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Policies

Community Board 3, Manhattan Policies

Agenda

  1. CB 3 does not vote on items that are not on the agenda. This is to provide the community with notice and opportunity to comment and hear diverse perspectives. If there is a time-sensitive noncontroversial item, it will be heard at Executive Committee. This may be a block party or a traffic design that the committee has been working on with agency.
  2. All topics should be stated very clearly on agenda so layperson will understand. Items are stated in neutral manner. Items noted as "informational" will not be voted on.

  3. Items that have been voted on cannot be put back on the agenda unless there is new information or changed situation.

Agenda Item Descriptions

  1. Resolutions may be introduced and voted on at any committee meeting where a subject has been placed on the agenda and made public according to CB 3 policy, unless that agenda item has an asterisk* on it with the explanation at the bottom stating:  "Informational presentation.  No resolution."  Resolutions shall generally be allowed, except where the committee by vote or consensus of the body determines that it would be preferable to defer the matter to a subsequent meeting for legitimate reasons such as gathering further information.

Communication

  1. Website—only events co-sponsored by CB 3 are posted on the website.
  2. Email—With few exceptions, (mayor's office) CB 3 does not forward email blasts for events.

  3. All official CB 3 communications, such as a flyer, or a letter from a committee that has not been voted on, must be approved by the Chair.

Personal Information

  1. The office does not give out personal information—with few exceptions such as an elected official wanting to speak to a member about an issue. When press or anyone else requests communication with a member—office asks for email and forwards to member.
  2. CB 3 membership lists are only for CB 3 members and only for CB 3-related work. They should not be used for any non-board communication.

Holidays and Accessible Locations

  1. CB 3 will make best efforts to not schedule meetings on the following religious / ethnic holidays: the first night of Rosh Hashanah, the two nights of Yom Kippur, the first night of Passover, Lunar New Year Eve, and Lunar New Year Day.
  2. Meetings are scheduled only in accessible locations. This includes ADA accessibility and accessibility to all, including those without ID.

Online Petitions

  1. CB 3 does not accept online petitions where they are mandatory pursuant to CB 3 rules due to heightened concerns about authenticity and verifiability compared to physical petitions. For all other matters, it shall be up to each committee to determine a general policy for accepting online petitions.

Manhattan Community Board 3 Social Media Policy

Manhattan Community Board 3 Social Media Manager

The Chair of Manhattan Community Board 3 (CB 3) shall appoint a member of CB 3 to serve as CB 3's Social Media Manager (SMM).

The SMM may attend CB 3 Executive Board meetings but shall not be a voting member of the CB 3 Executive Board by virtue of being the SMM.

The Board Chair may appoint other members to assist in the completion of SMM's duties, including managing a CB 3 social media account or attending an Executive Board meeting in SMM's absence.

Branding Social Media Accounts

All CB 3 social media accounts should use the same profile image and bio. The bio should indicate that this is an official account and link to CB 3’s official webpage.

Social media account names should indicate the borough and board number.

Posting CB 3 Calendar Items

The CB 3 Social Media Manager (SMM) shall post, or cause to be posted, each committee, subcommittee, task force, executive board, and full board meeting from the monthly Calendar of Meetings to CB 3's social media accounts.

Each post shall mention the name of the meeting (e.g., committee name), the time of the meeting, and the location of the meeting.

In the event a meeting appears on a Calendar of Meetings and is later cancelled, it shall be the responsibility of the chair of the cancelled meeting to notify the SMMs of the cancelation. Notice should be provided, by email, as soon as possible so postings can be cancelled or corrected.

Posting Individual Agenda Items

  1. Individual agenda items deemed to be of particular importance or interest to the community may be highlighted by a post on CB 3's social media accounts.
  2. An individual agenda item shall be posted before its scheduled committee meeting if, at the monthly Executive Board meeting, (1) the chair of the meeting related to the agenda item requests it be posted, and the SMM consents to doing so, unless such a decision is overruled by a vote of the Executive Board, or (2) any other community board member or employee present at the Executive Board requests the item be posted and such a request is approved by a vote of the Executive Board.
  3. No posts/tweets highlighting a specific agenda item involving a vote on a particular license may be posted.

Posting Other Original Content

  1. The majority of content posted on CB 3’s social media accounts should be original content (including meeting schedules and agendas).
  2. Original content, such as photographs and videos, cannot be posted on CB 3’s social media accounts without express permission from the owner of said materials. Reposting or sharing third party material via an article link or reference to the original text or material does not require permission.

Reposting/Retweeting

  1. Any SMM, or member or employee of Community Board 3 by email to the SMM, may request an article, blog post, or other item that is linkable to on the Internet be reposted/retweeted on CB 3's social media accounts.
  2. Such items should be of special relevance to the community board, not just the community and, if referenced, should reflect the work of the board in a neutral or positive light.
  3. Upon receiving a repost/retweet request, if a SMM believes the item should be reposted/retweeted, the SMM should send an email to the Board Chair and District Manager providing them with an opportunity to approve or reject the item.
  4. If the item is approved for reposting/retweeting by both the Board Chair and District Manager, it shall be reposted/retweeted.
  5. If the item is not rejected for reposting/retweeting by either the Board Chair or District Manager within 24 hours of the request, it shall be reposted/retweeted.

  6. If the item is rejected for reposting/retweeting by either the Board Chair or District Manager within 24 hours of the request, it shall not be reposted/retweeted.

Links to High Value Information:

  1. Information that is of high value to members of the community, which may be linked to online, may be posted/tweeted on CB 3 social media.
  2. Linked-to-information should never promote or seek to increase the exposure of an elected official or a candidate for political office, unless it is to promote an event of which CB 3 is a co-sponsor.
  3. Any SMM or member or employee of Community Board 3, by email to the SMM, may request that high value information that is available on the Internet be linked to via a post/tweet on CB 3's social media accounts.
  4. Upon receiving a link-to-information request, if a SMM believes the item should be linked to, the SMM should send an email to the Board Chair and District Manager providing them with an opportunity to approve or reject the link.
  5. If the link is approved by both the Board Chair and District Manager, the link shall be posted/tweeted.
  6. If the link is not rejected by either the Board Chair or District Manager within 24 hours of the request, the link shall be posted/tweeted.
  7. If the link is rejected by either the Board Chair or District Manager within 24 hours of the request, the link shall not be posted/tweeted.

CB 3 Procedures and Criteria for Hybrid Meetings under Modified Open Meeting Law

This list is not comprehensive and will be updated with additions.