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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Layla Law-Gisiko, President of City Club of New York, on NYCHA Transparency Issues
3:50:39
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Layla Law-Gisiko, President of the City Club of New York and Democratic district leader for Chelsea, testified about transparency issues with NYCHA, particularly regarding the proposed demolition of Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea Houses. She highlighted difficulties in obtaining information from NYCHA and the lack of crucial documents related to the demolition proposal.
- Law-Gisiko submitted multiple FOIL requests for documents, receiving only one heavily redacted response.
- She urged the City Council to help access requested documents and support an investigation by the Independent Budget Office.
- The proposed project for Chelsea is estimated at $1.9 billion, and Law-Gisiko emphasized the need for transparency in how these funds will be spent.
Layla Law-Gisiko
3:50:39
Thank you so much.
3:50:39
Thank you for really a very very substantial hearing.
3:50:43
We really appreciate all the pointed questions that you have already asked.
3:50:47
My name is Leila Logizeco.
3:50:49
I am the president of the City Club of New York.
3:50:51
I am also the Democratic district leader representing Chelsea.
3:50:55
Today I will be testifying on my own behalf.
3:50:57
Chelsea has two very large NYCHA developments, Fulton and Alio Chelsea.
3:51:01
Both are undergoing federal environmental review, and both are slated for full demolition according to NYCHA.
3:51:08
In the course of engaging with this project, it has been incredibly difficult to get information from NYCHA.
3:51:14
As you've heard today, a number of documents related to this very controversial proposal are still not available to the public.
3:51:25
Among those, the obsolescence report, which is a document that is necessary to establish that the developments must be demolished, has yet to be provided by NYCHA.
3:51:37
I have submitted already three separate FOIL requests requesting a total of 10 separate documents.
3:51:44
I have only received one, and I received it yesterday.
3:51:47
It is heavily redacted and does not provide the financing information that we should be entitled to.
Chris Banks
3:51:55
Can you make sure that red the red button is on?
Layla Law-Gisiko
3:51:59
Is it on?
Chris Banks
3:52:00
Okay.
3:52:01
Now it's on.
Layla Law-Gisiko
3:52:01
Is better?
3:52:02
Not really yet.
3:52:03
Okay.
3:52:04
I will just go very quickly to add that we also have submitted a request to IBO, to the Independent Budget Office, asking them to do an investigation and an audit of this particular proposal.
3:52:17
We urge the city council to help get access to the documents requested through FOIL and also to support this request to IBO to get this information.
3:52:28
Transparency is lacking.
3:52:30
There is no trust without transparency.
3:52:33
The project for Chelsea is billed at $1,900,000,000.
3:52:39
We need to know how these monies are going to be spent.
3:52:42
Thank you.