REMARKS
Council Member Julie Won urges support for bills improving city contracting processes
0:24:34
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136 sec
Council Member Julie Won advocates for the passage of bills 801, 802, and 803, which aim to increase transparency, accountability, and efficiency in city contracting processes. She highlights the importance of these bills in addressing issues of corruption and improving food procurement for the city.
- Won emphasizes the need for accountability in light of recent contracting scandals
- Bill 802 focuses on establishing standard insurance policies for food procurement vendors
- Won acknowledges various individuals and organizations who contributed to the bills' development
Julie Won
0:24:34
Thank you so much, majority leader for yes.
0:24:36
Today, I urge my colleagues to vote I on 802, 801, and 803.
0:24:41
Right now, our city is in a crisis where we have seen more than $13,000,000 in question of corrupt contracting that have been steered the wrong way by former deputy mayor Phil Banks and many others.
0:24:52
And what we are doing today is just a step in the right direction to make sure that we have accountability, transparency, and due process to ensure that our taxpayer dollars were more than 20% of our city's budget annually.
0:25:04
That's more than $20,000,000,000 that is at risk of corrupt uses.
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So what 801803 do is they are bringing much needed accountability and transparency by protecting whistleblower and allowing people to have a voice.
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By allowing them to have explanations for subcontractor denials and city contracting.
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At the current moment, without this bill, people are denied subcontractors without any explanation, and it can be redirected as well as 803 which amends the city charter in relation to protesting agency procurement decisions.
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So now we are able to protest agency decisions on why a contract was denied for somebody else or was given to or awarded to somebody.
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And we wanna thank the local laborers 1010 for their tireless advocacy and for pushing for 80803 as well as our nonprofit partners who also helped us craft 801802.
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802 allows us to amend the administrative code in the city of New York in relation to establishing standard insurance policies for food procurement vendors.
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We have heard over and over again since the migrant crisis has started that there is immense amount of food waste in our city.
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And this bill will allow us to partner better with local restaurants, mom and pop shops to ensure that they can compete with large scale vendors who are catering but not culturally sensitive food or religiously appropriate food.
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So I urge you to vote with me.
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I think local 1010, our nonprofit partners, as well as heartfelt thanks to Isaac Blasenstein, my my former legislative director and Gregory Castoria, my former legislative and budget fellow who worked tirelessly on these bills, and thank you to Alex Yablon, Alex Polonov, and my Chief of Staff, Nicholoda, and congratulations to Nealey Barramartina, who's my
Amanda Farías
0:26:48
new leader in his expiry director.
Julie Won
0:26:49
Thank you.