1 1 HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF NEWARK 2 NEWARK, NEW JERSEY 3 THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 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. 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 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 Public Participation 5 By: Myrna Brown 6 6 By: Kim Barnes 13 7 By: Lateefah Covington 78 8 9 Items for Approval 15 10 11 RESOLUTIONS PAGE 12 H-1 through H-8 47 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 4 1 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: It is approximately 2 5:00 o'clock. This meeting is now called to order. 3 We will start reading the Open Public 4 Meetings Act. 5 MR. CIRILO: Yes, good afternoon, 6 everyone, good afternoon. Mr. Chairman, as required 7 by N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 known as the Open Public Meetings 8 Act, notice of the meeting was provided in the 9 following manner. On December 30, 2020 notice of 10 this meeting specifying the date, time and location 11 was transmitted to the Star Ledger, El Nuevo Coqui 12 and to the Clerk of the City of Newark. 13 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Can we now get a 14 roll call. 15 MR. CIRILO: Roll call. 16 Commissioner Logan. 17 Commissioner Baez. 18 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Present. 19 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 20 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Here. 21 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 22 Commissioner Muhammad. 23 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Present. 24 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 25 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Present. 5 1 MR. CIRILO: We have a quorum, Mr. 2 Chairman. 3 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Now, we want to 4 move to the public speakers on the agenda. 5 MR. CIRILO: Yes, in accordance with 6 the Open Public Meetings Act, the Housing Authority 7 in the City of Newark opens every public meeting for 8 comment of the public. Each person choosing to 9 speak at the meetings will be limited to five 10 minutes to speak on any subject on or off the 11 agenda. All speakers must state their name and 12 address for the record. However, in accordance with 13 N.J.S.A. 10:4-12 nothing in the Act shall be 14 construed to limit the discretion of a public to 15 permit, prohibit or regulate the act of 16 participation at any meeting. 17 Therefore, please be advised that the 18 Newark Housing Authority will not entertain any 19 comments from persons who communicate obscene 20 material, make statements which are considered bias, 21 intimidation in which a person intends to intimidate 22 any individual group because of race, color, 23 religion, gender, handicap, sexual orientation or 24 ethnicity or makes comments intending to harass or 25 speak in any offensive language. The person who 6 1 makes the statement will relinquish their allotted 2 five minutes for public discussion. Any person who 3 persists in speaking out of turn or interrupts the 4 peace and order of the meeting will be escorted off 5 the premises. 6 Mr. Chairman. 7 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: The first public 8 speaker is Ms. Myrna Brown. Ms. Myrna Brown. 9 MR. CIRILO: Good afternoon, Ms. 10 Brown. 11 MS. BROWN: Okay, this is new to me. 12 Good evening, everyone, can you hear me? 13 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes, good evening. 14 MS. BROWN: My first question is are 15 NHA evicting people during this pandemic? I'm going 16 to say my questions because I only have five minutes 17 and you can give them in writing back to my e-mail. 18 That's number one. 19 The other one is I want to know what's 20 the total amount of money that HUD gives to the 21 Housing Authority or that the Mayor has trickle down 22 to the Housing Authority? 23 My third question is how can I get the 24 budget of how the money is being distributed or see 25 the budget? 7 1 My other also pertains to Bergen 2 Street Village. I chimed in your other meetings and 3 I see it is going to be demolished, but what are the 4 other options for that site when those residents was 5 removed because you couldn't keep up the maintenance 6 and are they eligible to move back with what you are 7 rebuilding on there. What will be rebuilt on that 8 property? 9 My other one is your managers are very 10 rude to these people in these senior properties and 11 it is not right that these managers tell them they 12 do whatever they want to do. If you direct your 13 manager to do so, she or he has no right to say they 14 can do what they want to. Who is running this 15 authority. 16 Another question is your staff do not 17 return phone calls, that is very rude. I understand 18 we are in a pandemic and there is a lot going on, 19 but I think it would be courtesy if someone calls 20 one of the employees and leave a message, you would 21 have the courtesy to call back. I called one of 22 your top staff people about a month ago pertaining 23 to a matter. That individual has never returned my 24 call back and he's at the top and that's not right 25 at all. That is unacceptable because if you do it 8 1 to me, I am quite sure they are doing it to some 2 other people. 3 The other question that I would like 4 to know -- I'm not going to speak on my Section 8 5 part. I will deal with Mr. Knight. We will meet 6 with that and your capital fund program and your 7 annual plan, attach C. Can you explain to me how 8 you came up with the estimate cost to remove, to 9 remodel and upgrade a vacant unit at Pennington 10 Court, an estimate cost is a dollar, but you have a 11 full total of seven hundred seventy-four thousand 12 two hundred twenty-two dollars and fifty cents for 13 that site. 14 The other one is in your annual plan 15 the units that were approved vacancies for 16 modernization, you have a hundred and eighty-five 17 units approved. Twenty-seven at Riverside and 18 Stephanie Thompson. Eighty-four at Riverside. That 19 is only a hundred and eleven. Where are the other 20 seventy-four units and what location. What 21 trades -- I know I been talking about customer 22 service years ago and it's still the same because 23 training your managers. Obviously, that person is 24 not doing a good job because we are still back at 25 the same thing over and over again where you are 9 1 getting complaints how people are treating people. 2 The last one can we get follow-ups 3 from these questions when we come with concerns. 4 There is never no follow up saying okay we took care 5 of this matter, this is what the results from the 6 issue. It never is being done. Can that be done 7 along with any follow-ups from my questions, the 8 answers and maybe follow back up and, you know, know 9 that the situation was taken care of. I haven't 10 been doing this in a minute so. 11 The other one is let me find it on the 12 paper. At your previous meeting Commissioner 13 Muhammad was saying that Woodlawn Village is a 14 special project. Who did y'all partnership to make 15 that site a special project and how many units 16 because you do have other projects that are specific 17 projects with the health department or whatever. It 18 was like a secret. It wasn't mentioned and how many 19 sites -- how many more minutes I got? 20 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: You are done. 21 MS. BROWN: How many waiting list do 22 this agency have for units? 23 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Ms. Brown, your 24 five minutes are up. 25 MS. BROWN: That was my last question. 10 1 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Mr. Chairman, 2 Ms. Brown, what site are you from? Where you from 3 in the Housing Authority? 4 MS. BROWN: I am a Section 8 RAB 5 president for the Section 8 Board and I also was a 6 tenant president for over twenty something years at 7 Bergen Street Village. I moved in there in 1988. 8 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: You are not a 9 resident no more of Newark Housing Authority? 10 MS. BROWN: Yes, I am under the 11 Section 8. We are all residents. 12 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Where you at, 13 what site are you at? 14 MS. BROWN: I just said I'm a Section 15 8 resident for the Resident Advisory Board for the 16 Section 8 people. Now, I'm Section 8 participant 17 because they closed Bergen Street and gave us 18 vouchers to move out. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: So you are 20 living in a project resident, you are not living in 21 the Newark Housing Authority resident anymore? 22 MS. BROWN: No, but I have a right -- 23 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: You sure do, 24 yes. I just wanted to know where you are from 25 because you are at Bergen Street one minute and then 11 1 you were at Pennington Court. So I am trying to 2 figure out where were you from. I think the E.D. 3 can answer that first question about evicting 4 people. I think he should answer that question. 5 The rest of them questions you need to get those in 6 writing and we are going to be talking about 7 Woodlawn Village a little later on today if you just 8 sit around and listen, but the E.D., he should be 9 able to answer that one question about evictions 10 because everybody should know that, but the rest of 11 the questions they were very good questions so E.D., 12 can you answer that first question about the 13 evictions. 14 MR. MENA: Would you like me to handle 15 that? 16 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Who is that, 17 Elio? 18 MR. MENA: Yes. 19 Good afternoon, everyone. So 20 currently the court is only allowing evictions and 21 ejections if the landlord can establish that it is 22 in the interest of justice. Two of the situations 23 are where there is a serious threat or an actual 24 harm that has occurred as a result of a resident's 25 action. Another instance where we seen not very 12 1 many again, but when the head of household passes 2 away there are no remaining household members on the 3 lease and then that is technically an ejectment 4 action. 5 So, yes, they are allowing -- the 6 courts are allowing very few evictions and ejections 7 and it is only after a very, you know, after a 8 thorough scrutiny of the cases. 9 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Next speaker. 10 Commissioner Baez. 11 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: I just want to say 12 to Ms. Brown to talk about managers treating the 13 tenants, can you give me details which is the 14 specific site you are talking about? Can you please 15 tell me which sites because I'm not playing that and 16 I want to know which site. 17 MS. BROWN: It's 839 Frelinghuysen 18 Avenue. We moved one manager and y'all got another 19 one back there that is still rude to these people. 20 That is not right. We are going through a lot 21 through this pandemic. They shouldn't be treated 22 like that. 23 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Okay, I will make 24 sure that I stop by to have a little conversation 25 with them some time next week, okay, ma'am. 13 1 MS. BROWN: Okay. 2 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Thank you very 3 much. 4 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Next speaker, 5 Ms. Kim Barnes. 6 MR. CIRILO: Let the record show that 7 Commissioner Gonzalez is now on, Mr. Chairman, my 8 apologies. 9 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: No problem. 