New York City is failing to accurately survey the condition of its bridges, schools, parks and other key infrastructure in annual surveys, according to an audit published Friday by City Comptroller Brad Lander. The inaccuracy is likely costing taxpayers millions due to deferred maintenance and repairs made through emergency contracts, the comptroller said.
Lander’s office found that the city’s annual assessment of its infrastructure needs, known as the Asset Information Management System report, consistently fails to accurately detail the costs of keeping up major city structures. The results leave city officials with an incomplete understanding of the costs of maintaining buildings and other facilities that makes it harder for the city to make informed budget decisions.
“You can’t fix what you don’t know is broken, and you sure can’t budget properly for repair needs for infrastructure that you did not even inspect,” said Lander in a statement. “We need a more strategic approach, better inspection protocols, and innovative technologies if we’re going to budget properly and maintain our City’s critical infrastructure for the decades to come.”
Every year, the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget, working with the Department of Design and Construction and consultants, conducts a partial review of city infrastructure that has a replacement cost of at least $10 million and a useful life of at least 10 years. The process is required by the City Charter and the findings are utilized by budget officials to estimate the cost of necessary repair and replacement work.
In the Fiscal Year 2023 AIMS Report, OMB reported 5,093 infrastructure assets with $14.1 billion in maintenance costs between fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2027. However, the audit raises concerns about the thoroughness of the information the city is relying on.
The comptroller’s office found the AIMS report can produce wildly inaccurate cost estimates. For instance, one survey estimated it would cost $76 million to maintain the Riverside Park Bridge W. 79th Street Traffic Circle on the Upper West Side. When the project moved into the contract process a few months later, the cost was nearly double at $149.9 million.
Auditors say inaccurate cost estimates are due to a mix of factors, including superficial examinations of infrastructure, a lack of consistent survey practices and the omission of newer facilities from the surveys.
In a Feb. 7 response to the audit, Travis Godsoe, assistant director of OMB, said the agency will look into comptroller recommendations to improve the process but noted that the audit “contains fundamental misunderstandings” of infrastructure survey practices. Godsoe also “questions the methods of the Audit” in comparing project bid costs to fully assessed construction projects.
Mayoral spokesman Charles Lutvak also noted that the city worked with the comptroller’s office and consulted procurement experts in 2022 toward pursuing more cost-effective ways to upgrade city infrastructure, and on speedier timelines.
“As our administration continues to deliver high-quality infrastructure more quickly, efficiently, and inclusively, we will continue to follow the Charter-mandated process and work with stakeholders including the comptroller’s office to consider these recommendations,” Lutvak said in a statement.
Lander’s office intends to work with the City Council toward creating clearer guidelines and policies for the infrastructure review.
“We cannot operate our City effectively without accounting for proper maintenance of our infrastructure,” said Council member Lincoln Restler, who represents part of Brooklyn, in a statement. “I look forward to working alongside the Comptroller to pass legislation and create a comprehensive, accurate inventory of infrastructure needs to better inform the City’s capital planning and spending decisions.”
Caroline Spivack , 2024-03-15 21:14:02
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