Jacob Yatsiliel of Association of Black Contractors calls for MWBE system reform

We will now ask Jacob Yatsiliel to testify as well.

You have three minutes beginning now.

Can you hear me?

We can hear you.

Okay, thanks for having this meeting.

And I do want to agree with the chairman, Ressler.

There's not too many good things that can be said about the Adams administration.

I want to make a suggestion that these hearings are probably more fruitful.

If you were actually to include testimony from small women-owned businesses with equal time as the people who have been appointed by the city.

The Association of Black Contractors, I'm the chair of the Association of Black Contractors, and we issue regular reports.

And our latest report,

entitled MWBE, the mechanism of disenfranchisement that was forwarded to your office.

And it was given that title because the policies, practices, and procedures of New York City dismantles small Black women-owned businesses.

Now, the Association of Black Contractors

We have submitted legislative proposals and the system that we're currently under, it needs to be reformed.

And if it's not reformed, we're just moving chairs around and nothing is being accomplished.

If the system is not reformed, we would push for...

The taxpayer to be freed from the burden of funding these failed programs.

When you look at our data, which we regularly issue reports, you look at our data combined with the controller's report, and I do believe the controller's data is correct,

you will come to the conclusion that the chair's hunch is correct, that these agencies do not care.

So we're calling for oversight hearings to include testimony from the affected parties, which are the small women-owned businesses.

And we welcome the opportunity to work with Chairman Ressler's office to bring about these legislative proposals.

I really want to thank you for your testimony, and we would love to engage further with the Association of Black Contractors and yourself and appreciate the feedback on our hearing today.

And I share your sentiments.

I feel like we would have been better served by more participation from...

MWBE firms and associations that advocate for those firms.

And in future MWB oversight hearings, we'll do a better job of making sure that those folks are properly engaged and participating.

So thank you, and we very much look forward to following up.