Q&A
Council Member Restler discusses Intro 191 with DCAS on lease notification process
1:27:19
·
3 min
Council Member Lincoln Restler engages in a discussion with Laura Ringelheim from DCAS about Intro 191, which concerns notifying tenants about lease expirations for city-managed properties. They explore the challenges of lease negotiations, the importance of early notifications, and potential improvements to the current system.
- Restler emphasizes the importance of early notifications to help find solutions for expiring leases, especially for community facilities like senior centers and daycare centers.
- Ringelheim explains DCAS's willingness to communicate with council members about expiring leases but notes limitations on legislating landlord behavior.
- The discussion touches on the challenges of negotiating with landlords in gentrifying areas and the need for improved communication between DCAS and council members.
Lincoln Restler
1:27:19
Thank you so much, customer of a good idea.
1:27:21
It's for this great bill.
1:27:22
I always think of it as the noisz Rosninos bill.
1:27:25
This saved noiszninos legislation, I think That's the new branding.
1:27:29
The and I'll just say when I worked in the previous administration, it was always one of the things that I tried to monitor closely with DECAS, with ACS, with DIFTA, of like where we might have leases that are coming up where we're struggling with the landlord because there's nothing more devastating for a community, for a senior center, or a child care center to lose their lease and for us to not have a viable alternative in the heart of Williamsburg where properties just so damn expensive.
1:27:53
Right?
1:27:53
And so if council member Gutierrez and the tenants have as much advanced notice as possible, she can help.
1:28:00
We can help find ways to to identify solutions.
1:28:04
And so I know that Now it sounds like that is it didn't happen 10 years ago, but it more often is happening now that notice is being provided.
1:28:13
I just wondered from your experience, both in your role at Decast and previous law department,
Joseph Morrisroe
1:28:17
do you
Lincoln Restler
1:28:18
think we could pursue kind of boilerplate language in contracts or license agreements that require this notification?
1:28:28
Is that a a better approach?
1:28:29
Is that an alternative approach or a complementary approach in addition to the build that could be helpful?
1:28:34
What do you or I don't mean to put you on the spot, but it I'd be interested in your insight.
Laura Ringelheim
1:28:37
I I think it depends what you want notice of exactly.
1:28:40
If it's the landlord must give the city notice if it intends to renew you know, I that we have to go to law department to see if that is something that you can legislate and put into requirements for Elise.
1:28:54
If it's whether Decast can have discussions with the tenant or the operator, yes, absolutely.
1:29:00
I can guarantee we can do that at any time and have those conversations start.
1:29:04
It's really, you know, unfortunately, at this point, if if there is no legislation, we can't control whether the landlord will agree to renew or agree to reasonable terms.
1:29:14
And a lot of times, they have, you know, Everybody knows they wanna keep a senior center at daycare there, and the landlord sometimes is unreasonable, and it takes a long time to reach an agreement.
1:29:23
So I I think that's the bigger issue.
1:29:25
Sure.
1:29:25
If you could legislate it, it would be great for the city as a tenant.
Lincoln Restler
1:29:30
No.
1:29:30
And I think there are landlords that know they have us over a barrel, right, that they're in a gentrifying community or they know how desperate, you know, counts of member Dinowicz is to keep the chalker center in Kingsbridge.
1:29:41
And and, you know, we're gonna pay what we can pay to keep them there, and it can make those negotiations tough.
1:29:48
We don't we empathize with you and the challenges of your job in securing those lease agreements or license agreements.
1:29:54
I think we just wanna make sure that they we can stress in the communication and awareness with as much notice as possible so that great advocates like cast member Gutierrez can be involved in, and most of the scenarios have awareness of what's happening so that, you know, we can help as much as possible.
Laura Ringelheim
1:30:08
Absolutely.
1:30:09
I I mean, I think we can agree to do that and give council member's notice.
1:30:13
And that's all of that's easily, you know, available to you.
1:30:17
I I don't think this does that, and I'm not sure where you would put it if you wanted to, you know, codify it.
Lincoln Restler
1:30:22
Yeah.
Laura Ringelheim
1:30:22
But it it is not a problem for us to reach out to council members when a senior center, Daycare is in the district to tell you when that is going well, the daycare would have to be DOE.
1:30:30
So I can't agree on that part, but certainly for senior centers to let you know that that lease is about to expire.
Lincoln Restler
1:30:35
Well, I really appreciate your testimony and and appreciate customer number Gutierrez for this very thoughtful legislation that I know she has been pushing up the hill for many years.
1:30:43
So thank you.
1:30:44
I think we'll hear from customer of Dinowicz and then customer of Brewer, if that works.
