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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What is a Community Board?
- Who serves on Brooklyn Community 6?
- What does the Community Board do?
- How does the Community Board function?
- Who does Brooklyn CB6 represent?
- How do I speak at a Community Board meeting?
- What does the District Office do?
- How do I apply for a block party permit?
- What kinds of complaints does CB6 handle?
- How do I report a complaint?
- How do I get a street renamed (co-named)?
- How do I join a CB6 Committee?
- When do the committees meet?
What is a Community Board?
New York City is divided into 59 geographic Community Districts, each one having an appointed Community Board. The Community Boards are municipal bodies of up to 50 representative Board Members. Board Members are appointed by their respective Borough President, half of them at the recommendation of their local City Council Member. They serve in a voluntary capacity for two-year, staggered terms. Board Members are people who live, work, own a business, or have some other significant interest in the Community District.
Who serves on Brooklyn Community Board 6?
Click here to see the board roster for Brooklyn Community Board 6. This is the official list of Board Members of Brooklyn Community Board 6, as supplied by the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President.
What does the Community Board do?
The Community Board is the official municipal body whose primary mission is to advise elected officials and government agencies on matters affecting the good and welfare of the district. Brooklyn Community Board 6 meets on the second Wednesday of each month, except during July and August. All meetings are open to the public. In an attempt to maximize accessibility, general meetings are held at different locations within the district. We are your local non-partisan interface to the many offices and agencies of City government.
How does the Community Board function?
The Community Board's general meetings are run according to Roberts Rules of Order. While the public is encouraged to attend and observe Community Board proceedings, only Board Members can discuss and vote on motions before it. The Community Boards were created by City Charter, and their roles and responsibilities are defined in Chapters 69 and 70. They must operate within all applicable City, State and Federal laws that govern public bodies. CB6 also has its own set of by-laws.
We encourage the public to attend the Community Board's various Public Hearings, committee meetings, informational meetings and special events to participate actively in the items before the Community Board at the grassroots level. All meetings of the Community Board are open to the public, and are posted on our online Calendar.
Who does Brooklyn CB6 represent?
Brooklyn CB6 represents the neighborhoods of Carroll Gardens/South Brooklyn, Cobble Hill, Columbia Street District, Gowanus, Park Slope and Red Hook. From the Buttermilk Channel to Prospect Park, 104,709 people (2010 Census figure) choose to our district their home.
How do I speak at a Community Board meeting?
A section of every general Community Board meeting is set aside for the board to hear from the public. At the front of the meeting room there will be a sign-in sheet labeled "Community Session" where anyone is invited to sign in to speak for up to 3 minutes. The Chairperson will acknowledge speakers in the order they sign in. No pre-registration is necessary.
What does the District Office do?
The CB6 District Office has two primary functions - to process citizen complaints and requests for services, and to provide administrative support for the Community Board. The District Office maintains all the public records of the activities of the Community Board and is responsible for setting up and preparing notices of all Community Board meetings and functions. Additionally, the District Office reviews Street Activity Permit applications for street fairs, block parties and other street closures, monitors the delivery of municipal services and, in general, acts as a one-stop shopping point for information and referrals pertaining to all City government matters. The District Office is a professional, non-partisan office. There are no fees for any services provided.
How do I apply for a block party permit?
Make sure you leave yourself enough time to organize the event. Applications should be filed 90 days in advance. Applying for a block party is a two-step process:
Step 1) You need to fill out an online application by visiting the city's Street Activity Permit office. You will need to pay a fee using a credit card.
Step 2) You must provide the CB6 District Office with either a letter from the affected block association, or signatures of 20 residents who live on the block, to demonstrate that they've consented to the block closure. You can mail us your list, fax it (718) 624 8410, or email a scanned copy to officemanager@brooklyncb6.org.
What kinds of complaints does CB6 handle?
Any complaint that involves a municipal service can be reported to the District Office.
We strongly encourage the use of the City's 311 system for reporting routine maintenance requests including but not limited to potholes, tree pruning, missing or damaged signs, street light malfunctions, and clogged catch basins.
How do I get a street renamed (co-named)?
The City of New York's official policy for street co-namings begins with a request being made directly to the Community Board. Brooklyn CB6 requires that a petition with at least 20 names with corresponding addresses of block residents be submitted, together with a written explanation providing the reasoning and justification for the co-naming. If the street is to be co-named after an individual, it may only be done posthumously, and the reasoning and justification should include a biographical sketch of the individual that specifically links them to the block.
How do I join a CB6 Committee?
Although CB6 committee membership must be composed primarily of a majority of Board Members, membership is also open to Non-Board Members as well. This allows for broader, grassroots public representation on the Community Board’s standing committees, and encourages and facilitates citizen participation in local government within our communities. The Brooklyn CB6 district includes the neighborhoods of Carroll Gardens/South Brooklyn, Cobble Hill, Columbia Street District, Gowanus, Park Slope, and Red Hook.
Individuals who wish to serve on a committee can download the form by clicking below and returning it to the CB6 District Office at 250 Baltic Street (between Court/Clinton Streets), Monday through Friday between the hours of 10AM and 4PM, or fax it to (718) 624-8410. Appointments to committees for a one-year term are effective September 1. Non-Board Members who are appointed to a committee enjoy the same participatory rights and are expected to fulfill the same member-related responsibilities as Board Members serving on committees.
Brooklyn CB6 Committees Open to Public Participants:
- Economic/Waterfront/Community Development & Housing
- Environmental Protection/Permits & Licenses
- Landmarks/Land Use
- Parks/Recreation/Cultural Affairs
- Transportation/Public Safety
- Youth/Human Services/Education
Committee Membership Request forms must be received at the District Office by the end of June for consideration in initial annual reconstitution of committees. Additional requests for membership may be made at any other time throughout the year, but appointments will be made subject to availability of openings.
When do the committees meet?
The various committees of CB6 meet on regular fixed nights, mostly during the 3rd and 4th weeks of the month. We occasionally have to reschedule meetings largely due to holiday conflicts but sometimes because we will hold joint meetings sponsored by more than one committee. All meetings are open to the public and are posted on our website Calendar which is updated frequently.