[{"_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",6469986,"mediaKeyId","5780382-8199b8478ace99c05d2fdb27cdc1b538","parentId",5780382,"title","Council advances funding for additional filters at Peconic plant; residents press for water-quality oversight","audioSeconds",612,"startMs",9309000,"endMs",9921000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5780382-8199b8478ace99c05d2fdb27cdc1b538&start=9309&end=9921","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5780382-8199b8478ace99c05d2fdb27cdc1b538/thumbnail_9309000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6469986/Newark/Essex-County/New-Jersey/Council-advances-funding-for-additional-filters-at-Peconic-plant-residents-press-for-water-quality-oversight","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6469986-696c6409a339e12008d1ed9a22dfada8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164079&Signature=ZdIfdnq82zERJvQQ36gXDmAgPF3QKALE95biSMTf4CqoaV-WSp5u5pfg~eKh284IcX2KeODvn9uLunc8Grl9SsIpEIx-psgNhzD4vzxKkpaEyH-~AAk8QEp0tgG5yyBvE403mGRE3WEJ9CedbHq3p6oAYyp4sdkzUXd1I-h2-uwBaxwb0Ocu-rOWL8T4Ua8QZ0NBTCaGaL7jAkH4kDb3Xv7l~pyCLsQX9yYUu0DnFVbmZ1qEHHR0G4W-pDfHDBlwcLuQsVfUrAsRKfNWHyLgPaIH-TWr7UvHbFOK7MGP76q~BSbxAf9Hiyl81Zimu0~Blgq49fwgP~SorK7CGbthTg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Newark","date","2025-09-18T02:36:52Z","article","The Newark Municipal Council voted on Sept. 17 to advance an ordinance that would bond for two additional filters at the Peconic Water Treatment Plant to increase capacity as the city grows. The proposed addition follows a $22 million optimization project the administration said had recently completed.

Public commenters, including several longtime residents, urged the council to ensure proper oversight and maintenance of the watershed and treatment facilities and to provide clearer reporting on recent work and outstanding problems. Donna Jackson and other speakers raised concerns about fire damage and ash in watershed areas, filters clogging, and whether prior filter installations were properly completed.

\"Are the filters gonna get clogged now?\" asked a public commenter who warned about recent fires in watershed properties and asked whether contractors and installations had been properly vetted.

Grama Dean, director of Newark's Department of Water and Sewer Utilities, told the council that when the plant came online in 1990 it was built with space for growth, that the plant initially had capacity for 14 filters but only 12 were installed, and that the city remains in compliance with state and federal water regulations. Dean said expanding filters will provide more delivered water for Newark and wholesale customers as the population and demand have grown. \"The city is in compliance, has been in compliance for the last 5 years,\" the director said, and added the administration has invested about $560 million in water and wastewater upgrades to date.

Why it matters: Water treatment capacity and watershed management have direct implications for public health and for operating costs; residents asked for more transparency on maintenance and on how firefighting and watershed incidents affect water safety.

Next steps: The council advanced the ordinance for public hearing and second reading; the water director said the project will proceed through bonding and procurement steps to add two filters and increase treatment capacity.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Regular Meeting - Newark Municipal Council 9-17-2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Newark Municipal Council advanced an ordinance on Sept. 17 to bond for two additional filters at the Peconic Water Treatment Plant and heard residents demand stronger oversight of watershed maintenance and filter installation quality.","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},6470000,"Residents and council members press city over rising taxes, call for clearer budget process ahead of Sept. 25 hearing",6648,472000,7120000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5780382-8199b8478ace99c05d2fdb27cdc1b538&start=472&end=7120","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5780382-8199b8478ace99c05d2fdb27cdc1b538/thumbnail_472000.jpg","/articles/6470000/Newark/Essex-County/New-Jersey/Residents-and-council-members-press-city-over-rising-taxes-call-for-clearer-budget-process-ahead-of-Sept-25-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6470000-2c3d9dbc26e012ba9423ea884d477b98/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164079&Signature=newObb9xhOuFC0FeRwVyUdXuhhQvfQ95iR316U9Vns8Ov8E7toDE2fZJ4HquCNgkz-7dg1T-6i6Q7ewBO6SNQUcMAA8wWtkXO1HKdKCIqSSVJiF9WhFiSz20g6r5b6vTdhcfkfxY~N2YPpR8SbB49xPHE4MFVjpOhh3RbbptGN30PuUaPPRAhT5OjVqskontI4iHjPC6-gQOLhcrAIYScPxZqdp3sHxfhLbanMNdhyvNBgJYskymjZuw9C81QnzR9RqVsNKihXhmKzSoWspwD2ewxwxizSplegPfF7LbTvNB1j4thkMM2P9exaOIhRjM~cFKPDplRozmJBMrMTHz7g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of residents used the council's public-comment period on Sept. 17 to press elected officials about rising local taxes and to demand clearer review opportunities and stronger fiscal oversight ahead of the council's scheduled budget hearing on Sept. 25.

