[0:01] For you can everybody settle
[0:01] down and find a seat everybody
[0:02] a seat good morning and
[0:34] welcome to new york city york
[0:35] city council of the committee
[0:37] on finance at this time can
[0:38] everybody please silence your
[0:39] cell phones and no one is t
[0:41] oapproach the dais chair we are
[0:42] ready to begin thank you
[0:46] sergeant okay good morning
[0:48] good afternoon everybody
[0:49] welcome to today's meeting of
[0:50] the committee on finance I'm
[0:51] councilmember brannon I have
[0:52] the honor of serving as chair
[0:54] of this committee before we
[0:55] begin I want to note today's
[0:58] meeting marks my final time
[1:00] chairing the finance committee
[1:02] over the past four years it
[1:04] has been a privilege to help
[1:06] lead this committee through
[1:07] some of the most consequential
[1:09] and challenging budget years
[1:10] in our cities history from
[1:13] navigating the uncertainty of
[1:15] the pandemic recovery t
[1:16] ofighting to protect essential
[1:18] services to insisting on
[1:19] transparency and fairness and
[1:21] how the city raises and spends
[1:23] our public dollars this
[1:25] committee has done serious
[1:27] meaningful work on behalf of
[1:28] all new yorkers and none of
[1:30] that happens without an
[1:32] extraordinary team so I want
[1:33] to take a second to thank the
[1:36] mighty finance committee the
[1:37] council central staff our
[1:39] speaker our agency partners
[1:42] for their professionalism and
[1:43] expertise and tireless
[1:44] commitment over these past
[1:46] four years of course want t
[1:48] othank my colleagues on this
[1:49] committee for their
[1:51] collaboration their rigor
[1:51] their shared belief that
[1:52] budgets are not just
[1:54] spreadsheets but moral
[1:55] documents that reflect our
[1:56] values and our priorities as a
[1:59] city we have a full and
[2:00] important agenda today with
[2:02] legislation that goes directly
[2:04] to the core of what new york
[2:06] er's expect from their
[2:08] government fairness
[2:09] accountability and investment
[2:10] in strong livable
[2:11] neighborhoods today's item
[2:12] address how we manage vacant
[2:14] and distressed properties how
[2:16] we use and oversee the city's
[2:18] tax lien tools and how he
[2:21] strengthen transparency so
[2:21] communities are not left in
[2:23] the dark and how we support
[2:26] affordable housing small
[2:27] businesses and local economic
[2:28] growth across our city among
[2:29] the bills before us today our
[2:32] legislation to lay the
[2:33] groundwork for a new york city
[2:34] land bank giving the city
[2:37] better tools to take neglected
[2:39] and tax delinquent properties
[2:40] and put them back t
[2:41] oproductive use for the public
[2:43] good we're also voting on a
[2:44] package of tax lien reforms
[2:45] that respond directly to the
[2:46] work of the council's
[2:50] temporary task force tax lien
[2:51] task force which measures and
[2:53] priorities that prioritize
[2:55] notice oversight and
[2:56] accountability especially for
[2:58] homeowners and condo residents
[2:58] who deserve clarity and
[2:59] fairness when leans are sold
[3:01] and we're also considering
[3:03] legislation that supports
[3:04] transparency in the budget
[3:06] process itself ensuring
[3:08] deadlines reflect the
[3:08] realities of mayoral election
[3:10] years while preserving the
[3:11] council ability to do our job
[3:12] thoroughly and responsibly and
[3:15] finally we're advancing
[3:16] investments that help keep new
[3:17] york er's right where they
[3:18] live approving affordable
[3:20] housing tax exemptions that
[3:21] will create and preserve homes
[3:23] and communities across the
[3:24] city modifying the budgets t
[3:26] oresponsibly reflect new
[3:27] revenues and establishing the
[3:29] coney island business
[3:30] oand stronger small businesses
[3:34] and one of new york city's
[3:35] most iconic neighborhoods
[3:38] taken together today's agenda
[3:39] reflects the work that this
[3:40] committee has focused on over
[3:41] the past four years protecting
[3:45] taxpayers strengthening
[3:46] neighborhoods and making sure
[3:47] city policy works for the
[3:48] people it's supposed to serve
[3:50] so with that we'll proceed
[3:52] with today's agenda today the
[3:53] committee will vote on the
[3:55] following items propose intro
[3:56] number 5 70 be sponsored by
[4:00] councilmember brewer it would
[4:01] subject to the approval of the
[4:02] new york state urban
[4:05] development corporation t
[4:05] oestablish a land bank for new
[4:06] york city with powers under
[4:08] state law relating to the
[4:10] acquisition warehousing and
[4:11] transfer of real property t
[4:13] oimprove local management of
[4:15] vacant abandoned tax
[4:16] delinquent and tax foreclosed
[4:19] properties I want to invite
[4:21] council member for remarks on
[4:22] her bill.
