Title
Dept/ Agency: Administration / Office of the Business Administrator
Action: (X) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Application/Acceptance of Grant Funds
Purpose: Acceptance of grant funds for the Firefighters Memorial Park Climate-Resilient Community Space
Entity Name: New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU)
Entity Address: 44 S. Clinton Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08625
Grant Amount: $500,000.00
Total Project Cost: $0.00
City Contribution: $0.00
Other Funding Source/Amount: $0.00
Grant Period: Until June 30, 2029
Contract Basis: ( ) Bid ( ) State Vendor ( ) Prof. Ser. ( ) EUS
( ) Fair & Open ( ) No Reportable Contributions ( ) RFP ( ) RFQ
( ) Private Sale (X) Grant ( ) Sub-recipient ( ) n/a
Additional Information:
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WHEREAS, on November 18, 2025, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) announced the Five Million Dollar Urban Heat Island (UHI) Mitigation Grant Program designed to help New Jersey’s most vulnerable communities combat extreme heat and rising energy costs; and
WHEREAS, the City of Newark (“City”) desires to obtain funding from the NJBPU to redevelop Hennessy Street Park, 11-29 Hennessy Street Park and Chestnut Street, Newark, New Jersey (“Hennessy Street Park”), into the Newark Firefighters Memorial Park, as a dual-purpose memorial and community resilience hub designed to address urban heat island impacts while honoring fallen firefighters; and
WHEREAS, on or about December 15, 2025, the City submitted a grant application, requesting grant funding in the amount of Five Hundred Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($500,000.00) (“Grant Funds”) from NJBPU to redevelop Hennessey Street Park into a climate-resilient community space in the Ironbound neighborhood, adding cooling infrastructure, trees, and emergency cooling amenities (“Application”) (“Firefighters Memorial Park Climate Resilient Community Space”). Additional community-based projects will install shade structures and hydration stations at community gardens and deliver tree planting in neighborhoods disproportionately affected by extreme heat; and
WHEREAS, as a result of the Application, on March 19, 2026, the City received notice that it had been awarded the full requested Grant Funds for UHI Category 2 for the Firefighters Memorial Park Climate-Resilient Community Space.
WHEREAS, the City desires to accept said Grant Funds; and
WHEREAS, NJBPU requires that the Municipal Council pass a Resolution authorizing the Application and acceptance of Grant Funds to be submitted with the grant agreement; and
WHEREAS, no Municipal funds are required for the receipt or acceptance of the grant award.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, THAT:
1. The Mayor of the City of Newark and/or his designee, and the Business Administrator, are hereby authorized to apply for, and accept grant funding from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), 44 S. Clinton Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08625, in the amount of Five Hundred Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($500,000.00) (“Grant Funds”) for the redevelopment of Hennessy Street Park located at 11-29 Hennessy Street Park and Chestnut Street, Newark, New Jersey, into a climate-resilient community space in the Ironbound neighborhood, adding cooling infrastructure, trees, and emergency cooling amenities (“Firefighters Memorial Park Climate-Resilient Community Space”).
2. The Mayor of the City of Newark and/or his designee, and the Business Administrator, are further authorized to execute a grant agreement or any other document necessary to receive the Grant Funds and to receive and expend the Grant Funds pursuant to the terms of the Grant Agreement.
3. The Municipal Council hereby ratifies its authorization of the application for, and its acceptance of, this grant award, and the execution of any grant agreement from the earliest of the dates of application submission, acceptance of the funds, or execution of any pertinent grant agreement or document to the date of the adoption of this authorizing Resolution.
4. No municipal funds are required for receipt or acceptance of the Grant Funds.
5. The Business Administrator shall file in the Office of the City Clerk a full executed copy of the Grant Agreement, and any other documents relating to the grant.
STATEMENT
This Resolution ratifies and authorizes the Mayor of the City of Newark, and/or his designee, and the Business Administrator, to apply for and accept grant funding from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), 44 S. Clinton Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08625, in the amount of Five Hundred Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($500,000.00), and to execute any agreement necessary to receive and expend the grant funds. The grant funds are for the Firefighters Memorial Park Climate-Resilient Community Space.