100 days of believing in newark

Because YouBELIEVED...• A SAFER CITY• A MORE PROSPEROUS CITY• A DESTINATION CITY• A COMMUNITY FOCUSED CITY• A LEADING CITY• A CITY WE CAN ALL BELIEVE IN

October 2014

2 100 Days of Believing in Newark • October 2014

CITY OF NEWARKRas J. Baraka, Mayor

MUNICIPAL COUNCILMildred C. Crump, Council President/Council Member-at-Large

Augusto Amador, Council Member, East Ward

Carlos M. Gonzalez, Council Member-at-Large

John Sharpe James, Council Member, South Ward

Gayle Chaneyfi eld Jenkins, Council Member, Central Ward

Joseph A. McCallum, Jr., Council Member, West Ward

Eddie Osbourne, Council Member-at-Large

Luis A. Quintana, Council Member-at-Large

Annibal Ramos Jr., Council Member, North Ward

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR & AGENCIES973-733-6400

Amiri Baraka, Jr., Chief of Staff

Alicia Munoz, Deputy Chief of Staff

Tai Cooper, Chief Policy Advisor

Jennifer Kohl, Senior Advisor of Special Projects

Gwen Moten, Executive Director of Arts, Cultural Development and Tourism

Rev. Louise Rountree, Clergy Affairs Manager

Seth Wainer, Chief Information Offi cer

Bessie Walker, Manager of Senior Citizen Affairs

Lauren Wells, PhD, Chief Education Offi cer

DEPUTY MAYORSLuis Lopez, Deputy Mayor of

Community Engagement973-733-4310

Rahaman Muhammad, Deputy Mayor ofJob Creation, Workforce Development, Affi rmative

Action and Reentry973-733-3703

Ugo Nwaokoro, Deputy Mayor ofInternational Relations and Diaspora Affairs

973-733-3309

DIRECTORSAndrea Hall Adebowale, Director of Water

and Sewer Utilities973-733-6578/6303

Karen Brown, Corporation Counsel973-733-3880

Anthony Campos, Chief of Police973-733-6007

Sakina Cole, Director of Communications973-733-8004

Patrick Council, Neighborhood andRecreational Services Director

973-733-5373

Adam E. Cruz, Purchasing Director973-733-5319

Kecia Daniels, Personnel Director973-733-8008

Michael Green, Assistant Business Administrator973-733-6666

Nydia Guimaraes, CitiStat Senior Analyst973-733-6400

Hanaa A. Hamdi, PhD, Health and Community Wellness Director

973-733-5310

Dorian Herrell, Director of EmergencyManagement973-733-3669

Judge Victoria Pratt, Chief Judge

973-733-6400

Phillip Scott, Acting Director of Engineering973-733-8520

Danielle A. Smith, Acting Finance Director/CFO973-733-3930

James Stewart, Fire Director973-733-7424

Darlene Tate, Budget Director973-733-3840

Eugene Venable, Police Director973-733-6007

Baye Adofo-Wilson, Economic and HousingDevelopment Director

973-733-6575

Produced By The Department of CommunicationsThe City of Newark • 920 Broad Street * Newark, NJ 07102

A City We Can All Believe In • October 2014 3

Table of Contents100 Days of Believing in Newark

The offi cial report of the First 100 Days of the Mayor Ras J. Baraka administration

Message from the MayorA Letter from Mayor Ras J. Baraka to residents, businesses, and visitors of Newark ............................................................5

A Destination CityBusiness Development, Arts, Culture, and Tourism ......................................................................................................................................8

A Safer CityPublic Safety, Anti-Crime Initiatives, and Prisoner Reentry ..................................................................................................................10

FeatureMayor Ras J. Baraka Closes the $93 Million Budget Defi cit in 100 Days ......................................................................................14

A More Prosperous CityJobs, Finance, Budget and Economic Development................................................................................................................................16

A Leading CityGroundbreaking Legislation, Government Alliances, and Staff Development ..........................................................................18

A Community Focused CityEducation, Public Health, Recreation, Special Projects .........................................................................................................................20

A City We Can All Believe InDiversity, Model Neighborhoods, and New Technology .......................................................................................................................24

On Thursday, September 18, 2014 Mayor Ras J. Baraka, the Newark Municipal Council, and the Newark Housing Authority cut the ribbon on the new SONIC restaurant.

80


Message from the Mayor

“I have been chosen to lead the city of my birth, and I am appreciative that so many of you went to the polls and granted us victory despite impossible odds, that you believed when everything else said the contrary, that you gave this boy from Newark, from Clinton Ave, a chance to fulfill not just his dreams but the dreams of so many others. And I know that you didn’t do that just for me. We are here because we believe in Newark.

