said I also served as a Commissioner, 3 the first black Commissioner to serve on the 4 sewerage commission from 1981 to 1986. So I know 5 what Commissioners do. I know what they can do. 6 They can be harmonious. They can do real good. So 7 I ask you, I say to you I'm ninety-three years old. 8 I should be home in bed. 9 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: How old are 10 you again, ninety-three? 11 MR. THOMAS: I was born May 1st, 1928. 12 I hope to be home in bed, but I said I'll come out 13 here because it needs to be said and you 14 Commissioners need to know you have a responsibility 15 and you can do it. So I appeal to you. I ask you, 16 I beg you to pass the resolution so we can move on. 17 That thing being built and the church and what we 18 are doing, that will be a part of that growth and 19 you years from now as I am standing here now, you 20 can come by and ride by and say we helped to put 21 that there. I was a part of it. That's what you 22 need to hear. Thank you for allowing me to say a 23 word. God bless you. I love you. 24 Thank you. 25 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Thank you. 42 1 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Thank you very 2 much. 3 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Thank you. 4 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the next 5 speaker is Nyla Ham, 34 Harding Terrace. 6 MS. HAM: Good evening, everyone. My 7 name is Nyla Ham. I'm a lifetime resident here in 8 Newark, New Jersey. Also, a decade member of Saint 9 James AME church and I just want to say that as I 10 sit here listening to what is going on, I just would 11 like to plead with you guys. The parking lot is 12 very important to us right now. It is a place that 13 we feel safe there. We have been maintaining that 14 place for years. I'm a little nervous, but I would 15 just like to plead with you guys. I'm in support of 16 the resolution. I pay my tithes faithfully. I have 17 been going to the church for over thirty years and I 18 just ask that you take our opinions, everything that 19 we say, take it very seriously. 20 I started out in that church as a 21 youngster and I've been going there, going there 22 parking in the parking lot and it is very important 23 to me so I just plead with you guys this evening for 24 this resolution that y'all pass. We need to keep 25 our parking lot. That is what I can say so thank 43 1 you. 2 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: You're 3 welcome. 4 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Thank you. 5 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Next speaker. 6 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the next 7 speaker is Reverend Reginald Clark, 315 Ridge 8 Street. 9 MR. CLARK: Good evening, Brother, 10 Chairman, Mr. Commissioner Muhammad, Gonzalez and 11 Baez and Costa, those watching on Zoom. My name is 12 Reginald Clark. I live at 315 Ridge Street here in 13 Newark. I am a life -- well, not life, but long 14 time resident of Newark, New Jersey. Educated in 15 the Newark Public School system, proud graduate of 16 Newark Public Schools and I have been working with 17 the Newark Board of Education as an educator for the 18 last twenty-two years. I am also a proud member of 19 Saint James African Methodist Episcopal church. 20 I echo the sentiments of what has been 21 spoken already about the fact that I had no idea 22 that the church did not own the parking lot that is 23 right next-door to where we worship. My tithes and 24 offerings along with my wife's tithes and offerings, 25 my mom's tithes and offerings have supported and 44 1 maintained that parking lot just as my taxes have 2 supported and maintained the City of Newark. 3 Commissioner, you know we grew up, you grew up on 4 Second Street and I grew up on First Street at 5 Academy Spires so we go way back. 6 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes, sir. 7 MR. CLARK: So I'm requesting and 8 asking again that the Board approve the resolution 9 to give the parking lot back to the church or give 10 it to the church so that we can continue to maintain 11 it and use it not only for parking for worship, but 12 my wife is the Executive Director of Saint James 13 social service which is the largest feeding program 14 in the County. 15 Not only is the parking lot used for 16 parking cars, it is also used for community 17 outreach. They have several events where we give 18 out food and give out clothes and that parking lot 19 is utilized for that. It is a place in the 20 community for the community and has been a resource 21 for the community and we want to continue to do 22 that. If we built a building on there, that is 23 going to be tough to do what we do and that is to 24 feed the hungry, clothe the naked and care for those 25 who are less fortunate than we are. 45 1 So once again, I would just ask that 2 you would favorably consider the resolution to give 3 that parking lot back to the church for that minimum 4 cost because as has been stated, the cost that the 5 church has incurred since, what, forty or fifty 6 years has been astronomical and we need to kind of, 7 like Reverend Slaughter said, we are talking about 8 practice. This really, you know, it's mind boggling 9 how an issue like this could be made so complicated 10 when we have so much other things to deal with, not 11 only in our community, but nationwide, worldwide and 12 whatnot. So let's focus on what should be the 13 priority here and make that happen. 14 I appreciate your time. Thank you so 15 very much. Always good to see you. Sometimes I 16 ride through and see you hanging out with your 17 family and whatnot, you know, with folks that we 18 grew up with and, you know, it is good to see you 19 because we are still here. 20 Thank you so much. 21 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Thank you very 22 much. 23 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Next speaker. 24 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the next 25 speaker is Reverend Kim Irby, 47 Quitman Street. 46 1 MR. SLAUGHTER: She's not here, 2 Chairman. 3 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the next 4 speaker is Faith Edgar, 8 Rider Court. 5 MS. EDGAR: Good evening, everyone. I 6 am Faith Edgar and I live at Bradley Court and I 7 have been a member of Saint James for twenty years. 8 This October makes twenty years that I have been a 9 member and one of the things that attracted me to 10 Saint James and has kept me there all this time is 11 the fact that we serve the community the way we do. 12 So I was very surprised to learn about the fact that 13 we did not own the parking lot. So I am appealing 14 to you all to really take into consideration as 15 you've already heard by everyone who has spoken 16 already how important that parking lot is in terms 17 of us being able to do what we do to serve the 18 community and so that is just my appeal tonight and 19 hopefully this is something that you will take into 20 consideration along with everything else and just do 21 the right thing and that is all I have to say. 22 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Thank you. Next 23 speaker. 