##VIDEO ID:LHL42wWKn9A##  GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.  NICE TO SEE YOU EVERYONE. MY NAME IS LIZ BRENNAN DISTRICT NINE CITY COUNCILOR AND I AM THE CHAIR OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. TODAY IS NOVEMBER 22ND, 2022 24. SORRY THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED IS ALSO BEING LIVESTREAMED AT BOSTON NCOV BACKSLASH CITY DG COUNCIL DASH TV AND BROADCAST ON XFINITY CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82 FIREHOUSE CHANNEL 964. WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT C C C DOT HOUSING AT BOSTON.COM AND WILL BE MADE A PART OF THE RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS. PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN AT THE END OF THIS HEARING. INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED IN TO ORDER IN WHICH THEY SIGNED UP AND WILL HAVE 2 MINUTES TO TESTIFY. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TESTING AND TESTIFYING IN PERSON PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE SIGN UP SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE CHAMBER. IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO TESTIFY VIRTUALLY PLEASE EMAIL THE CENTRAL OUR CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON SHE AND PAC AT SHIN SC AND E DART PAC PASI AT BOSTON.COM FOR THE LINK AND YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST. TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET NUMBER 1298 ORDER FOR A HEARING TO DISCUSS THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE ELEVATORS SYSTEM IN BOSTON PUBLIC HOUSING BEACH DEVELOPMENTS AND DOCKET 1644 COMMUNICATION RECEIVED FROM KENZIE BOK, ADMINISTRATOR AND CEO OF THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY REGARDING CERTAIN INFORMATION UNDER SECTION 17 F PERTAINING TO THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY ELEVATORS.  DOCKET 1289 IT WAS SPONSORED BY COUNCILOR ED FLYNN AND REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON MARCH SIX, 2024 AND DOCKET 1644 WAS SPONSORED BY THE ADMINISTRATION AND REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON NOVEMBER SIX, 20, 2024. I'M JOINED THIS MORNING BY MY COLLEAGUES THE LEAD SPONSOR COUNCILOR AND FRIEND AND COUNCILOR ERIN MURPHY, CITY COUNCILOR AT LARGE AND I WILL ALSO HAVE I HAVE ALSO GOT ABSENCE LETTERS FROM COUNCILOR COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOSE LOUIJEUNE.  COUNCILOR ENRIQUE PEPEN AND COUNCILOR BRYAN OUT. I WILL READ THOSE INTO THE RECORD.  NO DEAR COUNCILOR DEAR CHAIR BRITTON I'M UNABLE TO ATTEND THE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT HEARING ON DOCKETS NUMBER 1298 AND 164 FOR A HEARING TO DISCUSS THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE ELEVATOR SYSTEMS IN BOSTON PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY DEVELOPMENTS.  IT IS IMPORTANT THAT OUR SENIORS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITY WHO ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY UNRELIABLE ELEVATOR SYSTEMS HAVE THE MEANS AND THE ABILITY TO LIVE UNENCUMBERED THEIR ACCESS TO IS ESSENTIAL TO ESSENTIAL SERVICES AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE ARE HEAVILY IMPACTED BY THESE CHALLENGES. I SUPPORT ALL EFFORTS AND RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS AND WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY ON COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTIONS. SHOULD YOU OR ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS? PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE DIRECTLY AT 6176354376 OR RISI R U T HITCH Z DOT LOUIJEUNE L0UIJ EU AND E AT BOSTON DOT GOV.  AND SINCERELY RUSTY LOUIJEUNE PRESIDENT OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL . DUP COUNCILOR ENRIQUE PEPEN SENT A LETTER OF ABSENCE DEAR CHAIR BRITAIN MR. CLERK AND CONCERNED COLLEAGUES I REGRET TO INFORM YOU THAT I AM UNABLE TO ATTEND FRIDAY'S COMMITTEE ON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT HEARING ON DOCKETS 1298164 FOR MY STAFF WHO WATCH THE LIVESTREAM AND REPORT BACK TO ME WITH NOTES. I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS UPON REVIEWING THE RECORDING AND MY STAFF'S NOTES AND I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS BY REVIEWING THE RECORDING. SINCERELY ENRIQUE PEPEN CITY COUNCIL BOSTON CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE AND DEAR COUNCIL BRITAIN, BRITAIN COUNCILOR FLYNN AND CITY COLLEAGUES COUNCIL COLLEAGUES.  I REGRET THAT I AM UNABLE TO ATTEND TODAY'S HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE HEARING. PLEASE KNOW MY STAFF WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE AND I WILL REVIEW THE VIDEO WHEN IT COMES IT BECOMES AVAILABLE. I LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE BOSTON HOUSING BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY ELEVATOR SYSTEMS. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR BRIAN MORRELL DISTRICT FOR SO WE'LL BEGIN WITH A BRIEF OPENING STATEMENT FROM MY COLLEAGUES COUNCILOR FLYNN AND COUNCILOR MURPHY CONSTRUCTION.  YOU HAVE 4 MINUTES. THANK YOU.  THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, FOR CHAIRING THIS IMPORTANT MEETING IN MY SEVEN YEARS IN THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL I DON'T THINK THERE'S A MORE IMPORTANT MEETING THAN THE ONE THAT'S TAKING PLACE RIGHT NOW. I FOR THIS HEARING TODAY AS MANY OF OUR ELEVATOR SYSTEMS IN BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY DEVELOPMENTS ARE AGING AND THERE HAVE BEEN FREQUENT REPORTS OF ELEVATOR BREAKDOWNS IN VHA DEVELOPMENTS IN MY DISTRICT OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS INCLUDING THE RUTH BARCLAY APARTMENTS IN THE SOUTH END TORE A UNIT OUT IN THE SOUTH END AND ST B-12 IN THE BACK BAY SOUTH END AREA. I DO KNOW THAT ST PETE 12TH HAS RECEIVED MONEY SO WE WERE ABLE TO FIX AND ENSURE THAT THOSE ELEVATORS ARE WORKING. HOWEVER, I AM CONCERNED HOW THIS HAS NEGATIVELY IMPACTED THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE SAFETY FOR OUR RESIDENTS INCLUDING SENIORS AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES. IN THE LAST YEAR WE HAVE HEARD PRIMARILY FROM TENANTS AT RUTH BARCLAY APARTMENTS OF GETTING STUCK IN ELEVATORS ALL ELEVATORS SKIPPING FLOORS IN ELEVATOR REPAIR PARTS TAKING A LONG TIME TO ARRIVE. SENIORS AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES HAVE EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION TO ME THAT NOT BEING ABLE TO LEAVE THEIR APARTMENT FOR AS LONG AS TWO WEEKS RESULTING IN MISSED MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS NOT BEING ABLE TO PICK UP GROCERIES OR MEDICINE.  I HAVE CONCERNS THAT SOME OF THESE CONDITIONS VIOLATE FEDERAL AND STATE LAWS INCLUDING AMERICANS DISABILITIES ACT.  TODAY I AM HOPING TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE CURRENT FINANCIAL MAINTENANCE PLAN IS FOR AGING ELEVATORS AND THOSE THAT ARE OUT OF SERVICE. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW IF THESE ISSUES EXTEND BEYOND VHA VHA DEVELOPMENTS IN MY DISTRICT WHICH I DO KNOW THAT THAT IS THE CASE.  VHA ONLY FULFILLED PART OF MY 17 F REQUEST AND I WAS HOPING TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF ELEVATORS AT VHA DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE CITY TO SEE IF THIS ISSUE IS IMPACTING OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS AS WELL. I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE VHA ADMINISTRATOR FOR BEING HERE. KENZIE BLOCK.  I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY AN OUTSTANDING COMMISSIONER FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND KRISTEN MCCOSH AS WELL AN EXCEPTIONAL ADVOCATE FOR OUR SENIORS AND FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.  AND I THINK I PROBABLY REPRESENT MORE CONSTITUENTS LIVING IN PUBLIC HOUSING THAN ANY DISTRICT DISTRICT COUNCIL IN THE CITY OF BOSTON.  SO THIS IS PERSONAL TO ME . ALSO IT'S PERSONAL TO ME ALTHOUGH I'M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE TO LIVE IN AN APARTMENT IN A HOUSE WITH MY WIFE BUT I'M ALSO A PERSON WITH DISABILITIES AS WELL ACTIVE IN THE DISABILITY MOVEMENT ESPECIALLY IN THE VETERANS COMMUNITY. BUT I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF ADVOCATES HERE FROM THE PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES COMMUNITY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.  THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OTHERS THAT THAT HAVE DISABILITIES AND ALSO WANT TO LIVE HEALTHY LIVES AND EQUAL ACCESS AND THAT'S WHAT THE PROBABLY THE BEST FEDERAL LEGISLATION ENACTED IN THE LAST 60 YEARS IS AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT PROVIDING EQUAL ACCESS TO EVERYBODY ESPECIALLY PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES. WE HAVE TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE FEDERAL LAW.  THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FLYNN. WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY A COLLEAGUE, COUNCILOR DURKIN FROM DISTRICT EIGHT. COUNCILOR MURPHY, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO THE PANELISTS FOR BEING HERE. I'M LOOKING TO THIS CONVERSATION. I AGREE WITH WHAT COUNCIL OF WINDSOR PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TO ANSWER A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS WE HAVE AND I HOPE BY THE END OF THIS MEETING I KNOW WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YEARS OF DISINVESTMENT INTO OUR FUTURE HOUSING.  YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY THERE WAS A HEARING WHICH I ALSO THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT ABOUT THE DISINVESTMENT THAT WE'VE MADE INTO OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR POOLS. BUT WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO AND WHAT IS THE PLAN? WHAT IS THE PRIORITY? AND THANK YOU COMMISSION OF COURSE FOR BEING HERE. MAYBE H STRONG SHOULD BE HERE TOO. BUT I KNOW YOU'LL DO A WONDERFUL JOB UPLIFTING NOT JUST THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY BUT THE SENIORS ALSO. ANY TIME.  AT AN EVENT JUST YESTERDAY THE CONDON COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING DINNER YOU I THINK MY COLLEAGUES WOULD AGREE YOU PROBABLY LEAVE WITH 2 TO 5 CONCERNS FROM VHA RESIDENTS WITH YOU KNOW REAL CONCERNS ABOUT NOT JUST ELEVATORS BUT YOU KNOW THE SAFETY OF THEIR LIVING CONDITIONS BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW WORK ORDERS THAT NEED TO BE DONE AND MAYBE NOT BEING ADDRESSED. SO I THINK THIS IS AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION AND A RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE WITH ABOUT HOW DO WE FIELD A LOT OF THESE CONCERNS AT THE SAME TIME MAKING SURE THAT OUR ROLE ON THE COUNCIL WHEN WE'RE LEADING INTO THE BUDGET SEASON AGAIN HOW ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT THE VHA HAS THE FUNDS TO MAKE THESE REQUIRED IMPROVEMENTS IN SOMETHING LIKE ELEVATORS AND MAKING SURE OUR ADA AND FEDERAL I WOULD ASSUME WE'D START LOSING FEDERAL GRANTS IF WE'RE NOT COMPLYING WITH A LOT OF THEIR REQUIREMENTS AND WE SHOULD BE WE SHOULD NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE DON'T FEEL STUCK. AND IT'S TRUE WHEN PEOPLE SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY STAY IN THEIR APARTMENTS NOW BECAUSE THEY WERE AFRAID THAT THEY WON'T GET OUT. SO I'M HOPING THAT BY THE END OF THIS MEETING WE HAVE SOME A PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD TO HELP EASE THE CONCERNS OF OUR RESIDENTS AND BE SO.  THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR MURPHY COULD DO ANY AWKWARD OPENING REMARKS. THANK YOU SO MUCH CHAIR AND THANK YOU SO MUCH ADMINISTRATOR BOURQUE FOR BEING HERE. I THINK SHE KNOWS THAT WE BOTH SHARE A TRUE LOVE FOR OUR MISSION MAINE AND THE ONE PUBLIC HOUSING LOCATION IN MY DISTRICT AND I'M REALLY JUST INTERESTED TO SEE IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON SORT OF BRACING FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S DISINVESTMENT IN PUBLIC HOUSING WHICH I KNOW MAY HAVE SOME IMPACTS ON OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS . SO THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TODAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH.  THANK YOU. COUNCILOR DURKAN AND SEE I'D LIKE TO KNOW INTRODUCE TODAY'S PANELIST TESTIFYING ON BEHALF OF THE ADMINISTRATION AND ADMINISTRATOR MACKENZIE BOK FROM THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND COMMISSIONER KRISTEN KOSH IS THE COMMISSIONER FROM THE COMMISSION FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND WE ALSO HAVE A SECOND PANEL WHICH WILL BE DAWN OATES FROM THE PLAY BRIGADE.  SO WE'LL START WITH THE ADMINISTRATION FIRST.  SO A COMMISSIONER NO ADMINISTRATOR SO YOU'VE HAD A FEW HATS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. I GET CONFUSED.  THANK YOU. ADMINISTRATOR BOK YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.  THANK YOU SO MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. AND THANK YOU TO COUNSELOR FLYNN FOR INTRODUCING THIS MATTER AND COUNCILOR MURPHY AND COUNCILOR DURKIN FOR JOINING US AND ALL THE COUNCILORS WHO SENT LETTERS. I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS CONVERSATION TODAY. I WILL RUN THROUGH SOME SLIDES AND THEN I'M HAPPY TO JUST TAKE COUNCIL QUESTIONS AND TALK THROUGH. I THINK THAT A NUMBER OF THE COUNCILORS ALLUDED TO IT IN YOUR COMMENTS. I THINK THAT THIS IS AN AREA WHERE WE ARE ALL DEEPLY ALIGNED IN WHAT WE WANT TO SEE HAPPEN. I THINK FOR THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY WE'RE VERY PROUD TO BE THE LARGEST HOUSING IN THE CITY AND TO BE HOUSING A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES,  ELDERS, FAMILIES AND FOR US WE ALWAYS WANT THAT HOUSING TO BE DIGNIFIED. WE WANT SYSTEMS LIKE ELEVATORS TO BE RELIABLE AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE WHEN I THINK ABOUT WHAT THE INTERESTS OF OF US OF THE COUNCIL OF THE RESIDENTS. WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF RESIDENTS WHO YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM LATER OF I KNOW PLAY GREAT IT IS HERE BOSTON CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING WHICH JUST CELEBRATED 50 YEARS. I THINK THAT ALL OF US REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR ELEVATOR SYSTEM HAS THE INVESTMENT THAT IT HAS THAT IT NEEDS AND AND OBVIOUSLY AS AS I'LL GO THROUGH IN MY SLIDES, ONE OF OUR FRUSTRATIONS IS THAT WE DON'T NECESSARILY GET THAT BUT I THINK THAT THIS COUNCIL HAS ALREADY SHOWN A REAL SENSE OF PARTNERSHIP ON THAT.  AND SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT AND LOOK FORWARD TO FURTHER A PARTNERSHIP AND I ALSO REALLY WANT TO THANK COMMISSIONER MCCOSH AND ANDREA FOR BEING HERE.  YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT I THINK THAT JUST THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS TALKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE IS REALLY TO ME KIND OF REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT OF OF THE THE TREMENDOUS VALUE OF HAVING A DISABILITIES COMMISSION IN BOSTON IS NOT JUST THAT IT IS A GOOD PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO BRING ISSUES FOR THE COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES BUT THAT THE COMMISSION HELPS ALL OF US WHO RUN OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES TO THINK ABOUT HOW WHAT WE'RE DOING SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THAT THAT WORK REALLY PENETRATES INTO WHAT ALL OF US DO. AND I THINK THE COMMISSIONER IS AN INCREDIBLE PARTNER ON THAT FRONT. SO I I'LL I'LL GIVE A QUICK RUN THROUGH OF SOME OF THE SORT OF THE OVERVIEW OF THE ELEVATORS AND WHERE WE'RE AT AND SOME SOME GOOD NEWS AND SOME CHALLENGES AND THEN MAYBE PASS IT OVER TO COMMISSIONER MCCOSH TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT AND THEN I'M HAPPY TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS. SO I HAVE THE CLICKER IS IT STILL THIS LAPTOP? I HAVE TO POINT IT TOWARDS GO UP. OKAY GREAT.  LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. SO THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY OVERALL HAS 104 ELEVATORS AND I DO THINK I WAS SAYING THIS BEFORE WE STARTED TO SOMEONE I THINK THAT YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS NATIONWIDE, WE HAVE A SORT OF HIGHER PROPORTION OF ELEVATORS BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE'RE A DENSER CITY. SO THERE'S LOTS OF CITIES IN AMERICA WHERE THEY NEVER WENT UP TO THIS HEIGHT AND THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF CITIES IN AMERICA WHERE THEY DID DO FAMILY HIGH RISES BUT THEY DEMOLISHED THEM. RIGHT. AND SO FOR US I THINK WE HAVE A DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF ELEVATORS COMPARED TO PUBLIC HOUSING PORTFOLIOS NATIONWIDE WHICH I THINK IS GREAT BECAUSE IT HAS ENABLED US TO HOUSE SO MANY PEOPLE IN SO MANY NEIGHBORHOODS OF THE CITY. BUT IT DOES MEAN THAT THE FACT THAT HUD DOESN'T HAVE A FORMULA FOR SORT OF GIVING US EXTRA MONEY TO DEAL WITH ELEVATORS KIND OF HITS US PARTICULARLY HARD. SO IN THE ELDERLY DISABLED PORTFOLIO WE HAVE 47 CABS SO THESE ARE DOUBLES OR TRIPLES AND FOR CABS THAT ARE SINGLE THAT ARE NON REDUNDANT SO A NON REDUNDANT ELEVATOR RIDE IS WHEN WE ONLY HAVE ONE CAB SERVING THOSE UNITS AND THEN REDUNDANT IS WHEN WE HAVE MULTIPLE SO AND SO IN THE ELDERLY DISABLED PORTFOLIO WE ONLY HAVE FOUR THAT ARE NON REDUNDANT AND TWO OF THOSE ARE BEING ADDRESSED BY A CURRENT CAPITAL PROJECT.  OBVIOUSLY THE ADVANTAGE TO US OF HAVING A SECOND ELEVATOR NEXT TO THE FIRST ONE IS THAT IF ONE HAS A MECHANICAL ISSUE THEN YOU'VE GOT THE OTHER ONE RUNNING RIGHT AND AND SO A CHALLENGE THAT YOU'LL SEE IS THAT IN THE ELDERLY DISABLED PORTFOLIO WE MOSTLY HAVE REDUNDANT ELEVATORS IN THE FAMILY HOUSING PORTFOLIO WE ONLY HAVE TEN CABS THAT ARE DOUBLES THAT ARE REDUNDANT. THOSE ARE ALL AT RUTH BARCLAY AND THEN WE HAVE 37 THAT ARE SINGLES NON REDUNDANT SO THOSE ARE ACROSS MILDRED C HALEY, ALICE TAYLOR, RUTH BARCLAY AND COMMONWEALTH FAMILY DEVELOPMENTS AND SO AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED HISTORICALLY WAS THAT WHEN THERE WAS AN EARLIER RECOGNITION SEVERAL DECADES AGO THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE MORE HOUSING THAT WAS ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE WITH MOBILITY NEEDS A NUMBER OF UNITS IN THE FAMILY DEVELOPMENTS WERE CONVERTED TO BEING THOSE UNITS WHICH IS AN AWESOME THING FOR HOUSING ACCESS BUT IT MEANS THAT WE PUT A NUMBER OF THOSE UNITS ON A SINGLE NON REDUNDANT ELEVATOR CAUSE WHERE THEY WEREN'T BEFORE AND SO THAT'S JUST SOME OF THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND THEN WE HAVE A HANDFUL OF ELEVATORS IN OUR ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDINGS AND COUNCILOR FLYNN ALLUDED TO THE FACT THAT YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE PLACES WHERE WE'VE HAD THE GREATEST TROUBLE RECENTLY WITH THE ELEVATOR PORTFOLIO IS AT RUTH BARCLAY WHICH HAS 15 ELEVATORS. SO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THIS PAGE JUST HAS A KIND OF BREAKDOWN OF THOSE ELEVATORS AND WHAT ADDRESSES THEY'RE AT AND HOW MANY CABS THERE ARE AT EACH.  