Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2023.New York City Council members grilled Adams administration officials in a heated probe on Thursday afternoon, asking whether the city is doing enough to vet the contractors slated to rake in more than $5 billion to shelter and care for newly arrived migrants.
Seven executives from the top companies and nonprofits hired were invited to testify, but they didn't show up. Several councilmembers — including Brewer and contracts committee chair Julie Won — alleged they were told to skip the meeting by the Adams administration. A spokesperson for the administration hasn’t responded to a request for comment Thursday.
The expedited emergency timeline has been necessary to meet the urgent demand, they said, and they claimed they maintained a thorough review of the applicant pool. When possible, the city relied on existing contractors already hired by the city, they testified.