As the last Community Board 2 meeting before summer recess went into session, five new board members were named.
The five new members include Lincoln Restler, Claire Wood, Andrew Stengel, Meredith Phillips and Stephanie Gillette.
“I look forward to meeting them [new members] tonight. I hope all the new board members are able to attend our June meeting and look forward to working with them when the board reconvenes in the fall,” said CB 2 District Manger Rob Perris.
Community boards are made up of 50 non-paid community members – half of which the borough president appoints and the other half the local city council member appoints.
In the case of Community Board 2, these city council members include David Yassky and Letitia James.
Borough President Marty Markowitz appointed Wood and Phillips, replacing Grantley Crichlow, who passed away, and Shirley McRae, who resigned to become a city planning commissioner.
“Community boards are truly the heart and soul of municipal government in Brooklyn and New York City—the entry point for New Yorkers who love their neighborhoods and wish to be involved in the planning and development process,” said Markowitz.
“Each year, there are many qualified applicants waiting for a chance to join the Board, and City Council Members and the Borough President’s Office consider a number of factors in determining who can best represent the communities in which they live. I am confident that our newest appointees will serve their districts—and all of Brooklyn—well.”
Yassky’s appointments are Restler and Stengel, who replace Andrew Bart and Milton Herder, who the councilmember did not re-appoint.
Yassky spokesperson Jake Maguire said the fact that Bart and Herder did not get re-appointed had little to do with their work on the community board and more to do with Yassky’s concerns that more local residents get a chance to serve on the community board.
As the community becomes more diverse it’s important that other stakeholders get a chance to represent their neighborhoods on the community board, Maguire said.
Maguire noted that Bart expressed a clear interest in remaining on the CB 2 Land Use Committee as a voting non community board member, and Yassky agreed to keep him on the committee.
James’ lone appointment was Gillette, who replaced the retiring Walter Mosley.
“She [Gillette] is a great leader in the Grand Avenue corridor, particularly as it relates to quality of life issues,” said James.