AND I GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.  SO THIS IS THE BROADER KIND OF CAPITAL BUDGET BACKGROUND.  THE BANK HAS APPROXIMATELY A BILLION AND A HALF IN DEFERRED CAPITAL NEEDS ACROSS OUR FEDERAL PORTFOLIO BUT WE ONLY RECEIVE APPROXIMATELY $30 MILLION PER YEAR IN FEDERAL FUNDING TO ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS. THAT'S VERY CHALLENGING.  THAT'S 2% OF THE NEED AND THAT'S FOR EVERYTHING, RIGHT? THAT'S FOR IT'S FOR ROOVES, IT'S FOR VENTILATION, IT'S FOR YOU KNOW, FIXING SIDEWALKS. IT'S IT'S EVERYTHING AND ELEVATORS ARE INCLUDED IN THAT ROLL UP AND JUST TO SORT OF DEMONSTRATE THE INADEQUACY OF THAT. SO THAT KIND OF COMES OUT TO AN ANNUAL CAPITAL BUDGET PER FEDERAL UNIT OF ABOUT $4,000, WHICH MEANS THAT IF YOU MULTIPLY IT AT BERKELEY WHERE WE HAVE 414 UNITS WHICH IS ABOUT 5% OF OUR FEDERAL PORTFOLIO, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT $1.73 MILLION. SO ANYBODY AND THERE'S A LOT OF ELEVATOR EXPERTS IN THIS ROOM ANYBODY WHO KNOWS ELEVATORS KNOWS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO EAT THROUGH THAT LIKE WAY TOO FAST. RIGHT. AND SO AND JUST IN GENERAL ALMOST ANYBODY WHO KNOWS ROOFS KNOWS THAT'S ALSO A HUGE IT SO BASICALLY RIGHT THAT AS A RESULT THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY IS STUCK PLAYING WHACK A MOLE WHERE WE HAVE TO BUILD UP LARGER SUMS OF MONEY TO DO SINGULAR MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.  BUT IT MEANS THAT IN A GIVEN YEAR WE CAN'T HAVE THAT SCALE OF CAPITAL PROJECT GOING ON AT ALL SITES SIMULTANEOUSLY. SO IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING SITUATION. IT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS WORKING ON A NUMBER OF CONVERSIONS OVER TO OTHER SUBSIDY PLATFORMS TO TRY TO GET OUR UNITS TO HAVE LIKE TO JUST GET MORE MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND MORE PRIVATE INVESTMENT. SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING AT MARYLAND AT CHARLESTOWN, AT WHITTIER, AT OLD COLONY, YOU KNOW MILDRED HALEY AND ACTUALLY COUNCILOR DURKIN REFERENCED MISSION MAINE A DEVELOPMENT THAT WAS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL SIX REDEVELOPMENTS FOR THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THEN RECENTLY GOT A MAJOR REINVESTMENT AND THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE WHERE THERE THERE'S ONE MID-RISE BUILDING THERE'S AN ELEVATOR AND YOU KNOW THAT JUST GOT A MAJOR ELEVATOR RE-INVESTMENT THROUGH THAT FUNDING MECHANISM. SO THIS IS LIKE ONE OF THE ONE OF THE THINGS WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT IS HOW TO HOW TO GET OURSELVES OUT OF THIS SITUATION WHICH REALLY DOES COME FROM DECADES OF DISINVESTMENT.  SO HOWEVER WE DO PULL MONEY TOGETHER TO DO THESE LARGER ELEVATOR PROJECTS.  SO I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT WE HAVE ONE THAT'S HAPPENING AT COMMONWEALTH ELDERLY WHICH IS THE ADDITION OF TWO REDUNDANT ELEVATORS THE YOU KNOW THAT'S A PROJECT THAT OBVIOUSLY INVOLVES BREAKING THROUGH WALLS AND THAT KIND OF THING AND THAT IS NEAR THAT IS NEARLY FINISHED. WE'RE WELL WE'RE EXPECTING COMPLETION BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR WHICH IS YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE OF THE FRUSTRATING THINGS HERE IS THAT THAT SORT OF NEARLY IN OUR TIMELINE OF JUST HOW LONG THESE PROJECTS TAKE AND THEN COUNCILOR FLYNN ALSO MENTIONED TRINIDAD WHERE WE'VE HAD LOTS OF CHALLENGES WITH THOSE ELEVATORS. THEY SERVE A VERY LARGE BUILDING.  THEY'RE QUITE INTENSELY USED AND SO THEY'RE ALSO WE HAVE THIS $5.4 MILLION CAPITAL PROJECT THAT'S DUE TO BE DONE BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR. WE JUST FINISHED AN ELEVATOR MODERNIZATION PROJECT AT HAZAN SO THAT'S RECENTLY COMPLETED. WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. HAZAN IS KIND OF IN MATTAPAN FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW AND THEN MY BIG EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY AND IT'S ONE THAT I WANT TO EXPRESS A LOT OF THANKS TO THE COUNCIL FOR IS THAT WE DID LAST WEEK PUT OUT THE DESIGN RFP FOR DOING A MODERNIZATION OF EIGHT ELEVATORS AT BERKELEY WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING AND HONESTLY IT WAS REALLY THE 4 MILLION THAT WAS AUTHORIZED BY THE COUNCIL IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET THAT WAS PASSED IN JUNE PLUS THIS MILLION THAT WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS IN THE STATE BOND BILL AND THEN COMBINING THOSE WITH RESOURCES FROM OUR CAPITAL BUDGET THAT PUTS US IN A POSITION WE THINK TO ACTUALLY DO THE DESIGN AND GET GOING ON THAT SO THAT AND THAT'S VERY EXCITING FOR US FOR FOLKS WHO JUST BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S LINGO AND AGAIN THERE'S A LOT OF EXPERTS IN THE ROOM BUT FOR THOSE WATCHING AT HOME WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ELEVATOR MODERNIZATION, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A SITUATION WHERE YOU ACTUALLY LIKE REBUILD THE WHOLE ELEVATOR AND GET A NEW ELEVATOR AND AS OPPOSED TO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ELEVATOR UPGRADES, WE'RE OFTEN UPGRADING THE CONTROLLERS THE PARTS BEHIND BUT IT MIGHT NOT LOOK THAT DIFFERENT TO YOU IF YOU SEE IT SO AND AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE LEARNED IS THAT ON BOTH FRONTS WE HAVE VERY UNIQUE BUILDINGS AND EVERYTHING HAS TO BE MEASURED AND EVERYTHING IS BESPOKE. SO UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS NO WORLD WHERE YOU JUST ORDER AN ELEVATOR AND IT SHOWS UP AND YOU CAN SAY THAT'S THE AMOUNT THAT IT'S GOING TO COST YOU PER BUILDING. YOU HAVE TO HAVE THIS DESIGN CONTRACT IN ADVANCE TO LIKE LITERALLY MEASURE THE ELEVATOR SHAFT AND FIGURE OUT AND FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO NEED.  BUT I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED. I WISH WE SENT OUT A NOTE ABOUT THIS SO SOME OF THE RESIDENTS WILL HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT YESTERDAY BUT I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT GETTING THOSE EIGHT ELEVATORS AND AND SOME OF THOSE IF YOU GO BACK A SLIDE THERE TO TWO SLIDES THEY'RE LIKE THE ONES THAT ARE IN THESE TEN AND 13 STORY BUILDINGS OBVIOUSLY YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE BUILDINGS WHERE IF WE HAVE ELEVATOR FAILURES IT'S I MEAN IT'S A HUGE PROBLEM. IT'S A HUGE PROBLEM FRANKLY IN ANY OF THE BUILDINGS. BUT WHAT'S NICE ABOUT ABOUT THESE EIGHT IS THAT THEY'RE THERE FOR NON FOR REDUNDANT LIKE PAIRS AND SO WHAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO IS TO DO THE MODERNIZATION. ONE CAVEAT AT TIMES THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO RELOCATE PEOPLE OUT OF THE BUILDING IN ORDER TO DO THAT WORK. I SHOULD SAY THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY YOU KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ALWAYS STRUGGLING WITH IS THE FACT THAT WE HAVE VERY LOW VACANCY SO WE WHICH IS TO SAY THAT WE ARE HOUSING PEOPLE. THAT'S OUR MISSION AND AS EVERYONE IN THIS CHAMBER KNOWS, BOSTON IS IN A HOUSING CRISIS. SO IT MEANS THAT WE DON'T HAVE LOTS OF ROOM TO RELOCATE FOLKS INTO AND SO THAT'S A CONSTANT KIND OF CHALLENGE FOR US. SO I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE SLIPPED THIS JUMP TO THIS SLIDE. SO THIS IS THE RECENTLY APPROVED CITY AND STATE SUPPORT WILL ENABLE VHA TO IMPROVE ADDITIONAL ELEVATORS AT BERKELEY AND WE'VE ISSUED THIS RFP AND WE'RE AND THE TIMELINE OF THAT IS TO AWARD A DESIGN CONTRACT IN DECEMBER JANUARY. SO JUST WANT TO SAY AGAIN THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL FOR THE SUPPORT ON THAT FRONT AND THEN ADDITIONALLY WE HAVE SIGNED CONTRACT WITH THE UNITED ELEVATOR FOR UPGRADES TO BOTH CABS AT 42 HARRISON ARCHWAY AND WE ALSO HAVE SIGNED CONTRACTS FOR UPGRADES AT TEN AND 20 EAST BROOKLYN AND 29 MILE SENIOR REYNOLDS WAY WHICH IS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR AT 19 AND ALL THOSE WE'VE SIGNED THE CONTRACTS WE'VE GIVEN NOTICES TO PROCEED AND WE'RE EXPECTING THE WORK TO COMMENCE IN JANUARY. I KNOW IN THE CASE OF 42 HARRISON ARCHWAY THERE'S ONE PART THAT THEY ARE WAITING TO HAVE COME IN. IT'S A DOOR OPENER I THINK AND AS WAS ALLUDED TO IN SOME OF THE OPENING COMMENTS FROM COUNCILOR FLYNN, SOMETIMES WAITING ON PARTS IS THE GREAT LIMITING FACTOR FOR US WHICH AGAIN IS FRUSTRATING.  NEXT IS JUST TO SAY I WANTED TO JUST ZOOM OUT FOR A SECOND TO SAY THAT THE BEACHES HAD A WHOLE BUNCH OF RECENT OPERATIONAL CHANGES. WE HAD SOME RETIREMENTS AND SHIFTS JUST AFTER COVID AND SO MOST OF THE FOLKS ON THIS SLIDE I'LL READ THROUGH THEM BUT HAVE STARTED A NEW ROLES WITHIN THE LAST FEW WEEKS OR MONTHS AND THAT'S REALLY EXCITING. I THINK IT'S A REALLY EXCITING DATA DRIVEN TEAM THAT IS WORKING ON UPDATING ALL OF OUR SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES LIKE NOTHING HAPPENS IMMEDIATELY RIGHT?  EVERYTHING IS A PROCESS TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHAT WOULD WORK BETTER BUT I JUST THIS IS A TEAM THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT SO OUR DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR FOR HOUSING PROGRAMS DAVID GLASS WHO'S OVER HERE DAVID, CAN YOU WAVE NOW HAS OVERSIGHT OF PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMS.  WE'VE ALSO GOT A NEW CHIEF OF MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTIONS JOSH OFFERING A NEW DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE JOHN MCDONOUGH, A NEW CHIEF OF PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMS AND COMPLIANCE KELLY CRONIN AND THEN WE ACTUALLY CREATED AND FILLED A NEW REGIONAL MANAGER OPERATIONS POSITION WHO'S DEDICATED TO OVERSEEING ELEVATOR CONTRACT MANAGEMENT. JOEY SANCHEZ, CAN YOU WAIVE SO PEOPLE CAN SAY YES? SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED ABOUT THE ELEVATORS IS THAT OUR CONTRACT MANAGEMENT IS JUST AS IMPORTANT THERE AS LIKE AS WHAT WE DO ON THE GROUND. LIKE IT'S REALLY ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THE BEST POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR CONTRACTOR SO THAT WORK MOVES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. AND THEN WE'VE ALSO CREATED AND HIRED A NEW DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER SERVICE POSITION GREG MASTROIANNI AND I AND I WANTED TO MENTION THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT OUR MAIN SUBJECT TODAY, YOU KNOW WHENEVER WE HAVE AN ELEVATOR ISSUE IT INTERFACES WITH OUR WORK ORDER CENTER AND OUR LIKE OUR RECORDER LINE AND THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEMS AND I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS COME OUT, YOU KNOW, IN THE CONVERSATION ABOUT ELEVATORS IS JUST HOW YOU KNOW, THE RESPONSE THAT FOLKS GET THERE IS NOT ALWAYS CONSISTENT AND NOT ALWAYS WHAT WE WANT IT TO BE. SO WE'RE VERY PROUD WE GOT GREG WE SAW HIM FROM WINSTON FLOWERS SO WE WERE WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT HIS KIND OF LIKE CUSTOMER SERVICE ETHIC AND TRYING TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A MORE CONSISTENT RESPONSE ON THAT LINE FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS. AND SO HE'S HE'S JUST BEEN IN FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS NOW SO HE'S GETTING HIS ARMS AROUND EVERYTHING BUT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.  THIS IS JUST A BIT ABOUT OUR ELEVATOR DOWN PROTOCOLS SO WE UPDATED THESE IN EARLY 2024. I THINK FOLKS WILL REMEMBER THAT WE DID HAVE AN EXTENDED ELEVATOR OUTAGE AT RUTH BARCLAY AT 19 MONTHS SENIOR REYNOLDS IN SEPTEMBER OF 2023 INTO OCTOBER OF 2023. THAT WAS THE FIRST MONTH THAT I WAS LEADING THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND I THINK IT RAISED FOR US JUST THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE A MORE CONSISTENT SET OF ELEVATOR DOWN PROTOCOLS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE A TRUE STAFF ABLE TO SORT OF ACT MORE PROACTIVELY IN THOSE SITUATIONS.  SO WE UPDATED THOSE IN EARLY 2024. THEY WERE REDISTRIBUTED AT OUR 2024 MANAGERS MEETING AND WE'VE BEEN DOING TRAININGS AND REALLY CONTINUE TO DO TRAININGS ON THESE. SO THESE ARE PROTOCOLS THAT ADDRESS DIRECTLY PRECISELY WHAT ACTIONS BE TAKES WHEN AN ELEVATOR GOES DOWN. SO IT'S DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON WHETHER IT'S REDUNDANT OR NON REDUNDANT.  THIS HAS TO DO WITH ACCOMMODATIONS FOR RESIDENTS. YOU KNOW WE CAN INCLUDE WE CAN HAVE TENANT COORDINATORS ON LANDINGS, CHAIRS WE WE ALSO DO HOTEL STAYS AND AND WHERE WHERE APPROPRIATE AND APPROVED TRANSFERS AND SO WE'VE REALLY WE'VE BEEN UPDATING AND TRAINING ON THAT AND WE DID GO OVER THESE RECENTLY WITH THE CITY OF BOSTON'S DISABILITIES COMMISSION I WILL LET THE COMMISSIONER SPEAK IN A MOMENT AND I THINK THAT YOU KNOW WHAT WE FEEL IS LIKE WHERE WE'VE LANDED IN TERMS OF WHAT'S WRITTEN DOWN IS PRETTY STRONG. WE WANT TO I THINK THE TWO AREAS WHERE WE REALLY WANT TO CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN ONE OF THEM IS AN ACCESSIBILITY TO RESIDENTS THAT THEY KNOW WHAT OUR PROTOCOLS ARE SO WE CAN SHARE THOSE BETTER. SO THAT'S ONE OF OUR THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS HOW TO BECAUSE IT'S A LOT OF LIKE DIFFERENT SITUATION AND SORT OF HOW DO WE MAKE THAT EASILY COMMUNICATED SO THAT PEOPLE CAN SAY HEY ISN'T THIS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN? AND THEN I THINK THE OTHER THING RIGHT IS JUST CONSISTENT TRAINING BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH WE DO TRAINING WE ALSO HAVE STAFF TURNOVER AND SO MAKING SURE THAT THAT'S A CONSISTENT THING BUT WE ARE WORKING ON THIS KIND OF UPDATED FLIER FOR RESIDENTS. AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS WE'RE WORKING TO IMPROVE THE PRECISION OF OUR ONE CALL NOW MESSAGING SERVICE. SO WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT ALLOWS YOU TO ALLOWS TO BE A CHARTER TEXT CALL OR EMAIL DEPENDING ON WHAT PREFERENCES PEOPLE HAVE PUT OUT ABOUT AN ISSUE AND AND IT ACTUALLY IF YOU KNOW IF IF ELEVATORS ARE DOWN IT WORKS WELL IN A SINGLE ADDRESS BUILDING SO LIKE AN ELDERLY BUILDING BUT WE'VE RUN INTO ISSUES WITH THE FAMILY SITES WHERE THE MESSAGES WILL SAY IN ELEVATORS DOWN BUT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IF IT'S WHICH BUILDING IT IS AND BECAUSE THEY'RE PRE TRANSLATED IT'S MORE COMPLICATED THAN YOU WOULD THINK TO MAKE TO HAVE THAT SPECIFICATION AT THE BEGINNING. BUT WE'RE WORKING ON THAT. IT'S SOMETHING THAT I KNOW DON AND OTHERS HAVE BROUGHT UP WITH US.  THIS IS THE THIS IS JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ELEVATOR CONTRACTORS.  WE DO HAVE TO FOLLOW STATE PROCUREMENT RULES ON OUR ELEVATOR CONTRACTS AND THAT HAS TO DO WITH BOTH HOW WE BEAT THEM OUT AND HOW THOSE CONTRACTS ARE STRUCTURED WHICH HAS SOMETIMES BEEN A CHALLENGE FOR US. THEY NEED TO BE CERTIFIED CONTRACTORS. WE BREAK THOSE CONTRACTS UP INTO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT BUNDLES BECAUSE THERE'S REALLY NO ELEVATOR CONTRACTOR IN THE CITY WHO'S ABLE TO SERVICE THE SCALE OF SITES THAT WE HAVE AND WE'RE CURRENTLY WE'RE CURRENTLY OPERATING UNDER PURCHASE ORDERS TO SORT OF SHORT TERM CONTRACTS AT RUTH BARCLAY WE HAVE A GOOD ARRANGEMENT WITH WITH OUR FORMER SERVICE CONTRACTOR THERE WHO'S DOING THESE KIND OF PURCHASE ORDERS FOR US BUT VERY EXCITING THAT THIS WEEK WE'VE RECEIVED MULTIPLE QUALIFIED BIDS FOR A NEW MULTI YEAR SERVICE CONTRACTOR FOR RUTH BARCLAY. WE HAD REACHED OUT WE'VE NOT REACHED OUT. WE HAVE PUT THIS CONTRACT OUT TO BID SEVERAL TIMES AND NOT RECEIVED RESPONSIVE BIDDERS SO IT'S A BIG DEAL FOR US TO HAVE THOSE TWO AND WE'VE ALSO BEEN MAKING INVOICING AND OTHER PROTOCOL CHANGES TO IMPROVE THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF THOSE ELEVATOR CONTRACTS BECAUSE WE OBVIOUSLY NEED PEOPLE TO BID. SO THAT'S BEEN A BIG PART OF JOEY'S ROLE IS TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS FEEL COMFORTABLE BIDDING AND WE'RE REALLY GLAD WE'VE HAD THOSE TWO BIDDERS.  I'M GOING TO JUST SPEED THROUGH THIS BECAUSE I WANT TO GET TO COUNSELOR'S QUESTIONS AND TO THE COMMISSIONER. THIS IS JUST SOME MATERIALS ABOUT OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE UPDATED RECENTLY WHICH HAVE TO DO WITH HOW WE LOG ELEVATOR DOWNS HAVE TO DO WITH STREAMLINING COMMUNICATIONS. WE'VE BEEN IN MUCH MORE DIRECT CONTRACT WITH THE STATES DIVISION OF OCCUPATIONAL LICENSURE, THEIR BOARD OF ELEVATOR REGULATIONS AND WE HAVE THIS THIS EMAIL NOW ELEVATORS AT BOSTON HOUSING DOT ORG WHICH IS YOU KNOW IT'S WHAT WE'VE TOLD OUR VENDORS AND OUR REGULATORY PARTNERS AND OTHERS TO EMAIL US AT JUST SO THAT LIKE NOTHING GETS LOST GOES DOWN THE CRACKS GOES TO A STAFF MEMBER WHO THEN RETIRES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT I'M ALSO I'M SAYING IT PUBLICLY BECAUSE IF IT IF THERE IS AN ELEVATOR RELATED ISSUE YOU KNOW, IF IT COMES THROUGH THERE WE'LL BE ABLE TO TRIAGE IT.  AND WE'VE ALSO BEEN UPDATING OUR OUR INTERNAL QUALITY CONTROLS JUST SO THAT WE HAVE MORE PROACTIVE CHECKING OF THE ELEVATORS BY OUR LABORERS DEALING WITH PAST ELEVATOR PHONE OUTAGE ISSUES BY TESTING THESE MOBILE PHONE DEVICES THAT A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE TRANSITIONED TO IN OTHER PORTFOLIOS. AND AND I MENTIONED THIS BEFORE WITH GREG'S WORK BUT RETAIL AND CUSTOMER SERVICE PROTOCOL PROTOCOLS AT ARE WE'RE QUARTER CENTER AND AND THEN THE LAST SLIDE I THINK EARNED NO SECOND TO LAST SLIDE I HAVE HERE IS JUST ABOUT FIRE ALARM SO WE IT IS A SORT OF IT'S A REQUIRED FEATURE OF OUR ELEVATORS THAT IF THERE'S A FIRE ALARM THEY GO TO THE GROUND FLOOR AND THEN THEY HAVE TO BE RESET BY SOMEBODY WHO'S QUALIFIED TO RESET THEM AND SO THAT'S A THAT IS ALSO SOMETIMES A FRUSTRATION AND SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE VERY FOCUSED ON IS HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THOSE RESETS HAPPEN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. BUT OBVIOUSLY THE OTHER THING IS TO TRY TO REDUCE THE FREQUENCY WITH WHICH FIRE ALARMS HAPPEN IN THE BUILDING.  IF A FIRE WE WANT A FIRE ALARM TO HAPPEN 100% OF THE TIME WHEN THERE'S A FIRE.  BUT YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S SOMETHING WHERE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTROL FOR INSTANCE, WE OFTEN HAVE PEOPLE BREAKING INTO BUILDINGS AND THEN WE HAVE SMOKING IN THE BUILDING RESULTING FROM THAT. SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IN TERMS OF BOTH LIKE JUST REPAIRING ENTRANCE DOOR LOCKS AND AND HAVING MORE FREQUENT PATROLS.  