1 1 HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF NEWARK 2 NEWARK, NEW JERSEY 3 THURSDAY, JULY 22, 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 (Telephone) 18 FAUSTO BAEZ, Commissioner 19 NORMA GONZALEZ, Commissioner 20 BRIAN LOGAN, Commissioner (Absent) 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: Kim Barnes 5 6 By: Myrna Brown 10 7 By: Dellon Garraway 14 8 9 Items for Approval 19 10 11 RESOLUTIONS PAGE 12 H-1 through H-4 21 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 4 1 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: It is now 2 5:00 o'clock. This meeting is now called to order. 3 Can I get a reading of the Open Public 4 Meetings Act. 5 MR. CIRILO: As required by N.J.S.A. 6 10:4-6 known as the Open Public Meetings Act, notice 7 of this meeting was provided in the following 8 manner. On December 23, 2020 notice of this meeting 9 specifying the date, time and location was 10 transmitted to the Star Ledger, El Nuevo Coqui and 11 to the Clerk of the City of Newark. 12 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Could we get a roll 13 call. 14 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Logan has 15 asked to be excused. 16 Commissioner Baez. 17 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Here. 18 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 19 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Here. 20 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 21 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Present. 22 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Muhammad. 23 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Here. 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 have public 4 speakers. 5 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: There's one 6 sitting down stairs in the lobby. 7 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Ms. Kim Barnes. 8 MS. BARNES: Good evening, Kim Barnes. 9 Nice to see you guys in person again. First and 10 foremost, I would like to say that I thank Vincent 11 Rouse and the Commissioners that met with me because 12 we are trying to get our community back together so 13 I thank you and I thank Commissioner Costa for her 14 help with our ice cream night and we are trying to 15 move on even though Riverside Villa is not up to 16 great standards and our residents are highly, highly 17 upset, but tonight my issues and concerns are first 18 and foremost the questions that was asked last month 19 and was answered. I did not like the way that they 20 were answered and we are still waiting for other 21 answers, but I am going to wait for the hard copy 22 before I address those issues. 23 Secondly, there at Riverside we are 24 having a lot of break-ins and most of the residents 25 are afraid to say who it is, but Captain Broner has 6 1 been on it and I'd like to thank him and his team, 2 but we still have the noise. 3 We still have the garbage that is not 4 being picked up on time. Sometimes they just leave 5 it there for a week and God forbid if it's the 6 weekend and the holiday. 7 I'd also like to say thank you out to 8 Tucker because Tucker is there every weekend picking 9 up the bulk. 10 One of the things I really have to 11 complain about is customer service. With Section 8 12 I don't care what day of the week that I call down 13 here to ask a question or whatever, they are not 14 answering the phone and when they do they are rude. 15 They are in the wrong business for customers. In 16 this business you are supposed to be a people person 17 and they are not. My thing is y'all always tell us 18 to be self sufficient. Y'all want these residents 19 to be self sufficient then you need to get these 20 people out of the office or start sending the TA 21 information that they can work with resources that 22 are there. I'm in the process of doing that. 23 In September I am getting ready to 24 give an event where I am going to have a game night 25 and a resource information and Commissioner Costa is 7 1 going to help so is Commissioner Gonzalez. We have 2 the Mayor's office helping because we need to get 3 our community back together because we are losing 4 our kids. This pandemic has caused them to go buck 5 wild and them kids in Riverside Villa has a lot of 6 talent, but their parents is hard to pull them out 7 because their parents don't want to be there to help 8 them with nothing, but I am not going to give up on 9 my children or my senior citizens who are always 10 there to support us there at Riverside Villa. 11 My thing is that y'all need to get 12 busy. We need social services, all that stuff. We 13 had problems down there and the first thing they 14 said to me where was the social worker. We know 15 there is more than one social worker. Y'all need to 16 hire more social workers. Start cutting the budget 17 at the top. All y'all need to take a cut so y'all 18 can start patting it in. Residents first, that is 19 what it should be, residents first, our health and 20 safety. We have people coming in Riverside that 21 don't live there that is doing these break-ins. We 22 can't sleep at night. My thing is you got residents 23 that pay market rent. My rent went up four hundred 24 sixty dollars and I deserve to have peace at night. 25 Then y'all need -- and whoever the maintenance is 8 1 now, they need to get on that detail real quick 2 because we have a lot of mice and I ain't never had 3 none since I lived there ever and my great 4 granddaughter comes down every weekend. I can't put 5 her on the floor because I see them running around 6 and I never had that and I am not a dirty person and 7 I'm not saying everybody there is dirty, but come 8 on. We got mice infestation. We got the ants that 9 is coming out and y'all switched companies on it. 10 That is all I have to say for tonight. 11 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Thank you, Ms. 12 Barnes. 13 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Chairman. Ms. 14 Barnes, you didn't get the written questions and 15 answers like this? 16 MS. BARNES: Yeah, I got them, but I 17 didn't like the way they were answered because I 18 don't think y'all answered it. I think the 19 secretary answered it. 20 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Chairman. On 21 those questions and answers I'd like to say if you 22 request and Commissioner Costa also as a 23 Commissioner we need -- I wanted to have those 24 questions answered. I wanted to see the copy to 25 everybody who send those answers to the residents. 9 1 I'd like to get a copy of that too. Like every time 2 we send the residents the answer, I wanted to see 3 it. 4 MS. BARNES: Then y'all didn't answer 5 the previous ones. We need previous answers. You 6 can't go back to the residents and say uh, uh, they 7 don't want to hear that. 8 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: We need to answer 9 those questions. 10 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: They did. 11 They are here. The last time you asked -- 12 MS. BARNES: No, from previous months 13 when we ask, we have not received those answers. 14 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: He didn't -- 15 MS. BARNES: We didn't receive it. 16 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: What he did so 17 good with those last ones, he told you who the 18 author is. He told you who it is coming from. 19 MS. BARNES: No, that is not in the 20 e-mail that we got. So I am waiting, like I said, I 21 am waiting for the hard copy. 22 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Ms. Barnes, we 23 will give you one after the meeting or Katia will 24 give you a hard copy. 25 MS. BARNES: Thank you. 10 1 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: JoAnn Sims. Not 2 available. 3 Ms. Myrna Brown. 4 MS. BROWN: Hi, good evening, 5 everyone. 6 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Good evening, 7 Ms. Brown. 8 MS. BROWN: Hello to all. Glad to see 9 everybody here in the midst of this pandemic. I 10 received my copy. I am not happy with the answers 11 neither and I know the answers that I received 12 should not be the answers. 13 My first question was I asked you why 14 did y'all want to be a Commissioner for the Housing 15 Authority. The answer was every Commissioner has an 16 individual reason for coming as a public service. I 17 know that. Why you was picked, why you wanted to 18 sit there, why the Mayor picked you, why you wanted 19 to sit there, that is what I wanted to know. So I 20 mean individually you can take my e-mail if you want 21 to give it individually and I think we have a right 22 to know that. It is just like when we put the Mayor 23 in office and the Council people at large, they tell 24 us why they want to be there. So we have a right to 25 know why y'all want to sit up there to represent us 11 1 or why you chose to represent us. 2 The other question about Woodlawn 3 Village. Even though you did put the COVID people 4 and that's good, you had to have a partnership. You 5 shut that site down from people that live there, 6 relocate them. Then we open it back up, fix it up 7 for COVID people and it is a special project. You 8 can't do that without having a partnership with 9 public housing property. Who did you partnership 10 with. Now you are going to turn it into RAD. You 11 still have to get approval from HUD and tell HUD who 12 is going to be with that project. 13 My second question when was the 14 Commissioners terms up, five years? Some of y'all 15 been there ten years or more. Tenant Commissioner 16 is supposed to be chose by residents. He represents 17 us. We have a right to choose who we want to sit in 18 that seat then we let the Mayor know once it's been 19 picked by all residents and I asked Mr. Baez what is 20 he doing for the residents. He's sitting there for 21 us. We have a right to question him. We have a 22 right to help him. He comes to us and we tell them 23 and then he comes to y'all and you put proposals 24 together. He hasn't done nothing that the tenants 25 said. 12 1 Those bylaws, those rules you have in 2 them senior buildings, a tenant put that together 3 with the other tenants, brought it here to pass it 4 along to HUD. HUD approved it now it is in your 5 plan for the tenant rules. I got the e-mail. I 6 know how to e-mail all y'all so maybe I will do that 7 and you can respond and tell me what your reason is 8 for wanting to sit there. 9 Number nine, she put managers are not 10 doing their jobs. Consultants should be consultant. 11 What I meant by that you have a consultant, you bid 12 out a consultant for something. That consultant is 13 consulting to help you say your managers for them. 14 You have to consult to help the managers with their 15 customer service. That person should just be that. 16 How can that person come in this agency and help 17 find apartments for residents if he's a consultant. 18 Where are they paying -- are we paying for a 19 consultant? When I say we, that is our money. You 20 are paying for a consultant or you want to put her 21 in your management part and help with the managers 22 to find apartments. If you're hiring somebody at 23 the top, why do they need somebody else to help them 24 do their job. They don't need the job. If they 25 need somebody else to come and help them find a 13 1 place for a resident. 