—Mayor Ras J. Barakaon July 1st, 2014


100 Days LaterDear Residents:When I took my oath of offi ce as Newark’s 40th Chief Executive, I promised you that I would

be a Mayor who puts Newarkers fi rst, who would work to build a better tomorrow.Now we are 100 days into my administration, and that tomorrow has become our today. So it

is both a duty and a privilege for me to report on what we have accomplished in these fi rst criti-cal days to build a Newark we can all believe in.

I have worked to reach out to our community—at Town Meetings, Neighborhood Walks, movie nights, fl ag raisings and parades—to answer your questions, hear your concerns, and give you answers. But I am acutely aware that I cannot be everywhere at once, nor answer every question.

So our administration has prepared this publication, which is a progress report on what we have accomplished in the fi rst 100 days, a progress report on our activities, with input from all of our municipal departments.


Collectively we have worked to make Newark:

❱❱ A Safer City

❱❱ A More Prosperous City

❱❱ A Destination City

❱❱ A Community-Focused City

❱❱ A Leading City

❱❱ A City We Can All Believe In

Public Safety is the highest priority of my administration. We cannot make Newark economically powerful and attractive to resi-dents and tourists without mak-ing it safe for all. To this end, we have undertaken major steps to enhance public safety in a holistic manner, not only for all Newark residents, but for our region and state. We are working to both prevent the causes of crime and to address its results.

To create a more prosper-ous City, we have taken major steps to address Newark’s budget deficit. We announced strategies to reduce it from $93 million to $30 million in the first 30 days in office. By making efforts to im-prove revenue collection and trim costs, we are working to provide our residents with the most profes-sional government at the least cost. We have revamped our website to make Newark more attractive and accessible, and created a customer

service kiosk in the lobby of City Hall.

We are also working to build prosperity for our residents, by creating a Deputy Mayor of Job Creation, adding job programs, and promoting economic develop-ment in all of our neighborhoods.

To do so, we have to make Newark a Destination city, and we have partnered with our strong existing business community to in-clude celebrating Panasonic North America’s first year anniversary in Newark while simultaneously attracting new business to the city. We have also appointed a Deputy Mayor for International Affairs to enable our business community to make greater connections with the global economy.

But while we are reaching out to the world, we are also focusing on our community and residents, working to enhance their quality of life and involve them in building Newark’s future.

To this end we have appointed a Chief Policy Advisor, a Clergy Affairs Manager, a Senior Advisor of Special Projects, a Chief Edu-cation Officer, and a Manager of Senior Citizen Affairs to ensure we fulfill the diverse needs and demo-graphics of the City. They support events like our “Summer Fun in the City” programs such as street hockey, and “Back to School” book bag giveaways, to Town Hall meet-ings and Neighborhood Walks, which give residents opportunities to voice their opinions, ask ques-tions, offer ideas, and be involved in the growth of their city.

We have moved to reform the Department of Health and Com-munity Wellness, appoint a Deputy Mayor of Community Engagement, and to stake our ground alongside our residents in opposition to the state-controlled Newark Public Schools’ One Newark program, ensuring that our students get the best possible education, the one they are entitled to and deserve.

In all of these initiatives, we are demonstrating to the region, state, nation, and world that Newark is a City that leads by effort, energy, and example. We are determined that Newark will lead all of Ameri-ca’s cities to success, and we have begun that process. Our Tri-City Initiative/Shared Services Agree-ment with Paterson and Jersey City will enable these three major New Jersey cities to unify their purchasing process, making it more efficient, while reducing the tax burden on the residents of all three communities.

We are also proud of how we have begun All-Staff City Quarter-ly Meetings so that our employees can be part of the process in these initiatives, policies, and programs that affect their jobs, families, and futures.

So in a mere 100 days, we have laid a foundation to reach our goals: a safer city, a more prosperous city, a destination city, a community-focused city, and a leading city. These are all achievable goals for our admin-istration, residents, businesses, and non-profit communities. We all want a safer, more prosperous,

“Together we will transform Newark into a City we can all believe in.” —Mayor Ras J. Baraka

Message from the Mayor


community-focused Newark, which is a destination for tourists and business, and leads the region and nation. But we face many chal-lenges in achieving these goals: a weak economy, budget con-straints, and public safety issues. However, we regard these not as challenges but as opportunities to excel because above all, we believe in Newark. Otherwise, we wouldn’t still be here!

This publication will give you more detail of what we are doing to achieve these goals, and what needs to be done. From this we hope that you will gain under-standing, inspiration, empower-ment, and the infusion of energy to join us in our mighty endeavor. For we cannot do this alone, even with the most dedicated team of

municipal employees on the face of the Earth. We need the energy, courage, idealism, common sense, knowledge, and faith of every Newark resident to transform our City. We need you to bring your personal power into this struggle. We need adults to teach and

mentor youth, business leaders to generate jobs and prosperity, com-munity organizations to reach out to those in need, and youth to in-spire us with energy and activism. Together we will transform Newark into a City we can all believe in.