BUT WE'RE ALSO WE'RE ALSO AS IS THE LAST BULLET ON THIS SLIDE WORKING ON THIS CAPITAL PROJECT TO INSTALL BUTTERFLY IMAX WHICH FOLKS MAY HAVE SEEN IN SOME HOUSING IT'S IT'S LIKE A IT'S A SORT OF LIKE SCREEN THAT YOU USE TO ENTER.  IT'S LIKE A DOORBELL SYSTEM BUT IT HAS A SCREEN COMPONENT AND IT GOES TO PEOPLE'S INDIVIDUAL MOBILE PHONES AND IT'S REALLY WE'VE GOTTEN IT INSTALLED NOW IN FIVE OF OUR SENIOR DEVELOPMENTS AND IT'S JUST GREAT BECAUSE IT'S MORE CONVENIENT FOR OUR RESIDENTS BECAUSE IF SOMEONE IS THERE WHO YOU WANT TO LET IN YOU CAN DO IT WITHOUT GOING ALL THE WAY DOWN STAIRS BUT IT'S ALSO BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WHAT HAPPENS WITH SOME OF OUR OLDER DOORBELL SYSTEMS SOMETIMES THEY BREAK AND THEN EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT BROKEN PEOPLE WILL JUST PRESS THEM AND PEOPLE THINK OH I'M WAITING FOR AN AMAZON PACKAGE AND THEY LET SOMEBODY IN AND IT'S NOT THE AMAZON PACKAGE. SO WE'VE INSTALLED THESE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WOULD REALLY WORK FOR OUR RESIDENTS BUT OUR RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN LOVING THEM AT THESE FIRST FIVE BUILDINGS. SO WE'RE NOW WORKING ON A PROCUREMENT CONTRACT TO ROLL THEM OUT TO ALL THE ELDERLY DISABLED PORTFOLIO BUT ALSO IN A BUNCH OF FAMILY SITES ESPECIALLY THOSE WHERE WE'VE HAD DOORBELL AND ACCESS ISSUES AND RUTH BARCLAY IS ON THAT LIST SO YEAH, SO JUST A FEW NEXT STEPS COMING IN DECEMBER JANUARY A LOT OF THESE I'VE ALLUDED TO BUT I JUST WANT TO KIND OF SUMMARIZE THEM HERE.  SO WE I MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE THESE UPGRADE PROJECTS 42 HARRISON ARCHWAY TENNIS BROOKLYN 20 EAST BROOKLYN CLIENT 29 MONTHS IN OUR RENTALS THAT ARE SIGNS THAT ARE CONTRACTED AND WE'RE EXPECTING THEM ALL TO START IN JANUARY I THINK YOU KNOW A CHALLENGE THAT WE DEFINITELY HAVE IN THE ELEVATOR SPACE IS THAT THERE'S BEEN LOTS OF TIMES WHERE TIMELINES SLIP BECAUSE OF THE PARTS AND THEN PEOPLE FEEL LIKE WE TOLD THEM ONE THING AND A DIFFERENT THING HAPPENED. SO OUR HOPE IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET REAL NAILED DOWN TIMES FOR THAT WORK THAT WE CAN THEN SHARE IN A SITE WIDE LETTER IN DECEMBER. SO WE'RE WORKING HARD ON BEING ABLE TO NAIL THAT DOWN SO THAT WE CAN BE ACCURATE AND THEN WE ALSO WANT TO GET THIS DESIGN CONTRACT AWARDED FOR THE EIGHT ELEVATORS AT RUTH BARCLAY WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT A FULL MODERNIZATION AND WE'VE SET THIS TIME FRAME AS OUR DEADLINE FOR REALLY KIND OF PUTTING THIS INFORMATIONAL FLIER TOGETHER BASED ON THE COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS AND I KNOW WE'LL WORK WITH THEM ON THAT BEFORE WE PUT IT OUT I SHOULD SAY OBVIOUSLY THAT THE BSA WHENEVER WE PUT OUT INFORMATION LIKE THIS WE PUT IT OUT IN THE LANGUAGES THAT THE PEOPLE SPEAK AT OUR DEVELOPMENTS SO IN RUTH BARCLAY THAT'S HEAVILY SPANISH AND CHINESE BOTH MANDARIN AND CANTONESE BUT AT OTHER DEVELOPMENTS IS DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND THEN JUST CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE ACTIVELY WITH OUR PARTNERS A DOLL, A B AND THE DISABILITIES COMMISSION AND CONTINUE TO IMPROVE INTERNAL OPERATIONAL MAINTENANCE AND CUSTOMER SERVICE SYSTEMS UNDER OUR NEW LEADERSHIP. SO THAT'S A BIT OF AN UPDATE BOTH FOR YOU COUNSELORS AND FOR LIKE I SAID, I KNOW THERE'S A BUNCH OF RESIDENTS HERE AND AND WE JUST WE REALLY WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT THIS IS A VERY HIGH PRIORITY FOR US.  COUNCILOR DURKIN ALLUDED TO THE FEDERAL CONTACT TEST. I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE VERY CHALLENGING. I THINK THAT UNFORTUNATELY WE WE DON'T NECESSARILY THINK THAT THERE IS A GREAT FUNDING PROGNOSIS FOR PUBLIC HOUSING ON THE FEDERAL SIDE COMING IN 2025. I WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO BE PROVED WRONG BUT THAT'S KIND OF OUR EXPECTATION. BUT I THINK IT MAKES IT ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT THAT THE CITY AND STATE PARTNERS LIKE THAT WE ALL STEP UP AND ALIGN AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO MOVE THE NEEDLE BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT OUR RESIDENTS CAN'T WAIT FOR RELIABLE ELEVATOR SERVICE. SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO, YOU KNOW, WAITING SOMETIMES FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS LIKE WAITING TILL KINGDOM COME.  BUT IT IS SOMETHING WHERE WE WE NEED THE RESOURCES IN ORDER TO DO THAT WORK. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH MADAM CHAIR AND I'LL PASS IT OFF TO COMMISSIONER MCCOSH THANK YOU.  ADMINISTRATOR BACH'S VERY COMPREHENSIVE REPORT OF PERFORMANCE AT LOUISVILLE. OBVIOUSLY FOUND A LOT MORE QUESTIONS. COMMISSIONER, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.  THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU COUNCILORS FOR INVITING ME TO TESTIFY AT THIS HEARING.  I DO WANT TO INTRODUCE TO MY RIGHT MY CHIEF OF STAFF ANDREW PAYTON.  I ASKED HER TO SIT WITH US BECAUSE SHE'S BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS CASE IN PARTICULAR.  SO AS YOU KNOW THE COUNCIL IS KNOW VERY WELL THAT I AM THE CITY'S DISABILITY COMMISSIONER BUT ALSO THE ADA TITLE TWO COORDINATOR AND I'LL JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT FOR THE AUDIENCE MEMBERS AND PEOPLE WATCHING AT HOME. SO AS A DISABILITY COMMISSIONER WE RUN A DEPARTMENT IN CITY HALL, WE DO INFORMATION REFERRAL, WE RUN THE ACCESSIBLE PARKING PROGRAM AND WE'RE RESPONSIVE TO RESIDENTS QUESTIONS FOR INFORMATION AND REFERRAL AS THE ADA TITLE TO COORDINATOR WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING EVERYTHING THAT THE CITY DOES POLICIES,  PROGRAMS, ALL THE FACILITIES THAT THEY OWN AND OPERATE BUILDINGS, PARKS, STREETS, SIDEWALKS ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL ACCESSIBILITY LAWS AND WE ALSO ARE BEHOLDEN TO STATE ACCESSIBILITY LAWS UNDER THE ARCHITECTURAL ACCESS BOARD . SO AS ADMINISTRATOR REFERENCED WE ARE SORT OF AN INTERNAL CONSULTANT TO ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS. WE HAVE NINE STAFF SO WE CAN'T DIRECTLY DO THE WORK LIKE BHO DOING BUILDINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT BUT WE SIT WITH THEM, WE TALK WITH THEM AND WE GIVE THEM GUIDANCE ON HOW TO NOT ONLY MAKE THE BUILDINGS ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE BUT ALSO POLICIES, PROGRAMS, MESSAGING AS ADMINISTRATIVE BUCK ALLUDED TO. SO WE DO HAVE A STRONG PARTNERSHIP WITH VHA. WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH ADMINISTRATOR BOK AND HER STAFF WHO ARE HERE. THEY DO INCREDIBLE WORK.  HOWEVER, WE'RE NOT INVOLVED IN THE DAILY OPERATIONS. BHO IS A QUASI AGENCY SO WE'RE REALLY JUST HERE TO SUPPORT THEM.  BUT WE HAVE WORKED ON SPECIFIC ISSUES WITH THIS CASE LIKE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS ADMINISTRATOR BOARD REFERENCE THAT THERE'S NOT A LOT OF SPACE TO MOVE PEOPLE IN BUT I KNOW THAT THEY MOVE PEOPLE TO HOTELS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND OUR BIG PUSH WOULD BE IT WAS MORE COMMUNICATION WITH THE RESIDENTS WHICH I KNOW THE ADMINISTRATOR MENTIONED AND WE'LL WORK WITH THEM MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE MESSAGING IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SEE I USE A POWER WHEELCHAIR SO I REALLY UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF ELEVATORS AND WHEN THEY'RE DOWN HOW THAT IMPACTS NOT ONLY YOUR YOU KNOW, DAY TO DAY LIFE BUT YOUR KIND OF LONG TERM IMPACTS AS FAR AS MISSING SCHOOL WORK, MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS. SO IT IS A REALLY BIG DEAL AND I UNDERSTAND THAT BJ KNOWS THAT THIS IS A BIG DEAL AND THAT'S WHY THEY'RE BEING VERY RESPONSIVE.  SO I DO WANT TO JUST MAKE A NOTE OF KIND OF A SIDE NOTE. MY OFFICE IS RECEIVING A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT ELEVATORS BREAKING DOWN SO BUT ISN'T ALONE. I KNOW THE MTA IS STRUGGLING WITH THIS. WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF BUILDINGS THAT ARE LIKE MID 20TH CENTURY MID-RISE BUILDINGS LIKE SEVEN OR EIGHT FLOORS NOT OWNED BY A BIG CONGLOMERATION OR A PUBLIC ENTITY BUT THEY CAN'T GET PARTS AS THE ADMINISTRATIVE SAID, EVERY ELEVATOR IS ALMOST BESPOKE BECAUSE THEY'RE SMALL A FOOTPRINT THEY WERE BUILT BEFORE REGULATIONS. THEY DON'T HAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO PAY FOR THEM. SO IT'S DEFINITELY A COMMON ISSUE AND I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE HOW RESPONSIVE VHA IS BEING. I THINK THEY HAVE A REALLY GOOD PLAN MOVING FORWARD. JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT MY OFFICE.  WE DO HAVE AN ARCHITECTURAL ACCESS TEAM.  MY DIRECTOR OF ARCHITECTURAL ACCESS IS HERE PATRICIA MENDEZ AND THEY REVIEW ALL BUILDING DEVELOPMENTS FOR LARGE PROJECTS IN THE CITY AND THEY ALWAYS PUSH FOR REDONE IT ELEVATORS THAT WAS A GREAT POINT THAT ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD MADE BECAUSE ONE ELEVATOR CAN CERTAINLY GO DOWN AND THEN PEOPLE ARE STUCK. SO WE ALWAYS PUSH FOR REDUNDANCY AND THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT AS COUNCIL I MENTIONED TO THINK ABOUT OUR AGING POPULATION WHEN PEOPLE GET HOUSING THEY DON'T WANT TO MOVE JUST BECAUSE THEY CAN'T DO STAIRS ANYMORE SO LET'S BUILD ALL HOUSING WE CAN SO THAT PEOPLE CAN AGE IN PLACE. SO THAT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT ME AND LIKE I SAID, ANDREA'S JOINING ME TO TALK ABOUT SPECIFICS OF THIS CASE. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM OR I'LL PASS BACK TO YOU.  THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MCCOSH SO WE'LL START WITH COUNCILOR FLYNN FOR QUESTIONS. I WILL SET THE TRUCK AT 6 MINUTES.  I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE DON OATES THAT'S AT THE FRONT TABLE HERE AS WELL.  DON HAS BEEN AN ADVOCATE ASSISTING VHA RESIDENTS ESPECIALLY AT RUTH BARCLAY AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTS MAKING SURE THAT THEIR VOICES ARE HEARD AND RESPECTED. SO I WANT TO WELCOME YOU AS WELL.  I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF RESIDENTS HERE FROM VARIOUS PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTH END THAT ALSO WANT TO TESTIFY.  THEY WANT TO GIVE THEIR TALK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE ABOUT HOW ELEVATORS HAVE IMPACTED THEM SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU FROM YOU ABOUT YOUR TESTIMONY.  THAT'S WHAT THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS HEARING DIRECTLY FROM YOU.  SO LET ME LET ME ASK A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. I DON'T WANT TO TAKE UP TOO MUCH TIME ADMINISTRATIVE BLOCK CAN YOU JUST GIVE US AN IDEA OF AND I'VE BEEN AT RUTH BARCLAY MANY TIMES MEETING WITH RESIDENTS AND HEARING THEIR STORIES ABOUT RESIDENTS TENANTS THAT ARE STUCK IN THEIR APARTMENTS BECAUSE THE ELEVATOR IS BROKEN DOWN FOR WEEKS IN 111 WOMAN WAS SAYING TO ME SHE HAD A MISS A MEDICAL APPOINTMENT BECAUSE SHE COULDN'T GET DOWN THE STAIRS.  THERE WAS A PHYSICAL THERAPY APPOINTMENT. ANOTHER WOMAN MENTIONED TO ME SHE COULDN'T GET TO THE PHARMACY THAT SHE NEEDED HER MEDICATION. ANOTHER WOMAN MENTIONED THAT SHE NEEDED TO BE SOMEWHERE WITH HER FAMILY AND SHE COULDN'T DO IT. SO THOSE THOSE WERE PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IMPACTING THEM GREATLY. GIVE US AN IDEA OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS ADMINISTRATIVE BLOCK JUST QUICKLY FREQUENTLY ARE THE ELEVATORS BROKEN AT RUTH BARCLAY THANK YOU COUNCILOR . I WOULD SAY THAT ACROSS I DON'T HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER FOR YOU BUT DEFINITELY ACROSS THE 15 ELEVATORS THAT RUTH BARCLAY AND I THINK YOU KNOW IT'S VERY COMMON FOR US TO BE EXPERIENCING A CHALLENGE WITH AT LEAST ONE OF THEM AT ANY GIVEN TIME. AS I MENTIONED BEFORE THERE'S SORT OF A DISTINCTION BETWEEN IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING WHEN ONE ELEVATOR IS DOWN IN A WHEN YOU HAVE A DOUBLE CAB BUT AT LEAST THEN YOU HAVE A DOUBLE CAB, RIGHT. AND THEN I THINK THAT THERE ARE OTHER THE BUILDINGS AND IN PARTICULAR I THINK A LOT OF THE CASES THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HAVE BEEN IN CASES OF THE SIX STORY BUILDINGS, THE FOUR SIX STORY BUILDINGS WE HAVE THERE WHERE THERE'S JUST ONE NON REDUNDANT ELEVATOR BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IF THAT ONE GOES DOWN THE YOU KNOW THERE WAS A MAJOR CASE OF THIS AS YOU KNOW AS I MENTIONED IN SEPTEMBER OCTOBER AND SO A NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THE TYPES OF THINGS YOU'RE DESCRIBING THEN AND AND THAT WAS REALLY WHAT PROMPTED US TO HAVE MORE CONSISTENT ELEVATOR DOWN PROTOCOLS AND THEN AND THEN WE'VE HAD FURTHER ISSUES RECENTLY. BUT I THINK THAT I THINK WHAT I WANT TO LIFT UP WHAT YOU'RE WHAT YOU'RE ALLUDING TO AND I THINK AGAIN IT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR RESIDENTS HAVE SAID AND THAT DON HAS SAID IS LIKE YOU KNOW, THERE'S THERE'S SORT OF THERE'S BOTH THE ACTUAL OUTAGES AND THERE'S THE CHALLENGE OF IF PEOPLE FEEL LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE UNRELIABLE, THEN WHAT LIKE YOU'RE SAYING THEY MIGHT BE LIKE OH, I DON'T WANT TO GO DO THIS THING OR I'M NERVOUS ABOUT GOING DOING THIS THING BECAUSE WILL I BE ABLE TO GET BACK? AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY A BIG PART OF WHAT'S DRIVING FOR US LIKE WITH THE RESOURCES THAT THANK YOU BEST THAT YOU HAVE HELPS US GET GOING TOWARDS MODERNIZATION OF THESE EIGHT ELEVATORS AND THEN THE UPGRADES OF THESE FOR AROUND THE CORNER AROUND THE FOUR CORNERS BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO GIVE IS LIKE I THINK THAT WE'VE REALLY IMPROVED THE BEACHES ABILITY JUST RECENTLY TO BE RESPONSIVE WHEN AN ELEVATOR GOES DOWN. BUT WE KNOW THAT WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS AND WHAT WE WANT IS FOR ELEVATORS TO GO DOWN LESS FREQUENTLY. RIGHT. AND IT WILL SAY THAT ONE OF OUR CHALLENGES AT THIS SITE IS THAT WE'RE IN A FUNNY SITUATION WHERE WELL, IT'S NOT VERY FUNNY BUT THE WE THE THE ELEVATORS IN THE TALL BUILDING CAUSE THE REDUNDANT ONES ARE VERY OLD AND SO IT'S GREAT TO BE TO GET INTO MODERNIZATION ON THEM. IRONICALLY THE ONES AT THE CORNERS ARE ACTUALLY SOME OF OUR NEWER ELEVATORS. THEY'RE NOT BRAND NEW BUT THEY'RE NOT THAT OLD.  BUT THEY WERE PUT IN WITH WORKING WITH A VENDOR WHO HAS SINCE GONE OUT OF BUSINESS AND WHO AS WE'VE LEARNED WAS NOT THAT GOOD. SO SO I THINK LIKE THAT IS A AND THAT'S VERY FRUSTRATING FOR US BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY LIKE IN A CONTEXT WHERE YOU GET SO LITTLE CAPITAL MONEY YOU'RE SORT OF HOPING THAT EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE USEFUL LIFE AT LEAST STRAIGHT. AND SO WHEN YOU DON'T SEE THAT IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING. THANK YOU.  I ALSO WAS TALKING TO SOME RESIDENTS AT BERKELEY AND ONE OF THE RESIDENTS TOLD ME THAT A FIREFIGHTER CAME TO HER APARTMENT AND LITERALLY CARRIED HER DOWN THE STAIRS SO THAT SHE COULD GET TO HER MEDICAL APPOINTMENT.  THIS WAS AN ELDERLY WOMAN. THIS WAS A WOMAN A PERSON WITH DISABILITIES.  THESE ARE THESE ARE FEDERAL THESE ARE FEDERAL LAWS AS WELL THAT WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH ADA.  AS I MENTIONED, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DISREGARD . AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PIECE OF FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND WE JUST CAN'T HAVE EXCUSES ON WHY ELEVATORS ARE BROKEN AND WHEN ELEVATORS ARE BROKEN AND AND PEOPLE CAN'T GET TO THEIR MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS ESPECIALLY PERSONS WITH DISABILITY TO ME THAT IS A SIGNIFIER AND PROBLEM NOT JUST BECAUSE IT'S A MORAL ISSUE BUT IT'S A LEGAL ISSUE TOO. WE'RE IN VIOLATION OF THE FEDERAL DISABILITIES ACT.  I'M NOT BLAMING ANYBODY. I'M JUST POINTING THAT OUT THAT WE NEED TO REEVALUATE THE ENTIRE ELEVATOR SYSTEM TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE STATE OF THE EN ELEVATORS THROUGHOUT VHA IN THAT EVERY PERSON HAS EQUAL ACCESS TO THE ELEVATORS ESPECIALLY PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN OUR SENIORS. I THINK MY TIME IS UP. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK FRIEND CUSTOMER FOR YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU. SO WHAT I'M HEARING AND I EXPECT IT TO BECAUSE I TOO BELIEVE IT THAT YOU KNOW THIS IS A PRIORITY BUT ALSO HEARING THAT THERE IS NO MONEY SO HOW DO WE ADDRESS THE FACT THAT THERE'S THESE ISSUES THAT MAY NEVER BE ABLE TO ADDRESSED IF WE NEED MONEY TO FIX THE PROBLEM?  SO I THINK I SOMETIMES WELL FROM THE BISHOP'S PERSPECTIVE THE NUMBER ONE SOLUTION IS MONEY AND THAT'S WHERE LIKE HONESTLY LIKE I THINK IT'S FUNNY IN THE CONTEXT OF THE BOSTON CITY OF BOSTON CAPITAL BUDGET THAT YOU ALL APPROVE LIKE $4 BILLION MIGHT NOT SEEM LIKE THAT MUCH BUT COMPARED TO OUR $30 MILLION TOTAL ACROSS ALL OF THE UNITS GRANT FROM THE FEDS IT'S LIKE HUGE, RIGHT? AND IT LETS US DO THINGS LIKE OKAY, WE'RE ACTUALLY FINALLY GOING BE ABLE TO PUT A DESIGN RFP OUT AND MOVE ON MODERNIZING THESE ELEVATORS. SO I JUST WANT STRESS THAT I DO THINK THAT MONEY FROM DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT IS A PIECE OF THE SOLUTION HERE IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET.  THE ONLY WAY WE CAN GET MONEY TO BE I MEAN IT'S LIKE YOU KNOW, WE ALSO GOT THIS SENATOR COLLINS PUT $1,000,000 EARMARK IN THE HOUSING BOND BILL SO THAT STATE CAPITAL MONEY WE OBVIOUSLY NOW HAVE TO GET THAT AUTHORIZED AT THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE LEVEL. BUT THOSE ARE YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF THE THINGS I MEAN THERE IS NOT LIKE A I KIND OF REFERENCED THIS BUT THERE ISN'T LIKE A THERE'S NOT A HUD LIKE GRANT FOR INSTANCE, THAT WE CAN APPLY TO.  THERE ARE SOME THINGS LIKE THERE'S A SET OF SPECIAL MONEY FOR DO LETTING BUT THERE'S NO SPECIAL MONEY FOR ELEVATORS SO THERE'S NOTHING LIKE THAT.  I DO THINK I SHOULD SAY LIKE I THINK THAT SINCE WE'VE TAKEN A NUMBER OF STEPS THAT HAVE I TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE PRESENTATION LIKE WE'VE VERY VERY MUCH REDUCED TO SORT OF LIKE A LIKE MULTI-DAY OUTAGES AT AT RUTH BARCLAY IS NOT SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN SEEING WE SEE THINGS THAT ARE MUCH SHORTER. LIKE I SAID I THINK THAT AS OUR RESIDENTS AND OTHERS WILL TELL YOU LIKE THE FACT THAT IT'S LESS THAN A DAY IS STILL LIKE MAKING IT YOU KNOW, ACCESS IS NOT WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. BUT I JUST I WANT TO SAY THAT BECAUSE I THINK THERE ARE THINGS LIKE EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN DO ON THIS FRONT MATTERS. SO I DON'T WANT TO I DON'T WANT TO WRITE ANY OF IT OFF JUST BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO REPLACE ALL THE YEARS AS THE FORMER CHAIR OF THE OPERA COMMITTEE, COULD WE HAVE USED OPERA FUNDS FOR ANY OF THIS THESE REPAIRS AND WE YEAH, I MEAN WE COULD WE COULD HAVE I THINK THAT THE THERE WAS A LOT OF PRESSURE AT THE TIME THAT THE ARPA FUNDS WERE AUTHORIZED TO FOCUS THEM ON KIND OF BOTH IMMEDIATE COVID RESPONSE THINGS AND ALSO THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE COULDN'T PAY FOR WITH THE CAPITAL BUDGET.  