There is still no movement on selling the building that seems to be at the top of the Common Council's list of properties to divest: 429 Warren Street. The stumbling block remains relocating the Code Enforcement Office, which currently is the only occupant of the building.
At Wednesday's meeting of the ad hoc committee tasked with selling City-owned properties, Alderman Jane Trombley (First Ward) suggested setting goals: relocating Code Enforcement by July; selling the building in August. Alderman Rebecca Wolff (First Ward) raised an objection, saying, "This assumes we are selling the building on Warren Street because it is valuable and will bring a good price." She called that "a dangerous assumption," asserting that they needed to "plan what they are going to do with the property." Wolff went on to say, "We have this committee because Tom was panicking about the fund balance," making reference to Council president Tom DePietro and betraying prior knowledge of what was made public in a press release from Mayor Kamal Johnson on Friday.
Trombley suggested that they "consider our objective and reformulate the committee," adding, "I am not comfortable with segueing from one construct to another." DePietro said, "I've been calling it the 'Property Committee.'" A bit later in the meeting, he suggested they rethink the committee and call it a "Property Committee" or a "Real Estate Committee," saying, "We're going to look at the larger issue of real estate."
COPYRIGHT 2021 CAROLE OSTERINK
So suspicious, Carole. I actually had no special knowledge of the fund balance news. I was referring to the easing of Tom's anxieties which has taken place over the last several months as the City's coffers have seemed to be adequately replenished from various sources. You know I don't keep track of all your suspicions but my mother does. REBECCA WOLFF
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