—Ras J. Baraka, Mayor

On Tuesday, July 1, 2014 Mayor Ras J. Baraka took oath to office as Newark’s 40th Mayor at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Later that evening, Grammy award winning songstress Mary J. Blige accompanied Mayor Baraka to the inaugural ball.

01

MAYOR BARAKA ON NEWARK’S FUTURE: FIRST 100 DAYS DEDICATED TO LEADING “A CITY THAT EVERYBODY CAN BE PROUD OF AGAIN”

—Politicker NJJuly 1, 2014

We have begun branding part-nerships with major locations

in the city such as the Newark International Airport and the Prudential Center to better promote the rich resources and opportunities that make Newark a prime destination.

Now is the right time. Newark’s role as a transporta-tion hub is expanding, with the extension of Port Authority Trans-Hudson service to New-ark Liberty International Airport.

The Prudential Cen-ter is the seventh busiest arena in the nation. “The Rock” is home to Se-

ton Hall basketball and the New Jersey Devils NHL hockey team, and hosted Oprah Winfrey dur-ing our fi rst 100 days. The New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the Newark Museum, the New-ark Public Library, and the New Jersey Historical Society are all hosting outstanding programs, and they are increasingly sur-rounded by outstanding and di-verse restaurants that are fi lling up with visitors from across the state, region, nation, and world.


NEWARK IS ACTUALLY QUITE FRIENDLY, THANK YOU.—Conde Naste

September 18, 2014

A Destination City

These attractions translate into jobs and career opportunities for our residents, strength for our economy, and luster for our City, as we show the world the real Newark.

From these major attrac-tions to our inner-city corridors with Applebees and CityPlex21 on Springfi eld Avenue there are businesses waiting to prevail and customers waiting to partake.

In September, Mayor Baraka welcomed a new set of business owners to Newark, as they opened a SONIC Drive-In Restaurant on Springfi eld Avenue in the heart of the Central Ward.

The opening of this restaurant is testimony to the greater faith that entrepreneurs from across the state are having in New-ark as a destination city—a city where opportunities for success and prosperity are real, and the benefi ts of both can be shared by workers and employers alike.

To promote arts and culture within the City, Mayor Baraka created an Offi ce of Arts, Cultural Development and Tour-ism. One of the offi ce’s big endeavors during the fi rst 100 days was to establish October as Poetry Month.

On Mayor Ras Baraka’s 80th day in offi ce, Condé Nast Traveler, which declared Newark the “unfriendliest” city in Amer-ica, reversed its position, on its website, with a slideshow entitled “Newark Is Actually Quite Friend-

ly, Thank You.” The slideshow describes and displays Newark’s many attractions.

“I am very pleased that Condé Nast has reversed its earlier posi-tions on Newark, and has rec-ognized the excitement of our attractions, the excellence of our hospitality, and the energy and success of our efforts to transform Newark into a City that we all—no matter where we come from—can believe in,” said Mayor Ras J. Baraka.

Which Way?We are developing a

coordinated Housing and Econom-ic Development strategy, which focuses on bringing development to all fi ve wards. The City will lever-age its six colleges and three major hospitals to become increasing sources of employment, economic output, and wealth generation

through collaborative ef-forts. These will include

encouraging develop-ment on the Halsey

Street corridor and we have also identi-fi ed fi ve commercial corridors to promote business and industry clusters and support community-oriented development. We will continue to

work to attract more visitors and businesses to Newark by stressing the economic benefi ts Newark brings as a transportation, medical, and educational hub with a robust corporate community.


Harr

y P

rott Newark’s Springfi eld Avenue corridor including neighborhood shops like

Home Depot, Applebee’s and the CityPlex movie theater.


Over the last 100 days, the NPD has been restruc-

tured so that 72% of all personnel are assigned to patrol

duties.

A Safer City


NPD reduced shooting and

robbery incidents by 20% by creating fire-

arms interdiction teams to target persons

carrying guns.

From the moment Mayor Baraka took offi ce on July 1, our administration has stressed the vital impor-

tance of public safety and creating a safer Newark for all our resi-dents, businesses, and visitors.

We have added 35 new police offi cers to the Department and is planning to add 15 more offi cers with a grant from COPS Hiring Program. We also placed 72 per-cent of our Police Offi cers out on patrol in our neighborhoods and streets. This was accomplished by reassigning 85 detectives to pa-trols; increasing minimum staffi ng levels and demoting deputy chiefs to captains on foot patrol.

As a result, we have: ❱ Decreased response time to

serious crime

❱ Reduced shooting and rob-bery incidents by 20 percent

❱ Apprehended more than 130 suspects

Created a Summer Anti-Crime Initiative

Includes Community Roll Calls and Neighborhood Walks, which connect law enforcement and other agencies with the neighborhoods and residents they protect and serve. Every Tuesday and Friday evening, the police and municipal agencies go out with clergy members and community residents to address neighborhood problems. A primary focus of these walks is to provide solutions to issues that affect the community, including curfew enforcement, abandoned buildings, homelessness, and alcohol beverage control.

