Q&A on BSA nominee John Manchin and council housing concerns
Menin addresses concerns about BSA nominee John Manchin, noting some council members have raised concerns about his prior statements on community benefit agreements. She emphasizes the Council is pro-housing, having approved every ULURP and over 7,000 housing units, and looks forward to meeting Manchin.
Hi.
Happy to talk about it.
And then I'm also going to ask our land use chair, Kevin Riley, and our majority whip and deputy speaker if they have anything to add on this.
So first of all, I've not met with John Manchin.
He has not reached out yet for a meeting.
I look forward to meeting with him.
What we have heard from many council members are concerns about some of his prior statements.
I want to be clear.
We are a pro-housing council.
This council has approved every single ULERP that has come before it.
We have approved over 7,000 units of housing, over 3,000 of which are affordable.
So, again, any candidate to lead the BSA that will get our support must be adamantly pro-housing.
What I think has happened in this situation, and this is why it's important to have advice and consent, is some members have raised some concerns about past writings of Mr.
Manchin that refer to community benefit agreements and other things that members have concerns about.
And so that will be the point of our hearing.
That's the point of advice and consent, where there are questions, we raise them, we meet with the nominee, and we get our questions answered.
Let me turn it over to Councilmember Riley.