24 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the next 25 speaker is Vivian Carter, 25 Woodbine Avenue, Vivian 47 1 Carter. 2 MS. CARTER: Good evening, Chairman. 3 Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am here as a 4 resident of the City of Newark for seventy-four 5 years, born and educated in the City, third 6 generation member of the Saint James AME church. A 7 teacher in the City of Newark Public Schools for 8 forty years. I am a product of Newark, but I am 9 also a product of Saint James AME church. I am here 10 to support the resolution H-21-18-11-05 that you've 11 heard our Pastor Dr. Ronald Slaughter. You've heard 12 Sister Carolyn Whigham and others come before you to 13 let you know how important our parking lot is to us. 14 As Reverend Clark stated, I volunteer 15 with social services at Saint James. There have 16 been numerous occasions even this week coming where 17 the parking lot will be utilized to feed families 18 for Thanksgiving dinner. That is where we do our 19 resource output in the parking lot. We have had 20 community programs in the parking lot, health fairs 21 in the parking lot and we even initiated part of the 22 COVID vaccination from our parking lot into our 23 church. For this situation to come up, I am 24 literally shocked that it is taken precedent over 25 everything else that is going on, not only in the 48 1 country, but for us as a community in the City of 2 Newark. 3 We are here tonight certainly to show 4 our support for not only Newark where I'm a 5 homeowner for thirty-two years at 25 Woodbine 6 Avenue. My tithes and my taxes go for other 7 entities in the City. For us and solidarity who is 8 in this room tonight we are Newarkers, we are Saint 9 James and we are committed to doing what God has 10 called us to do. We are a community church. We 11 have two services at Saint James. We honor our 12 police and firemen. We honor our essential workers 13 and where did they line up and where did they 14 assemble but in our church parking lot. 15 So there is much history that takes 16 place in the parking lot. For you to even think of 17 a building going on the parking lot which really is 18 sacred territory and to put parking underneath a 19 building on sacred territory and the church that is 20 already part of a historical entity is disrespectful 21 and I could say that to you as a citizen, as a 22 resident and as a child of the City of Newark, New 23 Jersey for us to have to come before you tonight, I 24 am disappointed. Excuse me if I'm not being what I 25 should be, but I am disappointed that this took 49 1 precedent over so many other things as I know the 2 residents of Housing want to be heard and we are in 3 numbers on this agenda because I have family in 4 Newark Housing and their concerns are just as 5 important as ours and more so, but tonight we stand 6 in solidarity that the resolution that I have 7 already spoke about be considered and that you do 8 what is right by us as a church who is a community 9 church and continues to be an outreach of services 10 to the residents who you are here to support and 11 make sure their lives are better for us in the City 12 of Newark, but more important Saint James. 13 Thank you. 14 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: You're 15 welcome. 16 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the next 17 speaker is Monroe Johnson, 588 Martin Luther King 18 Boulevard, Monroe Johnson. 19 MR. JOHNSON: Good evening, Housing 20 Board. 21 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Good evening, 22 Mr. Johnson. 23 MR. JOHNSON: I'm a member of Saint 24 James. I have been a member for over fifteen years. 25 Also, I was born in Newark, I was raised in Newark. 50 1 I also was a City employee of Newark. I am a Newark 2 retired Newark firefighter. I was twenty-five years 3 with the Newark Fire Department and Saint James is 4 my church. I paid for fifteen years I paid tithes. 5 I had no idea that Saint James did not own that 6 parking lot. I paid tithes, I have paid my tithes 7 to maintain the church and the building and as 8 stated here that parking lot is more than a parking 9 lot. We've done like to feed people, we had a lot 10 of health fairs there which as a member of Newark 11 Fire Department working with the Newark fire 12 community relations we did a lot of programs through 13 Saint James did for the community. Before I became 14 a member of Saint James, I used to come and I used 15 to volunteer. I used to do volunteer work for the 16 church and a lot of that work was cleaning the 17 parking lot and maintaining it. 18 All the time that I was associated 19 with Saint James, I never seen anybody from Housing 20 do anything to maintain that parking lot. So we did 21 all that. So I don't need the whole five minutes. 22 Saint James does a great job for the community. A 23 lot of stuff feeding people, clothing people, you 24 know, the health fairs, cancer, people who have 25 cancer and all kinds of other stuff they did that at 51 1 Saint James. So I believe that the community needs 2 you to pass that resolution so we can still keep 3 serving the community like God wants us to do. 4 Thank you for your time. 5 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Thank you, 6 Mr. Johnson. 7 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Next speaker. 8 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the next 9 speaker is Kevin Waters, 11 Grand Avenue, Kevin 10 Waters. 11 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Good to see 12 you, Man. 13 MR. WATERS: To the Executive 14 Director, Chairman, Commissioners, I want to say 15 good evening. I want you to bear with me as I 16 struggle through this five minutes. On November 8 I 17 endured a five hour prostate cancer surgery. Let me 18 back up. On November 8 I endured a successful five 19 hour prostate cancer surgery. For my wife and my 20 wife is probably saying things she ought to not say 21 because she goes to church at this moment and my 22 surgeon is probably looking at me with a frown on my 23 face because I am supposed to be convalescing for 24 the next six weeks, but I felt compelled, compelled 25 to be here today. They say to whom much is given 52 1 much is required and I'm required to be here and 2 just to give my thoughts and my say so on this 3 matter. 4 For those that don't know of me, my 5 name is Robert Kevin Waters and I reside in the City 6 of Newark and have been a member of Saint James AME 7 church for the past sixty-four years which equates 8 to my entire life. My family has called Newark home 9 and Saint James AME the family home church for the 10 past eighty years. This lineage encompasses my 11 grandparents, my parents, my children, my 12 grandchildren and my great grandchildren. I 13 attended and graduated from Vailsburg High School, 14 attended and graduated from Upsala College with a BA 15 in urban sociology. Attended and graduated from 16 Rutgers Newark with a masters in public 17 administration and currently pursuing my doctoral 18 degree in public administration via Capella 19 University. 