Lisa Garcia opening statement: land bank vision and DEP's role in collections

I wanted to highlight my experience in community engagement because community and stakeholder engagement will be paramount for the land bank's success.

Should I be part of the land bank board of directors, I would prioritize making sure that there was a robust process for engagement so that all parties and interests could be heard.

I propose meeting with the council members, the committee members, reaching out directly to some of the most vocal and interested stakeholders, and hosting roundtables with different partners to get a well-rounded set of recommendations.

The stakeholders must include representatives from different areas of expertise and represent different constituencies.

While housing is one area of input to the board,

that we should seek.

For example, there are many other stakeholders that need to be involved.

I expect that the Land Bank Board of Directors would work closely as a group and with the Council to identify a variety of stakeholders who would bring an array of interests and backgrounds.

The legislation that created the Land Bank

requires the city to transition away from the trust-based lien sale to this land bank model by 2029.

The land bank's primary mission is to provide a process that is equitable, accountable, and transparent in collecting outstanding property taxes and water and sewer bills.

I understand that the vision for the land bank is to have dual roles, to collect owed revenue and debt,

and also to transfer delinquent properties into uses that better serve the public interest, such as affordable housing.

I look forward to helping set up this new entity as soon as possible, if confirmed.

Currently, DEP uses the lien sale as a tool to collect unpaid water and sewer bills on certain properties and bring customers into good standing.

Bringing customers into good standing has always been our priority.

DEP's goal is to balance customer needs and fairness while collecting unpaid debt.

Which is in line with the goals of the land bank.

This work is a natural extension of my role as DEP Commissioner.

I'm excited by the prospect of working with the Council, land bank board members, and members of the public to ensure that the land bank is efficient and effective

while reflecting the sensitivities around home ownership and property sales.

I'm excited for the opportunity to be

be part of this important endeavor.

I thank this committee for considering my nomination, and I'm happy to answer any questions that you have.

Thank you very much.

Thank you for your testimony.

We are also joined by council members, Hanif and Krishnan.