2 This is something new and I know -- I 3 thank you Mr. Cirilo and Mr. Rouse for that 4 situation. That was in May. This resident is still 5 in that unit that still wasn't fixed. That hole in 6 that back door by the rats coming in her house is 7 not done. Rat holes is not baited or covered up on 8 that same property and she shouldn't have to live 9 like that. Her daughter called me furious because 10 we had the HUD inspection and all that came in was 11 to check the smoke detectors, but her mother is 12 living in a deplorable townhouse. You have all 13 these sites with these townhouses that is vacant. 14 How hard can it be to find somebody that is 15 emergency. Get your guys from whatever site you 16 pull them from like you do. You got Local 55 doing 17 stuff. Pull them in if you can go in a unit and fix 18 it up so that lady can get out of there. It is 19 getting ready to be cold. 20 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Your five minutes 21 is up. 22 MS. BROWN: That is it right now, but 23 I will go back with me. 24 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Mrs. Brown, 25 you know we are a voluntary Board. You want to tell 14 1 Ms. Barnes too. We don't get paid. I am just 2 saying to you -- 3 MS. BROWN: My time is up, but Mr. 4 Muhammad, no disrespect. I have been here a long 5 time. I know about the Commissioners and I know 6 what that is to be done and how it be done. I am 7 not new to this game. 8 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I just want to 9 make it to the public this is a voluntary situation. 10 MS. BROWN: And I am doing volunteer 11 too. I don't get paid to talk about these 12 residents, but I talk to them because I care for 13 them. 14 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I am just 15 making a statement. 16 MS. BROWN: I am making a statement 17 too. 18 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: You still have 19 my number, right? 20 MS. BROWN: Yeah, I have all of them 21 because you volunteer to service us and we want our 22 service. 23 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Thank you. 24 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Dellon Garraway. 25 MR. GARRAWAY: Good afternoon, 15 1 everyone. I'm sorry, what was your name? 2 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Alif Muhammad. 3 MR. GARRAWAY: I sat in and the recent 4 interaction that you just had, I'm here today 5 because of a slew of concerns, but the way Mr. Alif 6 you just undermined every single complaint that she 7 sat here and displayed to you because you felt the 8 need to reiterate that you are not being paid. As 9 you may not be paid, I think the fact that you chose 10 to mention that completely undermined everything 11 that all of us who are here for a cause because I 12 think you wanted to make that more important than 13 whatever it was that she was saying. So for me 14 coming up next, I am kind of tainted just because I 15 am not sure if that's what's more important the fact 16 that you are here not being paid or to really listen 17 to what we have to say, but I just wanted to mention 18 that so thank you. 19 Good afternoon, everyone. My name is 20 Dellon Garraway and I'm here on behalf of my mother 21 who is disabled and a nine year old sister. I am 22 here today because the past two years as a Section 8 23 tenant has been extremely tumultuous at the hands of 24 Mr. Duane Knight, at the hands of Ms. Betty Walton 25 and at the hands of Jackie Linglosa. These were the 16 1 first people that I had to interact with for 2 anything that needed to be done. Over the past two 3 years they have been completely unresponsive. 4 Once I did get a response, it then 5 turned into me being retaliated against because of 6 the level I went to get this response. The 7 tumultuous situation had become as an uphill battle 8 and it continued as a ripple effect. 9 In 2019 there were two types of income 10 in my household. I was a full-time college student 11 not working as I still am today, but I am working 12 now, but I am about to graduate so I can do both. 13 When I was on leave in school there were only two 14 incomes, child support for my sister and my mother's 15 disability. My mother's disability continued while 16 the child support stopped because my sister's father 17 was not working. For an entire year I tried to make 18 contact with Betty, with Mr. Knight, with Jackie and 19 everyone that is our leadership team and no one 20 responded to me. It wasn't until I found my way at 21 City Hall sitting across from Mr. Andre Mason. That 22 is when I even knew of Mr. Knight existed. 23 After Ms. Mason got in contact with 24 Mr. Knight, whatever the inspection that was done 25 internally determined that we as a tenant overpaid 17 1 our rent for an entire year so I need you to 2 backtrack for an entire year. I was trying to 3 contact Mr. Knight, Mr. Walton and Mr. Linglosa. 4 Everyone on the team I was told we have to wait 5 three months before the income can change once child 6 support stops because that is the law. No one 7 communicated with me after the three months past 8 when I continued to reach out to say, hey, this 9 income is not here can something be done for an 10 entire year. 11 That saga continued though because 12 after that was taken care of it was a retaliation 13 that started. Because I believe I found my way 14 sitting in Ms. Mason's office. I found myself in a 15 conversation with Mr. Sack from HUD and I continued 16 to climb the ladder and I feel as though as I 17 continued to climb the ladder my family started 18 being retaliated against. Well, here's how. I did 19 my own research and I found out last year June 20 vouchers changed which meant that my family was then 21 entitled to a three bedroom voucher. I need to know 22 why is it that at the beginning of 2021 we were sent 23 a two bedroom voucher even though everyone knew we 24 were then entitled to a three bedroom voucher, okay. 25 There was another incident in the 18 1 beginning of this year because my apartment has 2 failed over twenty-eight times inspections, yes, 3 absolutely. Now, Mr. Knight and everyone wants us 4 to go. They want us to leave. They want to get us 5 out, but guess what. When the apartment was in 6 abatement last year, the management company decided 7 to hope to take my mother to court because Section 8 8 was holding the rent so now my mother has a rent 9 holding on her name in court so any apartment we try 10 to find it comes up is if we were holding the rent 11 when, in fact, the apartment was in abatement. I 12 have yet to be provided anything by Section 8 to 13 show that was not our fault. How are we supposed to 14 find an apartment today, but the saga continued 15 because we are still in this apartment that failed 16 over twenty-eight times and if I tell you today my 17 family's life is in great danger believe me I am 18 here singing this to the top of the mountains 19 because I want everyone to know that in the event my 20 family's life is lost, it will be on everybody's 21 hand that has a part to play in it. Why the 22 apartment is falling apart so bad that when I got on 23 the phone with CGI I spoke to Amy Waxler, the 24 director of CGI. She went into my inspections and 25 started failing everything for twenty-four hours, 19 1 something that her inspectors hadn't done, but she 2 clearly believed it was worth a twenty-four hour 3 failure. I need help. I need to prove to another 4 landlord that it was not our fault why we were taken 5 to court. I need people to take accountability 6 because in the beginning of this year when I called 7 Betty Walton to ask for help, you had a snowstorm. 8 I am not sure if you remember. You were closed for 9 three days and all three days Betty Walton picked up 10 the phone and said to me we are closed and hung up. 11 Thank you so much. You have a 12 wonderful evening. 13 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: JoAnn Sims not 14 appearing I guess. That is it for public speakers. 15 Now, I am going to move onto items for 16 approval. I need a motion and second to approve the 17 Board transcript for June 2021. 18 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I make a 19 motion. 20 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: I will second it. 21 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: I need a motion and 22 second. 23 MR. CIRILO: We will take a vote. 24 Commissioner Baez. 25 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 20 1 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 2 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 3 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 4 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 5 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Muhammad. 6 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 7 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 8 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 9 MR. CIRILO: Motion passes. 10 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Next I need a 11 motion and second to approve the Board monthly 12 reports for June 2021. 13 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I will make a 14 motion. 15 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: I will second. 16 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Roll call. 17 MR. CIRILO: On the motion, 18 Commissioner Logan -- I'm sorry, Commissioner Baez. 19 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 20 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 21 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 22 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 23 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 24 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Muhammad. 25 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 21 1 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 2 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 3 MR. CIRILO: Motion passes. 4 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Any member of the 5 Board may request any item be removed from the 6 consent agenda and be considered separately. All 7 other items will be considered together. 8 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Chairman, for 9 the transparency can we do each one separately? 10 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: We have four 11 resolutions, we will do them individually. 12 MR. CIRILO: CRPT H-21-22-07-01, that 13 the NHA Board of Commissioners authorize the 14 Executive Director to execute a Site Access 15 Agreement with Construction Pros International, LLC 16 for utilizing 1.5 vacant acres of land at the former 17 New Horizons site for the storage of twelve flat-bed 18 trailers for twelve months at the rate of 19 forty-five hundred per month. 20 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Chairman, New 21 Horizon, what's that the Boulevard? 