BROOKLYN COMMUNITY BOARD 6
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
APRIL 11, 2016
PRESENT:
J. ARMER P. BLAKE G. KELLY
A. KRANSNOW R. LEVINE S. LONIAL
R. LUFTGLASS E. MCCLURE M. RACIOPPO
M. SHAMES M. SILVERMAN S. TURET
EXCUSED:
R. BASHNER P. BELLENBAUM P. FLEMING
T. MISKEL R. UNDERWOOD
*** M I N U T E S ***
Annual review of committee structure.
There are some active committees and other committees are not as active. Committees can combine and recombine.
Discussion of ideas for committees: Meeting dates Transportation & Public Safety Committee – each committee does not have any item every month. Economic/Waterfront/Community Development and Housing – does not have a clear mandate. Makes it hard for explicit items. Environmental Protection/Permits & Licenses – Environmental has real issues but does not have immediate issues. Landmarks/Land Use – A suggestion was made by Matt Silverman to see Landmarks and Land Use split.
The Sustainability & Resiliency Sub-Committee should be within the Environmental Protection Committee but the chairs are not members of the EPPL Committee. It should be a clearinghouse for all the information on sustainability and resiliency – Red Hook, Gowanus, etc.
Sayar Lonial said we should not rely on what are required but should create discussions with solutions – we can hold hearings even if there are not mandated issues.
The Sustainability & Resiliency Sub-Committee can learn from other parts of the city. CB6 can help clarify what is not there. Resiliency is spearheaded by Victoria Hagman because of her work in Red Hook.
Jerry Armer: Where it sits can be in a number of different committees.
CB6: There is a sense that CB6 could be more plugged in to these issues.
Glenn Kelly: Host neighborhood meetings to find out what communities want and need.
Robert Levine: CB6 used to do that.
Sayar Lonial: Can bring resiliency into Land Use as a set of goals. Permits and Licenses does not fit. Mentioned that the following need reconsideration: Community Development Housing Public Safety Human Services Environmental Protection Land Use – Sustainability & Resiliency Sub-Committee
Topics should make sense – together. Problem to bundle.
Economic/Waterfront/Community Development & Housing – how to motivate. Rewrite mission statement.
Youth/Human Services/Education Committee – Has no mandate but does take on initiatives – no formal role.
Landmarks/Land Use Committee – Make sense together. Landmarks alone would have low turn-out. Put together to get quorum for Landmarks.
Quorums are hard to get. Meat of a community – We need to discuss what is going on in the community.
What is going on in the community – criteria?
Mission statement for each committee should be written. The Chair, working with each chair, should write a mission statement for the committee.
Jerry Armer – Permits & Licenses seems to go naturally with Public Safety.
Synergy between Youth/Human Services/Education comes out of what they want to do. Big issues.
Matt Silverman – Committees without agendas Planning committees Should have meetings monthly so there is regularity.
Pauline Blake – Done so little to attract people in Gowanus.
Sayar Lonial – Feel like we have addressed issues in Gowanus. We are not covering enough of the neighborhoods.
Suzanne Turet – Bring back the Town Hall meetings.
Craig Hammerman – explained that the previous Town Hall meetings were arranged around the budget process as an attempt for us to solicit ideas from the different neighborhoods. Using the same format every year led to meeting fatigue and skewed results. Suggested that we consider possible new structure for Town Hall-type meetings, like Council Member Lander did with a Twitter Town Hall – consider using social media more.
Eric McClure – maybe we need an Outreach Committee.
Mike Racioppo – Maybe a focused, thematic Town Hall meeting.
Glenn Kelly – Community Conventions – Target neighborhoods and do one a year.
Robert Levine – Participatory Budgeting – Do this as a way/forum for issues. Does the Community Board hear these service issues? Is there a way to bring them in?
Craig Hammerman – Yes, we have received the lists from Council Member Lander’s office of prior Participatory Budgeting projects that did not receive funding. Some of the projects have migrated over into the Community Board’s budget priorities. Other Council Members have not made their lists available yet.
Matt Silverman – Do one meeting each community – each year. - What needs to be done in the community? - CB6 has done that but it is over and not there anymore.
Sayar Lonial asked for volunteers to work with him on a plan. Suzanne Turet, Jerry Armer, Eric McClure, Mike Racioppo, Glenn Kelly and Mark Shames all volunteered. They will help to review committee realignments.
Youth Acknowledgement Awards
For the second year in a row, no nominations have neem received for this award.
There needs to be outreach to schools, groups, e-mails. Will extend the nomination period and present at a meeting in Fall 2016. Ceremony in December at Borough Hall.
Glenn Kelly asked if there is a picture of the original plaque that was posted which dedicated the Carroll Park Parkhouse after Robert Acito so they could recreate it and re-post it. He asked Craig to check with Bob’s family to see.
School Merger Proposal
PS 282 – students are from outside the district (District 13) mix with PS 321 (District 15).
Resolution at committee made by Rob Underwood: Would like a resolution that merges the schools. There would be a meeting after CEC votes or should we meet prior to the CEC vote?
When is the CEC vote? Should we meet prior? More fact-finding needed on the issue.
What about creating a resolution that comes after the CEC that goes to the DOE? Response to CEC not pre-empting it.
Hold a big meeting at Youth/Human Services/Education for May. Include local elected officials. Topic is of value whether CB 15 does want to do it.
Note: Manhattan CB7 – 2 schools tried to merge within the one CB. Big debate – couldn’t do it.
Will not do a resolution. Public Hearing at May meeting will presume how it will be presented. - Issue of school segregation - Possible resolution to merge PS 282 and PS 321
Other Business
On Executive Committee agenda for May: Brooklyn Bridge Park update by Rick Luftglass and Glenn Kelly.
Chair should have his own e-mail. The Chair, Sayar Lonial would like his own and would like it to be on gmail. Craig Hammerman will work with him to set it up.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.