Newark Police Department prepare for Community Roll Call.


A Safer City

Safety in 100 Days: ❱❱ We have increased our Fire Department with 41 new Firefighters

❱❱ By adding uniform officers to investigative units to con-duct joint operations, NPD were able to reduce burglary incidents by 13% and auto theft incidents by 14%

❱❱ Increased fire safety by adding 41 new Firefighters to the Newark Fire Department

❱❱ 750 smoke detectors were donated by New York Giants punter Steve Weatherford for distribution to low-income Newark residents

❱❱ Cracking down on high crime areas resulted in 20 arrests in the Stratford Place neighbor-hood alone

Re-Entry in 100 DaysArrests and trials are responses

after tragedy—we must take action before crime happens and we must work to prevent recidivism. To do so, we are continuing to find jobs, housing, and medical treatment for ex-offenders re-entering society, so that they can start new, productive lives.

The Office of Re-Entry was formed to provide case

management, housing, drug treat-ment, transitional jobs and job training that lead to living wage employment.

❱❱ Served over 400 re-entry participants

❱❱ Began NYOSCC—Tutoring pro gram to offer math tutor-ing

❱❱ Offering Youth Re-Entry work readiness and job placement for our youth offenders

❱❱ Placed 8 participants at New Community Corp

To contact the Office Re-Entry, please call 973-733-3570

Q and A with Mayor Baraka on Public Safety

You have said on several occa-sions that you can not ‘arrest your way’ out of crime. So what else is there?

Baraka: “We must take a holistic approach to the issue of public safety in Newark. We must address causes of crime. ‘Arrests are ‘ reactive’ measures accomplished AFTER the crime and tragedy has taken place. They do not restore shattered property, wounded bodies, and lost lives. We must cut it off at the roots, so that we do NOT have to make arrests.”

In your first two weeks in of-fice, the Department of Justice released its findings of an inves-tigation that was initiated in 2011. How did that affect your adminis-tration?

Baraka: “As I said then on the 22nd day as mayor, it could have looked as if the roof was caving in but I look at it as an opportunity to build a new roof. We actually saw it as an opportunity to apply their recommendations and transform the Newark Police Department.”

“The Department of Justice largely identified areas where the police and community needed a better relationship. We had already launched Neighborhood Roll Calls and Community Pedestrian Walk-throughs at the Newark Police De-partment on July 12 in areas expe-riencing violent crime. The police force teamed with other municipal agencies such as Neighborhood Services, the Health Department and Code Enforcement to address crime and quality-of-life issues for Newark residents.

We also are working toward creating a civilian oversight board with subpoena power to ensure the highest level of professional-ism and transparency in our Police Department. And the Internal Affairs Division was revamped to ensure adequate training and discipline of all department personnel. The IAD has also teamed with the Essex County Prosecutors Office for training and uses the Early Warning System to

0

500

1000

1500

2000

20142013

2013 2014

Murder Shooting Incidents

Shooting Incidents

w Vic

Robbery Burglary Auto Theft

-18% -20%

-20%

-12%

-6%

-8%


conduct periodic assessments of complaints.”

There was a period during your 100 Days when reporters were asking about multiple homicides over a 3-day period. What hap-pened there?

Baraka: “Those shooting inci-dents that occurred in a 36-hour period were mostly targeted shootings in concentrated areas and the police was familiar with many of those assailants. Police Director Venable, Police Chief

Campos, and the Newark Police Department worked diligently with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Offi ce to investigate the incidents and apprehend the assailants.”

What did you do differently to try and curb shootings in general?

Baraka: “We have more offi cers on the streets and we have taken a more aggressive role to get guns off the streets. We reduced shoot-ings and robbery incidents by 20% by creating fi rearms interdiction teams.”

On Wednesday, July 9, 2014 Mayor Ras J. Baraka, members of the Newark Municipal Council, and members of the Baraka Transition Team unveiled the results of the report prepared by the Mayor’s transition team.

Call to Action:Residents are urged to step up and support safety efforts by reporting any information they have to our dedicated Tip Lines. All tips will be kept confi dential, and in some cases, will earn the caller rewards.

Call NWK TIPS LINE:1-877-TIPS

NEWARK MAYOR SAYS

EFFORTS TO REFORM POLICE

DEPARTMENT ALREADY

UNDERWAY—NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

July 28, 2014

12%Robberies

49%Carjackings

26%Homicides

9%Auto Thefts

5%Burglaries

09

July 1, 2014 to Oct 1, 2014

SOURCE: NEWARK POLICE DEPT.


Mayor Ras J. Baraka Balances Budgetin First 100 Days

Feature Story

Without mak-ing any layoffs, Mayor Ras J. Baraka balanced

the budget in his fi rst 100 days in offi ce. “The process of closing the budget gap in the fi rst 100 days has been a dominant priority for all of us in the administration but it has been manageable and it has given us an opportunity to gain control of our City’s fi nancial situation, and to make Newark more effi cient at collecting revenue,” says Mayor Baraka.

