Is Yolanda Vega getting a new boss? Governor David A. Paterson will sign an executive order on Thursday establishing the New York State Commission on State Asset Maximization to study potential public-private partnerships for the State of New York.
Among the organizations up sure to be up for consideration: the state lottery and the Thruway Authority.
So could a plan to build a new Tappan Zee Bridge downstate and add a new commuter rail line that travels across it.
Below, you'll find the rest of the governor's release on the study of privatizing state assets.
This act is a step towards more efficient leveraging of the State’s physical and human capital resources to better serve its citizens.
Public-private partnerships offer an opportunity for the State to more effectively make long-term capital investments, even in periods of economic distress.
The executive order will establish an eleven-member Commission, chaired by Charlotte Hitchcock, the Governor’s Deputy Secretary for Labor and Financial Regulation.
The Commission will be required to submit a preliminary report of their recommendations to the Governor and Legislature within 90 days, and a final report will be due within 180 days.
“Creating this Commission is another important step my Administration is taking to ensure that New York continues to make the crucial long-term investments we need to sustain economic growth and secure a valuable quality of life for our citizens,” said Governor Paterson. “Public-private partnerships are not the only answer, but we need to honestly assess whether they can be part of the solution. I believe the private sector can be a source of innovation, allowing us to increase the value, efficiency and safety of assets like our aging infrastructure system, and I look forward to receiving the Commission’s recommendations.”
The administration is not considering selling any assets. With commodity prices spiking to historic highs –asphalt is up 183 percent per ton over the past three years and steel is up 42 percent over the past two years – identifying new ways by which the State finances and delivers infrastructure projects is paramount. In compiling its final report, the Commission will examine the role of public-private partnerships, domestically and internationally, and then consider whether this model can benefit New York State.
In exploring the uses of public-private partnerships, the Commission will consider whether any specific New York State assets are suitable candidates for such partnerships.
The recommendations should also directly address ways to ensure adequate government oversight, performance standards, protection of public employees and regulation of user fees; use of non-compete clauses; and prevailing wage and labor standards.State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli said: “There’s a lot to do to fix New York State’s infrastructure, but there’s not a lot of money to do it with. New York needs to craft new strategies to address our capital needs, and we need to get everyone involved – labor, business, the public sector and the private sector. Governor Paterson has taken a strong first step toward ensuring New York can rebuild our infrastructure.”Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos said.
The Commission will consist of eleven members to be appointed by the Governor: one on the recommendation of the Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, one on the recommendation of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, one on the recommendation of the New York State Comptroller DiNapoli, one on the recommendation of the Attorney General, and seven without prior recommendation, one of whom will be a representative of organized labor.
Ms Hitchcock, the Commission’s Chairman, currently serves as the Governor’s Deputy Secretary of Labor and Financial Regulation, a position she has held since May, 2008. Prior to joining the Paterson Administration, Ms. Hitchcock was the Deputy Counsel to New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. Before that, she was a Senior Staff Attorney with the Legal Aid Society in Manhattan for 15 years.
Ms. Hitchcock received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Yale University and a law degree from New York University.
The Governor has also appointed Samara Barend as the Commission’s Executive Director. Ms. Barend is the Vice President and Government Affairs Director for STV Incorporated, a nationally recognized engineering and architectural firm. And after she served as a steering committee member for the NYS Transportation Bond Act Campaign and was the initiator and leader of the Interstate-86 campaign, she made an unsuccessful bid for Congress, losing in 2004 to Republican Randy Kuhl.
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