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Board complaint from April referred to leadership; committee says ethics committee inappropriate to adjudicate
Summary
A complaint and letter of no confidence filed April 25 were discussed; committee members agreed the complaint should be handled by the board's leadership committee and noted logistical issues around form and subject overlap with ethics members.
A complaint and a letter of no confidence filed April 25 were discussed at Community Board 11’s Bylaws and Ethics Committee on Sept. 15; committee members said the matter should be handled by the board’s leadership committee rather than ethics because the subjects named are part of ethics membership.
Chris, a member of the public who spoke during the gallery session, asked why his complaint submitted April 25 about being blocked from speaking at an April 24 meeting had not been heard. He asked for an apology from the board chair. Committee members responded that the gallery-slip procedure in the bylaws requires speakers to fill out a form; the transcript records staff and officers asking Mr. Press to complete the gallery slip before speaking.
Jeanette Wilson explained the process and said that at the meeting in question, staff had stepped away and no name appeared on the gallery list; committee members said Mr. Press was asked to fill out a slip and declined. Committee members repeatedly stated that the bylaws procedure exists to create a written record and that strictly following it is necessary to guarantee speaking rights.
Why it matters: the handling and referral of formal complaints affect perceived fairness and board accountability; committee members recorded that, because the complaint involved individuals on the ethics committee, leadership is a more appropriate body to adjudicate.
The committee confirmed the complaint had already been referred to the leadership committee; one member said leadership would address it at a meeting “this Thursday.” The committee recorded that complaints involving members of the ethics committee are better handled by leadership to avoid conflicts of interest.
Discussion versus action: the committee formally referred the complaint to leadership (referral exists in the record) and declined to adjudicate it in ethics because of the conflict; they did not conduct a hearing at the Sept. 15 meeting.
Next steps: leadership committee to consider the complaint at its upcoming meeting; committee members asked that expectations and procedures be clarified during the planned bylaws review.