\"Mark the date September 25 to come down here for the budget hearing,\" said Lisa Mitchelson Parker, a commenter who urged a forensic audit and said she believed recent tax changes and other city revenue shortfalls show mismanagement. Parker cited what she described as prior increases and proposals for next year: \"7.8% last year, 7% in the third quarter this year, and a proposal for 9% in 2026.\" She said residents deserve night and weekend hearings and a full 30-day public review window.

The administration and council responded that the budget reflects competing needs and constrained revenues. Melvin Waldrop, chief of staff in the business administrator's office, said the administration sees many unmet needs and that the budget is driven by those needs as well as by revenues. \"A budget is driven by needs,\" Waldrop said, and the administration will continue to review the revenue side to relieve pressure on property taxes.

Council members and members of the public repeatedly urged more transparency about tax abatements and other revenue tools. Several speakers asked the council to freeze or reexamine existing tax-abatement policies; at least one public commenter urged a moratorium on new abatements until Newark can show measurable returns to residents. Councilmembers acknowledged those concerns and said questions and written requests about the budget should be routed through the clerk's office so departments can respond in time for the Sept. 25 hearings.

Why it matters: multiple residents described what they called substantial, recent increases in local tax and utility bills and said the city should offer more time and accessible meeting options for residents to review the budget. The council and administration said they will continue to pursue revenue options and noted specific revenue proposals on the agenda (for example, a change to soil erosion fees), but they did not change the hearing schedule during the Sept. 17 meeting.

What officials said they will do next: Waldrop said staff will continue to look for miscellaneous revenue increases to mitigate property-tax pressure. Council members said they will circulate written questions to departments and asked the clerk to forward responses before public hearings. Residents repeatedly urged a formal forensic audit; the administration did not commit to one on Sept. 17.

Context and public reaction: Public commenters framed the budget discussion as part of a broader set of concerns about the administration's fiscal stewardship, including questions about festival spending, vendor revenues, borrowing and the use of state loans. Several commenters tied those fiscal concerns to housing and public-service complaints raised at the same meeting.

Ending: The council's formal budget hearing remains scheduled for Sept. 25; residents and some council members said they plan to use that hearing to press for additional detail, night/weekend hearing times and documented follow-up on revenue sources and abatements.","Dozens of residents used the council's public-comment period on Sept. 17 to press elected officials about rising local taxes and to demand clearer review opportunities and stronger fiscal oversight ahead of the council's scheduled budget hearing on Sept. 25.",{"_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},6469990,"Union, residents criticize Newark Housing Authority management and possible layoffs; council urged to intervene",294,4262000,4556000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5780382-8199b8478ace99c05d2fdb27cdc1b538&start=4262&end=4556","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5780382-8199b8478ace99c05d2fdb27cdc1b538/thumbnail_4262000.jpg","/articles/6469990/Newark/Essex-County/New-Jersey/Union-residents-criticize-Newark-Housing-Authority-management-and-possible-layoffs-council-urged-to-intervene","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6469990-995e51114b79f35c962c81caf01e5597/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164079&Signature=KEFEsrsyVhmjPv1wuHy1qvnlvrZ7AIGBjxPiTZub2c1cOo0wf0xlJrI9EHfpi40boSmdwEDUVHlUwbbhx6Y207~nhM3O2b7PTCuTBxXeAXo2yci-hTUrwDrT-Trzvwoxr8LyST20FnkUCXux-K45GaMqPCP6enAG0alz3KFYHmTJ2JagUg2Xsa~gkrTeNCaMOEay32nmNTRW9s7kkblJMaDPx870BrrEJtq4g1635dM2wvKAHm~LkN8J48vVQC-99pF9Thom3QAIgBuxmq1KGoR1j-szuNlA2w1TEl5I4prffYUyGn31e62tHOe9NIommD8DTL9xm9a-WZrV6Md--g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Union leaders and residents used the Sept. 17 hearing to raise alarms about proposed layoffs at the Newark Housing Authority (NHA), alleging mismanagement by new leadership and urging the municipal council to intervene.

Lorenzo Hall, president of Local 617, told the council the union was seeking council support to block the layoff of roughly 161 NHA employees and opposed privatization plans he said would likely raise rents and reduce service quality for tenants. \"If the director wants to privatize the housing authority, which in fact means that the rents would go up because it's private,\" Hall said. He argued the authority's ground-level workers are being blamed for problems that stem from management decisions, such as failure to order materials and understaffing.

