##VIDEO ID:zceT-KyeEYo## okay everyone if we can find our seats silence our cell phones we're about to get started good evening everyone we are on the record today is Thursday the 2 day of January in the year 2025 Happy New Year to everyone present and everyone watching at home hopefully this year is a good year for you and I this is a regular meeting of the Jersey City municipal Council we had a scheduled 6m start the clock on my cell phone is showing exactly 6m may we have a roll call for the commencement of this meeting council person Ridley here council person priner here council person Bano here council person SLE here council person Solomon is not here yet council person Gilmore pres council person Dees here council person ver here and council president wman we have eight council members in attendance at 6 p.m. can we kindly rise for a moment of silence please Adonis white Mr Manny Dennis President Carter Den Stephano Jersey City police department thank you very much on behalf of council president wman and the members of the municipal Council in accordance with New Jersey public laws of 1975 chapter 231 the open public meetings act also known as the Sunshine Law adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by the posting on the bulletin board of the first floor of City Hall the annual notice which is the schedule of meetings and caucuses for the Municipal Council for the calendar year 2025 and filed in the office of the city clerk on Friday November 15th 2024 in addition at its time of his preparation the agenda of this meeting was similarly disseminated on Monday December 30th 2024 at 1:27 p.m. to the mayor Municipal Council business administrator Corporation Council local newspapers and posted on the city's website so I can certify as to our total compliance with the Sunshine Law okay Council members as you can see we have a very light agenda so there are no first readings second readings we're going to move right on to our public speakers so anyone in attendance and everyone watching at home please play close attention to the agenda I'm going to be calling the number and the first name of the speaker first speaker is 5.1 L I don't see lever here next speaker 5.2 Gina don't see her 5.3 Tina don't see her either 5.4 Edward here 5.5 Karen not here 5.6 Anna hi my name is Anna Cruz and I'm a tenant at 108 Sussex Street this is my first time speaking before you but I have sat here previously listening to my n as my neighbors and Advocates fought for tenant rights tonight I stand Here deeply troubled but also profoundly grateful first I would also like to recognize Denise develin another tenant who did so much research and helped make a case for rent control at 108 Sussex she spoke at the February 8 2023 meeting and her efforts Have Been instrumental in bringing the truth to light Denise thank you for years my neighbors and I have known that 108 Sussex is subject to rent control on December 12 2024 we finally received a determination confirming what the record and even councilman Rivera have clearly stated 108 Sussex has been used as Family Apartments for decades that day felt like justice At Last the determination was properly served and our landlord responded indic indicating an intent to appeal a process that should have been played out through the rent leveling board the landlord's response on December 23rd closed the loop on due process related to the Bureau of rent leveling the next steps were clear but then just 12 Days Later the original determination on Christmas Eve director Richardson broke that process by issuing a new determination reversing everything he called it a correction but the facts don't add up how does a determination properly served to tenants based on clear evidence suddenly transform into it exact opposite in favor of the landlord the day after a complaint director Richardson's signed determination on December 12th wasn't just a document it was a promise due promise due process is the promise to follow the rules fairly and transparently that promise was broken an unprecedented reversal like this warrants investigation and press attention to ensure accountability and fairness for all tenants now this morning director Richardson has written again insisting that this was all a mistake and that the corrected determination is final unless appealed an appeal is part of the process however it should have been the landlord who had the appeal on the December 12th determination due process has Sid stepped than a properly served determination thank you thank you our next speaker 5.7 Kevin here for the holiday I still did not become an attorney good evening council members since it's a new year I'll say Kevin Weller president of the Portside East tenant association Anna's story isn't just her story it's a pattern over the past three years we've seen director Richardson and his pred cessor Dina henden issue determinations that defy logic contradict evidence and undermine tenants rights take Anna's case on December 12th director Richardson issued a clear determination 108 Sussex is subject to rent control 12 days later on Christmas Eve he reversed himself completely claiming the first decision was a mistake now this morning he's doubling down on that reversal saying tenants must appeal to the leveling board if they want justice but