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Council pushes transparency for EDC contracts, community‑hiring reports and disclosure of community benefits agreements
Summary
Two bills introduced would require entities contracting with the Economic Development Corporation to publish annual community‑hiring reports and require EDC contracts to disclose community benefits agreements, aiming to improve accountability for job promises tied to development projects.
Council member Alexa Avilés introduced two bills (Intro 8‑60 a and Intro 8‑61 a) designed to increase transparency and community accountability for projects involving the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC).
Council member Avilés said Intro 8‑60 a would require entities that contract with EDC to publish annual reports on community hiring programs established to promote employment opportunities for residents of low‑income communities; those reports would be posted on the EDC website and must include performance metrics compared to the prior fiscal year and descriptions of outreach and hiring efforts. Intro 8‑61 a would require EDC contracts to include disclosures about community benefits agreements (CBAs) and details of arrangements between developers and nonprofits or other parties intended to provide benefits to impacted communities.
Avilés cited community experiences where promised job gains did not materialize and said EDC had sometimes responded that it did not track tenant hiring. She listed examples and advocates involved in drafting the bills and said the reforms aim to ensure commitments translate into measurable outcomes. The transcript includes named advocates and community organizations that worked on the bills with the sponsor.
The transcript records sponsor remarks and examples of earlier projects where community benefits were contested. It does not contain a recorded final vote for either measure.
