December 3, 2025

Please approach the podium and address the council members. The first speaker is Ali Muhammad Alif Muhammad president founder Alif Muhammad near school. That's a lamb Alika I'm gonna get back to on track on the situation where You know the racist over we're dealing with that late election but I'm gonna get back on track about the corruption and the corruption is I'm trying to uh People call me all the time. But my second brother just stopped me out there and about 50 60 people always call me Because I leave the baraka's alone and I told Pat two years ago that I wasn't I'm not gonna leave him alone. I'm after Let me make it clear the mayor rise Baraka and the chief of staff and I'm looking to go after them criminally I want them to have they day in court for the crimes that they committed to the low-income Disabled people are the housing authority now what I just gave you guys is a big folder You should keep this. This is everything back then that the housing authority owned. There's a lot of good information Yeah, president take your time to look at it. This is real good. It's informal. It's not you don't bite But each time I come up now I'm gonna pull certain deals out and that's the second page you got the color page And these deals what I want to show you in these deals like for instance, the first deal you see is Rose Street That's little brick. That's where I come from My blood my brother's blood is still in the ground when he got shot In 79 and this man was a kid walked by three minutes before he well 30 seconds before you got shot, right? You see my brother take his last breath because they wanted to rob him for cuz he had won some money gambling So that's dear to me well the Brits they was gonna give the deal away for $300,000 the whole block the whole block not one building You can't buy a building with a without a roof on it in North for 300 But they was gonna give away the whole side killed the deal So when I killed the did I was brought down here by MIDI and said why did you kill that deal? It's a very bad deal and he said but this is the mayor's Student and he said it to me five times and each time I say the bad deal the guy Sheree Mars the mayor student the second one is Through street and memory in my heart Ali I mean you have a guy's member talk about a hundred units They was gonna buy for a million dollars The guy was front and forth some nice Jewish people and they didn't do anything When you we make a deal with the housing authority you have to you have to do things because they got to go to HUD And they got to do this they didn't do that for two years so the housing authority took it from them and They wanted to pay a million dollars, but I created where you had to reappraise it and was for three million dollars So I stopped this the guy named was Kenna Gifford and they told me oh him and the mayor's type Because of the theater and everything he don't know about no construction He's the mayor's friend so the nice Jewish people use them in Lakewood to make a deal, but I killed that deal, too Then on Clinton Avenue over here by Quitman Street that deal was Adina's Spicer killed that deal we was gonna give her the lot for seventy five thousand rent per year for a hundred years The Zalz we're going in 99 years is still gonna be seventy five thousand dollars 75,000 okay the first second year, but 90 years is still only 75,000. I didn't kill that deal I went and told them that they better tell Adina She better get things together because it sounds stupid but Spicer killed that deal and then We have on Burger Street, and this is another Adina deal and Spicer killed that deal His student and a friend so what I'm showing you this is called corruption Rachman Mohammed disagree with me. He said you supposed to look out for the people You can't put your hand on on a scale for federal land and everything I maybe they do that down here in the state or in this county, but that's that's called all these deals Was mayor Ross tattoo on them, so I'm gonna go through the rest of them Oh That's a lot for the Bulldogs. They're playing tonight even though I'm an Indian big up for the Bulldogs Thank you very much. Thank you for your comments Good afternoon members of the council good afternoon Next Monday the planning board is going to hear the application for our barrier to First approval was overturned when residents filed a lawsuit Pointing out how the board failed to allow the public to adequately participate in the process This is the most significant project in the ironbound in our lifetime It sits on a large parcel facing Ferry Street on the front and the Pacific River on the back It's just a few blocks from Penn Station The land was assembled by the developer and reported cost of 40 million dollars It is crucial that we have a plan that works for the neighborhood the city and the developers So far the city has not addressed the contamination on the site Which formerly housed a PSA and G coal gasification plant? The polluted material was capped by the existing asphalt parking lot and is monitored under state orders The asphalt cap will certainly be disturbed by any construction Homes for all Newark and our partners have done an extensive public outreach program to better articulate What local residents think is important for the site? Here's what they said They want a design that fits with the character of the neighborhood They also want a design that address the impacts of the shadowing from these mammoth high rises Increase the affordability to 30% of units we need more two three and even four bedroom units to accommodate families and The project should accept housing vouchers and Lower area median incomes to fit the needs of local residents We want community inclusive hiring and workforce development Require local hiring for maintenance security and retail jobs on the site include job training programs for Newark residents Ensure that all the jobs pay a living wage We need to address the public health and environmental impact full cleanup of the contamination which as I mentioned has never been mentioned to date ensure green space trees and benches are included in the development and accessible to the public and address the sewage and infrastructure concerns Which are great in a neighborhood with narrow streets and old infrastructure There needs to be a plan for traffic and pedestrian safety people know that this part of the ironbound is already Serious traffic problems parking issues. So we need to address those specifically we need to reduce the excessive loading zones and entry points planned for the project and Any parking spots allocated for the public should be affordable with priority for neighborhood residents? There needs to be affordable retail space for local businesses allocate affordable rent control retail spaces for small local businesses designate specific storefronts for community oriented purposes and the community has Specifically talked about the need for a health clinic. We need equitable public space and Accessibility ensure that green spaces are accessible to all residents not just tenants Provide community use amenities like gardens and recreational areas The proposed I buried development is not as it exists right now as the planning exists It's not a project for new workers to project designed to benefit developers While leaving our community to deal with rising rents Without a legally