Williams on BSA nominee and community benefit agreements

Do you have anything to add?

I'll just say some of the concern that we have had as a council, you've already heard, is around his rhetoric, but also just his record.

I think a lot of the things he has been involved in, I personally see as in direct conflict with how the council sees its powers.

And we are a pro-housing council.

I passed the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan last year, over 12,000 units in a district that is 70% homeowners, which is unlike other districts in New York City.

I often, as my homeowner colleagues, I'm often in the minority.

And do our homeowners need to be pushed to understand that there is a housing crisis and that we need to build more housing in every single district in New York City?

Yes.

But that push needs to come with a give and take.

And I was able to get 82 points of agreement from the administration through my neighborhood plan, which is essentially a community benefit agreement.

We are going to increase density, but through the increased density, we're going to also invest in infrastructure.

We're going to invest in our parks.

We're going to invest in our arts and culture sector.

And those things make a community great.

We need to build housing, but we also need to think about other, I call them social and physical infrastructures that make a neighborhood what it is.

My district has a sewer capacity issue.

And so how can you build more units if you don't improve the sewer?

And so those are the types of conversations that this council values.

And we're

We are not trying to negate housing, but we want to be at the table to have those conversations.

And some of the rhetoric and some of the things that have transpired in the past prevent us from being able to have those much-needed conversations.

So as Chair Riley said, I look forward to meeting John Manchin and having conversations with him.

I was told I didn't meet him, don't remember, but I look forward to meeting with him to learn more about how he sees the council's role.

And many of the projects, so he worked on the Charter Review Commission, so many of the projects that originally would go to DCP, come to the council, those projects are going to be now sent to the BSA.

Typically, council members do not play a role in what the BSA approves, and it'll be interesting to sort of understand how he sees his role as chair and whether or not he would be willing to listen to community and council member concerns as he would approve projects through the BSA.