Brooklyn, New York CB14 Monthly Board Meetings, 9 Jan 2023

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From YouTube: CB14 January 2023 Monthly Board Meeting and Public Hearing (01/09/2023)

Description

January 2023 Board Meeting

DATE: Monday, January 9, 2023
6:30 PM – Public Hearing on the Merger of the Flatbush Avenue and Church Avenue BIDs
7:00 PM – Regular Monthly Meeting of Brooklyn Community Board 14

LOCATION: Online via Webex

A G E N D A

1. CALL TO ORDER
2. MINUTES
3. DISTRICT MANAGER’S REPORT
4. CHAIR’S REPORT
a) Recommendation on the merger of the Flatbush Avenue and Church Avenue BIDs
b) Recommendation on special permit application BSA 2022-91-BZ - 1492 East 24th Street
c) Borough Board Report
d) Appointment of a Nominating Committee
5. TOPICAL COMMITTEES – REPORTS AND ITEMS:
a) Housing and Land Use Committee
b) Transportation Committee
c) Youth Services, Education and Libraries Committee
d) Human Services Committee
e) Community Safety Committee
f) Community Environment, Cultural Affairs and Economic Development Committee
6. AD HOC COMMITTEES
a) CB14 Flatbush African Burial Ground Task Force
b) Street Co-Naming Working Group
7. PUBLIC SESSION
8. ADJOURNMENT

A

Mute your phone thanks, everyone, that's great, all right! It's 6, 30.! Let's do this.

B

A

Want to change my layout one second.

A

This public meeting is called to order at 6 30 p.m. On Monday January, 9th 2022. This meeting is being held by a WebEx as per New York City's emergency declaration number three 303 allowing virtual access to public meetings under the New York State open meeting law, which allows New Yorkers to virtually participate in local government meetings during the covid-19 pandemic.

A

The purpose of this hearing is to hear public testimony with respect to an application by the department of small business services SBS pursuant to section 25405 A of chapter 4, title 25 of the New York City administrative code to expand and amend the Flatbush Avenue business improvement, district bid in the Brooklyn Community districts, 9 and 14. Community, um sorry, Brooklyn, Community, districts, 9 and 14..

A

The proposed extension of Flatbush business improvement district includes properties along the Flatbush Avenue from the north side of Cortelyou Road to the south side of Parkside Avenue Church Avenue from the east side of Coney Island Avenue to the west side of Flatbush Avenue.

A

The bid services will include sanitation, Public, Safety marketing and promotions, Economic Development, Administration and advocacy, and additional Services as permitted by law. Presenting The Proposal this evening is Lauren Alvarez Collins executive director of the Church Avenue Bid And The flappish Avenue bid Miss Elvis Collins will present the proposal, then we'll take questions from cb14 board members. Following that, we will hear public testimony. Members of the public were asked to register for time to testify by emailing the board office.

A

um Do we have any pre-registered speakers district manager Campbell? We do not. Okay! Thank you. We have no pre-registered speakers um and just to reiterate the role each speaker would be permitted to speak for up to three minutes and may not receive additional time from another speaker and we'll move on to hearing the presentation from the executive director go ahead, Miss Elders Collins. Thank you.

C

Thank you um Joanne and Sean, and to the board. Let me just pull open.

C

My presentation I also want to mention that Leslie Velazquez, who is with SBS with small business services, who has really been shepherding us through this process, is also on the call and I think our two new bid staff per people may be on there somewhere, but I believe they're, probably watching on YouTube. So give me a second.

C

Okay, does that can everyone see that, yes, great okay, so whoops.

C

Yes, so thank you again. This is appearing on the proposed merger of the Flatbush Avenue bid in Church Avenue bid. Technically it is an expansion, probably of the Flatbush Avenue bid, which is more on the SBS side, but we are presenting it as a merger because, as for practical reasons, and for what it's going to look like on the ground and to the members, that's really how it's gonna. That's what it's going to look like.

C

So, first just about the two bids. The church happened you bid in the Flatbush Avenue bid. We cover roughly one and a half miles a little bit more of commercial properties on the areas that Joanne just mentioned. We represent a combined 450 businesses, 282 properties spread over 477 storefronts, and currently we share offices, staff and much of our programming.

C

So the programming that was mentioned: supplemental sanitation events, Business Development, streetscape, Improvement, covid, Services, of course, over the last few years and one-on-one assistance to everything from helping members get grants to advocating for improvements for flatbush's, commercial and residential community.

C

There are 76 bids in New, York City, and each bid has a set geographic area. We are funded through an assessment that is.

C

An assessment that is levied on the properties, so the Church Avenue bids annual amount is two hundred and three thousand dollars and Flatbush Avenue bid is 386. for our proposal. Work we're suggesting just combining the two, so sometimes bids go for increases which we did about five years ago, but we're not asking for that now. We also have additional funding that we get from sponsorships and um events and and some marketing initiatives.

C

uh The bids are overseen by Boards of directors which are comprised mostly of Flatbush and Church Avenue Property Owners, as well as a few business owners, and then the work is carried out by by the staff, which is me. Currently. There are four of us on staff. We also include Representatives appointed by mayor Adams, the controller, the Braille president and the city council member.

C

So, just a quick overview of what we do since people don't always know, although I think the board does, but we do community events uh street fairs back to school events, Thanksgiving luncheon meets Santa, a Flatbush Community celebration at King's theater food distribution, which we actually, which Florencia is actually the person who organized along with the precinct Council.

C

um A lot of Sanitation and beautification, so supplemental sanitation and graffiti removal. We recently installed a city bin, which is this. This thing right here, which is a way to try to get garbage bags off the street and reduce the rats in the neighborhood uh holiday windows. We did daffodil, bulb planting and a lot more sanitation which will be coming up in 2023.

C

For Public Safety, we represent all the South Brooklyn bids on the mayor's task force, which deals with quality of life and also co-chair the bid Association of all the bids quality of life working group. We install free security cameras and we're about to start at a pilot program with security patrol which is being funded by a city grant for six months, maybe longer but we'll see. This is.

D

C

Words under the key parts are why we should merge. We save staff time we estimate staff spend about 725 hours a year doing things a second time, because we have the two bids um economies of scale and also having unified message to bring the bids under one budget. One unified decision making will make the whole neighborhood work easier and the bids message kit um a one, consistent message: uh the proposed merge bid. This is the same map.

C

I showed you before, but it's breaking up the community boards so community board 14 is almost the entire bid is in community board 14, as well as in the 70th Precinct, and the sanitation district, which is the same as the community board. District uh one block face is in community board nine, the 71st Precinct and sanitation district 9.

C

For services, we were mentioning before sanitation, safety, marketing, Holiday, Lights, Economic, Development and administration in this merger. We're not reducing we're, not we're removing any of the services, we're increasing them slightly on some of them and we're also making them more flexible. So we can pivot if needed like when covet happened. We obviously couldn't have events, so we need that flexibility, so we can take the money that we already have and possibly move it into a different area. Within These, Within, These categories.

E

C

The proposed budget, as I mentioned, will be a combination of the two bids. This is based on the current two budgets, so sanitation is two hundred ten thousand four four eight Public Safety sixty seven thousand four sixty six marketing 107.550 Holiday Lights 50, 400, Economic, Development, 43 895 at Administration, 109 241, bringing it to the total of 589. and staff time is worked into those areas based on how much time we put to each of them.

C

uh The name of the new bid would be the Church Flatbush Community Alliance. This was after a series of discussions with the board. With help from the support center. We came up with that name to kind of reflect that we're doing more Community work, while we're still serving those two commercial districts.

C

So I mentioned the assessments. Each each bid property has to pay an amount. That's based on a formula based on the total, so it always adds up to the same amount. Most bid. Members will not see a significant change in their annual assessment. Some will the much larger ones will, but this is the median and the average that we see now so Church Avenue. The current one is the current assessment on a property is 1263.. The average is 2029.

C

for Flatbush. The current median is 1165 and the average is 1969, and then, when it's merged it's going to it's going to be shifted a little bit and the median will be 11.25 with the average at 19.89.

C

And with any bid members I don't know if any bid numbers on the call, but I'd be happy to look later and I could give you an estimate of what it would be, because we have a chart which changes from year to year slightly. But it could still give you a pretty good idea.

C

um So this is the formula that would be used to create.

C

Sorry about that, oh so, the formula to assess each property is something that the Flatbush Avenue bid actually updated just a few years ago. So this is the formula that we thought would be the most current. It incorporates some things that were not Incorporated in the older, the older formulas, so each property, 60 of their properties assessment, will be based on the footage facing Flatbush or Church. Avenue, plus 40 will be based on their entire commercial square footage, with some exceptions that are listed below.

C

So, if you have a property that is 25 feet wide and one story next to something: that's 25 feet wide and five stories of commercial footage. The one with five stories is going to pay more and we figured that would be a good way to kind of balance. The properties that have more rentable space than others um as vacant land is also assessed, and the only difference is instead of basing 40 on Commercial square footage.