binding community benefits agreement between the community and the developer that guarantees real affordability Local hiring and real investments in public infrastructure This project will deepen the inequality in our city and I urge Concerned residents to call into the virtual planning board meeting on Monday this coming Monday at 6 p.m Not appearing Felicia Alston Singleton not appearing Not appearing Donna Jackson not appearing Louis Shockley Great day Newark Deborah Salters warrior for the people I echo what you said that was excellently worded These folks don't get paid. There is no city. We the people are the city So I was actually gonna stand up here and not have anything to say just in protest because how we talked to you guys We just stand there look at us. I was gonna do that to y'all today But I'm not gonna do that because I have to address a couple things I'm gonna start from the back moving forward. So this seven are a D The exception to public bidding and it's to provide legal services to the office of city clerk in There's an exception to them why this particular law firm? Because you know an exception is like to not conform to general rule So how do they get to escape the general rule? Why are they the chosen ones, right? That's number one I looked at the date from November 27th 25 through next November Why the timing because the election that we had was November 4th? So I'm just wondering why we need to have them on board From November and the election is not till May, right? I know I said not to exceed Instead of then in May and they're here after the November 4th election It's an insertion a budget insertion the purpose the 2026 anti-violence for out-of-school youth project for the North Street Academy And it says appropriation amount 2 million dollars budget year 2025. So Do we have a 2026 budget because it says the 2026 anti-violence So we have an insertion for something coming in 26 but we don't have a 26 budget yet and this is coming from the budget year 2025 and Then it says funds accepted by resolution apply and accept submitted under So why is it under separate cover? Why is it in the budget year? 2025 has this 2 million been dispersed already? 2026 we're still in 2025 and it's 2 million dollars It says another budget insertion for the brick city peace collective It says 1 million dollars appropriation amount Again, it says funds accepted by resolution apply and accept submitted under separate cover What is this separate cover? What is the wording for this? right and it says the operating agency Department of Administration if Has this money already been spent because again, we just I don't even know if we finalized the 2025 budget because that was a whole mess I still don't know the final outcome but we had and these are not the first budget insertions But this budget insertion here again brick city peace collective. The other one is for 26 Remember this one says 2025 for million dollars. We are now in Again, it's not clear whether the budget that was put forward. I know you guys took a vote but again, it's all over the place and forgive my ignorance because I've been looking and Again, we come here and it's like oh, well, no, let's go back. Let's do this. It's a mess Right. And so these are my questions if we don't have a budget for 26, how are we? Appropriating for something that's coming in 26 We just and these budget insertions and I'm gonna keep saying again are being put in in December of 25 We don't have a 26 budget. We just brought this to the table when October

Council president council members that concludes the agenda for today's meeting. Thank you anything from the council Hearing hearing none. Let's go to motions. I'm gonna start with a discover councilwoman day this time Any the only thing again just asking the council colleagues if they have a minute to Read and take a picture with the students here from Marion P. Thomas school Absolutely, there was a motion that we asked to be drawn up yesterday So I want to make sure that that's read into the record or put in so that we can forward it to the Essex County The Malcolm X Shabazz Bulldogs will be taken on Camden Shabazz is ranked 19th in the state Camden is ranked 13th They will be playing for the state group 2 championship at Rutgers. So if anyone is doing anything you want to come out participate We will be out there cheering on a Malcolm X Shabazz Bulldogs on tonight On December 13th all roads lead to Bergen Street between Custer Avenue and Shepherd Avenue As we'd be celebrating another Southport went to Wonderland event from 2 p.m. To 6 p.m And so we want folks to come out participate toy giveaways And a lot more and so we're asking all of those That can and will that are in the South Ward in the surrounding areas to come out participate and I went to Wonderland on Bergen Street from Custer Avenue to Shepherd Avenue No motions councilman. So councilman Kelly Just wanted to make sure that everybody comes to Boiling Street recreational Center for my annual toy and Christmas holiday giveaway at Boiling Street on December 18th Please come and I know it's been a tough time this year for a lot of different families But we'll have a lot of toys there be food every a lot of cheer. So make sure you come through on December 18 Just a next meeting if the Department of Engineering and the administration Getting a lot of calls about elevator inspectors and Inspections but there's no inspectors. So we need to know what is going on and what is occurring because Elevators are crucial in the public for the public buildings and etc. And also for new construction Apparently the new construction is being taken care of Inspected and and it's creating a problem for some of the folks because the fire department will not issue any Unto so there needs to be some coordination not today Well, because this cannot be a five minute and the next meeting if we As the governing body and have the department come before us and explain to us how many Because it's continuing. I'm getting I've gotten like four or five calls About buildings and the inspectors we need to have every and I've said it clear every building in the city of Newark that had an elevator had an inspection sticker and It continues to be forgotten and I really am concerned for the safety of seniors For the safety of people who live in this city Coordinate this meeting not today, but we come to a conclusion of what we're going to do I remember the the elevators here back in the day. They had a Certificate that said this elevator is passed inspection Throughout the city this continues to be and now there are people who are waiting To get their permits over other things in terms of other inspections and it's not occurring Just want to bring that it's not today. We can discuss this. I don't know the given time Have been recommending that that we have sharing agreements with the towns around us and I would like to to hear what we have done in that regard because we have a lot of towns around us that have inspectors for elevators and perhaps they are not as Busy as we are in the city of Newark. So maybe we can get them to to come to the city of Newark and the The builders the contractors are willing to pay the fees It's not a matter of them not being able to pay they want to pay but they want the inspections to be on time Thank You councilman, so so let's do this we have a special conference next week Tuesday