Several public commenters described specific tenant issues, including repeated recertification demands and delays in housing-authority payments, and accused prior and current management of mismanagement or worse. Cassandra Doc and other speakers urged federal attention and said long-standing problems had not been remedied.

Council members said they are following up with housing-authority leadership and the director. The council also discussed related redevelopment and affordability items on the agenda (including bond and redevelopment measures) and asked for documentation and briefings on the NHA's financial position, pending layoffs and contracts before taking additional action.

Why it matters: NHA oversees subsidized housing for many residents. Layoffs and privatization proposals could affect hundreds of tenants and workers and shift responsibility for repairs and services away from a public authority.

Next steps: Council members said they would request follow-up materials and meetings with NHA leadership and the departments involved to assess the financial picture and workforce impact and to explore alternatives to layoffs.","Public commenters and Local 617 union leaders told the council on Sept. 17 they oppose proposed layoffs or privatization at the Newark Housing Authority, blamed upper-management decisions for a reported $4 million deficit and called for preservation of jobs and resident services.",{"_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},6469995,"Council advances Resilient Hope transitional housing ordinance after public debate; project will add 12 dwellings and services space",854,7570000,8424000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5780382-8199b8478ace99c05d2fdb27cdc1b538&start=7570&end=8424","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5780382-8199b8478ace99c05d2fdb27cdc1b538/thumbnail_7570000.jpg","/articles/6469995/Newark/Essex-County/New-Jersey/Council-advances-Resilient-Hope-transitional-housing-ordinance-after-public-debate-project-will-add-12-dwellings-and-services-space","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6469995-b8af2b660eec99c6d30ad91e92b63c4c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164079&Signature=Mkq0DUwborKbSrNFlX64r7DvcPiG0KQ1nlLQWuO~SVPICN63ECVKdp~Vu~vo0L3p5uX3fIMKsIgnWml1ZyC7qkYhc6~F1osOpqyNseQcPnU~lhmxXzdbCATXticfoiHjV5ZrdIaqeiQQxV-UjgJkP7e8XZdMMyySuEolXq0H~nZYo9ADG5RrdrT97nvlXh0yx6bIfkOKVq3dYVMEOGz~xNliMkw9nFlZPQA19zCtpp6cwQZWMapwRD71fhbXZlazjcliP8x~~mcgAxpcbRu0PSn36YpBTHUucyAwyzQQHVJNCd4-Oh7GmgdJKd75aIAg6RubegUoPZQwWalMxXN28A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Newark Municipal Council voted on Sept. 17 to advance on first reading an ordinance to authorize the Resilient Hope project, a small-scale transitional housing development intended for residents experiencing unsheltered homelessness.

The project site is listed as 112-124 Northmont Avenue in the West Ward. City officials said the project will create 12 dwelling units (housing space for 24 individuals), two support structures, and a public-facing community building intended as a pantry. The city described it as a \"low-barrier\" model designed with privacy, security, storage and dignity in mind and informed by design work at NJIT.

Councilman Carlos Kelly sponsored the ordinance and Councilman Carlos Gonzales seconded; a roll call vote advanced the ordinance on first reading. Council discussion and public comment focused on trade-offs between smaller, targeted transitional sites and larger investments such as rehabs of public-housing units or conversions of hotels. Some residents and speakers urged the city to prioritize projects that yield more permanent units; others said the West Ward needed an additional transitional option similar to the successful South Ward pilot.

Director of Homeless Services (city) told the council the design was informed by residents who had been at Hope Village and that the project pairs private rooms with intensive supportive services, describing it as \"designed to really transition our most vulnerable residents who are experiencing unsheltered homelessness.\" The director said the project includes a laundromat and a clinic and that the city hopes the community building will serve the surrounding neighborhood as well.

Why it matters: The project provides a new model for rapid transition from unsheltered living to stable, service-rich housing; however some advocates at the meeting asked the city to weigh whether the dollars could produce more permanent units if invested with the housing authority or other programs.

Next steps: The ordinance will proceed to a public hearing and second reading (advertised by the clerk); the council deferred the final vote until after required approvals, including review by the Local Finance Board, the council said.","Councilmembers advanced an ordinance to create a 12-unit Resilient Hope transitional housing project at 112'124 Northmont Avenue, designed for unsheltered residents and including a community clinic and pantry. The measure moved on first reading after public comment and council discussion about siting and finance.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council advances funding for additional filters at Peconic plant; residents press for water-quality oversight

Residents and council members press city over rising taxes, call for clearer budget process ahead of Sept. 25 hearing

Union, residents criticize Newark Housing Authority management and possible layoffs; council urged to intervene

Council advances Resilient Hope transitional housing ordinance after public debate; project will add 12 dwellings and services space