Bliss, who’s going through a Metropolis Council probe over his ties to his ex-employer, Taconic Companions, wrote in a letter to Council investigators final Friday that 4 days earlier than he left Taconic to affix Adams’ administration on Jan. 24, 2022, he contacted the Conflicts of Curiosity Board.
Bliss, chief of employees to First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, wrote his dialog targeted on whether or not he wanted to recuse himself from participating in his authorities capability with Taconic, which has vital metropolis authorities enterprise pursuits. Particularly, he wrote he disclosed to COIB he deliberate to whereas at Metropolis Corridor proceed holding stake in a Taconic-managed actual property funding fund.
Public Well being Lab in Manhattan. (Google Maps)
However Bliss wrote he now believes “there was a miscommunication with COIB” in 2022 about “the nature” of his fund stake as a result of he acquired totally different recommendation when he reached again out final month — after NBC4 first reported on it.
“[I] was advised that I should formally recuse myself from any involvement in any Taconic project,” he wrote of a Jan. 22 change with COIB. “I have and will continue to heed that guidance.”
Bliss didn’t elaborate on the alleged 2022 miscommunication, and Adams’ workplace wouldn’t remark. COIB Government Director Carolyn Miller declined to remark particularly on Bliss, citing confidentiality guidelines.
In an preliminary Jan. 27 request, the committees requested Bliss to, amongst different issues, furnish information about which properties the Taconic funding fund is invested in and the way a lot cash Bliss has been paid by it since becoming a member of the administration.
In addition to disclosing the recusal matter, Bliss wrote in Friday’s letter he hasn’t obtained cash from the fund since 2022 as a result of his “carried interest” in it’s a part of a Taconic “compensation package” that solely generates a return upon liquidation. He stated he doesn’t know when which will occur.
He wrote the fund has invested in six properties — 4 in Manhattan, one in Westchester County and one in New Jersey — however didn’t establish them. He did say the lab Taconic’s set to redevelop isn’t one in every of them.
“We need to know what these other properties are,” Brewer stated of the six buildings.
Mayor Adams.
Brewer additionally known as it “strange” Bliss was first instructed to not recuse. “We need to know if there was a change in the type of information he was providing [to COIB],” she stated.
Bliss’ letter says he has had “no involvement while at City Hall with any project involving” Taconic.
Taconic, although, listed Bliss in filings as a lobbying “target” final yr because it sought to safe permits from Adams’ administration for Innovation East, which might flip the First Ave. lab right into a 500,000 square-foot “life sciences hub.”
Referring to the lobbying disclosure, Bliss wrote he “can find no record, nor do I recall any discussion or meeting regarding this or any other Taconic project.”
The entity that formally picked Taconic for Innovation East was the Financial Improvement Company, which Bliss helps oversee as chief of employees. The EDC stated final week Bliss didn’t take part in that choice.
In addition to being chief of employees, Adams appointed Bliss in 2022 to chair the Land Improvement Company, an entity that should finally log out on the Innovation East challenge.
Adams spokeswoman Liz Garcia stated Bliss’ recusal will cowl any LDC motion on Innovation East.
All however one in every of LDC’s different 4 members work on the EDC or beneath Torres-Springer, with a number of of them reporting to Bliss. Garcia wouldn’t say if these members will want recusals.
Earlier than any LDC strikes, the Council must approve a zoning utility undergirding Innovation East, and a vote is anticipated subsequent week.
Council Speaker Adrienne Adams‘ office said the Council can by law only consider “land use merits” of Innovation East as part of next week’s vote and that any “conflicts of interest concerns” should be dealt with by committees.
Initially Printed: February 6, 2025 at 4:30 PM EST
