Int. No.

By Council Member Restler (in conjunction with the Brooklyn Borough President)

A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to community board member training, appointment dates, and qualifications

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Subdivision 12 of section 82 of the New York city charter, as added by a vote of the electors on November 7, 1989, is amended to read as follows:

12. Provide training and technical assistance to the members of community boards within the borough[.], including training for newly appointed community board members who have not previously served as community board members.

§ 2.  Subdivision a of section 2800 of the New York city charter, as amended by a vote of the electors on November 6, 2018, is amended to read as follows:

a. For each community district created pursuant to chapter sixty-nine there shall be a community board which shall consist of (1) not more than fifty persons appointed by the borough president, at least one-half of whom shall be appointed from nominees of the council members elected from council districts which include any part of the community district, and (2) all such council members as non-voting members. The number of members appointed on the nomination of each such council member shall be proportional to the share of the district population represented by such council member. The city planning commission, after each council redistricting pursuant to chapter two-A, and after each community redistricting pursuant to section twenty-seven hundred two, shall determine the proportion of the community district's population represented by each council member. Copies of such determinations shall be filed with the appropriate borough president, community board, and council member. Members appointed to community boards shall be appointed to serve staggered terms of two years. One-half of the members appointed to any community board shall serve for a term of two years beginning on the [first day of April] fifteenth day of August in each odd-numbered year in which they take office and one half of the members appointed to any community board shall serve for a term of two years beginning on the [first day of April] fifteenth day of August in each even-numbered year in which they take office. Members shall serve until their successors are appointed but no member may serve for more than sixty days after the [expiration of his or her original term] charter-required appointment date of their successor as provided by the previous sentence, unless reappointed by the borough president, and provided further that no person shall be eligible to be appointed as a community board member if that person has previously held such appointment for four or more consecutive full terms that commenced on or after April 1, 2019, unless one full term or more has elapsed since that person last held such office; provided however, that in the case of a community board member appointed or re-appointed for a term that commenced on April 1, 2020, the borough president may appoint such member for up to five consecutive terms commencing on such date. Not more than twenty-five percent of the appointed members shall be city employees. No more than two members shall be less than eighteen years of age. No person shall be appointed unless they have attended at least one community board meeting prior to their appointment. No person shall be appointed to or remain as a member of the board who does not have a residence, business, professional or other significant interest in the district. The borough president shall assure adequate representation from the different geographic sections and neighborhoods within the community district. In making such appointments, the borough president shall consider whether the aggregate of appointments fairly represents all segments of the community. The borough president shall seek out persons of diverse backgrounds, including with regard to race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability status, sexual orientation, language, and other characteristics the borough president deems relevant to promoting diversity and inclusion of under-represented groups and communities within community boards, to apply for appointment. Community boards, civic groups and other community groups and neighborhood associations may submit nominations to the borough president and to council members.

§ 3. Section 1 of this local law takes effect immediately. Section 2 of this local law takes effect on January 1 following its enactment.

PS

LS #18659

5/20/25 2:40 PM