C

It would be based on lock size because there is no commercial square footage, but once that property is an active rentable property, then it would shift to that. First to formula number one- um and the last part is commercial condos, which would be in addition to an individual commercial condo square footage. The the frontage for commercial condos within the building will be determined based on the size of the condo, so you have commercial condos.

C

If you know max deals next to Bobby's, that's a commercial condo I believe where sabathon used to be is also a commercial condo, so it looks the same to to a shopper or to a resident, but it actually is is a little bit different. The way it's structured, um the only other difference that I mentioned, which is important up here, is number c letter.

C

C is that properties on Church Avenue, from East 16th to Coney, Island Avenue, or only the bid, is only on the commercial side, the north side of the street, so those will get sanitation and Public Safety at half the level provided to properties where you have both sides of the street and they pay a lower assessment, which is roughly 80 80 percent of what they otherwise would pay. This is a continuation of the way the Church Avenue bids formula is currently set up.

C

um What's next is the merger has been approved by both bids boards and SBS, as you know has mentioned, has begun the process of Walking The Proposal through the reviews, um we're hopeful that it will be final by mid-2023, which is in time for our fiscal year. So the upcoming public hearings, of course, the first one is right now and then on Thursday there's an in-person hearing at Brooklyn, Borough, Hall and I. Think Ena from Brooklyn Borough Hall is on this call and then Wednesday Department of City Planning is having a virtual hearing.

C

And that is it and thank you for listening. I'm gonna, pull this open questions. Oops.

A

Thank you very much for that presentation. um We'll begin with questions from board members. First Member First board member will be Carl. Henry Cesar go ahead.

F

So folks, good evening and happy New, Year Lauren same to you, thank you uh for the presentation. um I apologize, I'm speaking from the Beyond, because I have some camera issues um and so uh I'll keep it brief. So first thing thank you for the presentation, especially the part saying why the merger was happening because I read the proposal, I think from the end of November, and at least when I read it I, don't believe.

F

I saw that in the Improvement section, maybe I misread it, so I'm glad to see that part um I have two questions. I'll be brief. The first one is, you said: the merge is already improved by the respective bids and you showed the timeline. My question is what has been the communication plan for the the hundreds of businesses there right, because that is something that was mentioned in the slide deck and also um The Proposal itself. So that's my first question to you.

C

Okay, thank you. Thanks for the question, um we've done, email, blasts, mailing and and in-person drop-off of a letter that explains everything um as well as some phone calls to some businesses who or will be impacted more. uh The board of directors also has has input and has you know their their relatively large? Some of them are relatively large businesses in the bids, so they've had some interaction as well, and we've also posted on our social media.

C

So that's that's so far, but that process isn't over we're about to do more Outreach on Church Avenue, because Church Avenue's annual meeting is coming up. So it's a great opportunity for us to get out again and talk to people about it.

F

C

You thank you for that.

F

C

I was going to add, since it's and um someone at SBS actually pointed this out a good way to to explain it to people, but it's an administrative change, so I think that's why when we had explained it, people are like, oh, okay, it's some mergers are different and maybe may be more controversial, but this is kind of a solidification of what or is that a word of what we're already doing and the way we're already functioning.

F

Got you thank you for that and then um the other question I had to I'm trying to remember where I had read this in the um proposal from like end of November 2022 but I believe it was the part about Services, where it mention I think when um the plan was outlining, like security versus marketing and other things, it said something else about like if something is on the north side of the street. It'll get half the service of the other one or something like this.

F

And so could you just explain what that means, because when I was reading that I couldn't understand, you know what that meant and then number two, because I couldn't understand what that meant. I couldn't understand, you know the thinking behind that as well. Right.

C

Right so on um on Church Avenue from are you familiar with Church Avenue around like East, 10th, Street and.

F

Yes, I am okay,.

C

So that that part of that part of Church Avenue, where it's one side our houses and that nice mural um there is the Advantage, Care, I, think or the advantage health facility on Coney, Island, Avenue and Church Avenue, which is not in the bid but that whole stretch from Coney Island Avenue up to right before Bobby's is only the north side of the street is actually in the bids. So the bid isn't shaped. It's not too full uh block faces going from Flatbush Avenue to Coney Island Avenue. It kind of goes hope.

C

You can see this on Zoom, but it goes wide and then it goes in only half the street so that part from Bobby's to Andrew's coffee shop is only the north side of the street. So we only do sanitation on the North side it's and and the bid was. We were basically we're sticking with the same um geographic area that the bids were when they were formed in the 1980s.

C

So it's the same. We're continuing that.

F

Okay, thank you for that explanation. Those are my questions.

A

Thank you. Thank you. Next question is from board member Glenn Molin.

G

G

um My interest is in Staffing um the what you showed us: a total of 589 000 and about 108 000 in admin, which I assume has to do with offices as well, and that the Staffing was spread out among all the other categories, which doesn't really tell us anything. So I'm wondering how many staff are there and roughly what is the total of the 589, that's paying the salaries and benefits for the staff? And, finally, is there any advantage to combining the two bids from a staffing perspective?

G

C

You may have to remind me of one of those questions I'm going to try to hit all of them. um If you would ask me on Friday, we had a staff of two and a half. Now today we have a staff of.

H

I

C

A half because two new people just joined who I'm very excited about so now we're fully staffed. We have four people running both bids um as plus uh admin person who's from the neighborhood, also, who just helps us with errands and getting stuff organized unpacking files, and everything um I cannot tell you I do not know at the top of my head, the amount that's for admin, so I'm, making a note. I will get back to the board Sean I'll. Look that up look at our budget, okay um and benefits.

C

Also, and since not everyone gets, we will have to figure it out. I will let get you that number uh as far as the efficiency of the staff? Is that what you were asking I'm, sorry Glenn.

G

Well, then, advantage in other words, let's say you had three staff in Church Avenue bid and three staff and uh Flatbush Avenue a bit, and now it's combined, you don't need six. You could function with five as any possible example.

C

Okay, so because we do so much of our our work as one and we have been for several years now, there's no with one exception, everyone works for both bids I work for both bids. All our staff does. The only person who technically works for one bid is our Avenue NYC, which is a grant that we a great grant that we have from the city that program manager only works for the Church Avenue bid as far as salary.

C

However, the way that proposal was written for that three-year Grant, the entire work is for both bits, so it kind of works out, so it benefits both that I would I would not want to go down in staff at all we're doing an awful lot with just a few people and there's so much more that we could be doing that I would love to actually get into so I. Don't know if that answers your question. Yeah.

G

Thank you very much and I wasn't suggesting anything just a good deal for you know how you function. Thank you. Thanks.

C

A

Thank you. Next um is a board member Dwayne Joseph go ahead.

J

Foreign, thank you, um chair, uh hi, Lauren good evening. Thank you for your presentation. um um I'm actually excited about this a little bit. uh The merger from an administrative standpoint, I understand, uh is going to make it a lot easier for you to do a lot of the work um that bids usually are charged with doing. uh I am um curious, though you know with this merger.

J

It makes you the sixth largest bid in Brooklyn from an assessment standpoint and um and I'm curious as to you know how much of that's going to go into I mean you have your budget here um at least the the first year budget um and you're, saying that only 43 000 going into just over 42 000 going into Economic Development.

J

um At any point, do you guys put out a proposal of what you're doing uh annual report or anything like that that the board would be privy to um just because and and I'll be frank? You know living off the avenue on Flatbush Avenue over the years there have been a lot of complaints that they don't see a lot of stuff coming from the bid, um and, of course some of that is true, some, but not in but I mean definitely from a marketing standpoint.

J

um You know, there's a lot, that's happening with the comparable. That's in the area that uh a smaller budget than yours um so I'm wondering you know if there's going to be a proposal put out that um kind of expresses to the community stakeholders what you're doing for the businesses.

C

um Well, first thing: we, we are not as good at marketing ourselves as we should be. I always feel like we're. Not we don't talk about a lot of the stuff we do until someone starts asking and then there's a very long list of things that we're doing um as far as being just a touch on, though, as far as being the sixth that's interesting, because I hadn't done that math, but being the sixth largest.

C

It would become right right with the merger, but but also keep in mind that out of all the bids in the city, people actually fall in the middle.

C

So that's that's the number that I always look at and sometimes we're actually comparable in the work we do to some of the Bronx bids and some of the other areas, but um they're every year, there's room for us to move money from move money around between those categories, which is something that the board works on, that we haven't done a public proposal I'm, not sure if this is what you were getting at, but we haven't done a public proposal to get feedback, but we do.

C

We have done surveys on occasion to try to get more information about what people want to see and you know try to engage people on social media. Also. As far as our budget, the annual report, we do an annual report every year, which I think the most recent one is posted on our website. Although it may not be up there yet, and we also have an audit which is public, which I can also send along to Sean, which is fascinating reading. So it's.

