Audit Report on the Manhattan Community Boards’ Compliance with Meeting and Public Hearing Rules and Regulations

We performed an audit on the Community Boards’ Compliance with Meeting and Public Hearing Rules and Regulations to determine whether the Manhattan Community Boards are complying with the rules and regulations set forth in the New York City Charter (Charter) regarding meetings and public hearings.

Community Boards (Boards) are local representative bodies that serve as advocates for the City’s residents and communities. Boards are mandated to meet at least once a month except during the months of July and August. Each community board is required to establish and publish a meeting schedule. Boards regularly conduct public hearings on the City’s budget, land use matters, etc., to give community members the opportunity to express their opinions and concerns.

Audit Findings and Conclusions

The audit found that the Manhattan Community Boards adhere to the provisions set forth by the Charter and New York State’s Open Meeting Law (NYS’s OML) with regard to meetings and public hearings. For Calendar Year 2011, the audit found that each of the 12 Manhattan Boards held a monthly full board meeting (with the exception of the months of July and/or August), provided adequate public notice of meetings, allotted time for members of the public to voice their issues and concerns at meetings, and prepared meeting minutes.

Audit Recommendations

Because the audit determined that all 12 Manhattan Community Boards adhered to the provisions set forth by the Charter and NYS’s OML, we make no recommendations in this report.

Agency Response

Because the report did not include any recommendations, eight of the 12 Manhattan Boards stated that they would not respond, while four did not provide any feedback.