Commission on Public Information and Communication311Search all NYC.gov websites
About the Commission
The New York City Charter establishes a Commission on Public Information and Communication (COPIC) [Read New York City Charter §1061]. COPIC's mission is to help make city government more transparent to the citizens it serves and to encourage the public to become more actively involved in government.
Although COPIC has never been properly funded since its creation in 1989, it has had some important accomplishments. The Commission was instrumental in the creation of CROSSWALKS in 1990, which later became NYCTV. In 1993, it published a Public Data Directory of computerized information produced or maintained by City agencies, through the help of private funding. Finally, in 1998, COPIC was last convened under Mark Green and it produced a guide to the NYS FOIL and Open Meetings Law, through Public Advocate funds.
Under Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, and with the help of the present administration, COPIC began reconvening once again in 2007 and is still active today.
The Commission is comprised of the Public Advocate (Chair); the Corporation Counsel; the Director of the Mayor's Office of Operations; the Commissioner of the Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS); the Commissioner of the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DOITT); the president of WNYC communications group or their delegates; and one Council Member elected by the Council. Additionally, four members are to be appointed - two by the Mayor (one representing the media and the other a member of a community board), one by the Public Advocate, and one by the Borough Presidents acting collectively.
Among other purposes, COPIC was conceived to educate the public about the location and usefulness of city produced and maintained information. The Commission was intended to make recommendations on new technology and the use of such technology to better inform the public. Further, it was tasked to review city information and meeting policies and provide advisory opinions on Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) matters.
Moreover, the Commission is charged with making recommendations on new technology to improve access to the city's information, including city cable offerings, and publishing a data access directory. With innovations such as 311, internet content, and web casts the city has made substantial progress in information delivery in the past decade. Given the rapid advancements in new technology, having a body such as COPIC reviewing and recommending its proper usages is instrumental to the city's operations.
One of the responsibilities of the Commission is to make recommendations about distributing "information to the public about the purposes and locations of the city's service delivery facilities." (NYC Charter §1061 (d) (6) (ii)). While the city clearly offers many excellent services, providing information to the public about where to go and who can help to access those services are critical to their success.
COPIC meetings are a unique opportunity for government officials to discuss with media and community representatives issues important to residents. Such meetings present a forum for officials to share information about their respective roles and operations and to work collectively to improve upon ideas and projects.