Q&A
Discussion on managing capital funds and new improvement models for older adult centers
0:56:44
·
176 sec
Commissioner Cortés-Vázquez and Council Member Banks engage in a discussion about the challenges of managing capital funds for older adult center improvements and a new model for addressing these issues.
- Commissioner explains the difficulties in managing capital dollars through other city agencies
- A new approach involving direct funding from borough presidents is highlighted
- The potential for this model to be replicated in other boroughs is discussed
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
0:56:44
Fabulous question.
0:56:45
Thank you.
0:56:46
I wish I had an easy answer.
0:56:49
One of the things that you one of the things that we always did regularly was look at them as one offs.
0:56:56
And and started, you know, like, you needed this and you your program officer was aggressive, and then we would help you with that.
Chris Banks
0:57:02
Right.
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
0:57:03
What what came out of this committee about a year ago?
0:57:07
Was the need to look at this proactively, and we started with the kitchens.
0:57:11
Right?
0:57:12
And and so that plan is something that we're looking at.
0:57:17
The challenge that we had at at New York City, AG, is that if we get capital dollars, we don't manage those dollars directly.
0:57:27
Those dollars are managed through EDC or Design And Construction Authority.
0:57:34
You know, then our projects become second, and we have some projects still on the books.
0:57:37
I think I've told you about that, about some elevators and stuff that have been on the books for for years, and it's not in their queue.
0:57:45
What we're what we have done and we have the first example is through your borough president.
0:57:51
Alright.
0:57:51
No.
0:57:51
Not your yes.
0:57:52
You're a board president.
0:57:53
Yes.
0:57:55
Mm-mm.
0:57:55
Antonio?
0:57:56
Antonio?
0:57:57
Right.
0:57:57
Antonio?
0:57:58
Yep.
0:57:58
Antonio.
0:57:59
Mhmm.
Chris Banks
0:57:59
But also.
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
0:58:00
Yeah.
0:58:00
It was.
0:58:00
Right.
0:58:01
So an Antonio, a a board president, Reynoso, gave us a capital grant just for older adult clubs.
0:58:11
And he gave it to us directly.
0:58:13
And what we're gonna do is hire a and Jose's eyes are gonna burn me.
0:58:18
I might but We're we're hiring in MWE.
0:58:22
I mean, we're hiring a a contractor to oversee those services so that we can do that implementation ourselves.
0:58:28
And this is a model.
0:58:30
And I've asked and I've already approached 3 of the other borough presidents about this, and not all the other takers.
0:58:37
Right?
0:58:37
Antonio needs to do some magic with his colleagues, but that is an approach to start looking at that.
0:58:44
Because your borough president's commitment is that should we have climate change, a disaster.
0:58:51
All of our o a OACs in Brooklyn will be state of the art.
0:58:56
All of our kitchens will be state of the art.
0:58:57
So we know that this is the 1st infusion and model in that.
0:59:01
That is how we're gonna go for it.
0:59:03
Our some of our facilities and most of them in Nitro are less than desirable.
Chris Banks
0:59:08
That was gonna be my Yeah.
0:59:09
Great question.
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
0:59:10
So if we could look at that and come up with something comparable for Nitro,
Chris Banks
0:59:16
Okay.
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
0:59:17
We would we would be able to go further.
0:59:20
Right now, we do have a much we have a good partnership with Nitra in having them queue up some of those issues for us.
0:59:29
We at night, our relationship with Nitro is this Centimeters Banks.
0:59:34
We take care of inside the wall, and you take I mean, we take from the wall out, and you're responsible for inside the wall.
Chris Banks
0:59:40
Because I know that's the constant back and forth who's responsible for what.
