1 1 HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF NEWARK 2 NEWARK, NEW JERSEY 3 THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021 4 x--------------------------------x 5 IN THE MATTER OF: * 6 THE SPECIAL MEETING * TRANSCRIPT 7 OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY * OF 8 OF THE CITY OF NEWARK * PROCEEDINGS 9 Commencing at 4:00 p.m. via Zoom * 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 (Absent) 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 4 4 5 RESOLUTIONS PAGE 6 H-1 through H-3 7 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 4 1 MR. CIRILO: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 2 It is 4:05 p.m. The meeting has been called to 3 order. 4 We are going to read the Open Public 5 Meetings Act and then do the roll call. As required 6 by 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 March 31, 2021 notice of the 9 meeting specifying the date, time and location was 10 transmitted to the Star Ledger, Luso Americano and 11 to the Clerk of the City of Newark. 12 Roll call. 13 Commissioner Logan. 14 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Yes. 15 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Baez. 16 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Present. 17 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 18 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Here. 19 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez 20 said she was going to be delayed. I don't know if 21 she's on. Not on yet. 22 Vice Chairman Muhammad. 23 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I'm here. 24 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 25 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Present. 5 1 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, we have a 2 quorum. 3 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: So we will move 4 onto resolutions. We have three resolutions. 5 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Chairman, 6 before we start talking I have to ask the E.D. any 7 news on the tragedy today? 8 MR. CIRILO: Yes, just unfortunate 9 tragedy and, Mr. Chairman, I would ask that we 10 should consider a moment of silence for Saher 11 Hartfield who unfortunately passed this morning in a 12 tragedy, in an unfortunate tragedy. The family is 13 currently being transferred to a new unit for the 14 time being in order to assure that they have a place 15 to reside while they go through this difficult time 16 and we are working with the City of Newark as well 17 to make sure that they have whatever it is that they 18 need in order to get through this grieving period. 19 I do know that we have through the hard work of our 20 operations department we do have furniture being 21 delivered on Monday. The family will be moving into 22 the new complex tomorrow. Tonight we have secured 23 some hotel rooms while we transition through the 24 process. That's the update for now. 25 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Let's have a moment 6 1 of silence. 2 (Whereupon, a moment of silence was 3 kept.) 4 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Mr. Chairman, 5 how did it effect the neighbors next to them? 6 MR. CIRILO: I know one unit next-door 7 is unhabitable and so transferring that family. I 8 do not know the situation with the unit to the left. 9 Either Director Rouse or Ms. Ali can know more as 10 relates to the third unit. 11 Vince. 12 MR. ROUSE: Yes, sir, Director, 13 Commissioners, we are also transferring that family 14 as well. Everybody will be transferred from that 15 area. 16 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Thanks, 17 Chairman. Happy belated birthday. 18 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Thank you. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Getting old. 20 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Tell me about it. 21 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Happy birthday. 22 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Chairman, I 23 had talked to the E.D. yesterday and we were saying 24 that on the agenda we'd like to go with the Pennrose 25 thing first just to have you talk -- I spoke to 7 1 Councilman LaMonica and there's a meeting set up so 2 I want to go ahead and move on with it if it is your 3 wishes. 4 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: That's the first 5 resolution anyway. 6 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: It wasn't. I 7 don't know if it is or not. I don't think so. No, 8 it's not. 9 I want to go out of order. It is not. 10 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: I only have three 11 resolutions. 12 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: It's the third 13 one so I'd like to vote on that. I'd like to move 14 that one first. 15 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the latest 16 agenda is on the screen. It was sent out and it has 17 this resolution as the first resolution. If it is 18 okay, I can move that -- I can read that and you can 19 entertain a motion. 20 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: All right. 21 MR. CIRILO: Resolution 01, that the 22 NHA Board of Commissioners authorize the Executive 23 Director to extend the term of the initial project 24 based voucher Housing Assistance Payment contract 25 between NHA and Montgomery II Housing Urban Renewal, 8 1 L.L.C., owner of Montgomery II development, also 2 known as Aston Heights from a period of fifteen 3 years to twenty years. 4 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I will move 5 it, Chairman. 6 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: I will second it. 7 MR. CIRILO: On the motion. 8 Commissioner Logan. 9 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Yes. 10 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Baez. 11 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 12 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 13 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 14 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Muhammad. 15 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 16 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 17 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 18 MR. CIRILO: The motion passes. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Then, 20 Chairman, if you are ready, the E.D. took a lot of 21 time out for me yesterday about three hours and we 22 discussed what was going on and we wanted to treat 23 it first like a work session. We want to talk about 24 it first because I never got a chance to question 25 them too, the Shauger people. We want to treat it 9 1 as a work session and then go into the vote right 2 after. Is that what we talked about? 3 MR. CIRILO: That's fine. 4 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: We'd like to 5 talk about it. 6 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: The second 7 resolution -- 8 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: For both of 9 them because I didn't get a chance to question. 10 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Is anybody with 11 Shauger on the phone? 12 MR. CIRILO: Yes, I can't see the 13 folks, but I know Mr. Mulligan is on. Anyone else 14 on? 15 MR. MULLIGAN: Can you see me? I'm 16 here. Yes, this is Matt Mulligan from the Shauger 17 Group. 18 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: At this point we 19 will open the floor for discussion. Commissioner 20 Muhammad, you want to start. 21 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 22 Chairman, myself and co-sponsored by Commissioner 23 Logan in coming up with a resolution regarding the 24 landscaping and mainly what the resolution is about 25 is about saving lives in Newark. About hiring 10 1 Newarkers. About changing people lives more so. 2 Just bear with me for a minute. 