Charter Revision Committee Can Reform Community Boards

Our community has long been at the mercy of Community Board 9 Queens that is replete with life-long appointments, special interest group influence and self-serving actions that often are in conflict with the will of the Community.

TERM LIMITS: I do not believe that when President Wagner created the system in 1951, he realized that his original Board Members would still be in office today. There is no system in any Government that should be immune from Term Limits. It is impossible to imagine how anyone serving in any Government position for 40 years could remain fair and open to suggestion. Instead, the system creates fiefdoms of life-long members that can wield their influence on public matters for the benefit of their community civic groups for decades.

The system President Wagner implemented over sixty years ago no longer comes close to providing the same services or meeting the same objectives. The enhanced capabilities of citizens to communicate directly with their elected officials today makes the system of Community Boards unnecessary, redundant and in many instances a hindrance to good government.

We should commend our members of the Community for the life-long service on the Community Board and send them on their way. Our Community Boards are not the Supreme Court of the United States. No one should be allowed to serve for life.

REGULATORY AUTHORITY: Our Community Boards now have the authority to make judgements on matters of public safety in our Communities. The members of the Community Boards are not qualified and should not be allowed to advise public agencies like the DOT, DOH and SLA on regulatory matters. The decisions made by Community Boards is not one made from a great knowledge or understanding than that of the Governmental Agency. In fact, the Community Boards admittedly comment that they do not understand the data presented by the Agencies but instead make judgements based on their beliefs in the desire of the Community or more often by the opinions expressed by restricted or exclusive Civic groups representing special interests in the Community. Very often our Community Boards are no longer in touch with the Community Members. They often wrongly represent their Civic Organizations over the majority in a Community. Community Boards should not be allowed to overrule or decide on any matter of public safety determined to be beneficial or necessary by any Governmental Agency. Never would any citizens agree to place their right to safety in the hands of a group of civic organizations where they are not represented. Likewise, placing the public safety in the hands of Community Boards is dangerous and a corruption of the original design of our Community Boards.

PUBLIC FORUMS: Government Agencies utilize Community Board meetings to suffice as a public forum for issues affecting the entire Community. The “Public Forums” do not allow for the public to participate. For a Government Agency to address the public about a matter of Traffic Safety, City Planning or Infrastructure and the Public not being allowed to ask questions is a perversion of the rights of Citizens. A Public Forum where public participation is prohibited is not a public forum. Community participation should be welcomed and encouraged, presently it is not.

I urge the Charter Revision Committee to make a difference in New York City and revise Community Board systems to reflect the realities of New York City. Community Boards must truly reflect the community and not be allowed to be dominated by individuals with lifetime positions on the Board. The Community Boards must not be allowed to interfere with the experts of Public Safety in our Government Agencies and overrule recommendations which places the public safety at risk. Community Boards must not be allowed to continue to hold the Community at bay through the own rules disallowing the public to speak at Public Forums.

Mk Moore

I look forward to the:

Public Hearing (Queens)

· WHEN: Thursday, July 26, 2018 at 6PM

· WHERE: Queens Borough Hall, 120-55 Queens Blvd, Kew Gardens, NY 11424

I ask all my friends and neighbors to send their comments to the:

Charter Revision Commission

1 Centre Street

New York, NY 10007

Or call: 212-386-5350

Or online at: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/charter/about/public-comments.page