REMARKS
Open Remarks by Council Member Julie Won, Chair of the Committee on Contracts
0:12:17
·
3 min
Council Member Julie Won addresses contract corruption within the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), highlighting the implications of a widespread bribery scheme.
- Initiated by Won and her colleagues, the joint oversight hearing seeks to examine corruption and mismanagement in NYCHA’s micro purchasing contracting.
- 70 current and former NYCHA staff across nearly 100 developments implicated in the bribery scheme, indicating a pervasive pay-to-play culture.
- Won emphasizes the committee’s role in ensuring enhanced accountability, oversight, and transparency in NYCHA contracting processes.
- The hearing aims to discuss the factors enabling corruption, identify solutions to restore integrity, and detect action points to prevent future fraud.
- Testimonies from NYCHA, the Department of Investigation (DOI), and residents will provide needed context around the recent indictments.
Julie Won
0:12:17
THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR banks, and thank you so much to the public advocate and council member Brewer.
0:12:24
Good afternoon.
0:12:25
My name is council member Julie Wan, and the chair of committee on contracts.
0:12:28
I'm pleased to join my colleagues from all three committees in convening this important joint oversight hearing examining corruption and mismanagement within NYCHA's micro purchasing contracting.
0:12:40
The alleged bribery scheme by NYCHA employees uncovered earlier this year marks a serious breach of public trust.
0:12:46
As you've heard from all three speakers before me.
0:12:49
70 current and former night chest staff across nearly a 100 developments are implicated.
0:12:54
This paid to play culture for certain maintenance contracts was clearly widespread, including in my own district in Ravenswood Houses as well as Queensbridge Houses.
0:13:04
As chair of the committee on contracts, I'm deeply concerned anytime city procurement rules and standards fall short.
0:13:10
The micro purchasing process at Nitro while well intentioned and aiming to expedite urgent repairs.
0:13:17
Clearly enable abuse by leaving too much discretion to frontline staff without sufficient guardrails.
0:13:23
Unfortunately, previous scandals on warning signs regarding vulnerabilities in the micro contracting process went unheeded.
0:13:30
As a result, instead of efficiently maintaining buildings for Nitro Residence, public funds line the pockets of unscrupulous employees and vendors.
0:13:39
Going forward, we must ensure enhanced accountability, oversight and transparency around all NICA contracting.
0:13:47
As Nigel works to implement the 14 specific reform recommendations put forward by DOE after the recent indictments, This committee and our colleagues on the public housing and oversight and investigation committee will continue to closely monitor that progress.
0:14:01
At today's hearing, we will examine the factors enabled widespread corruption within the micro purchasing program and identify solutions to restore integrity in the process.
0:14:11
The committee seeks to understand what night job management knew regarding vulnerabilities, when they knew it, and why action was not taken sooner.
0:14:20
We want concrete commitments regarding next steps to implement oversight changes that can prevent this degree to fraud in the future.
0:14:27
Most importantly, we must determine how Nitro residents suffered as a result of the misuse funds and corrupted process regarding urgently needed repairs to their homes.
0:14:37
Going forward, the public deserves full confidence that every dollar funding nitrile works addresses real maintenance needs rather than lining their own pockets.
0:14:48
Not your residents deserve nothing less.
0:14:51
The committee is expected to hear testimony today from NYCHA, DOI, and residents themselves to provide all needed context around the recent indictments.
0:14:59
I'd like to thank my coaches for com convening this timely and essential hearing.
0:15:03
And before we begin, I'd like to thank the contracts committee staff senior legislative counsel, Alex Paulinoff.
0:15:09
Policy analyst, Alex Yablon, the principal finance analyst, Nia Hayate, as well as my chief of staff, Nick Golodah, my legislative director, Isaac Blazenstein.
0:15:19
I'm my comms director, Jenna Ling, for all their hard work and preparing for this hearing.
0:15:24
And I also want to acknowledge council member Milley has also joined us as well as council member of ELS.
0:15:30
And I'll turn it back over to council member Sherbanks.