Committee on Governmental Operations, State & Federal Legislation meeting
February 25, 2026, 10:00 AM
The committee held an oversight hearing on vacant and underused city property and heard three bills: Int 0087-2026 (combining the archival review board and archives commission), Int 0541-2026 (on leasing or rental of city property), and Int 0542-2026 (requiring reporting on city real property holdings).
What was discussed
- Chair Brewer opens the hearing on vacant city property and the archival boards Council Member Gale A. Brewer opened the Committee on Governmental Operations hearing covering an oversight topic — vacant and underused city property — and three bills, including Intro 87 to combine the city's archival advisory boards and Intros 541 and 542 on leasing and reporting of city
- How would Intro 87 merge the city's archival advisory boards? Pauline Toole, Commissioner of the Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS), testified in support of Intro 87 and, questioned by Chair Brewer, explained that it would consolidate the Archival Review Board and the Archives Reference and Research Advisory Board into one body, with nine
- What is DCAS doing with vacant and underused city lots and buildings? Assistant Commissioner Matthew Berk of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) fielded questions from Council Member Frank Morano and Chair Brewer on the city's roughly 1,800 vacant lots — about 900 of them with limited marketability — and the SAIL Away program that sells small
- Advocates testify on using vacant land for housing and on archival records access Jack Connors, City Legislative Manager at Open New York, urged the city to put vacant and underused property toward housing, citing Municipal Art Society and New York Housing Conference data on underbuilt neighborhoods, and fielded questions from Council Member Morano on zoning reform. Alec
Agenda
4 items
- T2026-1046 Oversight - Vacant and Underused City Property. Hearing Held by Committee
- Int 0087-2026 A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to combining the archival review board and the archives, reference and research advisory board into a library and archival review advisory board, and to repeal section 3009 of such charter in relation thereto Hearing Held by Committee
- Int 0541-2026 A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to leasing or rental of city properties Hearing Held by Committee
- Int 0542-2026 A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the department of citywide administrative services to report on the use or vacancy of space in city buildings Hearing Held by Committee