RIGHT BECAUSE THERE WERE A LOT OF LIKE SURGE EXPENSES THAT AS YOU KNOW ARE EXCLUDED FROM BEING THE TYPE OF THING YOU CAN USE ON CAPITAL. SO I KNOW THERE WERE EARLY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT LIKE HOW MUCH SHOULD THIS JUST AUGMENT THE CITY'S CAPITAL BUDGET AND I THINK MOSTLY THAT WASN'T THE ROUTE OBVIOUSLY THAT IT WENT AND YEAH, I MEAN NOW THAT I'M AT THE BEACH I'M LIKE YEAH, I COULD HAVE GIVEN IT ALL TO US. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AWESOME. BUT BUT I KNOW YOU WERE HERE WEEKS AGO FOR THE FINAL WHAT WAS IT THE 3 MILLION? YES. AND OTHER HOUSING ISSUES BUT YEAH THAT COULD HAVE GONE RIGHT TO REPAIRS AT THE I THINK THAT THAT'S AN EXAMPLE WHERE THE SO THE CAP OF THE CITY'S CAPITAL BUDGET COULD IT COULD NOT PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR FIRST TIME HOMEBUYERS WOULD BE A RIGHT BY LAW IT CAN'T DO THAT AND SO THE ARPA MONEY IS VERY UNIQUE IN BEING ABLE TO DO THAT AND THE REALITY IS THAT $3 MILLION IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET LIKE TO THE SCALE OF THE THREE NOW IS AT $3.5 BILLION CAPITAL BUDGET SEEMS MORE ACHIEVABLE.  OKAY. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MCCOSH AND YOU MENTIONED THE YOUR ROLE AS THE ADA TITLE TOO WAS THAT WHEN YOU STEPPED IN WITH THE ENGLISH WHEELCHAIR RAMP OR WAS IT BOTH BEING ABLE TO BE AT THE TABLE AND THANK YOU FOR THAT FOR HAVING YOUR VOICE AT THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THE AT ENGLISH HIGH WAS ADDRESSED? YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.  SO AS I SAID ON THE DETAIL TO COORDINATOR FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON THAT BEING SAID THERE ARE WHAT WE CALL QUASI AGENCIES AS YOU WELL KNOW VHA AS ONE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS ALSO ONE. SO AGAIN WE'LL WORK WITH THEIR STAFF BUT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE OVERSIGHT OF OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THOSE ACCESS ISSUE GUIDANCE . WE GIVE GUIDANCE YEAH, WE TRY TO TROUBLESHOOT WE TRY TO SOLVE PROBLEMS REALLY AND IN IN THE PROCESS TO MAKE IT AS IDEALLY ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE. SOMETIMES IT'S LIKE SWITCHING THE ENGINES LIKE WE LOOKED AT IT ENGLISH HIGH SOMETIMES THAT'S NOT FEASIBLE BUT YOU KNOW WE'RE REALLY THE INTERNAL CONSULTANTS TO DO THAT WORK AND WHEN YOUR OFFICE GETS COMPLAINTS CONCERN AND CALLS ABOUT VIOLATIONS THAT ARE IN THE CITY, ARE YOU DO YOU MOVE THOSE FORWARD? ARE YOU LEGALLY SUPPOSED TO THEM SEND THOSE TO LIKE THE STATE THE FEDERAL LEVEL?  YEP. SO DOES THAT PROCESS GO BECAUSE I KNOW MANY CALLS THAT ARE COMING IN ABOUT THE ELEVATORS HERE A BIG CONCERN IS A VIOLATION.  RIGHT? SO I MEANT TO MENTION EARLIER OUR DIRECTOR OF ARCHITECTURAL ACCESS PATRICIA MENDEZ, SHE HAS A SEAT ON THE STATE ARCHITECTURAL ACCESS BOARD. SHE'S CURRENTLY THE VICE CHAIR SO ABBY IS THIS STATE AGENCY THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCESSIBILITY IN THE BUILDING CODE . SO IF SOMEONE CALLS OUR OFFICE ,WE WE CAN CALL OUR INTERNAL DEPARTMENTS WHEREVER IT'S RELEVANT. IF IT'S ESD, IF IT'S A WE CAN REFER PEOPLE TO THE ABBEY, THEY CAN FILE A FORMAL COMPLAINT. THEY'RE AND THEN FINALLY IF IT'S A SEVERE ISSUE AND THEY WANT TO FILE AN 80 GRIEVANCE AGAINST VHA, THEY CAN DO THAT THROUGH MY OFFICE. SO WHATEVER COMPLAINTS WE GET WE DEFINITELY MOVE FORWARD WHETHER IT'S YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE FORMAL COMPLAINT PROCESS OR JUST TRYING TO WORK INTERNALLY WITH WITH OUR PARTNERS. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND I AM ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM THE RESIDENTS. SO I AM PERFECT TIMING, PERFECT TIMING. THANK YOU COUNCILOR MURPHY AND CONSIDER KIND OF STEPPED OUT I HAD A FEW I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS. I'LL JUST RESET THE TIME FOR MYSELF.  OKAY. OFF WE GO.  SO I GET THE REDUNDANT THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING EXCESS CAPACITY AS WE FIND OUT HERE IN THIS WE PUT IN A NEW NEW ELEVATOR SYSTEM FOR CABS AND THEN THEN THERE WAS A FLOOD AND TWO OF THE CABS WENT AWAY FOR A WHILE AND IT TOOK US A CONSIDERABLE LENGTH OF TIME TO GET THEM FIXED. I THINK WE'RE TALKING LOOKING AT TWO AND A HALF YEARS OR SOMETHING CRAZY.  I KNOW IT WAS COVERED . CAN YOU GIVE US SOME INSIGHT INTO WHAT LIKE I THINK YOU KNOW, IF IN TERMS OF SUPPLY CHAIN I KNOW YOU'RE NOT THE THEN YOU'RE NOT THE CONTRACTOR, YOU'RE NOT THE VENDOR BUT LIKE I'M I KNOW THAT WE'RE SORT OF GETTING PAID IMPROVING THE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES BUT ARE WE ANTICIPATING WITH MAYBE INCREASED TARIFFS ON IMPORTED GOODS AND THINGS WILL WILL THAT SLOW THE WHOLE THING DOWN AGAIN AND MAKE IT MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE I LIKE IT. I THINK WE'RE NOT WE DON'T HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS BUT HOW MUCH OF OUR MATERIALS DO WE HAVE TO RELY ON FROM IMPORTS? YEAH, SO IT'S VERY CONCERNING LIKE AS YOU AS EXACTLY AS YOU SAY COUNCILOR YOU KNOW THE THE DELAYS THAT CAME FROM THE COVID DYNAMICS ALTHOUGH THEY'RE STILL PRESIDENT THE SYSTEM HAVE STARTED TO BE REDUCED. I THINK THAT IF WE ACTUALLY GET INTO A TARIFF WAR THE LIKE THE IMPACTS ON US ARE VERY UNPREDICTABLE BECAUSE IT'S YOU KNOW IT COULD BE THAT WE'RE NOT GENERALLY ORDERING ELEVATOR PARTS FROM ABROAD BUT THE CORE MATERIALS THAT MAKE THEM COULD BE COMING FROM ABROAD. AND SO THAT'S THE TYPE OF THING WHERE THE VHA DOESN'T CONTROL LIKE KIND OF THAT SUPPLY CHAIN BUT IT COULD VERY DIRECTLY AFFECT US. WE ARE ALREADY VERY FRUSTRATED BY THE FACT THAT QUITE OFTEN THE ELEVATOR PARTS MANUFACTURERS WHO WE ARE BUYING PARTS FROM THEY ARE ACROSS THE COUNTRY TEXAS, CALIFORNIA AND WE'RE LITERALLY SITTING WAITING FOR THEM TO MAKE SOMETHING AND THERE'S THIS VERY STRANGE WORLD THAT I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT LIKE ELEVATORS.  WE OFTEN HAVE ELEVATORS WHERE THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THEM HAVE GONE OUT OF BUSINESS AND NOW SOME OTHER PERSON HAS TAKEN ON THE SORT OF VOLUNTARY BUSINESS OF MAKING PARTS THAT FIT THAT OLD BUSINESS AS ELEVATORS EXCEPT THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE A NEW BUSINESS THEY'RE NOT ACCOUNTABLE TO YOU AS LIKE WARRANTIES OR LIKE HAVING TO REPAIR AND LIKE SO YOU JUST CHASE THEM AND HOPE THAT YOU CAN GET WHAT YOU NEED.  SO IT'S A LIKE I MEAN TALK ABOUT A WORLD THAT LIKE I FEEL LIKE NEEDS A DIFFERENT KIND OF REGULATION LIKE THE ELEVATOR MANUFACTURING WORLD IS IS VERY FRUSTRATING RIGHT NOW I THINK WE'RE ALL WORRIED THE TARIFF THING THE OTHER THING AS YOU KNOW IS THAT TARIFFS CREATE TRADE WARS AND SO THERE CAN BE UNPREDICTABLE CONSEQUENCES BECAUSE SOMETHING ELSE GETS CAUGHT UP IN THAT SO I MEAN ON THAT FRONT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY CAN'T CONTROL IT AND WE JUST KEEP FINGERS KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED. AND YOU MENTIONED THE FEDERAL PORTFOLIO LIKE I HAVE MANY, MANY IN NO JUST HELP EXPLAIN THAT THAT WAS FEDERAL A STATE PORTFOLIO AS WELL. YEAH. SO THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS ABOUT 2000 THANK YOU SO MUCH. ABOUT 2000 STATE PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS AND THEN WERE DIRECTLY OPERATING ABOUT 8000 FEDERAL PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS WERE ALSO PASSING SUBSIDY THROUGH TO A BUNCH OF OTHER SO LIKE ORCHARD GARDENS WHICH WAS A REDEVELOPMENT TECHNICALLY IS A PUBLIC HOUSING SUBSIDY THAT WE PASS THROUGH TO OUR PARTNERS SO AND BUT YEAH SO BASICALLY LIKE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT'S WHY I SAID YOU KNOW ROUGHLY 8000 IT'S MORE ON PAPER BUT LET'S SAY ROUGHLY 8000 PUBLIC HOUSING FEDERAL UNITS AND SO LIKE RUTH BARCLAYS ABOUT 5% OF THAT AND YOU SAY THAT THE ANNUAL CAPITAL BUDGET FOR A FEDERAL UNIT IS 4166 LIKE IN TERMS OF DOES THAT MONEY AUTOMATICALLY COME FROM HUD EVERY YEAR OR HOW DOES THAT WORK?  IT COMES FROM HUD SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION. SO ACTUALLY LIKE IT'S ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT AND I THINK THAT IN MANY RESPECTS I THINK THE IT'S A VERY IT'S A VERY STRESSFUL SPACE BECAUSE THE CAPITAL SO HUD GIVES US MONEY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING OPERATIONS AND THEN IT GIVES US SEPARATE MONEY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL AND BOTH OF THOSE THINGS ARE FUNDED AT THE APPROPRIATION LEVEL BY CONGRESS AT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL IN WASHINGTON. RIGHT. BUT IT'S NOT LIKE HUD OWES US FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT LIKE IF THEY DON'T HAVE IT, THEY DON'T HAVE IT. YEAH, RIGHT.  BUT LIKE WHEN WE DON'T HAVE IT WE DON'T WE DON'T HAVE IT INDEED. NO, WE FEEL LIKE THEY DO OWE IT TO US BECAUSE WE FEEL THAT YOU KNOW THIS IS A FEDERAL PROGRAM AND IT OUGHT TO BE APPROPRIATELY RESOURCED. RIGHT LIKE BUT CAN'T JUST WALK AWAY FROM IT. YEAH. SO BUT IN FACT OVER MANY DECADES THAT HAS BEEN THE TREND IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.  I KNOW THIS YOU KNOW SORT OF EVERYTHING TOUCHES THIS SO YOU SAY THIS ABOUT ONE AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS OF DEFERRED MAINTENANCE OVER AND THAT SORT OF ACCUMULATED OVER MANY YEARS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT STARTING IN THE 1980S THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WASN'T REALLY FUNDING THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF PUBLIC HOUSING.  SO SO YOU GET SOME MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL AND WE GET SOME MONEY FROM THE CITY. HOW MUCH?  AGAIN, BACK TO THE QUESTION OF MONEY LIQUIDITY HOW MUCH CAN WE EXPECT TO GET FROM THE FROM THE FROM THE STATE AND DO THEY HAVE ANY SORT OF RESPONSE IF IT'S A FEDERALLY FUNDED PROJECT, DO THEY SUPPORT THE STATE BE SORT OF I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE MONEY COMES, YOU KNOW, SO UNFORTUNATELY THE STATE, YOU KNOW, DOES GIVE US CAPITAL FUNDS BUT ONLY FOR THE STATE PUBLIC HOUSING AND THEN AND SO THAT'S LIKE ITS OWN SET OF FUNDING FOR ITS OWN AND TO BE CLEAR, THE THING IS THAT HISTORICALLY OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DECADES THE STATE PUBLIC HOUSING FUNDING HAS BEEN EVEN LOWER THAN THE FEDERAL. SO IT WAS A BIG DEAL WITH THE AFFORDABLE HOMES ACT TO BUMP IT BACK UP BUT THAT'S GOING TO MEAN INCREASED CAPITAL FUNDING CLOSER TO PARITY WITH THE FEDERAL WHICH STILL ISN'T ENOUGH FOR DEVELOPMENTS LIKE WEST BROADWAY COUNCILOR MURPHY REFERENCED WHICH IS A STATE DEVELOPMENT BUT THE ONLY STATE DEVELOPMENT WE HAVE WITH AN ELEVATOR IS MONSIGNOR POWERS, WHICH IS IN COUNCILOR FLYNN'S DISTRICT AND YOU HAVE IF WE HAVE GARDENS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BUT IT'S NO IT'S A WALK UP A FOUR STOREY WALK UP SO YEAH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. NO, SORRY . I'M HAPPY TO BE A COMMISSIONER PASS CONSIDER.  CAN YOU HAVE THE FLOOR?  THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH CHAIR AND I'M JUST CURIOUS ON PARTICULARLY THE ELEVATOR CONTRACTS IS THERE ANY EXPERTS THAT ARE REVIEWING THOSE CONTRACTS WITHIN THE VHA AND DO YOU HAVE LIKE WHAT KIND OF WHO'S REVIEWING THOSE CONTRACTS THAT YEAH. SO PART OF YEAH SO WE DO HAVE WE HAVE A CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT A VHA AND ALSO PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT AND THERE'S QUITE A LOT OF EXPERTISE THEY HAVE TO HAVE IN THE VARIOUS STATE PROCUREMENT RULES. ONE OF THE HISTORICAL CHALLENGES IN THIS SPACE FOR VHA HAS THAT OUR ELEVATOR CONTRACTS OF A CERTAIN SIZE ARE SORT OF CLASSIFIED AS CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS AND THERE'S A LOT OF STATE LAWS AROUND CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS AND LIKE PROVISIONS THEY HAVE TO HAVE. AND SO IF YOU'RE AN ELEVATOR OPERATOR AND YOU SEE THIS VERY COMPLICATED PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT THAT YOU COULD BID ON AND THEN YOU SEE THIS VERY SIMPLE LIKE JUST DO OUR WORK AND WE'LL SEND YOU A CHECK EVERY 30 DAYS CONTRACT ON THE PRIVATE SIDE LIKE YOU'RE LIKE YEAH, WELL THAT SEEMS EASIER, YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL TO THE ELEVATOR CONTRACTORS WHO HAVE HISTORICALLY WORKED WITH US DESPITE THE ADDED COMPLEXITY. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW AND IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT JOEY IS WORKING ON IS JUST LIKE FIGURING OUT WITHIN THE PROCUREMENT RULES THAT WE LIVE UNDER LIKE HOW CAN WE SIMPLIFY THINGS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND LIKE STILL BE CHECKING THE BOXES LEGALLY BUT MAKING IT EASIER SO THAT WE CAN BE MORE COMPETITIVE IN TERMS OF GETTING THOSE CONTRACTORS. SO THAT'S SOMETHING AND REALLY LIKE WE COUNCIL COUNCILOR BREADON KNOWS JOEY BECAUSE HE WAS MANAGING COMMONWEALTH AND IT'S BEEN A VERY SUCCESSFUL PROPERTY MANAGER OF OURS BUT WE STOLE HIM FROM THAT ROLE BECAUSE HE'D BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN KIND OF WALKING THIS LINE WITH OTHER OTHER KIND OF OPERATIONS RELATED CONTRACTS IN THE PAST AND JUST IN GENERAL LIKE NOT NOT SPECIFICALLY ON THE ELEVATORS, IS THERE ANY WAY FOR INTER PART INTER DEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION BECAUSE I KNOW OBVIOUSLY LIKE BHP'S HAS ITS OWN FACILITIES DEPARTMENT LIKE THE CITY OF BOSTON HAS ITS OWN FACILITIES DEPARTMENT LIKE IS THERE ANYTHING THAT ANY OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS ARE PARTICULARLY GOOD AT THAT YOU GUYS ARE COLLABORATING WITH THEM ON FOR ANY SPECIFIC YOU KNOW, ANY SPECIFIC NEEDS AND I DON'T THINK WE HAVEN'T REALLY COLLABORATED WITH THE OTHER ONES WITH LARGE PROPERTY HOLDINGS ON THE ELEVATOR FRONT I THINK USUALLY OUR COLLABORATION HAS TO DO WITH WHEN WE HAVE ADJACENT BUILDINGS TO EACH OTHER SO SITES LIKE THE TOBIN THAT YOU'RE FAMILIAR WHERE THERE'S LIKE KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES TO THINK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT PIECES OF PUBLIC LAND AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND HOW THEY INTERACT. I WILL SAY THAT I THINK OUR ELEVATOR NEEDS ARE ALSO IN WAYS MORE MORE ACUTE AND I MEAN ALL ELEVATOR NEEDS ARE ACUTE BUT LIKE OUR ELEVATORS PEOPLE LIVE ON THEM.  RIGHT? AND SO LIKE THE REALITY IS IS THAT IF YOU HAVE A IF YOU HAVE A SCHOOL OR OFFICE BUILDING AND A ROOM BECOMES INACCESSIBLE BECAUSE OF AN ELEVATOR, YOU COULD MOVE WHATEVER EVENT YOU WERE GOING TO HAVE TO THE GROUND FLOOR. RIGHT. THERE ARE LIKE WAYS THAT YOU COULD LIKE WORK AROUND THAT TO IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY TEMPORARILY IF SOMEBODY'S HOME IS INACCESSIBLE TO THEM THEN THAT'S JUST LIKE IT'S A VERY, VERY URGENT CONDITION. AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S AND WILL SAY I MEAN JUST TO ECHO WHAT THE COMMISSIONER SAID ABOUT THIS BEING A PROBLEM NOT JUST AT VHA, ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS THAT HAPPENED WHEN YOU KNOW THERE'S BEEN A BUNCH OF PRESS COVERAGE OF OUR ELEVATOR ISSUES RECENTLY AND A OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN OTHER BUILDINGS CALLED OUR LINE TO SAY YEAH, WHY HAVEN'T YOU FIXED MY ELEVATORS YET BECAUSE THERE WAS KIND OF A SENSE OF LIKE OH I GUESS THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM AND IT'S NOT WORKING IN MY BUILDING AND AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE LEARNED WAS THAT IT'S QUITE ACUTE ACROSS THE CITY BECAUSE WE HEARD FROM ALL THESE FOLKS WHO WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT AND WHO WE DON'T MANAGE THEIR BUILDINGS. BUT YEAH SO I WOULD JUST SAY I THINK THAT WE'VE HAD FANTASTIC COLLABORATION FROM A DISABILITIES COMMISSION. IT'S AN INTERESTING POINT THE QUESTION OF LIKE WHAT COULD WE DO WITH OUR FELLOW DEPARTMENTS ? BUT I DON'T THINK WE'VE DONE MUCH ON THAT FRONT AND THANK YOU SO MUCH ADMINISTRATOR FOR THAT. I KNOW THE FENSKE CO-OP HAS REACHED OUT TO ME BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING ELEVATOR WORK IN JANUARY AND THEY HAVE AT LEAST TWO DISABLED MEMBERS OF THEIR COMMUNITY THAT WILL NEED LIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR A MONTH. SO THIS IS NOT SPECIFIC JUST TO VHA BUT OBVIOUSLY OUR MOST VULNERABLE AND AND MOST PRECIOUS RESIDENTS LIVE IN VHA AND WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE HAVE ACCESS TO WHERE THEY LIVE AND LIKE WHERE THEY'RE BUILDING A LIFE SO I THINK ON MY END THE QUESTION ABOUT SORT OF THAT COLLABORATION IS REALLY ABOUT ARE THERE RESOURCES THAT THE CITY IS SPENDING WHEN LIKE THERE IS YOU KNOW OF A DEVICE THAT DOES X, Y OR Z AND IT'S DOWN THE STREET AND YOU KNOW LIKE WHAT COLLABORATION IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE I KNOW YOU KNOW WE'RE AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE AND ALL OF THESE THINGS JUST FIGURING OUT WAYS FOR CITY DEPARTMENTS TO COLLABORATE BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE VERY EXTENSIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH FACILITIES THAT BEEPS AND THAT WE HAVE VERY EXTENSIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR FACILITIES DEPARTMENT HERE AT THE CITY AND JUST THAT'S JUST MY NOTE OF LIKE I WONDER IF THERE COULD BE SOME SORT OF MASTER INVENTORY OF LIKE THINGS THAT ARE OF WAYS THAT THAT COLLABORATION COULD ACTUALLY CUT COST.  YEAH, I CAN TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT LIKE ADMINISTRATIVE BLOCK SAID WE ARE WE COLLABORATE ALL THE TIME VERY CLOSELY.  WE ALSO WORK WITH ESD PUBLIC FACILITIES, PROPERTY MANAGEMENT . IT IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT JURISDICTION EVERYTHING IN BOSTON HAS TO DO WITH JURISDICTION AND THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT LIKE LAWS THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I'M GOING TO PASS IT TO MY CHIEF OF STAFF JUST TO CLARIFY SOME THINGS ON THAT. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. YEAH, SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT LEGAL AUTHORITIES THAT THAT APPLY HERE. AS COMMISSIONER MENTIONED, WE ARE THE ADA TITLE TWO COORDINATOR. THE ADA DOESN'T ACTUALLY COVER HOUSING TECHNICALLY IT COVERS EMPLOYMENT CITY SERVICES AND PUBLIC PLACES OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION. SO WHERE OUR INVOLVEMENT IS WITH VHA IS BECAUSE IT'S A PUBLIC AUTHORITY AND SUBJECT TO TITLE TWO AND SO TITLE TWO WOULD COVER BROADLY SPEAKING PROGRAMMATIC ACCOMMODATIONS THE ELEVATOR DOWN PROTOCOLS EXPLAINING TO RESIDENTS WHAT THEIR RIGHTS ARE, THINGS LIKE THAT AND MAKING THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS THE OTHER TWO PIECES THAT WOULD COVER MORE SPECIFIC RIGHTS AND HOUSING AND THE SPECIFIC STRUCTURE OF THE ELEVATOR WOULD BE THE STATE ARCHITECTURAL ACCESS CODE WHICH IS PART OF THE BUILDING CODE WHICH DOES EXPLICITLY REQUIRE THAT PEOPLE MAINTAIN ACCESS TO ACCESS FEATURES AND HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE TO MAINTAIN ACCESSIBLE ROUTES AND THEN THE FAIR HOUSING ACT THE FAIR HOUSING ACT LAYS OUT A LOT MORE OF THE SPECIFIC AS A TENANT HERE ARE YOUR RIGHTS IF YOUR ELEVATOR IS DOWN AND HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM FROM YOUR YOUR HOUSING PROVIDER . SO THAT'S WHERE WE'VE REALLY STEPPED IN TO HELP WITH THE PROGRAMMATIC PIECE WITH VHA TO HELP ADVOCATE FOR BETTER COMMUNICATION WITH THE TENANTS. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR RIGHTS ARE AND WHAT YOU CAN REQUEST OF YOUR LANDLORD IF NO ONE TELLS YOU SO MAKING SURE WE GET THAT INFORMATION IN THE HANDS OF TENANTS BUT THEY HAVE A PLAN TO ACTUALLY MEET THOSE THOSE REQUIREMENTS. THANK YOU SO MUCH.  CAN I JUST ADD ONE OTHER QUICK THING LIKE YOU TALKED ABOUT PUBLIC FACILITIES AT THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES OF THE CITY OF BOSTON.  I THINK THEY'RE ALL STRUGGLING LIKE WHEN YOU THINK OF EVEN CITY HALL LIKE THE ESCALATORS ARE NOT ABLE TO BE REPAIRED BECAUSE THEY DON'T MAKE PARTS ANYMORE. SO I THINK PUBLIC FACILITIES IN THE SCHOOLS HOUSING AND EVEN CITY HALL ARE ALL STRUGGLING.  THESE ISSUES I THANK YOU COUNTRY DURKAN A SECOND ROUND OF QUESTIONS COUNCILOR FLYNN DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?  MADAM CHAIR I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. I'D PROBABLY LIKE TO GET TO THE NEXT PANEL AND LISTEN TO THE RESIDENTS. I THINK WE'LL START WITH SOME OF ANYONE ELSE'S QUESTIONS AND I THINK WE'LL MOVE TO TAKE SOME FOLKS FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY AND THEN WE'LL HAVE OUR DON YOU WOULD SPEAK UP AND SO WE'LL WE'LL SORT OF SPLIT INTO THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY.  DO WE HAVE ANYONE ON LINE FOR PUBLIC TESTING YOU WANT TO TRY AND TAKE THAT ONE QUESTION FIRST.  HOW ARE YOU ALL DOING UP THERE? DO YOU WANT TO STRETCH SO WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR THE VIRTUAL TESTIMONY, IS BILL HEADING FRED MASS YET RITA ON SELECT PARDON ME IF I'M MISPRONOUNCING HIM I'M DIFFICULTY READING THIS LINDA LYNN YES AND FRANCIS SOTO SO YOU FOLKS COULD LINE UP AND THEN WE'LL TAKE THE THE VIRTUAL TESTIMONY AND THEN WE'LL TAKE YOU. OKAY, HERE'S THIS SO YOU CAN GO TO EITHER SIDE THIS IS YOU COULD START JUST PRINCE JACKSON JACKSON GREEN AS I DO YOU HEAR ME I WAS SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. YOU'VE GOT TO. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU.  ON THE BILL MY NAME IS JOHN GREEN, AGENT WITH THE BOSTON BUILDING TRADE UNIONS. HAPPY TO SPEAK SPEAK TODAY FROM THE BOSTON BUILDING TRADE UNION TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN THE WORK WE DO TO SUPPORT VHA IN ADDRESSING THE MAINTENANCE NEEDS OF PUBLIC HOUSING WITH THE GOAL OF MAKING HOMES SAFER, ENSURING RESIDENTS ARE COMFORTABLE COMING AND GOING FROM THEIR HOMES AND ALSO FEEL COMFORTABLE IN THEIR HOMES WHERE WE SEE SYSTEM PIPE SYSTEMS ROOF SYSTEMS ALSO WORKING PROPERLY AS WELL.  WE DEEPLY VALUE OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH VHA LEADERSHIP AND THE COMMITMENT THEY SHOW AND BALANCE IN THE COMPLEX AND OFTEN COMPETING NEEDS OF RESIDENTS ALL WHILE WORKING WITH LIMITED RESOURCES. TOGETHER WE AIM TO ENSURE THAT EVERY FAMILY IN PUBLIC HOUSING, AS I SAID, FEELS SAFE COMFORTABLE AND HAS A DIGNIFIED PLACE TO CALL HOME. PUBLIC HOUSING PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN PROVIDING STABILITY AND OPPORTUNITY TO THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES AND IT TAKES A COLLECTIVE EFFORT TO UPHOLD THE MISSION BY COLLABORATING WITH BHM RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS WE CAN DELIVER HIGH QUALITY SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE LIVES AND STRENGTHEN NEIGHBORHOODS. NOW MORE THAN EVER IT IS ESSENTIAL TO STAND UNITED IN SUPPORT IN PUBLIC HOUSING AND THE LEADERSHIP WORKING TIRELESSLY TO SUSTAIN IT. FEDERAL CHALLENGED FEDERAL CHALLENGES MAY THREATEN THESE VITAL PROGRAMS, BUT THROUGH PARTNERSHIP AND SHARED DEDICATION WE CAN OVERCOME THESE OBSTACLES AND CONTINUE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE CARE AND SUPPORT THAT RESIDENTS DESERVE.  TOGETHER WE CAN ENSURE THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC HOUSING REMAIN STRONG AND COMMUNITIES CONTINUES TO SERVE AS THE FOUNDATION FOR THRIVING COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.  THANKS FOR YOUR TESTIMONY.  LET'S SEE. BILL HENNING. YES. THANK YOU. YOU HAVE 2 MINUTES. OKAY. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS BILL HENNING. I'M DIRECTOR OF BOSTON CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING. THANK YOU, COUNCILORS, FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. THERE'S SO MUCH WE COULD SAY, BUT I THINK IT'S BEEN SAID AND WILL BE SAID WITH EMOTION AND POWER BY THE RESIDENTS OF THE VARIOUS PROJECTS WHERE THERE ISN'T ACCESSIBILITY. I WILL SAY BCI HAS ENCOUNTERED THIS WITH PEOPLE WE SERVE. I WAS ASSISTING A WOMAN IN CHARLESTOWN NOT KNOWN TO BE A PROPERTY A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. I WAS TELLING COUNCILOR OR FLYNN WHEN I SPOKE TO HER SHE COULDN'T SPEAK. SHE HAD JUST ASCENDED FOUR FLIGHTS OF STAIRS. SHE HAD EMPHYSEMA. I THOUGHT SHE WAS GOING TO DIE ON THE PHONE AND I'M SERIOUS. I WAS DEBATING TO DO A911 WELLNESS CHECK AT THAT MOMENT. BUT THE ISSUE IS HUGE. ONE THING WE'VE DONE, YOU KNOW, YOU TRY TO ASSESS PEOPLE INDIVIDUALLY AND I COMMIT TO SUPPORT A BILL TO ANY ENDEAVORS BAR OR CITY COUNCIL OR THE ADMINISTRATION TAKES AND WE WORK CLOSELY WITH COMMISSIONER MCCARTHY AND HER EXCELLENT TEAM. BUT WE'VE ALSO RAISED THE ISSUE AT THE STATE. WE WORKED WITH OUR REPRESENTATIVE CONSULT MY REPRESENTATIVE AND THE AFFORDABLE HOMES ACT GOT A COMMISSION AND PUT INTO THE ACT TO LOOK AT ACCESSIBILITY IN HOUSING. AND ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE BEEN STATING AGAIN AND AGAIN WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH HLA IS THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE ELEVATOR ISSUE. I'M THIS IS A LONG TERM THING AS ADMINISTRATOR BOK HAS DETAILED HOW COMPLEX IT IS SUPPLY LINES YOU KNOW THE PROSPECT OF TARIFFS IT'S ALL FRIGHTENING IN A WAY AND I THINK WE ALL APPRECIATE THAT BUT WE WILL WORK. I THINK IT HAS TO BE A STATE, FEDERAL, LOCAL KIND OF SOLUTION ALTHOUGH THAT SHOULDN'T STOP ANYBODY FROM LOOKING AT THE IMMEDIATE ISSUES PEOPLE FACE EVERY DAY. THIS IS A REAL PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS. IT'S A FAIR HOUSING CRISIS.  IT'S AN ADA CRISIS. IT'S A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS WHEN PEOPLE CAN'T GET OUT OF BED AND I'M SURE EVERYONE WILL MAKE THAT CLEAR.  BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ADDRESSING THIS TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK. FRED, DO YOU HAVE THE FLOOR?  THANK YOU. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE CITY COUNCIL FOR STICKING WITH US. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE MEMBERS OF BPA FOR BEING HERE AND I LIKE TO THANK DON. I HAVE SEVERAL PROBLEMS. I LIVE AT 42 HARRISON ARCHWAY. PROBLEM NUMBER ONE IS THAT WE HAVE TWO ELEVATORS. ONE IS NOT WORKING FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS. WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DISABLED LIKE MYSELF.  WE HAVE ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS AND THAT IS A VERY BIG PROBLEM FOR US. SECOND THING I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION IS THAT IN REGARDS OF US HAVING THE ABILITY TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL SERVICES, I THINK THAT 42 HERE TODAY NEEDS TO BE RECLASSIFIED AS A SENIOR AND A DISABLED UNIT AS OPPOSED TO A FAMILY UNIT.  A MAJORITY OF OUR MEMBERS ARE EITHER DISABLED OR ELDERLY IN OUR BUILDING LESS THAN FOUR FAMILIES PER FLOOR HAVE A DISABILITY OR ARE ELDERLY HAVING ONLY ONE ELEVATORS RIDICULOUS. SECOND THING I LIKE TO ADD TO THAT IS THAT I'VE SPOKEN WITH OUR PROPERTY MANAGER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS ABOUT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUE WITH THERE BEING A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DISABLED AND ELDERLY. I ASKED WHETHER OR NOT EMS FOR EXAMPLE POLICE, FIRE SAFETY AND AMBULANCE HAVE AN IDEA OF WHO IN THE BUILDING IS DISABLED OR ELDERLY OR WOULD NEED ADDITIONAL HELP GETTING OUT OF THE BUILDING BE THERE BECAUSE OF AN EMERGENCY. I WAS TOLD BY THE PERSON WHO RUNS OUR PROPERTY THAT IS NOT HER PROBLEM AND THAT NOTHING CAN BE DONE OR HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT IT. THAT'S A HUGE ISSUE. THE SECOND THING I WOULD LIKE THE THIRD THING I'D LIKE TO BRING UP IS THAT WHENEVER WE DO HAVE A MAJOR OUT OUTAGE IN OUR BUILDING PROBABLY THAT WOULDN'T HAVE EXTENDED TO WHAT THE ABILITY TO BE IN A HOTEL UNTIL THOSE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS ARE TAKEN CARE OF . PROBLEM WE DON'T GET ANY ASSISTANCE IN REGARDS WITH MOVING ITEMS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO THAT HOTEL. WE'RE NOT GIVEN A PODIUM IN CASE WE NEED TO HAVE FOOD, MEDICINE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT TO MOVE TO A HOTEL. HOW TO HOW ARE WE GOING TO GO TO A HOTEL WHEN WE HAVE NO CLOTHES, NO MEDICATION, NO COMPUTERS, NOTHING? A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE THEY CAN'T JUST PUT STUFF IN A SUITCASE AND BE OFF AND RUN IT. THANK YOU. ONE FINAL THING I THINK 2 MINUTES IS NOT ENOUGH TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION. THANK YOU. YES. AND NEXT IS SHE SHEILA THOMPSON OR RITA? OKAY, GO AHEAD.  HI. I THANK YOU FOR THIS MEETING. THANK YOU, DON.  MY NAME IS SHEILA THOMPSON. I LIVE A 14 EAST BROOKLYN ONE ELEVATOR. HASN'T WORKED FOR A YEAR. HE SAID IT HAD TO DO WITH A FLOOD UP ON THE 10TH FLOOR AND THE OTHER ONE WORKS WHEN HE WANTS TO. YOU GET DRESSED, YOU SAY I GOT SOMEWHERE TO BE. YOU GO OUT AND YOU NEVER KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO WORK OR NOT. I'M ON THE SEVENTH FLOOR. I'VE HAD BACK SURGERY WITH METAL IN MY BACK. IT'S VERY PAINFUL TO WORK BUT I'M UP I THANK GOD EVERY DAY TO BE WALKING.  BUT IT'S SOMETHING ELSE WHEN YOU'VE GOT TO WALK UP AND DOWN FLIGHTS STAIRS.  OKAY. I HAVE TO DO IT TO GET TO MY MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS. PHYSICAL THERAPY OR EVEN HELPING OUT MY FAMILY MEMBERS BECAUSE I DO BABY SIT AND WHEN I DO THAT GO UP AND DOWN THE STAIRS.  I HAVE TO BE IN THE HOUSE FOR TWO OR THREE DAYS JUST TO RECOVER. THIS IS A HAZARD AND IT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF . I LOVE THE SOUTH AND I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THE SOUTH THEN I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE I WAS 11 YEARS OLD AND I.  I JUST PRIDE IN WHERE WE ARE. I LOVE MY NEIGHBORS. I LOVE TO BE AROUND THIS AREA OF THE SOUTH AND AND I DON'T WANT TO MOVE. BUT IF SOMETHING IS NOT TAKEN CARE OF , MY FAMILY SAYS YOU'VE GOT TO LEAVE SHEILA BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT YOU'RE NOT DOING WELL AND THEY WORRY ABOUT ME . I'M IN MY SIXTIES AND I WANT TO CONTINUE WANT MY LIVES BUT I CAN'T DO THAT IF I'M ALWAYS IN PAIN AND IN BED. ALL RIGHT. AND I THANK YOU.  THANK YOU.  WHO'S NEXT? RITA AND LINDA AND FRANCIA.  I'M JUST CALLING YOU DOWN IN THREE SO WE CAN WE CAN KEEP EVERYBODY MOVING. HI.  MY NAME IS LISA SMITH AND I LIVE AT 23 MONTHS SENIOR WENDELL'S WAY I'M RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE OFFICE THAT RUTH BARCLAY AND MY BIGGEST PROBLEM IS I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO MOVE ME UP HIGHER . I LIVE ON THE THIRD FLOOR. I AM NOT GOING HIGHER. I JUST LEARN HOW TO WALK DOWN THESE STAIRS AND GET UP ON THE STAIRS. I HAVE ARTHRITIS IN MY SPINE AND IT'S A MIRACLE THAT I'M WALKING BUT I CAN'T DO IT. I CAN'T DO IT TOO LONG BECAUSE I WILL FALL. ALL I'M SAYING IS WE NEED THESE ELEVATORS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS BUT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO KEEP ON GOING AND THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY.  LINDA NEXT TO LINDA AND FRANZIA NANCY, HOW I WAS DOING NOONTIME BUT MY NAME IS LINDA. HOW'S.  I'M FROM RUTH BARTLEY DEVELOPMENT 42 AND I'M VOLUNTEER FOR THE TASK FORCE. I'VE BEEN THERE 40 AND THIS IS THE WORST THING I EVER SEEN HAPPEN IN THE DEVELOPMENT DAY ELEVATOR WHAT WE NEED SO BAD? I HAD AN ACCIDENT WITH THE ELEVATOR AFTER I KEPT TRYING SO HARD TO TELL SOMEBODY SOMEBODY'S GOING TO GET HURT. I ENDED UP GETTING HURT. SEPTEMBER THE 12TH THE ELEVATOR CAME DOWN REAL HOT BOOM AND THREW ME AGAINST THE WALL. I GRABBED HOPE TO THE RIGHT AND I BROKE MY ARM AND HAND SO I'VE BEEN UP ON MEDICAL CARE FOR THAT BUT THAT AIN'T THE POINT. THE POINT IS THAT WE NEED THE ELEVATOR FIX.  IT'S VERY SAD THAT OUR ELDERLY PEOPLE SOME OF THEM HAVE VERY BAD OVERACTIVE BLADDER AND THEY HAVE CALLED ME AND SAID MISS LINDA, THE ELEVATOR IS SO SLOW I COULDN'T MAKE IT UPSTAIRS. MOST OF THE ELDERLY PEOPLE IN THAT BUILDING WE GOT 13TH FLOOR LIFT FROM THE EIGHTH FLOOR UP AND WE NEED AS MUCH PATTERSON TO LET ME HAVE A KEY TO DOWN STAY AWAY THE SECURITY BOOTH AT FOUR PEOPLE WHEN THE ELEVATOR GO DOWN I WILL COME DOWN THE STAIRWAY I'M ON THE EIGHTH FLOOR AND LET THEM GO INTO THE BATHROOM BECAUSE IS SO SLOW THEY'RE USING THE BATHROOM WHEN THE SEVEN THEY'RE JUST NOT RIGHT. THAT'S EMBARRASSING.  AND WE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH ASTHMA.  AZARIA WHEN THEY GET IN THE ELEVATOR SO NOBODY'LL KNOW IF WE GONNA STOP THE HEART BEATING AND RATE THAT'S NOT GOOD.  MOST OF THAT DEVELOPMENT HAVE ELDERLY PEOPLE MISS PASS ON CALL ME ONE TIME BECAUSE THEY MISS OUT TO THAT USED TO BE A THING YOU'RE BUILDING DEVELOPMENT DISABILITY THE WHOLE DEVELOPMENT SHE'S A YES COME MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT HERE ARE SENIOR ASSET NO BUT WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THIS WE LOVED IT WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS I ONE LADY MOST OF ALL THIS IS VERY BAD. I GET EMOTIONAL ABOUT THIS BECAUSE MY MOTHER IS BATTLING CANCER . SHE'S ON THE EIGHTH FLOOR. THE ELEVATOR WAS DOWN AND SHE WE COULD NOT GET HER TO HER APARTMENT FOR CHEMO. FIRST OF ALL, YOU BALANCE CANCER DEATH A BALANCE FIGHT. I SAID TO BE ABLE TO MISS YOUR APPOINTMENT. THAT'S NOT GOOD. SO WE ASKING YOU PLEASE WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THE WINDOWS THE MONEY TO GET THE ONE TO FIX ELEVATOR, PLEASE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.  SO IF FRANCIS AND LISA AND THEN WE'LL GO TO A SECOND PANEL COME ON DOWN.  JUST SAY WHO YOU ARE AND YOU'VE GOT 2 MINUTES. I GOT TO TALK.  MY NAME IS GRETA ELLA. I LIVE IN 42 HARRISON MARSH. WE THE QUESTION IS FOR HOUSING SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE DELIVER OR HAVE ANY MORE THE ONE GEAR IS NOT PASSED THE INSPECTION HORSE INSPECTED THE ELEVATORS IN STILL IN SERVICE THIS IS IMPORTANT IN THIS ACCOUNTING AREA SO WHY HOUSING ARE SPENDING MONEY AND THE THING IS NOT PRIORITY FOR A SPECIAL PAY BAY LANDSCAPING FOR CLEAN TO THE AREA SO SAY PAY FOR CLEANING THE BUILDING WHY IS NOT SAVING THE MONEY AND PUTTING IN THE ELEVATOR FIX IT THAT WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO THE ELEVATOR FOR EVERYONE THAT'S IT. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU YOU SEE HIM? I HOPE WE'VE GOTTEN EVERYBODY SO FAR SO WE'LL TAKE A BREAK FROM THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY. WE CAN COME BACK AND DO MORE.  DON, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR AND I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU 15 MINUTES IF YOU NEED IT. BUT I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK IF I MAY, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT HAVE COME HERE TO SPEAK BEFORE ME SO THAT I'VE ALREADY LET LET WHAT ,EIGHT OR NINE FOLKS. YEAH. AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO THEM AFTER YOU. OKAY?  THAT'S OKAY. I MEAN I JUST YEAH, OKAY. I THINK THEIR VOICES ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN MINE BUT WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU YOU TAKE WHAT YOU NEED IN TERMS OF TIME AND THEN WE GO BACK. OKAY? BACK TO THE CONSTITUENTS.  OKAY. THANK YOU, EVERYONE. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR. THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE WHO'S HERE AND FOR THIS TIME WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.  MY NAME IS DON OATES. I FOUNDED AN ORGANIZATION ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO CALLED THE PLAY BRIGADE. WE'VE SINCE EXPANDED BEYOND JUST PLAY RECREATION AND SPORTS TO INCLUDE EQUITY IN HOUSING, HEALTH CARE AND EDUCATION. SO I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THESE REALLY COURAGEOUS RESIDENTS OF RUTH BARCLAY APARTMENTS TO SPEAK TODAY ABOUT THE SITUATION I FIRST STARTED GOING TO RUTH BARCLAY IN 2015 WHEN ONE OF MY FRIENDS AND DANCE PARTNERS IN A CHARITY COMPOSITION COMPETITION EXCUSE ME HE LIVED IN THE BUILDING AND STILL DOES OVER THE YEARS WE BECAME CLOSE FRIENDS. I WOULD VISIT MORE AND MORE AND MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE ELEVATORS WAS THAT THEY WERE EXTREMELY UNRELIABLE AND IT BECAME CONCERNING NOT JUST FOR THE RESIDENTS LIVING THERE BUT FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE VISITING DELIVERING PACKAGES THAT THEY COULD NOT GET UP THE STAIRS. THERE WAS THEFT OF PACKAGES, THEFT OF MEDICATIONS, MEDICAL SUPPLIES, ETC. ABOUT JULY OF 2023 I BELIEVE IT WAS I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A PERIOD OF TIME THAT WAS LONGER THAN COMFORTABLE FOR PEOPLE TO BE STUCK IN THEIR HOMES PRIOR TO THAT I HAD BEEN WATCHING EXCUSE ME AND COLLECTING INFORMATION, COLLECTING DATA, DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS, SPEAKING TO RESIDENTS I'VE SPOKEN TO ALMOST EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT'S HERE TODAY FROM THE BUILDING I KNOW HUNDREDS OF RESIDENTS WHO LIVE AT RUTH BARCLAY IN ALL OF THE BUILDINGS I WALK AROUND THERE I FEEL COMFORTABLE THEY KNOW WHO I AM AND THEY KNOW WHY I'M THERE. THEY'VE SHARED THEIR STORIES WITH ME . YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR A LOT MORE . IT WAS UPSETTING TO ME THAT I FELT POWERLESS TO BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING AND SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE CREATED A COMMUNITY ORGANIZING CAMPAIGN AND I SAID OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO GET THIS ELEVATOR FIXED AND WE STARTED WITH 19 MONTHS IN A REYNOLDS WAY. I QUICKLY LEARNED THAT THAT BUILDING WAS THE FIFTH IN LINE, THE FIFTH WORST ELEVATOR LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS WITH THE MANAGEMENT OFFICE, LOTS OF STUDYING HOW TO WORK WATERLINE WORKS, WHO'S ANSWERING THE PHONES, HOW RESIDENTS ARE TREATED, WHETHER THEY'RE HUNG UP ON THE DELAY BETWEEN REPORTING IT AND THE TIMING OF THE ELEVATOR COMPANY BEING CALLED AND THEN THE RESPONSE TIME AND WHETHER IT'S BEING COMMUNICATED THAT THESE ARE RESIDENTS WITH DISABILITIES WHO NEED TO GET OUT OF THE BUILDING OR TO GET INTO THE BUILDING. I KNOW A RESIDENT WHO MISSED THE SUPER BOWL WAS OUTSIDE IN THE SNOW FOR 9 HOURS WAITING FOR THE ELEVATOR TO BE FIXED. I KNOW PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD TO GO TO WHOLE FOODS TO USE THE BATHROOM OR URINATE IN GATORADE BOTTLES. THIS IS I KNOW RESIDENTS WHO HAVE SLEPT IN THE HALLWAYS OVERNIGHT BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T GET UP TO THEIR BUILDING BECAUSE OVERTIME WASN'T APPROVED BY THE VHA.  