20 Ladies and gentlemen, let me say 21 emphatically that I am Newark and I am Saint James 22 and the preemptory confirmation as predicated on the 23 fact that I serve as a senior aide to the Mayor of 24 Newark. I am the academic commissioner for Newark 25 Pop Warner football. I am a state certified 53 1 football, wrestling and baseball official. A member 2 of the City of Newark athletic Hall of Fame. A 3 member of the Mayor's task force for affordability 4 and sustainable housing. A City of Newark West Ward 5 District 23 elected democratic member in addition to 6 a plethora of volunteer services I render and 7 coordinate on behalf of the residents of the City of 8 Newark. 9 Saint James AME church has always been 10 that beacon on the hill for me and the trajectory 11 for my organization or affiliation from a Cub Scout, 12 a Boy Scout to a Prince Hall Mason. Saint James AME 13 church has for generations been the standard there 14 for Newark from a spiritual, cultural, political, 15 academic and economic perspective. 16 So clearly, clearly I am in support of 17 the resolution authorizing the Executive Director to 18 execute a Quitclaim Deed to Saint James AME church 19 as to 582-586 Dr. Martin Luther King Junior 20 Boulevard, Block 102, Lot 5, and 101-105 Shipman 21 Street, Block 102, Lot 63, Newark, New Jersey for 22 the purchase price of one dollar subject to the 23 terms and conditions noted in the contract. 24 Clearly, my entire life I had no idea 25 that Saint James didn't own that property and that 54 1 parking lot, but clearly I am amenable and I am 2 appealing to this Board for allowing that to come to 3 fruition. And just for a point of edification, it 4 has been rumored that there's been some disparaging 5 remarks about Saint James AME church been boujie and 6 having no real grass root Newark affiliation. I 7 visited Webster and Webster defines boujie as being 8 of or a characteristic of the middle-class typically 9 with reference to which proceed materialistic values 10 or conventional attitudes. My brother's and sisters 11 is Newark to be simply the dumping ground of the 12 disenfranchised or the have nots or the fertile 13 ground for the evolution of upward growth and social 14 mobility. 15 You know, fifty years ago I was the 16 nappy head little kid from 79 Montgomery Street in 17 Stella Wright going to church every Sunday morning 18 and Sunday school and sitting with Dr. Vernus kids. 19 These are kids who parents are doctors and lawyers 20 and for me growing up in Stella Wright it let me 21 know this was real. It wasn't something that was 22 fantasized about with the kids. I sit and play 23 with, this is their trajectory, their parents 24 trajectory. So being able to promote and advocating 25 upward growth and social mobility is not a negative. 55 1 It is not a negative. That is not boujie. Those 2 are Christian values. Growth development, work 3 ethic, good clean living. 4 I want to thank you for the few 5 minutes that you gave me. I want to thank you for 6 your time. I want to thank you for your 7 consideration, but I am offering my prayers up that 8 you do everything possible to make sure that this 9 resolution comes to fruition. 10 Thank you for your time. 11 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: May God 12 strengthen, Amen. Good to see you, Brother. 13 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Next speaker. 14 MR. CIRILO: The next speaker is 15 Nicole Smith, 85 Littleton Avenue. 16 MS. SMITH: Good evening, Mr. Chairman 17 and to the Commissioners tonight and to everyone 18 assembled. I stand before you as a member of Saint 19 James for the past three years, but following them 20 for over the past two decades and what I can say to 21 you tonight is that the parking lot is the heart and 22 soul of Saint James. As you can tell from comments 23 prior, everything community related happens on that 24 parking lot. Our worship services have happened 25 through this pandemic on that parking lot. Hugs and 56 1 love have been shared on that parking lot and to 2 know that we do not own that parking lot, you 3 wouldn't have known that from going to Saint James 4 for the past couple of years. So I'm asking tonight 5 that you reconsider the resolution that has been 6 placed before you so that we may be owners of that 7 parking lot. 8 Thank you. 9 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: You're 10 welcome. 11 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Next speaker. 12 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the next 13 speaker is Wonder Henderson, 26 Shanely Avenue. 14 MS. HENDERSON: Good evening, 15 everyone. God bless each and every one of you. I 16 want y'all to know 6:00 o'clock this morning we 17 prayed for each and every one of y'all. We got your 18 names and we had prayer regarding this matter. My 19 name is Wonder Henderson. I live at 26 Shanely 20 Avenue in Newark, New Jersey. My husband is here 21 with me. He's lived even longer in the City of 22 Newark. Kevin Waters is our nephew and so you've 23 basically heard everything that we have to say 24 through everything he just said. 25 I'm also a member of Saint James AME 57 1 church as well as a Board member of Saint James AME 2 social services. When our pastor notified us of 3 this matter, it was shocking because everything we 4 do when you come into our church, you see a plaque 5 and what we are there for is to serve. We enter our 6 church to worship. We depart our church to serve. 7 We serve the entire community of Newark, New Jersey 8 and what everyone has said about that parking lot I 9 can vouch for as a Board member and as a member of 10 Saint James social services and as a member of Saint 11 James AME church and I invite you to visit Saint 12 James Social Service Corporation website so that you 13 can see the many, many, many events almost two, 14 three times a month that our church facilitates. 15 One of the things that occurred to me 16 while I was sitting there is as the largest food 17 distribution center in New Jersey, we were one 18 center that was open last year in the heart of the 19 pandemic. We were open. We were serving people, 20 packaging the bags, servicing the people with food 21 and the lines were down the block and around the 22 corner. We truly service our community, provide for 23 the needs that they simply cannot need for 24 themselves. That is true and if you would visit the 25 website Saint James Social Services, I think it's 58 1 SJSSC -- I mean SJSC Corporation, Saint James Social 2 Services Corporation.com you would see it all for 3 yourself and you will see it not for just last year, 4 but you will see it for every year that we have been 5 in operation. In other words, it has been 6 established and our pastor used the term last night 7 during bible study it is preemptory meaning it is 8 just established and it is just a fact and that's 9 it. Just like established it's a fact. 10 So I just want to let you know upon 11 hearing this news which I just heard maybe a month 12 or so ago, we had no idea we did not own that lot. 13 In fact, that lot is just our lot to serve the 14 community, that's all there is to it. It is a fact. 15 It is recorded. It is established and we just 16 believe in our hearts that it is ours. I support 17 and ask so unbelievable for this Board to let us 18 continue to serve the community because if you do 19 not, you will be doing a disservice to the 20 community. 