[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6670366,"mediaKeyId","2172633-86cf2666d66a0dee799c0ac74bd2685e","parentId",2172633,"title","Newark council advances multiple redevelopment deals amid angry public comments over affordability and oversight","audioSeconds",6924,"startMs",1886000,"endMs",8810000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2172633-86cf2666d66a0dee799c0ac74bd2685e&start=1886&end=8810","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2172633-86cf2666d66a0dee799c0ac74bd2685e/thumbnail_1886000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6670366/Newark/Essex-County/New-Jersey/Newark-council-advances-multiple-redevelopment-deals-amid-angry-public-comments-over-affordability-and-oversight","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6670366-eb81fc9e83eff14036c56025e0d195a9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771201877&Signature=irU45KNQte06msYbppmperakhboGz9B-ANh6wSwx-HZ2iqBa60u6B9P2bzQQ1eMkvvpA4ursanyZpOHfPjhDOgSbivcO1CSNGLlTbJwfRqCv4g55vuj~ishp8W3leLRSAbgwEhC29kMfhWGAO~fH5gCWHqppfhC-viivK-xeK3TVoxJUGC1Lpi~eilNR6nE1eQauj4FITguXlqZQf8Mn8VGRMM17YdOrWbTossjBtZb8CKejbQZQqw1NAtoXe7tqmgFMWKufKhbIHYDK3vT1mR2Gyv-U34n~5jX5fgBtqSEKyxrWYnZdYePeoOzoKe3oZPxb7A~MiOgawyG0i9E0sA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Newark","date","2025-01-01T05:43:07.19Z","article","The Newark Municipal Council on Dec. 18 advanced several redevelopment deals and handled a large set of tax-abatement and sale agreements that drew sustained public comment about affordability, local hiring and oversight.

Supporters said the projects will bring investment and jobs; critics — including long-time residents, neighborhood activists and tenant advocates — said the abatements and deal terms favor developers, do not sufficiently protect longtime residents, and lack clear enforcement mechanisms. Speakers urged stronger guarantees for low- and moderate-income units, community benefits agreements and audits of previously issued abatements.

Why it matters: Tax abatements and redevelopment agreements determine which projects are financially viable and who benefits. Council action on Dec. 18 combined approvals, amendments and multiple deferrals, reflecting ongoing tensions between economic development goals and community demands for ownership, affordable units and local jobs.

What the council voted and deferred: the meeting included roll-call votes on several ordinances and motions. Most contested were long-term abatements and amendments to sale-and-redevelopment agreements. Councilmembers repeatedly asked the administration for fuller briefings before votes and several council motions called for deferrals so neighbors could be consulted further.

Public concerns were specific. Residents repeatedly pressed for:
- A housing definition tied to Newark incomes, not county AMI figures.
- Clear, enforceable community benefits (jobs/hiring, apprenticeships, local contracting, funds for nearby schools and seniors).
- Audits or accounting of prior abatements and payments in lieu of taxes, plus explanations of why multi-decade abatements remain necessary in a high-demand market.

Administration response and process notes: Deputy Mayor and the Economic & Housing Development director said the city’s office and legal advisors reviewed tax-exemption requests for conformity with state enabling statutes, and that some projects fell under earlier zoning/IZO approvals that allow different affordability mixes.

Votes at a glance (selected items recorded in the meeting):
- Ordinance: 74–78 Webster Urban Renewal LLC (25-year abatement). Adopted as amended (council roll call; motion to amend ward designation carried). (provenance: meeting announcement and action recorded during agenda discussion.)
- Ordinance: 440 Elizabeth Avenue (20-year abatement; project to renovate a high-rise). Deferred by council roll call after public comment requesting more community briefing.
- Multiple sale/redevelopment amendments and first-read ordinances: several were deferred for additional review or adopted after council consideration; members asked for follow-up presentations on abatement rationale and enforcement.

What comes next: Councilmembers requested administration briefings and presentations on the city’s overall abatement policy — why abatements are still being offered at multi-decade terms, the gap they are intended to close (costs vs. expected rents), and independent reviews of whether existing agreements are in compliance and collecting required payments. Several councilmembers asked that future tax-abatement committee outcomes be distributed to the full council in advance of votes.