3 I was a high school student of Mayor 4 Addonizio and a married man, student of Mayor Gibson 5 and then, of course, I dealt with Mayor Sharpe James 6 and as something I seen Mayor Sharpe James do is 7 that a lot of people that I came up with and you 8 probably came up too and anybody else that comes 9 from Newark, they got in trouble with the law and a 10 lot of them went in the jail and now they call it 11 reentry, but back then it wasn't called reentry and 12 Mayor Sharpe James what he used to do is he would 13 take them and send them to sanitation and they would 14 start on the back of the truck, a whole lot of them. 15 Now, thirty, thirty-five years later 16 those guys got pensions, they took care of their 17 families, it changed their whole life. Those jobs 18 changed their whole life. I mean even I can mention 19 it because it's public record, but Amus, Amus 20 Clemons became the director of public works. How he 21 got that job was he had just came home from jail and 22 Sharpe James put him behind the garbage truck and it 23 is a number of them, but Amus was public because 24 they did an article on him back when Mayor Quintana 25 was the mayor and they did an article and they were 11 1 trying to kick his back in. I am just saying that 2 it saved so many jobs. It saved jobs. You'd be 3 surprised what a job would do because we are -- I 4 know the Chairman, I know Commissioner Logan, I am 5 just speaking for us because we came out the same 6 mold. We had crossroads in our life. The Chairman 7 could have hit the street, been a drug dealer, a 8 bank robber, but he chose a different life. I could 9 have hit the streets. Commissioner Logan hit the 10 streets, but we had options. We had options in our 11 life and we took those options and a lot of people 12 didn't take those options. They end up in jail, 13 making mistakes, got in trouble and they just had a 14 mayor at the time that said, okay, I will send you 15 to sanitation. 16 Now, those same guys now maybe fifteen 17 or twenty of them I know retired. My age, younger 18 than me, older, thirty years. Now, back in my day 19 as a kid growing up in Felix Fuld projects, we call 20 them Little Bricks. The first black people that we 21 seen and I am saying black people because a lot of 22 Hispanics and Latinos wasn't in the town then. I am 23 talking about in the fifties, the first African 24 Americans that we seen were the Housing Authority 25 maintenance men. That's the first guys we seen and 12 1 we all -- and the Chairman tell you, I know Coach 2 Commissioner Logan would know because he didn't grow 3 up in the projects. We called them all by their 4 first name, but we put mister on it. We never 5 called them by their name. We said mister such and 6 such, mister such and such and those people one 7 became the Central Ward Councilman called George 8 Branch that was a maintenance man. It is amazing 9 what a job can do to develop you. 10 Going back in that time guess who cut 11 the grass and believe me at Felix Fuld, Baxter 12 Terrace, Seth Boyden, we had beautiful landscapes. 13 I mean half of the property was landscaped. I mean 14 I remember catching bumble bees and the flowers and 15 the shrubs and grass. It was just beautiful. My 16 mother got married at Felix Fuld in 1944. You 17 should see the pictures. You didn't know where you 18 were at, it was beautiful and who did the 19 maintenance was the maintenance men. Now, after 20 which the maintenance men do it. So I guess, I 21 don't know, it didn't come under our E.D. Victor 22 Cirilo, but I think it changed when Kinard took over 23 as the E.D. It started being vendoring out, start 24 going to other people because I was talking to 25 people that were before Kinard and they said no, we 13 1 did everything in-house. 2 Now, what I want to do is go back to 3 that, but what I want to do is I want to bring in 4 ten guys or ten women, men because it is a different 5 time, minorities, Newark residents that can get 6 these jobs and start off pursuing the finances of 7 thirty some thousand dollars, thirty-two thousand 8 dollars and then one supervisor. 9 Now, I just don't want them -- all our 10 contractors I am looking at recently from the 11 vendors was the six-month contract. I am talking 12 about a full year contract, but not only do I want 13 them to maintain the landscaping, I want them to 14 clean the empty lots that we have, the buildings 15 that is shut down like Felix Fuld and Seth Boyden 16 and because if you look at the last contracts that 17 was not in it. We had to go out and hire last year 18 on emergency and spend eighty thousand dollars, but 19 I also want them to do is take on the snow removal. 20 Now, we have three trucks right now 21 that was brand new that were bought with plows on 22 them and I asked Kalif Thomas who is the head of the 23 department I said look at these trucks we have, can 24 we use these for parking lots. He said these are 25 suitable for parking lots and I am not talking about 14 1 streets because that is a different area where you 2 are actually doing city blocks and stuff, but he 3 said this is suitable for it. I want them to be 4 able to be on for the landscaping, the lots all 5 year-round to keep the City beautiful and the snow 6 removal. 7 Now, last year when we say this year 8 we had a snow, a big snow and we had a catastrophe 9 especially in the North Ward. In the north part of 10 the City where some guy per the E.D. a vendor was 11 there and we didn't even hire these people. We 12 don't know where they came from, but I know that the 13 guy Rich that works with us with Local 55 had to 14 save our butts. He had to go out and bring another 15 vendor in and what I am hearing from the E.D. and 16 our people that our contract last year which said 17 this year for snowing was a million dollars tops. 18 My understand that we got a million dollars coming 19 in already on somebody that we had to go out and we 20 gave the job to. So I'm not saying that the first 21 time as far as the snow we go out and tackle the 22 whole thing. I say let's take the smaller sites and 23 I made a list of them. I don't know if you guys got 24 it. I sent it to you, but I don't know if it is on. 25 I made a list of the smaller sites, not the big 15 1 sites, the smaller sites. Let's tackle them, but 2 what it does it gives these ten or eleven people all 3 year-round cleaning up our lots because we got a lot 4 of them and really our big -- I have been traveling 5 around with the E.D. about seven or eight places. 6 We don't have a lot of landscaping. We really don't 7 have a lot of landscaping like people think we are. 8 I think Kretchmer is the biggest and the rest is the 9 lots, the ones on Clinton Avenue and everything. 10 The rest is lots. You go up to James C. White, they 11 have a little grass in the front and then when you 12 go to one of our premiere by Wynona Lipman it is 13 small townhouses with little grass in front. I 14 guess that is in Broadway. That is the way the 15 whole townhouse was set up. 16 So it is not like you are coming in in 17 a situation and you are trying to do big pieces of 18 property like, again, I say Kretchmer is the 19 biggest. So what I did was I priced it out and when 20 I priced it out with the help of the administration, 21 it came up to something like six hundred three 22 thousand a year, but the one contract we are 23 proposing today for the vendor is six fifty and we 24 had to go out and hire somebody else. It is not for 25 the lots. It is not for the lots. So I am thinking 16 1 that is like seven hundred thousand dollars right 2 there. Now, that is only for six months for a 3 period of time. I am saying we are going to have 4 somebody the whole year and we are going to get a 5 chance to save some of that snow removal money and 6 we did it. Now, everybody say -- and the problem is 7 the Chairman, I remember you saying be careful with 8 the laborers and everything like that, it is not an 9 easy thing, it is not one, two, three. You are 10 right about that, that is your specialty, but my 11 specialty at one time is I owned over forty acres 12 resident luxury acres and I had to maintain them all 13 week so I know a lot about landscaping because I had 14 to pay for it and I had learned the tricks and stuff 15 and believe me it is not as difficult as people 16 think. 