21 Thank you for your time. 22 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: You're 23 welcome. 24 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Next speaker. 25 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the next 59 1 speaker on the list is Karim Sharif, 440 Washington 2 Street. 3 MR. SLAUGHTER: He's not here, 4 Chairman. 5 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Good. Tell 6 him I said that. He's my cousin. 7 MR. CIRILO: Next speaker, Troyce 8 Dunson, 82 Vermont Avenue. 9 MS. DUNSON: Good evening, everyone. 10 I am here as a life-long resident in the City of 11 Newark. I was educated here. I also have been a 12 member of Saint James AME church for over thirty 13 years. Everything that I'm going to say has been 14 said. I made a list so I'm not going to go over 15 that, but I want you to understand that Saint James 16 church is a community church. We service the 17 community and we serviced it since I was a little 18 girl until my teenage years and right now in my 19 golden years. I want you to know that the parking 20 lot is as Ms. Carter stated is sacred ground. You 21 enter our church many times and if you have been 22 there have entered through the parking lot. I had 23 no idea whatsoever that the parking lot was a 24 separate entity from the church. I'm sure many of 25 our parishioners still do not know that. 60 1 I am here to say that I am at the 2 church and my family has paid taxes to the state to 3 Newark in support of our church and our parking lot. 4 I ask that you consider the resolution that you 5 return the parking lot back to Saint James so that 6 we can continue to do the great work that we do. 7 The first of this month on that same parking lot 8 that we are spending so much time with, we service 9 the community with clothes. We advised them of all 10 the services that are available at Saint James 11 church and it's there we have services and it's 12 sacred ground as Ms. Carter stated. Because on this 13 rock I will build my church and the gates of hell 14 shall not open. Since the sacred ground for church 15 I'm sure God in heaven is saying upon this church 16 and under the leadership of our pastor we will 17 continue to service the community. Return what we 18 had and the face of hell shall not be yours. 19 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: The next speaker. 20 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the next 21 speaker is Josephine Horton, 269 Pomona Avenue. 22 MS. HORTON: Good evening, everyone, 23 Commissioners and all those that are assembled and 24 the others that have spoken. My name is Josephine 25 Horton and I live at 269 Pomona Avenue, Newark, New 61 1 Jersey. I am not a full what you say born and 2 raised in Newark, but I have been in Newark over 3 fifty years. I'm seventy-eight years old and been a 4 member ever since I came out of the womb. So I say 5 to you that our church and this parking lot that we 6 are speaking of is not just a parking lot where you 7 can place people anywhere underground for just 8 whatever you believe is needed. Your dreams of your 9 building and supplying the needs of the citizens of 10 Newark is beautiful, but on that ground we service 11 you. My tax dollars because I am an owner, my tax 12 dollars support you. My tithes, my offerings have 13 continued to support you because we improved that 14 lot to the point of the price that you are asking 15 for. If we didn't do what we did with our hearts 16 and minds to continue to service, you wouldn't have 17 that amount. So if we took it back to where it was 18 gravel, please give us the difference. What we say 19 to you think of what you are doing and how you are 20 affecting the community on Martin Luther King 21 Boulevard. That is all I have to say. 22 Thank you. 23 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Next speaker. 24 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the next 25 speaker we have is Cory Cuffee, 17 Williams Street. 62 1 MR. CUFFEE: Good evening, Mr. 2 Chairman. Hello, Commissioners, Executive Director. 3 I come before you, I am a middle school dean here. 4 By the way, my name is Cory Cuffee, middle school 5 dean here in Newark, New Jersey. Been a member of 6 Saint James for about six years going on seven years 7 now. Had no idea that paying tithes here the past 8 seven years had no idea we did not own that parking 9 lot. We take good care of that parking lot. Matter 10 of fact, we clean that parking lot on a weekly 11 basis, making sure the upkeep is there. We service 12 so many people in Newark by utilizing that parking 13 lot. If we cut off that parking lot, we are cutting 14 off access from the church to the community and that 15 is not what the church is for. We need that parking 16 lot so that we can continue to service our 17 community, continue to change lives and meet needs 18 as we have been doing for all these years. 19 You heard from the people. You heard 20 from the residents. It is very important that you 21 sell that back to us and so that is all I have to 22 say. Everybody else has pretty much said everything 23 that is to be said and so I'm going to keep my seat. 24 God bless y'all. Thanks for letting me speak. 25 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Next speaker. 63 1 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the next 2 speaker is Mack Brown, 108-136 Martin Luther King 3 Boulevard. 4 MR. BROWN: Good evening. My name is 5 Mack Brown. I am a member of Saint James AME church 6 and I was just really shocked and I still am to hear 7 that parking lot did not belong to Saint James. I 8 have been a member there for a few years, but I had 9 no idea that my tithes and offerings was paying for 10 something that we didn't own. To take away that 11 parking lot there is a large population of seniors 12 and I'm one of them in Saint James and when you take 13 away that parking lot, how are we to get into that 14 church. Even times when I have to park on the 15 street, I have a time, a rough time getting to the 16 church because I am a senior and taking it away 17 would be unjust. But I'd like to ask you, would any 18 of you pay ten percent of your income to something 19 that you know you did not own. 20 Thank you. 21 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Next speaker. 