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Council Member Stevens' remarks on systemic issues in nonprofit contracting and payment
2:45:42
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166 sec
Council Member Stevens expresses deep frustration with the ongoing payment delays and systemic issues in nonprofit contracting. She emphasizes the critical role of nonprofits in providing essential services and the financial strain caused by late payments.
- Stevens highlights the recurring nature of the problem despite previous efforts to clear backlogs
- She criticizes the reliance on nonprofits to front money for city services
- The council member calls for concrete solutions rather than more task forces or announcements
Althea Stevens
2:45:42
But do we see how problematic it is that we're rolling into another summer and we have not paid for the services that was provided last summer.
2:45:49
And it's costly, right?
2:45:51
Like listen, I ran camp for fourteen years, like understanding that not having the proper resources for them to ramp up is problematic and this is just cash on hand.
2:46:00
So that's why even, you know, I think to me this is a glaring or a spotlight being put on a bigger problem in the system like this this is a problem.
2:46:09
We're literally rolling into the summer and continuously seeing delays and so you know, the city is consistently using you know nonprofits to front money for us and that's what it feels like at this point.
2:46:23
And so I think that like I know that and again I want to reiterate because I said this before, this is not because I don't think anyone on this panel isn't working or wants to pay out, but there's clearly issues in the system and, you know, we had a task force and was able to chip down at the backlog and did a really good job about it and then here we are worse off than we were a year ago, which speaks to the the the bigger issue of like, if we were able to do it before, why won't we be able to be consistent?
2:46:49
And so why do we have to be loud and be on the steps and rallying and press conferencing and me being a psycho and calling people and all the things for us to like make this an issue.
2:46:58
We should not be here again when we cleared out the backlog, like it just does not make sense.
2:47:03
So it's just very frustrating, and I know we have a ton of providers who've already signed up to testify, so I don't wanna keep hammering.
2:47:11
I actually do wanna hear from the providers and some of the things, and hopefully you guys will stay around to hear it firsthand because, know, they are struggling on trying to make ends meet, and at this point, we have nonprofits who are borrowing from Peter to pay Paul and and shuffling things around and having to raise a supplemental money and all these things when we're asking them to do work.
2:47:32
Because let's be clear, if these nonprofits today said you know what, we're not taking no more contracts and we're done, we're screwed.
2:47:40
And you know whose district is gonna be screwed?
2:47:42
Mine because we need these services.
2:47:45
I need my homeless providers.
2:47:46
I need my workforce development people.
2:47:48
I need my food pantries because that we're lacking it and so we have to see them as real partners and so as you guys are going through these things, maybe we should stop having briefings and stop having task force and having photo ops and taking pictures and actually have us all come to the table and come up with real concrete solutions because what we're doing is not working.
2:48:07
Clearly, the administration don't got the answer because if they did, we would not be back here.
2:48:12
We would not be back here after the task force gave clear instructions on how we can have a road map to to clear it out and then we're back in the same position.
2:48:20
So again, I am sick of the announcements.
2:48:22
Enough with the announcements.
2:48:23
Let's just do the work.
Julie Won
2:48:25
Okay.
2:48:26
Gail councilmember Gail Brewer has a follow-up question.