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Q&A
Debate on transparency and resident access to PACT transaction documents
2:49:10
ยท
145 sec
Council Member Chris Banks engages in a heated debate with NYCHA officials over the lack of transparency in PACT transactions and the impact on residents. Banks argues that residents should have access to final deal documents, while NYCHA defends its policy of withholding specific transaction details.
- Banks expresses frustration that residents are 'left in the dark' about final agreements
- NYCHA officials insist they are transparent, citing resident engagement in developing scopes of work
- Banks argues that templates don't show the details of what is being negotiated
- NYCHA maintains that releasing specific deal documents could jeopardize future negotiations
- The debate highlights the tension between NYCHA's desire to preserve negotiating power and residents' right to information
Chris Banks
2:49:10
So this is not for this is okay.
2:49:12
And this is this is the frustration.
2:49:15
This is not what happened to the engagement, the community engagement, the resident engagement.
2:49:20
This is information that the residents should should be privy should be privy to.
2:49:27
Let me ask you this then.
2:49:28
Can you point to an example where making a prior transaction or prior transaction documents public have jeopardized the contract with a PAC partner?
Jonathan Gouveia
2:49:40
I mean it's just standard practice, not just with NYCHA.
2:49:42
I think many agencies and entities would not release their information so that they could do, again, preserve their ability to do better negotiations in the future.
Chris Banks
2:49:53
So you're saying by releasing this document it would jeopardize future agreements?
Jonathan Gouveia
2:50:00
Yes.
2:50:01
We want to again preserve our ability to negotiate the best deals.
Chris Banks
2:50:04
So you're saying not being transparent to the residents who ultimately will whatever this agreement that is done now in secret, that that the residents are basically left in the dark.
2:50:22
The night shift
Jonathan Gouveia
2:50:22
I didn't say we did anything in secret or that we weren't transparent.
2:50:25
Again, we do a lot to be transparent.
2:50:27
We share
Chris Banks
2:50:27
the We share
Jonathan Gouveia
2:50:29
the scope.
2:50:30
We develop the scopes of work with the residents.
2:50:32
They are very much aware of the scopes of work.
2:50:34
They know the overall value of the projects.
2:50:38
Right?
2:50:38
And as was mentioned earlier, we also produce these community plans so that they can for folks who may not have been in part of the engagement process, they will see exactly the kind of renovations they're getting.
2:50:47
So they they have ample insight into what the renovations are going to be.
Chris Banks
2:50:54
Well, do you believe that allowing residents to access those transition documents would allow them to make a more fully informed decision about whether to vote for pack conversion or any or any at their development?
Jonathan Gouveia
2:51:11
Again, the template documents are online.
2:51:14
The basic framework of these deals is online, and anyone can look at them at any time.
Chris Banks
2:51:18
We're not talking about a template.
2:51:19
A template doesn't show the details as to what is being negotiated.
2:51:24
We're talking about after NYCHA negotiates, why isn't this information made public to the residents?
Jonathan Gouveia
2:51:30
As I I've explained, we want to preserve our ability to negotiate in the future.