A bill for an ordinance approving proposed Amendments to approximately ten Leases, Licenses and Concession Agreements in response to the COVID-19 health crisis, to be negotiated by the Director of Real Estate to provide relief for the tenants. Authorizes the Division of Real Estate to negotiate and amend commercial leases in City-owned buildings to provide three months of rent relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last regularly scheduled Council meeting within the 30-day review period is on 5-18-20. Councilmember Black approved filing this item on 4-23-20.
No items have been filed out under bills for introduction. Councilmember Connections called out Bill 388 for comment. Under bills for final consideration, the items have been called a funding void. It's been called out. Madam Secretary, if you please put the first item up on our screens and Councilmember, can each give me a quick second and then you can go ahead with your comments. Go ahead. Thank you, Mr. President. Capital 388 is a bill to extend the period of lease payments that we have for several tenants, include tenants in our city where building coffee shop or subway stop or the convenience store. It also includes several large complexes. I believe the National Weather Center has some of these leases that people who are entities are having a difficult time paying their rent for reasons that not understanding the COVID 19 crisis. I believe that rent relief is appropriate. Obviously, we did a resolution or proclamation calling for rent relief like this a couple of weeks ago. In this case, though, I think it is really critical for us as a city to be ensuring that we are combining our business system with mechanisms to protect workers wherever possible. So, for example, in this case, I have a lot of hearing questions, request of the administration regarding workers rights to be rehired. We might have a number of situations where as a business comes back into business, we want them to be rehiring for the workers that they have displaced. And it might seem like that might just happen, but we have a lot of evidence that discrimination can play into those situations. For example, is an employer going to be less willing to hire a parent with children where they know their children? Are they going to be less willing to hire someone with medical backgrounds? Right. We do not want there to be cover or an opportunity for those kinds of discrimination for workers who complained about health conditions, for example. We want to make sure that workers who are employed in this crisis began are able to come back to their jobs in that same opportunity. So I accept their right to rehire for renewal. And also the question of health care. And we know this is a health crisis. And one of the things that employers should hopefully be doing with workers that they are keeping on during this time, continuing to pay for any health care benefits. It sounds like there may not be extensive health care provision among this group of tenants, which is unfortunate in itself. But to the extent there is some payment of health insurance companies request to continue that, and I've actually suggested we may even want to instead of deferring the rent payments, folks are going to be paying their workers health care. We should perhaps forego that rent so that they can use that funding specifically to do that health care. So the administration has been very accommodating in hearing these questions. But did market science come up with any decisions? This is a to reading audience tonight, thank goodness. So I'm going to go for it tonight. Can move forward to the next reading. And I want to be transparent. I want to thank my colleagues. But a number of have expressed support for this particular request. And I believe that this is key for any kind of assistance like this that is ongoing or in large value. I did raise some of these questions about the 70 $500 businesses systems that we talked about doing earlier committee meeting. And I think that that $0.75 I would also like to see these provisions connected to, but it's a smaller amount at one time funding in some cases for very tiny businesses. So I think that in this case, though, are these different three months could be tens of thousands of dollars, even for a small tenant, that's a lot of money that they are not having to pay for and the city is appropriate. But I think our goal in this is not just to protect, this is just for the sake of it. It's to protect offices and to protect workers. So my hope is that we begin to pare more of these measures and make sure that we are keeping an eye on both sides of the economy in our efforts, whoever possible. So I want to thank the administration for their consideration. I'm hopeful to have a positive resolution of this before next week. I will be. You notice I did not call this up for a vote. We just wanted everyone to understand the conversation that was happening. Thank you so much. Councilmember. Right. That concludes the item is being called out this evening. All other bills for introduction are ordered published. Councilmembers remember that this is a consent of block vote and you will need to vote. I realize this is your last chance to call an item up for a separate vote. Councilmember Herndon, will you please put the resolutions for adoption and the bills on final consideration for final passage on the floor? Differences on whether the residents will be adopted. Policies that are in place on the work for the moment. Out of the 2000 1113663403417833334833933453473836. It has been moved and seconded. Madam Secretary. Roll call. Black eyes when I kicked. Kitty. Hi. Sawyer. I saw. It. I. Data backup. I. I. Times I. Catch them. I. Ortega. I. Animal. I. Council President I am secretary. Please go voting announced results 1339 resolutions have been adopted and the bills have been placed on final consideration and do pass. Council will not be taking another recess this evening. As you know, the Business People's Party, this meeting is adjourned.