10 MR. CIRILO: Ms. Barnes. Good 11 afternoon, Ms. Barnes. Kim Barnes. 12 MS. BARNES: This is Ms. Barnes issues 13 and concerns. Commissioner Muhammad, you have not 14 gotten back to me with my question on Section 3 with 15 the last time I was here about these guys that are 16 working for these sites. The last thing I seen was 17 when they were talking about bringing in Section 3 18 with the other companies. I was dealing with Local 19 55 first started the whole nine yards, but I'm still 20 waiting for you to give me my answer to what we are 21 going to do with these residents that has been in 22 Section 8 for so long and has not been elevated, 23 which has children. 24 Secondly, my question about the COVID 25 money has not been answered as well either. Now, I 14 1 would like to know in writing, in writing and I'm 2 giving you guys forty-eight hours with these answers 3 protocol courtesy that who appoints these 4 Commissioners and what is their responsibilities and 5 I have some -- you can go to CR 42415, 35.020454 and 6 then y'all can give me the correct answers and see 7 whether or not that I'm following the protocol by 8 HUD guidelines and back to you, Commissioner 9 Muhammad, with this parking lot issues. 10 I still feel as though when these 11 residents -- when these people are included in our 12 income and they cannot park in this parking lot, I 13 still have a problem with that and with my feeling 14 with that if that's the case then you need to take 15 these people out of our income because they help us 16 with our rent. We pay the rent so they should be 17 entitled. You say you want these residents to be 18 self sufficient. In order for them to be 19 self-sufficient they need transportation to get 20 where they need to get. 21 Lastly, I'm done because my thing is I 22 have a meeting coming up with Vincent and Victor for 23 our strategy plan here at Riverside Villa and it's 24 going to be a dynamite one. 25 Thank you. 15 1 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Thank you. 2 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Chairman. You 3 had a lot of good stuff to say. What happened, I 4 thought you were saying the two ladies came over and 5 Art Tucker and they cleaned up and everything. 6 Secondly, remember we talked about the 7 Section 3 when I came to the building when we were 8 touring the building. I told you we didn't have any 9 money so we can't really talk about anything when we 10 don't have money for, but what happened to the good 11 stuff you told me, Ms. Barnes. 12 Okay, thank you, Chairman. 13 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Next speaker is 14 Ms. Lateefah Covington. 15 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, 16 Ms. Covington is not on the line. 17 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: We will move on to 18 the final speaker then, Ms. JoAnn Sims. 19 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, Ms. Sims is 20 not on the line. 21 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Okay, that ends the 22 public speakers. 23 We are now going to move to items for 24 approval. Items for approval, the Board 25 transcripts. I need a mover and second for approval 16 1 of the Board transcript for February 2021. 2 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Mr. Chairman, 3 are we doing the transcripts? I got some questions 4 about the report so I don't know if you want -- 5 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: The report is next. 6 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: You want to do 7 the transcripts first? 8 Okay, I make a motion for the 9 transcript. 10 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Second. 11 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Seconded by 12 Commissioner Baez. 13 The second one is the Board monthly 14 activities report. 15 MR. CIRILO: On the motion, 16 Commissioner Logan. 17 Commissioner Baez. 18 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 19 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 20 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 21 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 22 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 23 MR. CIRILO: Vice Chairman Muhammad. 24 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 25 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 17 1 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 2 MR. CIRILO: Motion passes. 3 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Now, we need the 4 Board monthly activities report. 5 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Chairman, how 6 you want to do that because I have questions. 7 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: I will take the 8 questions first. 9 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Is that okay 10 with you E.D.? 11 MR. CIRILO: I'm okay. 12 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: What I want to 13 talk about first is the occupancy department on the 14 report on unit turnarounds. Mr. Chairman and 15 Commissioners, fellow Commissioners, the report said 16 we had sixty-six new move-ins leased which is like 17 double what we had last month so that was good, 18 that's a bravo, you know, because remember we were 19 saying there was only thirty-seven or thirty last 20 month, but this month we did sixty-six which is 21 great, but we have fifty-two move outs and I'm 22 trying to find out the question is why so many move 23 outs in the dead of winter, what is going on? 24 MR. CIRILO: Yes, Commissioner, I have 25 on the line Mr. Rouse and Ms. Renee Ali who have 18 1 been extended the task of helping us answer some of 2 these questions. That would include questions one 3 through five in your occupancy. How would you like 4 to handle, just go question by question? 5 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes, sir, 6 question by question, please. 7 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Rouse or Ms. Ali. 8 MR. ROUSE: Yes, thank you, Director, 9 and good afternoon Board of Commissioners and to 10 your question Vice Chair Mr. Muhammad. We did have 11 fifty-two move outs and those were because of as our 12 report reads those were because of deceased 13 residents and also we have residents who were placed 14 in nursing homes over this time and we also have had 15 a few residents who have received Section 8 16 vouchers. They moved out of public housing. 17 So again -- 18 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Let me ask you 19 a question. One of the managers told me that James 20 C. White, she told me she had a lot of deceased, is 21 that one of the sites that we had a problem with? 22 She had a lot of deceased and nursing homes. 23 MR. ROUSE: Yes, sir, that is why the 24 vacancies look like that, yes, sir. 25 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: The next 19 1 question we have, Mr. Chairman, Commissioners, we 2 have a hundred and ninety-seven apartments that are 3 ready to rent right now. Right now we can have a 4 hundred and ninety-seven. We have a list of 5 nineteen thousand people so we should be easily, 6 easily filled these apartments. How can we do that 7 in thirty days, E.D.? 8 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner and 9 Chairman, that number, the one ninety-seven number 10 represents the amount of units that are vacant after 11 codifying the units that are Mod or exempt. So it 12 doesn't necessarily mean that they are ready to be 13 leased, it just means those are the ones that are 14 ready to be turned over for occupancy. So to your 15 question, Commissioner Muhammad, we have to take 16 that number and see which ones are really ready. 17 As you recall, you remember that 18 report that I shared on Monday that had units in 19 make ready time, units in maintenance, units in 20 leasing. We need to take the one ninety-seven and 21 place them in one of those categories and figure out 22 exactly which ones are ready for actual leasing. So 23 the one ninety-seven is not really a representation 24 of the units being ready for leasing, it just means 25 that they are in one form or another in that 20 1 process. 2 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Professor 3 Victor, I always call him professor everybody. I 4 got the Mod at four hundred. That is separate four 5 hundred three. 6 MR. CIRILO: That's correct. 7 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: So what I am 8 saying is the way I'm reading it like Pennington 9 Court has five apartments. Stephen Crane has six 10 apartments. I am reading by the report you have a 11 hundred and ninety-seven or hundred and something. 12 How we going to rent these apartments in thirty 13 days, what is the plan? 14 MR. ROUSE: Can I answer that, 15 Director? 16 MR. CIRILO: I can answer that, 17 Mr. Rouse. Let me go back to the Commissioner's 18 point about the modernization category. 19 Commissioner Muhammad, modernization means the units 20 are being put in a special category where we are 21 going to utilize capital funds to turn the units 22 over. Either through force account labor or through 23 privatizing the unit turnover. So the money is not 24 coming from the site, per se, it is coming from the 25 capital fund budget. So the Mod category are those 21 1 units in capital fund special category that are 2 going to be turned over using those funds. The 3 units that are in this one ninety-seven universe 4 that you are talking about are the units that will 5 be turned over through our partners at 617, the 6 maintenance department or through some other form. 7 So I can't answer the question without really 8 knowing how many of those units are really ready to 9 lease. So I can get back to you and get that 10 answer. 11 MR. ROUSE: We have the answer for you 12 today, Director. 13 MR. CIRILO: You do, perfect. 14 MR. ROUSE: Yes, sir. As of this 15 afternoon, Director Cirilo and Commissioners, we 16 have a hundred and twenty-seven actual available 17 because we had over fifty-six lease ups this month. 18 We had actually fifty-six lease ups almost this 19 month and also we have twenty-nine units that are 20 already assigned and so many assigned that means the 21 applicants are already ready to go to those units to 22 be leased and we do have units that are all ready to 23 be leased up in April. So that brings that number 24 down. So the same thing we did this month to get 25 that number up we are going to repeat that same 22 1 thing next month. 2 MR. CIRILO: Can I ask a question to 3 clarify Commissioner Muhammad's question. So his 4 number is one ninety-seven so you are saying out of 5 the one ninety-seven, one twenty-seven are in 6 occupancy category ready to be occupied. 7 MR. ROUSE: Yes. 8 MR. CIRILO: So that leaves seventy 9 units that are still in turnover category, correct? 10 If you take one ninety-seven, take away the one 11 hundred twenty-seven that are ready to be leased up 12 we are left with a balance of seventy units, 13 correct, that are still in some form of turnover. 14 So you said that out of the one hundred twenty-seven 15 that are being turned over, fifty-six have been 16 assigned -- I'm sorry, twenty-nine have been 17 assigned and fifty-six are currently being worked 18 on. 19 MR. ROUSE: Fifty-six have been leased 20 up this month. 21 MR. CIRILO: And twenty-nine have been 22 assigned. 23 MR. ROUSE: Twenty-nine have been 24 assigned. 