why should tenants be forced to repeatedly appeal determinations that were already correct when director Richardson started his position in January 2023 I spoke with him I asked about a curious letter signed in his name before he even began the job he confirmed he had not written it metadata revealed it was actually drafted by Dina henden that letter it was related to 108 Sussex the same building we're discussing tonight it sure seems like Richardson isn't very involved in crafting the determinations he is signing his name to or someone is for him councilman Rivera last year you publicly confirmed 108 Sussex was a family apartment building at the February 8th 2023 meeting Rivera did not disagree with the tenant presenter he was disagreeing with the to claim that 108 Sussex was a boarding house this context matters because the truth has always been consistent 108 was never non-permanent dwellings and therefore it has always been subject to rent control councilman Rivera your family benefited from these protections why shouldn't Anna council members help Anna because it's the right thing to do help her because the facts demand it help her because she deserves the same protections councilman r family once had we're not asking for special treatment just the truth thank you and with my 30 seconds I have left already begun to see some very lovely photos of councilman Rivera's family time in that apartment that was not a rooming house thank you our next speaker 5.8 Drew good evening council members my name is Drew kosowski and I live at Portside Towers at the final council meeting of 20124 we were promised an update on the lack of uniformed uninformed security and Resident superintendence at Portside Towers here's our update nothing has changed there is still no uninform uninformed security and there is still no resident superintendent in either building these aren't optional amenities they're legally mandated safeguards for buildings of this size uninformed security and Resident supers are not just conveniences they are lifelines without them we're left exposed to emergencies crime and systemic neglect here's what that looks like in real terms a bleeding woman sought refuge in our lobby and there was no security guard to intervene or assist her pipes burst and instead of a Livin superintendent who could address the issue immediately we're told to call a service super that provides no urgent help these are not hypotheticals they are real sit situations that we as tenants have endured the laws are clear the protections are clear but enforcement that remains absent just like the security guard who should be at our front desk and the superintendent who should live on site council members what message does it send when these legal requirements are ignored with impunity it tells tenants that our safety and our rights are not priorities it tells landlords that they can flout the law without consequence and it tells this city that the people task with upholding Justice are asleep at the wheel we should not need another year or another crisis to see action this is not just a matter of legality it's a matter of accountability enforce the ordinances hold landlords responsible make tenant Safety non-negotiable Council Members the alarm has been sounding for far too long but no one seems to hear it please before another preventable tragedy occurs take action enforce the laws already in place protect the residents who count on you to lead thank you our next speaker 5.9 Mark good evening members of the city council I'm here tonight weary but Resolute frankly I wish I didn't have to be here I dream of a day when my attendance at these meetings is unnecessary a day when the safety concerns of my neighbors and I at Portside are not just acknowledged but genuinely addressed for nearly a year I've come before you to sound the alarm about the dangerously inadequate security at Portside 6 months ago this Council took a decisive step approving ordinance 24055 which clarified and strengthened our City's Municipal Code that mandates uniform security service for multiple dwellings this ordinance signed into law by the mayor on June the 27 was a Beacon of Hope yet here we stand 6 months later facing the same chilling reality despite the clear mandate for uniform security recent events paint a disturbing picture of negligence and disregard jeopardizing jeopardizing the safety of our community in December our lobby descended into chaos when two non-residents caused a major disturbance requiring the intervention of multiple police officers where was the mandated uniform security absent as they have been consistently since Port size exemption from this very requirement expired on August the 15th 2015 even more harrowing on November the 5th one of my neighbors received a death threat from an individual in a car parked at the southern end of Washington Street a police report was filed but this chilling incident is a stark reminder of the escalating danger in our neighborhood the area around the Korean War Memorial has become a Haven for suspicious activity including what appears to be open drug dealing to add insult to injury Washington Street is supposed to be locked with a chain at 8:00 p.m. each night by Portside security as stipulating audience ordinance 07153 but how can this happen without