Preyor/Goodman/Shonefeld

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BRAMs a broadcast over this station on the second and fourth Thursday of each month our guest for this series is Frederick S. Berman the commissioner of New York city's newly created Department of rent and housing maintenance of the housing development ministration Good evening commissioner Berman didn't gel commissioner Berman back on December first when the H.D.A. came into being in a consolidation of other former city departments and agencies I asked you on one of these programs how is the consolidation coming and have used shown any progress of course it was too early to determine it but now that the H.G.A. has been in operation for some three months are you able to see any of these progress changes now but you know I think there's been some progress although we've had some problems as well but I think on balance we're beginning to move forward we for example are starting now to pull together the whole concept of reckon troll and code enforcement we we're trying now to establish a means of eliminating duplication we've been able to get going at least on a taskforce basis the idea of combining some of our inspectorate forces of developing an understanding between the heads of our rent offices in the field and also our code enforcement offices in the field that's something that's never been done in all the years of the New York City Housing history I think that's just that in itself is a step forward we are developing programs that will for the first time to give the city a new look in terms of penalty provisions and housing make mince code so that we don't necessarily beat the landlord on the head and either reduces rents are taken into court criminally. We are moving forward in the in the areas of trying to more effectively administer the wreck intro law you know we passed a big package of proposals last year. I think the first two years of this means the administration was developing new proposals to make them all better and I think our job for the last two years is to try to digest the new legislation and implement it and make it work and I think we're making real strides in that direction I'm very pleased with that So all in all I am I certainly agree that the mayor's concept of having a reorganize department makes sense it's proper to have code enforcement and and record for all under one commissioner in our department and and I think it's going to work out now that doesn't mean we haven't had problems we do and that's natural in any reorganization we. Took the federal government three years to organize. And when it was created it's taken the federal government many years to organize the Department of Health Education and Welfare I would hope that we're going to be able to move much more quickly here in New York in our own reauthorization So I'm hopeful and I think we're making some progress So you think that it's no Boeing but the results will be more dramatic as time goes on yes I think that by the time we've had a reasonable period to do implement what we're doing I think the public is going to be the beneficiary of the reorganization not only in terms of programs but particularly in terms of dollars. We're putting a very tough tight lid on expenditures sometimes in a frustrating matter because often we've been cutting ourselves to the bone right down to the point of. Extending almost to essential services but we're tightening the belt I think we should do that as long as we don't sacrifice programs and I believe that the public will definitely benefit from the reorganization and not only in the housing field but in all of the other nine super ministrations that are being created. So again I'd just like to say that after only three months I think we've made some good progress and I think the mayor's desire and his objective to restructure New York City government along the lines of the federal government makes good sense and is indeed realistic and you found the very severe cold snaps we had this winter when so many people were calling the emergency number no heat no hot water if you found the reorganisation has helped these people in getting some form of redress or in getting the violations fixed and getting that heat up to their apartments Well I can say this that we've we've provided great a service to the people of this city this winter than ever before in the history of this program in terms of giving Americans the repairs there is no doubt in my mind and the statistics bear this out that we we were able to restore heat and hot water to more apartments than has ever been done in any single month we did that in January and I think therefore that the program is well structured and provides a very important service to the people based on that alone that shows that the new H.D.A. has shown some progress mainly to the people that's where it counts Well hopefully Joe and I I think that brings me to our guest this evening some people who are very important in making what we're trying to do work trying to help the people of the city of New York. We have. I suppose next to. I guess I would I would say certainly that there's no more important area in the city than problems of housing particularly existing housing and our department runs with twenty three hundred people performing various functions and I have three lovely ladies here tonight who play a very important role in what the commissioner does on a day to day basis and trying to meet his obligations to the people and I didn't reduce them to our audience and perhaps explore with them some of their specific functions I thought it would be of interest to the listeners to find out what goes on on a. They base is functionally within a commissioner's office the type of work the type of problems that come into this office. I have three ladies that I'd like to present to comprise the commissioners in our executive staff so to speak first Miss Celia Schoenfeld who's the commissioner's executive secretary who's been my secretary since my advent into this city administration Mr SCHONFELD has been studying government for a number of years. And is with some of my predecessors in rent control and. A fine superb executive secretary. I also have with me two lovely ladies who I just had the privilege of meeting only recently when I took over this new and large department as Sandy Goodman Goodman and miss you know prior both of whom were with the Buildings Department. Prior to my coming to to a Lafayette Street they've had great experience in this present city administration with housing code enforcement and they are performing very important roles in our day to day operation within the commissioner's office and I think we can get into some of the specifics of that first like to. I like to start with Miss Prior actually because. Some of the work that she does is work that pertains really to the inquiries that we get on a day to day basis from members of the