I

J

C

Reading, if you like numbers, I think so we could send those along.

J

C

Public documents about your numbers- guy- oh you're, gonna love. This then you're, going to be very happy I- will send that I'll send that to Sean the most recent audits for both and the annual reports for both.

C

And then, if you have more, you know if you need more information, I'd be happy to to see where we could pull more information for you.

J

uh I I have one more question. If the chair would allow.

A

um Please just be succinct: it's uh we have six minutes until our next meeting and I've got. Maybe six more people behind you.

J

um I mean I I'll, ask a question and you can answer it directly to the board um in an email. um Is there a possibility for the community board? I, don't know if we already have a seat to have an advisory seat on your board.

D

J

You already have one she's.

C

On her she's on both boards, not advisory, she's, non-voting but she's right.

J

Ask an answer. Thank you.

A

Thank you, and, and as you all heard me if you could just be succinct with your questions, uh we have five minutes I'd like to start the meeting on time. Next is from board member Maddie Harris.

K

Oh, thank you so much here and um thank you so much Lauren about the presentation.

K

I appreciate it and it's great to see that you have um dedicated some budget, for you know sanitation and security and such um um I'm wondering if you also have um a plan or are open to having uh some budget for improving the infrastructure for bikes and for pedestrians, um especially walking on Church Avenue and on Flatbush um I noticed that there are so many parts in the in the sidewalk that they, um you know the pavement is, has some misalignments or is not ideal for um disabled people?

K

um Also, the bike infrastructure, for example. You know having some bike racks um for bike. You know for Bikers, too, um lock their bikes and just use those businesses.

C

Okay, um that's not in the current plan, but that's the kind of thing that comes up periodically. We actually did go to the Borough president, more than the former Borough president and now mayor um about getting the entire Street on Flatbush Avenue repaved and where that's something that's our chairman on Flatbush is really interested.

L

M

C

um Bike racks, we help businesses get them because they have to apply through Dot and sometimes we can Rush that through. But yes, we are very much in favor of both and also I'm on the bike. um I'm sorry, buses, not bikes, never mind about what I was about to say, But.

N

C

Yes, that that's very much in line with what we would do and what we can do.

A

Thank you very much. um Miss um guzenfeld from the borough president's office. I just wanted to reach out to you, because you dropped your hand and I wanted to make sure that you know if you had something you wanted to say to. Please feel free to.

H

I just had a quick question. um I'm sorry request to clarify how businesses Frontage on both church and Flatbush are taxed are assessed according to the formula.

C

Oh, you know you know, I can send you the the um presentation, the ones that are on the corner, they're ones on. So, if you know Flatbush, the ones on the east side of the street are already in the Flatbush Avenue bit. So that's that's going to be the same as it currently is.

C

The ones on the west side of the street is on one side is the Flatbush reform church, which is a church, so it's exempt and on the other side it's going to be assessed based on the Flatbush Avenue Frontage, that's 884, Flatbush, Avenue, I. Think.

H

Thank you and I'm. Sorry, you take up any time from board members. Oh.

A

Of course now, thank you so much for being here tonight. Next question is from board member Joel Siegel.

E

Hello, everybody happy New, Year, um I, I, really only I have two comments. One I I would like to hear um the business owners uh uh responses. I mean and thank you by the way to Lauren for your presentation, um I hear that the boards voted in favor of this, but I would like to hear what the businesses um have to say and if they're in favor of it and I would think we should be too um and I would also like to comment based on my experience in real estate.

E

Is that the people that pay these taxes are generally the business owners, the uh especially the the storefronts, because their leases uh more often than not the vast majority of contain Provisions, where they pay all or a percentage of the bid taxes? um So that's part of most commercial leases. So when we're talking about paying it's, not the owners generally, it's the it's the business owners, and so we should all be aware of that.

C

Can I add one thing: John I know you're almost out of time, um our Outreach Although, our male outreaches to everyone. Our in-person Outreach tends to be more to businesses because they're, the ones who are actually on the street and some of those. Sometimes we do get Property Owners, also for the ones who own and and have businesses, but the Outreach is is definitely a little more to businesses and I, and that is why, besides the practicality.

A

Thank you very much. uh Next question will be from Joe dweck, followed by Nina Sab gear. Nina will be the last question.

O

uh Thank you, chairman person, Brown. uh My question really uh goes to what Carl and Joel had said that um uh I was concerned about the notification. It seems that you sent notifications and sounds to folks, rather than having meetings uh to hear.

O

What's going on and evidently from what you said, Lauren that uh only some of the major folks, you had heard I think that um as our board, we should have heard uh feedback from uh from those uh those participants uh rather than beforehand on making a decision which uh we might not be so uh well informed. Thanks. Bye.

A

Thank you and last question will be from Nina Seb you're a board member.

P

Hi. Thank you for this presentation. Just a quick question: um is there a reason why the south side of Church Avenue is not included? Are they part of another bid or what what's going on there? Thank you.

C

Bids can't jump over property, they can't jump over uh and that side is residential. Oh um yeah.

P

So, okay, thank you.

A

All right, seeing that there's no more questions.

A

What's that, oh go.

M

Ahead Sean, just just I, did want to reassure the board because I have participated in so many of the bid meetings um as a non-voting member um that that Lauren, you know, has run two boards into to gain sort of the economies of scales and efficiency in this merger. I think is important to the businesses in those bids and that she has done her due diligence and and there's been a lot of conversations with the board members and business owners on on that block. um So it didn't come like at the snap of a finger.

M

It's it's through a lot of work and conversation and input and consideration um that they've arrived to the point where they can move forward with the merger and I and I applaud Lauren and her work and I'm. Sorry to the board that maybe I haven't communicated um bid business as much as I should note taken.

A

Thank you very much, Sean. um Okay, seeing that there are no more questions, do I have a motion from the floor regarding a recommendation for the proposed extension of the Flatbush business improvements, District.

J

To extend the Flatbush improvement district. Second, second.

O

A

Thank you um to clarify I'll, say motion to approve is that fair.

J

Yes, thank you. Thank.

A

You very much, oh yes, so we'll go ahead and we'll vote in the reverse order. I'm. Looking for those who uh object to the um proposed extension, uh the reject the recommendation to the proposed extension. If you are, if you're, if you're objecting, please raise your hand, so we can go ahead and start counting the votes.

A

Seeing none is there anyone that wishes to abstain.

A

Seeing none is there anyone ineligible to vote.

A

Seeing none uh Sean your hand popped up.

A

Okay, um inadvertently, okay, so that being said, um the recommendation will be to approve the proposed extension of the Flatbush business in public District unanimously. I will report out on this um to the full board, which is the meeting that is immediately following this one and we will close this public hearing at 703.. Thank you. Everyone who showed up here tonight um just give me one minute to get myself collected and we will start as soon as possible.

A

Okay, I'm back so just a bit of housekeeping again, if you are not muted, please mute yourself um if you're calling in great this is perfect. Thank you so much everybody all right, Breakneck speed tonight.

A

This meeting of Brooklyn community board 14, is called to order on Monday January 3rd 2023 at 704 PM under the applicable statutes of New York State, the charter of New York City, the board's bylaws and Robert's Rule of Rules of Order.

A

The board's policy is to encourage detailed public discussion of matters before the board at our committee meetings and at public hearings. Consequently, except by board members, there will be no public discussion at a regular monthly meeting of matters about which a public hearing or a committing meeting has been held.

A

Specific Service delivery requests or complaints should be brought to the attention of the community, District's staff, I'm, sorry district office staff by calling the board office during regular business hours or by visiting our website at any time. Other matters of Civic interests may be brought before the board during our scheduled public comment period, which will begin tonight. After all, other business. On the board's monthly meeting agenda has been concluded, no partisan political appeals or advertising of for-profit Enterprises will be heard. Persons wishing to speak during the public common period were asked to pre-register.

A

um Attendance will be taken from the participant list and, regarding the minutes, the do we have any changes um for the minutes via email. No, are there any changes from the floor uh regarding the minutes of the December 2022 meeting.

A

Seeing none do I, have a motion to adopt the minutes.

A

Thank you uh we'll vote in the reverse order is any anyone that objects to adopting the minutes of the December 2022 meeting.

A

Seeing none is there anyone that wishes to abstain.

A

Seeing none is there anyone ineligible to vote.

A

Thank you. The motion. uh The uh minutes of the 20 December 23 uh 22 meeting, have been adopted unanimously. Moving on to the district manager's report, district manager, Sean Campbell,.

M

uh Good evening, everybody again um happy New Year for me too, but I want to back up to December and congratulate the 70th police precinct on um such a really nice kid-packed room for their holiday party. You're.