Ending: Residents and advocacy groups said they will keep pressing the council for stricter community benefits and more transparent accounting of abatements; council members said they expected additional hearings and administrative presentations in the new year before taking final action on some pending projects.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Regular Meeting - Newark Municipal Council - 12/18/2024","oneSentenceSummary","The Newark Municipal Council on Dec. 18 advanced several redevelopment deals and handled a large set of tax-abatement and sale agreements that drew sustained public comment about affordability, local hiring and oversight.","taxTitle","Newark, Essex County, New Jersey","taxId",2741,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6670351,"Council approves lease for police substation space and confirms city public-safety director amid concerns over policing and patrol deployment",3456,17017000,20473000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2172633-86cf2666d66a0dee799c0ac74bd2685e&start=17017&end=20473","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2172633-86cf2666d66a0dee799c0ac74bd2685e/thumbnail_17017000.jpg","/articles/6670351/Newark/Essex-County/New-Jersey/Council-approves-lease-for-police-substation-space-and-confirms-city-public-safety-director-amid-concerns-over-policing-and-patrol-deployment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6670351-78ff0f30a5004aee4652533ae22cacb7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771201877&Signature=Ix3TuWRGBKyhvCkIGP9Uj0Ktj~09~mHWV3ifZcACp8esJAEGTq10UDFsaMb1f~KjGv0zCmNsl~A6fzUV8PGTDyVnrXT5vG9wX48b2fQ9S~9lIUT4XCL22FLJOraFNf0TUByHSup5r89xxLsm1Qe28CbrqldKj~87EsBdaNbKbFSd1Z3Mz3nuxZEwtWcNBiNYItYLc~rKFPNc3NjW0xx-nU~6HbzFleFVtF2y4LVcTKTGb80bGbM-rD7keVtBtg2JLVNCwNfVzoO9ycOuVVSWHT-1s8lIWKHlThMTRo2yS6-v~qplLhBpv-UpoUEOe2BvS8dt0rh3nf1sK2K-8FF8Vg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Newark Municipal Council on Dec. 18 approved a lease with Fidelco LLC for space to house the Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards and confirmed the appointment of Emmanuel Miranda Senior as director of public safety.

Public reaction was mixed. Several residents asked why the city was leasing office space (monthly rent and build-out costs were discussed); they urged the city to use vacant municipal property instead of paying private rents. Others pressed for more visible on-foot policing and a return to “hot-spot” patrols, asking why money was being spent on leases and substations rather than boots-on-the-ground enforcement, block-the-box enforcement and better downtown response.

Administration said the existing Office of Professional Standards was already housed in Fidelco-owned space and that a new lease includes a build-out by the landlord (approximately $200,000 in vendor-funded fit-out) and represented the most competitive option for location and cost. Deputy Mayor and Economic Development staff explained the previous lease had expired and that the chosen location lets OPS remain central to police operations.

Appointment vote: Council confirmed Emmanuel Miranda Senior as director of public safety by roll call.

What speakers asked for: More on-beat walking patrols to address shootings, robberies and traffic issues; better deployment of officers to hot spots; and that the city reconsider expensive leased spaces while municipal property remains unused. Several speakers also asked for accounting of recurring lease costs.

Ending: Council approved the lease and the appointment. Members and residents asked the new public-safety director to prioritize patrol strategies and to brief the council on deployment plans early in his tenure.

","The Newark Municipal Council approved a lease for police professional-standards offices and confirmed a new public-safety director on Dec. 18, while residents questioned the need for leased space and urged more on-foot patrols.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6670357,"Council approves funding for additional filters at Pequannock treatment plant after resident complaints about lead and service-line replacements",5650,8118000,13768000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2172633-86cf2666d66a0dee799c0ac74bd2685e&start=8118&end=13768","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2172633-86cf2666d66a0dee799c0ac74bd2685e/thumbnail_8118000.jpg","/articles/6670357/Newark/Essex-County/New-Jersey/Council-approves-funding-for-additional-filters-at-Pequannock-treatment-plant-after-resident-complaints-about-lead-and-service-line-replacements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6670357-8a2958ec0708ff759a3706ad606fad63/orig.mp4?Expires=1771201877&Signature=bnk9oQ4tSbAZa5MyauH07rHL9u3g2llCt1zr9xvU1krFyNY15ITZ0CIqxVsmdfbvoAThn2pucvGD6j35a65LYL5z84G8yuLA0syErHWz8FsLRW7k5wVl0zjbDGNmNhemt4CEXslMsgmomlb-jDImoaarKVOTuLqzwXuRfG~Aez06HFc7aSns6Fpl9SSzfnkCCxiwkeeqqzR3dawKSUeHwg30DQhR1rbh8xyyyrdw3-vY8RfOC15Z56sENpExw-2KhLoeRdeSqRC21FfNwVY~qD32mwlUj0Z-xcF91CE1oztmxA4MZEhJaTKipYb9VeEYHT4bWxOTDtb0h6E6y0xURQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Newark Municipal Council on Dec. 18 adopted an ordinance to add filtration capacity at the Pequannock water treatment plant and authorized related expenses after extended public comment about water quality, lead service-line work and contractor oversight.

Residents and advocates raised multiple concerns: continuing reports of discolored or “dirty” tap water in some homes after lead-line work, allegations of faulty or fraudulent service-line replacements in prior contracts, and requests for more frequent public water-quality reporting and transparency on remediation work. Multiple speakers demanded immediate, publicly posted raw-data test results and questioned whether recent capital spending has fixed problems in all neighborhoods.

