Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
Q&A
Discussion on nonprofit payment accountability and the complexities of timely payments
0:35:00
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169 sec
Executive Director Alec Schierenbeck confirms that proposed procurement reforms include transparency measures, while Chair Richard R. Buery Jr. stresses the importance of accountability tools for management.
Commissioner Diane Savino elaborates on the systemic challenges nonprofits face in securing timely payments, including their own capacity issues and complex city requirements.
- Alec Schierenbeck notes that reforms aim for transparency on late payments while maintaining vendor integrity.
- Chair Buery highlights that accountability aids managers and elected officials, given the charter's limitations in directly solving all payment issues.
- Commissioner Savino points out that many small nonprofits struggle with the capacity to navigate complex city contracting processes.
- Savino emphasizes that if the city contracts with an entity, there should be a reasonable expectation of payment within the fiscal year.
Alec Schierenbeck
0:35:00
One aspect of the procurement reforms that's being contemplated is requiring new transparency and disclosure around late payment and performance, which can help, shed light on persistent problems in procurement and registration.
0:35:18
At the same time, all changes need to take into account the very serious need to ensure vendor integrity and vendor performance.
0:35:28
And I think we'd all have, I I think, no change in mind that would weaken the city's ability to ensure the tax payer dollars are being spent responsibly.
Richard R. Buery Jr.
0:35:42
And just one note on that too.
0:35:44
I I think I think it's particularly important because I think there are limits to the charter's ability to Mhmm.
0:35:51
Some of that is a question of just effective management and process.
0:35:54
I think every administration has made efforts, including this one, to do better.
0:35:59
And I and I do wanna give appreciation to the mayor's office of contract services, but also the mayor's office of nonprofits, which I think have done really good work recently.
0:36:10
But I do think accountability is very important because it's also a tool for managers and elected officials Mhmm.
0:36:15
To drive attention to the work.
0:36:18
So I agree, and I think very important here given the the just sort of the limitation, I think, to what the charter can actually do to solve the problem.
Diane Savino
0:36:26
Right.
0:36:26
I was actually gonna say a similar thing on that because, quite honestly, we could put into the Charter that there's a requirement that we have to pay within a certain timeframe.
0:36:36
But that doesn't take into consideration the processes by which we have to do vendor integrity, that we have to check the systems that are put in place.
0:36:43
Most of the challenges that nonprofits face first is the fact that we've transferred so much of the responsibility of government to the nonprofit sector.
0:36:51
And we rely so much on small nonprofits because as a matter of policy, we want to encourage that type of community based organizations who know the community that they're serving with whatever they happen to do.
0:37:03
But many of them don't have capacity themselves, and they have a difficult time with capacity building, which hinders their ability to comply with the very complicated requirements of either applying for an RFP or a contract and then drawing down the funding.
0:37:16
I mean, I can just say in my years in the senate, I had numerous organizations who would come to me and say, we wanna do this, but we don't have the staff to do it, and can you give us the money anyway?
0:37:26
Well, obviously, doesn't work that way.
0:37:27
So we may not be able to totally solve this problem, but certainly as a statement of purpose, yes.
0:37:33
If we give a contract to an entity, there should be a reasonable expectation that they're going to get paid at least in this fiscal year.
0:37:39
Right?
0:37:40
And I'm not sure how we write that the charter.
0:37:43
But on on back on the housing thing, I mean, I think we're in a in an interesting place.