In his fi rst 30 days, Mayor Baraka introduced a strategy to reduce the City’s budget defi cit from $93.5 million to approximately $31 million. However, this was not satisfactory to Mayor Baraka and the resources in the City were tasked to further reduce Newark’s budget defi cit.

Ultimately, the administration was able toa) reallocate funds owed to the cityb) identify additional revenue sourcesc) reduce departmental spending by cutting everything but the most necessary expenses. Some

cuts include: stationary, non-salary appropriations,

such as travel, registrations, books, and software. In sum,

appropriations were reduced by approximately $21.4 million

thereby leaving $10 million that will be closed with state transitional aid.“I am pleased that we were able to

make tremendous cuts and fi nd innovative ways to increase revenue in order to close the gap with only receiving $10 million in transitional aid. As I have often said, we are not relying on Trenton to make Newark prosperous. We are repairing our own house,” says Mayor Baraka.

There is still an arduous road ahead for the admin-istration in the long term. “We are increasing revenues in payroll, parking, and property taxes and adding innovative measures such as cooperative purchasing agreements with neighboring towns. But we realize that this is a long journey and it will take us a few years to get to a stable fi nancial platform,” says Mayor Baraka while affi rming that there will be no layoffs.

“There will be no cuts happening in the police or fi re departments or municipal government. As a city,

we would not be able to function. Our focus is to make operations more effi cient. We cannot afford to lay off hundreds of employ-ees and still be operational,” says Mayor Baraka.

Creates more jobs, collects delinquent taxes and identi-fies more land for

development

14

NEWARK HAS STRATEGY TO FILL DEFICIT WITHOUT FIRINGS, BARAKA SAYS—Bloomberg

October 4, 2014 (Day 96)


Mayor Baraka convened the Department of Finance, the Offi ce of Management and Budget, and a host of fi nancial consultants and other department heads to under-take the major steps necessary to

reduce the $93.5

million budget defi cit. Below are a few core areas where they found signifi cant savings:

❱❱ Spreading out last year’s operational defi cit over a 10-year period—$30.1 million

❱❱ More effi cient utilization of revenue from the motor vehicle rental tax—$13.4 million

❱❱ Adjusting the reserves for uncollected taxes—$10 million

❱❱ Reallocating of funds owed to the city to pay debts—$5.1 million

❱❱ More productivity in collecting delinquent taxes—$6.5 million

❱❱ Selling abandoned and seized properties at auc-tion—$5 million

❱❱ Reduction in overall City expenses, through more effi cient operations across all departments - $3 million

A More Prosperous City

JOBS IN 100 Days

Mayor Baraka recognizes that bringing busi-nesses and employers to Newark is not enough: those entities must provide Newark

residents with jobs and career opportunities. There-fore, Newark’s previous practice of “siloing” economic, real estate, housing, and workforce development will end, and these efforts and organizations will work in a more coordinated manner, aligning strategies.

Mayor Baraka appointed a Deputy Mayor for Job Creation, Workforce Development, Affirmative Action and Re-Entry to combine the efforts of the Newark Workforce Investment Board, NewarkWORKS, Newark Youth OneStop Career Center, and the Office of Pris-oner Re-entry. The results:

❱❱ 422 Newark residents are now employed in the private sector

❱❱ 300 prospective employees trained through Shop Rite/New Community Center/ Wakefern Food partnership

❱❱ 1800 residents serviced by NewarkWORKS

❱❱ 250 residents enrolled in vocational & career training programs

The brand new Newark Careers Training Cen-ter offers headhunters and job placement resources to assist Newark residents to find jobs that match their education, skills and experience. Residents that possess CDL licenses will now be able to receive on-the-road experience through a pilot program the City has forged with Daybreak Express located in Newark.

reduce the $93.5

NEWARK MAYOR PUSHES MEASURE TARGETING FORECLOSURES—NewsdaySeptember 23, 2014

@CityofNewarkNJ tweeted We are working to get 70% of our police force on the street. -Mayor Baraka #NwkTownHall

August 27, 2014

@SheIsLadyPoetry replied @CityofNewarkNJ EXCELLENT! That will begin a beautiful revolution! Love my hometown.. hate the violence! #thanks

August 29, 2014


On Monday, July 28, 2014 Mayor Ras J. Baraka, alongside Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop and Paterson Mayor Jose Torres, announced a tri-city initiative to fight crime and strengthen communities by sharing itelligence, police officers and purchasing agreements.

