You can be on a community board committee
without being a member of the board!
Non-Board Members on Committees - The Charter permits community residents who are not Board members to serve on Board committees. This is a good way of drawing on additional expertise and manpower. It is also a method of recruiting potential Board members. A Board member must chair each committee.Each community board may create committees on matters relating to its duties and responsibilities. It may include on such committees persons with a residence or significant interest in the community who are not members of the board, but each such committee shall have a member of the board as its chairperson. Except as otherwise provided by law, meetings of such committees shall be open to the public.Although the Charter requires that the chairperson of each Community Board committee be a Board member, there is no limitation as to the number of non-Board members who may be appointed to serve on a Board committee.
We, the public,
can serve on and influence decisions made by committees
and vote on them before they're referred to the full board.
In addition,
committee meetings are required to be open to the public!
Regularly scheduled Community Board meetings and committee meetings are also subject to the State Open Meetings Law.
The actions and procedures of Community Boards and their committees are governed by the applicable provisions of the City Charter (Charter language is in italics) and the New York State Open Meetings Law (OML, Sections 100-111 of the New York State Public Officers Law) and Freedom of Information Law (FOIL, Sections 84-90 of the Public Officers Law).
Open Meetings Law and Closed Meetings - The Open Meetings Law (OML) requires all meetings of public bodies to be open to the public (with certain exceptions not applicable to Community Boards).
Let's get on some committees!
Contact Brad Lander, our New York City Councilmember:
Phone: (718) 499-1090
Fax: (718) 499-1997
Office address: 456 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Floor, above the Neergaard Pharmacy between 9th and 10th streets. The entrance is to the left of the pharmacy. The office is wheelchair-accessible by using the elevator at the end of the entrance hallway behind the stairs.
You can have influence on community issues!