public enough. I know that your task is a often difficult one because you are the one that has to look at the tons of mail that come into the commissioner's office each day perhaps you might like to tell us what the processing is what what happens when the public writes to the commissioner complaining about a problem what you do with it what we attempt to. Do with the. Album how we resolve it hopefully and what the process is well and commission a generally we answer the letter that the complainant sent in personal each one is a personal Landsat. It is then sent to a member of the department that would handle this particular case. An inspection is usually made and. What actually went on especially is made. All we do we advise the rider exactly what is taking place yes yes we do in a lot of cases the complainant will call and ask what has taken place and therefore we would switch into the body that is handling his gaze. Thirty day period is given for the landlord to correct any violations that is found at the time of the inspection. And if not court action is usually taken and I guess it's fair to say that with all that mail coming in you know you have the difficult task of attempting to to see where what she thought it fits into in our department who should handle it and where the mail should be child yes that's true and sometimes it can be quite difficult because. They'll have a several matters such as rent matters and housing matters and therefore I would have to send a letter to two parties instead of the one to handle it thank you and Sandy Goodman you you've taken on an interesting role I think in our new set up sort of in the official scribe of our various executive committee meetings and so forth would you like tell us exactly what your role has been in this new reorganized set up. Well mainly my role has been to sit in on these executive and policy meetings that take place each week which are terribly important to the commissioner especially in keeping him constantly abreast of what each of the various divisions within our department are trying to accomplish and consolidating and coordinating all the various procedures that we hope to alter that ultimately implement we now we hold executive committee meetings once a week and policy committee meetings once a week two separate dates. What do you think being the prime benefit of these meetings would be send it from where you sit well there are diversified opinions by very diversified people and this these meetings serve as a place where these people can come in express their views however vehemently they may wish to go and the pros and cons are raised sometimes just agreements do occur and the commissioner will ultimately have to make a decision on what the best course is to follow but it does give the people a chance to express themselves and a chance for the commissioner to know exactly what is going on in every facet within the department yes with twenty three hundred people and diversity programs I guess the biggest problem of the commissioner is to try to find out exactly what's going on in his department all the time in these meetings to help to clarify those issues Thank you Sandy. Seal Schoenfeld. You as executive secretary to the commissioner where your functions well. I give. A good part of my time is taken up in. Arranging the commissioner's appointments saying that they don't overlap each other that he gets to the meetings on time and that he does get their. Hands a commission it could be a little Tory can do yes he's held up and they don't run into each others switching them and screening his call of. That things are that's a very interesting responsibility that you have sealed we get what hundreds of calls would you say. And they go through various steps of screening calls from the public. Come into the receptionist desk most of the time she now knows where to channel them to there are times when citizens insist on talking to the commissioner each one feels that he has a problem is the most important and it is to him and some of them eventually get into my desk if I fail that it is something that the only the commission and I can help them well he does get to them I can channel it to a deputy or one of our heads of our departments I get one sometimes I can take care of that myself. So you actually there's no question but that. The commissioner were to respond every phone call the Guardian Fortunately will never get any other work done but on the other hand we do feel that it's important that every citizen who feels that he has a problem should be given attention to that. And is it fair to say that every letter and every phone call that we get into our office is responded to by an executive person with authority in or department definitely every letter receives attention there are times when we even go beyond that if we fail that whatever this person is complaining of can be handled by another agency a letter is sent in the RAM the commissioner to the other agency setting forth the case sending a capital letter and asking them to get their attention because I think that's an awfully important role that we can play. Some people feel that city government does not have a heart but the fact of the matter is often we will get a problem that doesn't pertain to our department to me yet. We feel the person should get some help and we will make a point and I know that you and the other ladies here will make a point of advising the writer or communicating with the party or our city government agency that can solve that problem for them and I think this is an obligation that we have and one with which we willingly perform because we do serve hopefully the people of the city not only in housing matters but if we can be helpful would do in any other way we can get well thank you very much seal. Seal and Sandy and you know I want to thank all three of you for coming here today and you girls did beautifully I might say you know that this is their radio debut and they were a little nervous and I think they performed admirably I'm very proud of them and they as I always am because they are a top notch team and it helps make my job a bit easier. I'm sure that they can perform here on their way to your debut as easily as they did must be very efficient over in your office and I'm sure you will back us up on that absolutely Joe thank you very much Commissioner you've been listening to you and your landlord with Fredricka Spearman New York City's rent and housing making its commissioner this transcribed series is brought to you at this time on the second and fourth Thursday of each month and we invite you to be with us again two weeks from tonight that's on March twenty eighth at six thirty at which time Commissioner Frederick as Berman will return for another edition of you and your landlord.

Audio courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives WNYC Collection

WNYC archives id: 151621
Municipal archives id: T4387