N

M

It was, it was really I mean it gets bigger every year and it was really the the true Spirit of Christmas and since he's here, I'll say I, don't think I'll ever Tire of Santa nuzzi, um but great great job for bringing the the true meaning of Christmas to so many families.

M

um In the midst of really serious challenges. Job well done.

M

um Since our last meeting I attended the Brooklyn bus redesign meeting Gail L Smith also participated in the net, but otherwise it was very poorly attended by community members and um because they are such significant changes. I I encourage people to take part in that um Liz Denise can tell you that there is an opportunity to go on their site and put in suggestions.

M

You can do that and we will also get out the information about the upcoming bus redesign meetings and I will try to sort of nudge people along routes where there are going to be changes that will be locally. Impactful I also attended the department of Parks and Recreation Uma Park Community input session, which um Ed Powell I'm sure shares my optimism and enthusiasm for this upgrade for Uma park because we have been you know asking for this for a really long time.

M

That was uh that was much better attended and saw some new community members on that and hope to see them more often at upcoming meetings. We are excited that council, member Rita Joseph saw the need and value in this investment and look forward to Parks coming directly to our board, to our community environment, cultural Affairs and economic development committee, probably in the spring, so stay tuned.

M

For that it'll be exciting, then um I have some good news and, as per community board 14's bylaws section 11c I am pleased to announce that I've offered the community coordinator position to a candidate Sarah sklar who's accepted the post and we're all excited to be to be working together.

M

um We still have to wait for OMB pre-approved the details of that hire um and we have to wait for that to that power to be processed, and then it goes to Pearl, Hall and honestly.

M

We've had some um slowdowns at Borough Hall, so I'm I'm, hoping that there'll be more expeditious about this one and that they will then also finally approve the Personnel action regarding Patricia olander's uh willingness to come on board four days a week up from one day a week um with a modest salary adjustment to um to um because of the extra responsibility that comes along with that, and also you know, the extra work that I want to say. Thank you for publicly.

M

It's been a couple of months, which is the two of us, and it's been a busy couple of months and she's really stepped up to the plate and really helpful and important ways.

M

um So we will that part went to Borough Holland, December 15th um and so we're hoping that they get that one and then the next one approved sort of in um tandem with one another. But I look forward to introducing Sarah sclerarto to the board um and uh and hopefully that'll be soon she's. It was I want to say one more thing: it wasn't a super easy decision, I mean she certainly did stand out and I'm excited to work with her.

M

But after some early Panic about not getting applications, we ended up getting a handful of applications from really smart people um who, who would have worked out just fine and gosh. Imagine if Community boards had a baseline budget increase and could hire more than one full-time and one part-time staff person, because we could have filled a couple of roles there so uh anyway, thank you for listening, and uh you know where to find us Monday through Friday thanks.

M

A

You very much district manager, Sean Campbell, for all of your um hard work being um one staff member down and also all that really good and pointed information that you gave us there appreciate it um before I start. The chairs report I wanted to recognize that council member Farah Lewis is with us tonight, uh council member. Would you like to address this assembly.

Q

Thank you, chair, um good, to see you and everyone this evening. I'll be quick, um happy, New, Year I just wanted to just quickly share with everyone that the city council held a hearing today regarding the proposed amendment of 12, 126. I've been getting a lot of calls from the community regarding this proposal. A decision hasn't been made, but we are currently listening um on both sides to retirees, as well as the administration regarding uh 12, 126., um I'm, taking more calls and emails.

Q

So if anyone wants to have conversations, I've been speaking directly to retirees about this issue, the speaker also hasn't made a decision about it as well. So I would wanted to make sure I shared that with everyone on here, because I know we have a lot of retirees that participate on this community board. We have two discretionary funding workshops that are coming up.

Q

One is tomorrow virtual, as well as Wednesday virtual I could send that information over to you, chair and district manager, Sean Campbell, to share with everyone, and we've also put it up on social media. So if there's any new non-profits interested and applying for funding uh the current discretionary funding for fiscal year, 24 is current the up it's live and we are here to support you through the process so that you know how to apply for it and that's about it.

Q

Thank you for making time tell me to speak and I'll be on for the duration of the meeting. Thank you so much.

A

Thank you very much and welcome um I just want to recognize the representatives of our elected officials that are here with us tonight. We have Sabrina de juice from uh council member pharah Lewis's office. We have Kayla Osborne and Naomi Ritter from assembly member Brian Cunningham's office. We have um Ellie sloven from congresswoman Yvette Clark's office. We have Elaine, I'm, sorry Eileen, mullaney Newman from Borough president Antonio reynoso's office. We have um Lauren Alvarez Collins from the Flatbush and Church Avenue bids. We have President l, l, Powell from the 17th Precinct Community Council.

A

We also have detected Scott nizi Community Affairs from the 17th Precinct with us. Thank you for being with us tonight, I'm going to move on to the if I missed you or if you're new- and you didn't put your designation in the chat um in the participant list, just feel free to throw your name in the chat and I'll and I will recognize you um good evening, board members happy New, Year and happy upcoming, Lunar New Year, we'll start with our public hearings.

A

um The first was a a public hearing held regarding um the Flatbush Avenue and Church Avenue bids. The purpose of this hearing uh was to hear public testimony with respect to an application by the department of small business services SBS pursuant to section 25 405, a of chapter 4, title 25 of the New York City administrative code to expand and amend to the Flatbush Avenue business improvement district in Brooklyn, Community districts, 9 and 14..

A

um The recommendation from those board members in attendance of this public hearing was to approve the expansion uh that came unanimously based on this recommendation. Do I have a motion from the floor regarding the app. What first was there any questions from board members about this um about this uh expansion.

A

Second, um oh Mary, Kay I apologize, Mary, Kay's Siri from assembly member Robert Cara's office. Thanks for being here. Sorry about that, thanks um uh so seeing Barton had a question: pardon croissant board member! You have a question. It's.

R

Not so much a question as sort of a request and that I'm not sure we really had quite enough time to maybe get into some of the details that some other people may have wanted to poke into and I'm just wondering if Lauren be willing to come to our Echo Dev. You know committee at some point in the next month, or so just to you know, offer another opportunity. You don't have to make a full presentation, but if you know in the interim, people have, you know come up with some extra questions.

R

um I think it'd be great. If you made yourself available, perhaps just you know to to perhaps address some.

C

I'd love it yeah, absolutely.

R

Thanks so much that was it Sean.

A

I saw your hand come up on that.

M

uh Just um just to make sure the board is aware that the that a recommendation would have to proceed that that presentation, because they are on a deadline, I think the expiration date for a letter of recommendation is soon.

R

I I was not saying that we hold up the vote on the recommendation. Simply that you know afterwards. You know people started thinking of other things. I think it'd be great if she just made herself available to answer subsequent questions, but I'm not saying at all to hold.

M

It! Okay! Sorry, sorry for my misunderstanding: yeah no.

R

M

All yeah Laura I think that they presented fairly recently but we'll bring her and kind of some Bono back.

A

Thank you. I just wanted to address a question that the council member put in the chat she was asking for the coordinates of the expansion, so I just want to um go ahead and read what the um what the boundaries would be. So it would include properties along flapish Avenue from the north side of portillu road to the south side of Parkside Avenue um and then on.

A

Church Avenue from the east side of Coney Island Avenue to the west side of Flatbush, Avenue I believe there is only the um east corner of flapish Avenue on the south side of Parkside that will be included in the expansion. So it's just a small area. That's combining what was originally part of cb9 into cb14 I. Hope that answers your question. Council member.

A

um So again, you're welcome getting back to the recommendation, um seeing no other additional questions. uh Based on that recommendation. Do I have a motion from the floor regarding the application by the department of small business services to expand and amend the Flatbush Avenue business Improvement District.

L

Motion Florence yeah. Thank you seconded.

A

Second, thank you very much. um Thank you, president Powell, um in this voting we'll capture the objections.

A

um Are there any board members here that are objecting to to approving the um expansion of the Flatbush Avenue business, Improvement District.

A

Seeing none as anyone wish to abstain.

A

Seeing none is anyone ineligible to vote.

A

Excellent um and so this uh passes unanimously. Thank you. Everyone moving on to a recommendation on special permit application, ESA 2022-91-bz.

A

uh The property location, 1492, East, 24th Street. The purpose of this hearing was to hear public testimony with respect to an application to the boards of standards and appeals. Pursuant to section 73-622 of the zoning resolution. This is calendar number BSA, 2022-91-bz and the address is 1492 East 24th Street. The recommendation from those board members in attendance was to approve the special permit, and this was by a unanimous vote.

A

Any questions from board members regarding this public hearing.

A

Seeing none based on the recommendation that do I have a motion from the floor regarding the special permit application made to enlarge a single-family Residence at 1492, East, 24th Street.

Q

Ocean to approve d.

A

O

A

Thank you, I'll vote to capture objections. Are there any board members who object to this special permit application.