Administration reply: Kareem Adeem, director of the Department of Water and Sewer Utilities, said Newark publishes an annual water-quality report each June and that the department posts testing results and daily monitoring data via NJDEP portals. Adeem described multi-year investment in the city’s water infrastructure and said the administration has used federal and state grants and New Jersey Infrastructure Bank financing to replace lead service lines and invest in human capital at the utility. He told the council the additional filters are large, plant-scale units that will increase plant capacity and robustness.

Vote: Council roll call adopted the ordinance authorizing the filters; the administration said the supplemental filters are large-scale, engineered treatment units and that filter construction will proceed under professional oversight.

What to watch: Commenters pressed for a clearer public schedule of tests and an accounting of contractors involved in previous lead-service-line replacements; councilmembers asked for documents and for the department to post timely test results.

Ending: The department said it will continue testing and publishing results, and councilmembers requested future briefings so the public can track implementation milestones and contractor performance.

","The council voted to authorize procurement and additional filter capacity at the Pequannock (Pequinac) water treatment facility. Public commenters criticized the department’s past contracting and asked for testing transparency; water department officials said the system meets state and federal standards and described ongoing upgrades.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6670362,"Residents, shelters and city officials press for fixes as Newark faces shelter payment delays and rising demand",1129,3772000,4901000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2172633-86cf2666d66a0dee799c0ac74bd2685e&start=3772&end=4901","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2172633-86cf2666d66a0dee799c0ac74bd2685e/thumbnail_3772000.jpg","/articles/6670362/Newark/Essex-County/New-Jersey/Residents-shelters-and-city-officials-press-for-fixes-as-Newark-faces-shelter-payment-delays-and-rising-demand","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6670362-d28a6b1299703bd3e208218bcc201aa8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771201877&Signature=GuT~7akw6Q97x48eeDwo~~hLZhuJWgpsegVOUlqNIoIKc4j01fsvG~~o8HGLkMvfgsCS3xZ32fIHobkkHdemkf88IrgdvL6Cfc6RPZ1ZPbmCBhjFLoLE-Oi4PFlVV685MdGusjVZzfM4RWqbxCc~-hkLeZrS~JN3Mo5QtWMAZ7gvCU0L2bjGX7XXCCqW95z0gdI7o7zvUj4g26ulwncdSTY8wp-ImTDPcqrOKJ94JXWMYIYJpZ5g9jQ0S6wPXnOFuKLIeGZG-fmzfYsOIyHNyIlE3rXalrVbwgWTF3TOCZeoegHmLw0s5jjYrfnlVZY3S~UzNRx02bxSNec0VMZv9w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Public comment at the Dec. 18 Newark Municipal Council meeting returned repeatedly to homelessness and sheltering — from complaints about delayed payments to providers, to accounts of poor conditions at some contracted shelters and worries that Newark’s services are drawing people from other jurisdictions.

Multiple shelter operators and advocates told the council that payments from the city’s Office of Homeless Services had been late, in some cases for months; operators said late payments forced them to delay payroll, dip into insurance or otherwise risk closure. Speakers warned that delayed city payments threatened continuity of care for people placed in shelters, and they asked for more-frequent inspections and better city follow-through.

A number of speakers also said particular shelters had poor conditions or problematic management. Shelter operators and advocates asked for more oversight, faster contracting after RFPs, and clearer lines of responsibility between the city and state offices that fund services.

Administration reply: Business Administrator Eric Pennington and other city officials acknowledged the issue. Pennington said the city recognizes that late payments to shelters have been a problem and said administrative leadership in homeless services was being shuffled to resolve payment timing. He said Newark provides wraparound services and that the city has seen a “precipitous increase” in people in shelters since COVID; Pennington added that the city is working with the county and state to triage residents who should be served elsewhere.

Shelters and providers cited
- Fairmont Health Services (operator described staffing and financial strain; director described delayed city payments and contract uncertainty),
- Hotel-based placements (speakers said some hotels housing residents faced sudden displacement notices),
- Office of Homeless Services (city) and state agencies that fund domestic-violence and other services.

What was requested from the council
Speakers urged immediate actions: prompt city payments to contracted shelter operators, an audit of payment practices, more inspections and case management oversight, and a clear plan for the 2025 budget that reflects sheltering needs. Several residents asked councilmembers to press the administration for clear deliverables and timelines.

Ending: The administration said the mayor has directed a comprehensive approach and that the city will work with state and county partners; advocates said they will monitor whether promised changes — particularly timely payments — are delivered in early 2025.

","Multiple speakers at the Dec. 18 council meeting described delays in payments to shelters, gaps in services for people without addresses, and calls for greater oversight of contracted shelter providers. Administration acknowledged payment problems and said it was reorganizing leadership in homeless services.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Newark council advances multiple redevelopment deals amid angry public comments over affordability and oversight

Council approves lease for police substation space and confirms city public-safety director amid concerns over policing and patrol deployment

Council approves funding for additional filters at Pequannock treatment plant after resident complaints about lead and service-line replacements

Residents, shelters and city officials press for fixes as Newark faces shelter payment delays and rising demand