Q&A
Commissioner Molina's experience in real estate and facility management
0:21:01
·
107 sec
Council Member Restler questions Commissioner Molina about his experience in real estate and facility management. Molina emphasizes his experience in managing complex operations but acknowledges his lack of direct real estate negotiation experience.
- Molina has managed complex and matrix operations, including facility operations
- He has not directly negotiated real estate deals
- Molina emphasizes his experience managing big operations across multiple jurisdictions
Louis Molina
0:21:01
Yeah.
0:21:01
So I have extensive experience in managing very highly complex and matrix operations, which would include facility operations, not directly negotiating real estate deals.
0:21:13
But I've managed big operations across multiple jurisdictions across this country.
Lincoln Restler
0:21:19
I just think it's worth noting that the senior leadership team at Decast, commissioner, executive deputy commissioner, deputy commissioner is responsible for overseeing $1,500,000,000 leasing portfolio and that chain of command has no experience in commercial real estate.
0:21:34
Considering the active state and federal investigations into the work of the Decast real estate division, how did can New Yorkers have confidence that their taxpayer dollars are gonna be spent honestly and efficiently, and we don't have that particular experience in the leadership team at Decast today.
Louis Molina
0:21:48
Got it.
0:21:48
So I'd like to just reiterate that I have not been made aware of of any investigation by any of those bodies that you've mentioned into Decast's real estate leasing process.
0:21:58
What I can tell you is this, like executive deputy commissioner Overton stated, who's a very high level strategic thinker and executive, there are a number of mitigation measures, and no one person has complete autonomy and authority to bound the city of New York or its taxpayers in any of the real estate deals.
0:22:18
Managing the real estate portfolio of the city not only includes many experts that exist within DeCast Real Estate Services, but also members from city hall, the office of management and budget.
0:22:29
City planning is involved, as well as this body, the council is involved in those processes.
0:22:34
So there are a number of mitigation measures to ensure that the city taxpayers are getting the best deal and that we are doing the strategic work needed on behalf of the city agencies to make sure we find them the best locations to serve their clients.
