Council advances ordinance clarifying special-improvement-district rules amid public questions about reporting and hiring

The Newark Municipal Council advanced first reading of an ordinance (file 24-1669) amending special-improvement-district (SID) legislation, including clarified reporting requirements, designation of a district management corporation, revisions to hiring-practice language, establishment of a board of trustees and an effective date.

Corporate counsel announced the ordinance as an added starter during the meeting’s communications and the council voted to advance the ordinance on first reading by roll call.

During the public-comment period, multiple speakers asked the council to explain which SIDs would be covered and what the ordinance’s changes would mean in practice. Munira (spelled in the transcript as “Manera”) Elbomani said there had been “no explanation” and asked whether the ordinance applied to all SIDs or a subset. Another speaker, Jewel Baskerville, urged the council to prioritize nonprofit developers with strong ties to the city and asked for clarity about appraisal amounts, sales amounts and what the city means by “affordable” (she requested specific AMI targets such as 30%, 40%, 50% or 60% AMI rather than primarily 80% AMI).

Several commenters raised concerns about local hiring and affirmative-action enforcement tied to development projects. A member of the public and others said the City’s Office of Newark Works (workforce placement) and the department overseeing hiring and affirmative action had not met certain obligations described in existing local ordinances; they urged the administration to present a concrete plan for training and hiring Newark residents and to ensure jobs are posted as required.

Corporate counsel Kenyatta Stewart and administration staff told the council they had met with community representatives and reiterated an open invitation to collaborate; counsel said she would help connect a public commenter with the deputy mayor and relevant staff members.

Action taken

- Ordinance (file 24-1669) amending special-improvement-district legislation: advanced on first reading by roll call vote (majority yes; Kelly absent). The ordinance was described on the record as clarifying reporting, governance and hiring practices and establishing a board of trustees.

Ending: Administration said contracts for organizations funded through the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery ended Nov. 30 and that compliance evaluations would be provided to the council in the new year; staff also said they would follow up on public commenters’ requests for more detailed plans regarding hiring and workforce development.