Suggestions to improve NYC community boards
Each recommendation with the actor who can deliver it and what it takes. Categories follow the article's structure.
| # | Recommendation | Category | Who acts | What it takes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Appoint and train a parliamentarian on every board Robert's Rules enforcement stops depending on the chair's mood. |
Members | Boards, borough presidents, CEC | Free to low. Bylaws change plus expanded CEC training. |
| 2 | Build a Robert's Rules AI assistant and transcript review Settle procedural disputes in seconds; coach parliamentarians after meetings. |
Members | A borough president's office or the CEC | Low. Build once, share across all 59 boards. |
| 3 | Make onboarding mandatory before appointment Meetings, resolutions, ULURP, the budget process, and conflict rules. |
Members | Borough presidents with the CEC | Low. Condition appointment on completing training. |
| 4 | Mandatory staff training on technology, HR, and bylaws Standardize best practices across 59 small offices. |
Members | CEC or borough president offices | Low. Standardized curriculum. |
| 5 | Publish member attendance and enforce removal End "members in name only" who never show up. |
Members | Boards and borough presidents | Free. Enforce existing bylaws and report the data. |
| 6 | Recognize outstanding members with borough awards The carrot alongside the attendance stick. |
Members | Borough presidents or the Office of Mass Engagement | Minimal. New recognition program. |
| 7 | Cap member speaking time per motion The public gets a timer; members should too. |
Meetings | Each board | Free. Standing rule under Robert's Rules. |
| 8 | Mandate reliable hybrid attendance 59 boards currently make 59 separate videoconferencing policies. |
Meetings | City Council and OMB | Moderate. Legislation plus equipment and staffing funds. |
| 9 | Extend Local Law 103 webcasting to community boards The 2013 law exempts boards by name; a webcast now needs a laptop. |
Meetings | City Council | Moderate. Local law amendment plus equipment funding. |
| 10 | Set a model bylaws floor and a violation intake process Consistent attendance, removal, and conduct rules citywide. |
Meetings | CEC or Charter revision | Low. Charter amendment or citywide guidance. |
| 11 | Create a permanent CB support division in each borough Training, HR, legal, and tech support that survives administrations. |
Structure | Charter revision and borough presidents | Significant. Charter reform plus permanent staffing. |
| 12 | Stand up one shared tech platform instead of 59 Agendas, minutes, resolutions, and complaints in one searchable system. |
Structure | City (OTI) | Moderate one-time. Procurement plus maintenance. |
| 13 | Publish a public dashboard on every board's performance Meeting length, attendance, minutes timeliness, hybrid access. |
Structure | Borough presidents or the CEC | Low. Data collection standards. |
| 14 | Baseline a budget increase with a planner on every board Restore the in-house land use expertise boards had before the 1990s. |
Structure | Mayor and City Council | Roughly $15M per year added to the adopted budget. |
Created by Tal Roded · NYCuriosity
Sources informing the recommendations: Future of Community Boards Working Group Final Report (December 2021); NYC Comptroller, audit of borough president board appointments (October 2024); Local Law 103 of 2013; NY Public Officers Law §103-a; the CEC's Better Public Meetings NYC initiative; and the LA Department of Neighborhood Empowerment model.
The $15M estimate is the author's: roughly the loaded cost of one professional urban planner line on each of the 59 boards plus a baseline OTPS increase. The 2021 Working Group and the CEC's own 2021 annual report both recommended restoring in-house planners, which boards commonly had before the Giuliani administration.