A

Seeing none are there any board members wishing to abstain from this special permit application.

A

Are there any board members Who are ineligible to vote.

A

Seeing none uh the motion carries and um the the board recommends to approve the special permit. Thank you. Everyone.

A

Moving on to the borough board report on Tuesday January 3rd 2023, a Borough board meeting, was held. The first agenda item was a public Hearing in the matter of physical improvements proposed in uh meadowport path, Garfield's path, children's Corners path, s Dale's bridge in the Historic Landmark Prospect Park. The proposed work was, is adjacent to community district, 6, 9 and 14..

A

Meadowport path is a 538 thousand dollar project funded by a New York state Grant. It creates greater Ada accessibility with asphalt, paving new bench pads will be added along with a New Prospect Park Bench City Garfield path is a 500 000 project supported by assembly member Robert Carroll. It creates 80, uh greater Ada accessibility with an asphalt path um and a new steel railing, replacing the old wood railing. There will also be a addition of new bioswales.

A

uh The carousel slash children, Corners path is a 425 thousand dollar project funded by participatory budgeting from cd39 provides new Asphalt, Paving and blue stone, the replacement of benches and a new accessible water fountain.

A

Lastly, Estelle Bridge is a 500 000 project funded by participatory budgeting from Community District 39 uh will replace the Cyclone fencing with wood, fencing and replacement of the Oak Bridge surface. With a new with new wood boards, uh the borough board voted to recommend these projects. The process will travel to landmark's preservation commission for review.

A

The next item on the agenda was a review and discussion regarding a Borough board resolution calling on the New York state legislature to pass and the governor to sign legislation amending the public officer's law to conform with meeting procedures under the corporate corporate laws of state of New York.

A

The resolution encourages the public officer's law, be crafted to mirror section 708-c of the business Corporation law, section 708-c of the non-profit, Corporation law and section 28 of the religious Corporation law all which provide the ability to meet using electronic means.

A

During the discussions, the suggestions were, suggestions were made, including my suggestion that the resolution may have room to be strengthened to include the ability to conduct business and ratify voting items when meeting electronically um during new business I raised concerns regarding the Borough Hall human resource policy outlined in a memo last summer and Personnel action requests otherwise known as Pars in July of 2022 12 of the 18 community board chairs signed a letter to Borough Hall, asking their general counsel to consult with the city Law Department regarding community board autonomy as a city agency and overreach from other City agencies, including Borough Hall and OMB, the Office of Management and budget general counsel to the Borough president Gregory Lewis submitted a supportive letter to City Hall uh City Law Department in July, and followed up again on December 5th City Law Department replied that they are still crafting a response to the general counsel's letter.

A

That was the end of business. For the meeting that took place on the third, there was a special meeting of the borough board on January 5th.

A

This was convened to review and discuss the proposed rules, change the proposed new rules aim to one codify the Norms procedures and standards according to and by and under which the Brooklyn Borough President appoints members to the Brooklyn Community boards, as provided in section 2800 a of the charter and two explain elaborate and solidify the beat the Brooklyn Borough President's duty under Section 8212 of the New York City Charter, to provide training technical assistance to the members of community boards within the borough of Brooklyn.

A

The charter remains vague with regards to training and assistance to community boards. In the proposed rule, change training and Technical Support is clarified to mean ministerial administrative support.

A

The rule change supports community board autonomy as a city agency, I forecast that we will likely need to update our bylaws with the purpose of clarifying internal procedures as they relate to the rule change if and when passed.

A

So next steps um are for a board Borough board members to review the rule, change, submit recommendations for changes once the draft is finalized, the rule go to City Law Department and the mayor's office of operations for sign off. Then, within 30 days, a public hearing will be convened after a public hearing. The final draft will be returned to city law department and the mayor's office of operations.

A

I want to note that this adopted rule change will expire when the term of the Borough president ends. So that means the rule. Change will not live in perpetuity. It will only help to guide the current Borough president and his activities. Okay, so that was a lot. um Are there any questions from board members.

A

uh Board member Carl Henry Cesar go ahead.

F

Yes, chairwoman Brown, thank you for that. You know very thorough recap and so um I guess. My first question is: did the you know, did the Brooklyn Borough president's office specify their thinking behind it? Is it just that they want more clarity because I'm interested? Why um if they want more clarity, what is their objective of proposing? You know a legislative change that would only exist as long as the administration's.

F

You know in that scene.

A

Thank you. So if we're talking about the rule change, oh so there are some activities that Community boards currently don't do themselves. um Specifically um a payment of invoices. That's done through Borough Hall.

A

um So what I and and also the language is vague with regards to what training and uh support really means.

A

So this document talks about how uh Community boards are supposed to request um assistance and how we're supposed to um you know basically get our bills paid and our other things paid through Borough, Hall, so I think what they're trying to do is limit liability by making sure that each community board has everything that they need in place internally, I.E bylaws to function without imposing any liability on Borough Hall when Borough Hall has to um offer assistance, and but when I mean offer citizens, you know paying invoices um helping with us financially with the things that, because we don't have a centralized HR System for Community boards, we don't have centralized payment system.

A

All of those things go through Borough Hall to get done currently.

A

So that's um I believe it's really just about making sure that, um because bylaws vary from board to board, ours happen to be pretty um thorough um or some other boards might not be as thorough.

A

So in terms of, for example, hiring uh staff um outside of the district manager we're very clear in our bylaws to say that the district manager may go ahead and pursue uh candidates and make hiring uh so long as it's reported out to the board. It's not the case in other community boards.

A

um So does that give you a clearer picture of why this is being done.

F

It does yes because, basically it sounds like um it sounds like it's a from their vantage point: it's about better, identifying the process and then from there each community board can figure out where it needs to make its process Improvement. So that's helpful because at first I was thinking. Oh, is this a legislative policy change, but it sounds like it may be more of like laying out the process for everyone, and then everyone can figure out where they need to plug their gaps. So all right, thank you, I'm good, but.

A

It does it just go beyond best practices, so it's not just a document about best practices, they're proposing to make a rule change. So we're still looking for clarification as to where this rule change is going to sit. I, don't I I, don't have right, so it goes beyond best practices. It is. It is a rule change.

A

um Moving on to the next question from Joe dwac. Thank you.

O

Oh, thank you, chairwoman, brown. The uh everything you said is terrific I have one question which probably you cannot answer, and that was uh you mentioned that uh uh assemblyman uh uh Robert uh had uh given five hundred thousand dollars approximately for an ADA issue for one of the streets of one of the roads inside uh Prospect Park I thought it was strange because there is no uh access for people with Ada to the park, because there's no uh vehicular traffic allowed so I thought that was strange. I wanted to raise that issue. Thank you.

A

So the Garfield path is currently um it's a path. It's currently a dirt path, so it literally had zero Ada accessibility um and it does go up to the street to uh uh was it Garfield Street, on on Park Slope side. So um by making an asphalt path it becomes. There is greater Ada accessibility um if.

Q

Somebody has an echo.

A

On uh just everybody check your mute, please I see one person who has it off so yeah, so the Garfield path currently um is a downslope. It's dirt, it will be paved and they will be putting in a new steel railing which will Aid in getting down the path and up the path for safety.

O

Thanks Joanne you're amazing, oh.

A

Thank you um and I see the hand from Sean.

M

Campbell thanks um two things: one I think it's okay to not be totally clear on this proposal, yet it's sort of early in the process and there's a lot still to be teased out and then I just wanted to add for clarification. Joanne. um You mentioned uh Borough Hall having to approve expenditures, but that's only for that's typically only for boards that don't have enough staff members to do it inside. So the system is called FMS and it has to have three approvers.

M

So, while we've had only two staffers, we've had to lean on Borough Hall um to to make those purchasing approvals for us, um so I guess we would have to ask for that help if, if we ever find ourselves again in this position, but it's all the more incentive for them to approve everything quickly right. um So I just wanted to add that that note on that particular point.

A

Thank you for clarifying, but it it. You know it's really Forefront in my mind, because that's the situation that we're in um and I think there are some other boards that still actually have to get their third signature through uh Borough Hall. um That's not typically the case for community board 14 when we're fully staffed, yeah.

M

And it hasn't been easy in the meantime right.

A

They want to find a way to make it easier, let's hope um all right. So that ends the borough board report. I'm, going to move on to the appointment of the nominating committee, the 2023 nominating committee has been appointed for region one. We have Melissa Minnick for region two. We have Corazon Valiente for Region Three. We have Donald Loggins for region, four, we have Abe treff and the at-large member will be Naomi lipnick.

A

Thank you to these board members who agreed to serve on this committee. The nominating committee will be scheduled in order to form a slate that can be reported out to the full board. At February's general meeting nominations from the floor. If any can be made at that general meeting and elections will be at the March general meeting.

A

um And this ends the chairs report: uh I see a hand from district manager, Sean Campbell.

