PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Beverly MacFarlane, Resident Council President of Taft Houses
2:35:37
·
3 min
Beverly MacFarlane, Resident Council President of Taft Houses, testified about ongoing heating issues in her development despite new boiler installations. She criticized NYCHA for not addressing the root causes of the problems and questioned the effectiveness of new monitoring systems.
- MacFarlane reported that half of the residents in her 9 buildings with 1,500 units are not getting adequate heat, especially in upper apartments.
- She highlighted that the scope of work for new boiler installations did not include replacing old pipes, which she believes is a significant oversight.
- MacFarlane also raised concerns about the inefficiency of scaffolding maintenance, costing $500,000 annually, and suggested redirecting funds to more effective building improvements.
Beverly MacFarlane
2:35:37
Yes.
2:35:38
My name is Beverly McFarland, resident council president for Taft houses.
2:35:43
Chair vice chair for our PPH, residents to preserve public housing.
2:35:49
I'm testifying today that those NYCHA have continuously not tell the truth about how what their processes are.
2:36:02
In my development, we have new boilers, multimillion dollar boilers.
2:36:09
And we are still having issues in Taft houses.
2:36:15
First of all, the the construction of these boilers did not have the debt rises part of the scope of work.
2:36:30
So how can you put a new boiler without new pipes?
2:36:35
Which is so ridiculous.
2:36:37
So, half of my residentsI have 9 buildings, 1500 units.
2:36:42
And half of my residents, in all 9 buildings, have came to a Residents Association meeting, complaining that the upper apartments are not getting heat.
2:36:53
And this new, little Mickey Mouse, system that, whatever they call it, DMS or whatever they call it, are not working, because these little monitors they put on residents in residents' apartments are from the 99ยข store and are not, showing what the residents are experiencing in their home.
2:37:18
I have a couple of residents that's saying these monitors are always saying at 72 when apartments may be at 30 in an apartment, as far as the coal.
2:37:28
So, I think I don't know what's going on with these new boiler systems that they have in it.
2:37:37
Are they refurbished boilers or what is going on?
2:37:40
But I'm expecting that the scope of work.
2:37:43
It's not 30 seconds of that.
2:37:45
Not part of the scope of work.
2:37:47
Excuse me.
Chris Banks
2:37:48
You you have 30 seconds
Beverly MacFarlane
2:37:49
to wrap
Chris Banks
2:37:50
it up.
Beverly MacFarlane
2:37:50
I didn't hear you.
2:37:51
I'm sorry.
Chris Banks
2:37:52
I said you have a you have 30 seconds to wrap it up, ma'am.
Beverly MacFarlane
2:37:55
Okay.
2:37:55
Yeah.
2:37:56
Debt rises are not part of the scope of work, and that's why the system is no longer working and providing the services that we need in our development.
2:38:05
And they're spending 50 I mean, my development, the weatherization, they have we have scaffolds up 5 years.
2:38:14
They are spending $500,000, a year to input have these vendors have the scaffolding and 40,000 a month.
2:38:24
So have someone, a third party, clean behind the scaffolding.
2:38:28
That's ridiculous.
2:38:29
Why don't they just make sure the work is done and point the buildings so we can have better, heating in our apartment?
2:38:38
I yield.
2:38:39
Thank you.