[4:22] >>thank you very much and
[4:24] cheer brennan you have done a
[4:26] great job even when you're on
[4:27] social media you know what the
[4:28] hell is going on.
[4:29] >>and it's impressive it's
[4:31] very impressive and thank you
[4:33] for your leadership and all
[4:34] things finance which is the
[4:36] heart and soul of the city
[4:38] council.
[4:39] >>so intro 570 would establish
[4:40] as you heard the new york city
[4:43] land bank to help our city
[4:45] address and ameliorate the
[4:46] problems related to vacant
[4:48] abandoned and taxed delinquent
[4:50] properties land banks which
[4:51] exist in other parts of the
[4:52] state and the country are
[4:54] empowered to purchase tax
[4:56] lanes and to enforce them.
[4:57] >>unlike the current tax lien
[5:00] system where properties go t
[5:00] othe highest bidder regardless
[5:03] of intended use this bill
[5:04] would establish a hierarchical
[5:05] ranking of priorities for the
[5:07] use of real property upon
[5:09] disposal by the land bank one
[5:11] it would be a use that would
[5:13] result in the creation or
[5:15] preservation of affordable
[5:17] housing.
[5:17] >>to a youth related t
[5:19] oindustrial manufacturing or
[5:21] maritime three as a fresh food
[5:24] store for as a public space or
[5:26] place and five is a wildlife
[5:28] conservation area I know that
[5:31] this administration
[5:32] particularly my friend
[5:33] commissioner of finance is
[5:34] concerned that they will lose
[5:36] revenue but to be clear the
[5:38] prompt resolution of unpaid
[5:40] city taxes and timely
[5:41] collection of city taxes
[5:43] remains essential and I feel
[5:45] strongly that this bill does
[5:48] not slack on collecting city
[5:50] taxes that are old most
[5:52] importantly is to thank the
[5:57] absolutely amazing
[5:58] .>>and nick connell hundreds of
[6:00] hours on this bill and got it
[6:03] right and I can totally
[6:06] .>>collaborated with the and usm
[6:09] goldsmith from my office.
[6:11] >>and also council member
[6:11] sandy nurse who helped all of
[6:13] these bills get through thank
[6:14] you very much
[6:14] .>>thank you council member
[6:16] just to note we've been joined
[6:18] by council members brewer
[6:20] obviously lewis carr powers
[6:22] william stevens deputy speaker
[6:25] ayala hudson jose juan salam
[6:27] sanchez majority leader fahri
[6:28] ous and majority whip brooks
[6:31] powers I'm going to read
[6:32] through the rest of these
[6:33] bills and then members if they
[6:35] want to make statements they
[6:37] can do so after because we've
[6:38] got a bunch of stuff here a
[6:40] proposed intro 14 7 a
[6:42] sponsored by speaker adams
[6:43] would amend section elevent
[6:47] h11 2 3 20 of the
[6:47] administrative code
[6:48] authorizing the commissioner
[6:49] of finance to sell tax leans
[6:51] in their discretion through
[6:55] december 31 2028 intro 14 11
[6:56] also sponsored by council
[6:59] member would implement a
[7:00] recommendation of the
[7:01] temporary task force on tax
[7:03] leans to require the
[7:04] commissioner of finance t
[7:05] onotify the board of managers
[7:07] of a condo if the commissioner
[7:09] intends to sell a tax lien
[7:11] that encumber h's a unit
[7:12] within the condo intro 14 19 a
[7:16] sponsored by council member
[7:18] nurse would implement
[7:19] recommendations of the
[7:20] temporary task force on tax
[7:22] lanes to require the
[7:23] commissioner of finance t
[7:24] osubmit to the council and post
[7:25] online an annual report on
[7:28] properties encumbered by tax
[7:30] lanes that remain unsatisfied
[7:31] for 36 months or more after
[7:33] being sold including weather
[7:36] inspections by resulted in
[7:38] violations intro 14 20 a also
[7:41] sponsored by council member
[7:42] nurse would require the
[7:43] commissioner of finance to
[7:45] require a purchasers of tax
[7:46] liens to make best efforts to
[7:49] transfer such lanes to a city
[7:50] land bank if established upon
[7:52] certain triggering events
[7:55] intro 14 20 27 sponsored by me
[7:57] would establish the coney
[7:58] island business improvement
[8:01] district ah a bill sponsored
[8:02] as well by me would
[8:05] permanently extend the
[8:06] deadline for submission of the
[8:08] pmr in years following the
[8:10] election of a mayor ah
