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Council member criticizes slow progress and calls for systemic changes

1:07:22

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77 sec

Council Member Stevens expresses frustration with the slow pace of improvements in the contracting system, emphasizing the unfairness of delayed payments to service providers. She calls for more substantial reforms and accountability across city agencies.

Stevens stresses that service providers should be paid promptly for their work, noting that the current delays are unacceptable.
She compares NYC's payment processes unfavorably to those of other government entities, such as federal or state agencies.
The council member suggests that successful practices from agencies like ACS, which process payments more quickly, should be used as a model for other agencies.

Althea V. Stevens

1:07:22

Yeah.

1:07:23

No.

1:07:23

I mean, it's it seems like it's a very slow drip, but the reality is it shouldn't be.

1:07:27

Right?

1:07:27

Like, if people are doing a service, they should get paid for it.

1:07:30

And, like, it's just really just that simple and then you know especially when they're at other entities they see like you know when they get money from other government entities that are not the state whether it's federal or state, they're not it's not taking as long for them to get the money and get access to the money because it shouldn't take two or three years.

1:07:48

And again, like I said, I am very aware that you're doing everything in your power to get this stuff done, but clearly it is not your office.

1:07:56

There's clearly other things that we need to be looking at to reform because honestly this cannot continue to happen and it's really just not fair.

1:08:05

And you know, I know a big responsibility of this work is yours, but there's other people like my council member colleague was just saying that we should be holding accountable because we know that we have some agencies where they'll get the money out faster like you know, one of my agencies, ACS, I hear all the time that they're much easier to get their things paid for and get the money out than others.

1:08:29

And so if some agencies can do it, then it would be it's then reflective of like why why are we not using that as a model for the other ones.

1:08:37

But we'll continue to talk and thank you.

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Request for data on improvements in discretionary contract processing

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