M

um I think you wanted to leave an opportunity for any board members to ask any questions on the nominating Committee in the process. Yes,.

A

um Do any board members have any questions regarding this nominating committee.

Q

um All right can.

S

You just repeat.

Q

It I missed it. Oh.

A

Sorry, oh, what repeat the nominating committee? Yes,.

T

A

Yes, thank you uh Melissa minute, Corazon Valiente, Donald Loggins, a treff Naomi lipnick.

S

A

I see um Florence said sorry. Florencia Chang egita has her hand up. Yes,.

L

Thank you. I do not have a question at this time, but I would like to make a motion to invoke uh cb14s bylaws, uh section 4A.

L

2-2 or number two which to allow the chair to be nominated to run a third term.

O

I second, that proposal Joe dweck.

A

Thank you, Florencia Joe. um So, with the emotion seconded um I'll go ahead, is there any discussion from board members about this item.

A

See none I'll go ahead and ask for a vote. We'll start with the objections. Are there any board members in attendance to object to invoking.

A

Or seeing none are there any board members that wish to abstain.

A

Are there any board members that are ineligible to vote.

M

A

You, oh yes, I am sorry, yes, I'm ineligible thanks thanks Sean just try to move it along all right. Well, thank you. Thanks for the the p's and q's um and I I want to and I want to, thank you Florencia and Joe for for that um all right. So that really ends the chairs report. Thanks everybody and.

O

So when you're doing unbelievable, job God bless you you're, so confident and so caring you're just a steady, steady hand. God bless you.

A

Well, thank you very much. Thank you to all the support from all the board members thanks, everybody! Oh getting all these videos! Thank you all right.

A

um Moving on to topical committees, reporting items, uh the first committee to report will be housing and land use committee.

B

Okay, thank you, chair Brown, uh uh co-chair of the housing and land use committee on December 15th. uh We held our last meeting where we had a pretty lengthy Affair in terms of presentations, so I'll take the first half and then um my co-chair Talisha St bill will take the rest uh so started with a presentation from Tyrone McDonald, the community relations director of Neighborhood Housing, Services NHS of Brooklyn, um wherein he described the um the various uh services that they provide to the community.

B

They relate to uh um very valuable services, for tenants for um homeowners and for landlords, and so um it's a it's a pretty wide-ranging menu and that they offered and he laid those out for us during the meeting um they present webinars and they service thousands of requests a year on various subjects for for for those uh for those uh respective and respective groups.

B

um As uh part of that, we also heard from Byron Todman, who is a program manager in NHS who described um a recent initiative at NHS for Property Management Services.

B

They offer their services to landlords of one to four unit properties and they basically serve the function of property managers to to help aid those coping those properties, particularly for landlords who uh um you know, are new to the game and those who need assistance.

B

So um he offered an outlined that program as well, so uh we uh if for any other, further details, obviously you can go back to the meeting if you were not able to attend, um but we uh had some other speakers, so I'll turn it over to Talisha now to uh to round out the program.

D

Thank you Greg, um so for the second half of um the December 15th housing and land use committee meeting we had Lucy block, who is the senior research and data associate for the association for neighborhood and Housing Development um and Lucy's walked us through the DAP, which stands for the displacement alert project portal a lot of mouthfuls here uh but uh and that dap uh portal is where tenants and homeowners and I guess registered public can have access to finding out what's happening in buildings, and this is an especially helpful tool for people at risk or currently undergoing displacement, um and it's not just limited to housing team.

D

um So some of the things that the DAP portal currently contains are access to property ownership, information, rent, stabilization, subs and subsidy information court and Legal Information research for high-risk buildings, and you can check out uh Lucy's presentation on the YouTube page, the cb14 YouTube page um and the last but not least, presenter was Morgan Ruther.

D

um Who is a student at the Columbia University graduate school of architecture planning and preservation? I told you. There was a lot of mouthfuls in titles, but she also happens to be our cb14 winter 2023. uh Fellow and we're super lucky to have her with us um and Morgan presented the mayor, Adams city of yes initiative as it pertains to zoning sustainability and affordable housing, and some highlights of Morgan's presentation were this word discussion on carbon neutrality, the zero carbon initiative, which will be a major Focus for Morgan and cb14 in the coming months.

D

So please stay tuned.

D

um Morgan did create a proposed timeline for kicking things off, which included asking those who were present for questions in terms of questions that you might have as they pertain to the city of yes um proposals, and so that we can speak with um and really Morgan can speak with the DCP liaison for cb14 and that meeting can happen sometime soon. So, if you do have questions, please feel free to send them to district manager. Campbell and let us know some of the major topics just to give you a quick summary for Zoning for zero.

D

Carbon include energy, which includes solar use, buildings, which entails new zoning rules for buildings, Transportation, which includes electric vehicle charging, which I think that that was a bit of a hot Topic at the meeting and wasted water, which entails permeable ground cover, amongst other things. So again, I encourage you to go to the cb14 YouTube page and look up the December, 15th um 2022 housing and land use committee meeting, because it had some good information.

D

And if you have any questions that you want to have submitted and have highlighted and answered in upcoming city of yes meetings, then please email, district manager, Campbell. You know where to email her and thank you.

A

Well, thank you very much for that report. um Just a quick shout out to representatives of our elected officials. We have Judas Judith Destin here from D.A Eric Gonzalez's office. We have Anastasia yaskova from the mayor's office of Community Affairs Brooklyn.

A

um We have Pincus hiking from comptroller Brad Landers office here and another shout out to Mary Kay Siri, because I missed her before uh moving on to the next committee uh Transportation committee. Please.

U

Thank you, madam chair. Happy New Year everyone um before I begin the discussion of uh our committee meeting from last week. I just wanted to Echo and note that Transportation Committee Member Liz Denny's, put in the chat earlier uh there's a Brooklyn bus redesign public workshop for our community District on Thursday February 23rd via Zoom at 6, 30 p.m. uh Liz posted a link for that earlier in the chat, so you can find that there.

U

um In terms of our committee meeting on January 5th, uh there were two presentations: I'll Briefly summarize the first one before handing off to my co-chair Ed sen. um So the first presentation was by dot regarding Flatbush Avenue bus priority. uh Mta was also in attendance and answered some questions. uh So dot has been getting feedback that buses move slowly along Flatbush Avenue b41 limited.

U

uh They said generally travels only between five and seven miles per hour in our community District between days they're about 120, 000, average daily bus riders on Flatbush Avenue, with b41 being the primary bus route. Additionally, they noted that 164 people have been killed or seriously injured on Flatbush Avenue over the last five years.

U

There are five tools and Dot's bus priority toolkit to improve bus speeds and that those include an offset bus lane a center bus lane, a bus way, curbside bus lane and a q jump signal. uh Dot is basically still in the early stages here, they're currently at the feedback, Gathering and Analysis stage, and there are many steps to go before dot rolls anything out, including design development and additional feedback. Gathering and Analysis. So we'll certainly be hearing more about this in the coming months and years.

U

uh Many uh folks, including board members, had questions for the dot or comments for the dot, including those by Sabrina de juice, from Farrell Lewis's office, to express the desire for the council member's office to sit down with DOT further I encourage community board members and members of the public who are interested in the discussion uh to watch the video of the meeting on on YouTube. As there were a lot of good questions and helpful answers so I'll hand it over to Ed. To summarize the uh ladder portion of the Munich.

V

All right thanks, Steve good evening everyone, um so the latter portion of the meeting consisted of a presentation by Dustin coo, a senior project manager from dot who presented to uh the transportation committee an overview of the Southern Brooklyn Crosstown B uh 82 Select Bus Service Capital project, so dot previously presented to cb14's Transportation Committee in uh May of 2017, with a draft plan and again in March 2018, with a design update and the b82 SPs subsequently launched in October of uh 2018.

V

and for this presentation, dot shared a Capital Improvements that would take place on King's Highway, between Ocean Avenue to Nostrand Avenue, focusing on plans to improve the conditions of Service, Roads and medians to include reconstructing other existing medians and adding Landscaping.

V

uh Also focusing on uh narrow bus stops that aren't Ada accessible, and uh this would include 10 median bus stops to uh so. Why didn't uh Ada, accessible platforms um and uh also focusing on Long, unprotected uh pedestrian Crossings, and this project would include 10, curb extensions, uh 14 pedestrian islands and the Reconstruction of the King's Highway roadway to improve grading and drainage and also resurfacing uh the roadway with fresh asphalt and markings.

V

um So for additional details on this Capitol project uh uh to Echo uh what Steve said, please watch uh our transportation committee meeting.

V

um I'm sure dot will also share uh the PowerPoint presentation and we'll make that available on the website as well. uh So uh with regards to uh Dot's uh Landscaping goals uh within this Capital project um they are proposing. uh The purpose is to really improve uh safety, uh rainfall, drainage and beautifying, the medians with uh trees and Greenery. So dot is requesting a letter of support from uh cb14 for uh their Landscaping plans.

