FAQs


		Who are my representatives at Borough Hall, City Hall, Albany, and Washington? Residents of Community District 3 are represented at Borough Hall, City Hall, Albany, and Washington by a variety of legislators and executives. To learn who represents you, enter your address and ZIP code at the “Who Represents Me?” website operated by NYPIRG’s Community Mapping Project. How do I become a member of the Community Board? The Borough President appoints Community Board members. At least one half of the appointed members must be selected from nominees submitted by City Council Members. Council nominees are apportioned to Council Members based on the share of the district's population they represent. The Community Board has up to 50 voting members, one half of which are appointed each year. Board members must be New York City residents who live in or have a business, professional, or other significant interest in the district. Community Board members serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for actual, necessary out of pocket expenses in connection with attendance at regularly scheduled meetings. How do I get on the Community Board mailing list? For some lists, you need only enter your email address here on the website. For others you must send a letter to the Board indicating which notices you would like to receive. The letter should be sent to the attention of the Chair, Community Board 3, 82-11 37th Avenue, Room 606, Jackson Hts., NY 11372. What are the Community Board's responsibilities? The New York City Charter assigns 21 areas of responsibility to the Community Board: 1. Consider the needs of the district which it serves; 2. Cooperate with, consult, assist and advise any public officer, agency, local administrators of agencies, legislative body or the borough president with respect to any matter relating to the welfare of the district and its residents; 3. At its discretion hold public or private hearings or investigations with respect to any matter relating to the welfare of the district and its residents, but the board shall take action only at a meeting open to the public; 4. Assist city departments and agencies in communicating with and transmitting information to the people of the district; 5. Cooperate with the boards of other districts with respect to matters of common concern; 6. Render an annual report to the mayor the council and the borough board within three months of the end of each year and such other reports to the mayor or the borough board as they shall require (such reports or summaries thereof to be published in the City Record); 7. Elect its own officers; adopt, and make available for reasonable public inspection, by-laws and statements of the duties assigned by the board to its district manager and other professional staff appointed pursuant to subdivision f of this section; and keep a public record of its activities and transactions, including minutes of its meetings, majority and minority reports, and all documents the board is required by law to review, which shall be made available, in accordance with law, to elected officials upon request and for reasonable public inspection; 8. Request the attendance of agency representatives at meetings of the community board; 9. Prepare comprehensive and special purpose plans for the growth, improvement and development of the community district; 10. Prepare and submit to the mayor, on or before a date established by the mayor, an annual statement of community district needs, including a brief description of the district, the board's assessment of its current and probable future needs, and its recommendations for programs, projects, or activities to meet those needs; 11. Consult with agencies on the capital needs of the district, review departmental estimates, hold public hearings on such needs and estimates and prepare and submit to the mayor capital budget priorities for the next fiscal year and the three succeeding fiscal years; 12. Conduct public hearings and submit recommendations and priorities to the mayor, the council and city planning commission on the allocation and use within the district of funds earmarked for community development activities under city, state or federal programs; 13. Consult with agencies on the program needs of the community district to be funded from the expense budget, review departmental estimates, hold public hearings on such needs and estimates, and prepare and submit to the mayor expense budget priorities for the next fiscal year; 14. Assist in the planning of individual capital projects funded in the capital budget to be located in the community district and review scopes of projects and designs for each capital project; 15. Evaluate the progress of capital projects within the community district based on status reports to be furnished to the board; 16. Be authorized to assign a representative to attend any meeting held by a city agency to determine, in advance of drafting, the form and content of any environmental impact statement required by law for a proposal or application for a project in such board's district; 17. Exercise the initial review of applications and proposals of public agencies and private entities for the use, development or improvement of land located in the community district, including the conduct of a public hearing and the preparation and submission to the city planning commission of a written recommendation; 18. Assist agencies in the preparation of service statements of agency objectives, priorities, programs and projected activities within the community district and review such statements; 19. Evaluate the quality and quantity of services provided by agencies within the community district; 20. Within budgetary appropriations for such purposes, disseminate information about city service and programs, process complaints, requests and inquiries of residents of the community district; and 21. Conduct substantial public outreach, including identifying the organizations active in the community district, maintaining a list of the names and mailing addresses of such community organizations, and making such names and, with the consent of the organization, mailing addresses available to the public upon request. The amount of attention paid to each function varies depending upon budget allocations, staffing levels, community sentiment, and other factors. For more about the boards and their roles, see the About CBs pages. How do I get an application for a street closing? Call the Community Board at 718 458 2707 or stop by the office at 82-11 37th Avenue. You may also email or FAX us at 718 458 3316. The application must be filed 65 days prior to the event. NOTE: first time applicants typically require 90 days to complete the process, as signatures might be required from neighbors. How do I get an application for a sidewalk closing? Call the Community Board at 718 458 2707 or stop by the office at 82-11 37th Avenue. You may also email or FAX us at 718 458 3316. The application must be filed 65 days prior to the event. NOTE: first time applicants typically require 90 days to complete the process, as signatures might be required from neighbors. How do I get a tree planted in front of my home? Send a letter to the Community Board office at 82-11 37th Avenue. Typical time: 3 months to three years depending upon demand and budgets.