22 MR. CIRILO: Yes, by the supermarket. 23 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Okay, no 24 problem. 25 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Next resolution. 22 1 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: I make a motion 2 for it. 3 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I will second 4 it. 5 MR. CIRILO: On the motion, 6 Commissioner Baez. 7 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 8 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 9 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 10 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 11 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 12 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Muhammad. 13 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 14 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 15 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 16 MR. CIRILO: Motion passes. 17 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Second resolution. 18 MR. CIRILO: CRPT H-21-22-07-02. That 19 the Newark Housing Authority Board of Commissioners 20 authorize the Executive Director to execute a 21 contract to make any necessary changes with CPR 22 Restoration, Inc. to supply and install equipment to 23 secure doors and windows of vacant units at Oriental 24 Village in an amount not to exceed two hundred 25 fifty-two thousand two hundred thirty dollars. 23 1 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Chairman, are 2 they here, E.D.? 3 MR. CIRILO: CPR, yes, do we have 4 representatives of CPR here? CPR Restoration, is 5 Dosa Castmore here? 6 Commissioner Muhammad, the company was 7 here at the work session, but I will attempt to 8 answer any questions that you may have. 9 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: So I am just 10 trying to get an understanding. When I go by and I 11 see those buildings are boarded up, that is what 12 they are actually doing, it is not the board, it is 13 like more of a metal. 14 MR. CIRILO: Exactly. The pieces that 15 we put on the doors and the windows. Yeah, this is 16 a different product. It is a clear product, looks 17 just like this. So instead of looking so like 18 abandoned, you know, you actually see through the 19 doors and through the windows and it's a cheaper 20 product. 21 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: They said for 22 security, what do they mean by that? 23 MR. CIRILO: They are tamper proof 24 secure so you can't mess around with them. There is 25 no way to pull them out with a drill or some other 24 1 instrument and we tried them out because we tested a 2 unit and it is still solid and in good shape in a 3 very busy area. 4 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: For the public 5 we are doing this so when the building is empty 6 nobody is in it, it don't get savaged by somebody 7 going in and stealing the parts and everything. 8 MR. CIRILO: Exactly. 9 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: It protects 10 the actual building. 11 MR. CIRILO: Correct. 12 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Because we 13 have a history of breaking in. 14 MR. CIRILO: That's right. It's done 15 now with that equipment, the new system, but now we 16 just switching the type of equipment, but yes, that 17 is how we secure it. You know what is happening 18 just to add to your point in the past we failed to 19 quickly secure the units and they are broken into 20 quickly for copper. 21 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: And somebody 22 is living there or whatever, squatters, because we 23 have squatters. 24 MR. CIRILO: Right. 25 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Do any other 25 1 Commissioners have any concerns? 2 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: No, I would 3 like to move it. 4 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I second it. 5 MR. CIRILO: On the motion, 6 Commissioner Baez. 7 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 8 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 9 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 10 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 11 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 12 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Muhammad. 13 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 14 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 15 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 16 MR. CIRILO: Motion passes. 17 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Next resolution. 18 MR. CIRILO: Next resolution is HCVP 19 H-21-22-07-03. That the NHA Board of Commissioners 20 authorize the Executive Director to award up to 21 thirty project-based vouchers for a term of fifteen 22 years and authorize the execution of a Housing 23 Assistance Payment contract with L & M Development 24 Partners, with an initial rent to owner at one 25 hundred percent of the applicable Fair Market rent 26 1 for Georgia King Village out parcel. 2 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Chairman. 3 Now, E.D. Section 8 can answer the question. These 4 apartments, these thirty because I know Georgia King 5 Village have seventy-five already, right? 6 MR. CIRILO: Yes. 7 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: So these 8 thirty, are they rented them the management or are 9 we sending people up to those apartments? 10 MR. CIRILO: That's a great question. 11 It is up to the type of arrangement we want to 12 exercise. We can either have our own list or they 13 can have site based waiting list. So you would set 14 that policy as a Board when you adopt the 15 administrative plan for the Section 8 program. So 16 the administrative plan is like the Bible for the 17 program and in there it will say when you're awarded 18 project based vouchers the Housing Authority is to 19 refer clients to that specific development, 20 Somerset, Brownstones or something to that sort or 21 it would say the Housing Authority allows the entity 22 to create their own site based list. So we are 23 actually going through that issue right now at 24 Lincoln Towers and to your questions regarding 25 occupancy, the list that we have internally for 27 1 referral is exhausted so they are using their own 2 list now. We are trying to get them to catch up in 3 terms of turning units over so it is really up to us 4 to make the determination to answer your question. 5 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Because the 6 seventy-five that they have already, they made the 7 determination because I know some of our joint 8 ventures it has to come through us. 9 MR. CIRILO: I wasn't here for that, 10 but Mr. Knight can speak to how those seventy units 11 were filled. 12 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: You can talk 13 now. 14 MR. KNIGHT: Good afternoon. The 15 seventy-five units were filled from the Section 8 16 based wait list so all those people came as 17 referrals from our current applicants on our wait 18 list. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: That is a good 20 thing to me. 21 MR. KNIGHT: Yes, and just to Mr. 22 Cirilo's point, as the administrative plan currently 23 stands we refer our applicants from our wait list to 24 those sites and if those -- once they exhaust that 25 list, then they can move to their own site based 28 1 list. That is as it currently stands in the 2 administrative plan and the eventual one to come. 3 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: We had a 4 problem where some of our tenants or clients were 5 being mistreated, not being respected and everything 6 so I like the idea that it is coming from us more so 7 and then we don't show favoritism. We can't show 8 favoritism. Let me say that publicly under the 9 federal guidelines we cannot show favoritism so I 10 want people to know that. 11 MR. KNIGHT: That is correct. 12 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Everybody want 13 me to get them in Brownstone right now. How many 14 people want you to get them in that Brownstone? 15 That many so we cannot show favoritism. Okay, I 16 don't have a problem. 17 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Duane, I just 18 wanted to ask you something. Do you need anybody to 19 work with you? Do you need any employees? You need 20 another phone in the office so we can start having a 21 little more communication with those people that 22 call? 23 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Commissioner, 24 could we stay on the resolution that we are talking 25 about. 29 1 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Let me know 2 because we need to work on it. 3 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Thank you. We 4 will talk about that later. That is customer 5 service. Let's just stay on this resolution. 6 Before we take a vote, Mr. Chair, on this, I do have 7 a comment. I would like, Director, the L & M 8 development of Georgia King, could you schedule a 9 meeting. I would like to take a tour of the 10 facility with management. 11 MR. CIRILO: Will do. 12 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Other 13 Commissioners are welcome as well. 14 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: I agree. 15 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: I would like 16 to meet with management. I don't have a problem 17 with the resolution. 18 MR. CIRILO: Very good, will do. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I will move 20 it. 21 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: I will second. 22 MR. CIRILO: On the motion, 23 Commissioner Baez. 24 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 25 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 30 1 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 2 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 3 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 4 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Muhammad. 5 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 6 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 7 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 8 MR. CIRILO: Motion passes. 9 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: The last 10 resolution. 11 MR. CIRILO: Resolution, boiler 12 operations H-21-22-07-04. The Newark Housing 13 Authority Board of Commissioners authorize the 14 Executive Director to execute a contract and make 15 any necessary changes with Silva's Mechanical 16 Services to furnish labor and materials to clean and 17 repair boilers agency wide as needed for an initial 18 term of one year at a cost of two hundred seventy 19 thousand dollars per year with options to renew for 20 two additional one year periods at the NHA's 21 discretion in an aggregate amount not to exceed 22 three years or eight hundred ten thousand, whichever 23 comes first. 24 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Chairman, are 25 they here? 31 1 MR. LATEEF: I'm here. 2 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Is this a good 3 price? 