security Personnel it can't and it doesn't this critical safety measure has been consistently ignored let's be clear Portside has been in blatant violation of the law for a staggering 3,429 days that's 9 years of negligence with multiple viol VI ations occurring each day they do not employ the two required uniform security guards they fail to secure the south end of Washington Street as mandated they have no current exemption from the security service requirements we implore director Joe Barrow of the office of Code Compliance to step up and fulfill his duty to enforce munic code 28-1 we need action not just acknowledgements only through def decisive enforcement can we ensure the safety and security of Portside Towers res presidents and finally bring an end to these repeatedly repeated and frankly exhausting pleas for help thank you our next speaker 5.10 Jessica evening city council as we step into the new year 2025 we are presented with an opportunity a moment to pause reflect and decide how we want to move forward reflection is a powerful tool it allows us to identify what worked well what didn't and most importantly what truly matters in our lives and in our roles and the top of my list what truly matters to me is making a positive impact on my family friends and Community I imagine many of you feel the same way after all you sought public office to serve and to lead to improve the lives of those in Jersey City this year holds particular significance however it's an election year a time of both opportunity and accountability whether you are seeking reelection or pursuing new roles it's a chance to reflect deeply on your contributions your impact and your vision for the future it's also the perfect time to acknowledge past missteps and to use them as stepping stones instead for growth as Gandhi once said the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others leadership is service and in that service there's no room for complacency particularly when it comes to issues like transparency and accountability these are not abstract Concepts they are the foundation of trust between government and the people it serves here in Jersey City one tangible way to make an impact is to ensure that city government operates transparently and holds itself accountable especially in the context of budgets affordable housing and the proper enforcement of the laws of our City these are areas where real lives are affected where your decisions or lack thereof can mean the difference between security and uncertainty for thousands of your residents as you reflect on the past year ask yourselves have I done everything in my power to uphold the trust placed in me by my constituents have I been transparent ethical and proactive would I be proud to share share with my family the things I have done have I fought for those who are often unheard the tenants the families and the vulnerable members of our community Dr Martin Luther King Jr once said our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter silence and in action are choices but so our courage and commitment this year let us choose courage let us choose choose action let us choose to make 2025 a year of Integrity accountability and meaningful change for the city of Jersey City thank you our next speaker 5.11 Joel good evening president Waterman and council members I'm here to wish you a happy healthy and most of all productive 2025 the new year and yet it seems as nothing has changed on Tuesday Morning a regular work day the hot water system feeding our apartment failed we called the service number and we're ultimately connected to an off-site call center the best she could do was to take our information and promise a call back many hours later we received a call from a newly hired quote senior service technician close quote who reported that the parts needed to be ordered and we would be out of hot water until further notice we are still without hot water and received an email today stating in part our boiler vendor has confirmed that the components will be available for installation as of tomorrow 13 and we expect full hot water service will be restored by tomorrow evening during this ordeal we again asked if there was a resident supervisor and received no effective response council member Solomon last time asked us to keep you informed of the status of any Resident supervisors and uniform security I can confirm that we have not seen a resident supervisor or uniform cons supervisor security for either building and I have not been informed that any exist our landlord continues to ignore your ordinances and we have seen no effort on by this Council that to ensure that your ordinances are enforced it's a new year what will this council do to ensure that your ordinances will be enforced this year please show us that 2025 will be different thank you our next speaker 5.12 Gracie you here not here okay next speaker 5.13 Liv hey again um I'm Liv I live at 429 Bergen Avenue a building owned by west of Hudson properties my landlord Lord Amir bin yanan has four warrants out for his arrest right now and East Orange for being a sunl lord the warrants are for breaking the law in regards to superintendence and dwellings hot and cold water and sanitation and safety at the dwelling here in Jersey City Amir also has seven active