Finance in 100 Days❱❱ The Department of Finance is identifying de-linquent self-reporting businesses for payroll, parking and hotel taxes in order to begin a rigor-ous collection process

❱❱ Online payments for tax, water and other City bills being developed to save the city an estimated $500,000 in credit card processing fees

❱❱ Preparing for a Municipal Tax Sale by the end of December, 2014

❱❱ Created efficiencies in the Finance Department by dedicating resources to conduct field audits which could yield up to $4 million

Economic Development in 100 Days:

❱❱ The Economic Development Department creat-ed a timeline to enact a New Zoning Ordinance for the first time since 1954. The new ordinance will include updated provisions for the uses and designs of buildings and tax abatements, certain landscaping, parking lots, fences, and signs

❱❱ Developed a plan to Transform the Office of the Urban Enterprise Zone to provide one-stop City government support to small businesses throughout the City

❱❱ Identified 1700 Vacant & Abandoned Properties to develop a plan for revitalization

❱❱ Sold more than 30 properties at auction which brought in $2.5 million in revenue. More are scheduled for the end of the year

❱❱ Developed a plan to reorganize and rename Brick City Development Corporation (BCDC) to more effectively and equitably support neigh-borhood and citywide economic development

❱❱ Collected approximately a 15% increase in out-standing loan debt owed to the City of Newark

❱❱ Moving forward to build Triangle Park, a 75,000 square foot park directly east of “The Rock”

28


A Leading CityN

ewark’s fi rst African-American Mayor, the legendary Kenneth A. Gibson, said that

“Wherever America’s cities are going, Newark will get there fi rst.” We have taken that statement as a prophecy. We believe that Newark will take America’s cities where they need to go and where they will go, by energy, defi nition, effort, and example.

In the fi rst 100 days of our administration, we have already begun that process, in dramatic style and with excellent results.

UNITING MAYORS AROUND THE STATE

Our most visible leading initiative is our Urban Mayors Roundtable that Mayor Baraka developed with the goal of bringing together the leaders of municipalities across the state with our state and federal law enforcement partners to address crime in our urban communities. Mayor Baraka reached out fi rst to Jersey City Mayor Steven M. Fulop and Paterson Mayor Jose Torres, who were the fi rst to agree to join the initiative.

On the 72nd day in offi ce (Sept 10), Mayor Baraka, hosted

at Rutgers University the fi rst Urban Mayors Roundtable where he was joined by mayors from 17 New Jersey municipalities, county prosecutors and representatives of federal, state, and other county law enforcement agencies.

SHARED SERVICES AGREEMENT

On the 79th day in offi ce (Sept 17), Mayor Baraka introduced legislation to the Newark Municipal Council that will enable the City of Newark to join with Jersey City and Paterson in a Cooperative Purchasing Agreement that will unite the purchasing power of the three cities, to save the three cities money.

This agreement allows for the

N.J. MAYORS HEAR FROM CRIME EXPERTS AT RUTGERS-NEWARK

—Jersey JournalSeptember 10, 2014

advertising and purchasing process for a variety of goods and services, including, but not limited to: police fi rearms and ammunition, road salt, vehicles, tires, plumbing supplies, trees and shrubs. The agreement is to continue for fi ve years.

CRACKING DOWN ON FORECLOSED PROPERTIES

One of our most important leadership initiatives is legislation introduced by Mayor Baraka and passed by the Newark Municipal Council on the 87th day in offi ce (Sept 25), that will hold out-of-state creditors of foreclosed and abandoned properties responsible for maintenance and upkeep of these properties. Creditors who fail to do so will face fi nes of $2,500 per day. Newark is one of the fi rst City’s to pass such legislation.

The ordinance is designed to hold-out-of-state creditors who fi le to foreclose on mortgaged properties in Newark accountable for maintaining the security and appearance of these properties during the mortgage foreclosure action and after.

FIRST-EVER ALL STAFFQUARTERLY MEETINGS

Another critical leadership initiative has been the holding of All-Staff Quarterly Meetings by Mayor Baraka so that he can regularly inform and interface with all employees in municipal govern-ment. On the 31st day of the new administration (July 31), hundreds of city employees gathered in the Rotunda at City Hall at the fi rst meeting and received a riveting call to action by Mayor Baraka to improve customer service and to keep the residents of Newark fi rst. The Mayor also introduced the senior leadership team and addressed issues around budget.

100 Days of Efficiency❱❱ The Engineering Department is seeking to bring in an Energy Savings Company (ESCO) to upgrade and/or replace the existing public buildings HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems

❱❱ Consolidation of Public Build-ings by closing 7 municipal buildings and consolidating

their operations and fl eet thereby reducing redundancy and ensuring optimization of workforce


On Thursday, August 14, 2014 Mayor Ras J. Baraka was challenged by former Newark mayor, US Senator Cory A. Booker, and accepted the ALS challenge at Georgia King Village, during a “Summer Fun in the City” event.

