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Q&A
Council Member Brewer and Comptroller Lander discuss nonprofit payment structure and contract transparency
4:23:25
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Council Member Gale Brewer inquires about suggestions for improving the payment structure for nonprofits. Comptroller Brad Lander responds by discussing the need for greater transparency in contract processing times and the implementation of a "contract stat" system.
- Lander emphasizes the importance of a dashboard showing processing times for different agencies
- He mentions an agreement to have this system online two years ago, which has not been fulfilled
- Lander also notes new problems with invoice processing and payments after contract registration
Gale Brewer
4:23:25
As you indicated, we're all trying to figure out about the, payment structure.
4:23:29
Do you have some suggestion for the nonprofit community?
4:23:31
Obviously, you're doing your part.
4:23:33
I do think the head of Rachs is trying.
4:23:37
But it does seem to me, even in conversations yesterday, still that, you know, the t has to be crossed, I has to be dotted, and, you know, that's sometimes just just that.
4:23:48
Yeah.
4:23:48
So I'm just wondering if you have any suggestions.
Brad Lander
4:23:50
Well, the first thing we've long wanted to see is what we call contract stat.
4:23:55
The administration has Passport, and Passport has some pluses and minuses, but it is an automated a computer system that didn't exist previously, and they still have yet to provide the data on each contracting and oversight agency and how long they take to perform their functions in a sort of dashboard like way.
4:24:18
Here's how long the average contract takes from RFP to issuance at DYCD versus DHS versus all the other agencies and break it down by contract agency and oversight.
4:24:31
That, you know, was an agreement that I had with the administration when we did our task force in the very opening months of the term.
4:24:39
Was supposed to be online by two years ago, it still is not online.
4:24:44
So that's step one, be transparent because you can't figure out really where the bottlenecks are and which agencies are the most problematic without the data.
4:24:52
And I honestly don't know whether Passport isn't producing it or whether the administration has it and just won't provide it to the rest of us.
4:25:02
But that that really is step one.
4:25:04
And then, I guess, other thing I'll say here is there didn't used to be a problem after registration with invoices and payments, but there is now.
4:25:14
And invoices are supposed to also wind up in passports, so we would be able to see this as well.
Gale Brewer
4:25:20
Thank you.
4:25:21
That's very helpful.
4:25:22
Thank you.