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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Trenton Price, Executive Director of Salvadori Center, on Delayed Contracts and Payments
4:28:09
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129 sec
Trenton Price, Executive Director of Salvadori Center, testifies about the significant impact of delayed contracts and payments on their organization's ability to provide STEAM education services across New York City. He highlights the financial strain caused by outstanding contracts and the unsustainability of the current system for nonprofits.
- Salvadori Center is owed over $700,000 for work already performed, causing them to dip into reserves
- Price supports Intros 1247, 1248, and 1249 to address contracting and payment issues
- He suggests adopting a payment model similar to the Department of Cultural Affairs, with 80% paid out early in the fiscal year
Trenton Price
4:28:09
Thank you Chair Juan, Chair Stevens, and members of the Committee on Contracts and Children and Youth.
4:28:17
My name is Trenton Price.
4:28:18
I'm the executive director of the Salvadori Center.
4:28:21
At Salvadori, we provide STEAM education services, that's STEM plus the A for arts, and in our case architecture, to schools, after school sites, and NYCHA community centers across the five boroughs focusing on the built environment.
4:28:34
Last year for context, we served over 12,000 students.
4:28:37
We are grateful to have the support of the council through multiple CASA and digital inclusion and literacy grants, as well as this after school enrichment and speakers initiative at numerous NYCHA after school sites.
4:28:48
At Salvadori we have seen firsthand the impact of delayed contracts and payments on our ability to operate.
4:28:55
Our FY twenty four contract for example with DYCD has been delayed for the last year.
4:29:01
It has forced us to dip into our reserve.
4:29:04
We are a small but mighty organization with an annual budget of $2,600,000 I know that pales in comparison to some of my fellow panelists, but it makes a big difference.
4:29:13
Hundreds of thousands of dollars in outstanding contracts makes a huge difference in our ability to operate and provide the much needed services that we provide.
4:29:21
Moreover, this delay in FY24 contracting and payments has then meant that we cannot start our FY25 contract for which even more work is happening currently.
4:29:31
This amounts to Salvadori fronting over $700,000 of work to the City Of New York and the young people we serve with a fingers crossed hopes that we will be paid sometime.
4:29:42
This is not sustainable for Salvadori, for the nonprofit sector, and for the much needed services we provide to young people.
4:29:50
To support the need for quicker contracting processes and payments to nonprofits, there needs to be an investment in the personnel needed to do the work at DYCD and at city agencies in general.
4:30:01
Second, the model that the Department of Cultural Affairs uses is something to consider.
4:30:05
80% of the contract paid out in the spring of that fiscal year with the remaining 20% upon completion that summer.
4:30:11
We support twelve forty seven, twelve forty eight, and twelve forty nine.
4:30:15
Thank you again for facilitating this really important hearing.