Municipal Court cases just from last month related to failure to comply with Jersey City building standards I was going to talk about what's happening in other buildings that Amir owns but someone else is here and they can speak for themselves um I'm just here to talk about accountability in March it will be a year since I filed an illegal rent petition a year of paying $2,300 a month for an apartment with leaks and roaches a year of paying $2,300 a month for a landlord that did not file rent control exemption nor landlord registration statement for 5 years and did not inform us tenants that the building was not rent controlled who holds Amir Ben Johan and accountable this Council I've watched good faith efforts from port side to improve chapter 260 go ignored like remember the easy to understand flowchart I remember it was great so what other options do west of Hudson property tenants like myself have other than direct organizing action can we really count on this council at all that's how I'm feeling right now I'm just going to ask this Council to advocate for more serious action against our landlord Amir Ben johanan East Orange has put out an arrest warrant where is this from Jersey City so live just as an update for you the Jersey City prosecutor's office is working on this currently as we speak right okay our next speaker 5.14 Suzanne happy New Year tonight I'd like to share a story about I believe will resonate with many of you who have children in our Public Schools or who advocate for education in our community imagine if we discovered that one of our City's largest schools was operating with half its fire exits locked Imagine Learning the qualified teachers were being replaced with untrained substitutes to save money imagine finding out that some class rooms had black mold growing on the walls While others lacked heat during winter months and imagine being told that fixing these issues wasn't a priority because they only affected some of the students not all of them we all know what would happen next this Council of chamber would be overflowing with angry parents the superintendent would be called to account the school board would face immediate pressure to act the media would run front page stories and most importantly these issues would be fixed not next month and next budget cycle but immediately why because we understand that when parents send their children to school they're placing their trust in our system to keep those children safe yet here I stand speaking about similar violations happening right now in residential buildings where hundreds of families your constituents live these families placed their trust in our City's housing system just as parents trust our schools they believe that when our city passed laws requiring security guards and qualified superintendents those laws would be enforced they trusted that when they reported water damage and mold someone would take action but unlike our hypothetical School scenario these violations have persisted for years some of our neighbors began 2025 without hot water imagine if that had happened in one of our schools the response would have been immediate and decisive I'm here tonight because the families in these buildings that we've been discussing deserve the same urgency the same protection and the same respect as our school children they are not asking for special treatment they are simply asking for the enforcement of existing laws designed to protect their safety and well-being thank you for your time and attention to this crucial matter I hope we can follow and enforce our ordinances this year our next speaker 5.15 Michelle hello Michelle h president of the Portside Towers West tenant association happy New Year council members tonight marks the beginning of our third year advocating for tenants rights before you yet despite our vigilance an a Cruz's story that you heard earlier tonight regarding 108 Sussex Street shows just how much remains unchanged on December 12th after filing an illegal rent increase petition Anna received Justice director Richardson issued a clear evidence-based determination confirming that 108 Sussex is subject to rank control then came her Christmas Eve surprise an unexplained reversal by Richardson stating the building is actually exempt Richardson claimed his decision wasn't changed but the facts don't support that Anna stood here last February hearing councilman Rivera affirm what everybody knows 10 8 Sussex has always been a permanent multiple dwelling apartment building council members this doesn't pass the smell test if tenants like Anna weren't here tonight would anybody know about these reversals would the truth about this case have come to light in three years we've learned that nothing happens without vigilance our presence here isn't just for advocacy we also demand accountability we've uncovered patterns of determinations being reversed ignored and manipulated we've seen landlords get the benefit of the doubt while tenants are left in the dark literally you know all this and under your watch the nonsense continues at tenants expense I urge you to act demand transparency restore Anna's December 12th determination and ensure that no tenant anywhere in the city face these injustices again to director Richardson we're not calling you a liar but your actions