25 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: That is how he 23 1 came up with the one hundred twenty-seven. So my 2 question E.D. is how you going to -- I seen, you 3 know, you leased sixty in one month. How you going 4 to lease one hundred twenty-seven within thirty. 5 Days I want to know what is the plan, what is the 6 plan to lease this one hundred twenty-seven. We 7 have a waiting list of nineteen thousand people. 8 MR. CIRILO: Correct. So out of one 9 hundred twenty-seven we have to subtract the 10 fifty-six. 11 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: No, you 12 counted wrong. He took out the one ninety-seven. 13 He took out the one ninety-seven. 14 MR. CIRILO: No. 15 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: He can speak 16 for himself. 17 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Rouse, let's do the 18 math again. 19 MS. ALI: What report was one 20 ninety-seven? 21 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: The report I 22 got today, Renee, it says one ninety-seven. 23 Sixty-nine in the family housing, sixty-eight in 24 seniors and fifty-nine in scattered sites. As of 25 yesterday the report that you guys gave the 24 1 Commissioners. So it says one ninety-seven. You 2 guys are saying you got twenty-nine that is ready to 3 go, that is going to be assigned already and fifty 4 still need some work on so the number is one hundred 5 twenty-seven. I want to know how you going to do 6 the one hundred twenty-seven in thirty days. 7 MR. CIRILO: To answer your question 8 and, Vince, correct me if I am wrong, out of the one 9 hundred twenty-seven, eighty-five have already been 10 accounted for, correct? 11 MR. ROUSE: Accounted for, yes. 12 MR. CIRILO: Your question is really 13 forty-two, Commissioner Muhammad. 14 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: You guys are 15 counting wrong. 16 MR. CIRILO: No, no. 17 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: How you get 18 from one ninety-seven to one hundred twenty-seven. 19 Where is the other seventy? 20 MR. CIRILO: So this is how. We'll 21 start over. The report is showing a hundred and 22 ninety-seven units. 23 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Correct. 24 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Rouse stated that a 25 hundred and twenty-nine out of the one ninety-seven 25 1 are ready for lease up. One hundred twenty-seven 2 out of the one ninety-seven are ready for lease up. 3 The remaining units are still being worked on. We 4 are still rehabbing those units, Commissioner, so we 5 are going to leave those to the side and we are 6 going to concentrate on the one hundred 7 twenty-seven, right, instead of the one 8 ninety-seven, does that make sense? 9 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: No, he needs 10 to explain it again or we can move on because what I 11 am saying we can talk about it later. It is one 12 ninety-seven he said fifty was not ready and twenty 13 something was assigned so we are left with a hundred 14 and twenty-seven. You can't take fifty out of the 15 one hundred twenty-seven. 16 MR. ROUSE: One hundred twenty-seven. 17 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: One hundred 18 twenty-seven is available, I agree. E.D. is 19 arguing. He want to take other numbers. I have one 20 hundred twenty-seven that your people say is ready. 21 I want to know how in thirty days we are going to 22 rent them. 23 MR. CIRILO: They will be leased up in 24 thirty days. 25 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes, easy 26 1 question. 2 MR. CIRILO: That's the short answer. 3 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: That is an 4 easy question. 5 MR. ROUSE: Yes, sir, Commissioners, 6 Director, they will be leased up. We use the same 7 program that we did this month and use the same 8 program for next month and we can get those 9 apartments leased up. 10 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Hallelujah, 11 thank you. 12 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Next question. We 13 are still on the activities report. Any other 14 questions? 15 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes, I have 16 some more. What is the plan for James C. White that 17 has twenty-six vacancies available, but the good 18 part there is nothing in Mod for them. They have 19 nothing in Mod. What is the plan for that because 20 she had the deceased and everything and the people 21 moved. What is the special plan for her? 22 MR. ROUSE: Is it okay to answer that, 23 Director? 24 MR. CIRILO: Yes, I am sure you 25 contacted the site manager. 27 1 MR. ROUSE: Absolutely. So 2 Commissioner Muhammad there are twenty-six vacancies 3 and fifteen, fifteen have been scheduled for leasing 4 dates for the month of March, but most of them will 5 be leased in April. So fifteen out of those 6 twenty-six have already been scheduled for somebody 7 which leaves us with eleven and so the plan that the 8 manager has there is for Local 55 to take sixty-six 9 of those units and her site staff will take the 10 other five. 11 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Okay, that is 12 great because I remember before the virus I used to 13 tell people don't put down when they used to go for 14 the application, don't put down James C. White 15 because she used to have only three apartments. 16 Now, all of a sudden with the deaths and everything 17 and the move in, okay. Thank you, that is good. 18 In Claremont which is the townhouses 19 you have twenty-nine available, but what scares me 20 also you have eighty-two in Mod. I want to know is 21 Local 55 going to help work into these eighty Mod 22 apartments because I got a list here of -- that Rich 23 gave me that where Local 55 is at. They are not in 24 Claremont. So you got twenty-nine apartments 25 available in Claremont plus you got eighty-two in 28 1 Mod, but 55 is not involved in Claremont. They must 2 be all 617. What we are going to do about that? 3 MR. CIRILO: That number also 4 represents -- my understanding is that number is 5 high because it represents the other half of 6 Woodlawn that is not yet leased, but however we have 7 stated to HUD, Commissioner, that we will be 8 privatizing the turnover of those units because it 9 is such a large number. That's the complex that has 10 the highest amount of Mod units and we will be 11 utilizing the ID/IQ or those contractors that you 12 previously approved under those pricing guidelines 13 to turn those units over. 14 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: E.D. so 15 explain to me how Claremont is -- I thought it was 16 down by Ridgewood Avenue down that way because you 17 said it also goes up to South Eleventh Street all 18 the way up to Woodlawn Avenue. 19 MR. CIRILO: Yes, it's a scattered 20 site. Claremont, redevelopment, these townhouse 21 communities are all scattered and what's the other 22 one Oscar Miles -- not Oscar Miles. There is 23 another one all over the place. 24 MR. ROUSE: Park Place. 25 MR. CIRILO: Thank you. 29 1 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: So it is a 2 whole lot of scattered sites. 3 MR. CIRILO: Exactly. So they are 4 part of the same AMP Commissioner, but they are 5 scattered throughout different parts of the 6 neighborhood. 7 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: That is why 8 the Mod is so huge. 9 MR. CIRILO: Right. 10 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: So 55 is in 11 there because you said Woodlawn, they are in there? 12 MR. CIRILO: Correct. 13 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: What about the 14 twenty-nine apartments you have available according 15 to the report, what we going to do about that, how 16 we going to rent those up? 17 MR. CIRILO: That is part of your 18 first question because that is part of the hundred 19 and twenty-seven units that either are in process of 20 being leased up or will be leased up in the next 21 thirty days. 22 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Because the 23 number is so high I am asking what your especially 24 doing for them. Is there something special you do 25 for them, you are doing for them so that is why I am 30 1 asking you about the higher numbers. The sites that 2 have the higher numbers, is there anything special? 3 So he already answered that question. 4 Stephen Crane elderly you have sixteen 5 available in the Building C, 22C. You have sixteen 6 available and thirty-two in Mod and I don't see 55 7 is not in there either. No, they are not in there. 8 They are in the Stephen Crane Village, but they are 9 not into the senior citizens. You have sixteen 10 available and we have thirty-two in Mod. What we 11 going to do about that? Is 55 going to go in there 12 now? 13 MR. ROUSE: So, Commissioner, we have 14 had a talk with the manager and the manager and the 15 super will be turning in a plan on those units as of 16 Friday, tomorrow, they will be leasing some units. 17 They have some units available on Monday as well and 18 they will be planning a walk through to see what 19 units they will be turning over to Local 55 when 20 that walk through is scheduled. 21 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Give that to 22 the E.D. so you can get it to me. 23 MR. ROUSE: Yes, sir. 24 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Okay, 25 appreciate that. That is the occupancy department, 31 1 I appreciate that. 2 Section 8, what's the update on 3 improving the customer service? Let me give you a 4 scenario. Two weeks ago I stopped there and asked 5 Lisa Scott who is our customer service for the 6 Housing Authority. Something just in there for five 7 minutes, she had five phone calls. Three of them 8 were Section 8, two was public housing. So is Duane 9 here, he can tell me is there an update on the 10 customer service? 11 MR. KNIGHT: Yes, Duane Knight here. 12 Thank you Board for the opportunity to speak. Just 13 a real quick background. So I've done some follow 14 up since the last Board meeting and met with IT so 15 the update is as follows. The phone tree that we 16 have in place actually it has been in place for some 17 time and is actually due for a significant upgrade 18 so that was one thing. 19 So I was discussing with IT what we 20 have now and how it could be improved significantly 21 to address and service our clients better and 22 improved. By that I mean, one, increase lines and 23 two, make options more readily available for the 24 clients to more quickly get their answers like if 25 somebody calls for inspections they can quickly get 32 1 right to that person. If somebody calls for their 2 move status, they can quickly get right to the 3 respective person. 4 So we did an assessment and analysis 5 and we're putting together the plan to one, change 6 the phone tree arrangement so that it more quickly 7 directs the incoming calls to those respective 8 people so we could get those answers addressed more 9 quickly. Then, two, there is also the technology 10 piece that I know IT has been talking about having 11 the portal available for our applicants to be able 12 to check their status. So that is also going to be 13 a major thing for applicants to more quickly get an 14 understanding of where they are at. 15 Then thirdly and also this is also one 16 of our most important ones is additional training 17 for the staff on customer service. 18 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Are you going 19 to have extra -- how many you got working in 20 customer service because remember before we were 21 talking about Betty, just one person. 22 MR. KNIGHT: So we have two customer 23 service specialists and Ms. Walton as well. 24 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: So three now. 25 MR. KNIGHT: What I am looking at is 33 1 moving additional people to that so the clients can 2 more quickly get directly to the inspections person. 3 Get directly to the person about the voucher 4 extension. Get directly to the person for their 5 recert. 6 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Okay, that is 7 excellent. Thank you. As soon as you possibly can. 8 Let me ask you a question, E.D., you 9 think we need to advertise that? Do we have that on 10 the website where he opens up the website. You say 11 this is for Section 8 and this is for public 12 housing, do we have something like that or do we 13 need to advertise it? 14 MR. CIRILO: In terms of customer 15 service numbers, Commissioner? 16 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yeah, in other 17 words, when you go to our website or when you go to 18 something or automatically say no this is Section 8 19 like I am a blinking light, Section 8, Section 8 or 20 this is public housing, you know. I am just talking 21 about an idea. I am just saying. 22 MR. CIRILO: Absolutely. Perhaps we 23 can follow, Duane, what we did in public housing and 24 give out some magnets with some sort of customer 25 service number. If a client has a question, they 34 1 have a number or e-mail or some way to get in touch 2 with us. These days we are also using social media. 3 That's been effective through our Facebook page as 4 well. 5 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: That is really 6 great. Duane, while I have you, how many vouchers 7 you have since the last meeting? 8 MR. KNIGHT: So for the month of March 9 so far from March 1st to March -- well, as of today 10 we have issued a hundred and seventy-eight vouchers. 11 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: What date is 12 that again? 13 MR. KNIGHT: March 1st to today's 14 date. 15 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: March 25th. 16 MR. KNIGHT: So that is a hundred and 17 seventy vouchers to new applicants from our wait 18 list. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: That includes 20 the whole year or that including -- 21 MR. KNIGHT: No, that is just March. 22 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: For one month 23 you did a hundred and seventy? 24 MR. KNIGHT: Yes, sir. 25 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Wonderful, 35 1 thank you, bravo. 2 Can you update us on the two hundred 3 vouchers that we put aside for the homeless program 4 for the City, what is going on with that? 5 MR. KNIGHT: Yes, and so just a little 6 bit of background. This is our -- the NHA's 7 partnership with the City of Newark as part of the 8 Mayor's homelessness strategy. So far what we have 9 is the first hundred of those vouchers are actually 10 committed for a site where the Mayor has partnered 11 with five developers as part of Making Housing 12 Challenge where they are going to build five new 13 buildings to house homeless clients with services 14 and that's scheduled to come online in I think early 15 fall of 2022, right, so those developers have 16 actually been set working on that. 17 I think for the second hundred, you 18 know, not to speak ahead of Ms. Hoyte's office they 19 are in the process of I believe putting together an 20 RFP to have two additional buildings, new buildings 21 done that will service -- that will use the 22 remaining hundred vouchers to service homeless 23 clients, but it is really positive the bigger City 24 initiative. This is just a small contribution to 25 that. 36 1 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: What I have 2 been telling people is that if you're homeless in 3 Newark, New Jersey is there is a possibility that 4 you might get a Section 8 voucher. I should stop 5 saying that? 6 MR. KNIGHT: No, I mean we are 7 continuing to in partnership with the health 8 department to service homeless clients that come 9 through the health department initially, but that's 10 separate from the new thing that we are doing from 11 our wait list about the one seventy-eight number. 12 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: So if a person 13 comes to me and they are homeless, I can still tell 14 them they have a shot? 15 MR. KNIGHT: They should be routed to 16 the health department because what the health 17 department does it identifies what is the best 18 housing clients for those options. Some of those 19 clients may need housing with services attached or 20 may need additional assistance or it may just they 21 just need some back rent paid to be stable and 22 remained housed and the health department does that. 23 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: One more 24 question for you. With President Biden with the 1.9 25 trillion. Five billion is going to Section 8 to 37 1 make new vouchers. Have you gotten any news on any 2 progress on it? 3 MR. KNIGHT: I have not. I am 4 committing to doing some research to try to track 5 down exactly how that is going to impact the Section 6 8 program and then us specifically. As yet I don't 7 have an answer to that one. 8 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Ask the E.D. 9 because he went and found it for me and stuff and we 10 were talking when it first passed. He went to a 11 certain website or something, right, E.D. and you 12 found it so that would be great. 13 MR. KNIGHT: I think it's great news. 14 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I'm good with 15 you, Dwight. I will ask some more questions. 16 When I went over to Stephen Crane, 17 Commissioner Logan and Baez and everything we went 18 around and who was taking us around was a gentleman 19 that was a foreman named Nash and he would go into 20 the building and he said that, Commissioners, he 21 would say that this building everything has to be 22 demolished. It might have been sitting for two or 23 three years, everything has to come out, but he said 24 when we go in this building we can finish this in 25 three weeks. Then he went into another townhouse 38 1 and he said that see this floor is not bad so we 2 don't have to put a floor in there so we have to 3 clean the floor up and strip it and everything, that 4 is like two weeks. How can we start working on that 5 plan. Is anybody here, is Rich here or anybody here 6 can say how can we do this in fifteen to thirty 7 days, you know, what the foreman was explaining to 8 me. E.D., is there anybody here that can talk to me 9 about that? 10 MR. CIRILO: Yes, so what happens 11 oftentimes in agencies that become troubled is that 12 you have a large number of units that go off line 13 which results in financial issues and the units 14 start piling up and don't forget that as these units 15 remain vacant, there are other residents that keep 16 moving out. We just discussed how some of our 17 buildings are being vacated so we came into that 18 situation for me personally this is my second 19 housing authority where I came into a situation with 20 a large number of vacant apartments with a unit 21 turnover over a hundred and thirty days to turnover 22 an apartment. 23 So to your question how do you go 24 about recovering or taking going back to that 25 situation where we can turn units over under the HUD 39 1 expected amount of time. Now, in an agency the size 2 of the Newark Housing Authority it is a little bit 3 more difficult than a smaller housing authority 4 because of the large volume. We are talking about 5 five hundred, six hundred, seven hundred units which 6 require both financial capital and it requires a 7 skill set as well as oversight. 8 So what we did at the Newark Housing 9 Authority to your question we put a plan together 10 for HUD which I shared a copy with you in 2018 that 11 was sent to HUD in which we pledged to utilize force 12 account labor. We pledged to increase the amount of 13 manpower at the units. Again, understanding the 14 financial limitations that the Newark Housing 15 Authority had at that time financially. So meaning 16 that we can't turn -- in a perfect world we wouldn't 17 be able to turn because we don't have the finances 18 to do so and we also may not have the skill set to 19 do so quickly. So what do we do in that case? What 20 we do, Commissioner, is we develop a tier system of 21 recovery. A tier system meaning that we have to 22 start looking at benchmarks. If your unit turnover 23 ratio at the beginning of your plan is two hundred 24 days you want to give your manpower or your 25 personnel, you know, a conservative amount. Drop 40 1 that down to a hundred and twenty days. Within six 2 months, within twelve months you want to drop that 3 down to under a hundred days so on and so forth. It 4 takes -- in our case it takes years for us to be 5 able to catch up and be able to turn a unit over 6 under thirty days which is what HUD requires. 7 Now, HUD has identified that we have 8 done a good job with lowering the number in two 9 years so that is why they were able to extend to us 10 additional capital so we can reinvest and continue 11 doing what we are doing. So what are we doing now 12 to lower that rate. We are getting better with 13 respect to overseeing Local 55. We are training our 14 managers in our maintenance department on ratios. 15 Also, Mr. Rouse mentioned that he called a site 16 manager and the site manager is going to be 17 submitting a recovery plan on the amount of units at 18 a Stephen Crane property. So those are the things 19 that we started here that didn't exist before. When 20 are we going to get under thirty days. You know, we 21 won't be able to tell you that because it is 22 contingent upon a lot of factors. Most importantly, 23 finances. Number two, skill set and number three, 24 how quickly does our staff mature in terms of the 25 quality of the property management and customer 41 1 service that we are extending. So there are several 2 factors. 3 Right now I can get you that number. 4 I don't have it in front of me in terms of how long 5 it is taking us on average, but I can tell you that 6 when you give 617 an assignment, when you give Local 7 55 an assignment those units are quickly being 8 turned over. There is still a universe in Mod 9 category that are taking a long time, a year. I 10 think HUD gives us a year to keep a unit in Mod at 11 which point the clock starts ticking. So the short 12 answer is it takes a lot of variables and is it 13 doable, but it is going to take a couple years 14 before we reach that. 15 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Okay. Thank 16 you for the information. Let's talk about Woodlawn 17 again. That project, what is it, forty-seven 18 townhouses and that project was an idea where we 19 were going to work with the homeless and everything 20 and we use CARE Act money to do the construction. 21 How many of them have you completed? 22 MR. CIRILO: Sure. I have Sekina 23 Rodgers on the line. She can give you all the 24 statistics. 25 Sekina. 42 1 MS. RODGERS: Hi, good afternoon, 2 everyone. 3 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Good afternoon. 4 MS. RODGERS: So far for Woodlawn 5 Village out of the forty-nine apartments only nine 6 have been completed and leased. 7 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: All right. Do 8 you know how many more are ready out of the forty? 9 MS. RODGERS: None are quite ready 10 yet. 11 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: None are close 12 at all? 13 MS. RODGERS: No. 14 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Rich had it 15 somewhere. 16 MS. RODGERS: I'm sorry, so what Rich 17 is doing is working on a -- he's working in those 18 units. He should have provided -- what we requested 19 was him to provide an update on all the apartments 20 that he's working in so he will notify myself or 21 Vincent or Mr. Cirilo when the apartment is about 22 eighty-five percent ready, but I do know he is 23 working in those apartments so we already reached 24 out and started trying to schedule screening so we 25 will have bodies ready. 43 1 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Executive 2 Director, we were talking about that. You were 3 thinking about taking in into like a project based 4 Section 8, you know, a different kind to be better 5 for some of the people and everything. Now, let me 6 ask you a question. So being that we have twenty 7 men per Rich over there right now, are we talking 8 about walking away from that project for a while and 9 try to build up get these other Mod's ready, what is 10 your thoughts on that, what is going on? 11 MR. CIRILO: So, well, before I get 12 into the question, I just want to impress upon the 13 fact that we are literally retrofitting the units 14 because the units are not properly laid out and that 15 is part of the reason why it is taking longer 16 meaning we are tearing down walls, Commissioner, so 17 that we embrace in an open concept in the 18 apartments. 19 Also, there's been an issue with the 20 fact that those units have too many bedrooms and the 21 demand is for less bedrooms. Some of our families 22 in need cannot be helped because you're looking at 23 units with four bedrooms instead of one or two or up 24 to three bedrooms that are -- that is what the 25 demand is calling for, but to your question in terms 44 1 of redistribution, yes, number one the RAD program 2 is going to come into that site to finish the second 3 leg of the complex. This will liberalize the Local 4 55 membership that is working there and we can use 5 those workforce or those staff members and put them 6 in another part of the inventory at those properties 7 where we need more assistance to turn these units 8 over. So that's really the plan. I don't want to 9 say we want to abandon that because we have to be 10 careful with that because the security components 11 that need to be taken into consideration, but until 12 we have a RAD process in place, I want to keep us 13 moving forward and leasing up as many units as 14 possible. 15 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Okay, thanks. 16 Chairman, thank you very much. Chairman, now I'm 17 not jumping on them. I do give them these questions 18 in advance so we can be clear, I do give them these 19 questions typed up in advance, okay. 20 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Okay. 21 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Thank you, 22 Commissioner. 23 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Commissioner Baez, 24 you wanted to stay something? 25 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: No, I'm okay. I 45 1 heard enough. 2 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: That's it for the 3 monthly Board activities report. I need a motion 4 and second to approve the Board transcripts for 5 February. 6 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I move it, 7 Chairman. 8 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: I need a second. 9 MR. CIRILO: On the motion. 10 MR. MENA: The activities report. 11 MR. CIRILO: Let the record show also 12 that Commissioner Logan has joined the meeting. 13 He's been on for a little while now. 14 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: We need a second 15 for that. 16 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: I am going to 17 second. 18 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Muhammad and Baez. 19 MR. CIRILO: For the motion. 20 Commissioner Logan. 21 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Yes. 22 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Baez. 23 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 24 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 25 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 46 1 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 2 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 3 MR. CIRILO: Vice Chairman Muhammad. 4 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 5 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 6 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 7 MR. CIRILO: Motion passes. 8 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Resolutions. Any 9 member of the Board may request that an item be 10 removed from the consent agenda and considered 11 separately. All remaining items will be considered 12 together. 13 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Chairman, on 14 the spirit of transparency, you know, I am 15 requesting that each resolution be read. If the 16 E.D. read each resolution so not only can our 17 tenants and everybody else see what we are doing 18 more so than just saying numbers so what I am trying 19 to do is I would like for it to be read separately. 20 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: All right, Mr. 21 Director, you okay with that? 22 MR. CIRILO: Well, not my choice. I 23 take orders from the Board. 24 Thank you. 25 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: We will start with 47 1 the resolutions then. 2 MR. CIRILO: Let's get started with 3 resolutions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, 4 Commissioners. 5 First resolution, Resolution 6 H-21-25-03-01. This resolution reads that the 7 Newark Housing Authority Board of Commissioners 8 authorize the Executive Director to amend a contract 9 for agency wide plumbing material and supplies as 10 needed by the department of boiler operations, 11 increasing the maximum amount by sixty thousand 12 dollars for an aggregate amount not to exceed three 13 hundred sixty thousand dollars. 14 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Chairman, this 15 resolution, I am talking to the public, is about 16 what happened. We had a pretty rough winter so we 17 need more money to do some of the things with the 18 boilers. It was a real rough rough winter so this 19 is why we are going a little over budget. I'd like 20 to move it. 21 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Can I get a second? 22 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Second. 23 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Roll call. 24 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Logan. 25 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Yes. 48 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: Vice Chairman Muhammad. 8 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 9 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 10 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 11 MR. CIRILO: Thank you, it passes. 12 Resolution CRPT. The next resolution 13 H-21-25-03-02. That the NHA Board of Commissioners 14 authorize the Executive Director to execute an 15 agreement with Construction Pros International, 16 L.L.C. for utilizing two acres of vacant land at the 17 former Baxter Terrace site for the storage of trucks 18 and trailers for twelve months. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Chairman. 20 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Mr. Muhammad. 21 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I've been on 22 the E.D. about bringing money in for the Housing 23 Authority to help with our budget. I always ask him 24 where is the money at, where is the money at and 25 this is one he went out and utilized where we are 49 1 going to make -- how much is that for twelve months, 2 how much is it again? 3 MR. CIRILO: Six thousand dollars a 4 month times twelve months, seventy-two thousand 5 dollars. 6 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: That is 7 seventy-two thousand dollars so I'd like to move 8 this one too, Chairman. 9 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Moved by 10 Commissioner Muhammad. 11 Can I get a second? 12 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Second. 13 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Seconded by Baez. 14 MR. CIRILO: On the motion. 15 Commissioner Logan. 16 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Yes. 17 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Baez. 18 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 19 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 20 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 21 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 22 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 23 MR. CIRILO: Vice Chairman Muhammad. 24 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 25 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 50 1 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 2 MR. CIRILO: Motion passes. 3 CRPT H-21-25-03-03. That the NHA 4 Board of Commissioners authorize the Executive 5 Director to execute an agreement with Newark 6 Moonlight Cinema, L.L.C. for utilizing seven acres 7 of vacant land at the former Baxter Terrace site as 8 an outdoor entertainment venue for twelve months at 9 the rate of five thousand dollars a month with an 10 option to renew for an additional twelve-month 11 period. 12 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: This is 13 Commissioner Gonzalez. I'm going to move this, but 14 I do have a question. What other activities do they 15 plan to do in the area besides the Moonlight Cinema 16 for the community? 17 MR. CIRILO: Sure. We have on the 18 phone Greg Good. Gregory has been working on 19 putting together the lease agreement. 20 MR. GOOD: Yes, good evening, Mr. 21 Executive Director and Board members. Commissioner 22 Gonzalez, the Newark Moonlight Cinema will be doing 23 a series of four screens. If you recall at Bear's 24 Stadium, they only had one. They are also going to 25 be creating a space for food vending so they can 51 1 sell food to the patrons. I have believe their goal 2 is to have much more of a longer timeline so they 3 will be entertaining some perhaps outdoor skating 4 area as well and things like that. 5 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Are these 6 all -- I know they were on the call with us last 7 time. I just want -- so are they doing -- are these 8 going to be day activities, weekend activities, are 9 they planning to conduct more activities in that 10 area besides the night cinema? 11 MR. GOOD: I think predominantly it 12 will be the night cinema in the evenings into the 13 night obviously, but I do think they do have a 14 concept to use the space during daytime to the 15 extent that it conforms. The site plan obviously 16 says that they would like to do some outdoor 17 skating, build a skating rink on temporary surfacing 18 so that would obviously take place during daytime. 19 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: I will second on 20 this for the fact that I think this is very nice, 21 but the fact that we need activities for the 22 residents we don't have that and I think it is very 23 nice. I will be seconding that. 24 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Okay, I'm 25 good. Sorry, Chair. 