PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Leah Archibald, Executive Director of Evergreen
1:01:50
·
3 min
Leah Archibald, Executive Director of Evergreen, testified about the importance of Industrial Business Service Providers (IBSPs) and their partnership with New York City. She highlighted the long-standing relationship between Evergreen and the city, the services they provide, and the challenges they face due to static funding and contract issues.
- Evergreen owns 5 buildings leased to small manufacturers at below-market rates, made possible by city funding
- The organization leverages city funding with other sources as an independent 501c3 nonprofit
- Archibald emphasized the need for increased funding and 3-year contracts to address rising costs and cash flow issues
Leah Archibald
1:01:50
Hi.
1:01:51
My name is Leah Archbald, and I'm the executive director of Evergreen.
1:01:54
And we're the local development corporation that works with businesses in Industrial North Brooklyn to help grow high quality working class jobs in our community.
1:02:04
And I'm going to give you a testimony with all the great things we did last year and and lots of information about our organization, and I just kinda wanna distill it today into the following.
1:02:15
Our organization and our sister and brother organizations around the city have had a long time partnership with the city of New York.
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Since our organization's founding in 1982, we have partnered with the city to provide services to the local businesses.
1:02:31
Our earliest services were focused on improving safety, then we moved to helping with incentive programs.
1:02:38
And and finally, you know, we're doing a lot more direct service, helping businesses with financing, doing education, we when New York City created the industrial business zone program in 19 in 2006, we were awarded contracts to provide, technical assistance in the newly created Greenpoint Williamsburg and North Brooklyn IBZs.
1:03:02
In 2008, we got, our first funding from the city to purchase industrial real estate.
1:03:09
We now own 5 buildings that we lease out to small manufacturers at below market rates.
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We would not have been able to do this without funding from the city.
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It's keystone funding for our organization and it's really important.
1:03:22
And the city benefits from this partnership as well.
1:03:25
Unlike, you know, wholly owned subsidiaries, right, we are able to leverage these the funding we get from the city with other sources.
1:03:33
Because we're an independent 501c3 nonprofit community organization, we get funding from lots of different sources.
1:03:41
And so, we're able to give the taxpayer a better bang for the buck with the funds that they give us.
1:03:48
However, as you pointed out in your in your line of questioning earlier, costs continue to grow.
1:03:54
Right?
1:03:55
We in in I'll I will I'll wrap up.
1:03:59
You know, our our funding has been significantly reduced since these programs were started.
1:04:05
It's been stable for the past 10 years.
1:04:07
We appreciate the fact that we were protected from a peg.
1:04:12
However, my staff salaries and rents and and insurance, all those costs go up, and I have to pull from other sources to try and meet those needs.
1:04:23
So, in in closing, getting a 3 year contract would mean the world to us.
1:04:30
Right now, you know, we're dealing with these 1 year extenders, meaning for the work my staff did in July, I don't see money on that until February, March.
1:04:44
So because the contract has to get registered, and that's creating the delay.
1:04:48
Once we're registered, we get our money routinely, but these you know, it's a 9 months delay in getting funds.
1:04:55
It's impossible to manage cash flow for a tiny organization, with this amount of our keystone funding, you know, behind.
1:05:03
So we really appreciate the attention that you're paying here.
1:05:07
I'm happy to answer any questions.
1:05:09
And when I leave, leave, I will be giving you testimony from some of our businesses that couldn't come, the Brooklyn Brewery, Martin Greenfield Clothiers, Wantown Foods, and Fine and Raw Chocolates.
1:05:20
Thank you very much.