I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR THAT THIS IS NOT AN ADVERSARIAL POSITION I'M TAKING. I HAVE HAD GREAT COMMUNICATION WITH ADMINISTRATOR BOK ON THESE ISSUES AND WE SHARE A COMMON DESIRE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS THERE ISN'T MONEY TO FIX IT. SO I'M HERE SPECIFICALLY WITH AN APPEAL FOR US TO KNUCKLE DOWN AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THIS FIXED BECAUSE I ALSO SHARE COUNCILOR FLYNN, YOU SAID THIS IS THIS IS NOT AN OPTION. THIS IS A PRIORITY AND THIS IS AN URGENT CRISIS.  AND BILL HENIG, THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY ALSO IT'S A CRISIS WHEN WE ARE SPENDING MONEY ON OTHER THINGS THAT WERE VERY IMPORTANT.  IF EVERYTHING IS A PRIORITY THEN NOTHING'S A PRIORITY AND I WOULD SAY THAT IN THIS SITUATION IF YOU LOOK INTO THE GALLERY TODAY EVERY SINGLE PERSON IS HERE RISKING SPEAKING UP FOR FEAR THAT THE RETALIATION WILL COME TO THEM. NOW I'VE ASSURED EVERYBODY THAT THAT IS NOT THE CASE HERE TODAY THAT WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.  I WANT TO SPEAK TO A COUPLE OF POINTS HERE.  STATISTICALLY WHEN I STARTED LOOKING AROUND WHEN I STARTED WATCHING 19 MONTHS SENIOR, I STARTED REALIZING THAT THERE WERE OTHER ELEVATORS, THERE WERE ISSUES. THE QUICK HISTORY OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS I WATCHED, I COLLECTED DATA, I DEVELOPED RELATIONSHIPS. THEN I ASKED FOR MODERNIZATION. I FILED AN ARCHITECTURAL ACCESS BOARD COMPLAINT. WE WENT TO A HEARING AND I WAS TOLD THAT AND IN LEARNING ABOUT THE SITUATION I WAS TOLD THAT THESE ELEVATORS ARE 30 YEARS OLD, SOME 30 PLUS YEARS OLD AND THAT THE ELEVATOR COMPANY THAT SUPPLIED THE PARTS WENT OUT OF BUSINESS DURING THE PANDEMIC AND THEY'RE A GERMAN COMPANY AND THAT PARTS CAN'T BE FOUND THAT THEY NEED TO BE FABRICATED AND THAT THEY WAS LOOKING FOR A WEST COAST COMPANY OR LOOKING AT A WEST COAST COMPANY TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THESE PARTS PIECEMEAL.  I DID MEET WITH ADMINISTRATOR BOK AND COUNCILOR FLYNN WITH SOME OF THE RESIDENTS LAST SUMMER I BELIEVE IT WAS OR A YEAR AGO WE HAD A HEARING WITH THE ACCESS BOARD. I STARTED GETTING TIPS FROM OUTSIDERS TELLING ME TO TAKE A LOOK AT THESE REDUNDANT ELEVATORS AND THAT WHEN THESE ELEVATORS WENT DOWN THEY WERE NOT FIXED AND THEY WERE LEFT DOWN.  WE KNOW THAT PARTS ARE SCARCE. WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY ELEVATOR CONTRACTORS IN THE AREA BUT ONLY A COUPLE WHO CONTRACT WITH A VHA. I WAS TOLD SOME THINGS THAT I CAN'T CONFIRM BUT ONLY ADMINISTRATOR BOK WOULD BE ABLE TO LOOK INTO LIKE WHY DO BIDDERS NOT WANT TO BID ON THESE ELEVATORS?  WHY DO THEY NOT WANT TO WORK? I HEARD WHISPERINGS AND RUMORS THAT I CANNOT VERIFY RIGHT NOW THAT THE BANK IS NOT GOOD AT PAYING THOSE BILLS AND SO THAT THAT MAY BE A PROBLEM WITH MAKING PEOPLE NOT WANT TO BID AND EVEN THE CONTRACTS THAT THEY HAVE ARE MONTH TO MONTH.  SO THERE MAY BE A TRUST ISSUE AND I'VE I'VE LEARNED THIS BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE ELEVATOR INDUSTRY BECAUSE I HAVE NINE YEARS OF PROPERTY MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE IN MY EARLY CAREER AND IT IS A RELATIONSHIP GAME IF YOU'RE GOING TO USE SCARCE RESOURCES AND TECHNICIANS WHO ARE TRAINED ON THESE OLD OUTDATED ELEVATORS, YOU'RE GOING TO YOU'RE GOING TO ENCOUNTER THAT IT'S GOING TO COST YOU MORE AND THERE CAN BE FEWER PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT FIXING THEM SO WITH ALL OF THIS INFORMATION AND FEELING LIKE WE WERE GETTING NOWHERE, WE LAUNCHED A MEDIA CAMPAIGN THAT I'M SURE EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM IS PROBABLY AWARE OF A RESULTED IN MORE THAN 4040 MEDIA HITS FROM MAJOR MEDIA BOSTON LOCAL MEDIA AND ALSO EVEN PEOPLE MAGAZINE. SO PEOPLE EVERYWHERE KNOW ABOUT THE ELEVATOR CRISIS THAT SPIKED REPORTS TO THE ARCHITECTURAL ACCESS BOARD AND THAT LED TO HEARING NUMBER TWO. I WAS PLEASED TO SEE THAT IT HEARING NUMBER TWO OF THE ACCESS BOARD THAT THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY HAD LOOKED NOT JUST AT 19 MONTHS SENIOR RENTALS WAY BUT ALSO AT ALL OF THE OTHER ELEVATORS I HAD SINCE FILED SEVEN OTHER REPORTS ON SEVEN OTHER ELEVATORS ON THE PROPERTY.  I THEN SAT DOWN WITH ADMINISTRATOR BOK. WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT DO WE DO AND WE'RE HERE TODAY TO APPEAL TO YOU AND TO HEAR THE RESIDENTS VOICES. THERE'S A COUPLE OF ISSUES THAT I WANT TO MENTION. ONE IS WE NEED MORE CITY RESOURCES POSSIBLY STATE RESOURCES.  YOU HEARD ADMINISTRATOR BOK TALK ABOUT FEDERAL RESOURCES,  THE CITY CAPITAL BUDGET. I KNOW FROM TWO YEARS AGO ATTENDING A CAPITAL MEETING THAT THINGS ARE BUDGETED AND NOT ALWAYS SPENT AND I KNOW THINGS COME UP REPAIRS COME UP AND THAT MONEY CHEWS INTO THE MODERNIZATION MONEY WE HAVE THE $4 MILLION I HEARD ABOUT THE $1 MILLION BOND BILL THAT HASN'T BEEN RELEASED. I WOULD QUESTION WHY WHO HAS THE AUTHORIZATION? ONE CANNOT BE SIGNED.  WE EXPECT INCREASE IN PRICES.  WE EXPECT THAT THESE ELEVATORS ESPECIALLY IN BIG JOBS LIKE THIS MORE AND MORE YOU KNOW YOU KNOW THE OLD OPEN A WALL AND FIND OUT FIND YOU NEED THREE TIMES THE BUDGET THAT YOU NEEDED. THESE ARE OLD OLD ELEVATORS I WOULD QUESTION WHAT IS THE MODERNIZATION, WHAT IS GOING INTO THESE CONTRACTS?  WHAT IS THE WHAT IS THE BID PROPOSAL? WHAT ARE WE ASKING FOR?  COMMISSIONER FLYNN, YOU SAID THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE STATE OF THE ART ELEVATORS. I DON'T SEE THAT THAT'S POSSIBLE WITH THIS MEAGER BUDGET BECAUSE ELEVATORS ARE TYPICALLY CAN BE $100,000 A STORY. AND HOW MANY DO WE NEED?  QUITE A FEW. SO ARE WE LOOKING AT MODERNIZING WHAT IS IT CONTROLLERS?  IS IT TRAVELING CABLES? IS IT WHAT IS IT? IS IT ALL THE SWITCHES? WE HAVE TO REALLY THINK ABOUT WHEN WE GO OUT TO BID? WHAT ARE WE ASKING FOR? CAN WE AFFORD IT? ARE WE ASKING FOR WHAT WE ACTUALLY NEED OR ARE WE CHEAPENING THE THE THE PROJECT SO WE CAN GET AWAY WITH IT FOR A SLIM BUDGET BECAUSE I WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY HERE RUTH BARCLAY HERSELF TALKED ABOUT THIS AND CHAMPIONED FOR NEW ELEVATORS BACK IN THE EIGHTIES AND HERE WE ARE AGAIN THE RUTH BARCLAY APARTMENTS LOOKING FOR MONEY FOR ELEVATORS WORKING ON THOSE SAME ELEVATORS THAT WERE PUT IN WAY BACK THEN AND THAT HAVE BEEN BIT BY BIT REBUILT PART BY PART PIECE BY PIECE. SO WHEN I FIRST WENT TO THE ARCHITECTURAL ACCESS BOARD HEARING I SAID I'M LOOKING FOR AN OUTSIDE CONTRACTOR, AN ELEVATOR CONTRACTOR EXCUSE ME CONSULTANT TO REVIEW ALL OF THESE ELEVATORS NOT THE AJ BUT AN OUTSIDE INDEPENDENT ELEVATOR CONSULTANT TO LOOK AT EACH ELEVATOR AND DISCUSS WHAT DOES IT REALLY TAKE TO GET THESE ELEVATORS UP AND RUNNING AND COMPLIANT WITH STATE AND FEDERAL CODES AND THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. SO I'M APPEALING TO THIS COUNCIL FOR AN INDEPENDENT ELEVATOR CONTRACTOR TO MAKE THAT ASSESSMENT.  WHAT IS IT REALLY GOING TO COST ? WHAT IS THE BASELINE MODERNIZATION? IS REPLACEMENT APPROPRIATE IN SOME SITUATIONS BECAUSE WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO IS IT DOESN'T MATTER IF WE HAVE SIGNED CONTRACTS, IF WE HAVE A LACK OF BIDDERS BUT THERE'S MAYBE TWO OR THREE PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO FIX THESE ELEVATORS AND DO THE PLANS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE HOGTIED FOR YEARS TRYING TO GET EIGHT DIFFERENT ELEVATORS REPAIRED. WE COULDN'T EVEN GET 42 HARRISON ARCHWAYS DONE IN A SIX MONTH PERIOD I WAS TOLD MARCH 3RD AND THAT'S A LONG TIME FOR PEOPLE TO BE WALKING UP AND DOWN STAIRS. IT'S A LONG TIME TO HAVE SAFETY HAZARDS EVERY DAY. I'M CONCERNED WITH THE LACK OF TECHNICIANS.  I'M CONCERNED FOR PARTS AND AVAILABILITY IF WE'RE GOING TO RELY ON JUST A MODERNIZATION I DON'T KNOW WHERE THESE PARTS ARE COMING FROM.  I'VE YET TO BE ABLE TO FIND A NAME OF A PARTS CONTRACTOR IN CALIFORNIA OR TEXAS. NO ONE HAS GIVEN ME THAT INFORMATION.  IF THOSE PIECES AND PARTS ARE BEING PUT TOGETHER PIECEMEAL AS THESE ELEVATORS BREAK DOWN,  THAT IS THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN THE RESIDENTS EXPERIENCE THAN WHAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING NOW IT BREAKS DOWN WE WAIT FOR PARTS, WE GET NEW PARTS, WE BRING IT BACK UP TO SPEED.  I WANT TO SPEAK FOR A MINUTE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE ELEVATORS GO DOWN. PEOPLE WILL STAY IN FOR REASONS ALREADY EXPLAINED OR PEOPLE WILL BE STUCK OUT. IT IS IT IS A COMPLETE STRIPPING AWAY OF DIGNITY IF YOU CANNOT WALK UP THE STAIRS TO ASK FOR SOMEBODY TO CARRY YOU UP THE STAIRS TO HAVE TO WET YOUR PANTS TO HAVE TO HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY IN THE LOBBY IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY WHILE YOU'RE WAITING IN LINE ON THANKSGIVING DAY TO GET BACK UP TO YOUR APARTMENT FOR 30 MINUTES 45 MINUTES BECAUSE ONLY SO MANY PEOPLE CAN FIT ON THE ELEVATOR WHEN THE ELEVATORS GO DOWN AND PEOPLE HAVE TO BE MOVED TO HOTELS, SOME CHOOSE TO STAY. THAT IS A HUGE MENTAL HEALTH TOLL THAT HAS A TREMENDOUS IMPACT. IF YOU GO BACK AND YOU GOOGLE THIS AND YOU LOOK AT THE GLOBE ARTICLE AND THE GBH REPORTING ON THIS, YOU WILL SEE IT IS EXCRUCIATING TO BE TRAPPED IN YOUR HOME AND TO BE LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW LIKE YOU'RE IN PRISON. SO WHILE IT IS A IS AN OFFER,  THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT WANT SOMEBODY PICKING OUT THEIR TOMATOES.  THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT WANT SOMEBODY TO KNOW WHAT PRESCRIPTIONS THEY HAVE. SO THE OFFER OF LET ME GO GET YOUR GROCERIES AND LET ME GO GET YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS WORKS FOR SOMEBODY.  NOT ALL THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT THAT CAN'T POSSIBLY CARRY IT ALL DOWN THE STAIRS SET UP IN A HOTEL AND CERTAINLY CAN'T BE FED ON $25 A DAY FOR A PER DIEM . I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE ELEVATORS WE THINK ABOUT IT LIKE WE THINK ABOUT COMPUTERS. IF YOU HAVE AN OLD APPLE TWO COMPUTER FROM 1991 AND WE'RE GOING TO MODERNIZE IT IN SOME WAYS THAT'S REALLY SILLY. WE'RE GOING TO PUT BRAND NEW STUFF INTO AN OLD TECHNOLOGY AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING. SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS COUNCILOR CONSIDER AND WITH WITH WITH EVERYONE HERE AND ALL THE PANELISTS IS WHAT DOES IT REALLY TAKE OR WHAT IS AN IDEAL SITUATION THAT'S SUSTAINABLE THAT MINIMIZES IMPACT AND MAXIMIZES ACCESSIBILITY AND SAFETY FOR THE RESIDENTS ARCHITECTURAL ACCESS BOARD CODES ARE CURRENTLY IN VIOLATION STILL SINCE LAST YEAR'S REPORT ACCESSIBLY KEY FEATURES NEED TO BE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER AT ALL TIMES AND WHILE WE CAN REASONABLY EXPECT THAT THESE OLD PROPERTIES THESE OLD ELEVATORS WILL BREAK DOWN FROM TIME TO TIME, IT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE TO SAY THAT A LACK OF FUNDING IS A GOOD EXCUSE TO VIOLATE CIVIL RIGHTS. THIS IS A BIPOC COMMUNITY ELDERLY AND DISABLED PEOPLE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY THIS.  WE'RE NOT GOING INTO APARTMENT BUILDINGS AND OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY AND SEEING OH IT'S BROKEN DOWN. WE'LL JUST LEAVE IT THAT WAY. EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM CARES ABOUT THE PEOPLE HERE AND THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE COMPLEX. WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH A WAY TO GET THE APPROPRIATE FUNDING NOT JUST TO PUT A BAND-AID ON THIS SO THAT A FEW MONTHS FROM NOW IT'LL BREAK DOWN AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN BECAUSE WE'RE DOING PIECEMEAL REPAIRING AND PARTS WE'RE LOOKING AT VIOLATIONS OF STATE AND FEDERAL LAW.  WE YOU'VE MENTIONED FAIR HOUSING ADA EVERY SINGLE DAY. THESE ARE VIOLATIONS AND PEOPLE JUST HAVE TO PUT UP WITH IT. WE HAVE A HOUSING INSECURE POPULATION IN HERE IF THEY SPEAK UP AND I CREDIT EVERYONE WHO'S COME TODAY IF THEY SPEAK UP THERE IS FEAR. THERE'S A RISK THAT IT WILL GET WORSE. MANY PEOPLE DON'T SPEAK UP SO I WOULD DARE SAY THAT I PROBABLY AM A LOT MORE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING INSIDE THIS DEVELOPMENT IN PARTICULAR THAN EVEN THE VA IS AT TIMES.  AND SO I'M GOING TO CONTINUE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS.  I WANT TO EXTEND AN OFFER TO SIT WITH YOU AND SHARE WHAT I GET FOR RESIDENT FEEDBACK. I WOULD LOVE TO BE INVOLVED IN A PLAN OR GET RESIDENTS TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PLAN AND IN THE DISCUSSIONS AND THE PLANNING MOVING FORWARD. IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT THERE'S A SAYING IN THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US AND SO I BELIEVE THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SITTING HERE TODAY CAN PROVIDE A LOT OF REALLY GOOD PATH FORWARD.  THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU.  CONSERVATION AND AND JUST BECAUSE YOUR QUESTIONS FOR AND FOR DON AT THE MOMENT YEAH LET'S START WITH THE LEAD SPONSOR AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK ROUND AND THEN WE'LL GO BACK THERE AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.  THANK YOU DON, FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY FOR YOUR ADVOCACY FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP TRYING TO ENSURE EVERYBODY IS TREATED WITH RESPECT ESPECIALLY PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.  MY QUESTION, DON, HAVE YOU DOCUMENTED ALL OF THE INFORMATION YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT THAT YOU DISCUSSED AND THESE ARE JUST STORIES THAT YOU HEARD IF YOU DOCUMENTED ALL OF THIS.  SO THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION. I HAVE DOCUMENTED STORIES AND MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE ELEVATORS. I HAVE A LOG GOING BACK PROBABLY THREE YEARS AND INCOMPLETE LOG BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW EVERY SINGLE TIME THE ELEVATOR BREAKS DOWN BUT I HAVE MANY, MANY, MANY NOTES THAT ARE MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE FIRST TEACHING RESIDENTS HOW TO WHAT TO DO WHEN THE ELEVATOR BREAKS DOWN. I'M NOT THE PERSON THAT'S GOING TO MAKE EVERY SINGLE PHONE CALL BUT THERE WAS A BIG PUSH TO CALL THE WORKER OUT OF LINE. HERE'S THE HERE'S THE NUMBER. THIS IS WHAT YOU SAY GET THE WORK ORDER NUMBER ETC. SO YEAH, I DO HAVE A LOT OF NOTES ON THIS GOING BACK AT LEAST THREE YEARS. THANK YOU.  YOU MENTIONED AND I'VE BEEN A COLLEAGUE WITH THE COUNCIL A BLOCK FOR MANY YEARS AND YOU MENTIONED THE WORD FEAR AND RETALIATION. I DON'T THINK COUNCILOR BLOCK WOULD ACCEPT WOULD ACCEPT THAT AT THE VHA I'VE I'VE KNOWN HER FOR FOR MANY YEARS I DON'T THINK SHE SHE IS THAT PERSON THAT'S RIGHT SHE HAS PROVIDED REASSURANCE AND I HAVE IN TURN EXPLAIN THAT TO THE RESIDENTS THAT THANK YOU COUNCILOR . BLOCK DO YOU WANT TO I MEAN I'M SORRY ADMINISTRATIVE BLOCK DO YOU WANT TO RESPOND?  I'M SORRY ABOUT THEM. YEAH. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR QUINN AND I APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS. AND DON, I DO JUST WANT TO REALLY STRESS ON THE RECORD THAT THE VHA IS PROUD TO HAVE OUR RESIDENTS HERE AND YOU KNOW, AN HONESTLY I I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF THE FEDERAL FUNDING ISSUES THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED TODAY ARE BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T HEAR THE VOICES OF PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS ENOUGH AND SO IT'S BEEN EASY TO EASY OVER SO MANY YEARS FOR PEOPLE TO JUST CUT THE MONEY FOR WHAT WE NEED AND WHAT OUR RESIDENTS DESERVE . SO I JUST REALLY WANT TO STRESS THAT WE'RE EXTREMELY GLAD THAT THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY GROUP BERKELEY RESIDENTS ARE HERE THAT THEY'RE SPEAKING UP.  WE KNOW THAT THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT WE ACTUALLY GET WHAT WE NEED AND ABSOLUTELY THE VHA IS SUPER COMMITTED TO NOT RETALIATING AND ALSO TO, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE FOLLOW UP ON THINGS. I MEAN THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT PEOPLE MENTION THAT ARE SORT OF LIVE ONGOING SITUATIONS AND I'VE ALREADY ASKED THE STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET THE NOTES ON THAT SO THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CHASE DOWN MEAN THAT'S IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO US. WE LITERALLY GO TO WORK EVERY DAY IN ORDER TO SERVE OUR RESIDENTS. WITHOUT OUR RESIDENTS THE VHA DOESN'T HAVE A POINT.  RIGHT? WELL THANK YOU MR BLOCK AND AND IT'S ALSO MY RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE RESIDENTS AND TO ENSURE THAT THEIR VOICES ARE ALWAYS HEARD AND RESPECTED. I WAS TALKING TO SOME OF THE RESIDENTS EARLIER ACTUALLY I TALKED TO ALL OF THE RESIDENTS EARLY BEFORE THE MEETING STARTED.  MY PLAN IS TO MEET WITH YOU AGAIN MAYBE SOMETIME MID DECEMBER FOR A LUNCH OVER OVER AT THE LOCATION. SOMETIMES WE GO TO THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH FOR FREE LUNCH AND WE CAN FOLLOW UP ON SOME OF THESE ISSUES. DON TALKING TO THE RESIDENTS AND I HIGHLIGHTED ONE OF THE RESIDENTS TOLD ME THIS TODAY BUT SHE ALSO TOLD ME THIS RECENTLY THAT AT AT ONE POINT A FIREFIGHTER HAD TO PICK HER UP AND CARRY HER DOWN THE STAIRS SO THAT THIS WOMAN COULD COULD GO TO A MEDICAL APPOINTMENT THAT SHE NEEDED TO GO TO.  HAVE YOU HAVE YOU ALSO HEARD THAT FROM OTHER RESIDENTS AS WELL? YES, I HAVE COUNCILOR , MANY RESIDENTS MISS MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS. THEY MISS PERSONAL APPOINTMENTS AND I WOULD SAY THAT WHILE WE'RE HEARING ABOUT SCHOOL AND WORK AND MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS, WHAT WE WHAT WE DON'T HEAR SPOKEN ABOUT IN FORUMS LIKE THIS ARE JUST THE THE OH, I MISSED A CONCERT. I MISSED MY NEPHEW'S GRADUATION THESE ARE PERSONAL THINGS THAT WE DON'T JUST LIVE TO EAT AND WORK AND GO TO THE DOCTOR WE LIVE FOR JOY AND THAT'S WHAT'S MISSING WHEN THESE ELEVATORS GO DOWN AND THANK YOU.  