QUESTION
What are the details concerning cuts to community composting programs, and how can services be restored or continued?
1:10:49
·
128 sec
The council member and commissioner discuss issues related to the administration's cuts to community composting sites operated by organizations like GrowNYC, Earth Matters, Big Reuse, and others.
- The council member expresses concern over community confusion about the cuts and inability to drop off food scraps.
- The commissioner explains that while some existing contracts can quickly resume if funding is restored, the GrowNYC contract cannot be extended due to procurement rules.
- The council member offers to discuss ideas with the commissioner and chair to potentially speed up procurement processes for restoring composting services.
- The discussion highlights constraints around contracting and funding impacting the ability to immediately reactivate certain composting programs.
Lincoln Restler
1:10:49
So I'm deeply concerned about the administration's cuts to community compost at McCarron in Burrow Hall this last weekend.
1:10:58
I was talking to dozens of neighbors who just could not understand.
1:11:02
Why they no longer will be able to bring the food scraps.
1:11:05
My understanding is that earth matters, lower psychology, and big reuse, have existing contracts with the Department of Sanitation, that can be kind of immediately reactivated come July 1, if and when the city council restores funding in the budget.
1:11:19
My understanding is that growing YC does not.
1:11:21
Are there any contract mechanisms you're a good government problem solver?
1:11:24
Have you come up with any solutions for ways to extend the growing YC contract or other ways that we can reactivate the growing YC sites as quickly as possible.
1:11:35
At the beginning of the new fiscal year?
Jessica Tisch
1:11:37
So we have 4 contracts.
1:11:41
You are for contracts currently, you are correct.
1:11:45
I believe that 2 of them, if funding is restored, can resume very quickly once it is restored.
1:11:56
1 of them is the one one contract that cannot be extended anymore and is done.
1:12:02
This summer is the growing YC contract.
1:12:05
Fact, as you know, from our work together on the other side, when you're on the other side, I can't start a procurement until I have the funding.
1:12:14
In hand.
1:12:14
And when I committed to chair of Bray who is as soon as if if the funding is restored, as soon as that funding is in hand, I will immediately commence a competitive procurement for those types of services.
1:12:32
But as you also know, that is not a quick thing, and I don't have, unfortunately, a workaround that keeps us compliant with the PPP rules.
Lincoln Restler
1:12:44
I have some ideas.
1:12:45
I'm out of time, but if you'd be amenable to chatting with chair, Breo, and myself, and I'm sure other members of the council about some ideas we have for how we could try to speed up that procurement, we would really welcome the opportunity to brainstorm that together.
Jessica Tisch
1:12:56
I'd love it.
Lincoln Restler
1:12:57
Terrific.
1:12:58
And then I'm at a time, but just very, very fast.