By Walter Elliott
NEWARK – There are new people leading Newark’s fire division and housing authority but not without some perceived or substantive controversy.
One may have seen the change with the Newark Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners’ Oct. 24 meeting either in-person or via ZOOM. It would be the first full NHA meeting where Leonard Spicer is Executive Director.
The concurrent change may be found either at City Hall at one of the Municipal Council meetings or at the Newark Public Safety Donald M. Payne, Sr. Headquarters at Clinton Avenue and Bergen Street – where Del Ortiz is the newest Fire Chief and predecessor Rufus Jackson is Assistant Public Safety Director.
Spicer, who had been a federal housing official, was present at the NHA commissioners meeting, where his three-year contract was approved. He succeeds Victor Cirilo, whose contract was not renewed by the board April 27.
No reason was given why Cirilo, of West Orange, was not given a new contract. The former Passaic (City) Housing Authority president had been at the NHA helm since 2017.
Nor is it clear whether Spicer was approved with recommendation of the Gans, Gans & Associates consulting firm. The commissioners authorized the Plant City, Fla. company April 27 to conduct a candidate search and promote Chief Operating Officer Emanuel Foster to Interim Executive Director.
Apparently the NHA changeover memo had not reached the Municipal Council before their May 3 meeting. Council President/Central Ward Councilwoman LaMonica McIver and North Ward Councilman Anibal Ramos, Jr., complained that they were not advised of Cirilo’s departure and that they were told of the change by NHA employees who answered their calls April 28 – May 3.
Council Corporate Council Eric Pennington, Esq., explained May 3 that the NHA is an independent body and the South Ward Councilman Rev. Patrick Council is a commissioner there.
Spicer, explained NHA Commission President Norma Gonzalez, was of late US HUD’s New York City Office of Public Housing Division Director. He had also been an HUD public housing recovery administrator in the Irvington Housing Authority – among other posts in his 15-year career.
Cirilo may still be seen in City Hall. Mayor Ras Baraka had appointed him as a commissioner on the city’s Commission on the Homeless.
Baraka, on Sept. 28, announced that he had promoted Jackson to Assistant Public Safety Director and promoted Battalion Chief Ortiz to Fire Division Chief.
Jackson’s new job is actually a new title. His promotion and post were occasioned when Deputy Public Safety Director Raul Malave retired in February. While Ortiz becomes the highest ranked uniformed NFD officer, Jackson’s Office of Public Safety job is a civilian, or out-of-uniform, job.
The apparent controversy comes from those who view the promotions as an NFD leadership shakeup in the wake of the July 5-11 fatal Port Newark cargo ship fire. Crystal Rosa, the Mayor’s Public Information Director, said that 28-year career man Jackson and 22-year firefighter Ortiz’s promotions were the best individuals for the new tasks.
Fire Chief Ortiz was first hired and assigned as firefighter to Engine 11 and Ladder 11 at 345 S. 9th St., in 2002. Trained as a Hazardous Materials Technician and in Urban Search & Rescue, the former captain was of late Battalion Chief for 360 Clinton Ave’s Engine 10, Ladder 5 Rescue 1 since 2012.
