Rundown BY nate Izzo
CIVILIAN COMPLAINT REVIEW BOARD
The Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) investigates complaints against police officers and recommends discipline when necessary. There are five proposed revisions to how the CCRB functions. The first part would add two more members to the board. One would be appointed by the public advocate, and the other would be appointed by the mayor and City Council Speaker. The latter would act as chairperson of the board. The second part establishes a minimum budget for the board; at least high enough to fund a staff equal to 0.65% the number of uniformed police officers. This proposal protects the CCRB budget from year-to-year inconsistencies. If the board recommends disciplinary action, the police commissioner can accept or reject the recommendation. Part three of this proposal would require the commissioner to give detailed explanations of whether or not action was taken, as well as the reasoning for that decision. Parts four and five give the CCRB more power during investigations. The fourth part gives the CCRB power to investigate potential false statements made by police officers during an investigation and recommend discipline if a lie is found. Part five gives the CCRB the power to issue and enforce subpoenas to gain evidence in a more timely manner. ETHICS AND GOVERNMENT The third proposal deals with the ethics policies of the government in five parts. Part one would
extend the prohibition of former officials communicating with the government on their new employer’s behalf from one to two years for higher-ranking officials. The second would diversify who appoints the members of the Conflicts of Interest Board. Currently, the mayor appoints all five members, but the revision would have the public advocate and Comptroller each appoint one member. It would also require three members to approve board decisions instead of two. The third part further restricts COIB members’ political activity and campaign contributions. The fourth part would require the Minorityand Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) director to report directly to the mayor. Currently, the director may report to the mayor or to a commissioner that reports to the mayor. The final part deals with the leader of the Law Department, the Corporation Counsel. The proposal would require the City Council to approve the mayor’s appointee. The mayor would also need to offer a replacement within 60 days should a vacancy occur. CITY BUDGET The fourth proposal deals with the City’s budgeting process. The first part would establish a “rainy day” fund, which would be set aside to use for unexpected future expenses. The second part would set a minimum budget for the public advocate and borough presidents and tie them to inflation and the city expense budget. This proposal would protect them from the inconsistency that comes with standard yearly budget negotiations.
to estimate the total revenue the city has to work with so that the City Council can consider the impact of each decision. This proposal moves the deadline for that estimate from June 5 to April 26, giving the Council more time to deliberate. The fifth section is fairly simple: it would mandate the mayor to give the City Council a 30 day notice before revising the city’s financial plan. LAND USE The final ballot proposal is only two parts, and it deals with how land is used in the city. When developers seek exceptions from certain zoning laws, they have to send in a “land use application.” This process does not currently involve borough presidents or the borough and community boards, and that is what this proposal seeks to change. The Department of City Planning would be required to create and publicly publish a detailed review of every application before it is approved. In the same vein, the second part of this proposal would give community boards more time to respond to certified land use applications. This response includes informing the community, holding meetings about the application, and submitting recommended changes.
Part four deals with balancing the budget. It is one of the mayor’s responsibilities F E A T U R E
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