What is a Community Board?
Community boards are local representative bodies. There are 59 throughout the city. Each Board consists of up to 50 unsalaried members appointed by the Borough President, half of whom are nominated by City Council Members representing the Board District. Board members are selected from among active, involved community members with an effort made to assure that every neighborhood is represented. Members of the Board must reside in or have a significant interest (work in, own property) in the community. Community Board 14 represents Flatbush, Midwood and a small part of Kensington. The boundaries are depicted on this map.
What does Community Board 14 do?
- Acts as the community’s liaison with City agencies.
- Handles complaints and requests related to services provided by the City agencies in the district.
- Monitors delivery of City services within the district.
- Works with City agencies to plan local projects.
- Assesses neighborhood needs and makes recommendations in the City’s Capital and Expense budget process to address them.
- Reviews proposed zoning changes and other land use matters in the District. Any change in or variance from the Zoning Resolution must come before the Board for its consideration. Community Boards must be consulted on placement of most municipal facilities in the community and on other land use issues.
- Processes applications for street activities and special events in the community.
How can I participate in the activities of Community Board 14?
Attend a CB14 meeting! Community Board 14 meets monthly between September and June. These general Board meetings are held on the second Monday of the month, except in cases of holidays (see calendar here). CB14’s six topical committees also meet on a regular basis to discuss topics of public interest. All meetings are open to the public.
Monthly Board meetings include reports from the District Manager, Chair and topical committees, followed by a Public Session during which elected officials, community organizations, and members of the public can make brief, 3-minute presentations on issues of civic interest. Topical committee meetings generally include a presentation by a local city agency, organization, or researcher followed by a Q&A and discussion. CB14 also holds public hearings on the City’s budget, on land use matters, and other proposals with potentially significant impact on the community to allow community members to express concerns and share local insights to better inform proposals.
The calendar and meeting notices are sent out monthly and posted on our website. Everyone is encouraged to sign up to our mailing list.
The Borough President appoints board members, usually once a year in the Spring.
How can I join a Community Board committee?
Community Board 14 committees do much of the planning work for the items that are raised at monthly Board meetings. These meetings are open to public attendance. Committees include both appointed Board members and public members. The Board encourages interested, non-Board members of the public to apply to join or work on Board committees. Each committee may have up to three public members who are appointed by the Board Chair in consultation with committee co-chairs.
All appointed public members of a committee may vote on any issue discussed at the committee meeting; however, only Board members may vote at the regular monthly meetings.
The Board’s six Topical Committees are:
- Community Environment, Cultural Affairs and Economic Development
- Community Safety
- Housing and Land Use
- Human Services
- Transportation
- Youth Services, Education and Libraries.
What kind of complaints can be referred to Community Board 14?
In general, anything that involves a City agency. The following are examples:
- Abandoned/derelict vehicles
- Building or housing code violations
- Clogged catch basins
- Missed garbage/recycling collection and street sweeping
- Missing or damaged traffic signs
- Park maintenance
- Potholes and broken sidewalks
- Social services problems
- Street lights out
- Street tree replacements
- Zoning violations, such as commercial use in a residential zone
What do I do if I have a service complaint or request?
Service complaints and requests can be made by calling 311 or submitting your request online. Make sure to write down the complaint/request number that the operator provides you. Then contact our office for assistance with tracking and follow up. For time-sensitive complaints, such as a missed garbage collection, contact CB14 directly.
Contact us using this form in our Get Help page, email us at info@cb14brooklyn.com or call us at (718) 859-6357 with your complaint/request, the 311 complaint/request number and the date on which you submitted it. We will do our best to expedite a response from the appropriate agency. Photos of the issue are particularly useful in follow ups.
We urge you to learn how your Community Board can serve you. Be the eyes and ears for your local community: if you see a problem that involves a City service, please report it using this form in our Get Help page, email us at info@cb14brooklyn.com or call us at (718) 859-6357.