17 Now, even the E.D. said to me 18 yesterday. E.D., we had a good meeting yesterday. 19 We had a very good meeting. If it wasn't COVID, I 20 would have kissed him on the top of the head, but I 21 priced the commercial blowers, the leaf blowers, the 22 ones you put on the back are like five hundred 23 dollars. I priced the big, the ones you ride. We 24 don't need all that. We need maybe one of them 25 because we don't have that kind of property where 17 1 you have to sit on that. Maybe Kretchmer because if 2 you're doing the townhouses, you can't just ride 3 across because you are going to ride across concrete 4 so you have to stop, roll it over. So the real good 5 ones, the commercial is like seven grand. Then I 6 priced the regular lawnmowers, the commercial, all 7 commercial stuff about two fifty. We have trucks 8 already. We have to use the trucks. These people 9 will work. These people will work for us all 10 year-round and maybe clean up the lots and if we get 11 hit with snow, they will be there for the snow. I 12 am not saying the whole project on the snow, I am 13 just saying taking the smaller lots and they could 14 be whatever else we need. Now, I priced that out at 15 fifty thousand dollars. 16 So what I did was I put all that 17 together and I came up with a number two million 18 four hundred sixty-two thousand dollars. Then I add 19 the vendor is offering and then with the emergency 20 and I came up and then I added the snow removal for 21 four years and I came up with four million dollars. 22 So I got us saving a couple million dollars. Not 23 only are we saving lives, not only are we giving 24 Newarkers something to do, we are saving money. 25 Now, I had that at fifty thousand so this is just my 18 1 proposal and everything. Now, everybody said oh, 2 man, we got to cut the grass right away. Last year 3 we didn't start until May and we got a little flak 4 from the Mayor from it. Right now we have BMW's 5 that is in their job description to be landscapers. 6 Right now we just need to clean up and maybe a 7 cutting. They could do it for a couple weeks until 8 we get this thing together because we have to post 9 jobs. So about three weeks we could give them two 10 hours overtime, you know, to clean up and do a 11 little maintenance at each site. Whoever working at 12 a site, we give them BMW's. It is in the job title 13 already landscaping they want to clean up normally 14 two hours because it is not that kind of work. 15 Believe me, I am telling you it is not no five or 16 six hours. It is a lot of cleaning, blowing, raking 17 and everything like that and we don't want to buy 18 the stuff right now for those people. We can rent 19 them. We can rent mowers. We can rent lawnmowers 20 and everything. 21 Now, also my suggestion is that 22 Commissioner Logan is always screaming and hollering 23 about saving the kids and Chairman you know I went 24 to the Little Bricks. I went to the rec room. I 25 also was allowed to come over to Felix Fuld house, 19 1 Hayes Home. You had Dukers downstairs. I boxed a 2 little bit. Every site, Stella Wright had the Boys 3 and Girls Club. Everybody had something for us to 4 do. I was in a talent show and one of my friends is 5 here, he'll laugh. I was great as Stevie Wonder in 6 1968. That was with James Brown, but it gave us 7 something to do. Even when we gave our little 8 parties, our little twenty-five percent. It was 9 always in the rec rooms. It gave us something to do 10 and at the time they hired full-time rec people or 11 mothers. I was a Boy Scout. I went to Life Scout 12 in Felix Fuld I went to become a Life Scout, a Life 13 Scout from Felix Fuld, thirty merit badges. What I 14 am saying is I am going to let Commissioner Logan if 15 you allow me, Chairman, to talk about the recreation 16 part of this thing. 17 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Absolutely. 18 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: My idea is 19 just the money we save. I don't want to take all 20 the money, just part of the money. So I will ask 21 Commissioner Logan because we are co-sponsoring this 22 resolution. 23 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Commissioner Logan. 24 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Yes, thank you 25 for the opportunity, Mr. Chairman. 20 1 First of all, we want to get in there 2 and we want to get the kids, you know, we got to 3 give them something to do because if we don't give 4 them something to do, they are going to find 5 something to do and their something to do is to tear 6 the place up. So if we could get in there and we 7 can recreate them and we can establish mentorship 8 programs and we could establish flag football 9 leagues and go in there, assess what it is that they 10 like and put something together that will keep them 11 busy. Educational tutoring. 12 We got a lot of talent in this City 13 and we are not maximizing it because we are not 14 getting to the root of it and we got to start. We 15 got to meet them where they are. So if that is 16 where they are, then we have to go there and we have 17 to intercede for them and we got to bring programs 18 in for them to maximize their potential. I believe 19 in that man. We all start with them. How could you 20 have a community and they have no structure, no 21 organization, no where to go. They sitting around 22 looking at all the other negative stuff going on. 23 So let's find -- we can find something for them to 24 do. If we got that kind of money to play with and 25 to invest then let's invest some of that into the 21 1 kids. Let's do that for them. They deserve that. 2 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Okay, 3 Chairman, that is what I have on that resolution. 4 The vendors, are they ready to talk? I'd like to 5 ask them some questions. 6 MR. MULLIGAN: Sure, this is Matt. 7 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: How you doing, 8 Matt. Can I call you Matt? 9 MR. MULLIGAN: Sure thing. 10 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: You guys been 11 doing this about ten years, right? 12 MR. MULLIGAN: I believe so. 13 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I am looking 14 at some contracts. Before I ask you something, 15 Elio, do we have -- our general counsel, do we have 16 what they call some corporations have preferred 17 vendors. Do we have that in the Housing Authority 18 in public housing, do we have preferred vendors? 19 MR. MENA: No, not that I am aware of 20 and I know this contract and every other procured 21 contract that we obtain we have, you know, done 22 competitive proposals. 23 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I am asking 24 that question. I am looking at some of the things 25 you see so in 2015 they got a one year contract with 22 1 two one-year options and it went -- at the time they 2 were also doing the snow removal at the time and 3 they were also maintaining the lots and it went 4 from -- it started at November 2015. One contract 5 ended October 1st, 2016 and then they had an option 6 of two one-year contracts which was November 2016 7 through October 31, 2017 and then November 1st, 2017 8 and then October 2018. So that is three years, but 9 what is so weird about it the next year they got an 10 extension and I don't know how they got the 11 extension. We just wrote a letter and said you are 12 extended. I don't see no procurement or nothing 13 like that. It is just an extension and that was the 14 fourth year. So I don't know how that happened. It 15 wasn't in that resolution. All of a sudden somebody 16 just said -- this was under the new administration. 