46

100 Days of Enforcing Law❱❱ The Law Department collected more than $1 million in legal settlement payments owed to the City from various munici-palities and businesses

❱❱ Issued an RFP to retain a collection agency to collect unpaid municipal court fi nes totaling be-tween $8 million and $14 million owed to the City

❱❱ Completed foreclosures on more than 300 properties so that the City could regain control of City-owned property that was in default

FIRST-EVER ALL STAFF

NEWARK MAYOR RAS BARAKA SWEARS IN FIRST CLASS OF NEW POLICE RECRUITS SINCE 2010

—CBS New YorkSeptember 5, 2014


A Community Focused CityI

t has been said that “a community possesses no greater treasure than the dedicated service of its people,” that is why our neighborhoods, communi-ties, and residents are always at the forefront of

the Baraka administration.

COMMUNITY OUTREACHTo refl ect the rich diversity of our city, Mayor

Baraka appointed a Deputy Mayor for Community Engagement. That offi ce’s efforts to promote di-versity and inclusion have resulted in cultural and fl ag-raising events that highlight the contributions of our Peruvian, Cote D’Ivoirian, Puerto Rican, Brazilian,

Hispanic and LGBTQ communities. Mayor Baraka also celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with a breakfast celebration in September and honored members of Latino media and outstanding community members at the Newark Museum.

TOWN HALL MEETINGSWe held 5 Town Hall meetings, one in each ward,

where Mayor Baraka discussed the City’s budget, education, and other issues, then opened the fl oor for questions, comments and input. These meetings were praised in the media for their transparency and effectiveness.


A Cleaner City The Department of Neighborhood Recreation

Services launched multiple initiatives to ensure that we had a Cleaner Newark in these first 100 Days.

❱❱ Added 5 new clean energy garbage trucks which will improve the collection process and also reduce privitization

❱❱ Added 10 cameras to monitor city for illegal dumping

❱❱ Ward by Ward Cleanup: Saturated specific areas in each ward for two solid weeks of clean up. The objective of this initiative is to take a proac-

tive approach to clean our City and address the blight areas as the priority. The team utilized the City’s man power to address resident’s com-plaints by grooming and cleaning vacant lots and City properties in residential areas.

❱❱ Believe In Newark Cleanup: Every third and fourth Wednesday of each month, the Sanita-tion division is tasked with thoroughly cleaning an identified “hot spot” somewhere in the city. The team clears lots, abandoned buildings, and unsafe properties, which are breeding grounds for crime, hazards to public health, and create an atmosphere of neglect and despair.

Mayor Baraka marched in the Newark Puerto Rican Day parade. He carried a Puerto Rican taino artwork piece, which was made in Isabela, Puerto Rico.

Youth dance group Ballet Folklorico Estrellas del Hori-zonte de Newark performed during the City of Newark’s

Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration.


❱❱ Improved quality of life for resi-dents by aggressively enforc-ing Code Enforcement and Inspections polices to issue citations to owners, such as:

❱◆ Summons for sidewalk litter

❱◆ Summons for removal of overgrown vegetation

❱◆ Summons for graffi ti re-movals

A Healthier CityWe have also reorganized our ap-proach to public health by chang-ing the health department’s name to the Department of Health and Community Wellness which allows the department to apply for and receive additional grants and fund-ing from government and philan-thropic organizations. The Depart-ment of Health and Community Wellness has worked diligently to enhance residents’ access to primary health care services. That has included the establishment of a satellite health care facility at the Bradley Court housing complex, and, in late October, the open-ing of the Mary Eliza Mahoney

Health Care Center which will offer residents a new facility to get birth certifi cates and other important documents more effi ciently.

100 Days of Health❱❱ Began construction of the Department of Health and Community Wellness’ state of the art Dental Clinic, antici-pated to open in Apri

❱❱ Expanded the WIC offi ce to the North Ward

❱❱ Received an expansion grant for Mary Eliza Mahoney Clinic to expand after hours and weekend services

❱❱ Successfully passed the rigorous State FQHC clinic audit, this will allow us to continue to serve uninsured and undocumented Newark residents.

❱❱ Established a Police Sur-geon within the Depart-ment. This inter-agency collaboration will allow the Department to provide job related medical services to

Police Offi cers and Firefi ght-ers.

❱❱ Increased new patients by 56% in 100 Days!

Summer Fun in the CityWe reached 14,000 residents

with our “Summer Fun in the City” program this summer, which began with a surprise appear-ance by rap star LL Cool J, and offered residents movie nights, street hockey, and other fam-ily—and youth-oriented activities. And during the run-up to the new school year, we gave out 5,000 book bags full of school supplies to thousands of Newark youth in all fi ve wards of the city.

100 Days of Recreation❱❱ The City installed four com-puters at each of the City’s

CHRIS CHRISTIE SHOULD TAKE A LESSON FROM RAS BARAKA’S PLAY-

BOOK: EDITORIAL—Star Ledger

August 25, 2014

Religious leaders during Mayor Baraka’s Interfaith Alli-

ance Prayer Breakfast.

Hip-Hop Legend and Actor LL Cool J made a surprise visit during the Mayor’s Summer Fun in the City.

