The Newark Municipal Council on Dec. 4, 2024, advanced several redevelopment ordinances on first reading, deferred a handful of items for further community engagement and adopted an extension of an emergency contract for temporary shelter services covering homeless shelter operations across Essex County.

Council members adopted on first reading ordinances granting tax abatements and approving redevelopment terms for multiple projects, and they deferred others to allow more community meetings earlier than second reading. At the same meeting the council voted to extend an emergency contract for temporary shelter services and heard an extended explanation from city staff that the administration is shifting some capacity away from short-term emergency beds toward more transitional housing and rapid-rehousing models.

Why it matters: The first-reading ordinances would create long-term tax abatements intended to support large new residential and industrial projects in multiple wards. Approval on first reading moves those projects to the legally required advertising period and to a public hearing and final vote at a later meeting. The emergency contract vote affects how the city continues to operate and fund temporary shelter services for people experiencing homelessness while the administration changes the service model.

Most notable council business

- First-reading ordinances: The council advanced multiple redevelopment tax-abatement ordinances on first reading, including a 20-year abatement for a four-story residential project sponsored by Raising Plains Urban Renewal LLC (West Ward) and a 25-year abatement for a seven-story multifamily rental project sponsored by Broadway Star Urban Renewal LLC (North Ward). Those measures will be advertised and scheduled for public hearing and final passage at a future meeting (the clerk said public hearings will be set for Dec. 18 or soon thereafter).

- Deferred items: Council members moved to defer at least one tax-abatement ordinance (74–78 Webster Urban Renewal LLC) to allow the developer and council members time to arrange community outreach in the affected neighborhood.

- Emergency contract for shelter services: The council adopted an extension of an emergency contract for temporary shelter services serving facilities throughout Essex County. During discussion the administration described a planned shift in the city’s shelter model away from some emergency-bed capacity and toward increased transitional housing targeted at seniors and people with complex behavioral-health needs.

- Bus donation: A resolution to accept a donated 24-passenger school bus for a sister city was brought to the council but failed to adopt after two abstentions were recorded and the clerk announced the item failed.

What city officials said

The official leading the shelter discussion (identified in the meeting as the city’s homeless services official / “homeless czar”) said the administration is “shifting more to transitional housing.” He told the council, “There’ll be less emergency beds, but the emergency beds are gonna be more focused on rapid rehousing, and the transitional housing is gonna be focused more on more vulnerable populations like our seniors and people managing multiple health conditions.” He added, “There’s absolutely no hard discharges. Folks are not gonna be asked to leave the shelter if there’s no other options for them.”

Council response and next steps

Councilman Ramos and others requested the administration provide a written update and more detail on bed counts, the planned reductions and the cost savings the city expects from any change. The administration said it would circulate more information to the full council, and council members asked that developers and project sponsors hold neighborhood meetings in affected wards when first-reading redevelopment ordinances are proposed.

Votes at a glance (selected items)

- Ordinance 6FA (Raising Plains Urban Renewal LLC — 20-year tax abatement, West Ward): advanced on first reading; roll call recorded in the meeting and ordinance to be advertised for public hearing and second reading.

- Ordinance 6FB (Broadway Star Urban Renewal LLC — 25-year tax abatement, North Ward): advanced on first reading; will be advertised for public hearing and second reading.

- Ordinance 6FC (74–78 Webster Urban Renewal LLC — proposed demolition and new five-story multifamily building, North Ward): motion to defer carried; council asked for a developer community meeting before proceeding.

- Resolution 7R1E (Acceptance of donated 24-passenger school bus): failed to adopt (clerk recorded abstentions and announced the item failed).

- Resolution 7R D (extension of emergency contract for temporary shelter services): adopted; council asked for further detail from administration about the operational shift from emergency beds to transitional housing and about any RFPs and partnerships with the housing authority noted by staff.

Where statements appear in the record

The ordinances and votes on first reading were introduced at several points in the Dec. 4 agenda; the clerk said the adopted ordinances will be advertised and publicly heard at a future meeting. The homeless-services discussion and explanation of the model shift were made during consideration of Resolution 7R D (emergency shelter contract extension).

A note on public comment

Members of the public used the hearing-of-citizens segment to raise concerns about tax policy, development deals and workforce compliance on construction projects. Several commenters also urged more oversight of developers’ tax-abatement compliance; council members said those concerns would be considered as part of the standard redevelopment review process.

What’s next

Ordinances adopted on first reading will be advertised and brought back for public hearing and final passage at a subsequent council meeting (the clerk said Dec. 18 or as soon as allowed by law). The administration committed to provide the council additional detail on shelter bed counts, program changes, and upcoming RFPs and partnerships related to transitional housing.