NYC NOW - November 21, 2024: Evening Roundup

Episode Date: November 21, 2024

A report claims the New York City Housing Authority has done little to monitor repairs and maintenance at its complexes. Plus, a Brooklyn concrete magnate is hoping to stop a Florida country from turning an ocean liner into a huge artificial reef in the Gulf of Mexico. And finally, WNYC’s Sean Carlson talks with Justin Brannan, chair of the New York City Council’s finance committee, about the New York City budget.

Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. I'm Jenae Pierre. A new report shows the New York City Housing Authority has done little to monitor repairs and maintenance at its complexes, and residents are largely unsatisfied with the work done. The audit by the city's Comptroller's Office follows the indictment of 70 NYCHA employees in February. They were charged with taking money in exchange for awarding small contracts to vendors. The report also finds that work orders for some smaller projects had no documentation indicating what was done or whether the work was performed at all. A spokesperson for Nijez says while the agency disagrees with some of the findings, they've been working on the recommended changes.

A county in Florida is paying millions to turn an ocean liner into a huge artificial reef in the Gulf of Mexico. Officials there want to make it a tourist attraction, but a Brooklyn concrete magnet is hoping to stop them and bring the shipping. here instead. Here's WMYC's Liam Quigley. Dan McSweeney is working with a group that has big dreams for the SS United States, which is in disrepair and has been stationed in Philadelphia for decades. They want to save it, dock it on the Red Hook waterfront, and convert it into a commercial space. We think there's a better outcome, and so we're willing to work with all the stakeholders to see if we can figure this out and solve a bunch of problems at once. But officials in Florida's Okalusa County say

the boat is theirs and that they're not changing their plan for its destruction. New York City Mayor Eric Adams is making some adjustments to the city's budget. More on that after the break. Mayor Eric Adams is out with an adjustment to the New York City budget. It includes the restoration of an NYPD class that had been squeezed out in the previous version. But some leaders in the New York City Council say that the budget additions don't go far enough. My colleague Sean Carlson talked with Justin Brannan. He's the chair of the City Council's Finance Committee and also represents parts of Southwest Brooklyn.

Can we talk about how this happens every November? Explain what normally happens with this annual budget update. Sure. So it's usually just a technical sort of budget adjustment. It usually doesn't get as much attention as the November budget mods have gotten in recent years. But with everything under a magnifying glass now, and I think this overall, you know, threat of the city going bankrupt due to the migrant apocalypse that never actually came. You know, I think rightfully so that people should be paying more attention to it.

This is not just a sleepy technical budget modification. There is new money here. And I think the headline here is really what the city council has been saying all along, which is that New York City is not broke. The migrants did not bankrupt the city. and these drastic cuts that we've seen were never necessary in the first place. So, okay, let's talk about that. What did the mayor restore and what are your thoughts about it?

The top line, I think, has been the, it's about $140 million to restore two NYPD Police Academy classes, two cadet classes. We said all along that it was never necessary those classes in the first place. I remember running for re-election last year and token of voters. and everyone seemed to think that we were firing police officers because of the migrants. And that was never true in the first place. And I think we were vindicated by that fact. We've been saying all along New York City's economy has proven durable and resilient. And we continue to see, against all odds, a positive financial outlook and growth.

And we believe working people are the backbone of our city. And the strength of our city will be determined by how we invest in working people in their communities. And I think, you know, especially in light of the recent presidential election, big, bold municipal governments like ours are going to be on the front lines. And I think now is a time for us to double down on our social safety net with, you know, support for our public hospitals and public housing and health initiatives. And frankly, our parks. Our parks are on fire right now, literally.

And this budget modification is completely silent on money for our parks. So this is something we're going to look at as we, you know, We're going to roll into the holidays and the next thing you know, it's time to get into next year's budget process. But there's a lot here that is missing. You know, restoring the cop classes is great. A lot of my colleagues would love to see more cops on the street. But cutting these classes was never needed in the first place. So it's really puzzling that we're still hearing this sort of austerity drumbeat when every indicator is showing the opposite.

So you mentioned parks being a place where you think maybe this plan falls short. Talk more about what you want to see that you don't see here. There's been so many pegs, programs to eliminate the gap, that you also still have a hiring freeze where the Parks Department is not being approved for staffing lines. So the budget cuts that we've seen have resulted in the loss of nearly 800 staffing lines and canceled many essential parks programs, which is. this only compounded decades of chronic and cavalier underfunding from this administration and prior administrations. So the Parks Department right now is down about $62 million. And what does that mean?

That means about 750 staffers. It's 500 parks workers and then 250 pep officers. And that would just make them whole, right? They're owed that money from cuts. And this budget mod, you know, there's tons of there for cops, but there seems to be money for little else. And it just doesn't add up. It doesn't add up. Does the council have any recourse at this stage? And are you and other members planning on doing anything? Well, I think we're going to take a really close look at it. I mean, obviously, we have to approve of the budget modification. You know, as a co-equal branch of government, we have to pass the budget the same way we pass the annual adopted budget in June. So we're going to take a very close look at it. But it leaves much to be desired to say

the least. And look, the council has been consistent in our call for more funding to strengthen our city's mental health infrastructure. I think there is, there are some, you know, good things in this budget for the Department of Education. There's money there to support operations at Bellevue Hospital. There's money that there's baseline money there for child care costs. There's money for city FEP. So there is some good stuff in here, but there's a lot missing that we felt we would see in this mod. And we're going to have to take a close look at that. Before we let you go, we want to ask you about some other things in the news. There's a big vote in the city council for the mayor's city of VS housing plan.

A big part of that plan consists of upzoning. It would allow more housing to be built. It eliminates off-street parking requirements for new residential construction. And your home turf of Bay Ridge is what New York City residents might consider a low-rise neighborhood. Street parking there, not all that easy. Where do you stand on the plan? I'm open to the plan. I think we're still negotiating.

It's coming down to the wire here. think, look, I think my colleagues and I certainly understand we have a very simple supply and demand problem in this city. Thankfully, people want to live in New York City. They want to raise a family here, but it's too damn expensive. And part of that reason is because there's not enough places for people to live. We understand what the assignment is. I just think that there is a sensitivity around a one-size-fits-all approach. New York City is ultimately a city of neighborhoods and what might work for one neighborhood might not work for another. But certainly we do understand it's important that all neighborhoods share the responsibility of building more housing. And I think we'll land in a good place.

What about the new police commissioner? Talk about your relationship with Jessica Tish and what you think about the announcement today and what she'll do with the police department. I think it's an interesting pick. I think it's a unique pick. I think Jesse's great. She's super responsive, very creative, you know, very much someone who, wakes up thinking outside the box, which I appreciate, you know, just because something has been done one way for a hundred years doesn't mean that that's the best or most efficient way to do it. And she's worked for over a dozen years inside the police department. I think she's incorruptible, which I think is very important for this moment in time in the city. And I think it's an

interesting pick. You know, I think for, you know, agencies like the police department, the fire department, Department of Sanitation. You know, typically they promote someone from the inside, you know, someone who started out low level and rose up through the ranks. But I think Jesse has proven herself to be a dynamic leader and someone who, again, thinks outside the box. And I think it'll be interesting to see. It's a very unique pick. And I wish her the best. And I look forward to working with her.

That's Justin Brannon, chair of the New York City Council's Finance Committee, talking with my colleague, Sean Cawson. Thanks for listening to NYC Now from WNYC. Catch us every weekday, three times a day. I'm Jenae Pierre. We'll be back tomorrow.