Q&A
Questions about increase in Real Estate Services division headcount
1:48:25
·
134 sec
Council Member Restler questions the significant increase in headcount within the Real Estate Services division under Deputy Commissioner Hamilton, despite overall city workforce reductions. Commissioner Molina attempts to explain the reasons for this increase.
- Restler notes that the Real Estate Services division has grown by approximately 33% in the past two years, from 90 to 119 active employees
- This growth occurred while the overall DCAS headcount was reduced by 75 positions and there are 300 vacancies
- Molina explains that the increase is due to the need for expertise in real estate transactions and to address vacancies in asset and property management
- Restler expresses concern that this division has seen such growth while other parts of DCAS and city government have shrunk significantly
Lincoln Restler
1:48:25
My understanding is approximately $100,000.
1:48:29
I'd like to just shift gears away from this to some of the broader questions that council member Brewer was asking about regarding headcount and space.
1:48:39
Mhmm.
1:48:43
Firstly, I just want to ask about that within deputy commissioner Hamilton's division.
1:48:47
So as you know well from your time as DOC commissioner and your tenure in in this administration, we've experienced multiple hiring freezes and we've seen a significant shrinkage in the headcount in city government over the course of these 3 years.
1:49:03
Is that right?
Louis Molina
1:49:07
There's been a significant shrinkage in employment headcount overall.
Lincoln Restler
1:49:11
Yes.
1:49:13
However, the real estate services division has grown in the past 2 years since deputy commissioner Hamilton took it over by approximately 33% from 90 active employees in FY22 to a 119 active employees in FY 24.
1:49:28
Mhmm.
1:49:30
During this time so because overall budget and headcount has been reduced by 75 positions during this time.
1:49:37
There are 300 vacancies over the past 2 years.
1:49:40
Mhmm.
1:49:40
Could you help explain to us Kant's member, Brooke, pointed out at a time when the total workforce of the city is shrinking, more people are doing remote work, we have a less of a need for space, why we would see such a dramatic increase in deputy commissioner Hamilton's headcount?
Louis Molina
1:49:55
So, I mean, workforce leave, workforce retire.
1:50:00
I think it's important that Decast have a level of expertise within real estate, within the real estate services division.
1:50:06
So we employ transaction managers, attorneys in that space.
1:50:11
It's very complex work that they oversee with the tenant representatives.
1:50:16
It's also important to point out that when we look at our asset and property management portfolio as a whole, They have the largest number of vacancies.
1:50:24
So we are working to shore up those vacancies.
1:50:27
So in addition to real estate services, our other responsibilities in facilities management can also be addressed with our aging property portfolio of the approximate 55 buildings that we oversee.