22 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the next 23 speaker is Teresa Burney, Saint James church. 24 MS. BURNEY: Greetings members of the 25 Newark Housing Authority. I am Teresa Burney. I am 64 1 a graduate of Thirteenth Avenue School in Newark, 2 New Jersey. I am a graduate of Science, a school in 3 Newark, New Jersey. I am a graduate of NJIT, a 4 college in Newark, New Jersey. And I'm a member of 5 Saint James AME church. As a member of Saint James 6 AME church, I am in support of the ownership of the 7 lot being returned to Saint James. The lot as you 8 have heard is more than a lot. It is an avenue for 9 serving the citizens of the Newark residents. It is 10 an avenue for increasing the welfare of the citizens 11 in Newark, New Jersey and we are as a Newark Housing 12 in the goal -- we have the same goal. We have the 13 same goal of providing for the citizens of Newark, 14 New Jersey and because we have the same goal, it is 15 not reasonable to go against the goal that you have. 16 The goal that you have is the goal that we have, 17 improving the lives of the citizens in Newark and in 18 the entire City and we just ask you to do what is 19 your goal. To be in conjunction with the goal you 20 already have providing for the citizens for Newark, 21 New Jersey is providing the lot, restoring it to 22 Saint James AME church so that those goals can be in 23 agreement so that more can be done instead of less 24 being done. 25 Thank you. 65 1 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Next speaker. 2 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the next 3 speaker is Jonnie Cannon, 111 Mulberry Street. 4 MS. CANNON: Good evening, everyone. 5 Just a correction, my name is Jonnie Cannon Robby 6 Donny Donny. Jonnie Cannon, 111 Mulberry Street 7 Apartment D in Newark, New Jersey. I am a resident 8 of Newark now and I came to Newark as a two-year 9 old. I was born in New York, but everything else is 10 Newark. As you can see, I am in black and gold from 11 head to toe. It was a love of my days at South Side 12 Shabazz High School and I am also a retired educator 13 of Newark Public Schools system and I am back at 14 Shabazz as a substitute teacher. 15 The statement about being shocked 16 about the parking lot, I'm speechless. We came to 17 Saint James when I was six years old. In May of 18 this year I turned sixty-six. When we came to Saint 19 James, on that lot was known as the Parsonage and it 20 was a house and I thought the house and the lot 21 belonged to Saint James. So to get here and find 22 this out and then to be taking up time from people 23 who have situations like over here, that just tore 24 my heart apart. I'm just saying as a life-long 25 resident, employee in the City of Newark and a 66 1 life-long member of Saint James AME church, I pray, 2 hope, wish that you all will have that property come 3 back to Saint James AME church. I don't have to 4 delineate one more time about all the things that go 5 on at that lot, but everything that was mentioned 6 here I have witnessed, participated in. We have had 7 our family and friends celebrations out there. We 8 have just had so much there and the lot is very 9 important to us and I pray, hope, wish that it will 10 come back to us. 11 Thank you for your time. 12 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Chairman, 13 Ms. Jonnie, you have two Indians on this Board. 14 That wasn't cool, just telling you. 15 MS. CANNON: See you on Thursday. 16 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Next speaker. 17 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the next 18 speaker is Gerald Pratt, 91 Wickliffe Street. 19 MR. PRATT: Good evening. I've been a 20 Newark resident for about since 1987. Now, I am at 21 91 Wickliffe and I've been a member of Saint James 22 for about twelve years. So I've paid, you know, 23 City taxes and I paid my tithes and I certainly was 24 not aware that the parking lot was not Saint James, 25 but it is an active center for us. You know we 67 1 believe that faith with our worst is dead so when we 2 engage the public, we do that inside, outside, 3 wherever, but the parking lot is essential. We have 4 heard we feed the hungry and we clothe, we do a lot 5 of things. We do voter registration out there. So 6 it is an active area for us and it's -- I mean 7 during the pandemic we worship out there. So it is 8 a vital place for everything that we do. Everything 9 that we do. 10 We believe in relationships so that is 11 engaging with the community, engaging with 12 ourselves, but we need that center. We need that 13 space to really do that. It is vital for us and I 14 would support you really considering the motion that 15 is on the floor to return that, to sell that to 16 Saint James. 17 Thank you. Thank you for your time. 18 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Next speaker. 19 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, that 20 completes the list of speakers at this time. 21 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: At this time, Elio, 22 you still on the phone? 23 MR. MENA: Yes, I am, Chairman. 24 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: I feel like 25 explaining to the citizens here the status of that 68 1 resolution. 2 MR. MENA: As the Chairman indicated 3 earlier, because of legal considerations that still 4 haven't been resolved, the Chairman, the Board, the 5 Executive Director all want to work with Saint James 6 and the community, however, we want to make sure 7 that we have done our due diligence and that we do 8 the conveyance the right and legal way and the Board 9 and Newark Housing and outside counsel that's been 10 engaged, we all need additional time to make sure 11 that everything is done legally, properly and 12 correctly. 13 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: At this time, we 14 are going to move onto our regular meeting. 15 Thank you, Elio. 16 MR. DONAT: Mr. Chairman, can counsel 17 delineate exactly what remains to be investigated? 18 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Could we do 19 that after our meeting. We want to get these 20 resolutions passed. He said he will talk to you 21 later, but we want to get our resolutions. 22 MR. SLAUGHTER: We have been talking 23 to the relevant counsel. We have been through all 24 of this, sir. 25 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: There are 69 1 still some concerns. There are some serious 2 concerns, but we need to go on with our meeting to 3 get the resolutions passed, please. 4 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Now, we have items 5 for approval. The Board monthly activities report. 6 I need a motion and second to approve the Board 7 activities for September and October. 8 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I will move it 9 for you. 10 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Moved by Mr. 11 Muhammad. 12 COMMISSIONER COSTA: I will second, 13 Chairman. 