QUESTION
Would adopting all recommendations except centralization have prevented the NYCHA bribery scheme?
0:53:10
·
67 sec
Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber expresses uncertainty regarding whether adopting all recommendations, excluding centralization, would have prevented the current situation but remains optimistic about their potential effect.
- Strauber states it's hard to predict the outcome of implementing the recommendations without centralization.
- She believes the recommendations could have helped avoid the current situation.
- Centralization is highlighted as crucial for adding a review layer and separating vendor interactions from the approval process.
- Other measures like prequalified lists and cost estimates are considered helpful.
- Strauber notes that past authority residing in housing developments has been ineffective despite some changes.
Jumaane Williams
0:53:10
So Is it your contention that if the other 4 were adopted, do you still think we've been in this situation?
0:53:16
If all the all the other recommendations besides the centralization will be still be in the situation?
Jocelyn Strauber
0:53:21
Oh, you're you're saying if we didn't do the centralization, but we did the other thing.
Jumaane Williams
0:53:24
Yes.
Jocelyn Strauber
0:53:25
So first of all, even if we implemented all of these recommendations, right?
0:53:28
It's very hard to predict.
0:53:30
Would would we be in this situation hopefully not.
0:53:34
We might be in some other situation because that's sort of the way things work.
0:53:37
So I don't I don't wanna say I know that if these recommendations had been implemented, we wouldn't be sitting here today, although I'm optimistic that we wouldn't, and I think they would have gone a long way to preventing the situation we're in.
0:53:48
I do think that the centralization piece is important because it adds an added layer of review and separation between the people who are dealing directly with the vendors and the the approval process.
0:54:01
And I think you do need that here.
0:54:03
I think the prequalified list will help.
0:54:05
I think the cost estimates will help.
0:54:07
But I think what we've seen is continuing to have this authority reside in the housing developments really hasn't worked.
0:54:14
There have been some changes put in place.
0:54:16
But they haven't been sufficient.