Newark council approves purchasing contracts, grants and an RFP recommendation for Newark Works

The Newark Municipal Council recorded roll calls on several agenda items during its Dec. 9 special meeting and approved purchasing contracts, grant acceptances and a change order.

The council was asked to adopt purchasing contracts noted on page 4 of the agenda (items 7 R1 A & B), which include a cooperative agreement for department vehicles and a bid contract for additional snow/ice removal and sand/salt spreading. The clerk conducted roll calls and the council proceeded with votes as announced by the council president.

Council also approved items C and D, the acceptance of grant funds identified by the Department of the Business Administrator: capital equipment 2026 and a community policing 2026 grant. Later, the council voted to adopt a change order for the Newark Ironbound roundabout safety improvements (a federal project).

An added agenda item, 7 R1 E, was introduced as a competitive contracting RFP to provide a career service provider for Newark residents at Newark Works. Karen Gable, executive director of the Newark Workforce Development Board, described the federal requirement to use a competitive process and confirmed that Newark Works was the recommended operator following that process: "The recommendation is to award to Newark Works," she said.

The meeting record shows roll call confirmations for those items and a later transition to public comment and a Housing Authority presentation. The transcript does not pair every "yes" with a full councilmember name at every roll call in the public record excerpt; the clerk and president recorded members voting in favor during the roll calls that are captured in the transcript.