[8:11] consistent with the adoption
[8:12] of the ballot proposal of the
[8:14] mayor's 20 24 charter revision
[8:17] commission which extends the
[8:18] deadline for submission of
[8:19] their preliminary budget in
[8:20] those years the bill would
[8:21] also extend other preliminary
[8:24] budget deadlines pertaining t
[8:25] othe preparation of the 2
[8:28] 7budget a pre considered
[8:30] resolution pre considered yeah y
[8:32] resolution approving new
[8:34] designations and changes in
[8:35] designations of certain
[8:37] organizations set to receive
[8:39] funding in the expense budget
[8:43] for 26 a resolution sponsored
[8:44] by me to approve a
[8:46] modification of the city's
[8:47] budget pursuant to charter
[8:48] section 107 e approving a new
[8:52] request received from the
[8:53] director of to appropriate new
[8:56] city revenues and 26 in the
[8:58] amount of $512.1 million and
[9:04] finally eight preconceived
[9:04] erred resolutions all
[9:05] sponsored by me approving real
[9:07] property tax exemptions under
[9:08] article 11 and article five o
[9:11] fthe private housing finance
[9:12] law for the private following
[9:13] projects projects addresses 20
[9:16] 29 23 street and council
[9:17] member of villas district the
[9:19] tyson apartments and
[9:20] councilmember cars district
[9:26] thousand 16 990702700 an
[9:27] dunion street and council
[9:28] member hudson's district
[9:31] longfellow and cluster phase
[9:33] two and council member
[9:34] salamanca's district
[9:35] settlement cluster three and
[9:37] council member stevens and
[9:40] salamanca's district and
[9:40] finally malcolm x to phase b
[9:44] and council member salam's
[9:45] district before we proceed
[9:46] with with statements from my
[9:47] colleagues I just want to make
[9:49] a brief statement in support
[9:50] of intro 427 which would
[9:53] establish the coney island
[9:54] business improvement district
[9:55] coney island is home to more
[9:57] than 350 businesses and
[10:00] roughly 50000 residents it
[10:02] welcomes millions of visitors
[10:03] every year it's a place known
[10:04] around the world but it's also
[10:06] a real neighborhood with
[10:08] workers families and small
[10:09] business owners who are there
[10:11] year round not just in the
[10:12] summer when the weather is
[10:14] nice for a long time local
[10:15] merchants community leaders
[10:17] and institutions have been
[10:17] asking for a tool that helps
[10:20] match coney island's global
[10:23] reputation with everyday
[10:23] investment in the basics
[10:25] cleaner streets coordinated
[10:26] public safety stronger support
[10:28] for our small businesses and
[10:30] smarter year round marketing
[10:31] creates a locally governed
[10:37] framework with dedicated
[10:38] sustainable funding to support
[10:40] enhanced sanitation and
[10:43] beautification campaigns small
[10:44] business services and a place
[10:46] based economic development so
[10:47] that coney island looks and
[10:49] feels cared for every day of
[10:50] the year this effort builds on
[10:52] more then a decade of
[10:54] collaboration led by the
[10:55] alliance for kony island and
[10:57] reflects broad support from
[11:00] small businesses cultural
[11:01] institutions and community
[11:02] stakeholders across the board
[11:03] I want to thank all of them
[11:04] for their persistence and
[11:05] partnership and getting us t
[11:06] othis point and I'm very proud
[11:08] to be here to get this done
[11:10] coney island is the people's
[11:12] playground the bid is about
[11:13] pride stability and making
[11:14] sure this iconic neighborhood
[11:15] continues to thrive for
[11:17] residents workers and visitors
[11:19] alike for generations to come
[11:20] I now want to ask is there are
[11:21] any of my colleagues who have
[11:24] statements regarding any of
[11:25] their bills before we hear
[11:28] testimony no okay well now
[11:29] hear testimony from the
[11:30] department of small business
[11:32] services on the coney island
[11:33] bid intro 14 27 we're joined
[11:36] by deputy commissioner calvin
[11:37] brown I'm now going to turn it
[11:39] over to my committee counsel
[11:41] brian sarfu to swear in
[11:43] commissioner brown good
[11:45] afternoon commissioner do you
[11:47] .>>swear to tell the truth
[11:49] among.