4 MR. LATEEF: This is an excellent 5 price. It covers maintenance as well as cleaning. 6 We never had one with maintenance we just had 7 cleaning and the last contract was a hundred and I 8 think fifty thousand and he ran through that and had 9 to come in front of y'all for emergency funding just 10 to get through the winter. 11 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: This is 12 cleaning and maintenance? 13 MR. LATEEF: Yeah. 14 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: This is not 15 for the new one we put in here at 500? 16 MR. LATEEF: 500 is a part of that. 17 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Included. 18 MR. LATEEF: Uh-huh. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: This is for 20 every furnace that we have? 21 MR. LATEEF: Every boiler, every hot 22 water heating unit that is in the agency. 23 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Is there any 24 way that -- they respond to you very quickly. Is 25 there any way I can contract someone like that. 32 1 MR. LATEEF: What you mean respond 2 quickly? 3 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: For instance, 4 if a tenant don't have heat. 5 MR. LATEEF: That's us. That is my 6 department. 7 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Explain it to 8 me so I understand cleaning, but what does 9 maintenance mean? 10 MR. LATEEF: Maintenance is -- so the 11 cleaning is cleaning out the soot, anything that is 12 in the boiler. The maintenance when they open the 13 boiler up and they mark off the tube that is damaged 14 from the winter, they have to pull those tubes out 15 so they have to bring a welder in, cut the tubes 16 out, put new tubes in. That is something you don't 17 know unless you open the boiler. The maintenance is 18 there if you don't know how many tubes we are going 19 to replace so we put the maintenance there just to 20 cover that. 21 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Your 22 department is mainly like if we break down, you 23 handle it? 24 MR. LATEEF: Yeah. 25 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Okay, no 33 1 problem. 2 Thanks, Chairman. 3 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: I just wanted 4 to say something. Thank you so much for this last 5 summer -- winter. The response from your team was 6 phenomenal. Every call that I got from a resident 7 was handled even the ones for forty-eight hours and 8 we had to go back three or four times, but it was 9 that she wasn't home. So I just want to commend you 10 and your team and I also want to commend you for 11 working with our procurement department in the 12 selection of these top vendors to provide the 13 services so once again I do commend you. 14 MR. LATEEF: Thank you. 15 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Thank you. 16 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I want to say 17 Amen to that too because I called you a couple times 18 too, thanks. 19 I will move it. 20 MR. CIRILO: On the motion. 21 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: I will second it. 22 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Baez. 23 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Yes. 24 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Costa. 25 COMMISSIONER COSTA: Yes. 34 1 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez. 2 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 3 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Muhammad. 4 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 5 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 6 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 7 MR. CIRILO: Motion passes. 8 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Mr. Chairman, 9 I have some general comment. 10 These hires I know we have a big 11 hiring here. It wasn't in the hiring, it's not in 12 there so that is why I asked. 13 MR. CIRILO: He probably didn't make 14 the timing. I think this is the third week. 15 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: So the new 16 hire there is Coleef Thomas. 17 MR. CIRILO: Correct. 18 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Is he here? 19 MR. CIRILO: He's in the audience. 20 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Can you stand 21 up? I'm glad to see you here. I have some 22 questions. You got a suit on too, is that for me? 23 MR. THOMAS: It's for the agency. 24 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I love it all 25 for Newark. 35 1 MR. THOMAS: Good afternoon. 2 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: This is Coleef 3 Thomas and could you explain to me what is his job 4 here now. 5 MR. CIRILO: Sure. You had a speaker, 6 Commissioner, come and talk about how the Housing 7 Authority takes a long time to address structural 8 issues or a lot of maintenance related issues. So 9 the Housing Authority feels that in the best 10 interest of the residents it will be important for 11 us to try to split those responsibilities in the 12 operations department where one-half of the 13 operations department addresses administrative 14 components, late recertifications, rent collections, 15 unit turnover and we have another component of the 16 operations department that addresses concerns and 17 capital improvements proactively, preventive 18 maintenance proactively and also oversees those work 19 orders are being addressed. We have been suffering 20 from delays of that work and we feel that Mr. Thomas 21 out of the pool of applicants had the wherewithal to 22 help us and assist this agency through his 23 experience get there, address them and be more 24 proactive in addressing these structure concerns. 25 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: What is his 36 1 title? 2 MR. CIRILO: Director of maintenance 3 and capital improvements. 4 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: So how was the 5 work because I know before that the asset managers, 6 everything went to the asset managers first. So 7 what is the new process, can you tell me the new 8 process? 9 MR. CIRILO: Sure. I can explain. As 10 I told you, he's only getting right now acquainted 11 with REAC which as you know is the most important 12 thing because if you score well in REAC, it means 13 the resident has a nice unit and they have a decent 14 quality of life. 15 To your question about how the asset 16 managers in his response connect that department is 17 a resource for asset managers. Meaning that asset 18 managers when they need a capital improvement done, 19 they go to the department and it is bidded out, new 20 roof, new fencing, new windows, new doors and it is 21 bidded out proactively. So they are going to be 22 creating a capital improvement plan for each site 23 and the initial for lack of a better word training 24 or introduction for Mr. Thomas has evolved around 25 being able to scope out and assess those, we call 37 1 them capital improvement plans. Take that 2 information, compare that against capital funds, 3 compare that against physical condition of the site 4 and create a capital plan. 5 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: So the asset 6 manager is not setting up the capital funding 7 anymore? 8 MR. CIRILO: They are, but don't 9 forget that there is a professional engineering 10 assessment for each site. HUD requires us to do 11 that once every five years. So Mr. Thomas with his 12 background, he is trained on being able to read that 13 and managers are trained as managing, managing 14 personnel, but Mr. Thomas is more specialized in 15 being able to read these engineering assessments and 16 develop a capital plan for the manager so that the 17 manager can concentrate on managing the site better 18 because now you have a support system that assures 19 that our property doesn't become Terrell Homes. 20 Tanks are being removed. Windows are being changed. 21 The hallways. I mean this week he's been focusing 22 on Hyatt Court where we need a lot of investment. 23 The hallways need to be painted. 24 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I don't mean 25 to cut you off. Say, for instance, I'm a tenant and 38 1 like Ms. Brown was complaining about the ceiling 2 tiles. What's the process, is the process still to 3 go to the manager or the super or go directly to Mr. 4 Thomas? 5 MR. CIRILO: That is a great question. 6 The manager and the super were struggling with that 7 set up, correct, I will admit that to you, 8 universally speaking, no blame. We have to develop 9 the infrastructure of the Newark Housing Authority. 10 We have to teach and we have to be proactive. So 11 you know to your question I don't want to lose 12 track. His job is to work with that struggling 13 department. Go to Hyatt Court and say this is what 14 we need to do and these are the resources I have, 15 let's work together get those doors fixed. They 16 haven't been fixed in three years, they swing open, 17 people hang out, right, they leave trash. So he is 18 a support system for that super and for that 19 property manager. There is a hole in that roof if 20 you look at it from the playground. So to your 21 question, his job is to connect with that site and 22 be the support both monetarily and professionally. 23 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: So what I am 24 saying to you as a tenant, where do I go, still go 25 to my manager? 39 1 MR. CIRILO: You still go to your 2 manager. 3 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I don't call 4 500, I go to my manager and the manager works along 5 with that? 6 MR. CIRILO: Correct. So if you need 7 the assistance of his team, his capital improvement 8 team or his maintenance, you go to that central 9 maintenance and you say, hey, I need assistance, I 10 need new fencing to be procured for us. They are 11 going to have access to capital fund dollars to do 12 that. 13 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Let me ask you 14 a question. The vendors that we are using, he's 15 going to oversee the vendors also? 16 MR. CIRILO: Correct. So he is going 17 to have a list of all the vendors that we procure. 18 Like Stephen Crane village we had an issue with the 19 fence by the hospital. He will go over to the 20 vendor. The procurement department gets someone to 21 come in, puts them on the contract. We went over 22 this actually on Tuesday. Gave him a list of all 23 the vendors and he is going to know exactly how to 24 support that property manager. That's the basic of 25 what we do, right, that is how we start, 40 1 understanding how to pass this REAC score and 2 maintain those properties. That's right now his 3 focus. 4 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Did you want to 5 make a statement? 6 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Before he 7 goes, I would like to say welcome aboard Director 8 Thomas. 9 MR. THOMAS: Thank you. 10 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: We have worked 11 in so many different capacities. Your background is 12 going to be a tremendous asset to the Newark Housing 13 Authority so I'm glad that you've come on board with 14 us and that is what I was going to say. Let's let 15 Director Thomas give us a little background of what 16 he's done and how he intends to help the Newark 17 Housing Authority moving forward. 