Marty Wants You to Join Community Boards

By on January 5, 2010 12:25 pm in Brooklyn Heights

Brooklyn Beep Marty Markowitz wants you, the citizens of Brooklyn, to join your Community Board.   Sure, you don’t get paid, but you do get to shape public policy…. errrr sumthin’.  Here’s the official press release:

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz is calling on all Brooklynites interested in advocating for issues important to their communities—including land use, zoning, the City Budget, and municipal service delivery—to apply for representation on their local Community Board. Current members are also encouraged to apply for reappointment. The deadline to submit an application is Monday, February 22, 2010.

“Community boards are truly the heart and soul of municipal government in Brooklyn and New York City—they are the entry point for New Yorkers who love their neighborhoods and wish to be involved in the planning and development process,” said BP Markowitz.

There are 59 Community Boards throughout the City—18 in Brooklyn—each comprised of up to 50 unsalaried members appointed by the borough president. Board members are selected by the borough presidents from among active, involved people of each community, with an effort made to assure that every neighborhood is represented. Board members must reside or have some other significant interest in the community.

For more information and an application, visit www.brooklyn-usa.org and click on the “Brooklyn Community Board Applications” button.

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  • Publius

    The CBs are too often rubber stamps for the politicians that appoint them. CB Members fear crossing the wishes of those that appoint them because too often vindictive pols axe those who won’t “see things their way.” The CBs are unelected and therefore unrepresentative, and undemocractic.

  • AAR

    What Publius says makes sense. Maybe this is an issue that our new Public Advocate can take on in addition to seeking to increase parental influence in matters of public education.

  • Reggie

    I have dealt with numerous community boards through-out Brooklyn over the past 20 years and I think Publius exaggerates (“too often”). Which is not to say the system is perfect. But if community boards need more members willing to stand up to pressure, I guess now is the time for them to apply.

  • Publius

    If you stand up to the pressure, you’re booted and the pol installs someone more pliable to affix the rubber stamp.

    IMHO, the Community Boards are a waste and should be abolished. Civic associations are true representatives of communities, hold elections, are thereby representative, and are independent of the “too often” (there I said it again) political system.

  • Publius

    Last sentence shoud read: Civic associations are true representatives of communities, hold elections, are thereby representative, and are independent of the “too often” (there I said it again) corrupt political system.

  • Reggie

    I have seen board members stand up to pressure and get booted and I have seen members take a stand and go on to be board leaders. The issue is hardly as black-and-white as Publius writes.

    Overall, I would say community boards operate at a higher level than the old school boards, which I think refutes the argument that being elected to office ensures independence and professionalism. (Can you say “professionalism” about a volunteer position?)

  • bklyn20

    As a 9-year member at various levels of our local CB2, I must tell you all that I can only HOPE that Mr. De Blasio really means what he said in the NYTimes article yesterday. This is probably what AAR is referring to. Keep in mind that full board members, who can vote and speak at the main moonthly meeting, are appointed by their councilperson or borough president. Public members are not appointed, can vote at their respective committee meetings, but CANNOT vote at the overall monthly full board meetings. Nor can they speak at the full meetings, in most cases — they have to prepare a statement and have it read by a full board member.

    At the same time, please do keep in mind that Bill de B (and Marty) orchestrated the purge of 9 (yes, that’s 9) of their CB6 appointees because those folks were anti- Atlantic Yards and anti- housing in Brooklyn Bridge Park, as were most of De Blasio’s constituents in his City Council district. It mattered not that these 9 were voting at the CB meetings in accord with their neighbors views. Their votes were against the stated wishes of the electeds who appointed them, and away they went — despite their years of experience and knowledge. Are these the people that Mart and Bill want to bring into the tent? I hope they leave room for them.

  • Publius

    Bklyn20: Interesting case in point.

    I’ve heard of many other horror stories of hard working CB members removed from their positions when they cross their political “masters” who appoint and need to reappoint them.

  • sue

    tell marty it is a waste of time… as long as he continues his close close relationships with developers…