Residents participate in West and East Ward town hall meetings.


fi ve community recreation centers for after school programs

❱❱ The Recreation Department added a boxing program at

the Boylan Street recre-ation center and a Gospel Swim program at the JFK center

100 Days of EducationMayor Baraka has been

relentless in vocalizing and addressing the negative im-pact that the ‘One Newark’ plan has had on Newark Public School students. During his 100 days he met with the Superintendent of Schools and the State Commissioner of Education

to correct several school related issues from transportation to the inconvenient separating of siblings in different schools under the One Newark plan.

On the 96th day in offi ce, he

contacted President Obama to

intercede.

On Friday, August 22nd after witnessing parents and guardians waiting in line for hours, Mayor Baraka held a press conference to address the enrollment difficulties families experienced while registering their children under the One Newark plan.

53

Children from Newark daycare centers partici-pated in the Mayor’s Lead Awareness Walk

Seniors actively participated in the Mayor’s Senior Wellness Fitness Fun Day.

Read to Achieve Program: Mayor Ras J. Baraka joined former NBA superstar John Starks and

WNBA star Theresa Weatherspoon at the Newark Public Library


A City We Can All Believe In


Our City will soon celebrate its 350th anniversary as an organized commu-nity, and Mayor Ras J. Baraka and our administration look forward to restoring

Newark to its glorious history and it’s even more glorious future—and destiny.

But it is from the energy, power, and determina-tion of our neighborhoods that Newark draws its greatest strength. It is not the deeds of the few that defi ne a city or nation, it is the resilience of the many. It is the overwhelming belief our residents have had for centuries in Newark’s future, a belief

that has been handed down from generation to generation, a belief that has brought businesses and families to live in our City, a belief that propels all of us to success and excellence now and at all times.

This report highlights just some of the efforts we have made to affi rm our belief in Newark to our residents, visitors and commuters in our fi rst 100 days. From all these initiatives, policy changes, and business partnerships we have learned an essential truth: together, we will transform Newark into a city we can all believe in!

A Model Neighborhood CityThis is a collaborative initiative

by multiple agencies in the ad-ministration to address economic development, public safety, and quality of life issues in targeted areas of the City. We identifi ed three areas starting with the Strat-ford Place neighborhood from the Clinton Avenue area between Elizabeth and Hillside Avenues. There are two other grid areas in the West Ward and South Ward. Uniting public and private sec-tor organizations and engaging residents and other stakeholders, the effort targets crime, access to economic opportunities, and beautifi cation. Key outcomes from the Stratford Place area include:

❱❱ 2 Stratford Place inspected and landlords forced to abate safety violations

❱❱ More than 20 known crime offenders have been arrested.

❱❱ Summer Fun in the City activi-ties such as street hockey and face painting for youth

❱❱ Health fairs and on-site health screenings and referrals

❱❱ Street cleanups, lots cleared and mural projects began

A Diverse CityMayor Baraka appointed a

Deputy Mayor of International Relations and Diaspora Affairs

to maintain a relationship with Newark’s diaspora communi-ties, international partners and global constituencies. The offi ce will expose Newark businesses to international communities, provide immigration assistance and edu-cate international investors on the advantages of Newark.

An Engaged City❱❱ The Communications Department and the IT Department have revamped our website to make the City of Newark’s services more user-friendly on the web and more attractive to visitors

❱❱ We have also improved customer service in City Hall by asking for, and responding to your survey of how we are doing

❱❱ The addition of the bill pay drop box by the Water Department has added convenience to residents by cutting down on lines to pay water bills

❱❱ The establishment of the customer service kiosk in the lobby of City Hall has allowed residents to better fi nd where they are going


A City We Can All Believe In


On Wednesday, September 10, 2014 Mayor Ras J. Baraka hosted the Urban Mayor’s Roundtable at Rutgers University. Mayors and law enforcement officials from 17 municipalities discussed deterrence, gun control, juvenile jus-tice, and community relationships to seek solutions and share best practices.

❱❱ The Department of Communications redesigned and updated the City of Newark 733 Telephone Directory—a project that hasn’t been undertaken in more than 6 years. The directory provides residents, Newark municipal employees and visitors with impor-tant contact information of various government, social service and non-profi t organizations.

A Business CityThe Baraka administration has been fortunate in having

strong support from the businesses and universities in the City of Newark from the Transition Team period and throughout its fi rst 100 days in offi ce:

❱❱ Prudential Financial loaned the Baraka administration its International Investments CEO as a consultant to the City to provide advice on fi nancial, budgetary, and operations issues

❱❱ Rutgers University loaned the Department of Health and Community Wellness 3 nurses, saving the City potentially $300,000

❱❱ Branding partnerships formed with NJ Devils, the Prudential Center and the Newark International Airport and Penn Station

N.J. DEVILS SAY

NEW COMMUNITY

PARTNERSHIPS

COMING TO NEWARK —NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

September 24, 2014

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