18 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Could you pull 19 the mask down so people can see who you are. That 20 is what you look like right here. 21 MR. THOMAS: I wasn't prepared to 22 speak, but thank you for welcoming me here. You 23 know my name, Director Thomas. I come from the City 24 of Newark where I managed public buildings for four 25 years and I went to become a Director of Department 41 1 of Public Works for the last four years and 2 basically we went down the same type of concept down 3 here. We went down there to find out our problems, 4 what we can do, came up with some programs, some 5 structure and we changed a lot of things down in the 6 City of Newark as far as purchasing more vehicles, 7 doing a lot of work that we do on our own, doing 8 night collection. I did a whole gas infrastructure 9 within the whole City. I did like seven capital 10 improvement projects from fixing up firehouses to 11 renovation of rec centers and doing the parks. 12 So I am happy to be here. I am 13 looking forward to the challenge. I did speak with 14 the E.D. and one of my focuses right now is Hyatt 15 Court. That is going to be one of my first projects 16 and I have been down there to visit as he stated, 17 you know, we are going to get down there and work, 18 connect all the dots with the communication so we 19 all work together and one of the main focuses is to 20 take that score we got from sixty-one and at least 21 try to bring it to eighty. That is one of the goals 22 that we are going to work together, me and the other 23 directors in here. I am just happy to be here. 24 Looking forward to getting things done and looking 25 forward to change some lives with residents in the 42 1 Housing Authority. 2 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Could you give 3 us a report on Seth Boyden, not today, but you know 4 like over the next thirty days and Felix Fuld what 5 we are going to do about that? 6 MR. THOMAS: With the demolition? 7 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Not the 8 demolition, the wild forest that is in there. I 9 mean the forest. The forest, Felix Fuld you can't 10 even see through. Seth Boyden something about the 11 fences and something like that just go and assess it 12 and come up with an idea because I know Seth Boyden 13 is a major problem, but Felix Fuld you just can't 14 see through it. 15 MR. THOMAS: I am pretty much familiar 16 with both locations. I was always in communication 17 with the Newark Housing Authority from the City side 18 so I was graffiti removal, grass and vacant lots 19 last owned by Newark Housing Authority getting done. 20 So I will look at those two locations and come up 21 with a plan and have those abated by the end of the 22 month. 23 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I'm good. 24 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: I will add, 25 Director, that Director Thomas is going to work with 43 1 the economic development team here as well. 2 MR. CIRILO: No, he works with the 3 public housing side so Seth Boyden and Felix falls 4 under the economic development under the urban 5 renewal so they are more in charge of those 6 properties. He is in charge of the public housing 7 inventory, the twenty-four AMPs so anything related 8 to the development side, the development side 9 handles the property maintenance of that of those 10 areas. 11 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I know you the 12 head of development, but I don't want to put it on 13 you. Who is under you right here? 14 MR. CIRILO: Dosa is the person that 15 handles the property management, but -- 16 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: We need to 17 know what we're going to do. 18 MR. CIRILO: I can tell you what we 19 are going to do about Seth Boyden. 20 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Welcome aboard and 21 I will still be missing you calling for the 22 recycling. 23 MR. CIRILO: We are supposed to start 24 and it should have started today, the clean up of 25 the perimeter of Seth Boyden. The cleaning up, the 44 1 grass, a lot of illegal dumping on the Frelinghuysen 2 side. So that should have started today. We got 3 quotes for that. It is going to cost us about 4 fifteen, twenty thousand dollars to clean up in that 5 we are looking to have the parties that are being 6 considered as development partners to pay the 7 carrying cost until they demolish that site so it 8 doesn't come out of our budget. So we are 9 negotiating that. We have a call on Monday with 10 them and they partially agreed. 11 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Seth Boyden? 12 MR. CIRILO: Yes, Seth Boyden. 13 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: That hasn't 14 been in front of us. 15 MR. CIRILO: We don't have a 16 commitment yet, but they are willing to put in 17 escrow money that assist us with the costs so they 18 can be a good faith deposit. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I know they 20 were supposed to, but you told me it wasn't ready. 21 MR. CIRILO: It is not ready yet and 22 we will do the same with Felix Fuld. There is a 23 plan for that. I explained that to you separately. 24 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Do we need to do a 25 roll call for that? 45 1 MR. CIRILO: No, we are in remarks 2 right now. 3 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Did Rich Godin 4 change or is he still in the same position? 5 MR. CIRILO: Nothing has changed in 6 his position. He is still working with capital 7 special projects. 8 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Okay, I don't 9 need that. 10 MR. CIRILO: That's working. 11 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Occupancy, is 12 Sekina Rodgers here? I'd like to talk to you. Good 13 evening, how are you? 14 MS. RODGERS: Good evening, everyone. 15 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I am reading 16 here on this report -- 17 MS. RODGERS: Sekina Rodgers, director 18 of occupancy. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I'm reading in 20 this report that you moved in two hundred eighty-six 21 people, families, is that true? 22 MS. RODGERS: Yes, around about, yes. 23 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: That is high, 24 that is great. That's great. 25 MS. RODGERS: Yes, year to date, yes. 46 1 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I think that's 2 high. Now, we have two hundred thirty people moved 3 out. Let me tell you something. It sounds like a 4 lot, but my mother used to own a candy store so two 5 eighty-six the difference is like fifty-three and if 6 we can pick up fifty-three apartments every month 7 that is six hundred apartments that we rent that we 8 gain so that is a good thing. I just want to know 9 why we lost so many seniors. Do you have any idea 10 why we lost so many seniors or should I ask 11 operations? 12 MS. RODGERS: That falls under 13 operations, anything related to move outs. 14 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Could you tell 15 me Pennington Court has one vacancy according to 16 this report, that's great. Hyatt Court we know is a 17 problem there. Betty Shabazz we got twelve and I 18 know with Oscar Miles is also twelve. Is there 19 anything you know what is going on there? 20 MS. RODGERS: That would be answered 21 by operations. I think they are working on those 22 units, but I am not sure. 23 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: They are not 24 actually available those twelve vacancies, really 25 twenty-four combined, they are not available? 47 1 MS. RODGERS: I don't have them. 2 MR. ROUSE: They are in downtime. 3 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: They are 4 really not available. We have to figure out another 5 way to read that because I get embarrassed. 6 MR. ROUSE: We will work with you on 7 the report what downtime is. 8 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I am reading 9 it says available. 10 MR. ROUSE: They are downtime. 11 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Kretchmer has 12 been going on pretty good too because I know there 13 was a whole lot in Kretchmer and then Building C I 14 talked about that last month with Stephen Crane in 15 Building C there is still a lot of apartments. Are 16 they down also, the senior citizen apartments 17 because I asked about that same building. 18 MR. ROUSE: Yes, sir, those are in 19 downtime as well and we do have a team over there 20 turning those units. 21 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: What about 22 James C. White? 23 MR. ROUSE: Right now on our attrition 24 report James C. White they have fourteen and I was 25 just over there and Ms. White already had people 48 1 assigned to six of those and they have already 2 signed their lease. They will be moving in soon the 3 rest of them. She will be ready to lease up. 4 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Do you 5 remember before the virus even though you weren't 6 director then. That used to be a hard building to 7 get in, used to be like three vacancies. Now we are 8 getting big numbers from there and I know a lot of 9 people that want to live there. 10 MR. ROUSE: Yes, we even offered some 11 folk to live there that did not want to go from a 12 situation that I heard of today because of the fact 13 that James C. White and those buildings there are 14 some restrictions because the tenants like to keep 15 it together over there and so they are moving pretty 16 good and she will have those units leased up 17 A.S.A.P. 18 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Ms. Rodgers, 19 two eighty-six is wonderful. That is great, I 20 appreciate that. I just wanted to say that to you. 21 MS. RODGERS: Thank you. 22 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Can I talk to 23 director of operations. 24 MR. ROUSE: Yes, thank you. Vincent 25 Rouse, director of operations management. 49 1 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: We have three 2 hundred twenty-eight apartments in Mod. First I 3 want you to explain what Mod is. 4 MR. ROUSE: So Mod we put units into 5 Mod that needs overall construction. Those are 6 units that cannot be done by our Local 617. They 7 are damaged, new pipes, new things, et cetera. So 8 those units are put in Mod. 9 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: What 10 percentage of the rent do we get in Mod? 11 MR. ROUSE: We don't get rent when the 12 unit is in Mod. We still do get subsidy, a hundred 13 percent subsidy, that is why we put it in Mod so we 14 can still get the subsidy. 15 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: We get one 16 hundred percent? 17 MR. ROUSE: Yes. 18 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Now, is it 19 true -- I don't know if the E.D. might have to jump 20 in on this. Is it true that it expires once he puts 21 them in Mod, how long before it expires? 