V

um For the aforementioned sections of King's Highway and the transportation committee came to a unanimous consensus to recommend to the board uh that cb14 support, Dot's Landscaping plans and uh that's about it from me.

A

Thanks it looks like uh Transportation committee has a question from board member Maddie Harris.

K

uh Thank you so much um uh I have a process. Question! I'm! Sorry, if it is, you know, um I'm asking. um Is this going to be a Euler process.

V

Are you referring to uh sorry.

K

Yeah Flatbush bus route yeah, it was my head.

U

M

K

So it is not the user process, it is not, and um do we know why? Because you know that's just my question because I was reading the book, um the Euler book and it sounds like any major project should be a lular process.

M

Mary I don't know the answer to that question. I can follow up with Dot and DCP and find out why it isn't the Church Avenue bus. um um Wasn't the Nostrand SPS was not so I'm, not sure why the dot projects don't go through you LARP, um but I will get the explanation to the board thanks. So.

K

M

A

Thank you very much to the transportation committee uh for your report. Moving on to Youth Services education and Library, please I'm.

M

Sorry to interrupt um yeah um I didn't get my hand up in time, but but I thought there was a request on the table. I'm, not sure if, um if Edson is asking the board for approval, yes,.

V

M

V

The transport we came to a unanimous concern to recommend to the board that uh cb14 support uh do Keys Landscaping plans. um I believe uh Sean has shared a draft of this letter to the board.

M

Yeah that went out with a reminder on on Friday um and just in case people didn't take a close look at it. It is, um it is narrow in its description. It acknowledges the extent to which the King's Highway plan is only on the northern part of King's Highway from Nostrand East, 23rd Street um and in the the request was for support for the Landscaping, um not for the entire project. I, don't know if there's something else, the co-chairs want to add to that.

V

uh Nothing to add, on my end, uh Steve.

U

V

U

Do see Corazon has his.

V

N

U

I wasn't sure if he has a question.

N

uh Yeah, when I was reading the uh draft letter, the the question that came to mind is that I just wanted to find out if there's a big difference between using CD, 14 and cb14, because I noticed that you had used it in the letter and I. Didn't know uh why that was.

M

um Community district 14 is the land the space that are within the borders, whereas community board, 14 I, think of is more often just being the board members, the body of people that represent the community. So that's when I'm talking about the actual you know, space um District CD is what gets used more often.

N

A

Are the co-chairs ready for me to um go through the motions, literally okay, um I.

E

See Mary Kay Siri as her hand up I, don't know yeah.

A

That was from much earlier. Okay,.

E

A

You very much um all right, um so the recommendation from the Transportation committee was to um uh send this letter of support, which you all received and read um so I. Is there a motion from um board members to approve the letter and send the letter of support new approvals with any and is that seconded seconded?

A

All right, uh that being said, is we'll load in the uh by objection? Is any board member object to sending the letter of support.

A

Is any board member wish to abstain from voting, and uh is there anyone who is ineligible to vote?

A

Okay, the letter of support passes unanimously uh anything else that the co-chairs wanted to add.

A

Okay. Thank you very much for your hard work. Moving on to the next committee, Youth Services education and libraries.

F

Thank you, chairwoman, brown, so folks, good evening again, and so um there's three brief updates. So the first one is just a reminder that uh the AL Shanker ufd scholarship for eligible High, School seniors. The deadline to apply for that scholarship is February, 28 2023, and so, um if you know of any High School seniors in New, York City, um who are thinking of you know applying to college then I. Would you know suggest that you let this individual know to Google Al Shanker?

F

You spell that Al and then the last name is s-h-a-n-k-e-r UFT scholarship, and then that should take you to the page where you know that student would be able to look at the requirements and see if they are eligible for that.

F

The second update I want to give is, there's an organization called Empower that reached out to the cb14 office towards the end of 2022, and so basically, this organization says that it's a um a national non-profit that provides um tech, training and career development, and usually the group that they focus on are military veterans, their spouses and also young adults from underserved communities, and so this person did reach out to the cb14 office, um asking you know basically for an initial introduction and so just giving folks the heads up about that I believe this individual may have shared a link um with our office as well too.

F

So putting that out there and then the last piece is just the friendly reminder that this Thursday at 6 30 PM. We have our planning meeting for the 16th annual. um You know you conference, and so those are my those are my updates folks. Thank you very much.

A

uh Thank you very much. Moving on to Human Services committee.

E

Hi good evening, Joel, Siegel I, think Nina's here with us as well. um Thank you. um We have two. We have two items to announce. We have a meeting coming up a committee meeting coming up on January.

E

The 19th did you want to say something: Mia stop um and we're going to get a presentation on on health services and programs from the Morris Heights Health Center, located at 1095, Flatbush Avenue, and we're going to get a report on the status of the covid-19 virus, vaccine resources and other preventative measures from New, York, City, Health and hospitals, corporations test and treatment poor and we're also going to be discussing the not-for-profit non-profit, Roundtable planning and which is the second item which is February 9th, is the date scheduled for the non-profit, Round Table.

E

Perhaps Nina and Sean could tell us more about it, but uh Sean is sending out this week an announcement for board members to participate in the non-uh profit Roundtable, uh to make it a more vibrant event to uh mingle, with the and and and encourage dialogue among the various uh uh organizations.

E

So I mean. Did you want to add to that at all.

P

um I would just like to say: I was at the round table last year and it was very, very informative. I think the structure that we're proposing for this year will be very interesting and much more dynamic, because we're going to assist um groups that um have like kinds of um goals and purposes to get together and meet with each other.

P

In addition to just giving everybody a general rundown about what kinds of services they provide and I think that's, that's a very interesting uh kind of a new way of offering this round table and I hope I'll be able to be there.

P

Be there, that's, that's really. It um I think the other presentations that we have I really hope that um everyone will attend just be um on January 19, because it will be good for everyone to be up to date on health services that are being offered in the community as well as whatever there is that's new uh uh regarding covid and um it's not going away, so we need to keep on top of it. Thank you.

A

Thank you very much for that report. uh Moving on to community safety.

L

Good evening, everyone uh we do not have a report at this time. We didn't have a meeting. However, we should have a meeting in March, so in the meantime, you can always go to YouTube to check out our community safety meeting from November 22nd, because there's some safety tips there that is necessary for the winter, be safe. Thank you.

A

Thank you very much. Did you have a question for one of the two committees that just presented yeah.

O

The public Community safety I just wanted to uh thank the 7-0 precinct. We had a child molester, uh a bad thing from Friday and the 7-0 uh in conjunction with showroom and the 6-6 uh I apprehended the individual today he's a three-time offender and thank you so much for keeping this guy getting the sky off the street and we're enormously.

O

It was all me, I, take all the credit.

A

Thank you very much for that announcement and thank you. Detective Nazi. um Moving on to community environment, cultural Affairs and economic development.

J

Our co-chair of the community environment and cultural Affairs of development, Economic Development Committee for cb14 we've got to find an acronym for that um uh I'm here tonight, along with my coach here, Barton prasan, um we don't have anything to report uh out to the board. uh We didn't have a meeting um our last meeting before the last board meeting in December, so we reported there.

J

However, we are working with uh the district manager to try and schedule something uh possibly in February, but if you can a little later in February and as uh Barton mentioned tonight, uh we are going to invite Lauren Collins um to just join us at that meeting to in case there are extended questions um so we'll let you.

V

Know Lauren when.

J

The date is, and if you're available, we'd love it um uh we're also discussing as committee members topics uh that we're going to present to the district manager and the chair um for um possible um agenda item. So you know we're keeping our fingers crossed that um some of those happen.

J

uh Barton do you have anything to add.

J

All right um other than that happy New Year at all. You.

R

Covered it all so eloquently.

A

Thank you both. uh This concludes our topical committees. uh Moving on to our ad hoc committees, uh the first one is the community board 14 flapper, a Flatbush, African burial, ground task force.

J

Do you want to take this? One Felicia folks are probably tired of hear my voice tonight.

D

No I think you can take it. Dwayne.

J

um We do not have um our task force last met in, but it was October um where we went over the um timeline um for transfer of transfer of um planning for rfps that sort of thing for the action around the African, the Flatbush African burial ground.

J

um If I am memory served me correctly and Sean, you can let let us know if you've heard anything at this stage there was supposed to be a transfer administrative transfer of responsibility from uh HPD to uh Parks. Hopefully that has happened.

J

um If you don't have an update right now, Sean, um you know, maybe we can try and find out. We can report out to the community that, hopefully that has been done.

M

I'll get the update for sure thank.

J

You so much other than that. We do not have additional updates.