make it really hard to trust the system you represent if your correction reversal stands it effectively calls councilman riva's testimony a lie Anna's case puts your word against councilman Rivera's recorded statement for your sake and the tenant's sake I hope the building's final determination reflects the truth the burden should be on Anna's landlord quality prospects Incorporated to appeal if it believes it has a case but the city shouldn't subvert its own process by changing by changing a legally served determination just one day after the landlord complained this Christmas Eve Dina H hening wasn't meant to be noticed but we've seen it and we're committed to seeing this through thank you thank you our next speaker 5.16 Anthony before that speaker comes up M Miss Cruz I I just want to address you directly and um I I am Telling You U and I don't have to prove with pictures or none of that stuff I literally grew up at 108 Sussex we can use this tape for the record it was not a brothel house was not a boarding house we had tenants Porto Rican tenants from the bottom of that building to the top of the building we lived in the top of the building we opened the fire hydrants every single day in the summer and we had fun we went to ps16 swimming pool every single day in the summer and in the winter and that building was a building that was it it was the biggest building in in in Sussex you know and our neighbors were not Puerto Rican we that those those neighbors next door was I think there was like two or three buildings there which was a Polish Community cross the street where there is a bank now was a grocery store on the other side where proteno was was Ho's candy store and we literally grew up in that building and we had the time of our lives I don't know whether or not it was a rent control because I wasn't into that political stuff as a kid but I can tell you that the Rivera Vergara Ortiz figuroa families lived in there for years and I just want to be on the record and very very clear I don't know where they're getting this information where this owner is going with this where the city is going with this I am telling you I was and my family were residents of that building period thank you so much I really appreciate it thank you thank you our next speaker 5.16 Anthony is Anthony here oh no and our last speaker 5.17 Marilyn not here okay that will conclude our public speakers okay any questions or comments on our petitions Communications items 6.1 through 6.32 heing none there are no officer Communications or report of directors or claims so we're going to move right on to our resolutions and I have to read them into the record since we didn't have a caucus for this meeting item 10.1 City resolution 25-1 is a resolution authorizing approval for the calendar year 2025 temporary budget item 10.2 resolution 25-2 is a resolution of the municipal Council of the city of Jersey City accepting the award of 63,0 33992 in funds from the United States Department of Treasury and item 10.3 City resolution 25- 003 is a resolution of the municipal Council of the city of Jersey City authorizing the business administrator to execute a discharge of mortgage encumbering 377-379 Holiday Street Jersey City also known as block 1742 lot 3 formerly known as block 2077 lot 34 council members are going to be taking a vote on items 10.1 through 10.3 council person ridet Hi council person Prince AR hi for all council person bajano Hi council person s all for all council person Gilmore I just got one question with regards to 10.3 was this the one that was on and then came back yeah yeah yeah okay councel um this is the one that on Deja provided additional information we wrote it back based on the LLC as your question that's all right oh I thank you council person Dees I council person River um I I vote I but listen Miss Cruz I got to address something else because I'm really pissed off up here right uh I take it personal you know when when people say that you know this this whole building was was what they're calling it like my family lived there you know so I don't know the journeys that they're taking but uh I'm going to make sure that you know me personally I'll get to the bottom of that and I'll ask those questions that need to be asked but U that's it you could I'm still upset about it but you know I vote I and council president wman resolutions 10.1 through 10.3 are approved 80 with council person Solomon absent all right I'm going to ask the magic question may I have a motion to adjourn at 6:35 p.m. motion motion made by council person Cay may I have a second excuse me we're we're we're in the middle of a motion I'm sorry I'll reive my motion iend my motion ready to there sorry there's one more tenant that came today and it's the process is new to her so she wasn't aware of how this works but I wanted to know if she could just speak about her building please what Ward is she in I'll let her speak to the council person after this okay after we close out the miror speak to her okay she'll talk with her go ahead finish on okay we have a motion to adjourn at 6:35 PM made by council person Cay may I have a second second second by council president Waterman all in favor of the motion at 6:35 p.m. all council members present by acclamation please say I we are out of here at 6:35 p.m.