Community board meetings, like this gathering of CB 5, would have to be webcast if a Bronx lawmaker’s bill is passed. File photo
If a Bronx lawmaker has his way, residents in all five boroughs will be able to kick back and watch community board meetings from their living room – an idea that has inspired both praise and concern from district managers in Queens.
Councilman Jimmy Vacca (D-Bronx) is sponsoring a bill that would require all of the city’s 59 community boards to webcast their public meetings, which he said was an important step to boost civic engagement in the city.
“I come from a community board background; I was a district manager for 26 years before I became a councilman, and I know putting these meetings on webcast will mean more people will know what their community boards are doing and about important issues in their neighborhood,” Vacca said.
Following a public hearing held last week at City Hall, Vacca conceded that there are “logistical issues that have to be addressed,” including providing technical support to the boards and funding for the technology.
“There is a cost issue, which I don’t think is major,” Vacca said. “But community boards’ budgets are so small.”
Community boards on average receive about $200,000 in city funding to run their organizations, which typically include three full-time staffers. From that pot, the community board must also pay for rent, mailings, utilities, and more – which district managers said leaves very little, or nothing, to pay for new technology.
“The great majority of us are willing to help that happen, but we’re going to need technical support from the city of New York and the administration, and we may need funding to buy laptops that are powerful enough to accomplish this,” said Community Board 5 District Manager Gary Giordano, whose board covers such neighborhoods as Middle Village, Maspeth, Glendale, and Ridgewood.
Community Board 6 District Manager Frank Gulluscio, whose group covers Forest Hills and Rego Park, also stressed the need for funding.
“This is all about transparency, and no one’s against that – but who’s going to pay for this?” Gulluscio asked. “There’s no money in my budget.”
Gulluscio also cited concerns about webcast support.
“Who’s going to train my staff to do this?” he said. “It’s more than holding an iPad in front of an auditorium.”
Still, Queens district managers agreed with Vacca that it would help to increase knowledge about neighborhood issues – something that is especially welcome at meetings that are not always well attended by members of the public.
“I think most people know the community boards represent the nearest level of government there is,” Vacca said. “How do we make it more effective? By getting more people to know what they’re doing and to get more people involved. The old saying is knowledge is power, and I certainly believe that.”
By Anna Gustafson
