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Newark council advances lease for homeless housing, ratifies senior site lease and approves emergency appropriations and contracts
Summary
At its March 19 meeting the Newark Municipal Council adopted multiple ordinances, resolutions and contracts including emergency appropriations, a lease for senior services with Bethany Baptist Church, and advanced a first-reading lease for 169 Clinton to provide housing for people experiencing homelessness.
The Newark Municipal Council on March 19 took a series of routine and substantive votes: it approved temporary emergency appropriations, ratified a lease for senior services at Bethany Baptist Church, adopted multiple purchasing and professional-service contracts, confirmed bond sales, and advanced several ordinances on first reading including a lease intended to provide housing at 169 Clinton Street.
Votes at a glance
- Ordinance 6 PSFA (housing rehabilitation): Adopted. Appropriates $6,000,000 for rehabilitation of units managed by the Newark Housing Authority (see separate story).
- Lease with Bethany Baptist Church (senior services): Adopted. The council ratified a lease to use space at Bethany Baptist Church as a senior site; administration said funding comes from the Recreation budget. Some public commenters asked whether the church, which is tax-exempt, should provide services without payment; the administration said the lease covers program space and operations.
- Temporary emergency appropriations (7R1A–7R1H): Adopted. These included funding lines for pensions, Ryan White HIV health and support services, lead-hazard remediation, anti-violence youth programs, sickle-cell services, police and fire capital improvements, operating expenses ahead of the 2025 budget adoption, and public health infrastructure.
- Purchasing/contracts (items I–L, and others): Adopted. Contracts included state-approved vendor purchases for vehicles and parts, maintenance and masonry work, supplies for animal care, and cleaning equipment and supplies.
- Bond and debt items (B–D): Adopted. Confirmed bond sales and bond anticipation notes as part of standard municipal finance procedures.
- Grant acceptances and subrecipient agreements (N, O, X and numerous subrecipient items): Adopted. These included environmental justice government-to-government funding, rehabilitation of City Hall interior, and a Lead Hazard and Healthy Homes Reduction Program grant; council accepted multiple subrecipient contracts for Ryan White HIV/AIDS services.
- Civilian Complaint Review Board appointment (communication 8a): Adopted. Dewan Norwood was appointed to the Newark Civilian Complaint Review Board.
- Tax abatement and development items (communications 8b, 8h): The council advanced a 30-year tax abatement for 1098 Broad Street (a five-story, 35-unit market-rate building) on first reading. The council also advanced and amended an ordinance authorizing a lease with 169 Clinton Development Urban Renewal LLC intended to provide housing for people experiencing homelessness; the amendment added authorization for the mayor or his designee to execute documents to effectuate the lease.
- Traffic and minor ordinances (8c–8e): Adopted/advanced on first reading changes to parking and stop-sign designations in the Central Ward.
Administration and staff comments
Melvin Waldrop, chief of staff to the business administrator, answered questions about funding sources, confirming the Bethany lease would be paid from the Recreation budget and noting the city’s coordination with departments on planned capital projects. Karen Gaylord, executive director of the Newark Workforce Development Board, described expanded hours and training at the Newark One-Stop career center; the workforce board said it is running classes including drone pilot training, GED preparation and OSHA and CPR courses.
Why it matters: The package mixes routine administrative business (contracts, grant acceptances and bond confirmations) with high-priority local decisions on senior services, housing for people experiencing homelessness and lead-hazard remediation. Several items were advanced on first reading; the administration and council indicated follow-up reports and timelines will be provided as projects move forward.
What’s next: First-reading ordinances will return for public hearing and second reading at the council meeting scheduled April 2 or soon thereafter; the administration committed to sharing additional implementation documents for selected items on request.
