Community Board 11 bylaws committee approves package of amendments, moves written district manager report to full board for separate vote

The Community Board 11 Bylaws Committee voted to forward a package of proposed changes to the full board on multiple procedural items and separately approved removing a requirement for a monthly written district manager report from the bylaws.

Sandra Unger, chair of the Bylaws Committee, led discussion of the package and described the “first substantial change” as revisions to the removal process. The committee approved sending the edited bylaws language to the full board for final action; committee members then voted separately to remove the requirement that the district manager provide a comprehensive monthly written report.

The package of edits groups several categories of change. The most substantial are a rewritten investigative-and-removal process, new limits and clarifications for committee leadership and vacancies, narrower language on the sergeant-at-arms role, and updated rules about public hearings and notice placement.

On the removal process, the committee adopted language that would require the highest-ranking officer not subject to the proceeding to appoint an "investigative committee" of three to five members within 15 days after a motion is adopted. That investigative committee must hold an initial meeting within 30 days of formation, elect a chair, clarify charges, and schedule a second meeting; the text discussed at the meeting directed the committee to schedule a second meeting and "if needed" a third meeting to occur within 45 days following the first meeting. The chair of the investigative committee must ensure the subject of proceedings receives written notice at least one week before the second meeting and be informed of the opportunity to respond.

The committee also agreed to simplify the sergeant-at-arms section so that the sergeant’s role is limited to keeping order at monthly board meetings and advising the board chair on parliamentary matters, removing older provisions that treated the sergeant of arms as a long-term, separately governed officer.

Several committee-governance changes were discussed. The draft makes investigative and ethics committees non-standing (that is, convened when needed rather than required to meet monthly). The draft also specifies that when a committee chair vacancy occurs, the co-chair becomes chair; if both chair and co-chair are vacant, the board chair shall appoint an interim committee chair and the committee will have two subsequent meetings to confirm or elect a permanent chair. The committee discussed and added language that “all appointments and removals from a committee or committee leadership position shall be in writing and shall contain the effective date.” Committee members debated whether the board chair should have unilateral authority to remove committee leadership; the final text forwarded to the full board retains written-appointment/removal requirements while discussion of who may initiate removals was left for further review.

On meetings and public notice, the draft keeps the broad requirement that the board hold a public hearing and full board meeting at least monthly (with July and August at the board’s option) but removes older references to placing notices in local print newspapers and television. The committee agreed to require that notices be placed on the board’s website and to update language to refer to “local media” rather than only “local papers.” Members also discussed how the gallery session and public-hearing signup should work; committee members debated pre-registration windows (36 hours was mentioned repeatedly in discussion) and whether gallery speakers should be required to sign up in advance. The committee did not adopt a final, detailed new gallery-registration rule during the meeting; several members said that particular provision would be handled or voted on separately.

Members raised compliance and recordkeeping issues. Several speakers requested that attendance reporting to the borough president’s office be removed from the bylaws; committee edits eliminate the line requiring annual attendance reports to the borough president and replace it with language that attendance records will be included in meeting minutes and provided to the borough president on request. Public commenters highlighted a backlog of district service cabinet (DSC) minutes; district manager staff said drafts exist but acknowledged there was a backlog to clear.

Economic development committee language was updated to add retail cannabis-license and on-premises alcohol-consumption applications to the list of matters the committee may review; the committee noted this language might need future updates if state rules change.

Votes at a glance - Motion to forward the revised bylaws package (omnibus motion): mover — Veronica Castro (committee member); seconder — Joanna Rubino (co-chair). The committee recorded the voice vote as in favor with four committee members present; the chair announced the motion carried. - Motion to remove from the bylaws the requirement that the district manager provide a comprehensive monthly written report (item 10): mover — Veronica Castro; seconder — Ryan Barthel. The committee recorded a voice vote and the chair announced the motion passed. No formal roll-call tally with member-by-member recorded votes appears in the transcript.

Public comment and concerns Several members of the public and board members urged retention of some procedures. At the gallery, David Levitt, a board member, said he favored keeping the district manager’s monthly written report and asked that full-board members have a separate recorded vote. Roxanne (last name not stated) and another commenter raised concerns that DSC minutes have not been consistently produced or posted and urged the board to address the backlog.

What happens next The committee voted to forward the edited bylaws and the separate motion on the district manager report to the full Community Board 11 for final consideration. The full board will receive the proposed language, the committee’s recommendations, and the recorded motions to act on at a future meeting.

Ending The meeting closed after the two motions were made and carried. Committee leaders said outstanding drafting questions — notably the specific gallery-registration procedure and some committee-removal mechanics — will be refined before the full-board vote or presented for separate votes.