I THINK MY TIME IS UP. I WILL I WILL JUST ALSO SAY AN ADMINISTRATIVE BLOCK THE A LOT OF THESE ISSUES HAPPENED BEFORE YOU ARRIVED HERE SO I DON'T THINK PEOPLE IN BUT I'M NOT CERTAINLY I'M NOT BLAMING YOU IT'S NOT ABOUT BLAMING ANYBODY I THINK IT'S ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER. THESE ARE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN ONGOING AS ONE OF THE RESIDENTS SAID PROBABLY SINCE THE MID TO LATE EIGHTIES INTO THE NINETIES. SO IT'S NOT NOT YOU PERSONALLY I DO RESPECT THAT YOU'RE YOU'RE HERE ADMINISTRATOR BUCK MY TIME IS UP THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.  THANK YOU MR MURPHY THANK YOU.  THANK YOU DON FOR YOUR I WOULD CONSIDER POWERFUL TESTIMONY.  THE VHA COMMUNITY IS LUCKY TO HAVE YOU. WE ARE LUCKY TO HAVE YOU HERE IN THE CITY TO UPLIFT THE VOICES BECAUSE I DO ALSO AGREE ,DIRECTOR BOK, THAT YOU IN NO WAY WOULD EVER RETALIATE AND UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DO NEED TO COME FORWARD. BUT I GUESS MY DIRECT QUESTION TO YOU WAS HAVE YOU SAT DOWN AT THE MANAGER LEVEL AT EACH, YOU KNOW, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS NOT ANY PUSHBACK AT THAT LEVEL BECAUSE I HEAR THAT ABOUT ELEVATOR ISSUES BUT ABOUT A LOT OF ISSUES ACROSS THE VHA PORTFOLIO THAT IT'S OBVIOUSLY NEVER GOING TO COME FROM YOU BUT WE MAKING SURE THAT YOU KNOW, IN THE DAY TO DAY INTERACTIONS THAT IT'S NOT COMING AT THAT LEVEL EITHER. YEAH. AND I THINK THAT THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DISCUSSED WITH THE TEAM I THINK ALSO THAT THE WHAT HAPPENS FOR INSTANCE IN THE CASE OF RUTH BARCLAY IN THE ELEVATOR CHALLENGES RIGHT NOW YOU KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF SENIOR STAFF I'D NAME SOME OF THEM WHO ARE ALSO PAYING A LOT OF ATTENTION TO THIS AND SO I THINK THE MESSAGE IS VERY CLEAR UP AND DOWN THE LINE THAT YOU KNOW, IF FOLKS HAVE CHALLENGES WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE THOSE AND AND ALSO I WOULD SAY LIKE JUST YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT RECURSIVE FEEDBACK SO WE KNOW WHAT'S NOT WORKING FOR PEOPLE.  RIGHT. LIKE I THINK I THINK EVEN THE POINT THAT WAS MADE TODAY ABOUT OKAY, WELL IF I IF I DO TAKE UP THE HOTEL ROOM IS THERE SOME WAY FOR US TO BE HELPING WITH LIKE THE MOVING OF VITAL ITEMS? YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THAT'S LIKE A THING THAT I'M GOING TO TAKE BACK AND TALK TO THE TEAM ABOUT. SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET THE INSIGHT WITHOUT HEARING FROM OUR RESIDENTS DIRECTLY SO YEAH, SO JUST REALLY WANT TO STRESS THAT THANK YOU AND YOU BROUGHT UP ALSO DON THE PRIORITY AND I SAID THIS IN MY FIRST ROUND OF QUESTIONING IF IT'S A PRIORITY BUT EVERYTHING'S A PRIORITY AND THERE IS NO MONEY AND THEN IT OBVIOUSLY THEN NEEDS TO HAVE A POLITICAL WILL. SO THIS IS A GOOD START. SO I APPRECIATE YOU TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, KEEPING THIS GOING BUT YOU KNOW MORE THAN ANYONE IN ANY DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY THAT IF THERE ISN'T A POLITICAL WILL AND WE'VE SEEN THINGS THAT I WOULD CONSIDER WAY LESS NEED OR PRIORITY GETTING A LOT OF FUNDING BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF SO HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO UPLIFT THE VOICES OF COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE OFTEN FELT AND CONTINUE TO FEEL THAT THEIR VOICES AREN'T BEING HEARD? SO WHAT KIND OF COMMITMENT CAN WE GET TO KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO KEEP IT BECAUSE I MEAN WE WERE JUST AT A COMMUNITY MEETING IN ALLSTON BRIGHTON AND THE FRUSTRATION AND YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS A, B, C Y OF COMMUNITY CENTER FOR YEARS SO THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE LOTS OF THINGS WE'RE ADVOCATING FOR BUT HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THESE ELEVATORS AND LIKE YOU SAID THEY'RE NOT JUST REPAIR MAY BE REPLACED AND HOW MUCH MONEY IS IT AND THEN MAYBE IT IS A GOOD LOOK BUT I MEAN THE OPERA MONEY'S GONE BUT WE WERE SPENDING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON THINGS THAT FELT GOOD WHILE WE SAW THAT THIS ISSUE WHICH IS,  YOU KNOW, REALLY HARMING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR SO MANY OF OUR VULNERABLE DIDN'T NEVER NEVER EVEN GOT ADDRESSED OR IT WAS NEVER EVEN AN OPTION TO USE MONEY LIKE THAT THESE NECESSARY REPAIRS.  SO THANK YOU, COUNSELOR. I MEAN I THINK THAT I THINK WE'RE AS AS DON SAID IT AS WE THE BE A CHAIR SAYING WE'RE DEFINITELY LOOKING FOR THE COUNCIL TO BE PARTNERS IN THAT POLITICAL WILL. I WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY HAS AND I THINK IT'S HAPPENED OVER THE TIME THAT YOU AND COUNCILOR FLYNN HAVE BOTH BEEN COUNCILORS COUNCILOR BREADON COUNCILOR DURKAN LIKE WE HAVE GONE FROM A PLACE WHERE THE CITY USED TO NOT SUPPORT THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY FROM A CAPITAL BUDGET PERSPECTIVE AT ALL TO A WORLD WHERE THERE IS SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL SPENDING AND SUPPORT OF US AND SOME OF THAT CAPITAL SPENDING EVEN THOUGH THE 4 MILLION FOR THE ELEVATORS AT RUTH BARCLAY THAT WAS APPROVED IN JUNE IS THE FIRST TIME THERE'S BEEN SPECIFIC ELEVATOR SPENDING AN WOULD BE SOME OF THAT CITY MONEY IS HELPING US WITH THE HUGE RENOVATION PROJECT AT ST BUT THAT COUNCILOR FLYNN MENTIONED EARLIER AND THAT IS GOING TO INCLUDE YOU KNOW THEIR ELEVATORS IS REALLY LIKE BEING STATE OF THE ART SO I DO THINK THERE IS CITY MONEY THAT IS GO HAS BEEN GOING INTO THIS THROUGH THE CAPITAL BUDGET AND I'M SUPER GRATEFUL AND I AM AS YOU SAID MORE AWARE THAN MOST PEOPLE THAT THAT IS GOING TO INVOLVE YOUR ALSO CONTINUED ADVOCACY SO I DEFINITELY WANT TO EXPRESS OUR HOPE AND DESIRE FOR THAT AND I WOULD JUST SAY I DO AND THIS IS PARTLY ALSO AN ADDRESS TO ONE OF DON'S POINTS IS THAT SO THE THE DESIGN RFP THAT WE'VE PUT OUT IS FOR A THIRD PARTY ENGINEERING COMPANY TO ASSESS WHAT THESE ELEVATORS NEED. SO IT IS NOT GOING TO BE A CASE OF THE EYEBALLING AND THAT'S SOMETHING WHERE YOU KNOW, ONCE WE GET THAT DONE WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO SHARE IT AND I THINK THAT IT MIGHT HELP US TO YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY MY HOPE IS THAT IT TURNS OUT THAT THE PROJECT FOR THOSE EIGHT ELEVATORS IS TO GET EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED EQUALS THE RESOURCES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE. BUT I THINK THE GOOD THING IS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT OBJECTIVE THIRD PARTY ASSESSMENT. SO IF WHAT COMES UP IS HEY TO REALLY GET THE LIKE GREAT SITUATION WE NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY THAT'S GOING TO PUT US IN A POSITION TO COME AND ASK YOU GUYS AND ASK OTHERS AND SORT OF SIZE THAT ASK APPROPRIATELY. AND I WILL JUST SAY THAT FROM THE BIG PERSPECTIVE LIKE WE WE KNOW HOW I MEAN YOU JUST REFERENCE THE CASE OF YOU KNOW THINGS THAT GOT UPDATE IN THE 1980S WE KNOW AT VHA THAT OFTEN WE HAVE TO WAIT A LONG TIME FOR THE NEXT TIME THAT THERE'S A REAL INVESTMENT SOMEWHERE. SO LIKE WE ARE ALSO VERY INVESTED IN LIKE HOW DO WE GET THE BEST VERSION OF SOMETHING IN THE MOMENT THAT WE DO IT? IT'S ALWAYS JUST A QUESTION OF OBVIOUSLY I CAN'T AUTHORIZE A PROJECT OUT OF AN ACCOUNT THAT DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY FOR IT SO THAT BUT I THINK WE'RE VERY ALIGNED AND HOPING FOR THAT AS WELL.  THANK YOU AND I WILL JUST END YOU MENTION THAT QUOTE AND THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY BUT I WAS THINKING AS YOU WERE SPEAKING ABOUT THAT YOU GET WHAT YOU GET AND YOU DON'T GET UPSET AND I FEEL LIKE THAT'S DEFINITELY HOW MANY RESIDENTS ARE TOLD AND THAT FEELING LIKE OH, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE UPSET. YOU SHOULD BE HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU HAVE.  AND WE KNOW NOT JUST ON FEDERAL VIOLATIONS OR OTHERS IT'S HUMAN DECENCY THAT WE'RE NOT GIVING OUR RESIDENTS WHAT THEY DESERVE. THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. AND WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, WHILE I UNDERSTAND ADMINISTRATOR BOURQUE IS IN A TOUGH SITUATION AS LEADERSHIP FOR THE WHOLE VHA AND ALL PROPERTIES, I JUST WANT TO REALLY CALL THE FRONT THAT THIS IS A CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE AND WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MONEY, A LACK OF FUNDING IS NOT AND HAS NEVER BEEN EXCUSE AN EXCUSE TO TO NOT HAVE CIVIL RIGHTS.  AND SO THE LEGAL BASIS FOR THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T TOUCHED ON. BUT IF YOU LOOK INTO THE NEW YORK CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY LEGAL CASE, IT'S IT'S ELEVATORS AND A WHOLE LOT MORE AND IT RESULTED IN I THINK ABOUT $1.2 BILLION BEING INFUSED INTO NEW YORK CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY. WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING, I'M I'M STOPPED HERE AT THE TABLE AND AND OFFERING TO COLLABORATE AND PARTNER BUT BEYOND THIS IF WE CAN'T GET ANYWHERE IN A REASONABLE TIMEFRAME AND WHEN I SAY REASONABLE THAT'S SUBJECTIVE RIGHT? REASONABLE FOR THESE FOLKS TO NOT BE ABLE TO GET INTO THEIR HOMES TODAY OR OUT OF THEIR HOMES TODAY.  LIKE I SAID, IT'S OBJECTIVE. THERE ARE OTHER STEPS THAT WE COULD TAKE AS PART OF A COMMUNITY ORGANIZING CAMPAIGN AND THAT THAT IS NOT WHERE WE WANT TO GO RIGHT NOW.  BUT OTHERS WHO HAVE COME BEFORE US HAVE REPORTED FILED COMPLAINTS WITH HUD HOUSING DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT AND FAIR HOUSING COMPLAINTS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. ADA COMPLAINTS WITH THE DOJ ENGAGED LOCAL MEDIA AND POLITICIANS WHICH WE HAVE ALREADY DONE ON THE FRONT SIDE OF THIS BUT THEN ALSO ESCALATING THE ISSUE TO HUD'S OFFICE OF FAIR HOUSING AND OPPORTUNITY PURSUING LEGAL ACTION.  I DON'T THINK ANY OF US ARE IN A PLACE TO WANT TO DO ANY OF THOSE THINGS. I THINK I COME TO THE TABLE WITH THE HOPE THAT WE CAN FIND MONEY AND GET IT DONE AND GET IT DONE CORRECTLY AND GET IT DONE A TIMEFRAME THAT IS REASONABLE NOT TO US AS ADMINISTRATORS BUT TO REASONABLE TO THE PEOPLE WHO THIS IS THEIR EVERYDAY EXISTENCE AND IT HAS BEEN FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THANK YOU DON. I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE ON. THAT WAS JUST A QUESTION. DO YOU MIND MOVE ON TO MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILOR DURKAN. YOU HAVE TO 3 MINUTES. THANK YOU SO MUCH COUNCILOR BREADON AND THANK YOU SO MUCH DON FOR BEING HERE. I APPRECIATE YOUR ADVOCACY AND AS SOMEONE WHO WAS VERY INVOLVED IN DISABILITY RIGHTS WHEN I WAS AT SMITH COLLEGE I WAS VERY INVOLVED IN, YOU KNOW, SNOW PLOWING AND ALL OF THESE THINGS ON WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE. IT'S THIS IS VERY MUCH HARKENING BACK TO THIS NEED FOR DIGNITY AND NOT NEEDING TO ASK FOR FOR ANYTHING. AND YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A BUILDING IN MY DISTRICT WHERE THE DOOR THE ACCESS DOOR WAS BROKEN AND IT JUST FELT VERY UNDIGNIFIED TO.  HAVE TO ASK EVERY SINGLE TIME FOR THIS DOOR TO BE OPENED AND I THIS IS JUST MAKING ME THINK BACK TO SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAD THAT HAVE REALLY LIKE MOVED ME TO A POINT OF , YOU KNOW, DISABILITY RIGHTS AND ACCESS BEING LIKE A CORE PRIORITY OF MINE. SO I APPRECIATE YOU REALLY IN YOUR TESTIMONY REALLY PERSONALIZE THIS OF LIKE THOSE THOSE MOMENTS OF HAVING TO MISS THINGS THOSE MOMENTS OF OF SOILING YOURSELF THOSE MOMENTS OF SO I APPRECIATE THAT AND ALSO VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THIS THE CITY'S PREDICAMENT THAT WE'RE IN WITH NOT BEING ABLE TO SORT OF FIND THE RESOURCES IMMEDIATELY TO GET THIS DONE AND ALSO JUST SEEING ELEVATORS THROUGHOUT MY DISTRICT BEING ABLE TO FIX EVEN IN PRIVATE HOMES AND IN PRIVATE RESIDENCES. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY I THINK A LOT OF TIMES AT THE CITY COUNCIL WE HAVE THESE HEARINGS AND ONLY THE COUNCILORS THAT ARE IN THAT DISTRICT SHOW UP TO THAT HEARING. AND THE REASON I CAME IS BECAUSE ELEVATORS HAS BEEN SUCH AN IMPORTANT THING THAT THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING THROUGHOUT MY DISTRICT AS WELL AND ALSO AS WE VOTE ON CAPITAL BUDGETS AND AND OTHER THINGS NEED TO BE AWARE OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO RESIDENTS. I DID HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AS I WAS WALKING IN TO SPEAK WITH A RESIDENT OF THE RUTH BARCLAY APARTMENTS AND HE SHARED THAT HE HE WAS SCARED TO BE HERE TOO. AND I THINK WHEN YOU'RE GIVEN SOMETHING THAT NOT EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO LIKE PUBLIC HOUSING EVEN IF EVERYONE'S TELLING YOU THAT THERE WILL BE NO IT'S IT THERE'S A PERSONAL FEELING OF LIKE I'M REALLY STEPPING OUT HERE BEYOND MY OWN BUT BEYOND WHAT I'M NORMALLY ASKED TO DO IN MY DAILY LIFE. SO I, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE RESIDENTS FOR BEING HERE. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TESTIMONY AND I JUST ON A FINAL NOTE, JUST WANT TO SAY WE ARE ALL CHARGED WITH CARING FOR PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS NO MATTER WHAT DISTRICT YOU LIVE IN AND WHAT DISTRICT YOU REPRESENT AND I DO BELIEVE AN ADMINISTRATOR BOX LEADERSHIP AND AND HER COMMITMENT AND I'M I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR THIS TO BE A PRIORITY AND EXCITED FOR FOR US TO MOVE TOGETHER AS A COUNCIL TO TRY TO FIGURE THIS OUT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU COUNSELOR DEREK AND SO I HAD A QUICK A FEW THINGS JUST THE THE QUESTION ABOUT CAPITAL MANAGEMENT AND YOU WERE THE CHAIR OF WAYS AND MEANS SO YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THIS AND JUST THINKING YOU KNOW, WE PUT OUR CAPITAL BUDGET TOGETHER AND WE PUT ITEMS ON THE CAPITAL BUDGET THAT YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THE MONEY DOESN'T ALWAYS DEPENDING BECAUSE PRIORITIES SHIFT AND WE HAVE TO MOVE MONEY TO ADDRESS EMERGENCIES IN PLACES. I KNOW THAT THE THE CAPITAL OUR OPPORTUNITY OPPORTUNITIES AT THE TIME OF THE BUDGET IS TO ALLOCATE MORE FUNDS OR LESS FUNDS OR WHATEVER TO BE A A IN TERMS OF HOW THAT SORT OF INTERACT ACTION BETWEEN THE CITY OF BOSTON AND THE A-J WHICH IS A QUASI INDEPENDENT AND PLUS I PUBLIC AND ORGANIZATION LIKE HOW DOES THAT WORK LIKE WHAT SORT OF LEEWAY DO WE HAVE TO ACTUALLY PUT MORE MONEY INTO THE INTO THE VHA BUDGET? THANK YOU COUNSELOR SO WE DO WE DO DISCUSS THE CAPITAL BUDGET CLOSELY WITH THE CITY, ESPECIALLY IN THESE RECENT YEARS WHERE THE CITY HAS BEEN GIVING US FINANCIAL SUPPORT THROUGH THE CAPITAL BUDGET WHICH LIKE I SAID WASN'T HAPPENING BEFORE 2019. AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'LL DO IS NOT JUST TALK ABOUT THOSE TOP LINE NUMBERS BUT ALSO TALK ABOUT LIKE IN WHAT YEAR DO WE THINK THAT THE VHA WOULD ACTUALLY BE SPENDING THE FUNDS BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW LIKE WE WE'RE VERY THAT THERE ARE SOME CAPITAL BUDGET ITEMS THAT HAVE A TENDENCY TO KIND OF LIKE CREEP RIGHT. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ACTUALLY ARE ABLE TO SPEND THAT MONEY A.S.A.P. SO WE THE WE'RE VERY CLEAR WITH THE CITY PARTNERS ABOUT LIKE YEAH THIS IS WHEN WE THINK WE COULD ACTUALLY GET THIS THING INTO CONSTRUCTION. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO SURPRISES US AND THAT NOBODY TELLS US OH WE DIDN'T THINK YOU WERE GOING TO ACTUALLY MANAGE TO MAKE THAT PROJECT HAPPEN LIKE THIS YEAR. SO IT IS A BILATERAL CONVERSATION WE HAVE.  I WILL SAY THAT I THINK THAT I THINK THAT ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES THAT WE HAVE IN THAT DYNAMIC IS THAT WE CAN JUST COMMISSION THE DESIGN STUDY LIKE ON THE ON THE CITY DEPARTMENT SIDE IF IF THE IF THE CITY PRIORITIES HAVE SHIFTED AND THERE'S A DESIRE TO WAIT A LITTLE BIT THEN LIKE THE DESIGN STUDY MIGHT NOT GET AUTHORIZED WHICH IS OF COURSE A GATING FUNCTION TO FUNDING THE PROJECT AND FOR US YOU KNOW I MEAN WE'RE OBVIOUSLY LOOKING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE CITY RESOURCES A.S.A.P AND SO THAT'S THAT'S WHY LIKE FOR US BEING ABLE TO JUST COMMISSION THE DESIGN STUDY AND GET THAT ANSWER ON WHAT'S THE TOP LINE NUMBER, YOU KNOW, TO DO ALL THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO AND COME BACK TO YOU GUYS WITH THAT IS I THINK VERY HELPFUL. VERY GOOD.  THANK YOU. I WILL AS WE SAID SO IMPORTANT AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE ON THE BEACH. RESIDENTS FOR COMING IN TODAY. I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE WITH YOUR TESTIMONY AND AS WE WANT TO REASSURE YOU THAT WE HAVE A ADMINISTRATIVE BLOCK, IN NO WAY WOULD THERE BE RETALIATION. YOU ARE JUST BEING VERY, VERY IMPORTANT ROLE AS ADVOCATES FOR YOUR COMMUNITY HERE. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY. AND WITH THAT SAID, AS LISA SMITH LOSE THE LAND THEY LIVE AND I PARDON MY I'M LISA HAS ALREADY OKAY VERY GOOD I WAS MARKING THAT UP. TONY STRATTON DAVID FRANCOIS JUPITER LEE LEWIS AND KIM MIN LIBERTY OKAY WHOEVER WANTS TO SPEAK COME UP JUST AND INTRODUCE YOURSELVES. YOU'VE GOT 2 MINUTES AND WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. THANK YOU.  OH YES. AND COUNCILOR FLYNN AS A QUICK AMENDMENT. JUST THAT. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, FOR GIVING ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT AFTER THIS HEARING I WANTED TO INVITE YOU TO THE CURLING ROOM FOR PIZZA AND IN WATER IF YOU'D LIKE TO JOIN US.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. OKAY, SO WHO'S NEXT? MADAM CHAIR, I WOULD ASK PERMISSION FOR THIS WOMAN DENISE TO SPEAK NEXT.  YES, PLEASE JUST INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND SAY WHO YOU ARE. MY NAME IS DENISE CAMPBELL. I'M 62 YEARS OLD.  I WAS STUCK IN AN ELEVATOR FOR A WHOLE HOUR WITH NO WAY TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE POLICE, THE FIREMEN. WHEN THEY CAME TO OPEN THE DOOR I WAS ON THE FLOOR. I GOT RECORDED COMING OUT THE ELEVATOR CRYING PROFUSELY,  SWEATING. IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.  I HAVE COPD WITH EMPHYSEMA. SO AFTER THAT INCIDENT I'VE BEEN TO THE HOSPITAL SEVEN TIMES BECAUSE OF MY BREATHING BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO VENTILATION IN THE ELEVATOR SO SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE BECAUSE IF NOT SOMEBODY IS GOING TO DIE IN THE ELEVATOR IF DAG THE FRIEND OF MINE IF HE DID IT AND I WAS BANGING ON THE DOOR NOBODY HEARD WHAT I WAS SAYING. SO WHEN THAT WHEN THE GUY CALLED THE FIREMEN TO COME GET ME I HAD TO WAIT 3045 MINUTES BEFORE THEY EVEN OPENED THE DOOR SO AND THEY HAD ME IN ACROSS THE STREET WHILE I WAS STUCK IN THE ELEVATOR. DO YOU THINK THEY CAME AND SEE WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME ? NO.  SO I HAD DIED. WAS THERE.  SHE TOOK A VIDEO OF ME COMING OUT THE ELEVATOR. I WAS CRYING AND THERE WAS FIRE WITH FIRE TRUCKS.  