52 1 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Commissioner 2 Gonzalez were you done? 3 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes, sir, 4 thanks. 5 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: So moved by 6 Gonzalez. Seconded by Baez. 7 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Chairman, can 8 I say something real quick. Thanks E.D. this is 9 some more money you brought in, right? 10 MR. CIRILO: Yes. 11 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: This is some 12 good money you will bring us entertainment and guess 13 what, I think my granddaughter works there when she 14 is out of college and stuff. I know she worked for 15 them last year. So this is a bravo situation. This 16 is a win/win situation. 17 MR. GOOD: And for the betterment of 18 the Board, the Executive Director did negotiate some 19 additional employment opportunities for Housing 20 Authority residents as a part of this arrangement. 21 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: That's good. 22 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: I'd like to ask 23 you a question. When can the residents go and apply 24 for that position up there. Can that be coming to 25 the Director at 500 Broad Street? 53 1 MR. CIRILO: Absolutely, we can share 2 that information with you. We are actually -- we 3 would be meeting with a group tomorrow afternoon if 4 this lease is executed or approved rather tonight. 5 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Thank you, 6 Director. 7 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: So that was moved 8 by Gonzalez. Seconded by Baez. 9 MR. CIRILO: On the motion, 10 Commissioner Logan. 11 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Yes. 12 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Baez. 13 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 14 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 15 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 16 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 17 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 18 MR. CIRILO: Vice Chairman Muhammad. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 20 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 21 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 22 MR. CIRILO: Motion passes. 23 Operations, H-21-25-03-05. That the 24 NHA Board of Commissioners authorize the Executive 25 Director to execute a shared services agreement with 54 1 the City of Newark for the purchase of road salt in 2 the amount of fifty thousand dollars a year for a 3 term not to exceed five years or an aggregate amount 4 of two hundred fifty thousand dollars, whichever 5 comes first. 6 UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Is it possible 7 that other people can speak at this time? 8 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Didn't you 9 jump -- 10 MR. CIRILO: Yes, my apologies. We 11 need to go back or would you like for me to speak to 12 the current one that I just read? 13 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Finish this one and 14 go back and do the one that you skipped. 15 MR. CIRILO: So this resolution 16 authorizes the shared services agreement for the 17 purchase of road salt. 18 COMMISSIONER COSTA: I will second it. 19 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Who moved it? 20 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: I guess Iyona 21 is on the phone. We were discussing -- I'm glad to 22 hear that Iyona Morris is on. I just wanted to hear 23 more information on the opportunities. 24 MS. MORRIS: Yes, how you doing, I am 25 here. 55 1 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Let's finish this 2 vote first then we will do that. 3 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, we have a 4 motion on the floor, resolution 21-25-03-05 for the 5 record. 6 Commissioner Logan. 7 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Yes. 8 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Baez. 9 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 10 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 11 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 12 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 13 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 14 MR. CIRILO: Vice Chairman Muhammad. 15 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 16 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 17 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 18 MR. CIRILO: Motion passes. 19 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Ms. Morris, you 20 want to speak briefly. 21 MS. MORRIS: Yes, I would like to 22 speak. First, I would like to thank you all for 23 allowing me and Siri the opportunity and the Cinema 24 the opportunity to come in, move our location from 25 the other site to Baxter Terrace. This land means a 56 1 lot to me. This is the community I grew up in. My 2 entire family comes from Baxter Terrace. I am very 3 proud to be able to come and turn this vacant lot 4 into a viable business for the City and a viable 5 entertainment venue for the City. So thank you for 6 that. 7 I want to implore Mr. Cirilo and the 8 Board, I know that it kind of voted and me speaking 9 is too late, but I would like to implore you guys to 10 try to reconsider the mixed use of the lot with the 11 driving with the storage facility for a trucking 12 company. 13 Now, as Newark Cinema it is supposed 14 to be a temporary business last year that is why we 15 only had a temporary lease with Lotus Equity Group, 16 but because the business did so well, it got a lot 17 of press, it brought a lot of positive energy, 18 positive to the City we decided to try to continue 19 it and then when we reached out to Mr. Cirilo to try 20 to make this partnership, but my concern is that 21 putting a trucking storage facility on the same lot 22 where you have hundreds of active cars coming out in 23 and out every day or at night for the business for 24 the driving can cause a major conflict. 25 The proposed use for the storage or 57 1 the tractor trailers, it conflicts in terms of noise 2 with our operations. We cannot have trucks idling 3 while cars are trying to watch movies. It also can 4 cause risk for a tractor trailer accident between a 5 tractor trailer and one of our patrons who are 6 traveling in their vehicles. It also can cause a 7 risk for pollution, for air pollution to have -- the 8 lot is going to hold how we designed it, the lot is 9 going to go hold five hundred cars so that would be 10 up to a thousand people. A thousand people will 11 attend our screenings every night and they will be 12 parked right next to a trucking storage facility and 13 we don't know. I am sure you guys may know, but we 14 are not aware of what their operations are and what 15 they are going to be storing in those containers in 16 the tractor trailers. 17 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Mr. Morris, can we 18 have maybe Mr. Good or Mr. Cirilo respond to this 19 because I know there was a conversation regarding it 20 because I understand your concerns. Mr. Good, are 21 you still on the line? 22 MR. CIRILO: I can also -- 23 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: I would like 24 Gregory Good as well because I think he was part of 25 it as well. This is Norma, but yes, Director 58 1 Cirilo, because of what Iyona just said I'm sure did 2 you take that into account? 3 MR. CIRILO: Absolutely. So Board 4 members, the property is deed restricted by the U.S. 5 Department of Housing and Urban Development which 6 requires us to use a formula, a fair market to rent 7 the property. In this case Newark Moonlight Cinema 8 was extended a really extensive rebate to rent 9 seven acres of land and we were seeking to make up 10 that rebate in case we are questioned by our 11 overseers at HUD by renting two acres just for 12 storage. Not for traffic back and forth, but just 13 for storage purposes. We are looking to make up the 14 lost rent by extending a discount to Newark 15 Moonlight Cinema through the extension of this 16 additional lease. 17 Again, we are under the impression and 18 Mr. Good can add if I'm speaking out of turn that 19 the construction company just needs that for 20 storage, not for vehicular traffic or back and forth 21 or material residue or anything of that sort. So 22 that's the answer to your question, Commissioner 23 Gonzalez. 24 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Okay. 25 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Does that satisfy 59 1 you? Do we still need Mr. Good to speak? 2 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Mr. Chairman. 3 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes, go ahead, 4 Commissioner Muhammad. 5 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I'm sorry, I 6 just want to put it on the record that the Central 7 Ward Councilperson strongly was against the trucking 8 company there, strongly. She's strongly against it 9 so I just want to put that on the record that she's 10 strongly against it. She said that we can use other 11 sites in the Central Ward for the trucking company 12 so I don't know where we are going with this. I 13 wish Iyona would have spoke before we voted. 14 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Let me ask you a 15 question. Can we get a separate entrance besides to 16 the Cinemax to the trucking Company so they don't 17 have to use the same entrance? 18 MR. CIRILO: That has been discussed 19 through you, Mr. Chairman. Perhaps Greg can answer 20 that point, Greg Good. 21 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Greg, you on the 22 line? 23 UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: I'm not 24 Gregory, but based off the conversation I had with 25 him he asked us to designate a spot for them. So 60 1 the trucking company will either be next to our 2 concession area where we are supposed to do 3 greenhouse dining and outdoor dining for patrons to 4 come and be able to socially distance and have a 5 great time at the theater or they would be behind 6 our screens. Our screens are also made up of 7 shipping containers. If there is any instance I 8 know that it is only supposed to be used for 9 storage, but at some point those tractor trailers 10 have to leave and return. If there is an incident 11 where the tractor trailer bumps our containers, the 12 containers weigh four tons. If the container falls 13 over it's going to kill a person, there is just no 14 way around it and I do know that there are lots of 15 vacant lots in the City. 16 I'm pretty sure that there is a way 17 that we can all work together and ensure the safety 18 of the people who are coming into the City to see 19 this, not to mention all the media that is going to 20 pick this up. That is going to see that we have 21 come back for a second season and that we are doing 22 this in our community because we care and we love 23 Newark and we really want to turn Newark into -- we 24 are the only people here in the City who has created 25 a business that can survive the pandemic. We are 61 1 the only business here in the City that is creating 2 an opportunity for schools like Kick to come in and 3 have an outdoor graduation safely without any COVID 4 transmission. 5 Last year we saw thirty thousand 6 people, not one person contracted COVID. Out of our 7 staff of thirty people, not one person contracted 8 COVID because the drive-in model works for this 9 environment and I don't think it is fair to us. I 10 don't think it is fair to the people of Newark to 11 have to share this wonderful space with a tractor 12 trailer company. 