Deputy mayor’s insult to inquiry by council
Smooth move, genius. A deputy mayor who publicly called City Council members “not that smart” may soon find out what a bonehead move that was, as legislators demand she appear before the body to be grilled on her performance.
Alicia Glen, who oversees the head of the city Housing Authority, should be forced to answer questions about the agency’s scandals over lead inspection and other issues, according to five council members who want her to testify.
“It’s important for Alicia Glen to testify because it does seem like NYCHA is lost in the shuffle when it comes to the mayor’s housing policy,” said Queens Councilman Rory Lancman. “You have the chairwoman of NYCHA acknowledging that NYCHA has been lost in the shuffle, and we’d like to hear from the deputy mayor in charge of affordable housing why that is.”
The demand that Glen testify comes after the deputy mayor insulted the body during a recent deposition in a lawsuit over the city’s affordable-housing lottery.
In court papers, she said council members “are often extremely confused and ill-informed and not that smart.”
Now council members want to know what she knew about the failures at NYCHA, where chairwoman Shola Olatoye falsified lead-inspection data.
“She has weekly meetings with the [NYCHA] chairperson. What questions is she asking?” said Councilman Ritchie Torres, who heads the council’s Oversight and Investigations Committee. “She should come before the council to explain her failure.”
Torres, who sarcastically referred to Glen as a “self-proclaimed genius,” said the call for her to testify isn’t personal.
“What matters is not whether she thinks highly of the City Council. What matters is whether she gets the job done,” the Bronx Democrat said. “Evidence suggests she has not.”
Torres and fellow members contend it’s high time Glen testified because she hasn’t given the au- thority the priority it deserves, spending more energy on creating private affordable housing.
Olatoye testified Tuesday that Glen’s been a “loud and vocal advocate” for the authority, but noted the agency still needs more resources. Olatoye said she and Glen, who reports directly to Mayor de Blasio, meet on a “weekly” basis.
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer alluded to the council insult Tuesday in suggesting Olatoye be more forthright about Glen’s role in the authority’s woes.
“Because she’s so smart, she should probably do better at funding and doing things for public housing,” Van Bramer told Olatoye.
“You’re getting grilled here, and appropriately so because a lot has gone wrong, but you, by protecting the deputy mayor, don’t do any service to yourself or the residents of public housing.”
Meanwhile, City Hall spokeswoman Olivia Lapeyrolerie said bruised feelings over an insult are no reason to hold a council hearing.
“This would certainly set a new low bar as justification for a hearing,” she said.
NYCHA has been lost in the shuffle, and we’d like to hear from [Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen] why that is. — Councilman Rory Lancman on Deputy Mayor Glen (right)