MCB3 Resolution Topics Over Time

How the focus of MCB3's full board resolutions has shifted across 10 topic categories from 2004 to 2025. Toggle between raw counts and percentage view to see both volume and composition changes.

Annual resolution counts by topic category, 2004–2025. Classification is keyword-based; some resolutions match multiple categories. "Other / Unclassified" includes resolutions not matched to a named category, in earlier years this includes many individual SLA approvals recorded with generic titles ("To approve."). Source: NYC.gov MCB3 meeting minutes. Created by Tal Roded · NYCuriosity

Key Observations

The SLA cliff (2013–2015): Liquor license and SLA-related resolutions peaked in 2009 at 221 per year, then fell sharply after MCB3 shifted to batch processing of approvals around 2014. Individual license approvals no longer required separate resolutions, only denials and stipulated approvals did.

"Other / Unclassified" in early years: The large gray bar before 2014 reflects hundreds of individual SLA approval votes recorded with minimal titles ("To approve.", "To deny due to nonappearance.") that cannot be classified by keyword. The true SLA share of early-year resolutions was almost certainly higher than shown.

Non-SLA topics are relatively stable: Transportation, Parks, and Housing resolutions have remained in a consistent range of single-digit to mid-teens annually, these are the board's ongoing substantive agenda items.

Methodology

Each resolution was matched against keyword lists for 10 topic categories using the full resolution text from full_resolutions.csv, which includes complete WHEREAS/THEREFORE clause text for all resolutions. This enables accurate detection of SLA resolutions recorded with short vote-only titles (e.g., "To deny renewal of license…due to nonappearance") as well as richer topic classification for policy resolutions.

Resolution counts per year are derived by joining full_resolutions.csv (7,134 resolutions) with meetings.csv (268 meetings) via meeting ID. Where a resolution matches multiple topic categories, it is counted once per matching category, so topic column sums may exceed the annual total.

Data

7,134 resolutions across 268 MCB3 full board meetings, 2004–2025. Source: NYC.gov MCB3 meeting minutes.

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