WHAT'S GOING ON? I'M SICK. I HAVE COPD EMPHYSEMA.  SO HE ASKED ME DO WE NEED TO CALL THE AMBULANCE TO HELP YOU? I TOLD HIM NO. I SAID I HAVE OXYGEN UPSTAIRS.  IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.  YOU KNOW SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, IF MY NEIGHBOR WASN'T MOVING IT I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD . THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.  I WHO'S NEXT? COME ON UP I TONY, COME UP AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF. TONY HELLO MY NAME IS TONY TONY STRATTON.  I LIVE AT 42 HARRISON ARCHWAY AND I'VE BEEN THERE FOR MORE THAN TEN YEARS. I AM A PERSON WITH DISABILITIES AND I HAVE TWO OTHER CHILDREN WITH DISABILITY AS WELL. I LIVE IN A TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT WITH FOUR PEOPLE IN IT AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO MOVE AROUND TO FIND A PLACE THAT WE CAN ALL FIT.  SO THAT APARTMENT THAT I LIVE IN ON THE FOURTH FLOOR IS NOT ANYTHING THAT I WANT OR NEED FOR MY CHILDREN BUT I THE ELEVATORS MY MY GRANDDAUGHTER HAD OPEN HEART SURGERY AND SHE IS VERY AFRAID OF THE ELEVATORS AND MY GRANDSON IS VERY NERVOUS AND HE FREAKS OUT EVERY TIME THE ELEVATOR JUMPS. SO IT'S SO IT'S JUST MORE THAN THAT WHERE WE CAN TAKE TIME. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME . THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY ABOUT YOUR WHOLE HI EVERYONE WATCH OUT WAS I OPPOSED DOING OUR RITUAL MONSIGNOR RENAUD I LIVE IN 29. MONSIGNOR WEIGH ONE SO WE'LL I LIVE ON THE FIFTH FLOOR. WOMAN TO WOMAN THEY DON'T FANS ATTENTION. NICOLE TANGERINE MOST OF THE OCCUPY RESIDENTS THAT OCCUPY THIS BUILDING HAVE A DISABILITY SO WATCH OUR FASHION SUITS DIANE TO WEIGH AT MY HOME THERE'S BEEN FOUR SEPARATE INCIDENTS WHERE THE ELEVATOR WAS OUT OF COMMISSION OR YOUR SON'S USUAL OR THE SHE MENTIONED QUINN'S IDENTITY METER THOSE THAT AND I'M ON ONE COLA BUT PANTY CHOKE THERE WERE THREE INCIDENTS WHERE MY HUSBAND WERE TRAPPED INSIDE THE ELEVATOR AND EACH OF THOSE INCIDENTS WE HAD TO CALL 911 SO THAT THEY CAN PRY OPEN THE DOOR TO WHO ARE YOU SO SURE SHE SHOULD CALL?  THE LAST TIME THAT OCCUR WAS ON NOVEMBER 10TH 2012. SHE SHE HOT USHER HALL EAT YOUR MALE RATIO WOMAN TO DADDY ON FIRE HYDRANT MEGAN UNLESS YOU'RE THE ELEVATOR HAS BEEN BROKEN FROM OCTOBER TEN TO THE 12 WE KEPT CALLING FOR SOMEONE TO COME TO FIX IT BUT NO ONE HAS EVER SHOWN UP. SURE HALL OR THE NEW YORK WEEK WHAT LEEANN GOT THAT YOUNG TO ON THE 12TH MY DAUGHTER WAS GOING BACK TO CHINA. SHE HAD TWO LARGE SUITCASES, WOMAN SAID. SO THAT YOUNG CLERK POTHOLE WOMAN DID ALL RIGHT. WE TRIED CALLING AGAIN AND THE RESPONSE WAS WE KNOW HOW YOU MAY REALIZE SHE'LL STILL NO ONE CAME. WOMAN INTO COACHING EMPOWERMENT EARLY ON GUITAR SHE OWNS A BUNCH ALLY INDIA WE HAD TO HIRE PEOPLE SHE IS YET INDIA AND WE HAD TO HIRE PEOPLE TO CARRY DOWN TO TWO SUITCASES OR SHOE ARE YOU HOLD B.A. IN GUY JIM QUITE A FOUL MISS YOUR WHOLE I HOPE THAT IN THE FUTURE WHEN INCIDENTS LIKE THIS A CURE THAT THE ELEVATOR WOULD BE FIXED IMMEDIATELY SHE IS THANK YOU THANK YOU.  GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS CAMERAMAN DUTY I'M A RESIDENT OF 16 YEARS BROOKLINE AND THE RUTH BARCLAY APARTMENTS. I ONLY MOVED IN IN MARCH AND SINCE THEN WE'VE HAD THE ELEVATOR FOUR TIMES. SO IF YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW OFTEN ELEVATORS GO OUT IN THESE IT'S QUARTERLY AT A MINIMUM. THAT'S ONE NUMBER TWO I HAD TO GO LIVE IN A HOTEL FOR A MONTH AFTER JUST COMING OUT OF EMERGENCY HOUSING. YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW THAT RETRAUMATIZE MYSELF AND MY SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD I HAVE A DYNAMIC DISABILITY SO TODAY I'M BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO STAND IN FRONT OF YOU WITHOUT WALKER AND MY CANE BUT THAT IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE WHEN OUR ELEVATOR WENT OUT IN SEPTEMBER I HAD SPRAINED MY KNEE AND I DIDN'T FIND OUT ABOUT THAT TILL I HAD TO GO GRAB AN UBER TO GO TO THE DOCTOR AND I HAD TO GO DOWN SIX FLIGHTS OF STAIRS WITH A SPRAINED KNEE. NOW MY ADA ACCOMMODATIONS STATE THAT I SHOULD NOT BE HIGHER THAN THE SECOND FLOOR BUT THOSE CANNOT BE ACCOMMODATE IT BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT HOUSING CRISIS THAT IS NOT BEING TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE HAVING AND THAT WE'RE SPEAKING ON. YES, THE ELEVATOR ISSUES ARE A MAJOR PROBLEM BECAUSE AS YOU'RE TRYING TO MOVE PEOPLE AROUND YOU HAVE TO FIND HOUSING FOR THEM AND WE STILL HAVE PEOPLE BURSTING IN THE SHELTERS AND THEY HAVE NOWHERE TO GO AND I WANT TO SAY ALSO THAT YOU ARE ASKING HOW CAN WE FEEL SAFER AROUND YOU? REPRESENTATION MATTERS. THERE IS NO REPRESENTATION OF ANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE PART OF OUR COMMUNITY OUT HERE. SO YOU CANNOT SPEAK ON WHETHER OR NOT WE FEEL RETALIATED UPON BECAUSE WE DO BECAUSE THE LACK OF URGENCY THAT IS BEING SHOWN BY THE CITY OF BOSTON TO HOUSE US AND TO MAINTAIN OUR CIRCUMSTANCES IS IS ABYSMAL. THERE IS NO SENSE OF URGENCY AND I DON'T KNOW THE DIRECTOR BUT THIS IS NOT A LAUGHING MATTER AND YOU'VE BEEN GIGGLING ALL MORNING PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HARMED IN THE PROCESS OF THIS AND THIS IS NOT AN ATTACK BUT IT'S UNREASONABLE. IT'S UNREASONABLE FOR PEOPLE TO BE COLLAPSING IN ELEVATORS. IT'S UNREASONABLE FOR YOU TO BE OUT OF YOUR HOME FOR A MONTH.  IT'S UNREASONABLE TO HAVE TO CAUSE PEOPLE TO CHANGE BACK AND FORTH TO DO THINGS. MY CHILD STRUGGLES WITH TRANSITIONS. SHE STRUGGLES WITH TEMPERATURES AND YOU'RE CAUSING HER TO HAVE TRANSITIONAL ISSUES SCHOOLING ISSUES.  WE CAN'T GET OUR MEDICATION ON TIME WHEN OUR MEDICATION DOESN'T GET TO US WE CAN'T GO DOWN SIX FLIGHTS OF STAIRS FOR IT BUT THERE'S NO REMEDY FOR THAT RIGHT?  WE GET A PER DIEM IF YOU ARE OUT BUT THEN THERE TAKES IT TAKES TWO OR THREE MONTHS FOR YOU TO GET THE MONEY BACK. I'M STILL WAITING BACK FROM A PER DIEM SOME PEOPLE AREN'T EVEN GETTING A PER DIEM SO ALL OF THESE EXPENSES ARE BEING PUT ON US RESIDENTS WHO ARE IN LOW INCOME HOUSING BECAUSE WE NEED HELP NOT PROBLEMS. SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT PEOPLE CREATE A GRANT TO NOW ASK FOR THE APPROPRIATE FUNDING FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF THESE BUILDINGS BECAUSE THEY NEED NEW ELEVATORS. AND I WANT TO SECONDARILY ADD TO THAT PARTNER WITH OUR UNIVERSITIES TO CREATE A TRADE SYSTEM IN A TRADE SCHOOL SO THAT WE HAVE THE PEOPLE TO CREATE THE THINGS THAT WE NEED IN STATE. THAT WAY WE CAN BE PROACTIVE AND NOT REACTIVE AT THE EXPENSE OF US THE RESIDENTS THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR THANK YOU.  MY NAME IS LINDA LEWIS. I LIVE 16 EAST BROOK LONG I LIVE ON A 10TH FLOOR. MY NEIGHBOR PASSED AWAY LAST YEAR.  MY SISTER'S BIRTHDAY BURIED HE MY NEIGHBOR HE WAS VERY SICK.  I WOULD HAVE TO CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO COME IN THE HEAT WHILE HE SITS OUTSIDE ON THE BENCH FROM HIS DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT BECAUSE THE ELEVATORS ARE BROKEN. WE HAVE TWO ELEVATORS IN MY AND MY BUILDING THE ELEVATOR IN FRONT OF MY DOOR. IT'S BEEN DOWN FOR MONTHS. THEY CAN'T PUT A BAND AID ON IT AND THEN IT'S BROKE AGAIN. I'M NOT SCARED OF BOSTON HOUSING OF NO RETALIATION BECAUSE GOD IS MY SAVIOR AND I'M NOT SCARED AND NANNY ALL OF WHICH ALL TO DO SO RETALIATION I CAN CARE LESS ABOUT IT. I THANK YOU DAWN BECAUSE LIKE THE LAST LADY SAID WE HAVE NO REPRESENTATION. IF IT WAS YOUR MAMA, YOUR MAMA, YOUR MAMA, YOUR MAMA SOMETHING WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE ABOUT IT.  WE ARE BLACK LIKE THIS AND NOT LIKE THIS SO I AIN'T NOTHING BEING DONE ABOUT IT AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT IT AND SO BODY STOP GIANT DROPPING IT SEEMS LIKE ONLY TIME SOMETHING PROBLEMS GETS FIXED IS WHEN PEOPLE START DYING AND SO IT SEEMS LIKE SOMEBODY IS GOING TO HAVE TO DIE BUT YOU ALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THANK YOU. I'M THE MONEY SO THE MONEY SOMEWHERE BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO MIGRANTS AND EVERYONE ELSE THE MONEY CAN GO FOR THESE ELEVATORS TO BE FIXED. THANK YOU.  OH OH, THANK YOU. SO ANYONE ELSE FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY?  NO ONE. MY NAME ADMINISTRATIVE BLOCK. WOULD YOU LIKE A I THINK WE COME TO THE END OF THE CONVERSATION.  WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE SOME CLOSING REMARKS AND THEN WE'LL HAVE OUR COLLEAGUES MAKE CLOSING REMARKS AS WELL JUST TO THANK OUR RESIDENTS AGAIN FOR TESTIFYING AND TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT KEEPS ME UP AT NIGHT ALL THE TIME AND THAT I THINK THAT THE MORE THAT FOLKS HEAR WHAT THEY'VE SAID TODAY AND THE URGENT NEED FOR RESOURCES, THE MORE QUICKLY WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THIS. AND SO I DO HOPE, YOU KNOW, I I'M VERY ENCOURAGED BY THE FACT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO LAUNCH THIS MODERNIZATION FOR THE EIGHT ELEVATORS AND A LOT OF THOSE ARE AT THE ADDRESSES YOU'VE HEARD TODAY.  BUT I JUST WANT TO VALIDATE THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WAITING TOO LONG AND DEALING WITH TOO MUCH IN THIS. AND SO THE BOOK IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH CONTINUE TO WORK ON IMPROVING OUR SYSTEMS FOR WHEN THINGS ARE DOWN. BUT THEN ALSO JUST WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU TO GET THE RESOURCES SO THAT OUR ELEVATORS ARE NOT DOWN AS FREQUENTLY. SO JUST REALLY WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY AND THANK YOU COUNSELOR FLYNN FOR CONVENING HERE TODAY.  THANK YOU. ADMINISTRATIVE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMISSIONER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE ANY CLOSING REMARKS? I JUST I THINK HELLO I'D LIKE TO ECHO EVERYTHING THAT A MINISTER ADMINISTRATOR BOK SAID. REALLY? THANK THE RESIDENTS FOR COMING OUT AS A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY I UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES THAT AND THE WORK IT TAKES TO COME IN TO CITY HALL AND GIVE THEIR TIME LIKE THIS ALSO WAITING FOR A LONG TIME TO SPEAK. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I'VE KNOWN DON FOR A LONG TIME. I REALLY APPRECIATE HER ADVOCACY. ONE THING I DO WANT TO SAY JUST BECAUSE I DEAL WITH THIS ALL THE TIME NOT JUST IN THIS CASE BUT IN OTHER CASES WHEN PEOPLE FILE COMPLAINTS I DON'T WANT EVERYBODY TO LEAVE THIS ROOM THINKING THAT YOU'RE NOT HEARD JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T SEEN ACTION. THAT'S NOT TO DIMINISH THE FACT THAT NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S CRITICAL AND WE HEARD ABOUT IT TODAY BUT A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT DAWN MENTIONED THAT SHE'D LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN I KNOW ARE HAPPENING LIKE ADMINISTRATIVE BLOCK SAID THEY ARE GETTING AN INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT.  I KNOW YOU MENTIONED DAWN THINGS LIKE LET'S NOT YOU KNOW ,MODERNIZE THINGS IN OLD BUILDINGS. BEAUTY IS STRUGGLING WITH THAT BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO PUT A BUNCH OF MONEY INTO A BUILDING THAT'S JUST GOING TO BE KNOCKED DOWN IN A FEW YEARS.  SO THERE ARE SO MANY MOVING PIECES TO THIS. I DON'T WANT THE RESIDENTS TO FEEL LIKE WE'RE NOT WORKING ON IT BECAUSE WE ARE WORKING ON IT AGAIN.  THE SOLUTIONS NEED TO HAPPEN MUCH MORE QUICKLY BUT PLEASE HEAR THAT WE'VE HEARD YOU TODAY THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT AND IT IS A MAJOR PRIORITY. THANKS AGAIN TO ESPECIALLY THE RESIDENTS AND TO DON FOR COMING OUT TODAY. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. AND DON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE SOME CLOSING REMARKS?  I DON'T THINK MY MY. OKAY. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY THAT WANTED TO SPEAK GOT A CHANCE TO SPEAK. YEAH.  OKAY. WELL, AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO REAFFIRM MY GRATITUDE FOR BEING HERE, COUNCILOR FLYNN TO GET THIS HEARING FOR US TODAY WAS VERY MEANINGFUL AND APPRECIATED BY EVERYONE. I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE AT THE TABLE WHO SPOKE.  I AM COMMITTED TO COLLABORATING IN WHATEVER WAY NECESSARY AND I AM HAPPY TO BE A CHANNEL FOR THE VOICES HERE IN THIS ROOM AND BEYOND AT THE RUTH BERKELEY APARTMENTS. IF IF I'M NEEDED IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT I CAN CONTRIBUTE PLEASE CALL ON ME . THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DON COUNTRY SENATOR ELECT OFFERS IN CLOSING REMARKS . THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.  VERY INFORMATIVE HEARING THIS MORNING.  I BELIEVE IT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT HEARING WE'VE HAD IN YEARS AT THE CITY COUNCIL . I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT'S DISAPPOINTING THAT SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE NOT HERE.  SOMEONE MENTIONED REPRESENTATION MATTERS WELL WHEN CITY COUNCIL IS NOT HERE FOR THIS IMPORTANT DISCUSSION IT HURTS. YEAH FOCUSED ON THIS ISSUE FOR YEARS AND I'M COMMITTED TO CONTINUING TO WORKING WITH THE RESIDENTS AND WITH VHA TO ENSURE THAT RESIDENTS ARE TREATED WITH RESPECT AND DIGNITY.  I TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY. I TAKE THAT PERSONALLY.  I BELIEVE THIS IS A CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE AND ONE IT'S A CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE AND IT'S FEDERAL LAW AND YOU CAN'T PICK AND CHOOSE WHAT YOU WANT TO ABIDE BY OR NOT. I'M NOT PLACING BLAME ON ANYBODY BUT WHAT I AM SAYING IS SAYING THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO ADDRESS THE ELEVATOR SITUATION IS UNACCEPTABLE. SO BECAUSE IN THAT CASE THAT MEANS WE'RE PICKING AND CHOOSING WHICH FEDERAL LAWS WE'RE GOING TO RESPECT OR NOT RESPECT.  THIS IS A FEDERAL ISSUE. THIS IS A CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE.  IT'S IMPACTING PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES. IT'S IMPACTING OUR SENIORS. YOU'RE NOT ASKING FOR A LOT YOU'RE ASKING TO BE TREATED WITH RESPECT. I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE HERE FOR.  THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.  THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN KUSTER. MURPHY THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR CHAIRING WHICH I AGREE WITH PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT HEARINGS THAT WILL HAVE ONE WE'RE TALKING DIRECTLY WITH RESIDENTS AND ABOUT ISSUES THAT MATTER SO MUCH TO THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE, TO THEIR FAMILIES, QUALITY OF LIFE AND RESPECT. IT'S IMPORTANT.  I TOO AM OFTEN DISAPPOINTED. I KNOW WE'VE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS WHEN WE WERE COLLEAGUES THEN COUNCIL BACK ABOUT ATTENDANCE AT HEARINGS AND HOW THAT MATTERS RIGHT? SO WE ELECT PEOPLE BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO SHOW UP AFTER YOU ELECT US AND I KNOW PEOPLE SCHEDULE SO I'M NOT CALLING OUT PEOPLE YESTERDAY I THOUGHT A VERY IMPORTANT HEARING ABOUT YOU KNOW, OUR POOLS AND THIS WHOLE IDEA THAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE EVERY CHILD CAN SWIM AND LEARN AND WE'RE HAVING HARD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE BLACKSTONE SCHOOL WHICH IS IN YOUR COMMUNITY THAT YOU KNOW, HASN'T HAD A POOL OPEN FOR TWO YEARS AND WHEN NOT EVERYONE SHOWS UP IT SENDS A MESSAGE TO THE ADMINISTRATION THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE A BODY THAT REALLY IS GOING TO TAKE ON THAT POLITICAL WILL. SO I'M HOPING THAT I'M WRONG AND THAT GOING FORWARD THAT THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING. THIS HEARING WAS IMPORTANT BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE ON ALL OF YOUR BEHALF TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THIS RIGHT AND SAYING THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY. I DO WORRY BECAUSE WE JUST SPENT THREE YEARS WITH SO MUCH MONEY OF UP OUR FUNDS AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT'S TAXING OR FINDING NEW MONEY TO ADD TO THE BUDGET. IT'S REALLY LOOKING AT HOW WE ARE SPENDING THE MONEY WE HAVE AND IF IT'S CONTINUING TO ADD BUS LANES OR A FREE BUS ROUTES OR A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE GETTING ACCESS TO UP TO $75,000 PER PERSON FOR A DOWN PAYMENT ON A HOUSE WHICH ARE ALL REAL THEM THEY'RE REALLY GOOD PROGRAMS. BUT IF AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE SCHOOLS WHERE LESS THAN 20% OF OUR STUDENTS ARE READING AND WE HAVE BE HOUSING WHERE ELEVATORS ARE BROKEN, THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE TO ME . WE HAVE TO FIX THAT FIRST AND I KNOW IN POLITICS WE LIKE TO DO THE THINGS THAT ARE FEEL GOOD.  WE LIKE TO GO TO THE RIBBON CUTTINGS, YOU KNOW, NOT ALL OF US. I MEAN I'M HERE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT IS WHY I GOT ELECTED. THOSE ARE FUN BUT IT IS OUR JOB TO, YOU KNOW, UPLIFT WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT AND ADVOCATE TO GET US BACK ON THE RIGHT TRACK. SO COUNT ME IN AS A ALLY AND THANK YOU, COUNSELOR FLYNN FOR GETTING US HERE. I KNOW YOU SHOW UP INTO YOUR COMMUNITY AND TALK TO THESE RESIDENTS DIRECTLY BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE GET YOU HERE INTO THE CHAMBER. THIS IS YOUR BUILDING AND THAT FROM HERE WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? AND I THINK THAT'S ON US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO GROW THIS ADVOCACY. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR MURPHY AS THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE I REALLY DO FEEL THAT THE WHOLE ADA ACCESSIBILITY ISSUE I KNOW THAT WE'RE ALREADY ON A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT AT THE BOARD. WE'RE WORKING OUR WAY THROUGH REPLACING ADA ADA RAMPS ACROSS THE CITY. I THINK THAT'S TAKEN MANY, MANY YEARS TO DO IN RESPONSE TO ADA REQUIREMENTS. I THINK WE'VE HEARD THAT THERE IS AN INTENTION TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES AND I REALLY APPLAUD AND THANK ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS FOR B.J. FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING. YOUR VOICES ARE VERY IMPORTANT. I THINK WE HEARD YOU LOUD AND CLEAR THIS MORNING THAT YOU'VE GOT MANY, MANY FRUSTRATIONS AND CONCERNS ABOUT THE SITUATION AND I THINK AS CHAIR OF THE HOUSING COMMITTEE I'M MAKING A COMMITMENT TO WORK WITH ADMINISTRATIVE BLOCK AND ANYONE ELSE WHO CAN HELP MOVE THESE PROJECTS FORWARD.  AGAIN, THE BOTTOM LINE IS MONEY WE HAVE TO FIND MONEY SO I PLEDGE TO KEEP WORKING ON THIS AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMISSIONER AND DON, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING AS WELL AND THIS HEARING ON DOCKET 1298 AND AND 1644 IS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU