Q&A
Council Member Krishnan questions DOE about payment delays and contract registration for Nuestros Niños
2:15:14
·
3 min
Council Member Shekar Krishnan engages in a detailed discussion with Deputy Chancellor Simone Hawkins about payment issues and contract registration delays for Nuestros Niños, an early childhood education center. The conversation reveals discrepancies in understanding about owed payments and highlights the challenges in the contract registration process.
- Clarification sought on a reported $900,000 in back pay owed to Nuestros Niños
- Discussion of the contract registration delay for the South Fourth Street site
- Examination of the last payment made to Nuestros Niños and the reasons for delayed invoicing
- Criticism of the bureaucratic nature of the contract registration process and its impact on nonprofits
Shekar Krishnan
2:15:14
I think it's important to make the point, think the chair actually already made it too, that Nueces Dos Ninos, and I know they testified earlier I know about their difficulties, was owed a million I mean on February 5 the payment of a hundred k was made to Nueces Dos Ninos but they're still back pay of about roughly $900,000 left to pay them?
Simone Hawkins
2:15:33
No that payment was associated with one of the other two sites that has a registered contract.
2:15:37
The site that we are focusing on here South Forth is still pending contract registration.
Shekar Krishnan
2:15:42
But has the site that's, the site that's owed that money have they gotten that money?
Simone Hawkins
2:15:49
I'm sorry there's no site within Nue Estos Nino's that has owed any back pay from us.
Shekar Krishnan
2:15:53
So the million dollars, the payment that was made in February about a hundred thousand leaving another 900 ks or so, that's been paid?
Simone Hawkins
2:16:02
So again I think we're working off of the basis making you know thinking that we owe them a million dollars which is how you're getting to the net 900.
2:16:09
So the providers are billing us on a monthly basis for their programs.
2:16:14
And so again not verifying that they got a payment in February for a hundred thousand but if it was most likely it was based off of a prior invoice.
2:16:22
And so I am not aware of based on my current data that there is any old payments.
2:16:27
However, the contract for this particular South Fourth Street site has not been registered.
2:16:32
So to Nuestros Ninos' point they have not been able to invoice us yet and as a result has not been able to get any payment.
Shekar Krishnan
2:16:40
I see, okay.
2:16:42
You two questions I have for you.
2:16:44
One is when was the last time Nuecesos Ninos was actually paid on their contract?
2:16:48
Do you know when that was?
Simone Hawkins
2:16:49
For this South Fourth Street site?
Shekar Krishnan
2:16:52
Yeah.
Simone Hawkins
2:16:52
And so I believe they were paid I can confirm in FY twenty four because the contract right now for FY twenty five.
2:16:59
And so let me confirm with my team, I believe the FY twenty four payment for Nuestros Ninos was for their June invoice and let me confirm when that was paid.
2:17:19
Councilmember, let me get back to you.
2:17:21
Ananda, if you don't mind, just wanna give you an exact date for that f y twenty four payment.
Shekar Krishnan
2:17:26
And what you said the contract hadn't been registered yet, what was the reason for the delay in registration?
Simone Hawkins
2:17:32
I don't have the specifics on the kind of the steps in the queue what caused the specific delay but it is a process unfortunately for the contract to go through the different levels of review.
2:17:44
And so I can get back to you on what potentially caused the delay.
2:17:47
It is also unfortunate that it took this long and so I acknowledge that.
Shekar Krishnan
2:17:51
So are sitting on the administration side and they're not able to collect, they're not able to invoice and get paid on their contract because it hasn't been registered but the registration is pending for a while because the contract is sitting because of the bureaucratic delays in the registration process.
Simone Hawkins
2:18:06
I'm not going to attribute them to any bureaucratic delays.
2:18:09
Again there are different components that require vendor input as well as the administration.
2:18:14
I don't want to say that it was them or us because I don't know, but it is a lengthy process in general.
2:18:19
And so again just trying to create some efficiencies that's an area that we can get look into.
2:18:24
I do want to say for June 2024 that invoice was submitted to us just December sixteenth of last year and it was paid on January 23.
Shekar Krishnan
2:18:35
Got it, okay.
2:18:35
Well I know you can't say it but I will say it.
2:18:37
Mean having come from a nonprofit organization before and leading one that the registration process is very arduous and bureaucratic and it results in massive delays for all kinds of non profits but I think even for early childhood education centers that creates major issues given services they're providing.
Simone Hawkins
2:18:54
We agree, we agree.
2:18:55
And I think the administration also recognizes that.
2:18:57
I believe they started a task force specifically for nonprofits to help expedite this process and so you would not have me disagree with that statement council member.
Shekar Krishnan
2:19:05
Thank you.
2:19:06
Thank you chair.