TESTIMONY
Resident Council President of Saint Mary's Park Houses on Questionable Expenses and Vendor Practices in Housing Projects
2:42:53
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5 min
The Resident Council President of Saint Mary's Park Houses discusses the questionable expenses and vendor practices that affect residents' quality of life in housing projects.
- Highlights issues with vendor contracts, including excessive costs and shoddy work, impacting residents' living conditions.
- Criticizes the secrecy around budget information, creating transparency problems in housing management.
- Details specific instances of inefficiency and waste, such as the high costs of door and light bulb replacements and inadequate cleaning services.
- Shares personal stories of residents affected by delayed repairs, like a senior with no working radiator and a disabled resident awaiting kitchen repairs.
- Calls for closer examination of expenditures and better engagement with resident leaders to address quality of life issues and improve services.
UNKNOWN
2:42:53
Thank you.
2:42:54
Good afternoon.
2:42:55
Counsel chair banks and the council committee members and all in attendance.
2:42:59
I'm the resident council president with Saint Mary's Park Houses.
2:43:03
I sit on the South Bronx Executive Board, as well as being a executive board member of residents to preserve proper housing.
2:43:10
In the 5 years in which I have served in my position here, at St.
2:43:13
Mary's Park Houses have questionable necessities of certain purchases that only create a more pleasant and new look and or added to the appearance of the developments in buildings look.
2:43:26
I'm sure that including the residence council's input, would not be deceptive.
2:43:31
However, it is my opinion that when counsel leader speak on the work that is going to be done or already has been done, that we be advised of the vendor and any information that would warn us of incomplete work or shoddy work that many council leaders have spoken about.
2:43:48
It's already bad enough to counsel leaders are not advised of our budgets by management.
2:43:53
They keep the information secret.
2:43:55
And no matter how many times when we request to add that information, it is not obtained.
2:44:00
I've been waiting for 4 years for that information.
2:44:03
I have observed in many of my residence apartments, work that did not appear to be sufficient, and the quality of work that materials use.
2:44:11
I do understand that vendors being used have been vetted and on a listing.
2:44:16
However, I find that difficult to accept.
2:44:18
Such as like many other developments, the Illumina based lobby doors.
2:44:22
After attending a board meeting of night shift and hearing the amount of money that was placed, towards such vendors.
2:44:29
I was appalled that after a year's time, some of those bills paid were in excess of 1,000,000 of dollars.
2:44:35
These aluminum doors are constantly being fixed due to vandalism and extensive wear.
2:44:40
So now you continue to use these vendors without the consideration of the money spent or the counsel constant repairs that are necessary.
2:44:49
The city newsletter cited 4800 and $75 for the replacement of a door to the comp actable.
2:44:56
That is ridiculous.
UNKNOWN
2:44:57
Thank you so much for your time.
2:44:58
Has expired.
2:44:59
8
UNKNOWN
2:45:00
by night shift for such
Chris Banks
2:45:01
You can finish the stages.
UNKNOWN
2:45:03
LED light bulb replacement causing $4250.
2:45:08
And $325 per robot threads on 15 steps.
2:45:12
These charges are unacceptable, and robbed of resin it's a nice job getting more important jobs done.
2:45:18
I currently have a resident who will be eighty years old in April.
2:45:23
She has not had a working radiator in her living room since November 2023.
2:45:29
Repeatedly, she has told to be patient due to the purchases of wrong items to fix this problem, she she is forced to keep a bucket now in that location.
2:45:41
Which fills up with rusty water.
2:45:43
She lives on the 21st floor of the top floor, so she continues to have leaks from the roof.
2:45:48
And now her heating system.
2:45:50
It is important to my counsel that this situation is remedied as soon as possible.
2:45:55
Due to the leather that is spilled behind this scaffolding necessary as we approach construction to replace our €58 roofs.
2:46:03
I'm told that for the 2 locations about development, we are paying $8000 per location for cleaning new service to pick up trash.
2:46:12
At the development location.
2:46:13
Sending 185 notices that the entire development is not the answer to literary.
2:46:20
And right now, I have lobbies that are dripping water around lights fixtures.
2:46:25
My last, I dare to say that a centralized location where these contracts as I vetted, and the micro purchases are reviewed, are part of a failed system that has failed the residents of public house.
2:46:38
Also, the current system regarding the skilled trade usages are ridiculous as residents are made to wait months in order to get cabinets plastering paint jobs, no removal.
2:46:49
Yesterday, a disabled senior sent me a bit of video of her apartment.
2:46:54
That most of her kitchen items are all around our living room due to the lack of cabinets that have not been replaced.
2:47:00
She is now forced to wait for plaster that has not been scheduled yet in order for for the remainder of her of her cabinet to replace.
2:47:09
As she stated, she is waiting 3 years.
Chris Banks
2:47:12
Can you wrap up this
UNKNOWN
2:47:14
My last paragraph.
2:47:15
Yes.
2:47:16
Therefore, my my concern after reading to be cut recommendations of the DOI.
2:47:20
It is frightening to think that residents will have to wait for years for necessary work to be done, the quality of life issues that residents are facing, is already disgraceful.
2:47:31
Please continue to examine all of the expenditures of nature, but also I ask that you listen to the act of resident leaders who see the lack of concern and the frivolous and sometimes shoddy work being done by vendors in microcontracts.
2:47:48
That continued to milk the money from nitrile and forced the residents to wait for quality of life services.
2:47:54
Thank you for allowing me to stop tulity.