22 MR. ROUSE: About three years. We 23 have about three years. 24 MR. CIRILO: There is a time period 25 that -- Nakira Sykes, is she here? She's been 50 1 training on that. We were, Commissioner, up until 2 like a year ago we really didn't have a thorough 3 understanding of how to do that and we were losing 4 out on subsidy. So we have had trained someone to 5 understand that and she's been working with our IT 6 department to properly classify the units that he 7 just described so that we can get some portion of 8 subsidy. 9 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Now, to the 10 general public we want to rent these apartments 11 because it used to be higher than that. I think 12 last year it was like four hundred something. So it 13 is coming down. So I want to give you props there. 14 On the scattered sites we collected 15 one hundred percent rent last month, is that true? 16 MR. ROUSE: A hundred percent rent. 17 Most everybody was in the nineties, yes, when you 18 add them up on there, yes. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: We still are 20 low on the seniors and the family housing. Last 21 month I talked to the E.D. and I was talking about 22 the federal help and the state, but the City, the 23 Mayor came out and said that he was going to have 24 something for the City to help tenants. 25 MR. ROUSE: We have some good news. 51 1 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I love good 2 news. 3 MR. ROUSE: We did push it out to 4 everybody. Everybody has received it, all managers 5 and the tenant association presidents. We sent it 6 out to all of them for them to participate in the 7 program now that we are able to because prior we 8 could not, but now it has been opened up to NHA 9 residents and so everybody has received that 10 information. We talked about it yesterday at our 11 RAB meeting so all of our tenant associations and so 12 they know about that program and we are encouraging 13 everybody to apply. 14 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I have a 15 suggestion. Anybody that is in arrears, you need to 16 get them in the office. 17 MR. ROUSE: Absolutely. 18 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: While the door 19 is open. Life is about opportunity and that will 20 help a lot of people. 21 MR. ROUSE: That is what was asked of 22 managers to make sure we find all those folks. 23 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: How many 24 apartments you think of giving Ms. Rodgers this 25 month because you gave her a lot of apartments last 52 1 time. 2 MR. ROUSE: This month we are working 3 hard on that. We are in the midst of summer. Of 4 course no excuses because our team is still working 5 hard. We have a lot of people taking vacations so 6 we fell behind a little bit because we are moving 7 people around to try to fill in places. 8 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Vacations? We 9 have to change the policy, right, no more vacations, 10 E.D. 11 Our current snow removal vendor, who 12 is our current snow removal? 13 MR. ROUSE: As of right now Jag and 14 IBN has the contract. 15 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: We will talk 16 about that later. Because I want to know when you 17 have the snow invoices did your manager, your asset 18 managers because I know the E.D. told them the 19 landscaping and he said for everything is there 20 anything that somebody does on your site you are to 21 sign-off on and the reason why I am saying that 22 because I remember like three months ago in some of 23 the asset managers I was talking to and they were 24 saying that they were seeing some of the invoices 25 and it was kind of big and they were like -- so I 53 1 want to make sure that everybody signs that because 2 later I am going to ask the Chairman can we see 3 where people really signed because they were really 4 crying about the money that was absorbent. I know I 5 was out of the country and I sent an e-mail E.D. and 6 I don't see that on here so I appreciate that it's 7 not on the resolution because that is like five 8 hundred thousand dollars. 9 MR. ROUSE: So we met with Linda. We 10 also went over that with the managers and I can show 11 you a spreadsheet where I sent to the manager and 12 each manager filled in the spreadsheet according to 13 the invoices that was received and that price is not 14 that much as this point after we went over 15 everything it is actually chopped in half. 16 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I can sleep at 17 night. 18 MR. ROUSE: Me too. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I was on a 20 plane looking at that number and I said damn. I was 21 like me and Eddy, the driver and I said Eddy, me and 22 you could have gotten a couple guys ourselves for 23 that. 24 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Let me just 25 ask something. I'm sorry for the interruption so 54 1 you are going to introduce that so we can approve 2 it? 3 MR. ROUSE: Absolutely. We are ready 4 so it will be at the next meeting. We will have it 5 ready available. 6 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: The security 7 lines that everybody is complaining about at James 8 C. White. 9 MR. ROUSE: We went over there and 10 went for an interview, not an interview, went to 11 look at it and after looking at it, we saw that we 12 could assist the residents in another way besides 13 pulling the pull cords back and which would be much 14 more helpful which is called Life Stations, Life 15 Stations and the manager is taking care of that now. 16 So those are the devices that you wear around your 17 neck or on your arm instead of pull cords because if 18 something happens to them and they are in the 19 kitchen and they are away from the pull cord, it 20 would be better for the device to be on them instead 21 of somewhere. 22 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Did y'all 23 steal that from the building I live in. Y'all stole 24 that, E.D., stay out of my building. 25 All right, I am good. I need to see 55 1 the Section 8 people. 2 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Chairman, I wanted 3 to thank everybody. I do believe the Housing 4 Authority is in a good position, a lot of things 5 they are changing. I'd like to answer Ms. Myrna 6 that everywhere you call me in housing, I will be 7 there. Just call me. Just call me, I will be 8 there. I will make sure things are being done. I 9 wanted to thank everyone who does a great job at the 10 Housing Authority. I see the things are changing. 11 Family service, I want to thank you 12 for having communication with those tenant 13 association. I want that -- this is one of the most 14 important thing because I do believe that those 15 tenant associations they want to share communication 16 with the residents. I want that to keep happening 17 and call me anything that happened for residents I 18 want to know, I want to be there. 19 Mr. Duane in customer service, I just 20 like to add when somebody calls customer service, I 21 would love for somebody to say this is me, Duane, 22 Commissioner Baez, this is me, how can we help you, 23 tell me what can we do for you because I have been 24 calling a couple times and I am not pointing the 25 finger at nobody, but I called a few times and I 56 1 didn't see nobody say this is me and they say hello, 2 how can I help you. Just be a little more 3 professional when somebody call the phone. Say your 4 name, answer what you want because there is a lot of 5 commotion right now with customer service so like I 6 said before, I am not mad at you. I am not mad at 7 you. You are a great worker, but if you ever need 8 somebody, I do believe we are in a great spot right 9 now if you need that, let's fix that. Let's get the 10 communication because the residents they really need 11 it. So I don't like to hear no more like they 12 calling and nobody, mistreating nobody informed they 13 don't get the answer right, you know, let's work on 14 that just for the future. We are in a good position 15 right now so let's keep working together so we can 16 get what we deserve in the future and I thank you 17 very much. Thank you, Duane. 18 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: I have a 19 comment, sorry. Commissioner Baez, what you just 20 said about when people answer the phone. This just 21 doesn't apply to Section 8, it should apply to the 22 entire Newark Housing Authority. Director Carter I 23 believe we've had this conversation regarding 24 customer service since I have been on board. I 25 think that every department should answer the phone 57 1 by hello, my name is so and so. That is the first 2 thing anybody should hear so it is not just Section 3 8, but Director Cirilo I really now prior to COVID 4 and I hate to keep saying it, prior to COVID we had 5 all these plans on how we were going to resolve some 6 issues and customer service, the calls. Some of the 7 complaints that we have always had and then we were 8 confronted, we were taken back almost a year so now 9 today was our first live meeting, we are all here so 10 now I really want to start proceeding with those 11 plans that we had. Director Carter, HR, I want to 12 start going back to customer service, trying to work 13 with some of our local institutions to provide us 14 with HR. There are some dollars out there. I said 15 I was always accessible to assisting you in your 16 department with that, Director Cirilo. 17 Mr. Knight, we don't want, you know, 18 unless you want to speak on this, but we are also 19 going to be working with Section 8. I know Section 20 8 is a part of Newark Housing Authority, but we are 21 all going to be working together to develop this 22 customer service enhancement plan that's been on 23 hold for a year. So we are back. We are live and I 24 think it is time for us to start implementing our 25 agenda. 58 1 I am also requesting, Mr. Chair, that 2 hopefully in the next month or so we have a Board of 3 Commissioners meeting and we start discussing and 4 getting ourselves back on track and sharing as much 5 legislation on Newark Housing Authority and federal 6 rules and regulations, changes that are coming from 7 the Feds, from state from our local elected 8 officials. The great home ownership opportunities 9 that Section 8, the Mayor's office, Invest Newark 10 have put together. We want to start educating I 11 would say just not even educating, but just putting 12 out the information and making everybody aware of 13 what policies and rules and regulations are because 14 it makes us -- once you are better informed of what 15 the rules and policies are, it makes us better 16 residents, better Commissioners and better 17 employees. 18 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Thank you. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Mr. Chairman, 20 I wasn't finished. What I do is I write all this 21 stuff down and then I try to give it to everybody. 22 Give it to the director early so I am not throwing 23 questions out of my head and it gives it fair to the 24 director so they know the answer. It might seem a 25 lot, but this is a big situation. Do you want to 59 1 introduce yourself. 