17 Somebody said okay, go another year buddy. That is 18 why I asked do we have preferred. 19 Then last year we didn't do a 20 procurement, we did an emergency. So we side 21 stepped a procurement and this year we are doing a 22 procurement, but I am wondering, I don't know how 23 this is going down where I can understand the three 24 years, I see it legally here. Then the fourth year 25 is like, oh, y'all extended it. How do you do that 23 1 and then the fifth year it was an emergency even 2 though it ended in December it becomes an emergency 3 and stuff. Can anybody answer that question for me? 4 MR. MENA: Commissioner, I would have 5 to go back to the 2000, you know, the original 6 contracts that were awarded I believe the first one 7 was 2015 and it was -- it remained in effect for 8 2016, '17 and '18 and in 2019 the director of 9 procurement at the time, predecessor to Mr. Sforza, 10 you know, asked for and received an extension 11 because additional time was needed by him to procure 12 the project and that was the, in the opinion of the 13 procurement director at the time, that was the only 14 option. There are -- I would have to go back and 15 research the details, but there are circumstances 16 under which we can extend the contract and to the 17 best of my knowledge this was done within the 18 confines of the law. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Okay, when you 20 get a chance, look at it because when I read it it 21 says we need time for procurement and then they 22 still didn't do it because the next year we went to 23 emergency and they said there wasn't time then too. 24 So, in other words, I don't want to confuse you and 25 May 31 we sent them a letter and said, oh, we are 24 1 going to give you six more months because we ain't 2 got time to do procurement, but we are going to do 3 procurement and then don't do it because the next 4 year it is an emergency. 5 So what I am saying is, what I am 6 concerned about is I got a bottle here of wine that 7 I got at the golf course. I see their name on a lot 8 of places. When I was in Atlantic City, 9 Commissioner -- 2018, Commissioner Logan had to 10 remind me. He said that was Shauger that was in 11 that big room with all the people eating food 12 because it was a long table with us with the Housing 13 Authority and then Estars was there because the 14 mayor is a friend of mine and my brother and he had 15 a long line and then they had a long line and I was 16 like -- Logan had to remind me because we were 17 freshman and stuff, we were rooks. He said that's 18 the company that did that, but then when I go to the 19 golf thing I am getting a bottle of wine, you know, 20 with the Shauger name and everything. What I am 21 saying is I don't understand what is our 22 relationship with this company that it seems like 23 they are being treated very favorable and I don't 24 need the gentleman to ask me that. I need our 25 administration to answer that because look what I am 25 1 asking you, E.D., I want you to listen to me 2 carefully. In 2019 your guys didn't have time for 3 the procurement so you give them six months. So you 4 had all 2020 then all of a sudden you come back in 5 2020 you ain't got time for the procurement you have 6 an emergency. So what I'm saying is they 7 circumvented almost two years of getting six hundred 8 thousand dollar contracts so that is my question to 9 you. 10 MR. CIRILO: I can address that. Just 11 for the record, we are alleging a quid pro quo which 12 is against the law. That's what is being alleged in 13 this situation. Now, if you look at the 2015 14 contract, it may have been for five years, three 15 years and one year extensions. 16 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: It was one 17 year. I am looking at it right now. It was one 18 year with a two-year option of renewal so that was 19 three years. 20 MR. CIRILO: So you are saying the 21 Housing Authority awarded a one year contract in 22 2015 with one two-year extension? 23 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: With two 24 one-year options and they gave them -- it is written 25 down November 2016, October 2017. November 2017, 26 1 2018. Then the next thing Elio sent me because I 2 was asking you guys for the other contract was this 3 letter dated May 31, 2019 and it says we didn't have 4 time we are going to extend for six months because 5 we didn't have time to do the procurement. As such 6 until the procurement is completed NHA is hereby 7 requesting continuing services. Then you come back 8 last year and you do an emergency which it didn't 9 have to go to procurement, right? 10 MR. CIRILO: Was last year an 11 emergency contract? 12 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Last year was 13 an emergency contract. 14 MR. CIRILO: Can we check the record, 15 Elio, of last year. 16 MR. MENA: I will check, yeah. 17 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: The resolution 18 was an emergency. So what I am saying is, you know, 19 what I am asking you as a question. I mean I got 20 Shauger, is that okay for them to be at our golf 21 thing giving away wine and bottles of wine with 22 their name on it and we are down in Atlantic City 23 eating at their spot and stuff like that and then 24 they want to take us somewhere last year, but the 25 Mayor shut it down. What I am saying is it just 27 1 don't look right. It don't look right. 2 MR. CIRILO: I don't disagree with you 3 and you took an ethics course, Mr. Chairman, and we 4 take ethics courses and I can assure you there is no 5 quid pro quo. If a vendor offered a give away at a 6 scholarship outing, there is no expectation of any 7 sort. However, I do agree with you that the 8 perception may be that there is a quid pro quo, 9 however, it is not something that is requested and 10 it is not something that is accepted with any 11 expectation other than assuring we are following the 12 law in our contracting process. 13 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I am going to 14 ask you to make a resolution for your next golf show 15 if God willing we have one because I had a great 16 time. I had good food up there. I don't play golf, 17 but I had a great time. 18 MR. CIRILO: We raised over a hundred 19 thousand dollars for scholarship, Commissioner 20 Muhammad. 21 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I appreciate 22 that and I heard the gentleman from Shauger talk 23 about it. Oh, I done gave them a hundred and fifty 24 thousand dollars worth of scholarship. Yes, sir, 25 your sure did, but I am a businessman, sir, you made 28 1 over ten million dollars with Housing Authority too. 2 You give me ten million, I will put up a million on 3 scholarship. So I don't want to go there. I don't 4 want to go there. I don't want to go there because 5 it is a business and stuff. So what I am saying, I 6 am a businessman. So what I am saying to you is I 7 heard him say it and it offended me because I'm like 8 damn, buddy, tell us you got ten million dollars of 9 contracts too. So what I am saying is I am real 10 concerned about the perception of dealing with this 11 vendor and then like we talked about and I didn't 12 bother you today and the reason I didn't bother you 13 today because I knew you were at 5:00 o'clock at the 14 tragedy. I know you were, I heard you were at the 15 hospital, you took care of business. 16 We were supposed to ask for a meeting 17 of the managers where I was told that they were 18 expressing discomfort with this company that they 19 felt that this company was using what they call day 20 labor, am I saying that right, day labor is people 21 you go up to Home Depot and you get people because 22 they were telling me that the people don't speak any 23 English. They don't speak any English and stuff. 24 So this company is a lot of times that the managers 25 is not signing off on the job that the supers are 29 1 signing off and everything, but I didn't bother you 2 because we talked about it because I wanted to prove 3 it on what they were saying because somebody said 4 that that wasn't what happened, but I talked to the 5 managers and they were saying they were not happy. 6 And I told you last week before we had this vote 7 that the managers, three managers called me and they 8 said don't vote on the landscaping. They didn't 9 know anything about my resolution. They said we 10 have some issues with the landscaping. I don't know 11 where y'all want to start at. 12 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: You want to let 13 Matt answer a few of these questions real quick. 14 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: If he can. 15 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Matt, you want to 16 jump in. 17 MR. MULLIGAN: What would you like me 18 to answer? First, I am not going to get into any 19 conversation in regards to insinuations regarding 20 our company and what you may think are motives of 21 getting contracts. I am not going to get into that 22 conversation. If you want to -- 23 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Sir, I don't 24 mean no disrespect. If you can't answer questions 25 about your company, then we don't need to do 30 1 business with your company. 2 MR. MULLIGAN: Sir, I can answer any 3 question you want. 4 MR. SHAUGER: Excuse me, this is Don 5 Shauger. I had a problem with the Internet. I have 6 been out for the last ten minutes so I haven't heard 7 too much. I did hear some conversations about us 8 sponsoring golf outings and other events. 9 Can you reask your question, please? 10 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I asked about 11 ten or fifteen of them. 12 MR. SHAUGER: Well, I am proud to say 13 that I am one of the largest -- I was born in 14 Newark, New Jersey. Let me give you my background. 15 I was born in Newark, New Jersey. My mother was a 16 baby nurse at Presbyterian Hospital. I was born in 17 Newark. I was raised in West Orange. I am proud to 18 say that my mother raised five of us on her own. We 19 were born and raised on Welfare. The only way we 20 ate as kids is the church fed us. I graduated high 21 school. I had a full scholarship to Upsala College. 22 Unfortunately, I couldn't take the scholarship at 23 Upsala because I couldn't afford to go. Even though 24 I had a full scholarship to Upsala College, I 25 couldn't afford to go. I started a business in 1981 31 1 with a Mazda pickup truck pot holing driveways. 2 Here it is today, 2021, I am proud to 3 say I am one of the largest private employers. I am 4 proud to say we have one of the largest private 5 employers of prisoner reentry program that give 6 people a second chance because in life people 7 deserve a second chance. I am proud to say that I 8 was honored this past year by the Newark Housing 9 Authority because of all the work that I've done 10 giving scholarships. The United Negro Foundation I 11 gave a girl whose father was killed in Sandy a full 12 scholarship to college, paid her whole scholarship 13 her whole way. I am proud to say that we have a 14 prisoner reentry program that hires Newark Housing 15 Authority. Matter of fact, the person who runs our 16 program who you know, Commissioner, we call him 17 James, you know him by Sal, is a prisoner reentry 18 person who now runs the whole thing. 19 So I needless to say everything that 20 Shauger does in regards to our philanthropy work is 21 giving back to the community. We are just honored 22 by Jersey City for giving the Jersey City Housing 23 Authority Internet cards so sixty kids in Jersey 24 City Housing Authority can go on the Internet and 25 get educated during this horrible period of time 32 1 that we have. I am proud to say that during the 2 holidays one of the sponsors of an event had to back 3 out because of financial reasons at the Newark 4 Housing Authority and the Mayor's Newark -- what is 5 it called, not Newark Now, Pride in Newark we 6 sponsored their event. So our whole thing is to 7 give back to the community because if the community 8 didn't give back to me and my family we wouldn't be 9 where we are today. 10 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Can I ask you 11 one question? 12 MR. SHAUGER: We are proud to say -- 13 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Can I ask you 14 a question, sir? 15 MR. SHAUGER: Yes, please. 16 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Have you been 17 working for the Housing Authority for ten years? 18 MR. SHAUGER: Over ten years. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Have you made 20 over ten million dollars with the Housing Authority? 21 MR. SHAUGER: I have not made over ten 22 million dollars. 23 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: But you made 24 millions with the Housing Authority. 25 MR. SHAUGER: I have not made over 33 1 millions of dollars with Newark Housing. 2 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I have 3 contracts with your name on it saying you made a 4 million on this contract, six on this contract, 5 seven on this contract because for five years I 6 didn't add it up. What I am asking you a question 7 when you invited us, why did you invite us to 8 Atlantic City to eat? 9 MR. SHAUGER: We invite many 10 municipalities throughout -- 11 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I didn't ask 12 you that. I asked you why did you invite the 13 Housing Authority. 14 MR. SHAUGER: We invite many 15 municipalities throughout New Jersey to different 16 events throughout the year. 17 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Why do you do 18 that? 19 MR. SHAUGER: I invite -- 20 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Are you doing 21 business with the municipalities? 22 MR. SHAUGER: It is open to many 23 municipalities and many organizations. 24 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Are you doing 25 business with those municipalities? 34 1 MR. SHAUGER: We do business with many 2 municipalities. 3 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I was sitting 4 there next to Ted Green, a Muslim friend of mine and 5 my brother and a friend. Are you doing business 6 with East Orange? 7 MR. SHAUGER: We do business in many 8 municipalities. 9 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: He don't want 10 to answer the question. Do you use day workers from 11 Home Depot? 12 MR. SHAUGER: From where? 13 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Home Depot. 14 You know, you ride by Home Depot and you have to 15 Latinos out there and they call them day workers. 16 MR. SHAUGER: No. 17 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Everybody is 18 employed? 19 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Let me jump in 20 here. We have been venturing off into an area where 21 we may need to do a private session or something, 22 but at this time let's have some closing remarks and 23 let's do this vote. 24 MR. SHAUGER: Let me just say that we 25 at the Shauger Group are very proud to be a service 35 1 partner to many municipalities in the State of New 2 Jersey, a service partner to many private and public 3 entities and we employ over a hundred and thirty New 4 Jersey residents and we are very, very proud of all 5 our philanthropy work that we do throughout the 6 State of New Jersey and we are extremely proud to be 7 one of the largest private employers of minorities. 8 We are extremely proud that more women of color in 9 management roles in the Shauger Group and we are 10 extremely proud specifically to take a person like 11 who we call James Paterson, you call Sal, who is a 12 Newark Housing resident who is a second chance 13 person and having him now run the Newark Housing 14 Authority. I know the Shauger Group successfully 15 bided on a competitive bid project for Newark 16 Housing and many communities throughout the State of 17 New Jersey and we are the lowest responsible bidder 18 and we are looking forward to another four years of 19 working with Newark Housing Authority. 20 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I have one 21 more question, Chairman. When you guys do the 22 finish the job, who signs the sheets, the work 23 sheets to say that the job is completed? Is it the 24 managers or is it maintenance because the managers 25 are saying that when you can't -- a lot of them 36 1 don't want to sign so what you do is you go to a 2 maintenance and have them sign. Can you tell me who 3 signs for it and then I am going to ask the Housing 4 Authority who is supposed to sign for it. 5 MR. SHAUGER: To the best of my 6 knowledge it's a Newark Housing Authority property 7 manager to the best of my knowledge. 8 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Let the Director 9 answer the second part of the question. 10 MR. CIRILO: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 11 The system is set up so the property manager signs 12 off on all vendor sheets. However, in some 13 instances the managers are more reliant on their 14 supers and the supers sign-off depending on the 15 manager's instructions. But at the end of the day 16 the manager is responsible for the quality of the 17 work and the time of that work. 18 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: E.D., can you 19 change that because the managers are saying that 20 this company is going around them. So what I am 21 saying to you if they do win the bid and do work 22 with us again, could you make sure that the managers 23 are the only ones who sign-off on it and like you 24 told me yesterday, they should be making sure that 25 the work is complete and also that if the vendors 37 1 have left the property. 2 MR. CIRILO: We can certainly do that, 3 Commissioner. That goes for every vendor that steps 4 on Housing Authority grounds, not just landscaping, 5 yes, absolutely. 6 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Thank you. 7 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Any other 8 Commissioners have any questions or concerns? 9 MR. MENA: Mr. Chairman and Mr. Cirilo 10 I pulled the contracts that Commissioner Muhammad 11 asked for again and I thought they had been 12 forwarded to him. The former 2015, the contract 13 with Shauger for landscaping and snow removal is 14 also my understanding that they subcontracted for 15 snow removal, but they continue doing -- they did 16 the landscaping pursuant to that contract in 2016, 17 '17 and '18. The original term was one year with 18 two one-year options. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Can I ask you 20 something. I don't mean to cut you. What is the 21 contract for that, how much is the monetary on that 22 contract? 23 MR. MENA: The 2000 -- that contract 24 that I was referring to was for nine hundred 25 fifty-one thousand and change. 38 1 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: That's close 2 to a million dollars, right? In three years that 3 would be close to three million dollars in three 4 years, right? 5 MR. MENA: That's the contract value, 6 yes. 7 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: No problem. 8 MR. MENA: In answer to your other 9 question so that contract for one year term with two 10 additional one year options, the fourth year would 11 have been 2019. That was extended and the reference 12 to the statute was cited in the letter that was 13 signed by the former procurement director and 14 Mr. Shauger. So that was all consistent with the 15 law. The last -- 16 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I want to stay 17 right there. So that was another nine hundred sixty 18 some thousand, right? 19 MR. MENA: According to the amendment, 20 the extension rather, it was on the same terms and 21 the same prices as the previous three years. 22 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Can you read 23 the second or the first paragraph. It says as such 24 any time the procurement, could you read that for 25 me? 39 1 MR. MENA: The second paragraph of 2 what? 3 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Of the May 31, 4 2019 letter. 5 MR. MENA: I'm looking at the Newark 6 Housing Authority is requesting to extend your 7 current contract. Then it goes on next sentence 8 said request is being made pursuant to -- 9 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: The last two 10 sentences, Elio. 11 MR. MENA: The last two sentences, 12 please review, sign and return. As such although 13 the procurement is complete, is that what you are 14 referring to? 15 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 16 MR. MENA: Is hereby requesting 17 continued services. 18 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Did we do the 19 procurement? 20 MR. MENA: For whatever reason the 21 procurement by the previous director of procurement 22 was not done. In 2020, there was a request for an 23 emergency resolution which was approved by the Board 24 on May 1st of 2020. 25 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: So it sounds 40 1 like I was correct. 2 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Let's move on with 3 this. 4 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I'm good, 5 Chairman. 6 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: At this point 7 Mr. E.D., are we prepared to ask for a vote? 8 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, just for 9 the public's sake can Mr. Mena read what the 10 emergency was in 2020. 11 MR. MENA: Yes, so the resolution just 12 indicates that there was a need to execute an 13 emergency contract with Shauger for landscaping 14 services through December 31, 2020 and in the 15 background of the backup memo, the emergency 16 contract would permit the Housing Authority to 17 advertise an invitation for bids for landscaping 18 services in effect for the year 2021. This contract 19 in 2020 was not to exceed six hundred thirty-four 20 thousand two fifty-six. 21 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: How long was 22 that contract for? 23 MR. MENA: One year. 24 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: What was the 25 period? 41 1 MR. MENA: That was from -- 2 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Six-month 3 contract. 4 MR. MENA: May 1st for the landscaping 5 season which last year started May 1st through 6 December 31. 7 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Then you also 8 sent me another resolution where we did emergency 9 where they cleaned up the lots. That was another 10 company for eighty-one thousand. 11 MR. MENA: Yes, then there was an 12 additional one for the vacant lots. This year -- 13 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: So we spent -- 14 MR. MENA: -- the landscaping for 15 residential and vacant properties and it is under 16 the six hundred thirty-four thousand. 17 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Would you add 18 the eighty thousand dollars that we spent last year 19 because in this contract in this proposed resolution 20 there is no lots in this again. There is no lots. 21 MR. MENA: This one, and Mr. Sforza 22 will correct me if I'm wrong, the resolution for 23 this year, the resolution that is pending before the 24 Board that would include both the residential, 25 vacant or redevelopment lots and the recreational 42 1 centers and it is for the total price is lower than 2 it would have been last year for just the 3 residential. 4 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: It is not for 5 the vacant lots. It is not for the lots. It is not 6 for Seth Boyden. 