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Council Member Gennaro discusses rental payment system and its impact on DEP's budget
2:01:34
·
155 sec
Council Member James F. Gennaro discusses the rental payment system and its negative impact on DEP's budget, expressing his efforts to eliminate this system.
- Gennaro argues that the rental payment system is a significant problem for DEP's budget.
- He mentions working with state legislators to pass a bill that would eliminate the rental payment.
- Gennaro criticizes the current administration's approach of baselining the rental payment, which he argues will increasingly eat into DEP's capital budget.
- He emphasizes the need to end the rental payment system to free up more funds for water and sewer projects.
James F. Gennaro
2:01:34
Well, I I'm I'm just saying that, you know, to quote Robert De Niro, I hear things.
2:01:39
And and and but, you know, regarding the thirty year time horizon, you know, I I've had commission I I've had conversations with the commissioner and it all depends upon, you know, the speed at which we can it's it's it's it's all about money.
2:02:01
About, like, you know, we're gonna get as as as so so, you know, the more money, like like, the quicker it can happen and, you know, the more robust capacity that we can build, which gets me to my point about the rental payment.
2:02:16
And I I I I know that everyone in in DEP hates the rental payment and they cannot say that.
2:02:24
But what this administration has unfortunately done I don't think it's the mayor.
2:02:28
I think it's the budget director.
2:02:32
This is a problem, and so I'm working with state legislators to get a bill done that will just shut off the rental payment.
2:02:43
You know, there is a state bill that says that we the council should be coconspirators with the administration at setting what the rental payment level should be.
2:02:54
We don't want to be part of that.
2:02:57
You know?
2:02:57
So, you know, so like the administration wants to stick the knife in four inches and we pull it out two inches.
2:03:04
Totally.
2:03:04
And it's just like like that's a win.
2:03:07
It isn't.
2:03:08
And so, you know, the next mayor, whether it's this mayor again or somebody else, just won't have the rental payment as an option if I have my way.
2:03:17
I I'm
2:03:18
That is so so that's gonna be a key thing because because now do they not only put the rental payment in for for one year, which is what it always used to be when we're paying off the old pre 1985 debt.
2:03:31
They put the rental payment in and then they baseline it.
2:03:35
And so then the next year's rental payment, then like that gets baselined.
2:03:39
And so it just becomes it's gonna become the thing that just like eats up, like, you know, DEP's capital budget because a lot of our money is is going to things other than water and sewer.
2:03:53
And you can pretend to disagree with what I'm saying.
2:03:55
I know you all support the administration, but, I mean, you know, the rental payment time has has gotta go.
2:04:03
So thank you very much councilmember.
2:04:05
Appreciate that.
2:04:06
Let me get so now we're going to the lightning round.
Lincoln Restler
2:03:17
with you a %.