2 MR. KNIGHT: Yes, good afternoon, 3 Commissioners, my name is Duane Knight. I'm the 4 director of Section 8 program here at the Newark 5 Housing Authority and we are very much part of the 6 NHA so thank you for that. 7 So just to answer some of the 8 Commissioners questions. In terms of the number we 9 have issued a hundred and sixty-nine vouchers for 10 the month of July to applicants from our waiting 11 list so these are new people coming off our waiting 12 list, a hundred and sixty-nine families to be 13 precise. We have some work to do on customer 14 service. 15 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I have to take 16 that back. I was going to commend them on how 17 things got better, but I was going to because I 18 haven't gotten no complaints in four months so that 19 was good, but I have to take it back. 20 MR. KNIGHT: We are in process, but we 21 are not there yet. That is all I will say. 22 Brownstones is a new project that everyone has been 23 very excited about. We have thirty families on 24 project based vouchers at that site. Those families 25 came from our wait list referrals from our wait 60 1 list. The other site you had a question about 2 Shalom. 3 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I asked about 4 Brownstones because I have ten people that want to 5 go in there. There is no availability right now. 6 MR. KNIGHT: It is fully leased. I am 7 oftentimes when our list when we send referrals to 8 sites we usually have one or two tenants, you know, 9 turn the units down for Brownstones. We didn't have 10 any. All the tenants were happy for those units. 11 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: On Shalom 12 Towers I sent somebody there and they said that they 13 have to come to the Housing Authority. Somebody 14 that wasn't Section 8 they just wanted to come and 15 rent an apartment and they said in order to rent an 16 apartment you have to come to the Housing Authority 17 so are we the only renters there? 18 MR. KNIGHT: Yeah, I believe that was 19 a RAD site that even proceeded me that we inherited. 20 They are all PBV units at Shalom Towers and they 21 have I believe one, two and three bedroom units. 22 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: If a person 23 wants an apartment they cannot go there, they have 24 to come to us. 25 MR. KNIGHT: They are only Section 8 61 1 tenants there. 2 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: For the whole 3 building so if you don't have Section 8, you can't 4 live there? 5 MR. CIRILO: Correct. 6 MR. KNIGHT: Sorry, I think they have 7 a handful of non-Section 8, but it is a small 8 number. 9 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: They said you 10 have to go to Section 8. I thought it was still a 11 privately-owned building. Because there is fifteen 12 apartments, is that true, available there? 13 MR. KNIGHT: Yes, that's correct. 14 They have been sent a list. They have our referral 15 list, a list of our applicants that they informed us 16 they are working through. So far I think they have 17 sent us three applicants that they have approved 18 that are going to be leased up in there, but they 19 are still working through the remaining. 20 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Ashton Towers 21 is a great building. There is seven vacancies. 22 That seems like a lot. 23 MR. KNIGHT: I have to update that. 24 As of today they are actually fully leased. All 25 those units are committed for. If a client hasn't 62 1 already moved in, the client is in the process of 2 signing the lease to move in by next month. 3 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I snuck in 4 your office the other day and you said you have good 5 news. I said don't tell me now, tell me -- you said 6 something about the waiting list, how you are 7 bringing it down. 8 MR. KNIGHT: We have just been working 9 through our wait list making significant progress 10 going through our wait list. 11 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Any new 12 vouchers came since last month? 13 MR. KNIGHT: Well, besides the hundred 14 and one emergency homeless vouchers I mean we have 15 been issuing vouchers from our wait list. To date 16 we actually -- I mean currently we have six hundred 17 families from our wait list with vouchers on the 18 street searching for units and we are planning to 19 continue. 20 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Are we giving 21 a lot of extensions because there is no apartments 22 available? 23 MR. KNIGHT: We have been giving 24 extensions. I am in the process of adjusting our 25 payment status. 63 1 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: People I know 2 you gave vouchers to they cannot get an apartment. 3 MR. KNIGHT: What has allowed under 4 the COVID rule for us to be very liberal with the 5 extension. So we have been giving people 6 extensions. We are in the process of following up 7 with people so that they still keep moving on 8 leasing a unit until just sit, but we have been very 9 liberal with the extensions. 10 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: When we give 11 them a voucher, are they allowed to go outside of 12 Newark, they can go anywhere they want? 13 MR. CIRILO: Every housing authority 14 is different. Ours you have to live here for twelve 15 months. 16 MR. KNIGHT: Yeah, they have to lease 17 up in Newark. 18 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: At least one 19 year. 20 MR. KNIGHT: If they currently live in 21 Newark and get a voucher, they can technically port 22 to another jurisdiction, but we encourage them to 23 stay here and we make it as easy for them to stay 24 here as possible. 25 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: It is not a 64 1 mandate. 2 MR. KNIGHT: It is up to the Board of 3 Commissioners and our administrative plan. 4 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: I thought it was 5 international one that you can take anywhere. 6 MR. CIRILO: You can, yes, a voucher, 7 Commissioner Baez, can be anywhere in the U.S., 8 Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands. However, some housing 9 authorities have a requirement that you stay in the 10 jurisdiction for twelve months. Why because if you 11 bring in someone, right, hypothetically from the 12 waiting list and then they leave to Puerto Rico, you 13 just spent money to administer this voucher to get 14 this person on the program and they are leaving you 15 and your program is left. 16 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: We should keep 17 the mandate. It is better for Newark. 18 MR. CIRILO: Right. At least for 19 twelve months and then families can go anywhere they 20 want. 21 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I like that. 22 That makes sense. It's better for Newark. 23 MR. CIRILO: You keep at least twelve 24 months for the administrative fee of the voucher and 25 then you are helping the rental market local. 65 1 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Thanks. 2 MR. KNIGHT: The question about 3 Lincoln Towers because I heard the Director 4 reference that. 5 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: That is one of 6 my questions too. 7 MR. KNIGHT: Just Lincoln Towers does 8 have significant vacancies. They are in the process 9 as the Director mentioned utilizing their wait list 10 to fill their vacancies, but to put a context on 11 that, that site was hit pretty hard during COVID in 12 terms of the residents and what is also happening is 13 just a fair number of residents who moved there from 14 GiGi Foushee aging and either going home to put it 15 politely or moving to nursing homes. So they also 16 have that going on as well so they are working to 17 fill those vacancies as they have those people 18 moving out. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I'm good. 20 E.D., you want to answer the 21 redevelopment thing. 22 MR. CIRILO: To that point, 23 Commissioner, I spoke to Commissioner Gonzalez who 24 set up a meeting and then we can come up with some 25 sort of reporting system. 66 1 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: We can set up 2 a meeting within the next thirty days. 3 MR. CIRILO: Yeah. 4 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: A meeting for 5 what, I'm sorry? 6 MR. CIRILO: Commissioner Gonzalez, I 7 mentioned that I had spoken to you about setting up 8 a redevelopment committee. 9 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Yes. 10 MR. CIRILO: We need to come up with a 11 report because there is a lot of activity going on 12 and we want to make sure the Board is informed on 13 how the deals are maturing. 14 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Because it's 15 been about six months. 16 MR. CIRILO: There's been progress, 17 Commissioner, we just have to put it in report form. 18 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Security. 19 CAPTAIN BRONER: Good evening, 20 Commissioners, Director. 21 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: You want to 22 tell them who you are? 23 CAPTAIN BRONER: Director Tyrone 24 Broner. I'm in charge of security for the Newark 25 Housing Authority. 67 1 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I've been on 2 vacation and then I had some tragedy. So I'm little 3 not what's going on around town. Pro Cop, my 4 understanding that Pro Cop is being used around the 5 whole City of Newark for our sites more so than the 6 south area. 7 CAPTAIN BRONER: No, we basically have 8 like Pro Cop handles Kretchmer Homes. That is their 9 primary site, unarmed guards there and they also 10 have armed guards there. We also have like Prime 11 Security handles Seth Boyden. 12 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: What is the 13 name of it? 14 CAPTAIN BRONER: Prime Security. They 15 handle Seth Boyden and they have unarmed guards 16 stationed at the desk guards and they have a couple 17 of armed guards, a few armed guards also to handle 18 their complex. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Who is the 20 armed out of these, is Prime is Gateway, right? 21 CAPTAIN BRONER: Our primary armed 22 guards are Pro Cop. So they handle the majority of 23 most of the off-site complexes. 24 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: So are they in 25 the North Ward now? 68 1 CAPTAIN BRONER: Yes, they are. They 2 currently -- we have Pro Cop also in the evenings at 3 Stephen Crane Village. We have them also at 4 Riverside Villa and we also have them at Bradley 5 Court, but in the north we also have Wynona Lipman 6 in the evening. We have armed guards also Pro Cop 7 at Bradley Court and in the east we have them at 8 Pennington, but they cover like the other complexes. 9 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Are we still 10 using the specials? 11 CAPTAIN BRONER: Yes, we do. 12 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: How many 13 special? 14 CAPTAIN BRONER: We currently have one 15 full time special and three part-time specials. 