[11:50] >>do you swear to tell the
[11:51] tell nothing but the truth
[11:52] before this committee of
[11:54] council members I do you begin e
[11:58] finance committee I'm calvin t y
[12:01] commissioner for neighborhood
[12:02] development at the department
[12:03] of small business services I'm
[12:04] joined by my colleague leslie
[12:07] velasquez the director of bid
[12:08] development and legislation
[12:09] today we would like to report
[12:11] on the results of the
[12:12] objection file with the city
[12:14] clerk against I mean against
[12:15] the establishment of the
[12:16] proposed coney island business
[12:18] improvement district as
[12:19] required by lore the coney
[12:21] island steering committee
[12:21] mailed the survey summary of
[12:24] the city council resolution to
[12:26] the following parties to each
[12:27] owner of real property within
[12:29] the proposed district at the
[12:31] address shown on the latest
[12:32] city assessment role to such
[12:34] other persons as our
[12:36] registered to the city t
[12:39] oreceive tax bills concerning
[12:40] the real property within the
[12:41] district and to tenants of
[12:43] each building within the
[12:45] proposed district furthermore
[12:46] the coney island bid staring
[12:48] committee arranged for the
[12:49] publication of a copy of the
[12:50] summary of the resolution at
[12:52] least once in local newspapers
[12:55] at the conclusion of the
[12:57] objection period at five p m
[12:58] on december 12 2025 and taken
[13:02] into consideration any
[13:03] objections postmarked by that
[13:05] date we're happy to report
[13:06] that there were no objections
[13:08] that were filed with the city
[13:10] clerk for properties within
[13:12] the district the department of
[13:14] small business services
[13:15] supports the establishment of
[13:16] the proposed coney island bed
[13:19] and hope you vote to approve
[13:20] it today at this time take any
[13:21] questions thank you okay well
[13:27] now here testimony from any
[13:29] other registered witnesses who
[13:30] wish to testify on any of
[13:35] today's legislation okay
[13:40] seeing none we will now ask
[13:42] billy martin there you are the
[13:44] committee clerk to call the
[13:46] roll
[13:46] .>>thank you good afternoon
[13:47] mister chair it's been an
[13:48] honor thank you for your kind
[13:49] of for the past few years here
[13:52] we go william martin committee
[13:55] clerk roll call vote committee
[13:56] on finance all items are
[14:00] coupled chair brennan farias.
[14:06] >>ayala I okay we'll come back s
[14:19] chair years here in council in
[14:21] the floor as the chair of the
[14:22] finance committee and all your
[14:26] river thank you louis
[14:28] .>>just want to congratulate
[14:31] iron oreennan
[14:46] .>>brewer
[14:47] .>>I won't I and I just want t
[14:49] osay that emory out of is a
[14:50] rock
[14:51] .>>star thank you hanks hudson
[14:59] um imara is a rock star and is
[15:03] also my constituent and
[15:07] congratulations to chair
[15:08] brennan for an amazing fou
[15:11] ryears running this.
[15:11] >>committee and I and all o
[15:14] hsay we have had so much fun on
[15:17] this committee over the past
[15:20] four years and I want to thank
[15:22] chair brennan for being the
[15:23] leader of that fund I vote aye s
[15:35] powers I will I on all and
[15:37] just want to also thank
[15:39] council member brandon an
[15:42] amazing four years of
[15:43] excitement on the committee on
[15:53] finance sanchez I vote aye on
[15:54] all and I am going to miss my
[15:56] big brother next to us at the
[15:58] dais but I know that you're
[15:59] going to continue to do
[16:00] incredible things for our city I
[16:08] on all and I'm honored that I
[16:09] was able to have a rock star
[16:12] rock the finance committee for
[16:13] the last four years and we're
[16:15] going to miss you you williams
[16:24] finished here as I you'll be
[16:31] missed one
[16:31] .>>I vote aye and thank you
[16:33] chair brannon for the hundreds
[16:34] of hours that you spent
[16:37] chairing this committee for
[16:37] the last four years thank you
[16:43] salaam fort I own all and as
[16:45] I've learned to say in the
[16:48] council I like my eye to the
[16:50] associated with all of the
[16:51] great remarks to our chair
[16:52] brannon thank you moya
[17:04] councilmember carr.
[17:05] >>thank you I just want t
[17:06] ocongratulate the chair on his
[17:08] successful chairmanship of
[17:09] this committee and in
[17:11] particular his partnership on
[17:11] the cold war veterans.
[17:13] >>and an interest rate reform.
[17:16] >>a wonderful initiatives we
[17:17] were able to work on together
[17:19] and I also want to thank all
[17:21] the finance staff for the
[17:22] great work that they do.
[17:24] >>each and every year during
[17:25] budget off budget they are a
[17:27] phenomenal team thank you for
[17:29] everything and with that said
[17:30] 14 20 a as well as preions
[17:39] considered resolution 186
[17:40] which is the transparency
[17:42] resolution and I on the rest
[17:45] thank you all items have been
[17:46] adopted with a vote of 15 I
[17:48] nthe affirmative zero on the
[17:50] negative into abstentions with
[17:51] the exceptions of introduction
[17:54] hundred 70 a thousand hundre
[17:58] d70 14 a all right and pre
[17:59] considered resolution and
[18:01] organizational zx have been
[18:02] adopted with 14 with 14 in the
[18:05] affirmative one in the
[18:06] negative no abstentions chair
[18:09] thank you billy all right for
[18:10] the last time this committee
[18:10] is adjourned thank