Queens community board reforms would penalize misbehaving members
/
Queens community board members were sworn in at an in-person ceremony in 2019. File photo courtesy of borough president’s office
By David Brand
When the Queens Community Board 7 chair berated a young woman at a contentious rezoning hearing last year, police officers approached and separated him.
Another Community Board 7 member sparked outrage in 2019 when she said pedestrians “deserve to get run over” if they cross the street with their eyes glued to their phones. An ex-Community Board 2 chair was hit last year with a workplace discrimination complaint.
And then there was the Community Board 4 member who said bike lanes would be unnecessary after Donald Trump rounded up “all the illegals.”
Those behaviors would likely all face punishment under a new set of Queens community board reforms introduced by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Wednesday.
The reforms, including the creation of a clear code of conduct and disciplinary protocols, come a day before Richards announces new appointments to Queens’ 14 community boards.
Under the code of conduct, board members must “refrain from threatening, intimidating or harassing other members, community board employees or members of the public,” the borough president’s office said. Members who violate those guidelines “may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from the board for cause,” the office added.
Members must also maintain a positive attendance record with no more than three unexcused absences in a six-month period, abide by conflict of interest law and complete all required technical and cultural competency trainings.
Richards will mandate that each board establish a “bylaw revision committee” to review its own policies and procedures. The borough president’s office said Richards will encourage boards to elect a parliamentarian to “promote procedural neutrality and decorum” and to maintain an accessible website, with a live video stream and public archives.
The borough president’s office is also touting the diversity of new board appointees following a record 931 applications. The volume of applications gives Queens a chance to address persistent racial, ethnic gender and age disparities reported by the Eagle and the organization Measure of America over the past two years.
Over 15 percent of new appointees are between ages 16 and 25; 31 percent are between ages 26 and 35; and 31 percent are between ages 36 and 45 according to data shared by borough’s president.
Last year, only about a third of members were younger than 55, the Eagle and MOA reported.
About two-thirds of appointees are women and no single racial or ethnic group accounts for more than a quarter of appointees, the new data shows.
Richards said the appointments move the Queens “closer to community board representation that is truly reflective of our borough’s vast diversity.”
“Democracy is at its strongest when the voices of all the people it serves are elevated — a principle we are proud to strive toward with this new class of appointees,” he said.
But the changes and commitment to diversity haven’t worked out for everyone.
Several Queens residents, particularly Western Queens progressives, have shared their community board rejection notices on Twitter.
Lauren Ashcraft, a former Congressional candidate, said she planned to remain involved, even though she was not appointed to the board.
“I spoke with some members and activists and am still going to join a subcommittee and be active they should expect my application next year again too! For anyone who got rejected pls join subcommittees. You are still needed,” she tweeted March 24.