14 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Seconded by 15 Commissioner Costa. 16 MR. CIRILO: On the resolution -- 17 sorry, on the motion. 18 Commissioner Logan. 19 Commissioner Baez. 20 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 21 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 22 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 23 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 24 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 25 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Muhammad. 70 1 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 2 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 3 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 4 MR. CIRILO: The motion passes. 5 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: The Board 6 transcripts. I need a motion and a second to 7 approve the Board transcripts for October. 8 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I will move it 9 for you. 10 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: I will second it. 11 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Seconded by Mr. 12 Baez. 13 MR. CIRILO: On the motion, 14 Commissioner Logan. 15 Commissioner Baez. 16 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 17 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 18 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 19 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 20 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 21 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Muhammad. 22 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 23 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 24 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 25 MR. CIRILO: The motion passes. 71 1 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Are you hearing 2 me? 3 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Just heard you 4 now. 5 MR. CIRILO: Yes, we can hear you, 6 thank you. 7 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: You want to 8 register your vote as a yes. 9 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Yes. 10 MR. MENA: The monthly activities 11 reports also yes, Commissioner Logan? 12 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Yes. 13 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Now, we will move 14 onto resolutions. Any member of the Board may 15 request that any item be removed from the consent 16 agenda and be considered separate. All remaining 17 items will be considered together. 18 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Mr. Chairman, 19 I would ask that you read each resolution be heard 20 separately and read. 21 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Okay, five 22 resolutions. 23 You are going to read the resolutions. 24 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, we are 25 going to start with Resolution 01. The resolution 72 1 reads resolution authorizing the Executive Director 2 to execute a contract with the American Wear, 3 Incorporated for rental of uniforms and mats for an 4 initial term of two years in the amount of one 5 hundred fifty thousand dollars per year with options 6 to renew at the NHA's discretion for two additional 7 one year terms not to exceed an aggregate amount of 8 six hundred thousand or four years, whichever comes 9 first. 10 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I will move it 11 for you, Chairman. 12 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Moved by 13 Commissioner Muhammad. 14 Can I get a second? 15 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Second. 16 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Seconded by 17 Commissioner Baez. 18 MR. CIRILO: On the motion, 19 Commissioner Logan. 20 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Yes. 21 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Baez. 22 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 23 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 24 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 25 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 73 1 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 2 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Muhammad. 3 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 4 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 5 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 6 MR. CIRILO: The motion passes. 7 The next resolution, Mr. Chairman, 8 reads resolution authorizing the Executive Director 9 to pay Underground Utilities Corporation for 10 emergency inspection, removal and replacement of 11 cast iron sewer lines inside and outside of 801 12 North 6th Street in an amount not to exceed 13 seventy-four thousand three hundred seven dollars 14 and eighty-two cents. 15 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Can I get a mover 16 and second? 17 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: I will make a 18 motion. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I will second. 20 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Moved by 21 Commissioner Baez. Seconded by Commissioner 22 Muhammad. 23 MR. CIRILO: On the motion, 24 Commissioner Logan. 25 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Yes. 74 1 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Baez. 2 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 3 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 4 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 5 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 6 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 7 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Muhammad. 8 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 9 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 10 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 11 MR. CIRILO: The motion passes. 12 The next resolution reads resolution 13 authorizing the Executive Director to execute a 14 contract with Rutgers, The State University, New 15 Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station Cooperative 16 Extension to conduct a detailed site assessment to 17 identify drainage patterns and opportunities to 18 install green infrastructure to better manage 19 stormwater runoff and reduce flooding in an amount 20 not to exceed thirty-one thousand two hundred fifty 21 dollars. 22 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Can I get a mover 23 an second? 24 COMMISSIONER COSTA: I will move. 25 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I will second. 75 1 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Moved by 2 Commissioner Costa. Seconded by Commissioner 3 Muhammad. 4 MR. CIRILO: On the motion, 5 Commissioner Logan. 6 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Yes. 7 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Baez. 8 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 9 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 10 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 11 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 12 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 13 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Muhammad. 