13 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: I speak for the 14 Councilwoman that the other locations that can be 15 found we are looking for them. I don't think this 16 is the end of this right now. Let's go ahead and 17 vote. 18 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: I would have no 19 problem as long as they have a different entrance 20 and different exit out of the complex. 21 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Elio, what is 22 our opposition on this? What happens when you pass 23 a resolution and then you might change your mind 24 hypothetically I am just saying. 25 MR. MENA: The Board will have to -- 62 1 if there's another resolution on the floor to 2 rescind it, then the Board will act accordingly. 3 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Thank you, 4 Elio. 5 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Let's move back to 6 the resolutions. 7 MR. CIRILO: Resolution CRPT 8 21-25-03-04. 9 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Is this the one 10 that was skipped? 11 MR. CIRILO: I'm sorry, Mr. Chairman. 12 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Is this the one 13 that was skipped? 14 MR. CIRILO: Yes, we are going back to 15 03-04. CRPT 21-25-03-04, that the NHA Board of 16 Commissioners authorize the Executive Director to 17 award the project to KM Construction Corporation to 18 conduct demolition of the NHA vacant property of 19 Bergen Street Villa subject to the negotiations of 20 the project completion and timeline proposed by the 21 contractor. 22 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: I will move 23 that one. 24 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Moved by 25 Commissioner Gonzalez. 63 1 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: I will second. 2 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Seconded by 3 Commissioner Baez. 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: Vice Chairman Muhammad. 14 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 15 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 16 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 17 MR. CIRILO: Motion passes. 18 We are going to move onto operations, 19 H-21-25-3-06. That the NHA Board of Commissioners 20 authorize the Executive Director to execute an 21 amended contract and make any necessary corrections 22 with Selph-Ali Consulting to assist the operations 23 department with professional development, develop 24 accountability measures, develop performance 25 measurements and assist the operations department in 64 1 achieving its goals for a period of one year with an 2 option to renew at the NHA's discretion for one 3 additional year in an amount not to exceed sixty-two 4 thousand seven hundred twenty dollars per year or a 5 hundred and twenty-five thousand four hundred forty 6 dollars aggregate amount. 7 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: I will move 8 that. 9 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Moved by Gonzalez. 10 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I will second. 11 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Seconded by 12 Commissioner Muhammad. 13 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Logan. 14 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Yes. 15 MR. CIRILO: 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: Vice Chairman Muhammad. 22 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 23 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 24 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 25 MR. CIRILO: Motion passes. 65 1 We are going to move onto operations, 2 H-21-25-3-7. That the NHA Board of Commissioners 3 authorizes the Executive Director to execute a 4 contract with Shauger Properties, Incorporated for 5 landscaping and debris removal agency wide at all 6 NHA residential complexes, redevelopment properties 7 and recreation centers for an initial term of two 8 years with options to renew at the sole discretion 9 of the NHA for two additional one year options in an 10 amount not to exceed two million three hundred 11 twenty thousand dollars or four years, whichever 12 comes first. 13 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Chairman. 14 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Commissioner 15 Muhammad. 16 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: This is the 17 resolution that I asked to defer for ten days and 18 come back for a special meeting. I wanted to make a 19 similar resolution that it appeared that Elio and 20 whoever else, Sam said they needed more time to help 21 me prepare. I proposed it and also I never got a 22 chance to speak to the people that works for this. 23 So I am going to ask them for ten days to come back 24 on a special public meeting and at that time I will 25 have my resolution that I want the Board to consider 66 1 also. 2 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: You want to defer 3 for ten days? 4 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: This is 5 Commissioner Gonzalez. I want to pose this to the 6 E.D. as well. How is this going to effect any of 7 our cleaning, any of our landscaping and anything 8 that is going on right now especially with the 9 properties that are currently vacant because I've 10 gotten a couple of complaints already and people are 11 starting to get warm, people are throwing out old 12 mattresses and all their junk out. So I want to 13 make sure that all our areas are clean so please let 14 me know how this is going to effect us, that is 15 number one. 16 Number two, Commissioner Alif, you are 17 referring to a resolution that we are preparing, 18 Newark Housing Authority? 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes, that I 20 asked to be prepared and they said they needed more 21 time to prepare it. They needed more time to 22 prepare it and then anyway last year these contracts 23 generally start in May so this is March. I am only 24 asking for ten days. This is March. The contracts 25 usually start at May 1st not in March so I went 67 1 to -- I sent it to you, you got a copy of it. I 2 sent a proposal on the resolution. 3 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: I saw it, 4 Commissioner, I did see it. I just asked the E.D. I 5 just want to make sure -- I'm not opposing the 6 ten-day wait or anything, but I just want to hear 7 from the E.D. and whoever is out there. I just 8 wanted to make it public that we have to make sure 9 that we start cleaning our properties because make 10 sure everything is cleaned. I just want to make 11 sure that nothing -- 12 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: All the 13 contracts for the last ten years didn't start until 14 May 1st. All the contracts didn't start if you look 15 at all the contracts they didn't start until May 1st 16 so why can't I get the courtesy of ten days. 17 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Commissioner, 18 that's okay, I just asked what the resolution was. 19 I just asked the E.D. to make sure that we start 20 cleaning because we still -- 21 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: You don't 22 start -- 23 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: I understand 24 that, Commissioner Muhammad. 25 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: That is a moot 68 1 situation. You don't start cleaning until May 1st 2 so you are talking about in March ten days, within 3 ten days. 4 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Commissioner, 5 it is April. Do we have any plans, are we doing 6 anything? 7 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: It is not 8 April. This is March. I am asking for ten days on 9 a resolution that I asked for last week and I didn't 10 get it. Now, I feel insulted about that, but I am 11 going to live with that. 12 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Commissioner, 13 my sincere apologies. I understand the ten days, I 14 never said anything about deferring it for ten days. 15 I just want to make sure that everybody, that the 16 E.D. is aware that we are already starting to get 17 complaints to look at the properties that we 18 currently have vacant so I just want to hear what we 19 are planning to do with that since we are on the 20 topic. 21 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Commissioner 22 Gonzalez, that is a separate contract. We paid 23 separately for that last year. We have to stop this 24 game stuff right here. This is not politics. This 25 is a million dollars. We got to do what is best for 69 1 the tenants for Newark. We have to stop this game 2 stuff. It was a separate contract that do the 3 vacant properties last year. We paid ninety 4 thousand dollars separately over the six hundred 5 thousand. As a Commissioner, I think I should be 6 respected to get my chance to make a resolution. I 7 thought I was disrespected because nobody did it. I 8 talked to the general counsel, he nixed me, he nixed 9 me. I told the E.D. I talked to the Chairman. I 10 asked him for a deferral. Now you are talking about 11 a contract that generally starts in May 1st you 12 worrying about being cleaned up now. The vacant 13 lots was a separate contract for ninety thousand 14 dollars, eighty thousand dollars, a separate. This 15 contract don't even cover that. 16 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Right now we are 17 just going to defer ten days. 18 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 19 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Mr. Chairman, 20 before that I do believe and I disagree with 21 Commissioner Muhammad and I don't disagree with 22 Commissioner Gonzalez either. I believe it is a 23 different question and misunderstanding, but if we 24 are going to go to this resolution to defer and we 25 are going to go over our own resolution to do 70 1 landscaping, I want to know if we are going to have 2 enough money to buy all the material and where we 3 are going to put it because we do not have a 4 warehouse to put our material so I want to know 5 where we are going to get the money to build all 6 that. 7 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Commissioner 8 Baez, you can vote that resolution down within ten 9 days if we can't -- if I can't explain it in ten 10 days, you can vote it down, but we are dealing with 11 six, seven hundred thousand dollars, seven hundred 12 thousand dollars plus we have equipment already. 13 Section 3 use equipment already for landscaping. 14 Prior ten, fifteen years ago Newark 15 Housing Authority did it all within with their 16 maintenance people. So what I am saying to you is 17 we got six hundred thousand dollars. We are not 18 coming with new money plus we got equipment already. 19 That is what Section 3 uses to go around and clean 20 lots and everything like that. I am just asking for 21 a courtesy for ten days because I couldn't get a 22 resolution as the vice chair of the Board of 23 Commissioners. I couldn't get a resolution. 24 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Can we take 25 the vote to defer Chair, please? 71 1 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes, before we do 2 that, Mr. Director, do you have anything you want to 3 say on the matter? 