7 MR. MENA: Mr. Sforza, are you on the 8 line? 9 MR. SFORZA: Yes, I am. Can I clarify 10 this. The original contract was done and finished 11 in 2018. I came aboard and we didn't have a vendor. 12 We couldn't extend the contract because when a 13 contract ends, it ends so we went out, we got the 14 emergency authorization to go out for bids and we 15 got the two bidders. We split it, the vacant lots 16 was awarded to Yamley Commercial Industries. 17 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: That is last 18 year you are talking about. 19 MR. SFORZA: That is correct. 20 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: When did you 21 come on. 22 MR. SFORZA: I came on in January of 23 '20. 24 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: So you want to 25 explain to us what happened, okay, no problem. 43 1 MR. SFORZA: So in essence the 2 contract now that the Shauger firm won fair and 3 square, they won everything on it including the 4 vacant lots. However, they have agreed to 5 subcontract the vacant lots to Newark companies if 6 possible. 7 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: And it would 8 be additional monies it said. 9 MR. SFORZA: Well, no. They would 10 work out an arrangement with the company they 11 select. I mean I am not privy to what they do on 12 that. 13 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: It does not 14 say that in there, sir. The other contract, the 15 ones before it definitely say the vacant lots and 16 when they went to the fourth year it was a question 17 that it said that this agreement excludes. This 18 agreement, the April 13, 2020 fifth year says it 19 excludes. This agreement excludes maintenance on 20 the vacant lots. There is no vacant lots. I am 21 looking at the resolution right now. It don't say 22 that. It says landscaping, debris removal in the 23 residential complex, the redevelopment. It don't 24 say nothing about our empty lots and our abandoned 25 places like Seth Boyden and everything plus it has a 44 1 list on it of every place that we are doing and it 2 does not say Felix Fuld, Seth Boyden. It does not 3 say it. It does not say the empty lots. I am 4 talking about the problems that we have. It is not 5 there. 6 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, the 7 Commissioner is correct. Last year's contract was 8 limited because the Board of Commissioners, 9 Commissioner Gonzalez had asked that we find a local 10 vendor to do the lots that you're citing, the urban 11 renewal lots with redevelopment lots. This new 12 contract, and correct me if I am wrong, Mr. Sforza, 13 includes everything. 14 MR. SFORZA: It does. 15 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: It don't. 16 MR. SFORZA: It was bid separately and 17 Mr. Shauger's firm won the three sections, the 18 vacant lots, the sites and the rec centers. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: It is not in 20 this resolution. 21 MR. CIRILO: It is in the resolution. 22 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I am looking 23 at it. Where is it at? 24 MR. CIRILO: Sure, Commissioner. If 25 you read that Board memorandum the second page of 45 1 the resolution. It reads -- it's in the first 2 sentence. 3 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: It says the 4 landscaping, debris removal agency wide on NHA 5 residential complexes, residential redevelopment 6 complexes, recreation centers. It is not in here. 7 If you look at the '15 and the other contract that 8 was a period of time, it specifically says it. It 9 says vacant lots located throughout the City. You 10 know that is what it is saying in the 2015. So you 11 guys are saying that and then now he comes up, the 12 procurement gentleman and says, oh, wait a minute 13 they are going to do their own thing. It is not in 14 front of us. You are telling me that they are going 15 to do it for this amount of money and, oh, yeah, 16 they are going to do the lots, but they are going to 17 get after somebody else in Newark. Where is it 18 saying that at. Come on guys, stop it. Don't get 19 yourself in trouble. Don't get yourself in trouble. 20 That is all I have to say, Chairman. 21 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Let's move on to 22 the next topic. 23 MR. CIRILO: We are not trying to get 24 in trouble here. I think the memorandum is clear. 25 It reads this contract for five hundred eighty 46 1 thousand dollars for two years includes residential 2 complexes, redevelopment properties and recreation 3 centers. Now, what Mr. Sforza explained is that if 4 we want the Housing Authority can ask the vendor to 5 utilize local contractors as partners for the same 6 amount of money. They are not going to get paid 7 anything more than the five hundred eighty thousand 8 dollars that this contract calls for. 9 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: This contract 10 don't say five hundred eighty thousand dollars. 11 This contract says two million three hundred twenty 12 dollars. It says -- it doesn't say that. That is 13 what you're breaking it down to, but it don't read 14 that way. 15 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Let me jump in 16 here. I think that this topic is going to drag out 17 to the point where we may have to have a special 18 meeting just for this. Right now I think we have to 19 take care of the business at hand with these 20 resolutions. 21 Any other Commissioner have any 22 comments or concerns they want to address. 23 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes, Chairman, 24 this is Commissioner Baez, how are you. My question 25 is to Mr. Shauger. I believe your office is in East 47 1 Orange, right, sir? 2 MR. SHAUGER: Can you repeat that, 3 sir? Yes, it is in East Orange, New Jersey. 4 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: The last time I 5 was talking to you on that part. Like Commissioner 6 say, I'm very, very we need that. I wonder if that 7 resolution comes to you if we give you the 8 opportunity to do the landscape again, we need all 9 the pretty much a lot of residents work with you so 10 what I'd like to do is I don't think I need to come 11 to you for those applications. Can we get those 12 application with the Director at 500 Broad Street so 13 the residents apply there for the landscaping and 14 for any other job. I'd like to have that 500 Broad 15 Street for the application. 16 MR. SHAUGER: Yes, unequivocally we 17 can leave some applications at the Newark Housing 18 Authority's office on Broad Street. Absolutely, no 19 problem. 20 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Baez didn't 21 ask that. Baez didn't ask that. Baez asked that he 22 wanted 500 Broad Street to do the hiring. He didn't 23 ask drop some applications down to us. He said he 24 wanted 500 Broad Street to do the hiring, is that 25 what you saying, Baez? 48 1 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: That's correct. 2 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Okay, thank 3 you. Will he accept that? Would Mr. Shauger accept 4 that? Would you accept that? 5 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Mr. Shauger, do 6 you accept that, sir? 7 MR. SHAUGER: No, we have to hire our 8 own employees. We will absolutely have no problem 9 interviewing anybody who comes in for a job 10 application. We hire our own employees and follow 11 our procedures so we would hire our own employees. 12 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: On that note, let's 13 move on to the resolution. What we going to do, are 14 we going to vote them? 15 MR. SHAUGER: Chairman, excuse me for 16 interrupting again. That is one hundred percent 17 about insurance liability purposes. 18 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: You are going to 19 hire all the residents because I really want the 20 residents to be hired first besides anybody else 21 coming from anywhere. 