14 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 15 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 16 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 17 MR. CIRILO: Motion passes. 18 The next resolution reads authorizes 19 the NHA to select a development partner for a 20 residential project on a portion of the Seth Boyden 21 site, which will be developed alongside a movie 22 studio project to be developed on the remaining 23 portion of the Seth Boyden site by a separate 24 developer under a separate development agreement. 25 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: I will move 76 1 that. 2 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Can I say 3 something first? 4 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Ms. Gonzalez, you 5 still want to sponsor this one? 6 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 7 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Is it Tony 8 handling this, the outside attorney, is he here? 9 MR. CIRILO: They are actually on Zoom 10 right now. Is Bacari Lee or Kevin on? 11 MS. OLIVEIRA: Yes, Kevin is here. 12 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Could you 13 explain to me what do you mean by housing with 14 integrate of commercial retail component? 15 MR. KEVIN: Sure. So the housing 16 development as I understand it there will been an 17 apartment on the second floor and on the ground 18 floor of the construction being constructed will 19 have retail or office space. 20 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Are you 21 familiar with the request for the qualifications on 22 this project? 23 MR. KEVIN: I have read it, yes. 24 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Did you read 25 that it says it doesn't say that in the resolution. 77 1 That it says something differently. That this was 2 put out an RFQ on a different situation mixed use 3 retail, commercial, light industry development and 4 that it also says -- that is on page three of the 5 RFQ. Also, it is on page five of the RFQ. Do you 6 know that when we put out an RFQ the resolution 7 should read exactly as the RFQ that we put out, am I 8 right? 9 MR. KEVIN: I think that the 10 resolution accurately reflects the RFQ, how the RFQ 11 describes the project. 12 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Even though 13 the words are different, it still describes it the 14 same way? Your legal opinion is that this RFQ is 15 the same as what this resolution is saying because 16 you have to remember and I know you know because 17 this is public housing and when you have public 18 housing, it has to stay public housing. It has to 19 stay public housing so your legal position is that 20 this RFQ that went out reflects the resolution that 21 we are voting on. 22 MR. KEVIN: The project described in 23 the RFQ does match what the project is described in 24 the resolution. 25 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: It does match 78 1 it you are saying? Okay. 2 MR. KEVIN: Yes, they match. 3 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I object like 4 I told you, Chairman. I object. I feel like it 5 doesn't. I feel it is unfair to any other developer 6 that wants to come in and bid on it. I think it's a 7 different -- it is a break in our procurement 8 procedure, our proposals. I just want to put my 9 position on the record. 10 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: All right, stated 11 for the record. We now have a roll call vote. 12 MR. CIRILO: Is there a second? 13 MR. MENA: Commissioner Gonzalez 14 moved. We still need a second. 15 COMMISSIONER COSTA: I will second. 16 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Seconded by 17 Commissioner Costa. 18 MR. CIRILO: On the resolution, 19 Commissioner Logan. 20 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Yes. 21 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Baez. 22 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 23 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 24 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 25 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 79 1 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 2 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Muhammad. 3 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Abstain. 4 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 5 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 6 MR. CIRILO: The motion passes. 7 Next resolution, Mr. Chairman, 8 resolution authorizing a settlement agreement with 9 the City of Newark in regards to payment of an 10 outstanding water and sewer balance of eleven 11 million three hundred twenty-seven thousand one 12 hundred forty dollars and eight cents, exclusive of 13 interest, fees and estimated amounts to be paid by 14 the Newark Housing Authority with transfer of real 15 estate subject to the approval by the U.S. 16 Department of Housing and Urban Development and the 17 Newark City Council. 18 Mr. Chairman, this is a typo in this 19 agenda. There is a usage of the term cash. We are 20 not paying this building cash. It is actually a 21 transfer of real estate. I would ask that if the 22 resolution is considered, that the word cash be 23 removed from that heading. 24 MR. MENA: Mr. Cirilo, the resolution 25 I'm looking, you are correct, and it will be deleted 80 1 from the resolution as well. 2 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Can I get a motion? 3 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I will move 4 it. 5 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Moved by 6 Commissioner Muhammad. 7 Second? 8 COMMISSIONER COSTA: I will second. 9 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Seconded by 10 Commissioner Costa. 11 MR. CIRILO: On the motion, 12 Commissioner Logan. 13 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Yes. 14 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Baez. 15 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 16 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 17 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 18 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 19 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 20 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Muhammad. 21 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 22 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 23 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 24 MR. CIRILO: The motion passes. 25 Mr. Chairman, that concludes today's 81 1 agenda. 2 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Mr. Chairman, 3 Executive Director, that activity report from last 4 month, remember they were supposed to make the 5 adjustment with the HR department. Did they make 6 the adjustment? 