Manhattans Community Boards Need YOU To Volunteer
By [Scott M. Stringer] In Manhattan, neighborhood power begins at the grass roots. Community Boards are the first line of democracy for borough residents, because they offer New Yorkers a voice in decisions that determine the future of our communities. But they"re only as strong as the people who serve on them, and that"s why I"m encouraging readers to think seriously about joining their local board. The application process for next year is beginning now, and there are two upcoming meetings at my offices offering information about the application process and the responsibilities of being board members. If you"re interested, please check out these meetings (listed below) Dec. 13 and Jan. 6. The stakes have never been higher for our neighborhoods and our city as a whole. Today, more than ever, New York City officials need to listen to residents before embarking on major projects. They need to consider all voices in a community. When I took office in 2006, however, our borough"s 12 community boards seemed tired and inattentive. They were filled with members who had held their seats for decades, without a formal reapplication process. There was little new blood and even less expertise in community planning, which was the community boards" original mandate. Working together, you and I changed all that. We reformed our community boards, improving their ability to evaluate professional planning initiatives. I have been particularly focused on ensuring that the 50 members making up each individual board reflect the actual makeup of their neighborhood. This is crucial since members deal with some of the biggest issues facing our city's from rezoning efforts that promote responsible development and preserve affordable housing, to incorporating community plans that add green space needs and school overcrowding concerns into the evaluation of new projects. To ensure that we get the best people serving their communities, my office has also created an independent screening panel for community board members. It"s comprised of leaders from government and community groups, such as the Municipal Art Society, the Partnership for NYC, the Hispanic Federation, Asian Americans for Equality, NAACP, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, LGBT Community Center and others. With their help, we have formalized a new process of screening and reappointment that applies to all board members, every two years. I"m proud of these reforms because applicants in recent years have reflected our city"s diversity. Across the borough, we have increased African-American, Latino, Asian-American and LGBT representation. Our new appointees have included school administrators, small business owners, social workers and architects. Some are lifelong New Yorkers, while others represent our growing immigrant community's the newest New Yorkers. This new diversity is remarkable. But we also have to ensure that the work board members do reaches the highest professional standards. To help them deal with complex planning issues, we created the Community Planning Fellowship Program in 2006, which placed a graduate urban planning student with each of Manhattan"s 12 boards. These students provide expertise to the board members, as they weigh technical land use matters and plan for their communities. This year, the Fund for the City of New York, working in collaboration with the Mayor"s Office and my office, assumed responsibility for the program with the goal of expanding the Community Planning Fellowship Program citywide. Much work remains to be done, but we"re making great strides. And we"ll continue to push to ensure that community boards include voices from all of New York"s neighborhoods. We"ll guarantee that they come to the table equipped with the tools needed to make informed decisions. But none of this will happen without your involvement. If you"re interested in serving on your community board, please check out these two upcoming meetings: Monday, Dec. 13, 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building, 163 W. 125th Street, room 8A. Thursday, Jan. 6, 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Municipal Building, One Centre Street, 19th floor. I hope to see you there. _ Scott M. Stringer is Manhattan borough president.