22 MR. SHAUGER: Yes, as we said, 23 Commissioner, as we said, we are one of the largest 24 private employers of Newark and minority businesses. 25 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: This is bad. 49 1 This is bad. 2 MR. MULLIGAN: Commissioners, if I 3 could break in just for one second. I just want to 4 also add that of the hundred and twenty-four 5 employees that the Shauger Group approximately 6 twenty percent of them are full-time Newark 7 residents. So I just want to throw that in there. 8 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I don't want 9 to hear that. I like what Baez said. Then we know. 10 Then we know. I like what Baez said. If they want 11 to change, Chairman, if they want to change that 12 resolution to a one year contract that we know 13 exactly who they hiring. Also they are going to do 14 Stephen Crane -- I mean Seth Boyden, Felix Fuld, 15 they have to put all that in the contract for under 16 six hundred thousand for this year. I don't have a 17 problem. I'll withdraw my resolution. What I am 18 asking for is a one year contract that they are 19 going to do Felix Fuld, Stephen Crane -- not Stephen 20 Crane, Seth Boyden and we are going to verify who is 21 working for them and it is a one year contract for 22 six hundred thousand dollars. I am willing to 23 withdraw the resolution. I don't know about 24 Commissioner Logan. I don't know what you are 25 saying because you're co-sponsoring it with me. 50 1 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: You know what 2 Commissioner Logan stands for. I want to take care 3 of those kids that is being left behind. We looking 4 at all this other stuff, but we ain't looking at the 5 main ingredient. 6 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: That is what the 7 first hire should be some of them kids. 8 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Thank you, 9 Chairman, this is pretty much what I am about too 10 and Commissioner Logan, thank you, yes, you are 11 right. We need to work it out. 12 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Let's have a roll 13 call. You guys ready for roll call. 14 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Chairman, is this 15 the roll call on Commissioner Muhammad's resolution 16 or the Shauger resolution, which one? 17 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: The first one is 18 Commissioner Muhammad's. Are we still going to do 19 that? 20 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. I said I 21 will withdraw it, but it would have to be under 22 those conditions. If not, I want to go on with it 23 and then Commissioner Logan wants the recreation. 24 He wants to help with the recreation. He wants 25 those kids. 51 1 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: That is part of the 2 resolution. 3 MR. CIRILO: I will entertain a motion 4 for the second resolution, Mr. Chairman. 5 Resolution 04-02, the resolution reads 6 that the NHA Board of Commissioners authorize the 7 Executive Director to purchase equipment, hire ten 8 workers and hire one supervisor to perform all 9 landscaping, debris removal and snow removal 10 in-house. All of the money saved by performing such 11 services in-house will be used to develop recreation 12 for NHA residents. 13 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I move it. 14 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: I'll second it. 15 MR. CIRILO: On the motion. 16 Commissioner Logan. 17 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Yes. 18 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Baez. 19 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 20 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 21 COMMISSIONER COSTA: No. 22 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 23 Is Commissioner Gonzalez on? She's not on. 24 Commissioner Muhammad. 25 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 52 1 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Osborne. 2 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 3 MR. CIRILO: The motion passes. 4 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Next resolution. 5 MR. CIRILO: We don't have a next 6 resolution because this motion passed. 7 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: The motion passed, 8 but what about voting on it? 9 MR. CIRILO: We just voted. 10 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: In this case, Mr. 11 Chairman, I'm sorry, I'd like the idea about the 12 landscaping stuff, but at this resolution I am going 13 to abstain, sorry. I change my vote if it is okay. 14 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Mena. 15 MR. MENA: We have -- if Commissioner 16 Baez is changing his vote on the record because he 17 made a mistake, we can retake the vote again. 18 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Elio, don't do 19 that to me because last two weeks ago we tried to 20 change it on the trucks and you said we had to do 21 another resolution to rescind it. So what I am 22 saying don't play these games. Last month you said 23 on the resolution with the trucks after the lady 24 spoke that you have to come back with another 25 resolution to change it. Now, all of a sudden it 53 1 can be changed like that. Don't play these games. 2 MR. MENA: Commissioner Muhammad, with 3 all due respect, I am not playing any games. I am 4 trying to clarify the situation. 5 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: That is what 6 you said. 7 MR. MENA: Mr. Baez, Commissioner 8 Baez, you indicated that you were changing your 9 vote. 10 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: This needs to 11 stop. 12 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: This is a little 13 too much for me. I didn't sign up for this. If we 14 don't do things in good faith around here, I don't 15 want no part of this, I really don't. I spent my 16 entire life trying to be of good and what I am 17 seeing I'm a little disappointed at what I'm seeing 18 from some people that is in leadership. I don't 19 like this man, I really don't. I don't like this. 20 I'm not about it. I don't want no part of it. If 21 this is the way y'all going to do business, then 22 count me out. Count me out. I ain't with this. 23 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, through 24 your lead. 25 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Any other comments 54 1 or concerns? That's a -- 2 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: No. 3 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: We are going to 4 adjourn the meeting. 5 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Motion to 6 adjourn the meeting. 7 COMMISSIONER COSTA: I will second. 8 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: This is 9 ridiculous. What we got going on? 10 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: We are 11 adjourning the meeting. The motion passed for us to 12 keep it in the house. 13 MR. CIRILO: On the motion to adjourn, 14 Mr. Chairman. Commissioner Logan. 15 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Yes. 16 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Baez. 17 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 18 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 19 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 20 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 21 Commissioner Muhammad. 22 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 23 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 24 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 25 MR. CIRILO: Motion passes. 55 1 2 (Whereupon, the proceedings were 3 concluded at 5:10 p.m.) 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 56 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