7 MS. CARTER: Yes. 8 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: So we need to 9 vote to accept that because we didn't accept the 10 activities report last month. It should be on the 11 agenda as a resolution and then I'd like to make 12 another resolution, a verbal resolution whereas that 13 the asset managers, E.D., any of our tenants that 14 are behind, that they will set up where they can 15 come in and help them apply for the City money or 16 the state money because what happened was Pastor 17 Rouse will tell you, we were with a couple asset 18 managers because we had an issue with my niece and 19 even though she moved out the building, she still 20 owed. So we are trying to get that straight and the 21 asset manager, another asset manager didn't even 22 know anything about it that they can. 23 So I'd like to make a resolution that 24 that's part of their mandate to make sure that these 25 people apply or at least attempt to apply because 82 1 there is people that owe us money and you have the 2 City money and you have the state money. You got 3 two pieces of money that they just don't know 4 anything about. It wasn't just that one asset 5 manager. I talked to somebody else, they said I 6 don't know what you talked about. I talked to 7 somebody at sixty-one. Maybe she was out, I don't 8 know because she was complaining about all the money 9 owed. I said, hey, the City has something going and 10 the state has something going. We need to clear 11 this up. It might have been because she was out on 12 medical leave, but I think we should mandate all our 13 asset manages, all your asset managers to jump on 14 this while it is going good because you think y'all 15 extended it in the City until January so we have to 16 get on this. That is my resolution. 17 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, I don't 18 know -- and thank you, Commissioner Muhammad, and 19 you are correct that will really help our population 20 and help those that have fallen behind in their 21 payments. I don't know if it has to be done by 22 resolution. We can send a memorandum like an order 23 to the managers to perform the function. I don't 24 think it needs to get done by resolution. 25 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I know Pastor 83 1 was trying to get it done, but it seemed like 2 everybody didn't know. 3 MR. CIRILO: Like a directive. 4 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Like an order 5 from you because they didn't know. I talked to a 6 couple and they said what are you talking about, we 7 ain't got to worry about money, we have a million. 8 MR. ROUSE: Thank you, Commissioners, 9 Director. The information was sent out to all of 10 the managers of what they could do to assist. We 11 have been working on this delinquent situation of 12 course for a long time now. For those who said they 13 do not know, maybe they don't pay attention during 14 our meeting so I will make sure we rectify that. 15 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: He is going to 16 order it. So that is a good thing. He is going to 17 make an executive order that they have to do it. 18 MR. ROUSE: It's already been stated 19 so everybody should know. We have thousands upon 20 thousands of dollars coming in from that. 21 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: That was some 22 managers on point, but I am telling you other 23 managers, they are sitting there talking about -- 24 MR. ROUSE: Like we said, there were 25 some on leave and now they are back. They might 84 1 have missed some stuff. 2 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Mr. Chairman, 3 with your wishes because of the timing and we had 4 the convention and everything, I got questions there 5 I want to ask the Executive Director. So I am going 6 to push that off until next time. At your wishes I 7 will put it off to next public meeting, okay, I just 8 wanted to say that. 9 MR. ROUSE: Chairman and Director, I 10 have some exciting news I just want to share for 11 thirty seconds. 12 Tomorrow, Newark Housing Authority 13 will be issuing over forty thousand dollars worth of 14 checks to residents who participated in the family 15 self-sufficiency program. They have now completed 16 the program and so now they will receive that money 17 and they will be able -- some of them are moving out 18 of the Housing Authority because they are able now 19 to put down payments on their own home. So we 20 congratulate those residents. 21 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I never heard 22 that before. 23 MR. ROUSE: Family self-sufficiency 24 program. That comes through the family program 25 where residents are eligible to apply. It is a 85 1 five-year program where they match up your money, 2 your rent money with theirs and goes into an escrow 3 account. After five years they can cash in on it. 4 So we have those cashing in on it and we have that. 5 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Is that open 6 every year? 7 MR. ROUSE: Every year. All the 8 residents know. 9 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: You need to 10 let people know that. 11 MR. ROUSE: That program has been 12 running for many years and it's been a great program 13 and so we are excited what is going on with these 14 residents, thank you. 15 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Thank you, Pastor 16 Rouse. 17 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: We need a roll call 18 for adjournment. 19 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: I will move to 20 adjourn. 21 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I second. 22 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, on the 23 motion to adjourn, Commissioner Logan. 24 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Yes. 25 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Baez. 86 1 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 2 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 3 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 4 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 5 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 6 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Muhammad. 7 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 8 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 9 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 10 MR. CIRILO: Motion passes. 11 12 (Whereupon, the proceedings were 13 concluded at 7:30 p.m.) 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 87 1 C E R T I F I C A T E 2 3 I, ANTHONY HOFMANN, a Certified Court 4 Reporter, and Notary Public within and for the State 5 of New Jersey, certify that the foregoing is a true 6 and accurate transcript of the stenographic notes of 7 said witness(es)who were first duly sworn by me, on 8 the date and place hereinbefore set forth. 9 10 11 12 ___________________________ ANTHONY HOFMANN, C.C.R. 13 LICENSE NO. XIO1854 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25