16 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: We cut back on 17 the specials? 18 CAPTAIN BRONER: A lot of it wasn't 19 that we cut back. Actually, they cut back. They 20 stopped working. They found other jobs. They are 21 part-time and they start working at locations and 22 details like the schools. 23 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Is that the 24 reason we are using Pro Cop because a lot of these 25 spots used to be Gateway? 69 1 CAPTAIN BRONER: Gateway is only in 2 charge of the senior sites and in the north Stephen 3 Crane elderly. We only use one Gateway officer over 4 there and that is Eddy Acevedo. He is used in the 5 evening over there, but also Gateway also has the 6 lobby here and also the SOC. 7 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Chairman, I 8 think Gateway has the biggest contract here, is that 9 public information. 10 MR. CIRILO: They sent us a letter 11 asking some of the questions that you are asking and 12 I am scheduled to call the principal to find out 13 what it is that they are, I guess, where is this 14 coming from because I don't understand either 15 because we have jurisdiction. We can put wherever 16 we want, wherever we want. 17 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I knew Gateway 18 was a big number at one time. The contract was a 19 big number, but I know -- 20 MR. CIRILO: I am going to have to 21 speak to the principal at Gateway and find out what 22 the issue is. 23 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: We are scheduled to 24 have a safety meeting. 25 MR. CIRILO: Yes, next week. 70 1 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Is it still 2 going to the specials? Is it going to be a 3 committee meeting or a special Board meeting? 4 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Committee meeting. 5 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: They will 6 report back to us. 7 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Mr. Chair, may 8 I add that the reason some other companies have more 9 staff and more dollars was because of the manpower 10 they were able to handle. So when you look at -- we 11 have large companies and small companies and I'm not 12 going to go through all the security companies you 13 have unless you want to do that, but it was based 14 that we gave the opportunity for smaller businesses, 15 local security firms to bid, but they didn't have 16 the manpower so that is why the numbers are uneven. 17 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I remember 18 that, but I know Gateway's number was always the 19 biggest number. 20 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Because they 21 are national. They had more manpower, more spots to 22 fill. We gave the opportunity and we are still 23 providing it to the smaller companies that I believe 24 in the last two years they were able to increase 25 their manpower, their dollars increase and they were 71 1 able to hire more money and I thought that is why we 2 continue to hire small businesses in Newark Housing 3 Authority. 4 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: How you doing 5 with our budget? 6 CAPTAIN BRONER: Right now I am trying 7 to manage the budget. 8 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: It was approved for 9 5.1 million so far this year. I believe we are up 10 to three point something. 11 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: E.D., I have a 12 problem with y'all because you went over budget two 13 or three million dollars. 14 MR. CIRILO: Yeah, we used funding. 15 CAPTAIN BRONER: COVID related. 16 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: We are using 17 the money now for security. 18 MR. CIRILO: There is no more COVID 19 money. 20 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: You got 21 emergency money? 22 MR. CIRILO: No. 23 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: What is 24 happening with the shooting? 25 CAPTAIN BRONER: We are having an 72 1 uptick in shooting. It is not only housing. 2 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: It is the 3 world. 4 CAPTAIN BRONER: The whole country, 5 but we are managing it. Most of the shootings are 6 actually outside of the complex. 7 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: My grandson 8 got killed in California. What I am saying is I 9 know. I lived with it in the last month so I know 10 what you are saying. How we tackling that, what is 11 going on? 12 CAPTAIN BRONER: Basically, 13 coordinating with the City of Newark Police 14 Department, we work closely with them. Go to a 15 weekly COMSTAT meeting and we do meetings during the 16 week to come up with a plan the best way to attack 17 those situations. They have been giving us a lot of 18 assistance on our properties which is good. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: That is the 20 ambassador deal? Is that the ambassador deal that 21 the police are still involved with us? 22 CAPTAIN BRONER: It is not that. They 23 have been assisting us. It is not actually costing 24 us anything, but because some of these complexes 25 like Bradley Court, Pennington, high priority they 73 1 have been giving us a lot. 2 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Didn't we get 3 money for that? 4 MR. CIRILO: Yeah, that was last year. 5 We used it during COVID. 6 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: We didn't do 7 it this year? 8 MR. CIRILO: No, we haven't activated 9 that. 10 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: We are not 11 spending any money? 12 MR. CIRILO: No, because we don't have 13 the money. 14 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: You can't 15 spend something you don't have. The alarm system in 16 here. 17 CAPTAIN BRONER: I am not handling 18 alarms. 19 MR. CIRILO: That is for our director 20 of work place safety. 21 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Is he here? 22 MR. MENA: He just passed me a note, 23 Commissioner, he had to leave. He had another 24 engagement that he had scheduled for and he had 25 stayed as long as he could. 74 1 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: All right. 2 MR. CIRILO: We will answer those 3 questions. 4 COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ: Ask him to 5 attend the public safety committee meeting. 6 MR. CIRILO: Yeah, let's do that next 7 week. 8 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I can ask my 9 E.D. what is going on. 10 MR. CIRILO: We submitted to you a 11 report. 12 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I didn't get a 13 report. 14 MR. CIRILO: Did we send a report? 15 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: That is one of 16 the questions where is the report. 17 MR. CIRILO: Katia, I thought we were 18 going to send a report. This is the report on the 19 situation at 500 Broad Street. 20 MS. OLIVEIRA: I have it. 21 MR. CIRILO: The report was not sent. 22 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: It is not 23 sent. 24 MR. CIRILO: I'm sorry, I asked the 25 report be sent. The report has been ready for three 75 1 days. You will have it before the end of the day. 2 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: We will all get a 3 copy? 4 MR. CIRILO: Yes. 5 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: When I got off 6 the plane because you can't use international. I 7 didn't get a chance to see the work session. 8 Usually our work session was on Facebook, what 9 happened. 10 MR. CIRILO: Because we had made a 11 decision whether it is going to be public or not. 12 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: You are saying 13 the work session is not going to be public anymore? 14 MR. CIRILO: It is up to you guys to 15 decide. 16 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: When I got off 17 the plane, I was looking for it to find out what 18 happened and it was a short meeting. 19 MR. CIRILO: I will take direction 20 from the Board. We can do whatever it is, but that 21 one because we thought since we are going live in 22 public in person that you no longer wanted to do the 23 Zoom. 24 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I want 25 transparency. I want everybody to know because I 76 1 thought the last meeting somebody said me and Eddy 2 was stealing money and I know Eddy ain't stealing no 3 money and I haven't stole no money, but people say 4 that so when you make it transparency and he has 5 thicker skin than I do. 6 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: Let's not go there 7 please now. 8 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: One minute. 9 Be respectful. 10 That is the end of my questions, 11 Chairman, I'm good, thank you. 12 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Thank you, 13 Director. 14 CAPTAIN BRONER: Thank you. 15 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Any other business? 16 Any other questions, concerns? 17 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: One more 18 question. Is Rich here? 19 MR. CIRILO: No, he's not here. 20 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: He was 21 supposed to give us two -- last meeting give us two 22 on Woodlawn townhouse. 23 MR. CIRILO: Updates. 24 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: He was 25 supposed to give us two. I want to know if he gave 77 1 it to us. 2 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: We have operations 3 being a part of this meeting also. 4 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Sekina, did 5 you get the two things that Rich promised me? 6 MR. CIRILO: You mean the completed 7 units? 8 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: He said in the 9 transcript he will give me that by Monday. 10 MR. CIRILO: That is really 11 operations. 12 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Did you get 13 it? 14 MR. ROUSE: No, I don't have it. 15 MR. CIRILO: We don't have any units 16 open. 17 MR. ROUSE: I don't believe I got the 18 report. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: He said we got 20 nine. 21 MR. CIRILO: I will find out and get 22 back to you by the end of the day. 23 MR. ROUSE: We will get it to you 24 first thing in the morning. 25 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: That is it, 78 1 I'm sorry. 2 MR. CIRILO: I will get the answer to 3 you. 4 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: That concludes all 5 the Board business. Can we make a motion to 6 adjourn. 7 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: I make the 8 motion. 9 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Second? 10 COMMISSIONER BAEZ: I will second it. 11 MR. CIRILO: On the motion to adjourn, 12 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: Commissioner Muhammad. 19 COMMISSIONER MUHAMMAD: Yes. 20 MR. CIRILO: Chairman Osborne. 21 CHAIRMAN OSBORNE: Yes. 22 MR. CIRILO: Motion passes. 23 24 (Whereupon, the proceedings were 25 concluded at 6:25 p.m.) 79 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