New Rules May Leave Out Comm. Board Members
A major change in the makeup of precinct community councils citywide may be on its way, according to NYPD officials.
As relayed by Sgt. Sonini Chan- Shue, the parliamentarian of the NYPD’s Community Affairs Bureau, the heads of all precinct councils across New York are to attend a meeting on Nov. 14 with Police Commissioner Ray Kelly in attendance.
At that meeting, a new set of bylaws will be introduced that would prohibit community board members from serving on precinct councils.
Sergeant Shan-Chue explained to the crowd at the Wednesday, Oct. 24 meeting of the 104th Precinct Community Council at the Peter Cardella Center in Ridgewood that a community board seat is technically a political appointment.
It is not known whether board members will be allowed to serve out their terms or be asked to resign immediately.
Shan-Chue told the Times Newsweekly she would not answer questions about the new by-laws since were technically preliminary.
In the Times Newsweekly coverage area, which includes seven precinct councils, five of them have presidents who also serve on their local community boards: Barbara Smith of the 83rd Precinct, who sits on Brooklyn Community Board 4; Latchman Budhai of the 102nd Precinct, who sits on Queens Board 9; Frank Dardani of the 106th Precinct, who sits on Board 10; Diane Ballek of the 108th Precinct, who sits on Board 2; and Heidi Chain of the 112th Precinct, who sits on Board 6.
When reached by phone on Friday, Oct. 26, Smith told the Times Newsweekly she was aware of the upcoming meeting but did not know of the proposed rule changes.
“Why would they do that?” she asked. “Most people who serve on both of them are community people.”
Evelyn DeCoursey, who heads the 110th Precinct Council, is not a community board member. In the 104th Precinct, the NYPD is looking to reform the precinct council after its president, Michael Hetzer, was charged with larceny in May. Sergeant Chan-Shue presided over the creation of a temporary council that would adhere to these new by-laws.
John Perricone, who has been active in the Citizens for a Better Ridgewood civic group, was voted in as the group’s president; his brother, Vincent, was voted its sergeant-atarms.
Mario Matos Jr., a Maspeth High School teacher who also sits on the board of directors of Municipal Credit Union, was voted its vice president. Tania Broschart, formerly of the Middle Village Chamber of Commerce, is the group’s treasurer. Amy Lassel, a local parent, will be the group’s secretary.
