BP Adams Encourages All Brooklynites To Apply To Their Local Community Boards

Press release from the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President:

December 29 2020

Brooklyn, NY – As 2020 draws to an end, Brooklyn Borough President Adams encourages all Brooklynites to apply for an opening on one of Brooklyn’s 18 local community boards, announcing that the deadline for the upcoming cycle is Friday, February 12, 2021. Community boards are tasked with dealing with land use issues, weighing in on the issuance of permits such as liquor licenses, assessing neighborhood needs, an addressing community concerns. Borough presidents are responsible for the appointment for each of their community board’s 50 unsalaried members, half of whom are nominated by local members of the City Council.

Community boards have continued to hold meetings in a virtual format during the COVID-19 pandemic, creating greater opportunities for remote participation. Back in April, Borough President Adams asked the New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) to “act quickly to identify secure, reliable, and cost-effective options to keep all sectors of government running during this challenging time.” Subsequently, the City announced it would offer a free WebEx license to any board in need. In recent weeks, some boards around the borough have reported an increase in public participation at meetings since shifting to the virtual format, showing the appetite for civic engagement around the borough during a historically difficult period.

“This year has been extremely challenging for our borough and city, but our community boards were able to adapt and continue serving their neighborhoods,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. “I am grateful for the hundreds of Brooklynites who stay engaged on this most local level of our government. Now more than ever, we want to urge all Brooklynites, who are able, to apply for their community boards and get involved to help our borough recover from the devastation of COVID-19. We got this, Brooklyn!”

Applications for 2020 appointments and reappointments for Brooklyn community boards are available here. Applicants must be New York City residents to serve on a community board. To qualify for a particular board, they must live, work in, or have a professional or other significant interest in that board’s geographic district. Borough President Adams also renewed his encouragement for Brooklyn teenagers aged 16 or older to submit applications; they have been eligible to serve on their local community boards since 2014, thanks in part to his advocacy. The application is available online on a rolling basis to encourage a robust, diverse pool of submissions year-round.

This press release was produced by the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President. The views expressed are the author's own.