4 MR. CIRILO: No, I just want to -- 5 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Read the resolution 6 and we will ask for the vote. 7 MR. CIRILO: So we need a motion and a 8 second to defer this resolution for ten days. 9 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: I will make the 10 motion. 11 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: I am second. 12 MR. CIRILO: Resolution to defer 13 H-22-25-03-07. 14 Commissioner Logan. 15 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Yes. 16 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Baez. 17 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 18 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. On 19 the resolution to defer. 20 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 21 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 22 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 23 MR. CIRILO: Vice Chairman Muhammad. 24 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 25 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 72 1 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes, to defer. 2 MR. CIRILO: The resolution has been 3 deferred. 4 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Thank you, 5 Board members. 6 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Chairman, I just 7 want to ask before the ten days that we have a 8 special meeting we spoke about, we have all 9 pertinent information that we need for this possible 10 resolution. 11 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Absolutely. 12 MR. CIRILO: CRPT 21-25-03-08. That 13 the NHA Board of Commissioners authorize the 14 Executive Director to extend the term of the initial 15 project based voucher housing assistance payment 16 contract between the NHA and Montgomery II Housing 17 Urban Renewal, LLC, owner of the Montgomery II 18 development, also known as Aston Heights, from a 19 period of fifteen years to twenty years. 20 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Chairman, may 21 I? 22 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes, Commissioner 23 Muhammad. 24 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: We had a 25 redevelopment meeting with the Chair and 73 1 Commissioner Gonzalez was there and myself. We had 2 a very good conversation with Pennrose, very, very 3 good conversation. The biggest problem, Chairman 4 and Commissioners, were the way they were treating 5 our people, in other words, for instance, a person 6 would wait for an amount and we are not talking 7 about Montgomery, we are talking about Brick Towers 8 used to be also. 9 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: New Horizon. 10 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Not New 11 Horizon. Down where Brick Towers used to be. What 12 is it, E.D., Aston. Anyway, people were waiting and 13 they would get turned down for credit and we had to 14 remind them that we are in the urban area and you 15 get turned down for credit and they would wait three 16 or four years and everything. They came back and 17 they told us from now on that they will allow an 18 appeal, that it was an appeal, but we don't know 19 anything about it. That a person would allow and 20 they went back, am I right E.D., and they went back 21 to some people we gave that was turned down and they 22 went back and looked at the appeal and they approved 23 it. So they definitely showed good faith. 24 The only issue I got here with them is 25 that Councilman LaMonica which this is in her ward 74 1 and also, Chairman, this is yours too was concerned 2 about the security situation. Now, I didn't talk to 3 her yet today. I don't know what is going on. 4 There was a serious issue about security. The 5 reason why I'm putting her in the mix is because she 6 gets most of the complaints. She gets the complaint 7 when things aren't right in the Central Ward. They 8 don't come to us unless it is our buildings, they go 9 to her. 10 So what I am going to do is I am 11 leaning all the way to give this up. I'm telling 12 you the five years. I appreciate what they did. We 13 had good conversation, but I think that they need to 14 talk to Councilman LaMonica to make sure so I would 15 like to defer this also if possible for the ten-day 16 at the next meeting. 17 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: I will second 18 that. 19 MR. FISHER: It is Jacob Fisher. May 20 I speak? 21 MR. CIRILO: Mr. Chairman, please. 22 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Mr. Fisher. 23 MR. FISHER: Hi, this is Jacob Fisher 24 from Pennrose. Let me put myself on camera. 25 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Be brief. 75 1 MR. FISHER: I will. I just wanted to 2 say that I did speak with Councilwoman McIver today. 3 She expressed that a lot of what we talked about the 4 other day, that things have improved in our 5 relationship with her office and in our work with 6 the community. She did express concerns about 7 security. I told her what our manager told you 8 which is that we do have additional security in 9 place and what she asked for and I agreed to is that 10 we commence having quarterly meetings together so 11 that we just can be up to speed on, you know, any 12 issues that arise. So I felt like it was a positive 13 conversation and that there is an open line of 14 communication between us and her. So I would 15 respectfully ask -- 16 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: So we still want to 17 vote for deferment? 18 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Let's follow up 19 with her office. 20 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: So we are going to 21 need the ten days then. 22 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Mr. Fisher, 23 this is Commissioner Muhammad. I'm real excited. I 24 appreciate what you guys did. I want to make sure 25 her office is all right because she gets all the 76 1 complaints. So if you could bear with us to the 2 next ten days, we get this done for you. 3 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: I just want to 4 ask, Chairman, that the security is okay with it. 5 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: If who is okay with 6 it? 7 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: I believe it is a 8 Commissioner Logan and Commissioner Costa. 9 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: This is not 10 our property. We are in joint venture with this. 11 We don't handle security for them. They handle 12 their own security. 13 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Which property are 14 we talking about? 15 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Commissioner, we 16 are talking about that property, what is it, 17 Montgomery, the new one. 18 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Okay. 19 COMMISSIONER COSTA: They are going to 20 meet with Councilwoman McIver and explain the 21 security plan that they have in place for that 22 property. 23 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Okay, I agree to 24 defer for ten days. 25 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Let's have a roll 77 1 call. 2 MR. CIRILO: Is there a motion and 3 second? 4 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Mover and second. 5 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I will move 6 it. 7 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: I will second. 8 MR. CIRILO: On the motion to defer, 9 Commissioner Logan. 10 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Yes. 11 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Baez. 12 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 13 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 14 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 15 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 16 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 17 MR. CIRILO: Vice Chairman Muhammad. 18 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 19 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 20 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 21 MR. CIRILO: The matter has been 22 deferred. 23 We can entertain a motion to adjourn. 24 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Before we adjourn, 25 I thought I saw one of the speakers was on the 78 1 screen. 2 Ms. Covington, are you still there. 3 MS. COVINGTON: Yes. 4 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: I know you were 5 signed up to speak and you didn't speak earlier. If 6 it's okay with my colleagues, I will give you your 7 five minutes now. 8 MS. COVINGTON: Can you guys hear me, 9 okay? 10 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: We can hear you, 11 yes. 12 MS. COVINGTON: I would first like to 13 say good afternoon to all Board members and Newark 14 Housing Authority Commissioners. My name is 15 Lateefah Covington. I reside at Kretchmer elderly 16 Building 963. I would like to begin with a prayer. 17 Oh, most precious Lord father and mother of all, I 18 ask that you speak through me and allow my true 19 intentions of love and admiration for my people to 20 guide my tongue and bring forth positive change and 21 unity in the community. All these things I pray in 22 your precious name, Amen. 23 Well, I just jotted down a couple 24 things. I won't be long. A couple changes that I 25 feel would bring great positive change to the 79 1 community. The first is weekly meetings teaching 2 brotherly love and self esteem. 3 The second one is a library or book 4 club program in the community with the focus on 5 black history teaching to enlighten the Newark 6 Housing Authority residents on the importance of 7 unity in the community. 8 Third, a weekly drug counseling on the 9 premises spiritually based with the focus on respect 10 for the life of your neighbors. 11 The fourth one is signs throughout the 12 community, heart shaped signs preferably to promote 13 love. Signs that promote brotherly love and self 14 esteem throughout the buildings. That's pretty much 15 it. I just jotted down four things. I didn't want 16 to be too long and long-winded. I wanted to be 17 quick. 18 Lastly, I would like to say thank you 19 for the Newark Housing Authority employees, City of 20 Newark employees and all their leaders from both 21 organizations for your contributions for a greater 22 Newark community. Let's continue to work hard for 23 progress with every effort. Thank you and God bless 24 you. 25 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Thank you, 80 1 Ms. Covington. 2 Can I get a motion to adjourn? 3 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I will make 4 the motion. 5 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Motion to 6 adjourn. 7 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Muhammad and 8 Gonzalez. 9 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Logan. 10 COMMISSIONER LOGAN: Yes. 11 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Baez. On 12 the motion to adjourn, Commissioner Baez. 13 Commissioner Costa. 14 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 15 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 16 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 17 MR. CIRILO: Vice Chairman Muhammad. 18 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 19 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 20 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 21 MR. CIRILO: Motion passes. 22 23 (Whereupon, the proceedings were 24 concluded at 6:31 p.m.) 25 81 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