A

Thank you very much, um and the second um ad hoc committee, I.E working group is the street coneeming working group. This working group will be meeting on Tuesday January 31st via WebEx um and I'll be facilitating. That meeting- and this concludes um ad hoc's ad hoc committees, moving on to our public session.

A

um uh This brings us to our public comment period board. Members are expected to remain for the public comment period because we are meeting remotely. All speakers were asked to pre-register via email to the board office.

A

Any member of the public who is not able to register in time can follow up directly with the board and staff who will include appropriate announcements on the cb14 website.

A

Matters of civic interest and announcements of public events are invited. No partisan political appeals or advertising of for-profit Enterprises are permitted. Service delivery requests should be brought to the attention of the staff by email or during regular business hours.

A

um Every speaker will be permitted to speak for up to three minutes and may not receive additional time from another speaker. The board has an obligation to conduct its business in an orderly manner. Any person preventing the meeting from continuing will be muted and possibly disconnected from the meeting.

A

The intent of the public comment period is to permit the board and the community a chance to hear diverse perspectives on public issues. Accordingly, we ask that groups be represented by a single speaker. It is now 805.

A

um Sean will I be announcing. The registered speakers of you this evening, I I I've, got it handy, excellent. Thank you. Sean Campbell district manager will be announcing our previously registered speakers at this time.

M

um They are beginning with Paul marianovsky and Marion nakla from Dynamic youth Community to be followed by Emily chingay from open plans.

M

Paul and Marina are you, are one of you still with us.

E

You come back to.

M

um Yeah um Emily chingay from open plans. Emily are you here, hi did.

I

I say your last name: right: Emily changa, yes, perfect, hi, everybody, my name is Emily and I. Do city-wide advocacy for open plans, uh we're a non-profit here in the city advocating for safe and joyful public spaces in all neighborhoods, and we recently started organizing in October of last year and have been looking to connect with local groups throughout the city and learn more about what's going on in their community and if there's anything that we can do to support them in the public realm.

I

um So I'd love to learn more about community board 14 and if there's anything folks want to meet and talk about I'd love to do so. But in addition to our work with Community groups, we have a campaign that focuses on community boards and encouraging folks to be more involved in their neighborhood. So we have some model resolutions on our website that board members can use for inspiration or if they want to present and Pat and vote on them.

I

So you can find them at openplans.org and you can also email me at Emily, openplans.org or if you have any questions or if you would like to use them, but yeah I also really quickly wanted to shout out our community board info session that we'll be hosting next week.

I

It's going to be part one of a three-part series on community boards and helpful tips for prospective applicants, so that will be Tuesday and next and Wednesday of next week and you can find more info on our events page and, if you're interested um or, if you're interested or, if you know anybody that is but um yeah, that's it for me. Thank you.

M

Thank you and um just a throwback to something like 2015 when open plans helped us develop our first ever non-profit organization map, which was one of our kickoff projects for the non-profit, Roundtable, so you're, definitely part of our history and I. Look forward to circling back to you.

M

um Alexis Spiegel from the Flatbush theater group is also here still. Yes, sorry, I'd minimize. My screen and I can't see too many things at once. Alexis I.

S

Am here yes, hi, um so I'm here from Flatbush Community Theater I did hear that for-profit organization should not be using this time to really announce themselves, while we're moving in the direction of becoming non-profit ourselves. So I think I'll just say that I'm glad to be here we're glad to be here, we're glad to be on Church Avenue and the way that we're Incorporated now is a sole proprietorship.

S

We do have a mission to operate on a model of equity and accessibility so, uh and we, our our Flagship program, is Flatbush theater project, which is a program where we we're trying to operate on. That model, offer an experience, a theatrical experience that culminates in performance to different youth, um so don't hesitate. Anyone interested in learning more about us to reach out and I'll just say that.

M

Great, the next registered speaker is Sabrina de giust from the council member's office. Did you still want to say something? Sabrina I know that uh councilmember Lewis was with us a little earlier.

M

Okay, um she may have dropped off so um Madam chair. If it's all right with you, um we have um okay um narendachala from the Brooklyn Public Library.

T

Yes, hello, uh my name is Melinda Chola I'm from the Flatbush uh Library I'm, the brand new branch manager. There I've been there about three months, um so I just wanted to share some information, real quick, um so nearly 30 of Brooklyn nights like a lack a home broadband connection in some neighborhoods. This jumps to 50 percent. So to address this digital divide, the FCC provides qualifying customers a 30 credit to their internet or cell phone bill.

T

There are many ways to qualify, but those receiving snap, Medicaid veterans benefits or other services may qualify and the um the table and event on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the next one is Thursday from three to seven. Where they'll be setting up a table, they'll help them. uh You know uh uh help them with uh with the process uh so um yeah so um yeah for those who qualify well, but um we have digital Navigators tabling at this Branch. We can also host programs Outreach programs.

T

uh If you need to um also um some good news. The books on band team at BPL have been honored as Librarians of the Year by the National Library Journal uh book on band uh five censorship across this country.

T

um Also, we have the cultural pass, so the culture pass, they can go on the website www.culturepas.nyc and with that uh more than 15 Performing Arts venues offer free tickets. We are culture pads, it's not just museums, but there are 75 sales and museums in all five boroughs of New York City, and they can make reservations on the cultural path website and again that uh website is uh www.culturepath.nyc and as far as the Flatbush explain to our programs.

T

So aside from the affordable connectivity program that I just spoke about, we have the laptop and hotspot Loan program from four to six on Tuesdays and Thursdays, where we can sign people up for a brand new Chromebook and a hotspot. All they need is a library card that the ID must match the address on the library card, but we'll uh we'll uh um you know they can come to the customer service desk and we'll we'll uh do that for them.

T

um Also, um we have chess workshop for all ages on Tuesdays, five to six and kids Tech time, four to five uh on Tuesdays also and uh once a month we have a adult craft circle on uh Tuesdays as well on Mondays. We have create kids, create four to five uh on Wednesdays. We have Story play from 11 to 11 45.. uh We also have a mango languages programs on Wednesday three to four Thirty, which helps uh people with the English language.

T

You are learning French Spanish, whatever they're interested in uh languages are I'd, say, there's many languages in that database and if they want to, they can also um with their library card login from home and access. These databases they're all free of charge by the way, and we also have a drop in resume help uh from four to five on Wednesdays um also Thursdays. We have a ask a tech program, three to four, which will be a program um helping them uh navigate the self-checkout, adding money printing.

T

uh You know any email, any kind of technical questions. It will have a table set up on the lobbies, with a sign that says, ask for ask: ask a tech and we'll help them with any technological issues. They may have and also again Fridays. We again have Story play 11 to 11 40 11, 45.

T

um uh I forgot to mention Thursdays. We also have Team gaming, Club, 3 30 to 5, 30 and Fridays. Like I said, exploring play 11 to 11 45, we also have the team's study and chill space from 2 30 to 4 30 on Fridays. That's all I had to share so I'm. Sorry, it was a lot but I wanted to uh in the uh in the you know. I didn't want to take up all the time. Thank.

M

You very thank you very much. The next, um the last speaker for this evening um is um Ellie slavin from congresswoman Yvette, Clerk's Office.

W

Good evening, everybody and uh welcome back good to see everybody again. Hopefully, hopefully, everyone have a happy holiday and good summer um we're going out to 118th Congress. A lot is happening. uh There's the Republican Congress a uh Democratic Senate. Hopefully, things can work out for everybody for all our, for our sake, congresswoman I was in DC sends her best I posted my contact information on the chat. Our office feels a lot in federal issues. Of course we give our support letters for local for uh assembly, state and city.

W

So please uh anybody who is immigration issues, uh passport issues. We are open open for business and we've been very, very busy with that and again I did put my chat, my contact numbers on the chat, my my personal uh cell numbers and I'm always available 24 6, actually on the Sabbath I. Don't answer my phone, but I can tell you that I've answered my phone uh middle of the night in early morning, so it's 202.

W

821-7906, that's 202-821-7906. I wish you all a good night.

A

uh Thank you very much and thank you very much very much Sean for going through our pre-registered speakers and thank you to everyone who registered um it's getting about that time. To adjourn. I just want to remind everybody that, uh and especially members of the public that are here. uh Applications for Community boards are open. I encourage uh members that public members that are with us here today to apply the application closes on February 14th and for current board members.

A

If it is your cycle to apply just a reminder to get your application in and leave a lot of time to do it, there are a few um there's a couple: there's a bio and an essay. That's uh needs to be filled out so be mindful and that's it uh district manager. Campbell. You have anything else. You need to add before I adjourn. Okay, do I, have a motion to adjourn motion.

Q

A

Excellent. Thank you. Everyone to have a good night. This meeting is adjourned at 8, 17 p.m. Good.

O

Night, everybody thank.

T

N

L

Night, everyone have a good night.

Q

A

Night, everyone be well happy, New, Year, good night, everyone happy New, Year.

F

Good night.